Cycling in mid-life is booming and, according to new research by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), nearly half (44%) of UK women aged 34-60 now cycle, with almost a quarter (24%) eager to get started.
It may have been a space previously dominated by what became effectively known as ‘MAMILS’ – aka, middle-aged men in Lycra. But now there’s a growing number of women of the same age demographic – MAWILS, so to speak.
It reflects wider trends toward improved fitness, wellbeing and empowerment for women in mid-life, says the BHF.
Despite this growing interest, women remain underrepresented in cycling events, such as the charity’s 54-mile London to Brighton Bike Ride, where female participation has stalled at 25% since 2016.
As more women discover the physical and emotional benefits of cycling, stories are emerging of how this sport is transforming lives in mid-life. Meet some of the women who’ve found freedom, friendship and fitness through cycling.
‘I am enjoying the new-found freedom of being able to hop on my bike’
Anne-Marie Salmon from North London couldn’t ride a bike before the age of 49 – and started cycling for the very first time in March 2025.
“I acquired a vintage Peugeot Premierelle during the pandemic and was determined to learn how to cycle,” she says. “But one thing led to another and it didn’t quite happen.
“Then in March I decided to undertake a couple of free cycling lessons offered by the local council, with JoyRiders Britain CIC. They were great at teaching me the basics, including bike checks and giving me the confidence to attempt hand signals, which I never thought I would master and I am still very much learning.”
Salmon then stumbled across a group of inspiring women from the Women of Colour Cycling Collective (WCCC) – a hub for connecting global majority women and non-binary people across the UK, while reducing barriers in the sport – and says seeing what they were getting up to and the challenges they were undertaking was so inspiring.
“They are my ultimate cycle goals and without them, I would never have undertaken the BHF London to Brighton Bike Ride,” Salmon says after completing around 40 miles of the 54-mile route.
She says cycling has given her a sense of freedom and confidence. “Now, if I need to get somewhere, my first choice when checking Google Maps is always the cycle route to see if it is doable,” she says.
Although she still has a lo to do in terms of working on her confidence, she would ‘love to work on training and attempt other events and races’. “I would also love to learn more about bike maintenance. However for now, I am enjoying the new-found freedom of being able to hop on my bike and get from A to B without having to rely on public transport.
“I also echo the work the WCCC do in terms of trying to alleviate the barriers faced by global majority women and non-binary people in cycling. Also if getting out there on my bike encourages others, then I have helped that movement in some small way.”
‘When I get on my bike, I just feel completely free and liberated’
Carla Francome from North London cycled a lot as a child and also in her 20s, but after having two children, she didn’t cycle for about a decade. The 47-year-old explains she then did some campaigning surrounding the use of pavements, as drivers were going up on them too often and causing disruptions. “I used to stand outside and hold up a sign saying ‘This is a pavement’ which went viral on Twitter,” Francome says.
“That happened when I was about 44, and at that stage people online were telling me to get my bike out, so I started cycling again,” she says. “When I started again it was amazing. My kids were about six and eight and getting out of the house was always tricky. However when I would suddenly get on my bike, I would just feel completely free and liberated.
“I remember before cycling, I actually did feel old, frumpy and middle-aged but then suddenly I’m banging down kerbs and I felt young again. I felt like I got back to seven-year-old me on a BMX.”
All of this lead to Francome cycling more and more, including for her two-hour commute to work everyday, posting her journey on social media, and doing a bike ride in the Alps. “I found myself getting fitter and stronger and really seeing a difference in myself. I felt proud of my body and as a woman that felt important. I started wearing nicer clothes again, lipstick, and it all gave me a different confidence.”
‘I am feeling so much fitter than I ever have in my life’
“During lockdown, I cycled with my family and we were able to bond and get exercise outdoors in the nice weather,” says Erika Parker, 54, from Bournemouth. “At this time, I was in my late 40s and hadn’t done very much cycling before that. However, when the lockdown restrictions eased, a couple of my girlfriends said they would be happy to cycle with me and we had a quite a few group rides.
“We then started to enter organised rides, which of course required training and more rides with my friends. It just became a really enjoyable experience, and now I am feeling so much fitter than I ever have in my life.
“I’ve never been fast but events like these, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about enjoying it and that real immense feeling of accomplishment you get when you get to the finish line and get that medal.”
London to Brighton Bike Ride 2026 ballot is now open: bhf.org.uk/L2B For any women interested in joining a Breeze-led ride, visit: letsride.co.uk/breeze
#Cycling #midlife #rise #women #meet #lives #changed
