Bikers’ Mind
Two wheels can mean a lot more than getting from A to B.
Something to enjoy. Somewhere to go. A skill to improve. People to meet.
For some it’s exercise. For others it’s an interest, a community, a commute or something they’ve loved doing for years.
Having something you enjoy matters.
Bikers’ Mind brings Mental Health 360 and Bikers.co.uk together to support the mental health and wellbeing of the two-wheel community.
Motorbike, road bike, mountain bike, scooter, e-bike, track or trail. However you ride, Bikers’ Mind is about the person riding it.
Helping People and Organisations Thrive
Looking after our mental wellbeing isn’t only about what we do when something goes wrong.
Physical activity can support mental health and sleep. Learning new skills and developing interests can contribute to confidence and purpose. Feeling connected to other people matters too.
Two wheels can bring some or all of those things into someone’s life.
And research into cycling shows just how important that relationship can become.
of respondents to a major off-road cycling survey rated it as fairly or very important to their mental health
Source: Cycling UK, Rides of Way. This statistic relates specifically to off-road cycling.
For some people, riding is exercise. For others it’s the concentration of the road ahead, learning how to do something better, meeting friends or having somewhere to go.
Sometimes it’s simply a couple of hours when everything else isn’t demanding your attention.
You don't need a bike-related reason to use Bikers' Mind.
But having something that’s good for your head doesn’t make you immune from having a difficult time.
Work. Money. Relationships. Family. Bereavement. Anxiety. Stress. Low mood. Sleep.
Or something doesn’t feel right and you can’t quite explain why.
Mental Health 360 has been supporting people and communities with their mental health since 2003.
Our free Knowledge Library helps you understand many of the things that can affect how you feel, with practical information covering anxiety, stress, low mood, grief, sleep and much more.
And if information isn’t enough, Bikers’ Mind also provides access to experienced, qualified counsellors registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Counselling is available online or by telephone across the UK.
Articles for Bikers' Mind
Latest perspectives
Other people.
There is another side to wellbeing that can be easy to overlook.
A shared interest can start conversations. It can create friendships between people who might otherwise never have met. Clubs, groups, events and simply being around people who understand why you enjoy the same thing can create a sense of belonging.
Feeling connected matters.
Through our partnership with Bikers.co.uk, Bikers’ Mind is connected to a wider community built around life on two wheels.
Explore bikes and cycling. Find routes and events. Discover groups, stories and people who share your interest.
You don’t have to be struggling to become part of it.
But what happens when something that was part of your life suddenly isn't there?
In research involving almost 1,500 mountain bikers:
said they would find it depressing if illness or injury meant they could no longer ride
Source: Roberts et al., Frontiers in Psychology, 2018. This finding relates specifically to mountain bikers.
The accident can be over long before the impact of it is.
Illness or injury can take away more than the activity itself for a while.
It can interrupt exercise, independence, friendships, routine, confidence or simply the thing you looked forward to doing.
And sometimes the reason you’re no longer riding is what happened while you were doing it.
A near miss that stays with you. Seeing somebody else badly injured. Losing someone you rode with. Or an accident that changes life in seconds.
Sleep can change. What happened can replay in your head. A road, junction or situation that never bothered you before can suddenly feel different.
For somebody who spent years feeling comfortable on two wheels, suddenly feeling anxious about riding can be difficult to understand.
Do I want to ride again?
Physical recovery can eventually bring another question.
Being able to ride and feeling ready to ride aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Friends might ask when you’re coming out again. The bike may have been repaired or replaced. Part of you might desperately want to get back to something that felt normal.
Another part might be frightened.
There is no deadline and nothing to prove.
Some people return quickly. Others need time. Some change how or where they ride. And some decide they don’t want to return.
Bikers’ Mind isn’t here to persuade you.
We’re here if fear, anxiety or what happened is stopping you from deciding what’s right for yourself.
Sometimes getting back on is frightening for more than the rider.
And sometimes the person who was riding isn’t the only person recovering.
Somebody else may have received the phone call.
A partner, parent, child or friend may have waited for news, watched somebody they love go through treatment and rehabilitation, or spent months thinking about how differently things might have ended.
So when you’re thinking about riding again, they might be thinking about another phone call.
Bikers’ Mind’s Knowledge Library and counselling services are there for the people around riders too.
Bikers' Mind Hub
Life on two wheels. And the person living it.
The Bikers’ Mind Hub explores the places where riding, life and mental wellbeing meet.
Recovery after an accident. Confidence. Family. Loss. Stress away from the bike. The benefits of interests, activity and connection. And the experiences of people within the community itself.
- Recovery
- Confidence
- Life & riding
- Family & friends
- Loss
- Wellbeing
Help another rider have somewhere to talk.
Some people will come to Bikers’ Mind looking for information. Some will find a community. Some will need professional support. And some will simply want to help.
Not everyone who could benefit from counselling will be in a position to fund it themselves.
Donations to Mental Health 360 help us provide free-to-access counselling for people who otherwise may not be able to afford it.
If two wheels and the community around them have given you something, helping somebody else find support is one way of giving something back.
Two wheels. Different journeys.
They can be exercise, transport, freedom, friendship, competition, escape or simply something you enjoy.
They can contribute positively to how we feel.
Life can still become difficult.
And sometimes illness, injury or an accident changes our relationship with something that once came naturally.
Wherever you are in that journey, Bikers’ Mind is here.
Understand
Free information and practical guidance for your mental health and wellbeing.
Explore the Knowledge LibraryConnect
Share the interest, meet the community and explore life on two wheels.
Visit Bikers.co.ukGive
Help us make professional counselling accessible to someone who needs it.
Help fund counselling