Big Bike Revival is back to help people in West Yorkshire get pedalling this summer. Last year the Big Bike revival helped around 65,000 people at 3800 events around England to cycle more. They’re back this summer with a programme running until 30th September offering free cycle skills, fix sessions and lend rides to both beginners and people who do not cycle regularly.

It's summer – the perfect time of year to hop on a bike to save money, help the environment and enjoy feeling fitter and healthier. Charity Cycling UK has launched Big Bike Revival 2023 to support new and returning cyclists across England through a programme of different free events that will be delivered locally by community groups and non-for-profit organisations.

Cycling UK hopes that the Big Bike Revival can offer a lifeline to those concerned about the cost-of-living crisis. With energy, food and travel costs remaining high, the programme offers practical help and support to people who are considering a switch to cycling, as a more affordable and sustainable means of transport. They estimate that although one in three people in the UK has access to a bike, only 15% of people in England cycle more than once a week.

Anybody who is interested can bring their bike to these sessions which include Dr Bike events providing a free basic service for your bike; maintenance workshops that teach essential repair skills, learn to ride sessions for beginners and led rides that support people to boost their confidence whilst cycling.

In West Yorkshire, the following delivery partners are taking part in the Big Bike Revival: Margaret Carey Foundation (Shipley), Bingley Belles (Bingley), Yorkshire Bike Shack (Doncaster) and Onna Bike (Bradford).



The Big Bike Revival is funded by Active Travel England. Over the past 9 years it has reached over 700,000 people, The most recent report shows that over a third of those taking part reposted that they had started cycling half of the journeys that they would previously have driven.


The Big Bike Revival has been transformational for Sumayra Ahmad from Manchester. Sumarya, 41, took part in a women’s cycle maintenance course at Station South last summer, funded by Big Bike Revival. Attending the course gave her the confidence to develop from an occasional leisure cyclist to riding for everyday journeys and even qualifying as a cycle instructor to help others develop cycling skills.



National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: “Active travel is convenient, cheap, healthy and good for the environment. That’s why we want to ensure it is an option available to everyone.”

“By offering cycle repairs and delivering helpful training sessions across the country, Big Bike Revival will give many more people the tools and confidence they need to get around under their own steam.”