Borders College Cycling Guide by Borders College

Contents WHY CYCLE .............................................................................................................................................. 3 FACILITIES ON CAMPUS .......................................................................................................................... 4 RENTING A BIKE ...................................................................................................................................... 5 BICYCLES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT .......................................................................................................... 6 TRAIN .................................................................................................................................................. 6 BUS ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 BIKE MAINTENANCE................................................................................................................................ 7 BIKE SHOPS NEAR OUR CAMPUSES .................................................................................................... 7 ROUTE PLANNING/ ................................................................................................................................. 8 CYCLE TRAINING...................................................................................................................................... 8 HOW CAN I PLAN MY ROUTE? ............................................................................................................ 8 CYCLE TRAINING COURSES.................................................................................................................. 8 ESSENTIAL CYCLING SKILLS DOCUMENT ............................................................................................. 8 LED RIDES ................................................................................................................................................ 9 SOCIAL RIDES........................................................................................................................................... 9 BICYCLE SECURITY ................................................................................................................................. 10 ENERGY SAVINGS TRUST E-BIKE LOAN ............................................................................................. 11 BIKE TO WORK, ..................................................................................................................................... 11 CYCLING UK ACCESS BIKES FUND – FOR THOSE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY ................................... 11 E-BIKE LOAN SCHEME, AND OTHER FUNDS .......................................................................................... 11 VOLUNTEERING..................................................................................................................................... 14 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................... 15 CYCLE ROUTES FOR LEISURE RIDES AROUND THE BORDERS:........................................................... 15 CYCLING COMMUNITY ON CAMPUS ................................................................................................. 16 OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES: ................................................................................................................ 16

WHY CYCLE? In a nutshell, it’s good for you, your wallet, and the planet! Cycling is one of the most efficient modes of transport ever created and it comes with a range of benefits. These include benefits to your health both physically and mentally, and can reduce your risk of various illnesses. Additionally, with the increasing cost of living, cycling can be a much cheaper mode of transport whether you want to head to the shops or need to go to college for work or studies. You virtually don’t need to buy any cycle specific clothing (apart from a helmet and lights which are highly recommended). Living in the Scottish Borders, we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes with plenty of routes that can be used to enjoy a nice cycle along. Speaking of beautiful landscapes, by cycling you also ensure that the planet stays green and you help ensure that we are able to achieve our target of reaching net-zero by 2045.

FACILITIES ON CAMPUS

Borders College currently has a number of facilities on campus to help students and staff cycle to campus. Facilities such as: • • • •

Covered cycle parking Student and staff shower facilities Storage lockers Changing facilities

Shower facilities There are a number of shower facilities that are free to use for students and staff around our campus. Please note that some of these shower facilities are for staff use only.

Lockers Lockers are available for free for personal use to store your gear whether you are a student or staff. If you do not already have a locker, please go to the Self-Service Portal through the Student/staff portal on the Borders College Homepage to request a key to a locker.

Changing facilities There are a number of changing facilities across our campus. Some of these are located within the shower facilities but all of them are. These are signposted around the campus.

RENTING A BIKE Should you wish to rent a bicycle, there are various places around that offer bike rentals.

In Galashiels: Diamond cycle https://www.diamondcyclecentre.co.uk/bikehire

Cycling UK (electric and non-standard bike tryouts and loans free of charge) https://www.cyclinguk.org/rural-connections Hike and Bike Hub https://hikebikegalashiels.co.uk/services.php

On Campus We have a few electric, hybrid, and folding bikes available for hire free of charge. These are available for a period of up to 2 weeks and we operate on a waiting list system should the bike not be available. For further queries, please contact the campus cycling officer.

In Selkirk Sustainable Selkirk (electric bike rental free of charge) - https://sustainableselkirk.org.uk/ebikes/

In Stow Stow Cycle Hub (electric bike day hire or trial for up to 4 weeks) - https://stowhub.co.uk/ebikes/

BICYCLES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT Bus

Train

Bicycles are currently permitted on a limited of Borders Buses that run on Route X95 (Edinburgh – Carlisle passing through Hawick, Selkirk, and Stow), and route X62 (Edinburgh – Galashiels Interchange passing through Innerleithen, Peebles, and Penicuik).

