Half of Brits spend 18+ hours on the sofa per week – British Cycling aims to combat that.

Joe Marler (Credit: KeepComms)

British Cycling has launched Sofa to Saddle, a brand new, free to use app to help inspire and enable the nation to get on their bikes.

Launched on the eve of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, new research from British Cycling on the UK public has found that the average Briton now clocks up over 18 hours of sofa time per week. Yet, the research reveals a massive desire for change: 70% of the public openly admit they think they should exercise more, but are held back by practical hurdles.

Sofa to Saddle aims to bridge the gap by supporting the average Briton to trade their weekly sofa hours for a casual bike ride. The data shows that even small amounts of cycling pay massive dividends: British Cycling find regular weekly riders are 37% more likely to feel good about themselves, with 79% finding that cycling clears their head and 58% reporting they feel significantly calmer and more relaxed.

To support this shift, the free app meets users exactly where they are, offering a structured, 8-week plan designed to tackle the most common barriers that prevent people from getting on a bike – including safety, intimidation, access to bikes and not knowing how to get started.

Complete with milestone rewards, basic bike care tips, and step-by-step route support from health professionals and Great Britain Cycling Team specialists, Sofa to Saddle will combat these obstacles by teaching people new skills and celebrating their achievements, supporting every turn of their pedals to help them transition smoothly from the living room to the local lane.

Sofa to Saddle aims to get a million more people on bikes by 2028, helping make cycling possible for everyone. British Cycling research found 30 million people in the UK cycled at least once in the past year – four million more than in 2022. With research showing cycling in the UK saves £72.7 million to the NHS**, finding new ways to help get more people cycling has the potential to bring huge social and economic impact to people’s lives.

Now in its third year, British Cycling continues to champion a shared ambition: to help more people of all ages and abilities access cycling and to inspire a healthier Britain.

Kicking off the campaign and app launch, Joe Marler was spotted riding his very own custom sofa bike around Manchester, the home of British Cycling, to prove how easy it can be to go from sofa to saddle. He said of the campaign: “I’ll be the first to admit that my sofa is my absolute happy place, but spending over 18 hours a week on it is a lot, even for me.

“We aren’t asking people to change their lives overnight or take on some gruelling fitness regime. Sofa to Saddle is about lowering the stakes and simply trading just one or two of those weekly sofa hours for a bike ride.

“Personally, I’ve always used riding as a way to clear my head when the noise gets a bit too much, or just to have a proper laugh going on weekend rides with the family. Taking the custom sofa bike for a spin around Manchester was fun, but the message behind it is serious: getting out on two wheels is one of the simplest was to make your day better. Let’s get riding, Britain.”

Tracy Power, Managing Director of the British Cycling Foundation, said: “We are delighted to launch Sofa to Saddle as we hope to see real-time change in not only the perception of cycling, but the numbers of people regularly cycling in Britain.”

“People often describe physical activity as the perfect way for people to improve their mental and physical health, and cycling is no different. 37% of people who cycle at least once a week say they are happier than those who do less, so the more people we can encourage to cycle, the greater the impact we can have in tackling the nation’s mental and physical health challenges.   

“Our research highlights that the appetite to get on a bike is there, and it’s proven to make people feel better about themselves. Now, we have a way to support and enable people to take those first steps in ways which work for them.”

Download the Sofa to Saddle app – available on Android and iOS.