Cycling UK’s New Strategy – Still working for mountain bikers?

Cycling UK recently launched its new strategy, setting out what the charity will be working towards in the years ahead. Plus, in advance of the general election, it issued a manifesto, which called on the future government to implement a range of policies. After a number of staffing changes within the organisation which included the loss of a specific off-road team, I thought it worth finding out a bit more about what they’re doing that will support the cause of mountain bikers – who do a least feature in their launch video:

You can read the full press release about their strategy below, but the key objectives listed are:

1. Achieve greater impact by becoming the best possible charity we can be
2. Improve perceptions of cycling so that everyone sees the benefits
3. Boost the number and diversity of people who cycle
4. Make cycling an even more positive experience
5. Increase transport choice by enabling and encouraging more people to cycle local journeys

So where does mountain biking sit within that? And what does the manifesto add to the cause? A deeper dive into the documents offered a few places that seemed relevant, so I asked a few questions:

• p9 of the strategy refers to ‘increasing access to the countryside’ – what stance will you be taking on that in England and Wales, and what campaigning work will you be doing around that?

One of the objectives of Cycling UK’s new strategy is about making cycling an even more positive experience, and increasing access to the countryside for off-road riding is a really important part of that. We all know mountain biking can be the best part of your day, but planning the perfect route can be fraught with barriers and blockers thanks to our disjointed rights of way system. That’s why we want to see:

• A default right of access for cycling and horseback riding on most rights of way, with some paths excluded if they are deemed ‘unsuitable’
• Expansion of access rights on Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) access land for different uses in addition to walking. (This would also mean you could ride on paths and tracks across access land.)

This mirrors the approach we took with proposed changes to access legislation in Wales a few years ago. The nuances will be different between Wales and England, but Cycling UK believes those general measures to be the most practical way to increase access in both places.

The political momentum for changes to access has begun to fizzle out in Wales, but we are determined to keep pushing for change. With how things currently look, we expect to see access reappear at the next Welsh Senedd election in 2026, although we will continue to work to get this prioritised sooner.

There has been a big push over the past couple of years with outdoor access groups joining forces and working together, to show that overall, we all want the same thing. In England, Cycling UK has signed up to the Outdoors for All manifesto alongside 40 other charities and organisations, to call for increased access to nature. We’ll be continuing to work in coalition with those groups to show the new UK government that the public health benefits and savings of getting people active outdoors are too good to ignore.

• The manifesto asks for ‘increased access for people cycling and horse riding on existing paths and tracks across open access land, where the public are already able to roam on foot, and a simplified system for changing the status of public rights of way to create a network fit for the future.’ Would this include the removal of byelaws preventing lawful cycling on Forestry England/NRW/National Park Land?

In short, yes. We had to keep our manifesto asks brief and avoid going into lots of detail, but we’re very keen to continue pressing large landowner organisations and National Park Authorities to remove byelaws that make cycling away from rights of way a criminal offence. It’s ridiculous that somewhere like Dartmoor National Park, you can be committing a criminal offence by riding on a track used by rangers in 4x4s, which isn’t a bridleway or byway. We’re determined that byelaws should have a more common-sense approach that focuses on preventing things that actually cause harm to the habitat, based on evidence.

• What’s the reasoning behind stopping short of a call for a right to roam? Or are there different approaches between your strategy and the manifesto?

We’ve found that ‘right to roam’ isn’t that helpful when you’re talking about mountain biking, because when most people hear that, they think about expanding the areas that are available for walking. 

It’s also a bit of a Marmite phrase – some people love the idea, but a lot of farmers and people living in rural areas turn off straight away when you mention a right to roam. We’ve found that if you talk about a right of responsible access, people are more receptive to that. It sounds pedantic, but words are important. Even if you think of Scotland’s more liberal access laws, they are specifically about responsible access rather than a right to roam.

• Will you be committing any funding to Welsh Cycling’s Developing Mountain Biking in Wales initiative as you did with the creation with DMBinS in Scotland?

The honest answer is that we don’t know at this point. Welsh Cycling have done a fantastic job bringing together a strong group of partners that represent both the perspectives of the rider and landowner, and we’ve been feeding into the workshops and events. It’s still at an early stage of development and we’re yet to determine whether the answer is a new Welsh organisation similar to DMBinS, or something else entirely.

