00:00I'm here at the Counting House in Edinburgh's Old Town with Dion Owen who runs the Cyclopath Free Bike Program.
00:07That's right Jane, thanks for coming in.
00:09Thank you for having us. So we are here in a room with lots and lots of bikes.
00:13You have come from Montreal, so where have you got all these bikes from?
00:16All the bikes have come from a wonderful organisation called The Bike Station, which I have in my official shirt.
00:21They're an amazing bike charity. I've worked with them the last few years and they upcycle all sorts of used bikes.
00:26And they're very kindly enough when they get some donated and they're not quite ready to be resold.
00:31They'll loan them to me for a month. I give them a like tune-up and then I send them out to artists.
00:35Fantastic. So you lend all of these bikes to artists who are visiting the Fringe?
00:39It expends past artists too. We sometimes get producers or pretty much anyone who comes out and helps them run.
00:45Whether you're a local Scot who needs a bike or you're coming in from Australia and you're helping her on a circuit show,
00:50we want to get you on two wheels and zip it around.
00:53And you're not an Edinburgh local, so how did this come about? You came over as a performer.
00:58I came over as a performer and the first year we boarded a few bikes from a gentleman in my statement through a cycle hosting group.
01:04And I was like, this was really helpful. Me and my three other comics, we all had bikes.
01:08So the next year I went and visited the bike station. I was like, hey, could I loan out some bikes?
01:11I think it started at about 20. And then the first year the program really got rolling.
01:15I think we got people on 53 bikes. Last year we did 70. And then this year I think we had 86 bikes that I've gotten ready and getting people on.
01:23And demand has kept on burning?
01:25Demand is through the roof. So we have, I think, around 300 requests this year.
01:28So there's no way I can match that. I've tried to get some funding through the council and Cycling Scotland, but no luck so far.
01:35But there's demand for, yeah, at least 300 people could use a bike.
01:39So it's nice to do 86, but it still means over 200 people aren't getting a bike who could use it.
01:45And you're a bike enthusiast yourself, aren't you?
01:47A huge, yeah. I'm just going to describe myself as a professional comedian and a bike advocate.
01:52So everywhere I go I try to volunteer with bike organizations.
01:55And it's just a nice way to give back if something's helped me, help my mental health.
02:00So the more people I can help bike, the better.
02:02Fantastic. Thank you so much.
02:03Thanks for coming, Jane. All right.
02:05I hope you guys, yeah, you can look into the program.
02:07It's online.
02:08And make sure you go out and support all the people coming from the Fringe.
02:11We appreciate your schooling.
02:12Edinburgh, I know it's a lot, but this is incredible.
02:14So thanks so much for all your support and letting us come fill your city for a month.
02:19Carl Donnelly is a comedian who's performing at the Monkey Barrel this year.
02:23Yeah.
02:24Who is taking advantage of Dion's free bike program.
02:26But tell me how that happened.
02:27Well, basically, I was planning on getting a bike.
02:29I've been looking online at eBay and Gumtree for buying a bike.
02:32I've got to buy one, give it to charity at the end.
02:34It's pretty expensive.
02:35Everyone's looking at it.
02:36I've also had my daughter's with me, so I've got to put her seat on and all that.
02:40And then I did a weekend of gigs in Glasgow with Dion about three weeks ago.
02:45We had a lovely weekend, just hanging out together.
02:48And then he told me about this.
02:49And I said, I'm looking for a bike.
02:51And it was a real coincidental meeting.
02:55And now he's really saved the day.
02:57I had to spend a chunk of my Fringe budget, which is already quite big, on buying a bike to fit me and my daughter to ride around Edinburgh.
03:07And how vital is that for you getting around town during the Fringe?
03:10Well, it's really, I mean, it's not just vital, but it also makes the Fringe a much nicer, you know, in terms of having a kid to be able to take her around the place.
03:16And sometimes you can be just stuck in the centre and I want to take her up to, you know, a nice path down to Leith and all that.
03:22And then obviously with the way the Fringe accommodation's gone over the years, like you end up staying a bit further out every year.
03:27So I'm just sort of over on the other side of Bruntsville this year.
03:30You know, it's about a good half an hour walk, you know, so suddenly, you know, expecting a five-year-old to constantly traipse around.
