GUEST

When route planning, be it by bike, walking or wheeling, there are some useful websites to help you plan. 

• Sustrans is useful for the best known cycle routes across the country.
• Komoot is a great planning website, where you can add places you’d like to visit along your route, and will be given a breakdown of the surface types (e.g. cycle path, state road). You can change your fitness level for adjustments to estimated time. 

The best way to get out of the city to start your route somewhere other than Glasgow, the best mode of transport to take with your bike is the train. Find schedules here. Please note that for some routes you need to book on a bike so please check this before booking!

It is important to keep both yourself and your bike safe when cycling. 

Locks

Make sure to always use a lock when leaving your bike unattended. A D-Lock is harder for a bike thief to cut through than a thin cable lock. Also bear in mind that a combination lock can sometimes be opened without being cut. 

Left to right = best to worst quality lock/easiest to cut:

Make sure that when you lock your bike, the frame and at least one wheel are locked (see the photo below for guidance). It is worth getting a good bike lock, and ensuring that your bike is locked in a public, well lit place to avoid it getting stolen.

Best way to lock your bike and both wheels:

Safe Clothing

• Warm clothing depending on the temperature
• Waterproof clothing if raining
• Bright clothing so you are seen
• No loose clothing, especially trouser legs or shoelaces
• No hanging bags or straps which could get caught in the bike

What to take with you

• Water
• Extra clothes or space in a bag or pannier to take layers off
• Any medication you need
• Inner tube, pump and multitool if you have them
• Lights, reflectors and high visibility clothing

It is important to check your bike before riding it. An easy way to check quickly is called an M-check and can be seen below:

If you are in a rush, you can do an ABC check (A = air, B = brakes, C = chain).

It is useful to also get your bike serviced, and this can be done at our Bike Hub by our mechanic (and for free!).

Fixing your bike

There are plenty of videos online on how to fix your bike, including Alpine Bikes who have many video tutorials on their Instagram account.

There are several tool hubs on campus and around Glasgow which you can use to fix your bike. Generally, if you go into a bike shop and ask to borrow a tool to fix your own bike, they are happy to lend you the tool.

If you need help fixing your bike then bring it along to the GUEST Bike Hub to get it fixed for free, or take it to a local bike shop.

There are several places online and in Glasgow where you can find bikes to buy. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you start your search:

1. Would I like a brand new bike or a second hand bike?
2. What is my budget?
3. What will I use the bike for? (This will help you decide whether a road bike, a city bike, a mountain bike etc)
4. What features are important to me? (E.g. a pannier rack to carry shopping, a comfortable saddle, the colour of the frame etc)

Some places where you can get a bike in Glasgow are bike shops for brand new bikes, or Bike for Good for second hand ones. Bike for Good’s second hand bikes have been serviced and checked by their mechanics, and have a guarantee.

Online, you can find bikes on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or Ebay. Always make sure you visit to see the bike before buying.

Bike parts: You can buy bike parts online and in bike shops. Bike for Good has a great selection of second hand parts from donated bikes.

There are a number of bike racks around campus where you can lock your bike. Here is a map of all the spots (covered and open ones):

If you find on your bike a tag that looks like the one below, you can remove it. The tags are just for us to keep track of bikes that are abandoned for over a month, so they can be removed and make space for other bikes. We try to only tag bikes that haven’t been used in a while, are rusting or have missing parts.