How is cycling making a difference in difficult financial times?

Contents

The links below will take you directly to different sections of this page, where you can explore how Cycling UK is making a difference during the cost of living crisis.

• The cost of living crisis: An overview
   
• Cycling saves people money
   
• Cycling UK provides access to bikes through free bike loans to help people start cycling
   
• Cycling UK provides bikes for people who would otherwise not be able to afford one
   
• Cycling UK supports people to keep their bikes roadworthy through maintenance and repairs
   
• Cycling improves social and mental wellbeing during the cost of living crisis
   
• Cycling UK gets more people cycling and improves health and wellbeing
   
• Cycling UK programmes get people together and reduce social isolation
   
• Summary
   

The cost of living crisis: An overview

The cost of living has risen since 2022 and the impact of this continues to be felt by millions of people across the UK. In the last few years, we saw the highest inflation in four decades alongside the sharpest fall in pay in over 20 years, with those in lower income households being disproportionately affected . Food and energy prices rose considerably and global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic also put further pressure on prices. Although inflation has begun to decline, many people are still struggling financially. 

Sustrans’ Walking and Cycling Index showed that walking, wheeling and cycling created £6.5 billion in economic benefit for individuals and society across 18 UK cities in 2021, and by extrapolating these figures to the whole of the UK, they estimated that walking, wheeling and cycling could provide an overall annual benefit of £36.5 billion to individuals and communities as a whole. 

This was based on a forecast of the economic benefits of walking and cycling as well as of reducing car usage. In this report we explore in more detail Cycling UK’s evidence around the positive impact that cycling can and is having on people’s lives, through the stories of real people in their own words. 

We show that our cycling interventions can have an impact in the current difficult financial times by, firstly, saving people money and, secondly, through helping to tackle the wider detrimental impacts of the cost of living crisis on mental wellbeing and social isolation. 

Cycling UK runs and funds community projects that offer a wide range of support to help get people cycling more for everyday journeys, such as: 

• Free bike loans (standard, electric and non-standard cycles); 
• Learn to ride, confidence building and family cycling sessions; and 
• Maintenance sessions, led rides and route planning. 

Many of our projects specifically target individuals who are struggling financially, and even projects that can be universally accessed see the impacts that the cost of living crisis is having on households. We regularly hear from participants that having the chance to cycle, through our projects, is making a difference and, in some cases, is life changing. 

Cycling saves people money 

In June 2023, Cycling UK explored how much money cycling could save a household by switching from car to bike for short, everyday journeys. By comparing the costs of owning an average bike to an average car, we found that a household could save over £23,000 in the first year and over £700 in subsequent years (for example through maintenance costs). 

Of course, for many people cars are a necessity due to distances, family commitments or a lack of safe infrastructure for switching trips to cycling. Nevertheless, the stories we hear show how public investment in cycling can make a huge difference to the expenditure of households. 

Participants in our projects have described how starting to cycle has helped their overall finances through significant savings, especially when budgets are tight. A recent study in Scotland found that 1 in 5 people cited ‘saving money’ as their single biggest motivating factor for cycling more often. 

Before I usually spent at least 70 pounds a month in buses or occasional taxi ride. The bike has been an amazing help in a difficult time when I just needed some human kindness and a way to reduce time to get from one place to another so I can have more life quality and also serve my passions not only my survival. Thank you!

Elena*, Highland 

However, whilst switching to cycling rather than driving a car may save money, there are many barriers to cycling which prevent people from being able to easily make this switch, and for many people the initial purchase of a cycle is prohibitively expensive. 

The Walking and Cycling Index showed that 37% of residents on low incomes have access to an adult cycle, in comparison to 60% of residents in managerial and professional occupations. The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (2022) found that 34% of adults living in the most deprived areas reported it was difficult or very difficult to pay their usual household bills. In situations where people are struggling to pay their household bills, the cost of buying or maintaining a bike can be unfeasible. 

Cycling UK provides access to bikes through free bike loans to help people start cycling 

We offer bike loans to individuals to help them start cycling and find the right bike before making the decision to invest in buying their own. Alongside loans, the extra support from our staff and the local projects we fund is crucial in helping people to think differently about how they make their journeys. 

Participants across our projects have told us how access to bikes through our bike loan schemes have provided them with economic benefits, through both saving on the cost of fuel or public transport, and through cycling giving them easier access to employment. 

