Glow rides 2026: Riders before the storm
Glow rides seem to attract storm warnings. 2025 brought us Storm Benjamin at the end of October, and this year riders had Storm Austen to contend with.
But remarkably, although a few rides were postponed in Wales and South-west England, in most places the weather gods were kind to us and rain held off until later in the evening. Just enough time for a bike ride!
There was incredible enthusiasm for this year’s glow rides, which were kindly supported by CatEye and Altura. Thousands of people are taking part in 90 events right across the UK – including some still to come.
From Cornwall to Aberdeenshire, you came together to light up the night and call for safer streets and routes that give women the confidence to cycle. Some rides celebrated new cycle routes that have been created, while others highlighted dark paths and underpasses that many women avoid in the evenings.
Bringing the sparkle
With fairy lights, glow sticks and upbeat music, you brought the joy of cycling to high streets across the country. Oyster Bay Pedallers put on their first glow ride in Whitstable, and said: “The reaction from the public as we rode down Whitstable High Street was fantastic.”
Many rides included participants of all ages, from three-year-olds on the back of bikes in Bath, to 85-year-olds on trikes braving 3°C temperatures in Kinross. Some were a small group of friends enjoying a ride, while others drew huge crowds – with almost 200 people riding in Norwich.
Wadebridge in Cornwall put on an incredible show, having revived the town’s much-loved Bikelights event for the first time in many years – with a whopping 413 people taking part! Check out this stunning video to see what that many people riding in the dark looks like …
It was fantastic to have so many groups hosting a glow ride for the first time – and even better to hear that participants were already asking when the next one will be!
Making a statement
Many groups took the opportunity to get decision-makers along to their ride. We had MPs, Senedd Members, Mayors and lots of councillors. It meant they could hear directly from women about some of the barriers they face, and what needs to change to enable more people to cycle.
Women in Stevenage took the opportunity to present their hot-off-the-press Cycling After Dark in Stevenage report to their MP and council Transport Lead, highlighting parts of the network that need to be improved.
Cycling UK Cymru put on a flagship ride in Cardiff, in partnership with Pedal Power, Cardiff Cycle City and Vale Veloways. We even managed to get Deputy Transport Minister Mark Hooper out to join us, although he hadn’t ridden a bike in years!
It was great to also have Paul Rock MS and many of Welsh Government’s active travel team showing their support. Even if the incredible swan-shaped bike stole the show!
Cycling UK’s Wales Advocacy Lead, Gwenda Owen, explained that they chose to take the route across the barrage, which is a perfect example of some of the barriers women face cycling in the city.
“During the day, it’s wide, it’s traffic free, it’s a perfect cycle route. But at night it’s unlit, and lots of women tell me that they won’t use it because they don’t feel safe.”
She highlighted that good-quality cycle routes encourage more people to use them, and that in turn creates a ‘safety in numbers’ effect.
“That’s the beauty of cycling, once you get the numbers of people cycling. As a commuter cyclist, you’re not going to feel alone in London.
“We’ve seen great improvements in Cardiff over the years, and we’re getting there – you see more people with all types of different bikes, people taking their kids to school, and it’s delightful.
“But we need to do more, so we can get more women cycling. When you have that culture of people cycling, it can make a real difference to the way our towns and cities are, it makes much more enjoyable places to live.”