Sam White – Head of Charity
I first joined Ride On as a volunteer. Frighteningly this was over 10 years ago, when Ride On first arrived in Exeter. I was immediately made to feel welcome by a friendly bunch of passionate individuals, each keen to share their knowledge of bikes and to bring about positive change within the city. Pretty soon, I’d learnt enough to get qualified as a mechanic and began by starting the Bring Your Own Bike session and generally pitching in around the workshop. As the years rolled by I gained more and more experience and skills to take on different roles, including Workshop Manager and then heading up the Training and Outreach programme as we grew. Having stepped up as Head of Charity I am excited to be leading this impactful charity as we continue to develop and grow.
Seyla
I am the administrator for Ride On and I joined the charity in February 2025 and haven’t looked back since (except when looking for traffic). Before joining I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was a teenager (many many moons ago). But thanks to the amazing guys in the workshop and some much needed cycle confidence sessions. I am now back in the saddle and love going on family bike rides with my husband and two young boys who can actually run faster than I ride.
Ride On is genuinely a warm and welcoming place (although saying that it’s not so warm in the winter) not only do they have fantastic deals on pre-loved bikes but if you are willing they will teach you how to maintain it like a pro.
Zac Dyer
I started at Ride On around 8 years ago as an trainee/apprentice. With the support of many great people I’ve learnt so much over the years leading me into a workshop manager role.
This job is essentially a hobby. I spend my day fixing bikes and socialising/helping other people who share the same passion.
I started at Ride On around 8 years ago as an apprentice. Over the years I’ve been lucky to receive support from many great people who have all taught me so much. It is now great to be sharing these skills and my experience with others in my role as workshop manager. I love having a job that I enjoy in a workplace that brings together people with the same passion to get more people riding bikes.
Sunny Picken
I’ve been working as a mechanic here at Ride On for the past 4 years. I joined the team through a temporary kickstart scheme as part of my search for a new career path, and the rest is history! Being a part of Ride On ticks all the boxes. Working with a great bunch of like-minded people is a blessing, and the atmosphere we create puts us aside from your average bike shop. I’m a huge bicycle nerd and I never turn down a chance to offer out my skills and advice, or even just a chance to geek out about bikes!
On the Board
Mike Walton – Chair of Trustees
I’m proud to be a Ride On trustee, committed to making cycling accessible and affordable. My background includes a decade with the Exeter Cycling Campaign and a career in IT management in local organizations. I’m convinced that enabling people of all ages and abilities to cycle brings joy, improves health, and creates a better city. I’m pleased to help foster a more active and connected community through Ride On’s work.
Niamh O’Mahony
I am passionate about the difference that Ride On makes in the community and grateful to support its work. As trustee, I bring professional fundraising experience to our efforts to expand cycling to all through helping to fund our outreach programmes with schools, charities and local groups. For me, Ride On embodies the joyfulness and independence of cycling, but most of all, it offers a rare and valuable sense of community and connection.
Alistair Macintosh
I am delighted to have become a trustee at Ride On as I have known about the charity since it started. My son volunteers here and has benefited from its training and support over the past 4 years, and I have a huge respect for its work and ability to bring different people together. I have a professional background in community development and voluntary sector management, and am pleased to support a great local organisation whilst also continuing to learn more myself.
Nicola Wheeler
I’m excited to join Ride On as a trustee, having long admired its positive impact on the city. I’m a keen cyclist and first discovered the charity when buying bikes for my children – I was struck by the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the workshop. In my day job, I lead InExeter, the city’s business improvement district, and bring experience from previous roles in housing, regeneration and community investment. I’ve also helped set up cycling hubs with Sustrans, and I’m passionate about making active travel more accessible to all.
Lee Bingham
I joined Ride On in the spring of 2025 as the Treasurer. I am by trade a qualified accountant though spent most of the last 15 years specialising in Charity Finance working with many different charities. Outside of Ride On, I like to cycle including commuting, skiing, walking the doggies and fish husbandry. I did spend 3 months recently volunteering at the NMA Plymouth where I looked after sharks, rays, Jellyfish and a turtle.
Heather Baker
I own Saddles & Paddles, the independent bike shop and hire centre on Exeter Quay; established in 1992, I took it over in 2013, despite never planning to run a business or having any business experience! Prior to that, I worked for 10 years for Devon County Council’s Sustainable Transport team, specialising in cycling projects, so I have had links to Ride On since its inception, when Martyn Laxton first approached us with his vision.
I also previously worked for Exeter City Council in their Tourism team, for the Environment Agency as an Assistant Scientist in their Starcross lab and taught environmental education at a Field Studies Council centre in Exmoor and a rainforest in Berkshire! (I have a BSc in Applied Ecology).
I have loved following Ride On’s successes over the years and have been incredibly proud to be a Trustee since I joined the board in 2019.
Nowadays, running a business doesn’t leave much time for hobbies, but I cycle everywhere anyway, so at least I get to enjoy riding bikes on the way to work or the shops, even if there’s not as many ‘fun’ rides as I’d like! I love getting out in the countryside with my dog and balancing my healthy habits with plenty of pub trips and cake stops =)
Matt Atkinson
I’ve been involved with Ride On for over 10 years and joined very early on, shortly after the organisation was formed, the mission of bridging the joy of cycling in all its forms to anyone and everyone who can benefit is what drives me to stay involved.
I have been involved in the cycling scene since the mid 90’s, initially working in cycling retail before running my own workshop and as working as mechanic for race teams across several disciplines. I’ve fixed a lot of bikes, broken a lot of bikes, ridden a lot of miles, eaten a lot of cake, and shared a lot of hours with fantastic people thanks to cycling!
Over the years I have raced almost every MTB discipline that has existed since the 1990’s including XC, XCO, Dual, Downhill, Trials, Enduro, and 12/24hr events, sometimes with a degree of success, but often not! I still ride off-road, but mostly for fun these days, I also spend a lot of my time on the road riding locally and Audaxing further afield. I’ve also spent time developing and coaching new riders to welcome them into the world of cycling, whether that be a wobbly first ride, cycling for fun and everyday transport, or getting into competition, but for me the true success is measured in smiles per hour.
I have more bikes than I can reliably count and could genuinely be described as ‘having a problem’ in that regard, but I hate to see an old bike die and I love riding and restoring vintage bikes. I love helping to pass on the skills and knowledge to help people look after their own bikes and reap the reward and independence that can bring. My current day job is working in IT as a Dev-Ops and Linux Systems Engineer, making all sorts of disparate systems integrate and talk to each other to ‘get stuff done’ in an automated fashion for a company delivering services to the Public and Private Sector.
Volunteers
Alongside this core team, we are lucky to be supported by a network of passionate volunteers who help us do what we do. If you’d like to learn more, click the Volunteering Header above.