Our Making Cycling E-asier project has run since 2022, covering four local authorities – Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester, Luton and Dunstable, with the aim to promote electric cycles through both short-term loans and engaging people and raising awareness through skills sessions and other events. 

James* had not cycled his old bike for a long time due to injury. Trialling an e-bike for free for one month through Making Cycling E-asier made him realise that cycling was still an option for him, and that it could really help his family’s finances. 

After Covid, myself and my partner dropped from a two-car family down to one-car family which usually means that some days if she needs to use the car then she needs to drop me off at work and vice versa. So it’s almost like doing a double commute in a day fuel wise. By me e-cycling, we probably saved around £15 worth of fuel in a day

James*, Making Cycling E-asier participant, received a one-month loan in Leicester. 

Nevertheless, having enough money for an upfront purchase of an electric bike is not easy. In the meantime, James’ chance to try out an e-bike means he has more confidence in his cycling ability and he is now certain that investing in some form of bike will be worth it. 

Before I consider investing in a new bike, I’m going to take my old 25-year-old mountain bike to get it properly serviced…[an e-bike is] quite a significant chunk of money…and we don’t have the Cycle to Work scheme, which is a real shame…I’m going to try commuting with my mountain bike to see how I get on. If I find it too difficult on my mountain bike, then I’ll consider buying an e-bike…But it’s just that big outlay of initial money 

James*, Leicester 

Cycling UK provides bikes for people who would otherwise not be able to afford one 

Our Cycle Access Fund scheme in Scotland provides people who are struggling financially with access to a safe and appropriate cycle by funding local organisations to either purchase, refurbish or repair bikes for individuals or for shared use. 

In addition to the obvious financial saving of accessing a bike for free, the majority of Cycle Access Fund participants also report that their new cycle helps them save money elsewhere. This includes saving money on fuel, car parking charges and / or public transport. 

The cycle has become a very essential part of my life. With the living expenses going up, cycle has helped me save up a lot

John*, Glasgow 

Cycling UK supports people to keep their bikes roadworthy through maintenance and repairs 

For people who may already own bikes, our work supports thousands of people across the UK to learn how to look after their bikes and do basic repairs to help them stay cycling. Knowing how to keep a bike in working order is a crucial element of being able to keep cycling, especially when money is tight. 

Cycling UK’s Community Cycle Clubs programme helps organisations to offer free cycling activity, purchase equipment and upskill existing and new volunteers. The cost of living crisis was impacting Dan’s* ability to pay for repairs and keep his bike maintained. Maintenance sessions through the Community Cycle Club enabled him to learn the necessary skills to keep his bike maintained and safe to use. 

The more I’m able to do maintenance on my bike the more I can save money. Money is pretty tight. The club sometimes funds coffee and cake stops, this really helps a lot of the riders 

Dan*, Meet Move Mend Repeat participant, Community Cycle Clubs 

In addition, Cycling UK provides support to access mechanics for repairs that people cannot do themselves. From 2020 until 2023, the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme provided a discount of up to £50 for bike repairs that people needed but could not afford. Over three years, the scheme kept over 80,000 bikes roadworthy. 

For Erin* in Dundee, her commuting options were becoming increasingly untenable. At the same time, she was needing to work more hours which was negatively impacting her wellbeing. Erin was lucky enough to already own a bike. However, it needed a repair before she could use it and the cost of getting it fixed was a barrier. The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme discount got her bike fixed and safe to ride again, and she described feeling safer, more confident and more motivated to cycle, as well as getting fit and feeling less isolated through having met new people. 

It was getting too expensive / unreliable to take public transport into work, and having to pick up more hours at work to meet rising costs meant I had less time to exercise. Cycling has helped me address both of these issues and has improved my attitude overall

Erin*, had her bike repaired through the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme, Dundee 

In Glasgow, Heather* was facing a long and expensive commute to work each day. She knew that cycling would be faster and more affordable but getting her bike repaired was yet another cost and she wasn’t sure where to go for help. Through support from Cycling UK, Heather was able to find a local mechanic to fix her bike at no cost to her. 

[Cycling] has saved me money during this cost of living crisis as public transport costs me £8 per day and takes an hour longer than cycling each way

Heather*, had her bike fixed for free through Cycling UK, Glasgow 

For Heather, it was not only the significant financial saving that made a big difference. When money is tight, time is often also a major issue. 

