Free bike schemes provided to some of the most deprived areas of the UK have improved health and well-being and reduced social inequality for those who use them, new research shows.
Sport England commissioned the report on behalf of the Active Wellbeing Society and examined the effects of free bike schemes in Birmingham, Essex, and Ealing. Their results show that the scheme, which includes wraparound support of bike lessons, maintenance and group rides free of charge, also strengthened community cohesion and encouraged more sustainable, environmentally-friendly behaviours. The schemes receive public funding but also rely on volunteers.
More than 12,000 bikes have been distributed since 2015 through the respective schemes (Birmingham Big Bikes, Essex Pedal Power and Let’s Ride Southall) and are estimated to have delivered an average return on social and economic investment of £11.80 for every £1.
Comparing the data to the Office for National Statistics found that the scheme prevented 16% of expected new cases of disease among participants and 6% of expected deaths. The participants’ life satisfaction, when measured on a scale of 1-10, also increased by averages between 0.5 and 1.8.
The usage of free bikes has also been targeted around specific purposes. Birmingham saw the bicycles used for trips to the city centre from more deprived neighbourhoods, or to local primary schools. Basildon, an area in Essex with high health inequality, meanwhile saw the bikes used for travelling to the local hospital.
User feedback found that the project’s viability depended on the wraparound support and community built around the distribution of free bikes, with the report noting that “all elements of the scheme are required to meet objectives”.
The report also compiled eight recommendations including greater NHS collaboration, more active travel infrastructure and the scaling up of a “national free bikes network”
Supporting the report’s findings, National Free Bikes Lead Ambassador Lord Watson said “Sport England’s pilots in Birmingham, Essex and Southall set out to remove the biggest barrier to cycling: the cost of a bike. The independent evaluation shows what many of us have long believed.
“Give people a bike and they ride. They move from inactive to active. They cut the risk of early death and long-term illness. They find an affordable way to get around. The numbers are striking. The schemes [are] classed as Very High Value for Money in the Department for Transport framework. That is the kind of return the Treasury notices.”
Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “Essex Pedal Power is a shining example of how transport initiatives can change lives.
“By removing barriers to cycling, we’re investing in individuals and enabling more people to access jobs, training opportunities, and local businesses, boosting productivity and supporting a stronger workforce.
“This report proves that investing in active travel delivers outstanding value for money and can help to power our economy.”
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3 thoughts on “Free bike schemes in deprived communities improve people’s health, wellbeing and social mobility, report shows”
This is great to hear, and I
This is great to hear, and I’m sure the wraparound aspect of the bike + support has been key to its success.
I’d like to think this report deserves more attention than the ‘Cycle to Work scheme might be capped’, but this is the only place I’ve seen it reported, and I’m the first person to comment after twenty hours. If only there was something for people to get angry about.
Yes. I certainly agree that
Yes. I certainly agree that the support surrounding this and the local and targetted nature of these interventions was likely key.
We had this debate on road.cc before but I suspect that the price of a bike isn’t the main issue preventing people riding (although it’s more effort to get one cheap eg. 2nd hand, than walking into a shop, that may require tools people don’t have etc.)
I say this having stayed around some of the places in Edinburgh assessed to be the more deprived – and lots of bikes were in evidence – mostly rusting on balconies (not sure what percentage were kids bikes though)…
Storage space at home, safe AND convenient cycle routes and secure parking at destinations are vital.
We see with public hire bikes that people being invested in things they use is important to how they value and thus treat things – even nominally. So I suspect the best way to do such schemes would be “very cheap bikes” rather than completely free (though again the “support” part may help with emotional investment).
Agreed, but I’d add support
Agreed, but I’d add support with bike maintenance into that. Again, it’s not necessarily a cost thing, but a lot of people wouldn’t know where to go or when to go or what to ask for.
I was scanning through the report, hoping to get a handle on the price of bikes being handed out, and not yet spotted that – although it’s clear many of the bikes are refurbished. What I did come across was a quote from a participant who is a single mum of four who said she’d cycled in the past, and even though her kids had bikes, they’d outgrown them and/or they were broken. Getting suitable bikes for all four kids and herself at the same time was key to being able to take up cycling for family activities and outings.
She said she couldn’t have afforded to get five bikes, but more than that, the time and energy required to source five such bikes is a lot for anyone. People who know what they are doing might be happy buying a second hand one via a private sale, but it’s a big risk for the rest of us. I bought my reburbished bike from an established bike hub, confident it would have been checked for more than aesthetics. I can do basic maintenance myself, but I like that I can take it back to them for proper servicing at regular intervals.