Could we deliver a conference by bike: making active places work in practice

By the time I was loading the fifth box onto the bike, I was starting to wonder whether I’d bitten off more than I could chew. I looked at what was still waiting to go on, shifted a few things around and found room for the rest. It was all there. We were actually going to get our whole stand to the Making Active Places conference by bike. 

The journey had started in south-west England, where I’d collected some of our materials on my cargo bike before travelling to Manchester by train. This was a the first hurdle to overcome – it turns out you can carry a lot of leaflets on the rear rack of Brompton! Once there, I needed to pick up a different cargo bike to carry the rest of the materials from the station to the conference. 

There were a few things to bring together, but we made it work. And before the conference had even begun, the journey had given me something to think about. What had made this possible, and how easy would it have been for someone without our access to cycles and local knowledge? 

Most people aren’t moving a conference stand. They are getting to work, taking children to school or carrying their shopping home. But some of the same questions apply. Have I got a suitable cycle? Can I combine the journey with a train? Is there somewhere to leave it when I arrive? 

From the station to the conference 

Those questions felt particularly relevant when Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander spoke about her ambition for an integrated transport network: 

‘I want a coherent transport system where each stage of a journey complements the next.’ 

She reflected on the different roles cycling had played in her own life, from independence and getting to work to clearing her head and enjoying being outside. It was a reminder that the same cycle can serve many purposes, depending on the person and the day. 

For me, getting to Manchester was one part of the task. Getting the materials from the station to the venue was another. Having a bike available when I arrived connected the two. 

It made the idea of an integrated journey feel very practical. Each stage needed to work for the next one to be possible. 

Following the route home 

Safe routes are central to that. Our new report, The Route Forward: The people and places being transformed by cycling, developed by my colleagues Sophie, Jim and Duncan, brings together 11 case studies showing how good cycling infrastructure is changing journeys and communities across the UK. It tells those stories through the people who use the routes, alongside evidence of their benefits. 

But thinking back over my journey, I kept coming back to what happens at either end of a route. 

Imagine having a safe route close to home, but nowhere accessible to keep your cycle. Every trip begins with carrying it downstairs or getting it through a narrow hallway. If you use an adapted cycle, those obstacles could prevent the journey altogether. 

That is why housing policy and the design of new buildings belong in this conversation. Secure cycle parking needs to be easy to reach and use, with room for different types of cycles. The same applies when we reach a workplace, station or other destination. 

These details affect whether someone can make a journey regularly. They need to be considered while places are being planned. 

A bike at the other end 

Picking up a bike in Manchester worked for me. It also made me think about the options available to someone arriving without local contacts or knowledge. 

Could they find a suitable cycle near the station? Would they know how to book it? Could they rely on it being available for the journey they needed to make? I mean, if trainline can make bookings through multiple operators on a single app, why doesn’t this exist for cycles…Bikeline anyone? 

For others, taking their own cycle on the train will be the better option. Train operators can help make that straightforward through clear information, simple reservations and usable space on board for the bikes people use, not just skinny tyred, ultra-light road bikes. There also needs to be a workable plan when a service changes or someone misses a connection. 

Station access and parking really matter, alongside the policies and everyday decisions that shape how services operate. People need to feel confident that the journey they have planned will work, be convenient and dare I say it, fun! 

Our experiences across several programmes we've delivered brought home how useful cycle loans and hire can be. Access to a suitable cycle can turn an idea into a journey someone can actually make. 

Building the confidence to set off 

Of course, having a cycle available is only part of getting started. 

I was comfortable planning this journey. Someone returning to cycling after years away might want help choosing a route, refreshing their skills or trying the trip with another person first. 

This is where our behaviour change projects connect with investment in infrastructure. Cycle loans, training, maintenance support and friendly group rides can help people take those first steps and find out what works for them. 

The importance of that support came through in wider reflections on the conference. Colleagues described conversations about adult cycle training and highlighting young people sharing their experiences, campaigning for improvements to their journeys. Their reflections reinforced the value of listening to the people we want these places to work for. 

In our own conversations with local authorities and other charities, we heard about bringing infrastructure investment and activities together, and the steady funding needed to sustain that support. 

There was also a welcome reminder of the enjoyment. A social ride might help someone build confidence, but it can also simply be a good way to spend an afternoon. Having fun is a good reason to get back on a cycle. 

Taking the conversation forward 

We will now review those conversations and look at where we can work together, adapting our offers and delivery to the challenges local authorities and communities face. 

That means thinking across the whole journey: the home someone leaves, the route they follow, the train they catch, the cycle they can access and the support that helps them set off. 

Loading that fifth box, my immediate concern was getting everything to the venue. Looking back, the journey gave us a useful example of what we had come to discuss. 

All the pieces had come together for us. The task now is to help make that possible for more people, on more everyday journeys.