A new Bike Hub which will allow people of all ages and abilities to become physically active through cycling has been launched in North Clondalkin.
Located on the grounds of Collinstown Park Community College, beside the Sports Complex, the Bike Hub will look to provide a centralised base to welcome and engage the local community in cycling, be they school aged or adults. The Bike Hub is part of the Active Cities project which is funded by Sport Ireland through the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF).
As transport accounts for approximately 20% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and South Dublin County Council (SDCC) is currently building up to 260km of a connected cycle network in the County.
South Dublin County Sports Partnership (SDCSP), working with the SDCC Climate Action Team and other partners including Cycling Ireland, Dublin & Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB), Ronanstown Youth Service and local schools have come together to establish the Bike Hub. The SDCC Climate Action Team provided grant assistance of €30,000 which will allow for the purchase of bikes and equipment required that will benefit to its success.
A wide range of cycling programmes will be facilitated by local bike leaders trained up to deliver from the Bike Hub including, Learn To Cycle programmes for young people 5-13 years of age, teenager BMX/Trail programmes, primary school cycle safety training, adults community bike rides and more.
A bike workshop will be available at certain times of the week for bike repairs and to upcycle unwanted bikes so that they can be provided to people in need. Two local people are being trained up as Level 2 City & Guilds Bike Mechanics, including a staff member of Ronanstown Youth Service. This will ensure that we engage with young people encouraging them to cycle more and that their bikes are working efficiently and safely.
The first programme delivered in the hub was Cycling Ireland’s Trail-Cycling for Transition Years. This 6 week certified programme taught students all the skills needed to mountain bike on trails. They also learned about all the functions of the bike and basic bike mechanic skills. The programme was piloted with Collinstown Park Community College and St. Kevins Community College with a total of 19 TY students completing the course using the Bike Hub facilities.
