London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 25, 2025

London cycle numbers 'up nearly 120 per cent' amid pandemic bike boom

London cycle numbers 'up nearly 120 per cent' amid pandemic bike boom

The number of cyclists in London has grown by nearly 120 per cent as people have turned to bikes as their transport method of choice during the coronavirus pandemic.  New data released today by Strava Metro showed the number of people newly taking up cycling in the capital peaked in May, with 119 per cent year-on-year growth. 

Strava Metro, a GPS app, works with Transport for London to back infrastructure projects, such as new bike lanes, using journey data from its anonymised tracker of city transport patterns.

Its research also revealed an immediate knock-on impact seen on London's roads, with June seeing the number of cycling trips up 60 per cent on the same month in 2019, according to the app data.


A man cycling in London


Some of London's major arterial roads, particularly those with dedicated cycle lanes, registered huge increases in June and July as Londoners used their new bikes to navigate the city.

Park Lane saw a 337 per cent increase in cycling in July than in the same month in 2019, while Euston Road saw a 70 per cent increase in bike trips in the period.

East London's Cycle Superhighway 2, which stretches between Whitechapel to Stratford, saw a 69.5 per cent growth in the period.

However, in contrast to the situation seen in May, Strava Metro reported the number of people taking up cycling in August this year was just 47 per cent higher than numbers seen in August 2019.

The app's director, Gareth Nettleton, insisted the figures point to the need to ensure the pandemic cycling boom does not become a "Covid related blip", but a long-term shift.

He said: "As the capital entered lockdown, the insights showed a clear shift in behaviour as people opted for cycling and walking over other transport options. Yet, we’ve also seen that once lockdown restrictions were lifted, the dramatic increases seen in people on bikes during peak lockdown have started to fall away as the amount of vehicles on the roads started to return to pre-pandemic levels.


The app, which works with local government to plan green transport infrastructure, registered huge growth


"When roads become busier with vehicles, we know individuals cycling feel less safe, and if we’re to encourage and harness the trend we've seen in the adoption for cycling, we must ensure that our cities are well equipped for it – by offering dedicated and segregated cycling infrastructure.

"With the new guidance switching back to working from home, it's likely that we will see the cycling trend increase again. We must take advantage of this shift and attempt to turn it into long term behaviour change rather than a COVID related blip."

Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: "The coronavirus pandemic has transformed how Londoners think about travel, and we’ve been working to make cycling easier and safer for all, to help avoid a damaging car-led recovery and make sure the improvements in air quality made in lockdown are not lost.

"Strava Metro has played an important part in improving how we understand and plan for cycling in London, and highlights the shift towards sustainable modes of transport."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×