Bristol Cycling Centre

About us

Bristol Cycling Centre is a cycle skills training facility, helping people of all ages and abilities to cycle in a safe, traffic-free environment. We run public sessions on our site to help encourage everyday cycling to improve riders’ confidence, health and fitness.

We offer:

Learn to ride courses
Bikeability training
Wheels for All Inclusive cycling sessions
Volunteering and work placement opportunities
Facilities, including an accessible Changing Places disabled toilet
Close to the M1 bus route

The Bristol Family Cycling Centre at Hengrove opened in Spring 2016.

It gives people of all ages and abilities the chance to ride in a traffic-free environment.

We have a range of balance bikes, two wheelers, and adapted cycles to help adults and children learn to ride and gain cycling confidence with cycling instructors on hand to help.

[Woman speaks] “It’s safe, they get a lot of help on the way round and feel more confident at the end of it. She wanted to show the helpers she could learn to ride a bike”

[Man speaks] “I brought my kids here, they were struggling to learn to cycle. My daughter picked it up and it’s my son’s turn today”

We have drop in, inclusive cycling session for users with physical disabilities and learning difficulties and their family and friends.

[Man riding a sit down bike speaks] “I’m going to see if I can get back on a two-wheeled bike”.

Our adapted cycles are used be people recovering from illnesses and injuries.

We have cycling instructors on hand to help and a Changing Places facility.

Why do you volunteer at the Family Cycling Centre?

[Male volunteer speaks] “It’s really cool. I’ve taught five people to ride now since being here in December”.

[Another male volunteer speaks] “I’ve been volunteering here for just over a year. I’ts justa good atmosphere. Everyone is so friendly and it’s a good environment to be in”.

Our Social Cycle project is run by the Bristol Bike Project and our volunteer coaches and mechanics who work with young people from local schools.

They teach bike maintenance skills and introduce them to cycle sport boosting their self-confidence along the way.

[Young girl speaks] “I really felt happy, I learnt how to fix the brakes. I didn’t know how to do them before I came here”.

British Cycling coaches run courses at the centre, helping children (and adults) improve their bike handling skills.

Courses are suitable for novice cyclists to would-be racers.

Our trailer bikes let you exercise with your toddlers. We run dedicated trailers and tots sessions each week.

[Male speaks] “It’s not just about children with full mobility. It’s for adults and children of all abilities. We call it inclusive cycling. It’s about getting people in Bristol on bikes and enjoying bikes”.

What’s on and booking

To view the Bristol Cycling Centre’s sessions timetable, or to register your interest in attending, click the links below.

Timetable of sessions

We run sessions to help individuals, families and people with a range of disabilities cycle and learn to ride in a safe space away from traffic.

Register your interest

To choose a session and register your place, visit our online form by clicking the link below. Note: We collect anonymised riders’ data for funding purposes.

Upcoming sessions

Schools
Event starting on 30th April 2025 at 10:00am until 10:45am Schools sessions
Schools
Event starting on 30th April 2025 at 10:45am until 11:30am Schools sessions
Disability Cycling
Event starting on 30th April 2025 at 11:45am until 12:30pm Disability cycling

See full schedule

More info

Frequently asked questions

Got questions about what we do? Here are some answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Types of cycles

We have a large fleet of cycles to suit all ages, riders and abilities.

Cycle superheroes

This is a session run in partnership with Bristol Bike Project where students learn cycling techniques and develop bike maintenance skills in a supportive, small group.

Volunteering

We are looking for volunteers to support our team. If you can offer us your time, we would love to hear from you.

Gift vouchers (Pre payment cards)

A convenient way to pay for Bristol Cycling Centre cycle sessions, or to give as a gift to children and adults wanting to learn to ride.

Vouchers (Referrals)

The Bristol Cycling Centre offers a voucher scheme, funded by various projects to encourage more people of all ages and ability to learn to ride in a safe, traffic-free environment.