Breaking down barriers to cycling with Brothers on Bikes

A community cycling scheme in Ilford is encouraging ethnic minority Londoners to take to two wheels

In his Foreword to his 2013 Vision for Cycling in London, Boris Johnson candidly acknowledged that "truly mass participation" in two-wheel travel around the capital cannot be achieved unless more Londoners from those groups under represented in the city's small but growing cycling population decide it's better to get around by bike. He declares (on page 5) his wish for more women and older people to take up cycling, along with "more cyclists of all social backgrounds" and "more black and minority ethnic Londoners." How might this laudable objective be achieved?

It's plain to those who wish to see that installing segregated infrastructure is not the universal answer to this question. Though safety considerations are a major factor inhibiting a lot Londoners from travelling by bike, there are also significant, specific cultural factors at work. The mayor's Foreword didn't mention these, but Transport for London has made a contribution to addressing them in partnership with the environmental regeneration charity Groundwork. Grants of up to 10,000 have been awarded to 31 community organisations of different kinds to fund cycling projects seeking to embrace those groups of Londoners yet to be much seduced by the hoped-for "cycling revolution".