Pushing, pedalling, and gripping the handlebars. The wind blowing through your hair, the rustling of lemon-yellow leaves just by your ears and the sky is blue and wide. Oscar often rides down The Avenues to university, one of the most beautiful roads in Norwich during autumn. Cycling is how he goes shopping, how he gets to university, to work, and to his friends, but he’s been on quite a journey that would have looked very different had it not been for the services of Dr Bike: the one-of-kind bike repair workshop on campus.
When Oscar arrived at university three years ago, he did what many other new students do: he looked on Facebook marketplace, Gumtree, and other second-hand shops to get a bike. But Oscar is 6’4, his legs are so long that there is a gap in the market for frames that don’t give him back pain. After some weeks of looking, he approached Mark and Charlie in the Dr Bike workshop and after listening, they provided him with a rare 25-inch second-hand frame at an affordable price. The only problem was that it had no wheels. Or handlebars.
They offered him a brilliant service that’s rare in bike shops— they taught him how to build a bike and helped him to customise one, all inside their workshop. They are there to help you and offer advice, whether you know how everything works or – like Oscar and I – if you keep forgetting the names of all the tools.
A few months ago, Oscar was involved in an accident on the road that left his bicycle frame bent out of shape (not him, thankfully). The team at Dr Bike have offered him advice, lent him a bike for the meantime, and will soon be helping Oscar to find the parts to rebuild him another bike. Having learnt so much about the process from last time, Oscar is in a great position to do it again and he’s looking forward to all the cycling to come.
Cycling is so much fun and there are so many other reasons to do it. It’s affordable, efficient, reliable, and a form of exercise, making it a great way to commute. It helps us to connect to our surroundings and to improve our mental health. It is also a great way of exploring the wonderful city of Norwich.
The nature trails at Mousehold Heath and the beautiful Whitlingham lake are two places in Norwich where Oscar loves to cycle, but Norwich isn’t limited to just these places when it comes to beautiful greenery and superb views (and really great ice cream). The bustling lanes in the city centre are great for grabbing a waffle or a beer while on the go, or stop by the board game cafes for a game of Monopoly, or visit Marston Marsh to see otters and orchids or grind down the killer BMX track at Sloughbottom Park.
And you won’t be alone! According to a survey by SOS-UK, six per cent of higher education students regularly cycle to university and/or work, and a far greater proportion own and use a bike. That’s a whole lot of wheels.
The team at Dr Bike are friendly, knowledgeable, and are experts in everything bicycles. They can offer their advice whether you come with no prior knowledge or lots. They also provide a repair service, free bicycle health checks for students and staff, and the shop stocks parts, accessories and quality refurbished second-hand bikes. The star of the show is the free-to-use D.I.Y repair area with tools galore, two work-stands, oil, pumps and more.
The workshop can be found at the end of the garden to the left of the front of Congregation Hall, open from 8.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Keep up to date with updates and discounts on their Facebook @norwichbikerepaircoop or Instagram @norwichbikerepaircoop or @drbikeatuea.
Oscar and I want to encourage as many people as we can to go on down and check out the brilliant workshop.
(Written in conversation with Oscar Welchman)
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