Following the huge popularity of two recent mass cycle rides in Liverpool city centre, a cycling group is now pushing to make access to good quality bikes cheaper and easier for Merseyside businesses of any size.

Liverpool Bicycle Co-Operative Limited is offering to act as the intermediary between businesses and various government initiatives to provide access to reliable bikes, encouraging more people to ride to work every day.

Many large organisations provide this service to their employers, but Liverpool Bicycle Co-operative Limited wants to encourage smaller local firms and individuals to get involved.

The scheme enables employers to provide their employees with greatly discounted bicycles which are paid for in instalments that come straight out of the employee’s salary. Savings on income tax and National Insurance result in discounts of between 29-39% off the price of the bike.

Jon Trigg, director of the Liverpool Bicycle Co-operative Limited, said:

“We set up Liverpool Bicycle Co-operative Limited in 2006 to help individuals and organisations to cycle more. We’re passionate about showing people how easy, beneficial and safe it is to cycle to work.

“Day by day, Liverpool is becoming a more cycle-friendly city; it’s great to see more bicycles out on the cycle paths and streets. The success of the Citybike scheme certainly helped get people out on two wheels, but now people are reaching the point where they’d like their own personal bike. Many are put off by the initial cost, lack of knowledge about bike repairs or bad experiences on heavy bikes that just weren’t right for them.

“We’re looking forward to helping people bypass all of that by providing them with excellent discounted bikes that are suited to them specifically, and giving them ongoing support in maintenance.

“We work closely with everyone we deal with, establishing what bike will be exactly right for them. We help people build a bespoke plan to get out there cycling, looking at routes, equipment and distance.

“It will be great to see even more people discovering for themselves the many benefits of getting out of their car seats and onto a saddle. The more people ride to work, the more cycle-friendly a city becomes. We want to make Liverpool the cycling capital of the country.”

Cycling in Liverpool is on the rise: Over 6,500 people participated in the Liverpool Sky Ride, a cycling event that took place at the beginning of September. The Citybike scheme – the biggest of its kind in the UK outside of London – has proved to be a major success, with over 15,000 people registering in the first year.

Studies have shown that cycling to work brings a wealth of benefits. The increased exposure to sunlight each morning makes cyclists feel brighter and more positive throughout the day, and the daily exercise greatly reduces levels of Cortisol, the hormone that contributes to stress and feelings of tension. A business that sets up a cycle-to-work scheme has fitter, more productive staff who take less days off sick.

To find out more about Liverpool Bicycle Co-operative Limited and how they can help both employers and employees get easy access to reliable bicycles, contact Colin Trigg at colintrigg1@hotmail.com or call 0151 707 6116.