A NEW trail on the Isle of Lewis has been boosted by the investment of new e-bikes on its coastal routes following Brexit delays.
The electric bikes, which give a boost to pedal power, are being trialled to test access on the growing network of paths which will eventually stretch to a 40km circular route from Stornoway through Sandwick and around the Point Peninsula.
The bicycles are part of a £14,403 package of funding secured from Energy Savings Trust and Highlands & Islands Enterprise and will be implemented alongside a bike shed - purchased as a result of £1731 in funding from Western Isles Development Trust.
However, community consultant with Point and Sandwick Trust, Alasdair Nicholson, spoke of the bikes' supply issues caused by Brexit.
He said: ”Due to Brexit we had a long wait for delivery of the bikes and even the shed delivery took several months but here we are, all in time to test the bikes on the newest sections of the coastal path, between Shulishader and Flesherin, and Stornoway to Holm.”
Commenting on the benefit of the bikes to locals, he added: “The arrival of the e-bikes offers several benefits including a new angle for promoting use of the paths, not just for walking and running but a novel way of getting active through cycling.
"E-bikes give great assistance to people recovering from health issues as well as for older people in the community who might have thought their cycling days were behind them.”
The trial is already receiving positive volunteer feedback, with one cyclist commenting: “I did 22km on the bike today and it was great … it really made cycling easy again”.
As the project is developed and refined the e-bikes will be rotated to be able to reach more people.
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