Blog Post
January 2026
Sophea’s Story
Sophea grew up in a city which didn’t have safe roads to cycle, so she never learnt how to ride a bike properly. After moving to Lanark, she was keen to find a way of getting around the town that was quicker than walking and more reliable than the bus.
When she started cycling lessons with Gear Up, her confidence was quite low, and she was nervous. We managed to reassure her, and over the weeks, Sophea’s confidence grew to the point that she is now able to cycle to work by herself! We also taught her about different types of bikes, cycling road safety, what to expect and how to behave on the roads.
Sophea now has an eBike on loan from Gear Up, which makes her life easier in the following ways:
Work: It’s a huge help for her daily commute because it cuts down her travel time significantly.
Shopping: It’s made a big difference for her weekly shop. She can now get frozen food home before it starts to defrost.
Visiting Family: It used to cost £10 in a taxi every time Sophea visited her Gran in a care home, but by using the bike, she saves her money, which means she can visit more often.
“Having the bike has been a total game-changer. It’s given me so much more independence and saved me a lot of stress. I’ve really loved having the electric bike on loan from Gear Up. It has assisted me greatly and made my day-to-day life much smoother. I've really appreciated their assistance with the bike, not only for loaning it to me, but teaching me how to cycle and use it properly.”
Sophea’s Story
Sophea grew up in a city which didn’t have safe roads to cycle, so she never learnt how to ride a bike properly. After moving to Lanark, she was keen to find a way of getting around the town that was quicker than walking and more reliable than the bus.
When she started cycling lessons with Gear Up, her confidence was quite low, and she was nervous. We managed to reassure her, and over the weeks, Sophea’s confidence grew to the point that she is now able to cycle to work by herself! We also taught her about different types of bikes, cycling road safety, what to expect and how to behave on the roads.
Sophea now has an eBike on loan from Gear Up, which makes her life easier in the following ways:
Work: It’s a huge help for her daily commute because it cuts down her travel time significantly.
Shopping: It’s made a big difference for her weekly shop. She can now get frozen food home before it starts to defrost.
Visiting Family: It used to cost £10 in a taxi every time Sophea visited her Gran in a care home, but by using the bike, she saves her money, which means she can visit more often.
“Having the bike has been a total game-changer. It’s given me so much more independence and saved me a lot of stress. I’ve really loved having the electric bike on loan from Gear Up. It has assisted me greatly and made my day-to-day life much smoother. I've really appreciated their assistance with the bike, not only for loaning it to me, but teaching me how to cycle and use it properly.”
