A BICYCLE workshop in Bacup is giving local people skills in riding and repairing bicycles, with life-changing results.

The workshop is one of the projects being delivered by Active Rossendale on the Pennine Estate to promote exercise and healthy living.

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The six week bicycle course teaches basic bike maintenance, from puncture repair to adjusting handle bars.

It then introduces cycling proficiency lessons, giving course participants the confidence they need to hit the road.

At the end of the course, people who have completed the project are given the bike they have been working on.

Michael McCabe, 42, from Bacup, took part in the course and has noticed huge improvements to his health.

Diagnosed with a heart murmur as a child, he had a heart bypass at 19 and later suffered a stroke.

This led to him being stuck at home, feeling isolated and lonely.

He enrolled on the workshop as a way to get out of the house and meet new people. On his first ride he struggled, with his heart rate shooting up to nearly 200 beats per minute.

Now, after six weeks of training, his heart rate during exercise has lowered to 120 beats per minute and he has lost 3kg in weight.

Michael said: “I feel fitter and stronger and a lot more confident in going out and doing exercise by myself. Before I joined the project I just used to stay at home because I’d lost all of my confidence.

“If anyone is in a similar situation and has an interest learning something new or cycling I’d really encourage them to pop along.”

The project is run by James Kenyon of Active Rossendale. He said: “I’m so impressed with Michael’s enthusiasm towards cycling and the health benefits it brings.

“The bike workshop has really taken off. We have a core group of people who attend every week, even after they have finished the six week course.”

The workshop has been funded with a £16,000 grant from the charity Newground Together, together with Lancashire County Council and the national cycling charity CTC.