Less than one third of cycle trips in London are taken by women - we want to remove the barriers that stop women cycling.
“Get off the road, b*tch!” women cycling in London told
We surveyed over 1000 women in London to ask what barriers prevent them from cycling. The responses were shocking. We received countless reports of harassment, aggression and even physical and sexual assault directed towards women cycling. The resulting report, ‘What Stops Women Cycling in London?’ reveals shocking levels of abuse faced by women cycling in the capital. It sets out our recommendations for the Mayor, Transport for London and London boroughs to overcome these barriers so that women can cycle any of their daily journeys without fear. Full survey results are here.
What do we want? Freedom to ride! When do we want it? After dark!
We analysed the entire Transport for London official Cycleway network and found nearly a quarter is ‘socially unsafe’ after dark such as stretches through unlit parks, industrial estates or alongside canals with no escape routes. In addition, our analysis shows that over half of all TfL Cycleways have at least one socially unsafe section, 11 Cycleways are over 70% unsafe, and seven are 100% unsafe after dark. The full report, Women’s Freedom After Dark, shows a range of case studies and how Transport for London and councils need to improve the cycle network to make it safe for everyone, 24/7. The report is followed by a protest on Thursday 6 February 2025.
GET INVOLVED
Join the LCC Women's Network! The network is run by a steering group of volunteers and has hundreds of active members. It has produced the Women's Freedom Rides, the What Stops Women Cycling in London? report and other vital projects alongside LCC staff. Women make excellent campaigners, so sign up to our newsletter to find out more.
Our campaign is calling on the Mayor to make London a city where all women, non-binary and gender non-conforming people feel safe to cycle.
We’re calling on the Mayor of London to ensure cycling is an inclusive mode of transport that men and women use equally, across London, by 2030, by:
Supporting campaigns to end road danger and traffic harm
We are longstanding campaigners for safer, people-friendly streets and roads with a focus on urban areas.
We believe that what works to reduce road danger including eliminating casualties is already well known. Our aim is to make this knowledge freely available to campaigners.
Social enterprise for family cycling
Quality cargo bikes for families and businesses where you can try-before-you-buy plus community projects to help families get cycling!
Carry Me Bikes is an East London social enterprise, selling & hiring out cargo bikes to families & organisations alongside running community family cycling projects.
Building a London that works for all Londoners
Centre for London is the capital’s independent think tank – dedicated to researching the city’s critical issues to build a London that works for all Londoners.
Inspiring and enabling Muslim women to cycle
Happier, healthier and greener lives through cycling
Cycling UK is the UK charity inspiring millions more people to cycle providing skills, motivation, advice, and support to enable everyone to ride a bike.
Spread the joy of cycling as a family
Harlesden Mums Who Cycle was created in 2021 by Amandine Alexandre and Mary Mitchell, two mums wanting to spread the joy of cycling as a family in NW10.
Their aim is to encourage parents and carers – and specifically mums – to cycle with their children as part of their everyday life because it’s fun and practical. They do this by organising family friendly Sunday rides as well as giving the opportunity to parents to try out cargo bikes and other family-friendly cycle equipment.
The community group organised regular Sunday rides for parents, carers and children between 2021 and 2023. At the start of 2025, Harlesden Mums Who Cycle also launched a bike bus between Willesden Green in Brent and West Hampstead in Camden, in collaboration with local parents and volunteers in the area.
Free, inclusive and fun mass cycle rides
IBikeLondon is a Community Interest Company organising free, inclusive, fun, safe & social mass participation cycle rides several times per year.
Women empowering women to start, return to, or keep cycling
JoyRiders helps women discover the joy and freedom of riding, first for fun and then, if they want to, for transport.
Using social led rides, mainly off-road, and then moving on to longer rides and rides to popular commuting destinations, the JoyRiders team are enabling women to improve their confidence in all areas and build social connections through cycling. Their current volunteer network spans four UK cities: London, Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester.
“I was scared as I hadn’t cycled for 38 years and worried I might fall off, but I quickly felt confident again… I’ve gone from signing petitions against the road closures to saying ‘Mini Holland benefits us, because more cyclists means less cars on the road.” ~Khadija
Women on two wheels changing the world
Londra Bisiklet Kulübü, or the London Cycling Club, is a project based in Edmonton around Turkish and Kurdish community centers.
