Bike Week 2025 - Accessibility In Action

What does accessibility in cycling look like?

There’s no single answer, because accessibility means different things to different people. And that’s exactly the point.

On Day 4 of Bike Week, we’re spotlighting what Accessibility In Action looks like in real life: adaptive cycles, creative solutions, and inclusive approaches that meet people where they are, not where the industry says they “should” be.

Accessibility is about more than ramps.

Accessible cycling isn’t just about the physical equipment; it’s about the attitude. It’s about designing systems, services and spaces that include people from the start.

That means:

• Offering a range of cycles with more than two wheels.
• Supporting people who ride with carers or in pairs.
• Creating ways for people to ride without having to pedal or steer.
• Making try-outs, events, services and repairs low-barrier and welcoming.
• Listening to disabled riders and valuing their lived experience.

If a cycle only works for people with a specific kind of body, balance, or coordination, it’s not accessible.

We’ve seen what access can do.

We’ve seen firsthand how transformative accessible cycling can be:

• A child who communicates non-verbally, laughing on an Amtryke as their parent pushes from behind
• An older adult discovering a recumbent trike lets them ride again after a stroke
• A tandem making it possible for someone with sight loss to ride safely with a friend
• Families of disabled children finally finding a cycle that works for them, not the other way round

When the right cycle is found, it doesn’t just improve mobility - it builds confidence, independence, and connection.

What can councils and planners do?

Accessible cycling isn’t just about the cycles themselves; it’s also about the environment people are cycling in.

Here’s how local authorities, campaigners, and planners can support cycling for everybody:

• Remove physical barriers - A-frame gates and narrow bollards often block accessible cycles completely. If you can’t fit a tandem, trike, or cargo cycle through, it’s not truly accessible.
• Invest in inclusive infrastructure - Smooth surfaces, wide paths, and dropped kerbs benefit everyone, not just disabled riders.
• Think beyond two wheels - Planning and consultations should always include the needs of people who ride trikes, tandems, handcycles and adapted cycles.
• Make cycle parking accessible - Provide space for non-standard cycles, not just upright two-wheelers.
• Include disabled voices from the start - Nothing about us without us. Disabled people know best what works, what doesn’t, and what’s missing.
• Support inclusive cycle schemes - Fund and promote try-outs, loans, maintenance and community cycle projects that welcome everyone.

Accessibility is never “extra”- it’s essential. When you plan for the margins, you create spaces that work better for everybody.

Our commitment: Pathways To Pedals.

At Get Cycling, we don’t just talk about access, we build it into everything we do. Our Pathways to Pedals programme is one of the ways we help more families and individuals find a way into cycling that works for them.

Through cycle loans, social cycle sessions, and one-to-one support, Pathways to Pedals helps people with disabilities discover the joy of movement, independence, and fun on wheels. Whether it’s an Amtryke, a tandem, or a trike with custom adaptations, we work closely with everyone to match the right cycle to the right rider.

We’ve seen riders who were previously excluded from mainstream cycling finally take part on their own terms - and the impact can be life-changing.

By reducing cost, offering support, and removing barriers to participation, Pathways to Pedals puts accessible cycling into action every day.

Access is a right, not a bonus.

When we remove barriers - physical, cultural, financial, or attitudinal - we don’t just help a few people. We create a cycling culture that’s richer, more connected, and more just.

Cycling is for everybody. But it won’t be until access is built in from the beginning.

Get Cycling CIC, 22 Hospital Fields Road, York YO10 4D
getcycling.org.uk | 01904 636 812 | admin@getcycling.org.uk

Published June 2025