In London cycling has increased by 170 per cent since 2001 – and Boris Johnson has his sights set on a 400 per cent increase by 2026.

While cycling was for decades seen as “poor man’s transport” and given a cold shoulder, the capital is now leading a U-turn that’s bringing bikes back into Britain’s bosom.

And London’s love affair with two-wheeled transport is proving infectious.

In the last 10 years Bristol has doubled its number of cycling commuters, Manchester has outlined a plan to become Britain’s number-one city for cycling by 2017, and Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield have all shown solid growth in the number of their cycle commuters.

Birmingham, however, has languished behind, showing minimal growth in cycling while other cities have sped ahead.

But the city’s biking fortunes are about to be notched up a gear, with a two-year £24 million plan set to triple the number of cyclists in Birmingham.

The council will be investing in 130 miles of cycle network around the city, creating 70 miles of new routes while upgrading 60 miles of existing routes.

Canal towpaths and “green routes” will become all-weather off-road routes, while eight main arteries into the city will see the introduction of marked cycle lanes and shared-use footways.

The changes may not only be good for our health but for our wallets.

A recent London School of Economics report estimates cycling brings almost £3 billion to the economy, also finding that regular cyclists take one sick day less per year than average, saving the country £128 million, and it’s estimated a 20 per cent rise in the number of cyclists by 2015 could save the NHS £52 million.

The Olympics and Tour de France have been widely touted as major motivating factors in encouraging newcomers onto two wheels.

Joanna Rowsell
Joanna Rowsell

Team GB golden girl Joanna Rowsell – who will be at the Cycle Show on Friday and Saturday – has seen the impact of her cycling successes first hand.

She says: “After the Olympics I went back to my secondary school and they’d started an after-school cycling club.

“And at my old cycling club the number of members had doubled since the start of the summer, and the number of females had increased four times.

“I spoke to some of the parents there and asked what made them decide to come along and they said ‘We saw you on TV’.

“I didn’t realise it would have such a direct effect.”

Since 2008, the membership of British Cycling has doubled to 50,000 and during London 2012 nearly 250 people a day were signing up for membership.

Joanna, who has suffered from alopecia since she was 10 years old and drew admiration when she took to the Olympic podium – watched by 17 million across the world – to collect her medal without her wig, wants to see better international coverage of cycling. She especially wants to see women’s events get more coverage and is strongly urging newcomers to give it a go.

“I really hope the popularity of cycling will keep rising,” she says. “In the UK it’s one of the best ways to see the countryside.

“It’s healthy, environmentally friendly and something you can do on your own, with the whole family or in a group of friends.”

Cycle show attractions

* A new Elite Road Track where you’ll have the chance to try out a selection of road bikes worth upwards of £1,500 and get tips from professional riders.

* An MTB demo track where the latest mountain bikes can be put to the test through woodland, rock gardens, berms, rollers and jumps.

* Roller rigs testing how fast you can cover 250 metres using your arms to pedal.

* An Inclusive Cycling Hub where Midlands firm Quest 88 will be offering a broad selection of bikes for children and adults with disabilities.

* A new Airbag feature behind a ramp, offering daredevils a massive pillow to cushion their landing, and for the more modest rider, an outdoor road track to try out the latest commuter bikes.

For more details about the show visit: www.cycleshow.co.uk