Welcome to Birmingham
Birmingham is a great place to cycle, and now there are even more opportunities to get out and about on your bike in the area.
This year Birmingham is hosting a big Sky Ride City event, a series of friendly neighbourhood Sky Ride Local rides, Breeze bike rides for women, and more. They’re all free to join, and it’s easy to register.
Check out the list of forthcoming events on the righthand side, or click the tabs below to find out more about cycling in Birmingham.
Join us for a fantastic traffic-free bike ride through Bimingham where everyone's invited.
Sky Ride Local rides are fun, free community bike rides that offer a great way of getting out and exploring your local area and meeting like-minded people.
The Breeze network from British Cycling is all about fun, local bike rides for women, by women – and there’s a whole range of support and training too.
The Breeze network from British Cycling is looking for more inspirational Breeze champions. You don't have to be an expert cyclist, just enthusiastic and enjoy riding your bike! Our one day course will provide you with all the leadership skills you need to help get more women on a bike!
Be active by bike
Be Active by Bike is an exciting new initiative funded by the NHS and delivered by British Cycling which encourages people to start cycling in Birmingham. Cycle Hubs have been set up to provide free access to bikes and cycling activities to those who don’t currently cycle.
Hubs have been set up at the following locations:
Handsworth Leisure Centre (0121 464 6336)
Court Road Health and Fitness (0121 303 1700)
Nechells Community Sports Centre (0121 464 4373)
Ackers Adventure (07799 454181)
The HUB, Bromford Drive (0121 448 3739)
Ward End Park (0800 389 5055)
Each hub has 15 adult bikes and offers led rides, cycle training and community group bike hire – all free if you have a Be Active leisure card.
Cycle training
Bikes from the hubs can be accessed for free to take part in one to one cycle training. Cycle training is ideal if you lack confidence in riding a bike or are a complete beginner. The training is delivered by qualified Bikeability instructors. If you're interested in free cycle training please email fareeda.akbar@birmingham.gov.uk or call 0121 303 7471.
Community group hire
Bikes are also available for community groups to hire out for free at those times when organised activities aren't taking place. To find out more email dawnrahman@britishcycling.org.uk or telephone 07834 517347.
Clubs
British Cycling can help you to find a club that’s right for you. Use the club finder link to find a club near you There are some great cycling clubs and groups in Birmingham who welcome new and novice cyclists to come along and ride with them, including:
Hopwood Ladies
A recreational non-competitive cycling club run by women for women in the south of Birmingham. Offering fab weekly rides for all abilities taking into account family and work commitments.
Beacon Roads Cycling Club offers monthly introductory social led rides. If you fancy a relatively short, easy-paced ride suitable for newcomers including cafe stops for refreshments – you’ll be among friends!
Stourbugs is Stourbridge's bicycle users group, offering cycling for fun, leisure and pleasure.
Solihull Cycling Club offers everything from competitive cycling to weekly recreational club rides catering for all abilities.
Halesowen Cycling Club offers competitive and recreational cycling opportunities to all.
Stourbridge Cycling Club supports both competitive and non-competitive, on- and off-road cycling.
Stourbridge Velo Cycling Club encourages the enjoyment of recreational and professional racing cycling in the local area.
Beacon Roads Cycling Club offer monthly introductory social led rides. The purpose is to provide a relatively short, easy-paced ride suitable for newcomers including cafe stops for refreshments!
Support
There are lots of initiatives in Birmingham designed to help and support you to get the most out of cycling.
Bike North Birmingham
Birmingham City Council has recently been awarded over £4million funding to improve cycling facilities and promote cycling activities in schools, businesses and the community in north Birmingham. Find out more.
Cycle training
Birmingham City Council runs cycle training for children and adults.
Cycling initiatives
Pushbikes is a cycling campaign to make Birmingham and the West Midlands more cycle friendly. Join in one of their leisure rides or download a cycling map.
Bike2Life is a community project organising rides and maintenance sessions in Sutton Coldfield.
Midland Cycle Hire offers easy bike hire in Birmingham, Solihull and surroundings.
Gear up offers rides, Bikeability training, bike maintenance and recycled bikes for sale. As one of the Be Active by Bike Hubs (see above) they also organise led rides with trained ride leaders. Gear up is a bike Social Enterprise run by young people in Birmingham, part of Worth Unlimited.
Where to ride
Whatever kind of cycling you enjoy, Birmingham and the surrounding area has some great places to ride.
Cycling West Midlands offers great information on cycling in the West Midlands Metropolitan area and links to the cycling pages for Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Planning a commuter route is easier now the West Midlands has been added to the national Transport Direct online journey planner in 2010. Plan door-to-door cycle journeys – take the quietest, quickest or most recreational route.
Check out the routes in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield centred on Plants Brook and the Newhall Valley.
Birmingham's stunning canal network provides great routes for commuting or leisure close to the city centre. Find out more about local canal cycling.
Also West Midland Cycling has a very informative section on the different canal networks in and around Birmingham.