I have gained an extra 10 hours per week to spend with my family. Being able to rely on my bike has helped my mental health by enjoying a cycle twice a day to my work

Heather*, Glasgow 

Cycling improves social and mental wellbeing during the cost of living crisis 

Research has shown that the cost of living crisis has wider impacts on people’s lives than not being able to pay their household bills, or for fuel or public transport costs to commute to work. Worries about money can have a serious impact upon mental health. The Nuffield Health Healthier Nation Index, a survey of 8,000 UK adults, found that for the majority of people surveyed the cost of living crisis had a negative impact on both their physical health (60%) and mental health (59%). Cost of living was described as the most important factor impacting upon mental health. 

Cycling UK gets more people cycling and improves health and wellbeing 

Our evidence shows that cycling has physical and mental wellbeing benefits for individuals, which can provide release from concerns about money. The Community Cycle Clubs (CCC) programme specifically targeted people typically under-represented in cycling, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds, diverse ethnic communities, with long term health conditions, women, older people and disabled people. 

Our research shows that there has been a positive impact on the wellbeing of participants in this programme. The leader of a Community Cycle Club in Newcastle which aims to support black and minoritised women and girls, described how a supportive cycling environment has enabled people to be in a better position to manage other challenges. 

[The] majority of the service users have several intersectional barriers [e.g. experiencing a combination of poverty, racism and sexism] that have been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, which cycling cannot solve. However, the mental wellness has improved which has helped service users cope better with the cost of living crisis. The CCC programme has provided a lifeline to the service users 

Community Cycle Club Leader, The Angelou Centre, Newcastle 

Our participants also tell us stories about the wellbeing benefits of cycling that they have gained through Cycling UK interventions. 

Claire* in Liverpool could not afford to get the brake wire on her bike fixed, meaning her bike was not safe to ride. Subsidised repairs at a local repair shop through the Big Bike Revival (BBR) meant she was able to get essential repairs done for free, learn how to maintain her bike and improve her mental health as a result. 

Attending BBR was really useful to learn about their free bicycle repair service and helpful advice on bike maintenance…I am unemployed and unable to put aside costs for such repairs. [They] were friendly, knowledgeable and supportive of my cycling journey. The BBR helped to keep me cycling which helps me manage my mental health

Claire*, BBR participant, had her bike fixed for free, Liverpool 

Through our Rural Connections programme, Fiona* was able to loan a bike and build her confidence cycling and route planning with the support of her local Development Officer. She now cycles more than once a week and commented that, alongside saving money on fuel, she feels safer and more confident in cycling, as well as it having a positive impact on her wellbeing. She is now saving to buy a bike of her own. 

Amazing, actually life changing in thought process to planning my routes and commute, I’ve saved a fortune in fuel and feel better mentally and physically. I would recommend highly. I’ve become a cyclist

Fiona*, Rural Connections participant, Highland 

Cycling UK programmes get people together and reduce social isolation 

Research by Which? surveyed 4,000 consumers within the UK to understand the impacts of the cost of living crisis and found that that amid increasing bills and people needing to seriously save money, one way that people were cutting back was by not going out and socialising as much. 

Which? found that over one third of UK adults (35%) have suffered severe negative impacts on their social life as rising costs prevent them from seeing friends and family. Nearly one third of people have seen less of their family and friends (31%), and nearly half have spent more time at home (48%), making them feel lonely and isolated. 

Our evidence shows that our cycle rides and programmes help to combat social isolation through enabling people to meet others on led rides, and in addition, being able to ride with family and friends – plus providing transport to visit and meet up with family and friends. 

It has been good for the family as I can take my kids out cycling and this helps keep them fit and builds bonds between the family 

Access Bikes participant, Perth & Kinross, hadn’t cycled in the last year and now cycles fortnightly 

Summary  

Our projects support people to access cycling that may previously have been unable to afford to do so, through bike loans, bike maintenance, and making sure people are able to look after their bikes. Our programmes target people that are struggling financially, gifting or loaning bikes to people who would otherwise not have been able to cycle. 

By cycling, people can save money on the costs of fuel, parking, taxis or public transport, and are more able to commute for work and for other everyday journeys. In addition, Cycling UK projects not only enable more people to cycle more regularly, but we have shown that cycling can also help with the wider detrimental impacts of the cost of living crisis by improving people’s mental and social wellbeing through meeting people, visiting family and friends, and becoming less socially isolated. 

*All names have been changed to protect privacy