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My Space: Dr Bike Lewes

1/3/2017

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Bob Trotter, volunteer bicycle fixer
 
You’ll find us outside the Nutty Wizard every Saturday morning, at the junction of Cliffe High Street and South Street. From March we’re there from 9.30am until 12.30pm.
 
Dr Bike is a group of cycle enthusiasts who want to help local people to use their bikes more. We offer friendly help to cyclists who have fairly basic bikes that are in need of first aid. Most bikes go wrong because they haven’t been maintained: cables seize up through lack of oil, brake blocks wear out, gears go out of adjustment or tyres go flat. We can even sometimes unbuckle a wheel but that depends on the state of the spokes. Higher-end bikes or those needing more complicated repairs are better served by Lewes’s two Cycle Shack outlets.
 
At the moment there are around eight Dr Bikers in total, usually with three or four volunteers on duty each week. The service began in 1991, shortly after the first Lewes Green Wheels Day to encourage the use of sustainable transport. Pete Barnes and Chris Franks were the two original ‘doctors’. They were based outside Fitzroy House, the old library building opposite Boots, which is where Chris lived at the time. By 2014 Chris had moved away and the Farmers Market was being held on the precinct twice a month, so we moved our surgery to the Nutty Wizard building.
 
I've been told the Nutty Wizard was originally a public toilet before it was converted. It now hosts a youth club, book swaps days, language lessons, an occasional cafe and much more. Dr Bike helps support all this with any extra money we’re given.
 
We only charge trade prices for the parts we supply. Customers can make a donation for our labour, which pays for our insurance, tools and rent.
 
Our most important piece of kit is the work stand, which holds a bike up in the air so the wheels can rotate. It means we can fix gears, brakes and punctures without getting a bad back. We've got a well-stocked tool box, puncture repair kits, cable inners and outers, brake blocks and, most importantly, lots of good oil.
 
I started volunteering in November 2013. I’d previously worked in the fire service with one of the other Dr Bikers but now I am a cycle trainer for East Sussex County Council, teaching Bikeability; a road-based version of the old Cycling Proficiency Test.
 
Whatever your views on global warming and green travel, cycling will make you fitter and is more fun – especially when you can pedal past traffic jams on our ever-expanding cycle route network. I often find I can actually get somewhere quicker by bike than by driving, so it's win-win. If the only thing preventing you from cycling more is a poorly bike, then maybe it's time to take it to the doctors!
 
As told to Mark Bridge
 
drbikelewes.com | facebook.com/drbikelewes

A version of this feature was first published in Viva Lewes magazine issue 126 March 2017.
 
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Directory Spotlight: Dr Wendy Maples, founder of the University of Us

1/3/2017

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Dr Wendy Maples
Lots of people sign up for online courses but don't finish them, for all kinds of good reasons. They might be unfamiliar with digital learning, or they struggle with motivation. The idea of the University of Us is to get local people together to support and motivate each other, with the help of a facilitator.
 
At the moment I've got a group that's studying 'Start Writing Fiction'. When we meet, we talk about anything they've found difficult, and I explain what's coming up next week and how they can get the most enjoyment out of it.
 
The upcoming courses that I'm thinking of are a short course on using online tools, perhaps looking at social media skills, while another is about preparing students to go to university. And I’m also looking for a course on food production, sustainability and horticulture.
 
People can tell me their interests by using the contact form on the University of Us web page. When I’ve found an online course that looks good, I'll give them the instructions for signing up. The online courses are free or low cost; the University of Us fees depend on the length of the course, but are usually between £50 and £100.
 
I worked for the Open University for over 15 years and have an MA in Online and Distance Education, so I'm pretty good at spotting the courses that’ll work well. It’s all about helping people to enjoy learning.
 
universityofus.co.uk /  info@universityofus.co.uk
 
Interview by Mark Bridge. First published in Viva Lewes magazine issue 126 March 2017.
 
 


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