Their aim is to get more people cycling from in and around the local community. We have previously worked together to place bikes in need of a new home, and to connect up their team with a very generous donation by Bikester through the #BikeIsBest campaign. Ozgur and the other volunteers have used these resources to enable many more people across Edmonton to start cycling.
“The teachers here were so encouraging. To be able to cycle felt incredibly liberating. I hope I will be a cyclist for life.” ~ Iman
Raising the volume of joyful, sustainable journeys
LOUD MOBILITY is an innovation agency and social enterprise.
Established in 2023 our vision is to stimulate the system-change needed to achieve the broad reaching benefits of sustainable mobility. We do this by working on high impact and cross-sector projects that widen participation in sustainable transport and mobility.
The national charity for road crash victims
RoadPeace is the National Charity for Road Crash Victims. Their vision is for a world where road danger is unacceptable and crash victims receive justice and compassion. To achieve this, RoadPeace support, empower and inform people affected by road crashes and work to improve the justice system’s response.
Promoting health and wellbeing for all by improving access for diverse communities
Together We Ride, Together We Rise.
We aim to increase participation and representation within the cycling space and provide a platform that encourages health and wellness.
An award-winning charity supporting disabled people of all ages & abilities to enjoy cycling
Wheels for Wellbeing enhances disabled people’s lives by ensuring that anyone can access the physical, emotional, practical and social benefits of cycling.
Since becoming a registered charity in 2007 they have worked with thousands of disabled children and adults who face barriers to taking part in any physical activity. Informed by life-changing personal experience of disabled trustees, staff and volunteers, they are determined to show that anyone can enjoy cycling, given the right equipment, support and environment.
Gender equality through economics
We advance gender equality in policymaking through feminist approaches to economics.
We are a feminist think tank that raises awareness of and provides evidence for a gender equal economy – acting as a link between academia, women’s voluntary organisations, academics and policy experts.
Connecting women, health, equity and environmental justice
We are an environmental charity working on issues that connect women, health, equity and environmental justice.
We are the only UK charity working on issues that connect gender, health, equality and environmental justice and take an intersectional feminist approach to tackling the climate and nature emergencies. Our vision is a world where women, communities and the planet flourish because our society is equitable, collaborative and caring. Our mission?
Inspire
Welcoming underrepresented minorities to ride with us. Challenging the stereotype of what a cyclist looks like. Spreading the joy of cycling.
Empower
Teaching bike maintenance and group riding skills. Coaching riders to push their boundaries. Forming & supporting new leaders.
Motivate
Sharing knowledge to facilitate growth. Creating intersectional connections. A safe space to explore and question.
To inspire, empower, and motivate our members to love cycling and challenge themselves
The Women of Colour Cycling Collective is a hub for connecting global majority women and non-binary people across the UK, while reducing barriers in our sport.
We deliver projects aimed both at bringing more women of colour into cycling, and at helping the existing ones fulfil their potential.
Find out more on the Women of Colour Cycling Collective website.
Women's Network Associates
Action Vision Zero
CarryMe Bikes CIC
Centre for London
Cycle Sisters
Cycling UK
Harlesden Mums Who Cycle
IBikeLondon
JoyRiders
Londra Bisiklet Kulübü
Loud Mobility
RoadPeace
Together We Ride
Wheels for Wellbeing
Women's Budget Group
Women's Environmental Network
Women of Colour Cycling Collective
LATEST NEWS
24% of Cycle Network Unsafe After Dark
Women's Freedom After Dark report finds nearly a quarter of the total length of TfL’s cycle network is ‘socially unsafe’ after dark.
Read more
Interview with Dr Maartje Van Putten
The first leader of Dutch safe cycling movement Stop de Kindermoord - Stop the Child Murder - tells her story.
Read more
Women ride for freedom
Nearly a thousand women joined the LCC Women's Freedom Ride on Sunday 3 March.
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"Get off the road, b*tch"
New London Cycling Campaign Women's Network report, ‘What Stops Women Cycling in London?’ reveals shocking levels of abuse faced by women cycling in the capital.
Read more
Women's survey
Women of London! Tell us what makes cycling harder for you - or puts you off altogether. Closes 5th June.
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1,000 ride for women's freedom in London, sign petition today.
The LCC Women's Freedom Ride saw 1,000 women and their allies cycling through central London. Now sign our petition for safe cycling for women.
Read more
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Our members are our political voice, and we need more women so together we can fight to make our roads safer. If you cycle in London please consider joining today. You'll be supporting our work and you'll get a huge range of benefits in return.
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