Annual report & accounts 2025-26

Access to bikes, cycle parking & storage

Access to bikes 

In 2025-26, we continued our commitment to reducing transport poverty in Scotland by helping more people to get access to a bike. 

Bike reuse pilot (Glasgow) 

Funded by Scottish Government’s People and Place programme, delivered by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, we supported the implementation of a bike reuse pathway, working with St Paul’s Youth Forum and Glasgow City Council.

This pilot collaborated with HMP Barlinnie (Barlinnie Bike Works) skills programme to facilitate the collection and repair of more than 500 discarded bikes from Glasgow’s Household Waste Recycling Centres. Bikes were distributed back into communities for use by people who cannot afford to buy a bike.

90% of recovered bikes were put back into service, with the remainder used in HMP Barlinnie’s welding workshop for other purposes or stripped for parts. The project reused and recycled an estimated 6.4 tonnes of materials.

Bike Reuse Forum

Cycling Scotland continue to manage a bike reuse forum, working with Circular Communities Scotland. Four network events for forum organisations were held in 2025-26, offering opportunities for bike reuse organisations to share knowledge on best practice and access peer support on topics including skills development, funding opportunities and areas for collaboration.

Eleven organisations completed a survey to capture collective impact, with responses reporting that more than 7,100 bicycles were donated for reuse with 3,348 repaired and redistributed, benefitting more than 4,250 people. Respondents collectively employed 17 FTE paid bike mechanics with 169 FTE volunteers actively refurbishing bikes.

Case study

Award winning pilot project supporting skills and restoring old bikes for the community

In June 2026, was recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards, in the category for Excellence in Social and Community Value.

The project will support other local authorities to start similar pathways: saving bikes, supporting employment opportunities and breaking down barriers to more people travelling by bike.

The impact at a city and community level is clear to see, as well as in the lives of those involved in the project.

One person serving a sentence at HMP Barlinnie's, currently a mechanic in the bike workshop, shared: "I love it here. It taught me new skills and I’ve moved from fixing bikes to checking bikes that they're ready to be sent out. It's step-by-step learning. It teaches you to move forward. It feels like you're doing a degree or a course… and it makes you value everything more. To know a kid is going to get a bike and have a smile on their face, I'm proud."

As the final link in the chain, the fully refurbished bikes are available for children and people who would otherwise face financial barriers to cycling. Paul Street, Regeneration and Sustainability Waste Policy & Recycling manager at Glasgow City Council feels positively about the bike reuse pilot, 'this is a great scheme that's a big win for all involved. We want to reduce the waste the city produces and at the same time provide opportunities for residents within the local community."