This September, Mode Shift Month celebrates Mobility for Everyone. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to choose walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport for everyday journeys, whatever their age, ability or stage of life.
The way we travel is often shaped by the people around us. A parent, grandparent, sibling or friend can inspire habits that last a lifetime. This September, we’re inviting #TeamModeshift to share the stories behind their everyday journeys.
To begin the series, Modeshift’s Rob Bounds reflects on a lifetime of cycling. His story shows how one family’s love of bikes has connected four generations and why cycling continues to bring them together today.
A family tradition on two wheels
For Rob Bounds, cycling has never been just a way to get from A to B. It’s been part of his family’s story for generations, passed down through old photographs, well-used bikes, favourite routes and memorable days out that have become treasured family memories.
The story begins with Rob’s maternal grandparents, Marjorie and Norman, in Birmingham. In one family photograph, Marjorie sits with Rob’s uncle Roy beside a tandem fitted with a sidecar. The exact date has blended into family history, but the picture is thought to be from the mid to late 1930s. What is clear is that the tandem was not a novelty. It was transport. It was how the family got about.
From everyday journeys to lifelong memories
That practical cycling culture shaped the next generation. Rob’s mom, Beryl, grew up with bikes as a normal part of life. As a teenager, she would cycle from Birmingham towards Swindon to visit her Auntie Win, covering long distances on the roads of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Years later, when Rob and his siblings were children, she would point out landmarks from that old route. Passing a pub called the Drum and Monkey, she would tell them it was one of the stopping points on the way to Auntie Win’s.
Beryl’s own bike became central to the family story. Built in Birmingham by FS Parkes, and believed to date from around 1956, it had drop handlebars and was originally built by Rob’s uncle Roy. Beryl rode it for decades, right up until she was 60. When Rob and his brother and sister were small, the bike had a metal child seat fixed to the back. One by one, all three children travelled in that seat. As they got older, they rode alongside her on the road, heading to grandparents’ houses in Yardley and Chelmsley Wood, or out into the Warwickshire countryside.
Those journeys were not presented as exercise or errands. They were adventures. During the school holidays, Beryl might suggest a ride to Henley-in-Arden for an ice cream. It would take hours to get there, they would enjoy the treat, then cycle home again. What Rob now recognises as a clever way to fill a summer’s day felt, at the time, like freedom. The family also took bikes on trains, once travelling to Packington where the children spent the day splashing through a ford, catching sticklebacks and carrying them home in bread bags tied to the handlebars.
Cycling at every stage of life
That sense of joy and possibility stayed with Rob. Cycling was not something he had to be persuaded into; it was simply what the family did. His mom made it fun, fast and memorable. She loved going downhill, tucking herself low over the handlebars and challenging the children to see how far they could roll before pedalling again. Her confidence became their confidence.
As Rob grew up, that influence continued. He took his bike to university, cycled wherever he lived, and built a career connected to active travel, and even cycled through Kruger and Mlilwane Game Parks in Africa. The family culture also moved forward another generation. His sister’s children cycle to school, and when everyday routines became harder to manage on foot, Beryl’s practical advice was simple: get a bike, put one child on the back, and ride.
One photograph. A lifetime of memories.
Today, cycling is still bringing the family together in new ways. Beryl now lives with dementia and can no longer ride independently, but through Wheels for All she can still enjoy cycling with her family on adapted cycles. In one recent outing, Rob had break into a sprint to keep up with his mom as she speed along on a recumbent cycle. His dad, who had never managed to ride a traditional bike, also joined in on a tandem-style cycle at the age of 84. After nearly 60 years of marriage, Beryl had finally got him cycling.
With the help of the trainers, she was able to try adapted cycles that suited her needs, including a recumbent bike and a tandem-style cycle, so she could continue riding alongside her family. The sessions worked by giving Beryl gentle encouragement, practical support and the freedom to ride at her own pace around the park. Even though she now lives with dementia, cycling still clearly connects with an important part of who she is; being back on a bike brought out her adventurous spirit, her confidence and her sense of fun. She enjoyed setting off with energy, feeling the movement and speed again, and sharing the experience with her family, making Wheels for All a powerful way for Beryl to feel independent, included and herself.
For Rob, one detail captures the power of this story. Beryl now struggles to recognise many photographs of herself, yet when she sees one particular picture of herself with her bike, she knows it instantly. ‘That’s me with my bike,’ she says. The bike connects her to who she is: adventurous, independent and always ready to go somewhere.
Why these stories matter
Rob’s family story is a reminder that active travel can be more than a journey. It can become memory, identity and connection. What began as a practical way for Marjorie and Norman to get around became days out, family traditions, confidence for children and inspiration for grandchildren. This September, as we share stories from our members, Rob’s experience shows how one person’s passion can ripple through generations and how every ride has the potential to become part of a much bigger story.
What’s your story?
This Mode Shift Month, we’d love to hear how everyday journeys have shaped your life. Perhaps a family member inspired you to cycle. Maybe walking to school created lasting memories, or public transport opened up new opportunities.
Share your story with #TeamModeshift and inspire others to make a mode shift.
