Including everyone
Being inclusive is at the very heart of what we do and our initiatives aim to help everyone, whatever their background or skills, to overcome barriers to getting on their bike.
Our inclusive initiatives
We offer a wide range of projects, groups and initiatives that help everyone enjoy cycling:
LGBTQ+ cycling groups
Cycling UK supports a vast network of member and affiliate groups across the UK, catering to all types of riders, abilities and interests. This approach is part of our commitment to make cycling accessible to all underrepresented groups, regardless of sexuality or gender identity. Here are a few examples of the diverse groups we support:
Women-specific support
Far fewer women cycle than men, often because they're worried about safety and lack role models. We've created campaigns and networks that are all about empowering women, making cycling safer and ensuring the cycling world is welcoming to everyone.
- 'My ride. Our right' is a major national campaign by Cycling UK that calls for safer streets and better cycling infrastructure - addressing the significant barriers that deter women from cycling.
- 100 Women in Cycling: our annual awards were launched to increase the visibility of women in cycling and actively address the imbalance between sexes in the sport, leisure and transport sectors of cycling.
- Women's cycling groups: our UK-wide network of inclusive, volunteer-led groups like Women in Cycling, which has over 3,500 Facebook members.
Community Cycle Clubs (CCCs)
Our Community Cycle Clubs programme specifically targets communities facing disadvantages, such as refugee charities, youth groups or faith groups. These clubs provide free bike loans, basic maintenance support and friendly, social rides to help address issues like social isolation and health inequality.
Disability and health cycling support
We firmly believe that cycling should be an option for everyone. That's why our work in this area focuses on getting the right equipment—like adapted bikes—and safe places to ride, so that people with disabilities or health issues can experience the joy of a bike ride.
- The Inclusive Cycling Experience: this exciting programme is funded by the Motability Foundation. It supports disabled communities in Greater Manchester and Inverness to start cycling.
- Tandem cycling for visually impaired people.
- E-bike and e-scooters training for disabled people.
- Health Revolutions group: our project supported people with mental health conditions through cycling activities.
Overcoming financial and equipment barriers
The cost of buying a bike or getting it fixed can be a big problem. Our funds and schemes are designed to tackle this head-on, making sure that bikes and simple repairs are affordable and easily available to everyone in the community.
- Cycle Access Fund: supporting those least likely to have access to a bike.
- Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme: our project ran from 2020-23 to provide more than 80,000 free repairs and maintenance to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to cycle.
Diversity champions
We’ve created the volunteer role of diversity champion within our local member and affiliate groups. These individuals are responsible for promoting an inclusive group culture and making sure people from all backgrounds feel welcome.
Sharing our expertise
We’re passionate about sharing what we’ve learned about including everyone in cycling initiatives. Here’s just a few examples of the articles and advice you’ll find on our website:
