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Why we cycle

Cycling is one of the most enjoyable and efficient ways for people to get around. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for people’s health – and we’re determined to help more people cycle in the countryside.

Cycling is great for our bodies. The NHS recommends it as a great way to get fit and stay healthy, with regular cycling known to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses including heart disease and stroke. And it can even help with weight loss and mood-boosting!

It’s also a brilliant way to get around the countryside, so it’s no surprise that we support initiatives that make cycling easier in rural areas.

Keep on cycling

And here’s good news in numbers around cycling. A government travel survey has shown that since 2002, the number of miles cycled per person has generally increased. There’s still work to be done though, as in 2018, nearly all local authorities still had less than 20% of their adult population cycling at least once a week.

Naturally, we at CPRE advocate for initiatives that make cycling a safe, healthy and accessible way to get around and enjoy the countryside. It continues to be the case that rural A roads make for more traffic accidents, including those where cyclists are involved, and we want to see that rate reduce.

Past and future successes

We’ve got a great history of securing successes to make walking as easy as possible for people in the countryside. Our biggest walking success to date was securing a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy for England in 2015, and, as a result, five-year investment strategies were introduced for walking and cycling, in the same way as they are for rail and major roads.

We’ll continue to build on our expertise about what makes for safe cycling communities in our future work. Want to be a part of it? Get involved now.

Two cyclists in lycra round a dramatic hilltop corner on a country road
Cyclists enjoy the challenging climbs and amazing views of the Surrey Hills

Explainers

Dive deeper into the topics we care about with our handy explainer guides.