While many of us are still stuck behind the wheel in traffic or jostling for space on public transport, a growing number of commuters are ditching the daily gridlock in favour of a breezier, greener alternative: the humble bicycle.

Across the UK, it seems that more workers are embracing pedal power, from university cities to major metropolitan hubs. But have you ever wondered which parts of the country are leading the charge when it comes to cycling to work?

A new study by Cartridge Save set out to uncover just that. They analysed over 100 towns and cities across the UK to find out where cycling is truly taking off as a mainstream mode of commuting.

The rankings were built using the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), specifically looking at the percentage of employed individuals in England and Wales who listed cycling as their main way of getting to work.

To give a full UK picture, comparable figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were pulled from their respective national statistics bodies, Scottish Government Statistics and NISRA, and combined to form a final league table of the country’s biggest bike-commuting hotspots.

Portsmouth named in top 10 UK cities with the most bike commuters

Rounding out the top ten is Portsmouth, where 2.47% of the working population prefers pedalling to the office. With a compact layout and coastal charm, it’s no surprise more residents are choosing to cycle, though a sea breeze may occasionally turn that commute into a bit of a workout.

The City of Edinburgh leads the way with 10.00%, closely followed by Cambridge at 8.13%, with Glasgow securing third at 6.00%. Oxford claims fourth with 4.77%, while York, known for its charming cycle paths, takes fifth with 3.45%. Kingston upon Hull holds sixth place with 3.06%, and Gosport follows at 2.97%.

Norwich, with 2.81%, and Bristol, with 2.64%, help round off the top 10 list.

Not every city is in love with the idea of cycling just yet. At the other end of the table, Brentwood in Essex ranks lowest, with just 0.23% of commuters travelling by bike. Also among the least bike-friendly cities are Bradford (0.28%), Blackburn (0.29%), and Barnsley (0.30%) – areas that could potentially benefit from improved infrastructure and cycling awareness.

Others joining the bottom ten include Durham (0.31%), Oldham (0.31%), Rotherham (0.34%), Bolton (0.36%), Rochdale (0.36%), and Dudley (0.39%). Whether it's down to geography, lack of investment, or just cultural preferences, these towns and cities have some catching up to do when it comes to pedal-powered commuting.

Top 10 list of UK cities with the most bike commuters in the study:

Portsmouth named in top 10 UK cities with the most bike commuters, according to study