PHIRST Insight Project 1: Free Wheels. Suffolk County Council

Suffolk County Council are rolling out the ‘Suffolk Free Wheels’ intervention in Spring 2026. The intervention comprises a free cycle loan to students in Years 5 and 6 (the final years of primary school), alongside skills training, including Learn To Ride and Bikeability Level 1 & 2 for students, Learn to Fix training for parent/carers, and Family Cycling Confidence to both groups. Students will retain the cycles until they leave primary school at the end of Year 6, when they will be serviced and passed on to the incoming Year 5s. The intervention will offer up to 400 loaned cycles, targeting in the initial roll-out Year 5 students in 10-15 primary schools within or adjacent to the most deprived Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Suffolk. The aim of the intervention is to provide students with access to cycles and training (including for their parents/carers) to encourage mode shift to cycle to school and increase levels of active travel and physical activity amongst students. It is hoped that the intervention will generate lasting behaviour change within communities that are least physically active and experience the greatest health inequalities. The study is a mixed methods process and impact evaluation. The research questions are: 1. What is the impact of the Free Wheels intervention on travel to school mode shift, physical activity, and health and wellbeing? 2. How has the Free Wheels intervention been delivered? 3. What lessons can be learned to inform future roll-out of the intervention? We will survey all Year 5 students in up to 10 schools participating in the scheme at two time points: pre-intervention baseline before the loan bikes are handed out, and again one year later. The questionnaire will be completed in class time by students and will ask about bike use, physical activity and well-being. All Y5 students in the schools will be asked to complete the survey, regardless of whether they go on to receive a loaned bike or not. We will also collect qualitative data from five of the schools involved with the intervention. In each school, a small group of students participating in intervention will be asked to self-complete a diary logging use of the loaned cycle for one week. After that, researchers will visit the school and conduct a focus group with these students, asking them what they think about the intervention and any impact it has had on them. The research team will also interview 2-3 parent/carers in each school, including those who chose not to take part in the Free Wheels intervention, and 1-2 school staff who are involved with the Y5 students and/or implementing Free Wheels in their school. Finally, we will undertake interviews with intervention staff at two time points; as the intervention is being rolled out, and approximately one year later, towards the end of the study period.