Rooting for Grassroots

Meet the bike ambassadors boosting cycling and youth empowerment globally. There's a familiar saying in urban planning: build it, and they will come. When it comes to cycling projects, however, we have to view things in a different light – a lane painted on a road doesn't magically manifest a cyclist. Behind every cyclist is a whole context of choices, community, motivation, opportunity, and confidence. This is the human infrastructure of cycling: the people, skills, relationships, and networks that enable cycling to thrive alongside physical infrastructure. This is what turns a bike lane into a cycling community. Grassroots pioneers and energisers can push this cycling movement forward. That's why BYCS has appointed over 160 local cycling advocates across the world to champion cycling in their cities. They are the most concrete expression of what BYCS believes: lasting change happens at street level, led by people who know their community. This is our Bicycle Mayor Network. In Tirana, Albania, Iden Petraj began advocating for cycling at 15 and now works with local leaders to strengthen the connection between the city's cycling community and the institutions. In Lima, Peru, Jeffrey Leandro connects cycling and environmental organisations to push for safer and more inclusive mobility and advises national institutions on mobility. Jonathan Otieno is building a cycling movement in Mombasa, Kenya, through advocacy and training, while Grecia Hernández combines education, media, and activism to influence the mobility agenda in Mexico's Guadalajara. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Maren Ahlers is growing cycling from the ground up through women's training, community rides, and access to bicycles. And in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, Romee Nicolai bridges cycling practice with research and urban planning. BYCS selects and onboards new Bicycle Mayors, connects them with each other, creates pathways to funding, and links local advocates with the cities and organisations that can amplify their impact. Being part of the network makes them publicly recognised as legitimate civic representatives, and this visibility and recognition are particularly valuable for young advocates, helping their voices be heard and taken seriously. Activism has always had a youthful face. From student movements to today's global climate strikes, young people have repeatedly been at the forefront of demanding change. Yet when we look at urban mobility – a crucial part of the climate transition – there's a clear gap. The people shaping cycling and active mobility advocacy are usually not from younger generations. So why, if young people are among those most concerned about the future, are they less represented in the movements shaping sustainable mobility? The answer may not be a lack of motivation, but a lack of pathways into advocacy. Effective change requires more than passion: it requires networks, knowledge, access to institutions, and the confidence to navigate them. These are precisely the resources that can be hardest for young people to access. And there is a lot at stake. People aged 18–24 make up just 7% of the EU population, yet account for 12% of road deaths, according to the European Commission. Some of the most vulnerable people using Europe's streets have the least power over their formal design. This is why BYCS launched a Youth Campaign for the Bicycle Mayor Network, supported by Erasmus+, to identify and empower cycling advocates under 30 across Europe. The power to change the way we move and use our cities belongs to everyone, not just the experts. Iden Petraj joined as Bicycle Mayor at 28 and now brings her real-world experience from the streets of Tirana into policy planning for her city's future. In her words: 'You don't need to feel completely ready before you begin. Start with one issue you care about, speak to the people affected by it and take one small action. Confidence usually comes after you start, not before. Your city needs your perspective now, not only when you feel more experienced.' Building a bike lane may change the shape of a street, but it is its everyday users who give it function. Sustainable mobility should be about creating cities where physical and human infrastructure grow together; where every new lane is an invitation to participate, connect, and move through the world differently.