Rock Up and Ride is a place-based cycling programme designed to open doors, lower barriers, and reshape how people experience movement, travel, and themselves. Rooted in the ambitions of Transport Scotland’s People and Place programme, Rock Up and Ride aligns with a national commitment to behaviour change, recognising that infrastructure alone is not enough; people need the skills, confidence, and joy to choose active travel in their everyday lives. 

 Working directly with the people of Scotland, Rock Up and Ride creates inclusive, engaging environments where cycling becomes not just possible, but desirable. Through access to bikes, skills sessions, and game-led learning, the programme builds confidence in a way that feels natural rather than prescribed. It meets people where they are, whether that is their first time on a bike or the beginning of a lifelong relationship with cycling, and supports them to pedal forward at their own pace. 

Rock Up and Ride sits firmly within the Schools and Young People and Accessibility and Inclusion themes of the People and Place framework, addressing inequalities in access while fostering positive, lasting behaviour change. By removing cost barriers, offering welcoming entry points, and prioritising fun as a catalyst for engagement, the programme ensures that cycling is available to all, not just the already confident or equipped. Sessions are built around play, exploration, and social connection, using games and group activity to subtly reshape habits and perceptions around travel and physical activity. 

As part of Scottish Cycling, the national governing body for cycling, Rock Up and Ride also provides clear pathways beyond the first ride. Participants can progress into club environments, explore performance opportunities, or continue through active travel routes that embed cycling into daily life. In this way, Rock Up and Ride is not a one-off intervention but a starting point, a spark that connects people to a wider ecosystem of movement, community, and possibility. 

The project in 2025/26 has been made possible via funding from three Regional Transport Partnerships – Nestrans, SEStran and ZetTrans.