‘Bike libraries’ will get unwanted wheels back in spin for other riders

And now the Yorkshire Dales is at the forefront of a campaign to get more people cycling as part of the legacy of staging the world’s largest annual sporting event.

One of the first of a network of bike libraries in North Yorkshire has been launched in Richmondshire to repair and restore second-hand bicycles.

The scheme has been developed in association with Cycle Yorkshire and Yorkshire Bank, with unwanted and unused bikes collected, renovated and then added to a “bank” where people can use them free of charge.

One of the first donation stations is at Stage 1 Cycles in Askrigg and the project is being supported by Richmondshire District Council as part of its membership of Cycle Yorkshire and its work to promote cycling in the district.

The bikes do not need to be in full working order as fully-qualified mechanics will find working parts.

If any bike cannot be repaired the parts will help fix another.

Each bike will then be fully safety checked and tested before it is then put into the bicycle bank.

Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board spokesman for operational services, Coun Ian Threlfall, said: “This is a great scheme – there are so many benefits from donating old or unloved cycles to these banks.”