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PHOTO: ©BIKEABILITY TRUST


GETTING KIDS ON BIKES: HOW BIKEABILITY AIMS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CYCLES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME


by Rebecca Bland


ccording to recent data from National Travel Surveys, one in four children between the ages of 5 and 10 do not have access to their own bicycle. I’m sure many of us reading this, as people who work in the bicycle industry, can remember how important a bike was during our childhoods. Not just for fun and exercise, but for the freedom they gave us to ride to our friends’ houses or to go to school without needing a lift.


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This troubling statistic isn’t necessarily representative of children not enjoying cycling as much as previous


20 | May 2025


generations, it’s just about access to bikes. And without access, children are less likely to show interest or develop what many of us would define as a crucial skill of learning to ride a bike.


That’s where Bikeability is stepping in with their 2035 plan. Bikeability has long been in schools as an educational programme teaching children how to ride, providing road safety knowledge and giving them the confidence to adopt transport independence. I spoke to Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of the


www.bikebiz.com


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