It’s just over a year since Faringdon charity ‘Farcycles’ opened their new bike shop facility in Marlborough Street and their larger bike shop has brought even more cyclists in to have their bikes serviced and purchase good quality recycled bikes to suit all ages from small children to those suitable for passionate adult cyclists.
Since late 2018 when a team from Farcycles had the idea of developing a local Cycle Park where children and adults could learn to cycle in safety, this small local charity has been able to encourage people of all ages to get on their bike and enjoy the freedom and healthy exercise that cycling offers. The Cycle Training Park has been open since July 2019, (located off the Stanford Road and accessed at the top of London Street SN7 8BF), and it remains a popular destination for all the family. The Cycle Park is free to use at any time and attract people from beyond the immediate area.
The Cycle Park encouraged many people to donate bikes that their children had outgrown, or they had replaced with more up to date models. The team then decided to set up a ‘pop up shop’ in August 2020. The bikes were refurbished and sold on as there was great demand for bikes during lockdown. Many more bikes were donated as people cleared out their sheds and garages at this time, and the pop-up shop became more established. They sold approximately 600 bikes over a two-year period, and also donated bikes to the disadvantaged and refugees. Thanks to a donation from Oxford Community Foundation, Farcycles was able to support donations of bikes to Ukrainians. Volunteers were also able to repair bikes and sell parts if customers wished to do home repairs. As more space was required with the enterprise growing, Farcycles opened their new shop on Marlborough Street in January 2023 and now offer a wide range of specialist facilities to cyclists from those just starting out to fully fledged cycling enthusiasts.
The larger shop facilities have enabled Farcycles to continue taking in a wide variety of bikes from generous members of the community who wish to support their drive to get more people on their bikes. The team at Farcycles Bike Shop is headed up by a Cytech-qualified technician who put each bike through a 50-point check to Cytech standards, ensuring that it is sold in a safe and sound condition to be ridden. The shop also offers bike servicing from a simple tune-up and health check to a complete strip down and parts replacement. By offering everything from gear setup, brake check, bottom bracket servicing, hydraulic brake bleed and much more, cyclists can often have their bikes serviced in a shorter time than they would in other cycling specialist businesses. There is no need to book. Simply drop your bike into the shop and the team will look after everything. They have even included a custom-built bike wash where cyclists are able to clean their bikes if they wish to.
Alongside running the Bike Shop, the team run cycle training classes at the Cycling Park. These take the form of both group classes and 1-1 lessons throughout the year. You can also book to participate in confidence rides to ensure that you have suitable bike safety skills to cycle safely on the open road. For proficient cyclists, Farcycles hosts Saturday morning social rising group rides covering different distances and speeds. The rides run throughout the year, with actual timings and routes adapting to the weather forecast and season of the year. There will be shorter rides in the Spring for those returning to cycling.
Over the years, Farcycles have devised a network of cycling routes to link important places in the town for example the Health Centre, Schools, Folly Sports Ground, and the Town Centre. Some of these have been implemented but they are continuing to work with Faringdon Town Council to create additional safe cycling routes around the area.
For people and families who enjoy cycling and want to participate in Le Tour de Farcycles, registration opens in the spring for the annual cycling Sportive which takes participants on routes around the Cotswolds. Now in its 11th year, Le Tour offers three routes depending on how far you want to push yourself. The 2024 event is provisionally planned for Saturday 13 July 2024. You can find out more information and register your interest by visiting farcycles.org.uk/le-tour-overview
To find out more about Faringdon’s Farcycles Bike Shop, please visit farcycles.org.uk/bike-shop.
