23rd November 2015
Alder King gets on its electric bikes
Property consultancy Alder King has invested in two new electric bikes as part of its legacy from Bristol’s year as European Green Capital.
Staff at the Clifton-based company will use the bikes as an alternative to the car for local appointments and property viewings, helping to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
With a number of keen cyclists amongst its staff, the company had previously considered buying company bikes but its involvement in Business Green Week in June brought the idea to fruition.
“There is a strong cycling culture at Alder King,” explains partner James Chaffer, “with many of us commuting to work from across Bristol and surrounding areas. It was perhaps inevitable therefore that one of the ideas that came out of our Business Green Week was that we should purchase electric bikes for local appointments and meetings.
“Atmosphere Bikes on Jacobs Wells Road were very helpful with advice and allowed us to test out different models. The ease with which we cycled up Park Street convinced us that this was a viable option for all staff, whatever their previous cycling experience and fitness levels.”
Alder King chose two Gazelle Orange C8 bikes from Atmosphere Bikes. These have now been branded with the company’s distinctive green logo and fitted with large green panniers for carrying files.
Staff have also received specialist cycle training from Life Cycle UK, a Bristol charity that gives people the skills and confidence to cycle around the city. Life Cycle works across Bristol enabling people of all ages and abilities to cycle by offering practical support, which includes training to the National Standards for Cycling. The national standards are now well established, in part thanks to Life Cycle which was a key member of the early working group that developed them back in 2004.
Jacqui Wilcox, Training Manager commented: “We were really pleased to support Alder King staff by providing training. Training can really improve people’s confidence and give them the boost they need to get out on their bikes more. Life Cycle normally trains children to cycle in primary schools across Bristol and North Somerset, but we are seeing more and more interest from local companies who can’t offer staff parking any more and need to find cheaper and more sustainable ways for the employees to get around.”
James Chaffer continued: “We’re delighted that we and the bikes are now ready to get out on the road. There is a strong willingness from individuals across the business to start using the bikes and play their part in reducing city centre congestion and air pollution.
“We’ll also be monitoring the mileage of the bikes over the coming months so we can calculate our green miles and will report our findings during next year’s Business Green Week.”
Photo caption: James Chaffer and Lucy Round of Alder King’s Bristol office.
