Bikeability Trust and Love to Ride partner up to share the cycling love

Two of the England’s most influential cycling organisations are teaming up to help adults fall in love with cycling again.

The Bikeability Trust and Love to Ride will work together to support more people and enable them to discover the joys of cycling. The Bikeability Trust will develop cycle training resources to help families cycle more confidently, which Love to Ride will share with the thousands of people who take part in their cycling challenges.

Both organisations have been supporting cyclists and trainee riders for 15 years. The Bikeability Trust has trained more than 3.6 million children and thousands more families to cycle in England and more than 600,000 riders have taken part in Love to Ride events globally.

As well as supporting more families to cycle, the partnership will also focus on raising money for the Bikeability Trust’s Innovation Fund. The fund has invested £300,00 in projects that help children with special educational needs learn to cycle. The two organisations will work together to raise more money to invest in removing the barriers children face to cycling.

Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of the Bikeability Trust, said: “It is fantastic to work with Love to Ride to help more people across England learn to cycle or improve their skills. As part of our partnership, we will support the hundreds of thousands of people who take part in Love to Ride’s events to cycle with confidence.

“If all members of the family know how to cycle confidently, children who have completed their Bikeability will have more opportunities to enjoy cycling together. This partnership will help adults improve their cycling skills so the whole family can discover the joys of cycling, as well as the health and climate benefits that come with leaving the car at home.”

Cycling has increased in popularity since 2020, with millions of people pedalling their way through the pandemic. In 2021, more than one cycle ride per second was logged on Love to Ride’s platform – which lets riders log their bike rides, receive tailored support and enter prize draws.

Sam Robinson, Director of Love to Ride, said: “Having the ability to extend our support and encouragement to families and children is a fantastic development for Love to Ride and for the sector. This unique partnership also plugs a gap in provision, enabling us to target large scale cycle confidence training to those who most need it, at the optimum time for the biggest and longest-term impact”.

The partnership has been agreed and launched in time for Love to Ride’s Ride Anywhere Week, which will run from 21 – 27 March 2022. In the leadup riders will be encouraged to select a pledge such as riding with their kids, riding for transport or adventure. They will then receive the support and information they need from Love to Ride to complete their pledge and even win prizes! Find out more about Love to Ride.

Head to the Bikeability website to find out more about cycle training and find a course. Or head to Bikeability’s YouTube channel for tips on how to cycle confidently on our roads.