Bicycles can be taken on ScotRail trains between Edinburgh – Tweedbank and reservations are not required but there are limited spaces available. Further information can be found on the ScotRail website.

Not all buses on these routes have bicycle bays however the live tracker on the Borders Buses website does show which buses have bike bays. Information as to how the bays work is also available on their website.

BIKE MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE COURSES Should you wish to learn more about doing maintenance on your own bike, there are a few resources available.

We aim to provide a few maintenance classes free of charge throughout the year and will be advertised beforehand and posted on the events calendar. Alternatively, Just Cycle in Tweedbank offer a halfday workshop on basic bike maintenance and a more thorough, advanced 3-day course.

Dr Bike Sessions We are aiming to have a few Dr Bike Sessions throughout the year. Please consult the event calendar for any upcoming events.

There is also Belles on Bikes which is a women’s cycling group that offer bike maintenance sessions.

Bike shops near our campuses Galashiels:

Hike and Bike Hub - 47 Channel St, Galashiels TD1 1BJ (They offer pay what you can for bike repairs should money be tight but please consult with them for additional information). Diamond Cycle - Unit 5 Adam Purves Hub, Wilderhaugh, Galashiels TD1 1PW Hawick: Hawick Cycles - 10 Bourtree Pl, Hawick, TD9 9HW Tweedbank: Just Cycle - 5, Craft Centre, Tweedbank Dr, Tweedbank, Galashiels TD1 3RU

ROUTE PLANNING/ CYCLE TRAINING Cycle training courses Should you feel uncomfortable or want a refresher on cycling skills whether it is riding a bike, cycling with traffic, or off-road skills, there are numerous opportunities around the borders – including the college - that offer various courses. Please check the events calendar to see any upcoming events at the college. Alternatively, Cycling UK and Cycling Scotland can also provide training.

Essential Cycling Skills document Should you not have time for a course, Cycling Scotland provide a great document for you to read through in your own time on essential cycling skills.

How can I plan my route? Google Maps might be your first thought however it does not always use the safest roads to cycle on. CycleSteets.net is a fantastic website that provides three route options (fastest, quietest, and balanced route) for you to choose depending on how comfortable you are cycling. You can also use the Ride with GPS website which provides a heatmap of the routes that are most often used. This can be a useful tool to familiarise yourself with routes close to you that are frequently used by cyclists. Please note that, “the heatmap displays 'heat' generated by cyclists worldwide using the two most recent years of publicly-logged trip data” meaning that you will need to ensure that the roads are suitable for your confidence level but these should provide a useful starting point to find local routes to cycle on.

LED RIDES In addition to the led rides the college have, there are a number of organisations in the Borders provide led rides and other confidence building skills out on your bike. Most of these are free but please double check with the organisations themselves. Hike and Bike Galashiels: This hub is a social enterprise that seeks to promote active travel and healthy leisure activities for everyone, regardless of income. They offer information about local walking and cycling routes, offer led rides and walks, along with offering bicycle hire and repairs. Cycling UK: Cycling UK is a charity that seeks to make cycling accessible to everyone irrespective of ages, backgrounds, and abilities. To address some of the challenges people face in rural regions across Scotland, they offer a number of services to help people feel more confident cycling and they have a local development officer based in the Borders. They offer various activities such as led rides, family rides, learning to ride, increasing cycling confidence, and buddy rides. They also offer a

SOCIAL RIDES There are a number of groups that provide fun, relaxed, social rides around the Borders. Borders Brake Away Group: This is a casual cycling group based in the Borders that does not focus on racing but rather on social rides, cake, tea, and coffee with all abilities welcome, you just need a road worthy bike. Rides vary from 20-50 miles.

Teviotdale cycling:

number of e-bike try outs and loans.

Teviotdale are a cycling club that primarily focuses on road cycling. The group is for recreational cyclists wanting to ride for fun, fitness, and making new friends.

Cycling Scotland:

Stow cycling hub

Cycling Scotland is Scotland’s national charity that seeks to promote cycling and wheeling. They offer a number of cycle training courses whether its adult cycle training, whether you are looking to learn how to ride, have a crash course (not literally) on on-road cycling skills, learning how to ride a cargo bike, and mountain biking training skills are a few of their offerings.

