TandEM Women in Cycling is a train-the-trainer programme developed by EIT Urban Mobility and BYCS to increase women’s participation, confidence and leadership in cycling. Through a combination of training, mentoring and community-building, the programme equips women with the skills to become cycling trainers and role models, helping to create more inclusive, accessible, and gender-balanced cycling cultures across Europe.
Project start:
Project end:
Despite cycling’s growing role in sustainable mobility, a persistent gender gap remains in both participation and representation. Women are less likely to cycle regularly and are underrepresented as leaders, trainers, and advocates within cycling communities. This gap not only limits equitable access to cycling but also means that cycling programmes and infrastructure may not fully reflect the lived experiences and needs of all riders. Recognising these barriers, EIT Urban Mobility partnered with BYCS to develop TandEM Women in Cycling, a programme designed to empower women to become trainers, role models, and changemakers in cycling — strengthening inclusion while expanding cycling culture across Europe.
Across Europe, women face both social and structural barriers when it comes to cycling: lower confidence due to safety concerns, limited access to training opportunities, and a lack of visible female role models in cycling advocacy and instruction. These obstacles contribute to lower female cycling participation and limit women’s influence in shaping cycling policy, programmes and infrastructure. TandEM Women in Cycling responds to this challenge by fostering a more inclusive cycling ecosystem that elevates women’s participation, leadership and visibility within the sector.
TandEM Women in Cycling provides participants with comprehensive training — both online and in-person — to become certified cycling trainers and active role models in their communities. Since its first edition in 2022, the programme has supported 46 women directly, while enabling more than 200 women across Europe to increase their confidence and cycling skills. Participants come from diverse backgrounds — including mothers, students, refugees and others — underscoring the inclusive reach of the initiative. Through workshops, peer networking, and hands-on practice, the programme equips women to lead, educate and inspire others in cycling.
By developing female trainers and role models, TandEM Women in Cycling contributes to expanding cycling participation and confidence among women across Europe. The programme fosters a multiplier effect: as trained women support and influence others, they help shift norms around who cycles and how. This ripple effect strengthens local cycling communities, encourages safer and more inclusive cycling cultures, and informs cities and organisations on how to better tailor cycling programmes to diverse needs. The increased visibility of women in cycling leadership roles also enhances gender balance within the broader mobility innovation ecosystem.
