Impact

Introduction

This chapter sets out the impact of having a bike on young people and families. It is based on discussions with 35 young people and 16 parents from across nine pilots, as well as the reflections of project leads and partners.

Increased activity levels

Most parents responding to the survey felt that their child was a lot more active because of taking part in the Free Bikes pilot.

Graph above shows parent and carer views on activity levels. 75% think their child is much more active, 15% a little more active, 10% think there has been no impact on activity levels.

Many of the young people involved in this evaluation said that they were more active because they had a bike.

It encourages you to be fitter, and go out more.  It is a real privilege to have it, so you want to go out on it more.” Young person

It has influenced me to cycle more.  Otherwise I would probably be lazing around inside.” Young person

Big time. I used to sit in the house every day. Now I’m never in. I only walked the dog once a day. Now I do that on the bike too. I must be fitter.” Young person

If I get bored in the house, and don’t have anything to do, I can go on my bike round the area.” Young person

A few said that if they didn’t have a bike they would spend more time in bed, on their phone or on their computer.

It gives you stuff to do – gives you opportunities you wouldn’t have if you didn’t have one. . .  you get to be a lot more active.” Young person

Parents and carers agreed that their children were more active. This was particularly valued for parents who had health or wider issues, and were not always able to get out and about with their children.

Definitely increased my daughter’s activity levels. Because of our circumstances and I don’t get much help, some days I just wasn’t wanting to do anything, so for my daughter it’s given her that option to get out and about.” Parent

He’s definitely more active. He’s certainly doing more now and not spending as much time on his computer…” Parent

It pulls him away from his electronic devices. His friends used to call for him, but he’d come back after half an hour saying he was bored. Now he’s going out until it’s dark and asking to go out later, even on a school night.” Parent

It gets used every day more than once.” Parent

Improved health and wellbeing

Young people and parents felt that in addition to increasing activity levels, their health and wellbeing was improving through having a bike. Parents and carers responding to the survey felt that the pilots had a significant impact on physical health.

Graph above shows  parent and carer views on physical health. 66% feel their child's physical health is a lot better, 22% feel it is a little better, 12% feel no impact on physical health.

In particular, young people said that they spent more time outdoors and went outside in all weathers.

The bike is really good. It got me outside.” Young person

It’s good cos you get healthier!” Young person

Some young people with mountain bikes said that they were able to get outdoors into different environments like mountain trails. A few parents noted that the pandemic had kept children indoors more than usual, and the bike encouraged them back outdoors. A few felt that their children were able to sleep better, because of spending more time outside, and less time on devices.

She’s sleeping better and finding it easier to sleep. And I think she has less interest in the devices.” Parent

Most parents and carers responding to the survey also felt that the pilots had an impact on the mental health of young people. A few who said there had been no impact on mental health indicated that their mental health was already good.

Graph above shows parent and carer views on impact on their child's mental health. 58% feel mental health a lot better, 20% a little better, 22% no impact on mental health.

A few young people, particularly in the older age groups, said that getting out and about really helped their mental health.

Without (this project) I’d be sitting in quite mentally fragile.” Young person

[I like] having a bike to get to school and use to take me to where I want to go. it makes me happy.” Young person, quoted in project final evaluation template

Project leads and partners also felt that having a bike helped to increase the resilience of young people, through getting back on and trying again, and build responsibility through taking care of their bike and its security and maintenance.

One young person had injured themselves falling off their bike, so felt their health had declined – but felt confident it would improve after receiving care from the hospital.

Relationships

The young people involved in this evaluation used their bikes a lot for meeting with friends. This was the most frequently mentioned use of the bike for young people.

The young people used their bikes for cycling and playing with friends and going to the park. Many said that they used their bikes every day to meet up with friends.

Young people said that they saw their friends more, felt more included and could do the same activities as their friends because they had a bike now. Some young people, particularly those with challenges in their lives, said that the bike helped them to get out of the house, meet other people and become less isolated.

I finally get to go out when my friends do.” Young person

It has made me feel a lot happier!” Young person

Parents and carers also highlighted the impact the bike had on friendships and feeling included.

He’s definitely getting out and about more with friends. And he’s made a lot more new friends now too. It’s built up his confidence a lot, he’s a sensitive kid and he’s been through a lot over the last few years, so it’s definitely helping with his wellbeing.” Parent

All her friends had bikes, so she felt a bit left out. When we first got it, she couldn’t wait to get up in the morning to go out on it!” Parent

Young people, parents and carers also talked about the impact of the free bike on the family. Where parents had bikes, or access to bikes, families talked of spending more time together because of being able to go out together.

We are healthier as a family; we get out and about more.” Parent

I would say the best thing is just me and my daughter going out on bike rides… It’s just changed our family lifestyle… It’s just had a massive positive impact on our family.” Parent

I am happy because I got a bike.  My Mum and brother would go out before, and I’d just be left.  I finally got to go on bike rides with them.” Young person

However, not all parents had access to bikes. A few families said that the parents would walk, while the children went on the bikes.

We spend more time together as a family, we can go on long walks, the children take the bikes, and we can go further.” Parent

A few families with more than one child had received multiple bikes through the scheme. Sometimes parents borrowed one child’s bike, to go out cycling with their other children.

Project leads and partners also highlighted the role the bikes could play in supporting young people to feel equal with their peers and reducing inequalities.

Families can go off and have picnics now. They can create memories.” Partner

Skills and learning

Parents and carers responding to the survey felt that the pilots had a significant impact on cycling skills.

Graph above shows parent and carer views on child's cycling skills. 80% feel a lot better, 10% a little better, 10% no impact.

Through taking part in the pilots, some young people talked about their increased cycling skills. Some had learned how to cycle, how to ride without stabilisers, how to use breaks and gears, and how to ride safely on the roads. A few talked about how they had developed their bike maintenance skills.

I couldn’t ride a bike, but I can now!” Young person

I feel more confident. I didn’t really know how to pedal before.” Young person

I am more road safe aware. I recognise it’s a good bike and I don’t want to wreck it. I have better control.” Young person

Schools gave examples of pupils who had never had a bike or been on a bike taking up the offer of a free bike, completing Bikeability or other cycle skills training, and then going on to confidently use their bikes with their friends and on their way to and from school. A few parents said that this increased confidence meant that their children were more confident trying new things generally.

In a few projects, young people have developed skills as leaders. For example, one participant enjoyed the programme so much that he is now being trained as a cycle lead and will held with project delivery in the future.

A few young people at one school indicated that they were using their bike to gain awards like Duke of Edinburgh.

I highly doubt I’d be able to do Duke of Edinburgh without the bike.” Young person

For a small number of young people in the older age group, the bike acted as an important tool in diverting them from anti-social, risk taking or criminal behaviour. A few said that they made better choices because of having a bike.

Without (this project) I’d be riding a damaged bike and probably causing trouble… Drugs, stealing cars, causing trouble.” Young person

I’d be partying, making silly decisions.” Young person

A few schools reported that attendance increased as young people didn’t want to miss cycling sessions. The pilots also enabled some schools to engage with pupils who wouldn’t normally attend school, or  wouldn’t normally engage in the PE curriculum. For example, one school used the bikes as a wellbeing activity with groups of S5 and S6 boys who had been disengaged with school or had attendance issues – and were allowed to use the bikes if they came to school.

It has really improved overall participation rates in PE.” Teacher

Active travel

The main way that young people said they used their bikes was to meet up with friends. Some said they wouldn’t have been able to do this without their bike, while others said it saved time on the bus or getting a lift from parents.

I feel like I just get to go out more and go to different places, that I wouldn’t be able to walk to.” Young person

If it wasn’t for this, he’d probably be on his computer waiting on me giving him lifts. And he’s meeting friends at other end of town now, so it’s extended his social group. He was using his free bus pass before so wasn’t getting any exercise but now he’s choosing to go on his bike rather than the bus.” Parent

A few parents emphasised that their children using the bike to visit relatives, to go to the shops or to go to school saved them money.

The oldest is going to meet his friends, going to his grans, going to school. He goes everyday to school on it. He used his old bike before but we hadn’t repaired it the last time it got broken. It means that he doesn’t rely on me to give him lifts. It saves on petrol money! If I ask him to go get something from the shops, he’ll take his bike.” Parent

Many schools reported seeing more children now cycle to school, and an increase in bike use more generally in the local community. A few schools said that they knew of pupils who were previously driven to school now cycling to school. A few said that as pupils came in on their new bikes, other children are now coming to school by bike on their own bikes. Some schools found that the pilots were building a more positive culture around cycling to school.

So many pupils now cycle to school that wouldn’t previously done so. It is seen as ‘cool’ to have a loan bike.” Teacher, quoted in project final evaluation template

However, although a few young people involved in this evaluation said that they used their bike to go to school, many did not. Some said they lived close by or usually walked with family, so wouldn’t cycle. Some said that they couldn’t cycle to school as there isn’t a good place to store the bike, storage space is crowded and they were worried about their bike getting damaged. A few said they might be more likely to take their bike if it was dry, as they were more worried about storage if it was raining and the bike might get wet.

A few parents and young people living in rural areas mentioned that it was a long way to cycle to school, and the roads were fast, so they didn’t like to use the bike for cycling to school as they did not feel it was safe.

A few teachers felt that it would be good to better link wider cycling programmes to school activity, so that they could reinforce messages and integrate them into the curriculum.

For young people in the older age group, participants reported using their bike to go to work, to job interviews, shopping and to appointments. For some of the young people involved, their bike has provided a mode of transport and ability to get places under their own steam which helped to widen opportunities, save money and feel equal to their peers. A few said that the bike meant that they could go to work, where otherwise they would have had to rely on a lift, take the bus or may not have been able to get there.

If I didn’t have a bike I don’t think I would have got this job.” Young person

I use it for everything. I use it every hour every day. I’m always out.” Young person

Without the pilots

As part of the evaluation, families were asked what would have happened without the Free Bikes pilots. Many said that their children would not have bikes, or would have had bikes which were unsafe, expensive to repair and not working properly. A few parents mentioned that their children had to use bikes that were too small for them, and they were unable to afford to upgrade these.

My son had bike, but it was second hand and not very good. We’re not in position financially to get one so this was a really good opportunity for him to get a good bike.” Parent

A few young people said that they already had bikes, and the pilots meant that they had a newer and better bike which was fit for purpose.

Without the project . . .we would have a bike that wasn’t as good.” Young person

Parents and carers felt that the pilots enabled young people to have the same opportunities as their friends.

If the scheme wasn’t a thing, then, apart from help from friends and family, she’d have been disappointed that her friends all have bikes, and she’d still be feeling a bit left out.” Parent

Neither of them would have had bikes for while. It’s given them the opportunity to be the same as their friends.” Parent

A few parents mentioned that they had tried to buy a bike previously, but couldn’t afford it. A few said that without the pilots, their child would never have had a bike.

My daughter would have never got a new bike.” Parent

I was able to get bikes for my children that I wouldn't have been able to afford myself.” Parent