CYCLING has increased hugely in Glasgow during lockdown leading to large demand for bikes.

More people are cycling for leisure as one of the few permitted forms of exercise and those who are still travelling to work the bike is proving a popular alternative to public transport to reduce the risk of coronavirus.

One Glasgow cycling charity, which aims to make it affordable for all, has seen demand for bicycles it is running out of bikes to refurbish.

Glasgow Times:

Bike for Good, which takes in donations of old unwanted bicycles and refurbishes and services before selling them on is in need of more donations to meet demand the demand.

It has now opened its shops one day a week for sales by appointment only.

The charity said the appetite for cycling has “gone through the roof” since lockdown

Kimberley White, of Bike for Good said: “It is incredible the amount of people who now want to take up cycling, and this reason is why we exist as a charity. Please help us to meet demand and afford everyone a chance at owning an affordable mode of transport.”

As well as the refurbish and sales Bike for Good ran an initiative to help NHS and other essential staff get to work.

When lockdown started the charity began a bike loan scheme for key workers to help them travel safely to work and saw such demand it almost ran out of bikes until more donations were received.

It is now restarting its sales operation. Bikes can be dropped off at either of the hubs in Hugh Road, Yorkhill or in Langside Lane, Victoria Road.

More space in Glasgow has been given over to cycling with temporary cycle lanes in Broomielaw and Clyde Street.

Glasgow Times:

It creates a cycle land all the way from the Squinty Bridge (Clyde Arc) to Glasgow Green.

More routes are either in place or planned across the city including Dumbreck Road, where a lane is coned off for cycling near the Pollok Park entrance, Gorbals Street, London Road, and Langdale Street.

Routes from Kelvingrove park to link with the Avenues cycle lane at Sauchiehall Street, another at Great Western Road from Duntreath Avenue to Lincoln Avenue, in Knightswood in the west, Cumbernauld Road to Royston Road in the east and Hawthorn Street and Bilsland Drive in the north are underway.

Plans are underway to give more than 15 miles of road space in the city centre to walking and cycling by removing on street parking and creating more cycle lanes to allow physical distancing as we come out of lockdown.

With more space for cycling it is expected more people will take up cycling, which means more people looking for bikes.

The charity said it relies on the goodwill of the public to donate their pre-loved bikes.

Since re-opening both their hubs one day a week, bike donations are almost running out.