York named fifth in UK cities with the most bike commuters, according to study

A new study by Cartridge Save set out to uncover just that. They analysed over 100 towns and cities across the UK to find out where cycling is truly taking off as a mainstream mode of commuting.

The rankings were built using the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), specifically looking at the percentage of employed individuals in England and Wales who listed cycling as their main way of getting to work. 

To give a full UK picture, comparable figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were pulled from their respective national statistics bodies, Scottish Government Statistics and NISRA, and combined to form a final league table of the country’s biggest bike-commuting hotspots.

Historic and charming, York pedals into fifth place with 3.45% of its workforce opting to cycle. Whether it’s through the city’s cobbled streets or alongside its ancient walls, York’s cyclists are finding their own scenic routes to the office – all while dodging tourists and geese.

At the top is Edinburgh, where 10.00% of workers choose bikes over buses or cars. Cambridge is next with 8.13%, continuing its reign as one of the UK's most iconic cycling cities. Glasgow follows with 6.00%, an impressive stat considering its busy roads and challenging weather. Oxford’s 4.77% further highlights how academic cities are leading the charge in sustainability.

Kingston upon Hull (3.06%) offers one of the most underrated cycling scenes in the country, while Gosport (2.97%) and Norwich (2.81%) show that smaller cities and towns are holding their own. Bristol (2.64%) continues to benefit from its early investment in cycling, and Portsmouth rounds out the top 10 list with 2.47% of workers commuting by bike.

Not every city is in love with the idea of cycling just yet. At the other end of the table, Brentwood in Essex ranks lowest, with just 0.23% of commuters travelling by bike. Also among the least bike-friendly cities are Bradford (0.28%), Blackburn (0.29%), and Barnsley (0.30%) – areas that could potentially benefit from improved infrastructure and cycling awareness.

Others joining the bottom ten include Durham (0.31%), Oldham (0.31%), Rotherham (0.34%), Bolton (0.36%), Rochdale (0.36%), and Dudley (0.39%). Whether it's down to geography, lack of investment, or just cultural preferences, these towns and cities have some catching up to do when it comes to pedal-powered commuting.

Top 10 list of UK cities with the most bike commuters: