Cycling saves the NHS £72.7 million (€85.1 million) a year, yet Britons still average 18 hours a week on the sofa. British Cycling and Lloyds Bank want to tackle that and move one million people onto bikes by 2028.
British Cycling, in partnership with Lloyds, have launched Sofa to Saddle, a free app to encourage people nationwide to get on their bikes. The initiative builds on the long-term collaboration between British Cycling and Lloyds, currently in its third year, to help more people of all ages and abilities access cycling and to inspire a healthier lifestyle in the nation.
Recent statistics, cited by British Cycling, show that the average Briton spends more than 18 hours a week on their sofa. The survey also reveals, however, a strong desire for change, with 70 percent of the UK public believing they should exercise more but held back by practical hurdles.
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The Sofa to Saddle app aims to support the average Briton to replace their weekly sofa hours with a leisurely bike ride. Regular weekly riders are 37 percent more likely to feel good about themselves, reminds British Cycling, with 79 percent saying cycling clears their head and 58 percent reporting they feel much calmer and more relaxed.
The new, free Sofa to Saddle app offers a structured, 8-week plan, complete with milestone rewards, bike care tips, and route support from health professionals and Great Britain Cycling Team specialists. Sofa to Saddle aims to have one million additional riders by 2028.
British Cycling research found that 30 million people in the UK cycled at least once in the past year, an increase of four million from 2022. Research also shows that cycling in the UK saves £72.7 million (€85.1m) to the National Health Service (NHS), which means that getting more people cycling can have a big positive social and economic impact.
