Over the last 6 months, we have been working with the University of Cambridge to help new residents in the brand new Eddington development, to get around Cambridge by bicycle.
So pleased with the Cycling Programme, Kristoffer kindly agreed to talk about his experiences:
COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, KRISTOFFER?
“I have lived in Cambridge for a year, working for the University as a software developer within the University Information Services. Before that I lived in both Mexico and Sweden, and also studied Physics in Aberdeen.”
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A CYCLIST?
“I first learned to ride when I was 12 but then only rode a handful of times until now. So you could definitely say I was a beginner when I first decided to take part in the cycle loan scheme.”
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE CYCLE LOAN SCHEME AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE PART IN IT?
“The scheme was mentioned to me on the day I moved to Eddington. There are two factors to why I chose to take part in it. Firstly, people kept recommending getting a bicycle from my very first day in Cambridge. The number of cyclists on the streets suggested they might have been on to something. Secondly, as someone who had only cycled a handful of times many years ago, the opportunity to hire the bike for a month and have free lessons from an Outspoken trainer was exactly what I needed to decide if cycling was for me.”
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OUTSPOKEN?
“A complete joy! The Outspoken team have been very helpful, and keen to make sure I’ve been getting on alright. From booking the original hire all the way to actually buying a bike, the process was very smooth. Each time they delivered the bike to Eddington, an Outspoken representative was there to hand it over and answer any questions I had. When it came to the training, my instructor was not only extremely informative, but also very patient and kind. I went from a very shaky rider to going through roundabouts in the space of two hours! The scheme is well thought-out, and I found it extremely useful.”
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR NEW BIKE?
“Although I didn’t have much experience with cycling, I could tell the Gazelle Esprit offered by Outspoken was a great bike. I mostly use it to ride to and from work in West Cambridge, which has saved me considerable amounts of time during the day. I used to live much closer to the city
Find out more about our Eddington Cycling Programme on our Projects page, with information on our Loan Scheme, Cycle Training, Dr Bikes and Cycle Maintaintenance Workshops.