At the recent Wellness Festival on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Bikeworks brought inclusive cycling into the spotlight. From hand cycles and trikes to side-by-side tandems, staff, patients, and families experienced what we’ve seen for years: the freedom, joy, and connection that cycling can create — often for people who thought it was no longer possible.
“Cycling has always been about more than transport. At Bikeworks, we see it as a tool for recovery, rehabilitation, and wellbeing,” says Zoe Portlock, Co-CEO of Bikeworks. “Being at the Campus and part of the Wellness Festival gave us the chance to show what’s possible — and to spark conversations about making this part of everyday care.”
From showcase to clinical partnership
The Festival was just the beginning. Interest from clinicians — OTs, physios, and consultants — showed a clear appetite to explore how adapted cycling could play a role in strengthening balance, building confidence, and supporting recovery after major trauma and neurological conditions.
Building on this, our Co-CEO Jim Blakemore joined a follow-up meeting with the Major Trauma Team at Addenbrooke’s, led by Samantha Larner. Together, we explored how cycling could be embedded into rehabilitation pathways on campus, moving from one-off experiences to structured programmes.
“The conversation with the Major Trauma Team confirmed what we hoped — there is real interest in co-designing a pilot that can sit alongside clinical pathways,” adds Zoe. “That’s a huge step forward in our ambition to bring cycling into health.”
Why this matters now
For almost 20 years, Bikeworks has pioneered inclusive cycling programmes in London. On the Biomedical Campus, this expertise can connect with world-leading clinical and research teams to test and grow a new model: cycling for health and rehabilitation.
This means:
- Safe, adaptable sessions tailored to rehabilitation goals
- Referral pathways from clinical teams into cycling opportunities
- Evaluation alongside academic partners to build the evidence base
- Funding conversations that join up clinical and non-clinical teams
What comes next
We are now working with Campus partners to design a pilot programme, with a view to securing the resources needed to prove and embed this approach.
“Our intent is clear,” says Zoe. “To show that cycling isn’t just a leisure activity — it’s movement as medicine. With the right partnerships and investment, we can make it part of the recovery journey for patients at Addenbrooke’s and beyond.”
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Wellness Festival and to our Campus colleagues who are helping shape what comes next. Together, we can unlock new routes into recovery, resilience, and wellbeing.
