Bike Buses: Rolling Discos for Children

Every Thursday morning just before 8 a.m., I hear loud music and whistles on my residential street in London. But rather than a disruptive wake-up call, this is a joyful and empowering moment, hinting at a much bigger shift: It’s a bike bus, a group of parents and volunteers guiding children to school by bike. 

Typically, around 20 children, accompanied by at least six adults, take part in this “bus,” which showcases the importance of cycling skills and road safety. 

Charlotte Claydon, who started my local bike bus, was inspired by Sam Balto’s popular bike buses in Portland, Oregon: “I suddenly found the weight of my two children, plus their bags and things, to be too much for my cargo bike.” She knows that it can be “quite a daunting thing” to get your children onto a bike for the first time. “I just decided that we would start on the next Thursday — whoever turns up, let’s see how we roll!”

The Camden Bike Bus has become a weekly happening where a group of between 10 and 38 children ride to school together in a rolling disco of “music, laughter, and hi-vis,” Charlotte says.

Getting to School Safely and On Time

Bike buses are a fitting approach for cities trying to improve air quality and safety near schools, while also empowering children. 

Over 430 bike bus groups exist all over the world, according to a study from late 2024. The idea dates back to 1998, when parents in Brecht, Belgium organized a group ride to school. A group commute program in Barcelona called “bicibús” went viral in 2023, making the concept popular worldwide. Including Bike Bus Camden, London has an estimated 10 to 30 bike buses criss-crossing the city, depending on the week.

Bike Bus Camden has been running for over a year and half and currently rides to six schools in the area, meeting at 7:30 a.m. every Thursday and leaving precisely at 7:45 a.m. 

Charlotte leads the ride every week, and parents are welcome to join, especially if their kid is younger or needs extra support. There are always at least two marshals from the Camden Cyclist group — volunteers who wear high-vis to help ensure everything runs smoothly and safely — riding in the back. “Safety is paramount. We need to make sure the kids are always safe and get to school on time,” Charlotte says. 

Traffic can be a challenge to any bike bus, especially with morning gridlocks and busy junctions. Lacking cycling infrastructure and riding on car-dominated roads can also be difficult. But if anything, these are reasons to have even more bike buses, says Charlotte. “We have a 100% success rate of children having a good time, which is the most important thing!”

Tips for Starting a Bike Bus

Starting a bike bus is simpler than it looks, either as a school or as a parent. Charlotte recommends getting P.E. teachers, local police officers, volunteer cycling groups, and neighbors on board. 

Soon, Charlotte’s bike bus will get its own pick-up and drop-off signs, which will help to spread more awareness. “I’d love to make the bike bus sustainable so that it outlives me and my kids’ time at their current school,” she says. Ideally, London’s transport authority would recognize bike buses and pay marshals to accompany them on a regular basis, so that every child can have access to a group bike commute — making a systemic difference. 

Her top tip for starting a bike bus is that there is no right or wrong way of doing it. “Just get started! Be mindful to leave strictly on time, which builds trust with parents and schools,” she says. “And make it fun. We take music requests, for example. The key is that drivers hear us before they see us.”