Love to Ride, the Bristol-based online platform that aims to encourage more people to cycle, is gearing up for further growth after securing finance from Triodos Bank UK, which is also headquartered in the city.
The loan will allow Love to Ride to capitalise on the increase in cycling fuelled by the pandemic, with staff recruitment and an improvement in its technology to reach wider audiences. 
The Love to Ride platform has expanded rapidly since its launch in 2015 and now has 550,000-plus users who between them have logged more than 387m miles of cycling.
Love to Ride applies behavioural change theory to encourage more people to cycle. It does this by engaging with individuals, employers and public bodies to establish localised campaigns, competitions and community building, giving people advice to overcome barriers to cycling.
It also created Cycle September, the annual global bike challenge.
Advice is tailored towards each user and the benefits they associate with cycling – whether for mental or physical health, saving money or the environment.
Users can register online for free and are encouraged to record their rides, set goals, share their experiences and engage with the community.
Love to Ride’s revenue mainly comes from local authorities and businesses that use the platform to encourage cycling in their communities.
While it experienced a drop in logged commuting trips at the start of the pandemic, this was more than offset by a significant increase in recreation riding, particularly from new and occasional riders.
Love to Ride CEO Thomas Stokell said: “We want to make Love to Ride the global platform for getting more people riding.
“While the pandemic presented numerous challenges for the business, the boom in cycling means that we’ve never felt more relevant.
“We only have one planet and, as we all look towards net zero and trying to improve the air quality in our cities, cycling has a huge role to play, so it’s a great opportunity for us to grow and reach more communities.”
Triodos Bank UK South West banking regional manager Phill Bate added: “We’re always looking to support businesses that are actively pushing towards a greener future.
“Encouraging more people to cycle – and examining the barriers to them getting on their bikes, particularly in urban areas – is key to this. We hope that this new finance will help Love to Ride to expand and create an even wider impact.”
The loan was issued as part of the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), set up to provide financial support to SMEs.
The scheme closed for new applications at the end of March and has been replaced by the Recovery Loan Scheme, for which Triodos is also an accredited lender.
