The Family Bike Club- Electrify Our Fleet & Cargo!

*British Airways, via their community fund, are very kindly offering to match any donations (up to a maximum of £250 per donation). So any support is doubled at the least!

**Now 30% project total pledged by Sport England! 🙏🙏 (Provided we reach our overall target)

WHO WE ARE

We are the Family Bike Club, a not-for-profit social enterprise (limited by guarantee) offering hire & servicing from our hub based at Enfield Chase train station in north London. We are passionate (beyond passion!) about all things local cycling. We offer a family-focused ultra-accessible cycle hire provision designed to give local residents a stepping stone to make the transition out of their cars and onto active travel options for any and all of their local journeys, to engage with the local landscape once more.

We have the small but noble aim of providing a fulcrum to deliver an impetus for local residents to more easily access active travel. We believe that when more journeys are undertaken actively, not only does this create a more inviting and cleaner public realm for all to enjoy via the lowering of transport emissions & congestion; it also boosts the health of those making the switch by introducing more activity into their days; and gives family wellbeing a boost also. And also when transporting little ones naturally creates many more smiles for local miles in the process! Win Win Win!

We are passionate about doing our small bit at a local level to help Enfield residents lower our collective carbon footprint and generally empowering residents in their local area and to feel connected to it.

THE JOURNEY SO FAR

We have taken some very strong strides (or turned some first few starter pedal revolutions!) in our quest to create access for all. We have refurbished and kitted out our hub to establish our hire and library offering of all things family friendly cycling. We have been positively buoyed by the reception we have been given by our community here in Enfield and the obvious mutual desire for us to survive and prosper as a service for that community into the longterm.

In this regard, we have made very pleasing progress in delivering for local residents. We have also repaired and serviced a small peloton of local bikes to get them back on the road. We have refurbished and redistributed donated kids bikes. We have joined and led our own group rides to some amazing local destinations. We have partnered with specialist recycling handlers to ensure we are playing our part to help the local community avoid sending cycle-related materials into landfill (and have already recirculated close to half a tonne of inner tubes!). And last but by no means least, we have slowly tailored our library of all things cycling to suit the requests and needs of local people.

OUR MISSION

With this latter mission in mind, we want to go one final mile. We now need to complete the last piece of the jigsaw. We want to open out our provision to all demographics; including those who are not accomplished cyclists already, or who might need that extra boost, especially with any precious (but possibly slight weighty!) small cargo in-tow! Being located on a hill ourselves and in an area where gradients frequently rise and fall; we know there is one way to help residents even more take their first few pedals; this is by offering electric options on all our current fleet.

This will open out our bikes to demographics who (understandably) are apprehensive and who believe travelling actively might be beyond them and inspire the last bit of confidence needed to get on two wheels locally and to take in the full (and quite green!) vista that Enfield can quite uniquely offer its residents.

A COVID-RECOVERY BOOST

We are also very aware that recent health epidemics have been unforgiving in leaving very few people not affected in some way, and the aftershocks very much continue to linger and impact lifestyles for many. Assisted bikes are an amazingly powerful tool to help any local residents who have suffered from any health effects, particularly those who might have suffered more than most, to start to reclaim their activity levels that they once were able to enjoy, and to build from here.

EXPANDING LOCAL HORIZONS & LOCAL ACTIVE ROUTEMAPS

As one of the larger boroughs in London (by landmass) it is critical we can offer solutions that fully enable residents across the whole terrain and to access our lesser discovered gems or those not yet encountered previously to really inspire local people on their daily journeys. Whether it be trips out to the Lee Valley parks and towpaths; Tottenham marshes; Walthamstow Wetlands; Capel Manor or Forty Hall; we want to fully empower this engagement with no barriers.

HOW ANY PLEDGE MONIES WILL BE SPENT

We intend to, in order of priority to-

1. Convert as many of our existing fleet to electric-assisted bikes as possible (currently we can only offer 2 of our fleet of 15); as well as maybe acquiring one or two additional items that are factory-built electric models if funds ultimately allow. Doing any of this is not cheap however- a standard electric conversion costs around £1000; and buying something already electric typically costs far north of this.

We are determined to not let this cost be a barrier for our community however, hence we find ourselves here, we hope for the final time, with one last ask, to deliver mobility for all in Enfield, and beyond in north London.

If we are really able to hit our targets we also have the small desire to 

2. Offer an additional offering of ultra functional non-child electrified cargo, to serve local residents with a genuine alternative for any of their weekend tasks- e.g. diy jobs that require trips to be made to the local recycling centre, could now be taken on two wheels! This is our last ambition. 

Our shopping list of electric-conversions for our current fleet includes-

3 x 2-child compact long-tail cargo bikes (Yuba Kombi models). The ultimate family local journey machine (in our, admittedly slightly biased, opinion!) With electric boost these will sail through any local routes no matter the inclines or the growing mass of any younger cargo as months go by!  

2 x 2-3 child long long-tail cargo bikes (Yuba Mundo models). The ultimate all-duty expanded-family local journey warrior! Designed to carry more. Fit 3 small children (3-6 year olds) on the rear rack. Help us boost this amazing machine so that everyone can feel confident and glide around fore-to-the-aft on two wheels no matter how many little lifts you are giving!

1 x Cargo Box Bike- for that added functionality and multi-use cargo purposes, very much enjoys seeing the local sites! Perfect for those multi task weekend outings; loves going to the recycling centre; hauling DIY materials; as well carrying precious small ones!

1 x Regular tandem (Orbit model)- for adult friends or companions who want to collaborate on the pedal power! The perfect 2 wheeled vehicle for anyone rider who is less confident or who might struggle with balance abilities and who could benefit from a partner to help them get back in the saddle. Sharing (the journey) is caring!

1 x Semi recumbent tandem (Hase Pino model)- Our personal favourite tandem option in our fleet (so much so we have two!) Features a canvas mesh semi-recumbent front stoker seat for riders who need an extra level of support on their journey or who have any impairments that might prohibit access to ordinary cycling; with a great view of the landscapes you are moving through to boot! The rear pilot has an entirely unobstructed view and full control of braking. Independent freewheels mean that the front rider can join in the cycling or coast according to their own fitness levels and preference on the ride! The ultimate tandem experience

OUR MEMBERSHIPS- REWARDS

We also wanted to use this opportunity to formally launch our new and wonderfully sleek hire and membership platform that has been amazingly kindly developed by a small but incredibly dedicated team of Enfield-based Microsoft developers (very generously using their volunteer days for us). To this end we are offering some extra special membership rewards via the crowdfunder to say a thank you to them, and to the community once more, and let any pledgees have some quite special early access to the new equipment we are hopefully able to assemble.

We thank you for reading and are massively grateful for any support, monetary or otherwise, to help spread the word.

Here's to many more smiles for many more local miles

Happy & safe local pedalling in the meantime

The Family Bike Club Team

*British Airways, via their community fund, are very kindly offering to match any donations (up to a maximum of £250 per donation). So any support is doubled at the least! (We hope to also apply for a couple of other funds post-launch that might raise this match-level further)