Build Your Own Bike
Build Your Own Bike offers a welcoming space to learn bike skills and confidence, supporting mental wellbeing and inclusion while celebrating the strengths of every participant in our caring community.
About our Build Your Own Bike project
Build your own bike is a hand-on course held at Common Wheel's Maryhill and Bridgeton bike workshops in Glasgow.
Our bike engineers teach people how to take old bikes apart and rebuild it with new parts - participants get to keep the bike they've built at the end! Every session teaches practical repair skills while giving people space to work at their own pace.
The course lasts ten weeks with one two-hour session each week.
No - this course is designed to be suitable for total beginners - no prior knowledge required.
The engineers are there to guide you and answer your questions if anything is confusing. The sessions cover the basics of bike repair and upkeep. You learn by doing. Even if you know nothing about bikes or mechanical work, you can join in. The course is designed to be supportive and easy to follow.
No - the bike is included in the course. When you start, you will pick a bike from our collection, be guided on how to strip it right down and rebuild it from scratch
The course uses donated bikes. If a bike cannot be rebuilt, we use the parts or materials for other repairs. We accept donations of incomplete bikes, parts, accessories and tools. Any donated bikes help someone to join a future course.
If you have a bike that you no longer want, please consider donating it and we will use it for a Build Your Own Bike course, or recondition it and sell it on to help fund our courses. It doesn't matter what state the bike is in. If it cannot be rebuilt we can usually use the parts.
Information on how to donate can be found here
Who this project is best suited for
Build Your Own Bike is aimed at people in Glasgow who are supported by partner organisations focusing on mental health. The project also welcomes referrals from groups who help people with mental illness or additional support needs. It is not limited to people with bike knowledge or experience.
We are currently focusing on working with partner organisations in the city. If you support people with their mental health and would like service users from your organisation to take part, please complete the referral form below.
What Build Your Own Bike offers for participants:
Beneficial Outcomes for Participants
For many people, the project helps them to be more active and independent. Learning to look after a bike means they can use it for travel and exercise. Completing the course helps build confidence and gives a sense of pride.
Participant Feedback
Referral Enquiry
Find out more about availability and referral process for Build Your Own Bike to support new skills, confidence, and greater wellbeing in a caring, inclusive Common Wheel community.