Bike bus

Not to be confused with Critical Mass (cycling) or Cycle touring.

Gastineau Elementary Bike to School Day
Bike bus in Dublin.
Bike bus in Dublin.

A bike bus, also known as a bike train[1] or a cycle train,[2] or cycle bus is a group of people who cycle together on a set route following a set timetable other than for sporting purposes. Cyclists may join or leave the bike bus at various points along the route. Most bike buses are a form of collective bicycle commuting (usually parents cycling their children together).

A bike bus is often seen as a cyclist's version of a walking bus, although walking buses tend to be seen as exclusively for children travelling to school.

Bike buses may have social, environmental, or political aims. One of the founders of the Aire Valley Bike Bus said "The Aire Valley Bike Bus was set up ... to encourage people to take up cycling and make the journey to work a more interesting and sociable experience.".[3] The stated aim of the Central Florida Bike Bus is "bringing together cyclists who want to commute by bike using the same roads as every other vehicle".[4] The aim of the D12BikeBus in Dublin 12, Ireland is to make cycling to school safer and easier while lobbying for safe cycling infrastructure.

  1. ^ SRTS Guide: Walking School Buses and Bicycle Trains Archived 4 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine – National Center for Safe Routes to School
  2. ^ Developing school based cycle trains in New Zealand – Pinnacle Research and Policy Ltd, 2007
  3. ^ Bike Bus idea gives safety in numbers, "Bradford Telegraph and Argus", 25 September 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2011
  4. ^ "Central Florida Bike Bus website". Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011.