Focus of work
Reading Bike Hub is a community hub focused on increasing active travel in Reading and reducing transport poverty. It believes that everyone has the right to commute or have fun on wheels, and aims to make this a reality by providing three key services:
- Affordable repairs: It provides affordable repairs and a chance for people to learn how to do their own repairs, either through working with the hub’s mechanics or through workshops.
- Affordable sales: It refurbishes donated bikes to sell them on at affordable prices.
- Bike library for children: It offers a bike library where familes can get children’s bikes for a donation of whatever they can afford. Families can then exchange the bike when their child grows out of it.
Impact
Through its work, Reading Bike Hub aims to make cycling in Reading more accessible, affordable and enjoyable. Since opening in September 2025, it has:
- Sold over 50 bikes
- Repaired over 200 bikes
- Provided free tool access to gig economy workers and the homeless community
- Provided 20 families with bikes
The funding from FIT will support the running costs of the hub’s workshops and courses, and help to raise awareness among the local community of the services provided.