Bikeworks exists to reduce barriers to cycling.

For two decades, we have used cycles as a tool for good. The work has always been practical: finding the cycle, setting, support and maintenance that make riding possible where conventional cycling provision does not reach far enough.

In our 20th year, No Child Left Behind brings that mission into sharper focus. Access to cycling should not depend on being able to ride a two-wheeler, join a mainstream session, or attend a school or community setting with its own specialist fleet.

The need is clear. Activity Alliance’s Play, Move, Belong research found only 26% of young disabled people say they can take part in sport and activity at school all the time, compared with 38% of non-disabled young people.

Cycling can bring movement, independence, skill, time outdoors and shared experience. The question is not whether cycling has value for children and young people. It does.

The question is whether the right conditions are in place: a cycle that fits, instructors who can adapt, a setting that works, and a practical plan to keep the offer active, safe and maintained.

At Victoria Park All Ability Club, Phoenix College students are showing what changes when those conditions come together.

What changes at Victoria Park

Phoenix College students have been spending Saturdays with Bikeworks at Victoria Park All Ability Club.

Each session starts with the cycle. Trained Bikeworks Cycle Instructors work with students to find the right fit, position and way to get moving. Specialist and standard cycles are available, so riding is not limited to one type of bike or one way of taking part.

The starting point is not whether a child or young person can fit into a pre-set cycling session.

The starting point is what needs to be in place so cycling becomes possible.

Students ride through Victoria Park. They spend time outdoors. They move, laugh, concentrate, try again and take part together.

The cycle is the tool. Around it, something wider opens up: movement, shared activity, social connection and time in the park.

A member of staff from Phoenix College reflected on the impact:

“Social interaction can be a challenge, but the club’s friendly and supportive atmosphere encourages positive communication and connection with others. Being able to engage in a shared activity helps them develop social skills in a natural and enjoyable way.”

That is the heart of the work.

Not asking young people to adapt to a fixed cycling offer.

Changing the offer so cycling becomes possible.

Why the right cycle matters

A specialist cycle is not an add-on.

A trike, handcycle, recumbent, wheelchair platform cycle, side-by-side or adapted cycle can open up cycling in a different way. The right choice depends on the rider, the site, storage, staff support, servicing and how often the cycle will be used.

Those decisions are hard to make from a catalogue alone.

A catalogue can show a product.

A Bikeworks session shows the product being used: how the cycle fits, how the rider is supported, how instructors adapt the session, and what needs to sit around the cycle so it can be used safely and regularly.

That matters for schools, colleges, local authorities and community organisations thinking about their own fleet, site or inclusive cycling offer.

From the right cycle to the right offer

Bikeworks can help organisations move from interest to practical delivery.

That can mean visiting an All Ability Club to see specialist cycles in use.

It can mean arranging test rides, talking through product options, choosing the right fleet, or purchasing specialist cycles through Bikeworks.

It can mean putting a maintenance package in place so specialist and standard cycles stay safe, roadworthy and ready to use.

It can also mean bringing Bikeworks into a school, college or community setting with trained instructors, specialist cycles and a delivery plan shaped around the site, the students and the outcomes wanted.

The product matters. The fit matters. The maintenance matters. The instructors matter. The setting matters.

When those pieces are planned properly, cycling becomes possible.

That is cycling equity in practice.

Talk to Bikeworks

If you are a school, college, local authority or community organisation, Bikeworks can help you explore what inclusive cycling could look like in your setting.

We can talk through specialist cycles, test rides, fleet advice, cycle sales, maintenance packages, visits to our All Ability Clubs and bespoke cycling delivery.

Email: all.ability@bikeworks.org.uk

No child should be left behind when it comes to cycling.