Neighbourly Ride Carlton - Winter 2025 finish

Our Neighbourly Ride story - the first 6 months

Since we first launched Neighbourly Ride in 2018, the world has shifted in profound ways, and so too has the way we interact and engage with the people around us.

Rebuilding real-world connection

We now live in an era of extraordinary technological change and rapid innovation, where almost everything we could want or need is available at our fingertips. With just a tap on our phone, our desires can be met almost instantly, whether it’s food and groceries, takeaway meals delivered right to our door, or access to endless entertainment, from movies and TV shows to live sport, streamed directly to our devices.

The idea of working from home or remotely from the workplace was once foreign to many of us when Neighbourly Ride began. Yet in 2024, with Neighbourly Ride 2.0, remote work is now a viable option for countless people, enabling them to work from virtually anywhere in the world, provided it aligns with their employer’s policies.

Milk bar 1970's

However, alongside these changes, we have witnessed a gradual erosion of many of the traditional ways in which people connect with their neighbourhoods and local communities. The corner store or milk bar is now almost a relic of the past. Our local strip shops—once home to greengrocers, butchers, bakeries, newsagents, and other small boutique retailers have been largely absorbed into the two dominant supermarket giants and sprawling shopping centres. Churches and other places of worship, as well as workplaces themselves, no longer hold the same central role in our daily lives.

Our patterns of recreation and leisure have also shifted. According to the most recent AusPlay report released by the Australian Sports Commission, with data collected between July 2023 and December 2024, the top five forms of physical activity for Australians are:

*Walking
*Fitness and gym activities
*Running or jogging
*Swimming
*Cycling

Traditional, structured sports, once a key way for people to gather, socialise, and form connections outside their work and family circles—are declining in popularity.

The unintended consequence of all this is that more and more of us are experiencing social isolation. The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection has released a global report revealing that one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, with profound impacts on both physical and mental health. The report links loneliness to an estimated 100 deaths every hour, more than 871,000 deaths annually. In contrast, strong and genuine social connections have been shown to improve health outcomes and contribute to longer, healthier lives.
 

The rise of local, social activity

Parkrun - Maribyrnong

In line with the growing need to engage, the desire to connect and build meaningful interactions and relationships has led to an explosion of people seeking local community.

Across Australia, socially focused, unstructured running groups have emerged, free of fees, regular training schedules, or strict commitments where you simply turn up when it suits you and join in the fun.

One such group, called The Sandwich Club, meets at various locations across metropolitan Melbourne, visiting different bakeries and cafés that serve unique and interesting sandwiches.

And of course, one of the biggest success stories is Parkrun, which has become a Saturday morning institution across Australia, with nearly 4,000 locations. In our local area at Princes Park in Carlton, it regularly attracts 500 to 600+ participants.

Platforms such as Meetup and Eventbrite have also seen strong growth, with an increasing range of social events designed to bring people together in person—some even promoting themselves as entirely digital-free experiences.

A snapshot after 6 months

Now, after 26 weeks, we have some impressive statistics from our weekly rides. Back in 2018, it took nearly 12 months to approach ride capacity, but since relaunching in February 2025, the experience has been entirely different.

From week one, we had 10 marked as ‘going’ and 6 changing to ‘not going’, followed by 14 ‘going’ in week two, an overwhelmingly positive shift compared to before.

Our community has been highly considerate in letting us know if they can’t make a ride, with 90% of Neighbourly Riders who RSVP actually attending. Of the 240 total ride attendances so far, more than half have returned for a second or third ride.

We’re also proud to have welcomed our 10th volunteer Caboose, the rider at the back who ensures nobody is left behind, alongside four confirmed friendships formed through the rides (and likely many more we haven’t heard about).

Why people come and come back

Survey results - August 2025

Anecdotally, during our first 18 months, we saw a high proportion of newbies, people with very limited cycling experience or “lapsed” riders. In 2025, however, the picture has shifted, with 63% riding a bicycle very regularly, either weekly or several times a week.

While our marketing still focuses on short, local rides for beginners, the reality is that most of our Neighbourly Riders are already active bike riders.

The appeal of Neighbourly Ride aligns with broader social shifts towards human connection and meaningful interaction. Fun and social enjoyment ranked near 100%, while riding with others and meeting new people also scored significantly higher compared to building confidence, riding with Newbies and being. shorter distance. This reflects the growing importance of being local and discovering new routes close to home while strengthening community ties.

Confidence and the benefits

Survey Results - August 2025

Our Neighbourly Riders’ confidence closely aligns with how often they ride, with an overwhelming 80% feeling confident riding on unfamiliar roads or trying new routes. Interestingly, 62% reported that the rides helped them become more comfortable riding in groups or independently. This suggests that many riders tend to stick to familiar routes where they feel most confident, as supported by both our survey data and videos.
 

Conversation is the real destination

Royal Exhibition buildings - Winter 2025

What makes our rides so special is the constant background of laughter and conversation, whether pedalling along or paused for a break.

One particularly funny moment came when I stopped outside the UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building for a quick photo. After announcing we were on our way and setting off, I suddenly realised I was riding alone down Nicholson Street; everyone else was still happily chatting.

These conversations are the glue that bind people together, breaking down barriers and creating an open, inclusive environment where people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and even wildly different hairstyles connect.

Survey results - August 2025

Our feedback survey reflects this perfectly: an overwhelming 95% of riders reported having anything from brief to deeply engaged conversations during the ride and of course, at the coffee shop afterwards. The same survey showed 100% felt part of the community, with 85% saying they experienced a strong sense of belonging in a supportive environment.

Subtle behaviour change, lasting impact

Survey results - August 2025

While a high percentage of participants are already regular bicycle riders, 58% reported no change in their riding frequency since joining. However, 36% have started riding more often.

Interestingly, a small group of riders, around 5% have only ridden during Neighbourly Ride, having recently purchased a bicycle and still building the confidence to ride more frequently. To support them, we offer access to bike riding instructors who can help develop basic skills and road knowledge.

When it comes to knowing other cyclists, the group is almost evenly split, half know someone who rides regularly, while the other half do not. This aligns with the idea that experienced riders are more likely to have bike riding friends. From our conversations and interviews, many of our newer riders say they don’t usually ride with others and see Neighbourly Ride as a safe way to build both their experience and their social circle.
 

Looking ahead

Neighbourly Ride - Carlton North - early winter 2025

This is just the beginning. As we expand into more neighbourhoods and grow our data set, we expect to see even stronger outcomes in community wellbeing, connection, and confidence on bikes.

Neighbourly Ride isn’t about speed, distance, or gear, it’s about people. And that’s what makes it powerful.