Themes: Freedom, Independence, Sociability, Fitness, Weight, Wellbeing, Image
Gill purchased a new bike to enable her to take part in the pedal cycle trial. She had lived on her own in Barton, on the Eastern edge of Oxford for 11 years, doing very little cycling during this time. Gill had grown up in East Oxford and had used a bike extensively during her 20s doing postal deliveries and for transport. She had cycled with her second child when he was younger and used a bike for social visits until moving closer to her family. Suffering from agoraphobia, Gill hadn’t used public transport for many years and had relied on taxis for the last decade. After a serious health issue within the last two years Gill had been using a static bike to build up her muscle strength again and was now doing voluntary work at a local health and wellbeing centre. Gill smoked and her exercise was mainly from doing housework and walking locally.
In this film Gill talks about re-discovering the joys of cycling, how being on a ‘real’ bike was much better than an exercise bike indoors as she can see her surroundings, experience a sense of freedom and independence, visit friends as well as getting fitter and losing weight. She explains how her new bike is both a ‘fashion accessory and friend’, with people asking to photograph her in the street with her bike.
View all videos