Specialized is doing its bit during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic by providing free bikes to essential workers. The American bike brand launched the initiative in the USA earlier in the week and is now replicating it here in the UK.
Specialized is promising to donate up to 500 bikes for healthcare and social workers, bus drivers, supermarket shelf stackers and any critical employees still having to travel to work.
Employees can apply themselves or can be referred by friends and family up until Wednesday 22nd April, with Specialized only asking that those applying have a 'legitimate need of safe, reliable and convenient transportation' or have a need for transport to their essential work.
Applications can be filled out via a form on the Specialized UK website here. Bikes will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis and be subsequently sent out to the applicant.
Specialized took inspiration to provide essential workers with transportation from Transportation Alternative’s #BikeMatch programme in New York, a Google Document set up by residents that could temporarily lend out spare bikes to essential workers during the pandemic.
In the UK, other major bike manufactures have already been quick to help the needs of essential workers during this time.
Folding bike company Brompton has already begun work on providing 1,000 NHS staff with free bike loans throughout the pandemic. Additionally, Boardman Bikes has helped to replace stolen bicycles of NHS staff, too.
Ian Kenny of Specialized UK hopes that this scheme will help make life a little easier for some of those working on the front line during this pandemic.
'Keeping essential workers moving is critical for our communities, and normal commutes and transportation routines for many have been upended during the crisis,' said Kenny.
'Bikes provide healthy, reliable and convenient transportation while practising safe social distancing, and we wanted to do our small part in using the power of the bicycle to help make life a little easier for those on the front lines.'