A Sustainable Commuter or a Safety Nightmare? The Reality of London’s Cycling Trend.
By Francesca Monti Mihanovich (10/18/26) — London, UK
When I arrived in London, the first thing I saw wasn't Big Ben or London Bridge: It was the bicycles.
As I walked around my new neighbourhood, the number of cyclists whizzing past was shocking! My family joined the bandwagon on our third day of visiting, and it was surprisingly easy to follow the road signs. Coming from Westchester, New York, an area where cycling was never an option for daily commuting, this was a big difference for me.
For our friends across the pond at the Washington Square campus, purchasing a bike to get to classes was never a realistic option. However, here at NYU London, many of us have. The dilemma is whether to buy our own bike or use Lime, Forest, or Santander Cycles to get around the city.
These businesses have capitalized on London’s cycling culture to create a sustainable and profitable enterprise. Many times it is more efficient to hop on a bike than to use the bus or tube! But how can these businesses balance profitability and encourage sustainable transportation while also prioritising safety?
According to a recent report from TfL, London recorded an estimated 1.50 million cycling journey stages per day, more than three times the number recorded in 2000. Clearly, cycling in London has grown in popularity, especially since the pandemic, which has contributed to the Mayor’s Transportation Strategy goal of getting 80% of trips in London to be active, efficient, and sustainable.
An astonishing report estimates that the number of cycling journeys in London will increase to the projected trajectory of 1.60 million in 2030. For e-bike businesses like Lime, Forest, and TfL’s very own Santander Cycles, this means an increase in profits and users.
Notably, in 2025, Lime profits recorded more than a twofold increase from £1.7m to £4.7m, and sales went up by one-third in the same year. Similarly, for Santander cycles, the number of users increased from 8.5 million in 2024 to 8.8 million in 2025. The number of people taking up cycling has risen, and companies have seen an increase in the demand for bikes, reflecting a growing trend towards more sustainable transportation.
However, what does this mean for commuters’ safety? In a recent article from The Guardian, it was reported that a third of all cycling collisions with pedestrians, which required police intervention, were caused by rented e-bikes - not to mention the number of people who have been injured by defective bikes.
Furthermore, the rising demand for more e-bikes calls for action on the chaos that is rental bike parking. Residents have expressed concerns over the lack of organisation in e-bike rental parking, leading to many London boroughs seizing e-bikes obstructing paths. As of September 2026, there has been a 25% increase in seized e-bikes from 2025.
When I spoke to a fellow NYU London student, Katrina, she mentioned that “there should be fewer Lime bikes in the city, and despite the growing demand for them, this is just a phase people are going through.” She further added, “Congestion pricing should be put into place. Just like they do with cars in Manhattan.”
Action has been taken by Forest, an e-bike rental company launched in London, which has a team of 100 people maintaining parking docks and removing obstructions daily. Moreover, data has shown an improvement in parking habits and compliance by users.
Unfortunately, this has not been consistent, and there is still room for growth across London in terms of bike safety. There needs to be greater investment in the city’s infrastructure and stricter regulations when it comes to returning e-bikes to encourage changes in commuter habits and allow for more conducive transportation modes for all London residents.
References
British Broadcasting Corporation. (2026). BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly02lljdero
The Guardian. (2026). Lime bike profits double as rider numbers surge in England. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/27/lime-bike-profits-double-rider-numbers-surge-england
Transport for London. (2025). Travel in London 2025: Active Travel Trends. TfL. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-2025-active-travel-trends-acc.pdf
British Broadcasting Corporation. (2026). BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0vpkgd90o
The Guardian. (2026). Thousands of e-bikes seized by London councils as anger rises over blocked paths. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/12/ebikes-seized-london-blocked-paths-lime-forest-voi
