Bike2Work 2026: Pisa’s Universities and Research Institutions Back on Their Bikes Together
On Friday, 18 September, Bike2Work returns to Pisa, an initiative encouraging staff, students, and researchers to choose the bicycle as their means of transport to work or study.
This year marks the second edition of Bike2Work, jointly organized by the University of Pisa, Scuola Normale Superiore, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, CNR – Pisa Research Area, and INFN – Pisa Section, in collaboration with FIAB Pisa and under the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa. The event is part of the European Mobility Week programme.
Groups from the participating institutions will gather at their respective meeting points and, accompanied by volunteers from FIAB Pisa, will converge on Piazza dei Cavalieri, where the main assembly is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
The collective bike ride will begin by 10:00 a.m. The procession will pass through Borgo Stretto and Piazza Garibaldi, and continue along Pisa’s four historic riverside avenues, following a route that includes Lungarno Mediceo, Ponte della Fortezza, Lungarno Galilei, Lungarno Gambacorti, Ponte Solferino, Lungarno Pacinotti, and Ponte di Mezzo. The event is expected to conclude by 11:00 a.m. in Piazza XX Settembre.
The 2026 edition builds on the success of last year’s event, when more than 300 participants from Pisa’s universities and research institutions cycled together along the city’s riversides. The strong turnout highlighted both the growing interest in sustainable forms of mobility and the importance of making visible the increasing number of people who already use bicycles for their daily journeys.
Bike2Work is not a sporting event, but rather an opportunity to experience and promote a different way of moving around the city. Its aim is to encourage cycling for commuting to work and study, while drawing attention to the benefits this choice can bring to the wider community: less traffic and pollution, greater well-being, a more balanced use of public space, and a more liveable city.
Every day, tens of thousands of people are connected to Pisa’s universities and research centres. This represents a significant share of the local population, generating thousands of journeys and offering considerable potential to support the transition toward mobility systems that rely less on private cars. Even shifting a fraction of these trips to cycling would produce tangible benefits: fewer vehicles on the roads, reduced congestion, lower greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions, less noise, and a reduced demand for parking spaces.
The benefits extend far beyond those who cycle. A city with less traffic is safer for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists. It is more accessible for vulnerable individuals and more pleasant for those who live, study, work, or visit there. Cycling also contributes to physical and mental well-being, strengthens social connections, and enhances the vitality of public spaces and local neighbourhood businesses.
The initiative also aims to engage people who would like to cycle more often but face obstacles related to distance, travel time, safety concerns, or the need to combine different modes of transport. Bike2Work invites participants to try, at least for one day, completing their entire commute by bicycle, or even just part of it, transforming an individual experience into a collective opportunity to reflect on the conditions needed to make cycling a simple and practical choice every day.
