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25 Jun 2025

The E-Bike Positive campaign has seen major success in the first half of 2025, with its message reaching nearly 8 million people across the UK through high-profile media coverage and growing...

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on...

20 Jun 2025

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.
 

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.

16 Jun 2025

The ACT has welcomed the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's report "Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes", which calls for urgent Government action to...

11 Jun 2025

A new academic study has found that overzealous pro-cycling campaigners on social media may be inadvertently damaging the case for better cycling infrastructure across the UK.

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street...

10 Jun 2025

Bike thefts across England and Wales have continued their steady decline, according to new data released by cycle insurance specialist Bikmo.

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring...

9 Jun 2025

 To coincide with Bike Week (9-15 June) – the UK’s annual celebration of cycling – new research has revealed a clear shift amongst Gen Z and Millennials in their approach...

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Cytech Training Returns to Darlington as Activate Cycle Academy Reopens Workshop

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.

Activate Cycle Academy

The academy, a Cytech training provider and member of the ACT, has reinstated the workshop inside the ZyroFisher building in Darlington.

The workshop is now led by new trainer Chris Borrowdale, a former British Army instructor and experienced downhill racer with a background in outdoor adventure.

Borrowdale gained his cycle mechanic training and Technical Trail Leader qualifications while in the military and brings a wealth of leadership and mechanical experience to the role.

“During my time in the forces, I was incredibly lucky to take part in and gain qualifications in loads of adventure training, including my cycle mechanic training and my Technical Trail Leader,” Mr Barrowdale said.

After leaving the army in 2017, Borrowdale worked and travelled abroad, including a summer as head bike guide in Greece, where he managed a busy hire fleet and developed the skills of his team.

“Taking on this role felt like something that had been a few years coming,” he added.

The facility first opened in 2022 but was temporarily closed while the academy searched for a new trainer.

Reacting to the reopening, Jonathan Harrison, Director of the ACT, said: “It’s fantastic to see Cytech training return to Darlington, helping ensure high standards of cycle maintenance training are accessible to more people across the UK.”

Courses at the Darlington workshop are now available to book through the Activate Cycle Academy website.

Members of the ACT get exclusive access to Cytech accreditation. To learn more, visit the Cytech website.

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