Cycle Sprog Family Cycling Survey 2026

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Every few years we ask the Cycle Sprog community how they’re really cycling with their children; what’s working, what’s challenging, and how family cycling is evolving.

Our 2026 Family Cycling Survey gives us a detailed snapshot of family cycling today and how it has changed since our previous survey in 2023.

Parents told us about how they cycle with their children, whether that’s for school journeys, everyday trips or family rides. They also shared the barriers they face, the equipment they’re using, and the information they rely on when making decisions about bikes and gear.

In the sections below we explore what parents told us, how behaviours have shifted since 2023, and what this means for families who want to cycle more.

What family cycling looks like today

Our 2026 Cycle Sprog survey gathered responses from 237 parents, giving us a detailed picture of how families are cycling today and how that has changed since our 2023 survey.

The results show that family cycling within the Cycle Sprog community is increasingly becoming part of everyday life rather than just leisure. More parents are using bikes for practical journeys such as the school run, cycling is happening more consistently throughout the year, and equipment such as e-bikes and cargo bikes is becoming more common.

Parents remain highly motivated to cycle with their children. Enjoyment, health benefits and environmental concerns are major drivers, but practical factors such as saving time and money also play a growing role. At the same time, barriers remain — particularly traffic, infrastructure and the logistics of busy family life.

The survey also highlights strong demand for practical information and decision support. Parents want help choosing bikes and equipment, understanding cargo bikes, maintaining family bikes and finding safe routes.

Comparing the results with the 2023 survey shows several clear trends:

More families are cycling for transport rather than just leisure
Cycling to school has increased
Winter cycling has grown significantly
E-bike ownership has risen from 35% to 51%
Cargo bike ownership has increased from 26% to 37%

Overall, the direction of travel is clear: families in the Cycle Sprog community are increasingly integrating cycling into daily life. The challenge now is helping more families make that transition safely and confidently.

Audience snapshot

The 2026 Cycle Sprog family cycling survey attracted 237 responses and represents a predominantly UK-based audience of parents in their 30s and 40s with around two children.

Nearly half of respondents are aged 40–49 (48%), with another 42% aged 30–39. Just over 63% identify as female and 37% as male.

Families typically have two children, with an average of 2.2 children per household. The largest groups of youngest children are aged 3–4 (30%) and 5–7 (29%), showing the survey strongly represents families in the early riding years.

The audience is overwhelmingly UK-based (99%) and mostly lives in small cities or towns (47%), followed by large towns or cities (30%). Villages account for 16% and remote areas 7%.

From this point onwards we refer to respondents simply as parents.

It’s not surprising that parents responding to the Cycle Sprog survey are overwhelmingly active cyclists. Fewer than 6% say they never cycle, and a similarly small number say they never ride without their children.

When cycling on their own, the most common type of riding is transport cycling, with many parents using bikes for commuting and everyday errands. Leisure riding is also common, and some participate in road cycling or mountain biking.

When cycling with children, leisure cycling becomes even more dominant, with 84% riding for fun and 70% riding for transport such as school runs or local journeys.

Parents’ motivations for cycling are a mixture of emotional and practical factors. The most common reasons include:

Keeping fit and healthy (85%)
Enjoyment (85% - 75%)
Environmental concerns (72%)
Spending time with children (62%)
Cycling being quicker than driving (46%)
Saving money (42%)

The fact that cycling makes both parents and kids happy is an important motivation. Families are more likely to continue cycling when it is seen as fun and positive, rather than purely practical.

Cycling to school or nursery

School travel provides a useful insight into how embedded cycling is in everyday family routines.

Among parents who cycle to school or nursery:

81% cycle in all four seasons
61% cycle most days or always

This suggests that for many families, cycling is not just an occasional activity but a regular part of daily life.

However, some parents still cycle only occasionally. For these families, cycling may depend on work schedules, needing the car afterwards, or specific events such as Bike to School Week.

Barriers to cycling to school

Parents who do not cycle to school or nursery most often cite structural and logistical barriers, rather than a lack of desire.

The most common issues include:

Traffic and unsafe roads
Lack of suitable cycling infrastructure
Needing the car for onward journeys
Time pressures
Carrying school bags or equipment

In some cases, the school or nursery is simply too far away to cycle.

These responses suggest that many families would like to cycle more but are constrained by route safety and practical logistics.

Equipment and cargo bikes

Interest in equipment that helps carry children is strong.

Parents are considering:

Cargo bikes
Bike seats
E-bikes
Trailers and tow systems

However, confidence about buying this equipment is mixed. Common concerns include:

Cost
Choosing the wrong product
Storage space
Safety
Whether the equipment will be used enough

Parents are particularly interested in real-world information about cargo bikes, including comparisons, costs, range, safety and how they work in everyday family life.

Overall direction of travel

Between 2023 and 2026 the shift has been clear and encouraging: family cycling has broadened, deepened, and become part of everyday life for more and more families. That's worth celebrating.

Cycle Sprog has always existed to support families at every stage of that journey, and our community is growing to match.

After Easter, we're launching the Cycle Sprog online community, where families can come together to share the highs, troubleshoot the challenges, and find their people. We hope you'll join us.

Rising fuel prices due to the Iran War are putting increasing pressure on family budgets across the UK.

If you're feeling the pinch at the petrol pump, it might be time to consider whether every journey actually needs a car.

For many families, the school run and short local trips are well within cycling range - and with the right bike or cargo bike, they're often quicker and more enjoyable too.

Whether it's a kids' bike for an independent ride to school, or a cargo bike that replaces the car for the daily drop-off, we've got everything you need to help your family make the switch.