A favoured pastime by many across the nation, cycling on Britain’s roads can come with great risk.

As latest Government statistics show 4,056 cyclists were reported seriously injured across Great Britain in one year.

New data analysis from cycle insurance provider ALA Insurance sheds light on the safest cities for cyclists to take to the road.

The team gave scores based on incident reports and the number of cycle repair shops per capita, the amount of car traffic, the chance of rain and average wind speed to help determine the results of where in the UK are safest roads.

The research reveals that Bristol is the UK’s safest city for cyclists followed by Derby and Leicester.

The UK’s Top 10 Safest Cities for Cyclists:

1. Bristol
2. Derby
3. Leicester
4. Nottingham
5. Newcastle Upon Tyne
6. Kingston Upon Hull
7. Aberdeen
8. Wolverhampton
9. Sunderland
10. Edinburgh

The study also looked at the UK cities with the worst roads and pavements. As of July 2024, Newcastle had the fewest reports logged on the condition of roads and pavements on a per capita basis, with 82 reports per 100,000 of the population.

This was followed by Leicester and Nottingham. By contrast, Sheffield had the most reports at 595 per 100,000 of the population.

The UK’s top five for most reports: 

1. Sheffield
2. Peterborough
3. Manchester
4. Southampton
5. Birmingham

Traffic volume can hugely impact safety for cyclists, requiring them to be even more aware of their surroundings. The data highlighted Southampton as the least busy city, with over 603 million vehicle miles of traffic travelled in the city in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, London had the most traffic on an annual basis – with 19.2 billion vehicle miles of traffic travelled in 2023.

The analysis also looked at annual climate normals in each city to understand where cyclists would be most impacted by the elements.

Peterborough was the least likely to rain on any given day, with a 31 percent chance of rain, followed by London (31.2 percent).

Glasgow was the most likely to rain – with a 47.8 percent chance of rain on any given day. Swansea was the windiest city in the dataset while Manchester transpired as the least windy city, with a monthly mean wind speed of 4.24 knots at 10m.

Callum Butler at ALA Insurance said: “Bristol’s top ranking as the safest city for cyclists is a testament to the city’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment for cyclists.

“This comprehensive analysis underscores the importance of well-maintained infrastructure, supportive local businesses, and favourable weather conditions in ensuring a safer and more enjoyable cycling experience.”