• Bodies such as NRW and Forestry England still see Cycling UK as a useful consultee when it comes to cycling access policies. We know there are community groups struggling to engage with these bodies as they seek to reach land and trail management agreements. Will you use your position to help influence FE and NRW to make policies and decisions that better support community trail stewardship?

I know from speaking to people that many groups are trying hard to get things off the ground and are struggling with complicated processes or not getting through to the right person. On the flipside, you usually find that another group is further along the journey and can offer some useful advice.

We have a dedicated but small Cycling UK campaigns team, so we tend to focus our resources on trying to influence national-level policies of land management organisations like Forestry England and NRW. What we actively do is help connect people with the right person in those organisations and link them up with other groups to support each other, and I know the new UK MTB Trail Alliance is doing great things there as well.

This all sounds fairly positive – mountain biking might not be specifically highlighted in the strategy, but it’s still on their radar alongside access issues. We know they’re pretty good at getting to speak to the politicians that matter – they even took our now transport minister for an ebike ride after she’d suggested her home town of Sheffield was too hilly for cycling. Hopefully we can see the new strategy translating into some legislative and policy progress. Watch this space…

Press release from 13th June:

Improving public perceptions and expanding diversity: Cycling UK announces new transformative five-year strategy

Cycling UK, the UK’s cycling charity, has outlined its five-year strategy in an announcement this week. The aim; to get more people to recognise the wellbeing, health, and environmental benefits of cycling, even if they don’t cycle themselves.

To coincide with the strategy announcement, the charity has also released a film showcasing the positive impact cycling can have on communities across the UK. Working with author and poet from Leeds and production company, the film emphasises how cycling helps everyone.

With five strategic objectives, the charity will focus on improving public perceptions of cycling, boosting the diversity of cycling, making cycling a more positive experience, increasing transport choice, and further raising the profile of the organisation and increasing its charitable impact.

With cycling becoming another focal point of the culture wars, Cycling UK is aware that it has a responsibility to create a groundswell of wider public support for cycling. This public support will help make our shared road space safer and engage and persuade policymakers to introduce cycling-friendly policies and investment, recognising its potential to build happier, healthier and greener communities.

• 60% of all car journeys in England are under five miles.[1]
• Studies have also shown that for every £1 spent, we gain nearly £6 in benefits. One of the highest returns on investment from spending on sport.[2]
• 77% of the UK agree that it would be better if more people cycled.^[3]
• 65% want roads changed to protect cyclists and pedestrians from cars.[4]

Sarah Mitchell, chief executive of Cycling UK, said:

“The next five years is a pivotal time for us to demonstrate the wider benefits of cycling. As some politicians have sought to reframe cycling as a culture war issue over the past year, using rhetoric to divide all road users, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to remind people of the overwhelming positive impact of cycling. We already know cycling is a fantastic transport option for millions of people across the UK, and we want even more people to see how it can improve public health, boost wellbeing and enhance our environment.

“Cycling UK has delivered decades of community and campaigning work, and we have a proven track record of making change happen. We are proud of the accomplishments we’ve already made to make the UK greener and healthier, and with our new strategy, we are committed to having an even greater impact in the coming years.”

Cycling UK’s five-year strategic objectives:

1. Improve perceptions of cycling so that everyone sees the benefits
2. Boost the number and diversity of people who cycle
3. Make cycling an even more positive experience
4. Increase transport choice by enabling and encouraging more people to cycle local journeys
5. Achieve greater impact by becoming the best possible charity we can be

Cycling UK is working to ensure the UK recognises that cycling relates to more than just transport. It can improve public health, the environment, the economy, and so much more. To find out more, head to: www.cyclinguk.org/strategy

Over the past 146 years, Cycling UK has been a driving force in advocating for the rights of people who cycle, in improving infrastructure, and inspiring people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to embrace the joys of cycling. Over decades it campaigned for changes to be made to the Highway Code, created 100 Women in Cycling to promote its diversity and opened seven new, long-distance cycle routes.

As an independent, democratic, and expert-led charity, Cycling UK’s work reflects the commitment of a network of partners, volunteers, and campaigners, including 71,000 members, to make cycling mainstream and to lead people to live happier, healthier, and greener lives through cycling.

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