Cycling Stories: Hannah Milton, BikeRight & Lady Pedal
To celebrate Manchester as the European Capital of Cycling for 2024, we want to shine a spotlight on Mancunians making a difference for cycling in the city.
We recently caught up with Hannah Milton, a resident of Hulme and Head Mechanic for Bikeright in Manchester and one of the founding members of Lady Pedal – a community of Manchester-based cycling women.
Hannah is also a intrepid cycle explorer, having cycled internationally! Check out our interview below.
How did you get into cycling and bike mechanics?
“I first got a love for cycling when I studied abroad in France and discovered the freedom of exploring the rural areas by bike. It gave me a feeling of freedom I had not experienced before and introduced me to the joy of cycle touring.
I was showing off to my sister one day on a bike I’d borrowed from a friend, and crashed it. I decided learning the basics of bike maintenance would come in handy! I really enjoyed tinkering with my bike and trying to figure out how it worked. I joined a bike association in France which provided access to tools and support, which sparked my interest in bike maintenance”.
When did you get involved with Lady Pedal?
“I moved to Manchester and found myself hanging out with friends who used their bikes to get around. That’s when I discovered Lady Pedal which was just starting up and I got involved in their women’s cycling festival and delivered my first ‘puncture party’!
Lady Pedal was supported by Cycling UK in the early days, which paid for me to do a bike mechanics qualification. I was the only woman on the course, but it was delivered by Mary Clark (bike mechanic legend in Manchester 😊) who was so knowledgeable and encouraging.
Have you got any cycling stories to tell?
“I started some cycle touring with my partner; taking the tent and everything we needed on our bikes and the dog in a cycle trailer. Our longest trip was a 3 month ride to Spain. On my return, I landed a job at revolveMCR, where I worked for 4 years and learnt loads about bike mechanics and running a small business thanks to RevolveMCR owner Dave and his patience for my endless questions.
It was post-pandemic also that I decided I needed a new challenge. I was offered a place on the ‘All Points North’ self-navigating ultra distance endurance cycling event. The aim is to ride to 10 checkpoints across North England covering around 1000 kilometres in under 129 hours! I managed to complete the event, not without some serious self-doubt along the way (“why did I think I could do this?!”). When I reached the finish, I was overwhelmed and delirious; it felt like such an achievement!
Following the pandemic I was offered a full time job as Head Mechanic at Bike Right. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant and I admit to feeling a bit of Imposter Syndrome; was I really a good enough mechanic? But I found, as I ran more workshops and was able to answer people’s questions, my confidence grew. If I didn’t know the answer; I’d find it”.
What do you love about cycling?
“I love being part of the cycling industry and I get so much job satisfaction from working with marginalised communities in particular – giving people the skills to be independent. It’s more than just a job. I like teaching bike maintenance to women, who often come in lacking confidence, but I then witness their confidence growing as they learn and realise their capabilities. They are often the most keen and committed groups I’ve taught and they will go on to influence other women, with many starting their own groups”.
What challenges or barriers remain for women in cycling?
“There can be some challenges in entering any male dominated industry, however I’ve repeatedly found that challenging expectations can yield amazing results in breaking down barriers and assumptions.
As a tutor, I’ve frequently been met with positive reactions and I think in many situations, breaking the mould can absolutely be an advantage. When working with ex-offenders I think coming in as a women diffuses any potential conflicts before they even begin, and at the other end of the spectrum I’ve had the privilege of being invited into mosques to work with Muslim women on bike maintenance, a privilege that a male mechanic would not likely enjoy.
There can be an assumption that bike mechanics isn’t that lady-like, but there’s a lot of beauty and joy in it that is not gender defined. I’m proud to be part of a movement to diversify the cycling industry and I’m thrilled to see that playing out in Manchester”.
What drives you?
“I’m driven by fairness and widening participation; encouraging people to take up space so that others can see them: ‘you’ve got to see it to be it’. Lady Pedal’s ‘Cycling Stories’ events gives a platform to those whose stories otherwise may not be heard. We can’t wait to deliver our tenth Cycling Stories event later this year!”
We would like to say a huge thanks to Hannah for sharing your cycling story with us, to find out more about the bike mechanic courses that Hannah can offer, click the link below.
Bike Right also deliver TFGM-subsidised bike mechanics course, click the link below to learn more.
To find out more about Lady Pedal and women’s cycling, check out LadyPedal below.
