TfL welcomes nominations to name ten Santander Cycles after inspirational women cyclists for International Women’s Day

Transport for London (TfL) and Santander Cycles are calling on customers to nominate their cycling idol, as TfL is set to name ten cycle hire bikes after professional women cycling stars and ‘unsung heroes’ to mark this year’s International Women's Day on Sunday 8 March.    

Customers can email SantanderCyclesvote@tfl.gov.uk or send a postal entry* to be in with a chance of having the name of their favourite cycling hero feature on a Santander bike before midnight on 8 February. Entries must include the name of their chosen cycling idol - whether that be a professional women cycling star or an ‘unsung hero’ closer to home - and a brief explanation as to why they have inspired them to take up cycling.   

A panel of judges, featuring cycling enthusiasts from both TfL and Santander, will select the most frequently nominated professional women cycling stars alongside 'unsung heroes’ to be showcased on Santander Cycles this March for International Women’s Day.  

The celebration of these cycling role models spotlights the achievements of ten inspirational women cyclists. While the number of women cycling in London continues to grow, the number is still significantly lower than male cyclists. Both TfL and the Mayor of London recognise that a range of barriers can discourage many women and girls from taking up cycling – from concerns around road danger to the cost of a bicycle.   

TfL’s second Cycling Action Plan and customer inclusion strategy, Equity in Motion, commits to understanding these challenges and making cycling more accessible for everyone. To help address these challenges, TfL is continuing to invest at pace in cycling infrastructure and to help make cycling more accessible for all. This includes offering a range of groups including care leavers, students, and those with a 60+ London Oyster Card a 50 per cent discount on monthly and yearly subscriptions on Santander Cycle hires.   

TfL funds a range of community projects across London that encourage more people to walk and cycle each year. In December, TfL and the London Marathon Foundation awarded more than £550,000 of funding to support 61 new projects and 119 continuing initiatives run by community groups as part of the Walking and Cycling Grants London (WCGL) programme. Each investment will make a difference to communities across the capital, with projects unlocking barriers to walking and cycling for even more Londoners.   

Recent recipients of the funding include several projects that aim to encourage more women and girls to take up cycling. This includes, The Hope of Childs Hill, run by Sisters in Saddles and Serenity, which promotes cycling among ethnically diverse communities in Barnet; Cycle Sisters’ project empowering Muslim women across London to cycle confidently for everyday transport; and Cycle Together, which supports socially isolated women in Sutton and aids rehabilitation for women at HMP Downview.  

Since its launch on 30 July 2010, TfL’s flagship cycle hire scheme has grown to become one of the largest in Europe. Now an integral part of the capital’s transport network, the scheme continues to play a vital role in encouraging active travel. According to TfL’s most recent Travel in London report, cycling journeys have increased by 43 per cent since 2019, with an estimated 1.5 million cycling journeys made by Londoners each day, and record levels of hires from members of Santander Cycles.    

TfL and the Mayor are committed to growing these record cycling numbers further and are working closely with London's boroughs to invest in high-quality infrastructure that allows more people to walk and cycle more often. 

Working with London boroughs, TfL has increased the length of the strategic cycle network from 90km in 2016 to over 431km in 2025, a seven per cent increase from 224. In 2024/25 alone, TfL launched 17 new Cycleways routes and since September 2025, 29 per cent of Londoners live within 400 metres of the cycle network.

Each protected cycleway provides people from all backgrounds and abilities with safer, more appealing routes, encouraging greater diversity in cycling including with women and girls where safety is a key barrier to cycling.  

TfL and the Mayor are also committed to making life-saving changes at some of the capital's most dangerous and intimidating junctions, as part of its Safe and Healthy Streets funding. This dedicates more than £150m to improving London's roads for people cycling, walking and accessing public transport, over half of which is invested through London's boroughs. TfL has so far completed work at 46 Safer Junctions across London, including recently completed works at Battersea Bridge. The new Safer Streets programme also offers up to £50m over the next four years to help boroughs tackle the worst safety locations in their communities.  

 Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “The Mayor and I want cycling to be an option for everyone in London, but women and girls unfortunately still face barriers that can prevent them from riding. This fun new initiative from TfL and Santander Cycles is a fantastic way to inspire women cyclists to embrace active travel as we continue building a greener, fairer, better London for everyone.” 

 David Eddington, Head of Cycle Hire at TfL, said: “Our cycle hire scheme has become one of the most popular ways to travel across the capital. Yet we know that many women and girls continue to face barriers to cycling. We are committed to making cycling accessible to everyone, and today we are proud to announce that we will be celebrating ten inspirational women, whose achievements have opened doors for more women and girls to enjoy cycling on our Santander Cycles.”    

LCC Women's Network, said: "Since long before the invention of the modern bicycle, women have been cycling in London. So, we welcome TfL's celebration of women in cycling and the recognition that women want to cycle safely and in greater numbers. Only a third of London's daily cycle trips are currently taken by women, which is why London Cycling Campaign works with TfL, local councils and the police on tackling the barriers to more women cycling in London. There's a long road ahead for London to become a city where all women have freedom to ride, but we'll get there together."