Stow cycling hub is a community led project that seeks to get more people to cycle. They offer social rides that start and end in Stow, and have ebikes that can be rented out. Kelso Breezers: The Breezers is a female only cycling group based in Kelso but arrange rides all around the Borders. All rides are social with cake, coffee/cuppa stops along the way any all bikes are welcome on all rides. Belles on Bikes Belles on Bikes is a network of women’s cycling groups and this is the Scottish Borders branch. They seek to support women to get cycling together in a friendly, relaxes, and inclusive environment. The group is open to all ages and abilities and offer rides on road, off-road, and beginner sessions.

BICYCLE SECURITY

What lock do I need?

It is advised that a lock should cost about 10% of the value of your bike and if possible, a lock that is rated Sold Secure Gold.

How should I lock my bike? In brief, we advise that bikes should be: •Locked up in high footfall and visible areas as this is usually seen as a good deterrent for opportunistic thieves. •The use of a good quality lock will further act as a deterrent and if they are rated as Sold Secure, you might be entitled to some compensation should your bike get stolen. •Lock your bike to a solid, immovable object, preferably a bike rack. •Focus on locking the frame and rear wheel as the front wheel is the cheapest part between all of these. If possible, use a second lock to lock up the front wheel. •Try to get the tightest fit possible as this can prevent leverage style attacks. For a detailed overview, please consult Cycling UK’s write-up as they have a fantastic discussion on this.

BIKE TO WORK, E-BIKE LOAN SCHEME, AND OTHER FUNDS

Are there any loans, funds, or cycle to work schemes? In addition to various finance options many retailers offer, there are a couple different schemes available to you when purchasing a bike which are detailed below.

Energy Savings Trust E-bike loan The Energy Savings Trust have an ebike loan scheme which can help you buy an electric bike (including cargo bikes). The loan is interest free and repayable over 4 years. More information can be found here.

Cycling UK Access Bikes Fund – for those struggling financially Should you be struggling financially but would like to purchase your own bike, Borders College can apply on your behalf for funding. Please note that this fund does not cover e-bikes (unless legally registered as disabled) and the funding is for a bike costing between £300-600 (up to £5000 for non-standard/adapted cycles). Funding is open until January 2024 and more information can be found here. Should this be of interest to you, please contact the campus cycling officer.

BIKE TO WORK SCHEME If you are employed by Borders College, you might be eligible for the cycle to work scheme which can allow you to purchase a new bike and save up to 49% on bikes and accessories. More information on how much you could save can be found here.

How does the cycle to work scheme function? In essence, the bike to work scheme is a salary sacrifice scheme that allows you to purchase a bike through your employer (Borders College) where they pay for the bike upfront, and you as the employee, hires the bike from the employer for the duration of the contract and payment is deducted from your pay check (salary sacrifice). At the end of the contract, ownership of the bike will be transferred from the employer to yourself.

Important information before applying for a cycle to work voucher There are a few things that you need to be aware before going ahead and contacting a bike shop to purchase your bike using the scheme. It is important to understand that there are many different cycle to work facilitators such as Cycle Solutions, Bike2Work, Cycle2Work, Cyclescheme etc. These are intermediary facilitators between the employer and the bike shop and act as an agent that ensures that the bike shop can get paid for the bike you are buying through your employer. These facilitators take a commission which is why bike shops will often only accept certain schemes (as the cost of some schemes are higher than others) so it is important to check that the shop you want to get the bike from accepts the bike to work scheme that Borders College uses (Cycle Solutions). Once you have found a shop that accept Cycle Solution vouchers, you can go ahead and choose a bike, accessories, and/or components that are suitable to your needs. Every shop has different processes but it is likely that you would be able to reserve a bike with a deposit. They will provide you with a quotation which you can then use on the MyLifestyle portal to apply for the voucher. Once you are in possession of the voucher, you can go ahead and coordinate with the bike shop to collect or have the goods delivered to you. It is important to understand that as bike shops lose a commission for bike to work orders, some shops might add that commission back onto the price of the bike/accessories, some do not, and some only on items that are on sale so please check with the shop directly as to what their policy is before applying for the voucher. Another significant thing to know is that the rules for the cycle to work scheme is created by HMRC and there can be significant repercussions if the rules that they have made are contravened. One of the biggest assumptions people make is that they are able to ‘top-up’ over the value of their voucher (i.e. buying a £2500 with a voucher of £2000 and paying in cash the remaining £500). This is not the case, the value of the goods you are buying MUST be equal to the value of your voucher. It can also be problematic should you apply for a voucher of £2000 and then decide you want a bike that costs £1500 as

that costs £1500 as you will need to add additional accessories to make up the £500 difference. This is why it is best to get a quotation before applying for the voucher as this will avoid any nasty surprises and headaches.

