Big Bike Revival turns 10: supporting more people to choose cycling

By Martin Hofschroer
Thursday, 13 February 2025
A group of cyclists of diverse backgrounds take part in a community cycling event in a park. A woman in the foreground, wearing a helmet and a bright yellow vest with "No Limits No Health" printed on it, smiles while riding her bike. Other participants, also wearing helmets and warm clothing, follow closely behind. The atmosphere is lively, with people engaging in cycling activities in an open, green space.
Thanks to renewed funding, Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival will continue for a milestone 10th year – helping more people swap car journeys for cycling and making active travel more accessible than ever

Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival returns for another year, thanks to renewed funding from Active Travel England. Now in its 10th year, the programme has helped over half a million people discover cycling, enabling many to replace short car journeys with a more sustainable form of transport.

  • Cycling UK’s unique Big Bike Revival programme offers free cycle skills, fix sessions and led rides to beginners or people who don’t cycle regularly
  • The programme has reached more than 700,000 people since 2014
  • New funding from Active Travel England runs until March 2026

This year’s funding is part of a £300m national investment in walking, wheeling and cycling, ensuring that active travel becomes an accessible and practical choice for millions across England.

Reducing car journeys through cycling

With rising transport costs and increasing congestion, the Big Bike Revival provides free bike repairs, cycle skills sessions and led rides to support individuals in making the shift from driving to cycling.

Programme impact

  • Environmental benefits – more than 7 million car journeys avoided, reducing congestion and emissions
  • Mental wellbeing – 89% of participants reported improved mental health after taking part
  • Physical health – 61% of participants stated that cycling helped improve their physical health

Encouraging more people to make active travel their first choice

Active Travel England’s funding will allow even more people to replace short car trips with cycling by supporting:

  • Community-led events, offering free bike repairs, confidence-building sessions, and led rides
  • Safer cycling routes and infrastructure improvements, making everyday journeys easier
  • Training and support for individuals new to cycling or returning after many years

James Scott, Cycling UK director of behaviour change and development, said:

For 10 years, the Big Bike Revival has helped people see cycling as a practical alternative to car travel. Many of the hundreds of thousands of people we have supported have changed how they get around, choosing to cycle instead of drive – leading to happier, healthier, and greener lives

 

With renewed funding from Active Travel England, we can continue removing barriers to cycling, ensuring even more communities have the support they need to ride with confidence and make cycling part of their everyday journeys

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Delivering lasting change

As the Big Bike Revival enters its 10th year, Cycling UK remains committed to supporting more individuals and communities in making cycling an integral part of their daily lives.

England Big Bike Revival

Further reading