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Sun rises in the Aire Valley today at 06:32 and sets at 18:02

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need?

  • bike in working order (take it to the bike shop for a check up if it hasn’t been ridden lately)
  • appropriate clothing

We also recommend:

  • helmet and lights (lights will be necessary when it gets dark!)
  • Third party liability insurance (check out CTC membership)

You may also need

  • a lock to secure your bike at your destination

 

How do I join?
First, e-mail the bike bus driver well in advance to confirm it is running as advertised and to check it is suitable for your requirements (use the contact form or email:info[at]airevallybikebus.org.uk). Then, be waiting at the bike bus stop by the advertised time and ready to “get on board”.


What if I haven’t ridden much/lately/in traffic?
If you're not sure, then we can arrange for someone to buddy you on a trial run in the evening or the weekend to get the feel for it. Again contact us.


Only one Bike Bus a week?
We'd love to see more bike buses, more routes, more days, more directions. That depends on the demand for it. Keep up with the developments at 'More Bike Buses'.


What if it rains?
The bike bus will still be running, (but probably with only a few riders!)


What if I get a puncture?
You'll have to fix it yourself so carry a pump, and spare inner tubes. The Bike Bus probably wont be able to stop, but depending on the other riders you may get help, although we can't guarantee it. If you get really stuck, there's always the bus or the train, so remember that lock!
The CTC offer bike to work breakdown cover. See: http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=4997


Is it safe?
Nothing in life is guaranteed and the state of the roads and behaviour of other road users is beyond our control. You are responsible for your own safety. The CTC has a 'Safety in Numbers' campaign (see http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=5225 ), the main message of which is that the more people cycle, the safer it is for each individual cyclist.This may be a benefit of riding with the bike bus.


Some form of insurance (such as the CTC provide) comes highly recommended.


How fast do you ride?
We seem to ride at about 12miles an hour, i.e. it takes us about 5 minutes to cover a mile, with the whole trip from Keighley to Bradford taking 50 minutes.

We expect this will change over time.

  • If this seems too fast - let us know. We don't people to be put off - we can ride slower!
  • If this seems too slow - give us a try anyway! Perhaps for one day a week a slower sociable ride could be fun - and you can always count it as a rest day!

Over time we would like to be offering different services running at different speeds.


Who's behind all of this?
It's just a few people that decided to give it a go. We all like to cycle, and we all have our reasons for commuting by bike. You're welcome to join us!


Can I help/get involved/set up a route?
Yes you can! At the moment we'd like:

  • more 'domestiques' - people who can commit to being on the ride each week.

In the future we'd like to see the bike bus:

  • operating on more days of the week
  • running more services each day i.e. at 30min intervals
  • on more routes around the city
  • provide real time route info via satellite tracking
We're not precious about this. If you want to do something similar in your own way, and you think we could help, then great.

If you want to help, need help or have any suggestions then please get in touch.

Manjit the Hammster, David Domestique - what's with the funny names?
The Hammsters are a group that rode 600 miles to Hamm, Germany, and back in 2008. Hamm is the twin town of Bradford, and the ride was organised by Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure to raise finds to support their athletes. The Hammsters still meet up to ride at least once a month.

A 'domestique' is a term for a professional bike rider. They tend not to be the stars, but they will ride and sacrifice themselves for the team. When looking for an alternative term for a 'bus driver' (you can push the analogy too far) 'domestique' seemed to fit. Domestique is also an album by the fabulous, now defunct, Delgado's

Thanks to www.bikebus.org.au for allow us to adapt their FAQ's