Cycle Nation Communities: Increasing Cycling in Glasgow

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Healthy

• Registration Number: NCT07005674
• Lead Sponsor: University of Glasgow

Brief Summary

This randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effects of a 9-week multi-component group-based cycling programme (Cycle Nation) versus a standard single cycle training session on self-reported cycling, health and wellbeing outcomes. Participants are adults that do not regularly cycle, who will be randomly allocated to each arm of the study. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-programme, and at 12 months from baseline. Cost effectiveness will be assessed, and a process evaluation will be conducted.

Detailed Description

Cycling improves physical and mental health, lowering risks of major diseases and reducing stress while enhancing wellbeing and fitness. It is a time-efficient way to increase physical activity and, when replacing motorised transport, reduces air pollution, carbon emissions, and traffic congestion. However, cycling participation in the UK remains low; only 10% of adults cycle at least weekly. This is a missed opportunity to enhance population health, lower health service costs, reduce environmental impact, and improve health related quality of life. Evidence suggests that over 50% of UK adults are interested in cycling more, therefore the potential to increase cycling is substantial.

Non-cyclists report numerous barriers, spanning the individual, social, and environmental factors of the socio-ecological model. While improvements to cycling infrastructure can address some environmental barriers, they alone are insufficient to drive substantial increases in cycling. While many organisations offer standard single or short-term cycling sessions, these often address isolated components rather than taking an integrated approach. In contrast, Cycle Nation is an integrated group-based 9-week multi-component intervention, targeting multiple individual and social barriers over a sustained period to maximise effectiveness.

Initially co-developed and piloted in collaboration with British Cycling and HSBC-UK as a workplace programme for employees, it has since been adapted for community settings in Manchester and Glasgow. Findings of these studies have demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and short-term effectiveness. However, Cycle Nation has not yet been rigorously tested in a powered randomised controlled trial (RCT), nor had its long-term effectiveness or cost-effectiveness evaluated.

This is a pragmatic, two-arm RCT to assess the effect of the Cycle Nation programme in comparison to a single cycling training session. The interventions will be delivered by community-based cycling delivery partners across Glasgow, UK, with up to six organisations delivering the Cycle Nation programme (intervention) and one delivering the standard single introduction to road cycling session offered by Cycling Scotland (comparison).

The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of the Cycle Nation programme versus a standard single session on the proportion of participants cycling at least weekly at 12 months. Secondary objectives are to a) to evaluate the effect of the Cycle Nation programme versus a standard cycling session on self-reported health and wellbeing at 12 months, b) to evaluate the within-trial cost-effectiveness of the Cycle Nation programme at 12 months (and longer pending within trial findings), c) to assess how (well) Cycle Nation is delivered and examine how the core causal mechanisms function, and d) to determine how contextual factors contribute to variations in outcome and engagement with the Cycle Nation intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-05-22
• Study Start: 2025-05-27
• Status Verified: 2025-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-06-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-06-02
• Study First Posted: 2025-06-05
• Last Update Posted: 2025-06-05
• Primary Completion: 2026-12
• Study Completion: 2027-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 308

Inclusion Criteria

Can ride a bicycle Self-identified infrequent cyclists (currently cycle less than once per month) Aged 18 years or over Willing to provide informed consent Willing to partake in measurements Willing to be randomised to intervention or control arm Have a good understanding of the English language Not have a contraindication to moderate intensity physical activity as assessed by the adapted Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire-Plus (PAR-Q+) Able to attend in-person sessions (at least 6 out of 9 sessions) Intend to still be in the UK by November 2026

Exclusion Criteria

Cannot cycle (i.e. cannot balance and/or have never learnt to cycle) Frequent or regular cyclists (i.e. currently cycle at least once a month, confident riding on roads) Less than 18 years old Not willing to provide informed consent Not willing to partake in measurements Not willing to be randomised to the intervention or control arm Cannot speak basic English Have a contraindication to moderate intensity physical activity as assessed by the adapted Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire-Plus (PAR-Q+) Not able to attend in-person sessions (less than 6 out of 9 sessions) Not intending to still be in the UK by November 2026

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of participants cycling (for any purpose)	From baseline to 12 months follow-up	Change in number (proportion) of participants cycling (for any purpose) over past four weeks at 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of taxi journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of taxi journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Perceptions of environment	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in perception of environment at post-intervention and 12 months
Capability wellbeing	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in capability wellbeing score (ICECAP-A) at post-intervention and 12 month
Motivation for cycling	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in motivation (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation for exercise) using the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2) at post-intervention and 12 months
Vitality	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in vitality score (Subjective Vitality Scale) at post-intervention and 12 months
Proportion of participants cycling (for any purpose)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks)	Change in number (proportion) of participants cycling (for any purpose) over past four weeks at post-programme
Number of cycling journeys (for any purpose)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of cycling journeys (for any purpose) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of cycling journeys (leisure)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of cycling journeys (for leisure) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of cycling journeys (commuting)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of cycling journeys (for commuting) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of cycling journeys (errands)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of cycling journeys (for errands) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of cycling journeys (for any purpose)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of cycling journeys (for any purpose) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of cycling journeys (leisure)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of cycling journeys (leisure) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of cycling journeys (commuting)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of cycling journeys (commuting) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of cycling journeys (errands)	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of cycling journeys (errands) over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of private car journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of private car journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of taxi journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of taxi journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of public transport journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of public transport journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of public transport journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of public transport journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Number of walking journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in the number of walking journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Duration (time) of walking journeys	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in time of walking journeys over past four weeks at post-programme and at 12 months
Perception of cycling safety	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in perception of cycling safety at post-intervention and 12 months
Confidence to cycle	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in confidence to cycle at post-intervention and 12 months
Health related quality of life	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in health-related quality of life score (EQ-5D-5 L) at post-intervention and 12 months
Self-esteem	From baseline to post-programme (9-11 weeks) and 12 months follow-up	Change in self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire) at post-intervention and 12 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Glasgow; 🇬🇧 Glasgow, United Kingdom