Who are you? My name is Nick Archer. I’m 49, a Life Assurance Underwriter, and I’m married with two teenage sons.

How long have you been riding and what bike do you normally ride? I had a moped when I was 16 (a Fizzer obviously!), but gave up after I passed my car test. I got the biking bug again in my 30’s, and took my bike test. I’ve had a bike ever since. Up until a few years ago, I’d only ever had Yamahas. I started with the Fizzer, and after that the next bike I wanted always seemed to be a Yamaha. However, a few years ago I decided I needed a change and bought a Triumph Speed Triple 955i. What a great bike. I had that until autumn 2011, when I got the Triumph Tiger 1050 I have at the moment. Also a great bike.

What do you do for Freewheelers? I’m a rider and fundraiser. I’m assigned to the East bike, The Flying Crane.

How long have you been with Freewheelers and why did you join? After many years of thinking about it, I finally got round to doing my advanced bike test with the IAM in 2010. After passing the test I thought I may as well put my new and improved skills to good use. I had heard about the Freewheelers through a work colleague, so I made some enquiries and joined at the beginning of 2011.

I also thought this would be a good way of giving something back to the NHS after having a bike accident many years ago. I had one of those incidents going into a corner where my “ambition was greater than my ability” as Casey Stoner would put it, and ended up having an ambulance ride to the Bristol Royal infirmary. I was kept in for several days, and needed an operation to put a metal plate in my wrist.

What do you like most about volunteering for Freewheelers? Where do I begin! I like the riding, the knowledge that I am doing something that has a positive impact on people’s lives, and the fact that it’s made me a better rider. When I am on duty some of the riding I do is at times of the day and night when I would normally be tucked up in bed, and also in weather conditions that I would not normally ride in. This has definitely helped me to raise my game, and also to get used to riding a variety of different bikes which is not something I have done in the past.

What do you least like about volunteering for Freewheelers? I’ve not been a Freewheeler though a cold winter yet, so I think this is still to come. I really dislike riding in very cold & wet weather, especially if I’m woken up at 4:00am to do it. However, they say things like this are character building, and the knowledge that I am doing it to help someone will hopefully keep me a little warmer.

Tell us about something memorable about your work for Freewheelers? My first shift was over a weekend in March 2011, and was more than a little stressful. Everything I was doing was new to me, especially riding the BMW R1200RT, and I was trying hard not to mess anything up. At about 10:30 on the Saturday night, I was tramping round Southmead Hospital looking for the Avon Orthopaedic centre. I had a thumping headache, and was in dire need of a cup of tea as I had been on the go for hours. After finding the right ward and making my delivery, I asked the ward sister if there was a tea machine nearby. She looked me up and down, said “you just sit down over there my love, and we’ll take care of you”. Five minutes later I was sitting in the sister’s office with a mug of tea in one hand and a slice of cake in the other. It was the best tea break ever!

Anything else you want to add? I would like to thank my better half for her patience, support, and all the lifts to pick up or drop off bikes. Couldn’t do it without you!