HUB Cycling at the Global Bike Bus Summit in Portugal

At the end of April, HUB Cycling was honoured to take part in the Global Bike Bus Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. It was an incredibly inspiring few days connecting with bike bus leaders, organizers, researchers, and advocates from across the globe. 

One major takeaway was clear: HUB Cycling is firmly on the map as a global leader in organized Bike Bus programming. Around the world, people are looking at our program as a model to replicate.

Read on to find out what we learned, how the research backs our mission, and where we go from here.
 

Act Locally, Think Globally: Highlighting BC on the World Stage

We were incredibly proud to represent British Columbia and share our perspective on an international panel alongside global experts and world leaders. HUB Cycling also presented a poster session highlighting our provincial Bike Bus program.

Our Bike Bus program is made possible thanks to funding from the Government of British Columbia (Ministry of Transportation and Transit), our partnership with the Society for Children and Youth of BC, and Capital Bike, ensuring more children province-wide can walk and bike to school safely. Our work also would not have been possible without our dedicated HUB Cycling Bike Education team and our amazing instructors, who show up rain or shine to support the Bike Buses alongside the families and children who make it all worth it. 
 

What the Research Shows: The Impact of "Family Cycling"

During the summit's research session, data from ICTA-UAB and CityLab Barcelona presented by Gemma Simón i Mas, reinforced exactly why our work matters. Her presentation highlighted critical research questions: To what extent does Bike Bus increase families' cycling frequency, attitude, and competence? And how does it promote family cycling?

Academic studies have shown that Bike Buses successfully increase overall cycling. Newer data shifts the focus to Family Cycling, looking at how these rides transform entire communities, not just individuals.

The data presented in this session showed spectacular, measurable behavioural shifts:

• Frequent participants are 5 times more likely to increase their overall cycling frequency.
• Occasional participants see massive gains too - children are 3 times more likely to pedal alone.
• Universal Improvements: These behavioural gains appear at all levels of participation, regardless of prior attitudes or competencies.

This data proves that we shouldn't wait around for decades-long infrastructure changes to happen. The immediate change is happening right now in the children and families choosing to ride on the Bike Bus.
 

Models of Success: Experiencing Different Approaches

A true highlight was riding two different routes with the local Lisbon Bike Train network, which is fully funded by their local municipality.

Gathering with international leaders after Bike Train school drop-off in Lisbon.

While their principles align with ours, their delivery looks different in practice. It was fascinating to see how they run their rides, but it reinforced an important lesson: there are different models of Bike Buses - and they all work! It’s entirely okay to mix models based on what a community needs at any given time.
 

Pedaling Toward a Sustainable Future 

While the movement is growing by the second, the summit brought forward an honest conversation about the realities of scaling up:

• Combating Burnout: As Coach Sam Balto wisely noted, “We aren’t going for burnout - we’re going for longevity.” Relying solely on volunteers to achieve massive growth isn't sustainable.
• The Non-Profit Advantage: Having an established organization like HUB Cycling is a massive asset. Some global organizers are building non-profits from scratch just to get Bike Buses started.
• Securing Our Future: Funding remains a universal struggle. To maintain this incredible momentum in British Columbia and keep our programs growing, we are actively looking for more funding options and long-term sponsorships.

Bike Bus advocates, researchers, and leaders from across the globe at the Global Bike Bus Summit in Lisbon.

Moving Momentum into Real-World Impact

We returned to Vancouver with full hearts, new global friendships, and a reinforced validation that our work is truly making an impact. We are excited to translate these global lessons into joyful, safe, everyday realities for BC families.

A massive thank you to the Bicicultura team for hosting such an incredible summit. 

The next Bike Bus Summit is a bit closer to home, planned in Portland, Oregon in spring 2027!