FREE Community Cycling Days in Rigside, Glespin and Crawford

Residents in Rigside and Douglas Water, Glespin, and Crawford and Elvanfoot are invited to three Make Your Way Community Cycling Days taking place on Saturdays between now and December – all for FREE. 

Taking place 11am – 3pm in Rigside Playpark on 23 October, in Glespin MUGA on 6 November and in Crawford Playpark on 20 November, the days are part of the Make Your Way project promoting sustainable travel. Activities will include: 

• A portable cycling skills circuit for people to bring along their bikes and have a go on 

• Essential Cycling Skills for Families sessions, sessions up to 1 hour, book via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 0141 647 3250 

• Play on Pedals learn to cycle for 4-5 year olds, sessions up to 30 minutes, book via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 0141 647 3250 

• Drop-in Dr Bike cycle safety checks, up to 15 minutes per bike 

• Indoor Roadside Repair course, 1-4pm, limited to 6 spaces, booking essential via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 07986 798 098 

• Silent Disco provided by Healthy Valleys 

There will also be an opportunity to trial an e-bike with Healthy Valleys at the Cycling Days in Glespin and Crawford. Local sustainable travel information will be available at all events. 

Participants in Rigside will also be able to vote on the location of new benches, bins and cycle racks, following a community vote in May which identified the installation of these features as an initiative that would support people to walk, wheel and cycle more locally.  

Level 0 COVID guidance will apply, including providing contact tracing details, 1-meter physical distancing and practicing good hand washing and respiratory hygiene. Refreshments will be provided – participants are encouraged to bring a keep-cup if they have one for tea / coffee. 

The Cycling Days are taking place as part of the Make Your Way project, focussing on progressing sustainable travel priorities in Crawford and Elvanfoot, Glespin, and Rigside and Douglas Water before April 2022. It is part of a year on year programme, running since 2016, which targets sustainable travel in rural Lanarkshire and has included community mapping and the development of Sustainable Travel Action Plans to date. 

The programme is supported by Paths for All’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places, Strathclyde Passenger Transport and South Lanarkshire Council’s Renewable Energy Fund. It is managed by Rural Development Trust’s Community Action Lanarkshire programme. The community of Glespin voted to progress a Feasibility Study for an active travel route to Douglas, whilst the community in Crawford and Elvanfoot voted to progress a Feasibility Study for pedestrian safety measures and the community in Rigside and Douglas Water voted for the installation of benches and cycle racks. 

The programme includes Bikeability levels 1 and 2 in Crawford, Douglas and Rigside Primary Schools, as well as the installation of Make Your Way active travel maps and wayfinding.  

Mark Horsham, Councillor for Clydesdale South, says, “During Lockdown restrictions, more people took up cycling and other forms of active travel helping with not only their physical health but also their mental wellbeing. Alongside these personal benefits there are also the benefits to the environment which help tackle the Climate Emergency. These events will help promote, give confidence and engage with those who are looking to take up active travel and those who already participate in active travel.” 

Participants are encouraged to book onto the Essential Cycling Skills for Families and Play on Pedals sessions in advance via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 0141 647 3250. Bookings for the indoor Roadside Repair course are essential via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 07986 798 098.