Cycling Stories: Hannah Milton, Widening Participation & Biking the Right Way
To celebrate Manchester as the European Capital of Cycling for 2024, we want to shine a spotlight on Mancunians making a difference for cycling in the city.
We recently caught up with Hannah, a resident of Hulme and Head Mechanic for Bikeright in Manchester and one of the founding members of Lady Pedal – a community of Manchester-based cycling women.
Hannah is also a intrepid cycle explorer, having cycled internationally! Check out our interview below.
How did you get into cycling?
“I first got a love for cycling when I studied abroad in France and discovered the freedom of exploring the rural areas by bike. It gave me a feeling of freedom I had not experienced before and introduced me to the joy of cycle touring.
I was showing off to my sister one day on a bike I’d borrowed from a friend, and crashed it. I decided learning the basics of bike maintenance would come in handy! I really enjoyed tinkering with my bike and trying to figure out how it worked. I joined a bike association in France which provided access to tools and support, which sparked my interest in bike maintenance”.
When did you get involved with Lady Pedal?
“I moved to Manchester and found myself hanging out with friends who used their bikes to get around. That’s when I discovered Lady Pedal which was just starting up and I got involved in their women’s cycling festival and delivered my first ‘puncture party’!
Lady Pedal was supported by Cycling UK in the early days, which paid for me to do a bike mechanics qualification. I was the only woman on the course, but it was delivered by Mary Clark (bike mechanic legend in Manchester 😊) who was so knowledgeable and encouraging.
Have you got any cycling stories to tell?
“I started some cycle touring with my partner; taking the tent and everything we needed on our bikes and the dog in a cycle trailer. Our longest trip was a 3 month ride to Spain. On my return, I landed a job at revolveMCR, where I worked for 4 years and learnt loads about bike mechanics and running a small business thanks to RevolveMCR owner Dave and his patience for my endless questions.
It was post-pandemic also that I decided I needed a new challenge. I was offered a place on the ‘All Points North’ self-navigating ultra distance endurance cycling event. The aim is to ride to 10 checkpoints across North England covering around 1000 kilometres in under 129 hours! I managed to complete the event, not without some serious self-doubt along the way (“why did I think I could do this?!”). When I reached the finish, I was overwhelmed and delirious; it felt like such an achievement!
Following the pandemic I was offered a full time job as Head Mechanic at Bike Right. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant and I admit to feeling a bit of Imposter Syndrome; was I really a good enough mechanic? But I found, as I ran more workshops and was able to answer people’s questions, my confidence grew. If I didn’t know the answer; I’d find it”.
What do you love about cycling?
“I love being part of the cycling industry and I get so much job satisfaction from working with marginalised communities in particular – giving people the skills to be independent. It’s more than just a job. I like teaching bike maintenance to women, who often come in lacking confidence, but I then witness their confidence growing as they learn and realise their capabilities. They are often the most keen and committed groups I’ve taught and they will go on to influence other women, with many starting their own groups”.
What challenges or barriers remain for women in cycling?
“There can be some challenges in entering any male dominated industry, however I’ve repeatedly found that challenging expectations can yield amazing results in breaking down barriers and assumptions.
As a tutor, I’ve frequently been met with positive reactions and I think in many situations, breaking the mould can absolutely be an advantage. When working with ex-offenders I think coming in as a women diffuses any potential conflicts before they even begin, and at the other end of the spectrum I’ve had the privilege of being invited into mosques to work with Muslim women on bike maintenance, a privilege that a male mechanic would not likely enjoy.
There can be an assumption that bike mechanics isn’t that lady-like, but there’s a lot of beauty and joy in it that is not gender defined. I’m proud to be part of a movement to diversify the cycling industry and I’m thrilled to see that playing out in Manchester”.
What drives you?
“I’m driven by fairness and widening participation; encouraging people to take up space so that others can see them: ‘you’ve got to see it to be it’. Lady Pedal’s ‘Cycling Stories’ events gives a platform to those whose stories otherwise may not be heard. We can’t wait to deliver our tenth Cycling Stories event later this year!”
We would like to say a huge thanks to Hannah for sharing your cycling story with us, to find out more about the bike mechanic courses that Hannah can offer, click the link below.
Bike Right also deliver TFGM-subsidised bike mechanics course, click the link below to learn more.
To find out more about Lady Pedal and women’s cycling, check out LadyPedal below.
