‘Real Yellow Jersey’ returns to honour ten everyday cycling heroes marking a decade of The Big Bike Revival

Launched in 2015, Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival began as a short-term campaign aimed at restoring old cycles and encouraging more people to cycle. Over the past ten years, it has evolved to reshape perceptions of cycling safety, break down social and cultural barriers, and inspire hundreds of thousands of individuals to cycle for shorter journeys.

In that time, the project has delivered a staggering 24 million cycle trips, helped over 600,000 people get back on their bikes, and replaced nearly 10 million car journeys — easing traffic and cutting congestion in towns and cities across the UK. Our latest report shows the real impact goes even further. 

Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival has saved the country an estimated £56.3 million when you take into account final tax adjustments— with £47.9 million in health benefits alone, and fewer sick days at work saving employers another £11.6 million. Beyond the economic savings the project has also saved 9,295 tonnes of CO2 emissions, helping to make the UK’s climate targets that much more attainable. 

With 10 years of success, The Big Bike Revival has helped reshape local transport across communities demonstrating the huge health benefits of active travel. The evidence-led, national programme has seen 72% of participants say they would keep cycling, while 86% said it boosted their mental wellbeing and 61% said they feel fitter and healthier.

Marking these significant milestones during Bike Week (June 9 – 15), Cycling UK has awarded ten jerseys, handknitted in Tour de France yellow, to ten people who have used cycling to change their lives and inspire more of us to ride our bikes. In the Tour de France, the yellow jersey has been worn by the overall leader since its introduction to the race over 100 years ago in 1919. It is an iconic sporting symbol recognised throughout the world and held by only nine British riders in the tour’s 120-year history. To further honour their achievements, all ten Real Yellow Jersey recipients were invited to the Houses of Parliament (June 9), where they were photographed and formally recognised by MPs and supporters, including Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander for their contributions to cycling and their communities. 

One of ten inspiring winners of Cycling UK’s Real Yellow Jersey award, Mostafa (pictured above), a refugee from Iran who arrived in Halifax in 2024, has been recognised for how cycling has transformed his life. After struggling to access education, exercise, and his community due to lack of transport, Mostafa received a donated bike through St. Augustine’s Charity, supported by Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival. Since then, cycling has become a powerful tool for freedom, fitness, and connection—relieving his back pain, reigniting a childhood passion, and helping him explore Halifax’s streets and green spaces. 

Read all 10 Real Yellow Jersey winner case studies online

James Scott, Director of Behaviour Change at Cycling UK, said: 

“The Big Bike Revival has been the biggest show of force for how cycling can make our communities safer, healthier, and more prosperous. Cycling is often underestimated for its impacts, but ten years of The Big Bike Revival has proven that for every £1 spent, cycling can deliver over four times the return.

“It’s exactly why we’ve revived the Real Yellow Jersey campaign, to recognise the people who are using bikes to connect communities, get fit, overcome their mental health challenges, lessen their climate impact and so much more. The Real Yellow Jersey is also a symbol of celebration for everyday cycling, how transformational it can be and a siren to encourage more people to get in the saddle.”

In the light of these successes, Cycling UK is calling on the government to: 

1. Keep funding national with local delivery partnerships.
2. Keep a good revenue and capital balance in transport funding.
3. Investing 10% of the transport budget in cycling, walking and wheeling.
4. Secure multi-year funding to produce efficient long-term programming that will yield long-term results.