Birmingham’s cyclists will be pleased to hear that the city centre has a brand new piece of cycling infrastructure in the shape of a public bicycle pump! Yes, cyclists can now blow up their tyres for free at New Street Station with the help of this pump, which has been provided by Birmingham Friends of the Earth and installed by Network Rail.

The pump was originally envisaged as part of BFoE’s ‘Let’s Get Moving’ campaign back in 2013, when we campaigned for Birmingham City Council to invest £10 per person, per year for 10 years in cycling and walking as a means of reducing the city’s appalling and illegal levels of air pollution. As a culmination of this campaign we decided that we wanted to gift a lasting and visible asset for cycling. We raised funds for this by holding a fundraising comedy night at the Glee Club entitled ‘Pedalling For Laughs’. We managed to raise £1500 to purchase the extra robust stainless steel public bike bump from innovative cycle products manufacturer Cyclehoop, which was delivered to us at the end of 2014. However, with the ongoing refurbishment works at New Street Station the installation of the pump was delayed whilst the Moor Street Link cycling parking area was refitted, and this wasn’t completed until spring 2016. So after about 18 months’ work, we’re pleased to say that Network Rail have installed the bike pump and the accompanying Birmingham Friends of the Earth sign for all to see and use.

If you’re in need of your bicycle tyres being blown up, you’ll find the pump adjacent to the cycle parking in the Moor Street Link which connects Stephenson Street to Moor Street. Please let us know what you think via social media and spread the word to your cycling friends.