How do I apply for the Cycle to Work voucher? To apply for the voucher, the process is super simple. Just log-into EDENRED - MyLifestyle Portal and go to ‘my benefits’ and choose CycleSolutions cycle to work. • • • •

Enter the details from the quote you were provided by the bike shop and submit this. People Services will then check that you are eligible. Once approved, you should receive your voucher within a week or so. Contact the bike shop to arrange collection of your bike once you have received your voucher.

The scheme is open year-round so you can apply whenever you want.

Spending limit There currently is a £2000 spending limit however should you want a bike that costs more than this, please contact hr@borderscollege.ac.uk to discuss with them about raising the limit.

Hire period duration The hire period is for a duration of 12 months.

Cycle Solutions bicycle shop locator You can find your closes local bike shop here that accepts Cycle Solution vouchers here.

VOLUNTEERING We are currently developing volunteering opportunities within Borders College and these will be available as we start offering more services for staff and students over time. In the meantime, should you have any interest helping out, please contact the Campus Cycling Officer and we can discuss how you might be able to help us. Alternatively, there are ongoing volunteering opportunities at the Hike & Bike Hub, Just Cycle, Cycling Scotland, Cycling UK, and Sustrans Scotland.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Cycle routes for leisure rides around the Borders: Cycle trails across the Borders https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20032/parks_and_outdoors/697/cycling Easy and intermediate cycle routes in and around Stow https://stowhub.co.uk/ebikes/routes/ 8 Easy Tweed Valley Routes - https://www.gotweedvalley.co.uk/8-easy-bike-routes Leisurely ride Bowhill and Yair Brig circular route https://www.fiveturrets.com/post/bowhill-and-yair-brig-circular-cycle-route Leisurely ride from Selkirk to Yair - https://www.fiveturrets.com/post/yair-circular-cycleroute Leisurely ride Selkirk to Melrose - https://www.fiveturrets.com/post/selkirk-to-melrosecycle-route Moderate ride from Newtown St Boswells to Scott’s View and Dryburgh https://scotlandstartshere.com/tours/scotts-view-dryburgh/ Moderate ride from Selkirk to Ettrickbridge and Newark Castle https://www.fiveturrets.com/post/ettrickbridge-and-newark-castle-cycle-circuit Moderate ride from Selkirk to Lindean Loch and Midlem https://www.fiveturrets.com/post/lindean-loch-and-midlem-cycle-circuit 4 difficult road rides across the Borders - https://roadcyclinguk.com/riding/four-markedroad-routes-unveiled-in-scottish-borders.html

Cycling community on Campus Bicycle user group: We are going to look into creating a Borders College Bicycle User Group to meet fellow cyclists and have somewhere people can ask and share info, organise meet ups, or just have a chat about anything bike related. Should you wish to partake, please email the campus cycling officer: ocaronnowak@borderscollege.ac.uk.

Other useful websites: British Cycling - https://www.letsride.co.uk/ Cycling Scotland - https://www.cycling.scot/ Cycling UK - https://www.cyclinguk.org/advice Forestry and Land Scotland - https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/forest-parks/tweedvalley-forest-park Global Cycling Network - https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/ Global Mountain Bike Network - https://www.gmbn.com/ Komoot route mapping - https://www.komoot.com/guide/58702/cycling-in-scottishborders Park Tools in-depth bicycle repair guide - https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repairhelp Scottish Borders Council https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20032/parks_and_outdoors/697/cycling Sheldon Brown’s Technical Bicycle Info https://www.sheldonbrown.com/?utm_content=cmp-true Sustrans - https://www.sustrans.org.uk/