OPINION
Bikeability’s Emily Cherry talks cycle training, the active travel ecosystem, and the transformative impact of owning your own ride
scheme. Almost six million children have completed the programme, with its Gen Z
T
he Bikeability Trust CEO Emily Cherry, who has led the organisation since 2020, shares her insight into why cycle training is a foundational investment in the future.
Every day in schools across England,
children push off on pedals for the first time with a mix of nerves and excitement. For the more than half a million young people each year who take part in Bikeability – the Department for Transport’s flagship national cycle training scheme for children – the programme is the first turn of the wheel towards confidence, independence, and a skill that will last for life. Learning to ride has always been a milestone, but thanks to The Bikeability Trust’s investment in ongoing data collection, research and impact, we now know exactly what this moment means for children, communities, and the cycling industry. I don’t think of Bikeability as just a training programme: it’s a public health intervention, a roadsafety measure, a wellbeing booster, a bedrock in the path to Net Zero – and the first step in creating the future customer base for the cycling industry. Since launching our 10-year strategy last year, I’ve been looking ahead to how cycling for leisure, exercise and active travel might transform over the coming decades – something that Bikeability can influence, with help from the industry. Almost 6 million children have benefitted from Bikeability since it launched in 2007, helping them share Britain’s roads confidently and safely. And our data shows that Bikeability Level 2 – real-world, on-road cycle training, delivered to children between 9 and 11 years old – not only teaches children road-safety skills, but actually creates behaviour change. Completing Level 2 increases children’s intention to
18 | May 2026
cycle more than fivefold, and unlocks assurance in the saddle, with 93% of riders saying that Bikeability makes them feel more confident riding on roads. This isn’t a short-lived boost. A National
Foundation for Educational Research study into hazard perception showed Bikeability training creates sustained improvements in children’s ability to identify and respond to on-road risks, with riders scoring significantly higher on hazard awareness tasks months after completing the
course. We’ll be launching updated information on the long-term impact of Bikeability in the coming
months, seeing how what we teach is retained and translated into adult cycling behaviour. What we see through our dedicated instructors every day: children leave training not only knowing how to cycle safely, but believing in themselves that they can. It’s that belief that motivates children to cycle more, encourages parents to support active travel, and plants the seed for what can become a lifelong propensity to cycle – if we nurture it.
One of the most significant developments in recent
years is the growing body of evidence linking Bikeability training to improved road safety outcomes. Analysis by the Transport Research Laboratory shows a significant statistical association between higher levels of Bikeability Level 2 delivery in local authority areas and lower rates of cyclists killed or seriously injured (KSIs). Alongside this, pedal cycle casualties are decreasing, suggesting a broader national improvement in cyclist safety, against a backdrop of rising car journeys and traffic levels. It’s compelling evidence that the skills taught in Bikeability contribute to safer roads for all of us and confirms what I’ve long believed: when we invest in
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