Search

A Local Cycling Initiative – The SPIN Project

By Emma Holgate

The SPIN Project is a brilliant local community initiative in the Strathspey area. We love being involved in community projects, particularly when they help to get more people active and support them in developing their skills.

Participating volunteers have spent a number of hours working for the project and receiving training from the very skilled drivers of the community interest company, Huw Oliver & Andy Toop. Volunteers are then able to undertake the Velotech bike mechanic award scheme, which is delivered at Glenmore Lodge.

Velotech courses are delivered by our experienced Instructors in the Glenmore Lodge bike workshop

Anyone can learn to be a bike mechanic. The more people that have access to learning those skills, the more people can ride confidently and help others around them to do the same. We’re very lucky to be surrounded with fantastic supportive partners, and to have great connections with them. We look forward to being a link between the local cycling community and Glenmore Lodge as the Spin Project grows into the future.

Huw Oliver

The rest of the funding for volunteers to undertake their Velotech qualification courses is provided by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), and the bike re-use programme that is funded by the Cairngorms Trust, HiTrans, and CNPA.

Ally Beavan was the first volunteer to come through our workshop. He successfully complete his Bronze Velotech Award in January 2025. Well done Ally! We hope to see more Spin Project volunteers coming through our doors soon.

Ally Beavan on his Bronze Velotech course

We are really pleased to see this project developing in our local area. It has a lot of exciting potential for the community. There are similar projects across the country, so with a bit of searching anyone should be able to find a way to get involved if they’re interested.

Find out more about the Spin Project: * The SPIN Project – Strathspey