03:38You know, I felt a bit guilty last year, traipsing around everywhere.
03:41So it would be nice to see it to be able to do it like me do in London, where I was proper on the bike.
03:46Yeah, so you're keen cyclists at home.
03:48I am, yeah, yeah, and my daughter is as well.
03:50So it's nice to be able to just keep that going while we're up here.
03:53Yeah, absolutely.
03:54Brilliant.
03:55So have you got your bike yet?
03:56No, it's just here.
03:57It's currently being built.
03:58Dion's already tested my daughter's seat on it.
04:01He's given us a basket.
04:02I've not got a basket at home.
04:03So that's exciting.
04:04We've got the old paneer racks.
04:06Yeah, I mean, it's basically, it's looking like a version of mine at home just with a basket.
04:11Great.
04:12And where's your first ride going to be too?
04:14I don't know.
04:15Well, do you know what?
04:16We actually haven't got helmets yet.
04:18I'm quite a safe rider.
04:20And I've always made sure my daughter's wearing a helmet.
04:22So I think the first thing is I'm going to ride it off with no helmets.
04:26It's my shame to buy us both helmets.
04:28I brought up a few other bits for the bike from home, but I thought, you know, your suitcase
04:33is too full.
04:34You know, bike helmets is a bit much to squeeze into a suitcase when you're away for five weeks.
04:39Yeah.
04:40Great.
04:41Well, enjoy.
04:43You can see lots of Edinburgh while you're here.
04:44Yeah.
04:45Awesome.
04:46This is Brian Doby, who is Operations Manager at The Caretree, The Counting House and West
04:50Knick Records, which are venues here at Fringe.
04:53Hi, Brian.
04:54Hi there.
04:55You've been involved with helping to fund Dion's free bike loan initiative for the last few years.
05:00Can you tell me a little bit about that?
05:02Well, Dion first came to us here as one of the comics at The Axe.
05:06It's a madhouse, this place with 67 different shows a day on in here, comics.
05:11So he's been doing the psychopath comedy routine that he does here.
05:14And he told me of his idea to make sure and try and get bikes out to us.
05:18Comedians to save a little bit of money during the Fringe.
05:21Everything's that expensive during the Fringe.
05:22It is.
05:23He's saving the money on Ubers, like, towards accommodation, just sky high anyway.
05:28But he's trying to save some money.
05:30And we're doing a bit betterment for the planet as well.
05:32Which the pear tree house in the Penthouse has always been about.
05:35It's the environment.
05:36That's great.
05:37And have you used any of Dion's bikes?
05:39I haven't.
05:40Dion has offered on more than one occasion to service my bike.
05:43But he's been in my garage sadly for about 15 years.
05:47But I do have a bicycle and he keeps off into servicing for me.
05:50I've not taken advantage of that yet.
05:52And do you find quite a lot of the performers who are performing at your venues
05:55have taken advantage of this game and have found it very useful?
05:57Yeah.
05:58Last year there was quite a few of them had them.
06:00And then Dion made sure that he was given the opportunity to purchase helmets as well
06:04because we had a few scatterbrain comics that I was a bit concerned.
06:08I went to Dion's.
06:09I don't think he's riding a bike without a helmet here, mate.
06:11So he's been organising that as well.
06:13That's great.
06:14And are you going to continue to support the initiative in the future?
06:17Absolutely.
06:18It's one of our green initiatives.
06:19So we'll do this for now if you have to come.
06:21Awesome.
06:22Imogen Tracelle works at a production company called Show & Tell
06:26where she's working on various shows across the fringe.
06:29And she has just got a bike from Dion's Free Bike Skin.
06:33So what are you going to be using it for?
06:35Just getting around Edinburgh really.
06:37It's a lot quicker obviously than walking around.
06:40If you go in between quite a few venues I think it would be really quick just to get in between.
06:45And have you used a bike doing Fringe before?
06:48No, I've been a strictly pedestrian before.
06:51So it's nice, yeah.
06:52I cycle a lot in London.
06:54So it'll be nice to be cycling rather.
06:56Yeah.
06:57Great.
06:58Thanks very much.
07:00Thanks.
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