Spotlight on BackPedal: The secret that’s reshaping sustainable mobility
“You won’t believe this, but a bike gets stolen every two minutes in the UK.”
Says James Dunn, co-founder of BackPedal. Founded in 2021, BackPedal isn’t just reclaiming stolen bikes and e-bikes - they’re reshaping how we think about cycling’s role in sustainable transport.
Bike theft doesn’t just cost cyclists financially; it chips away at the progress toward eco-friendly urban transit. “A bike that’s lost to theft is often replaced by a less sustainable option. And we knew we had to find a way to keep people riding.” Dunn explained to SV’s Head of Design, James Wright in a recent interview.
Motivated by this vision, Dunn and his co-founder Richard White launched BackPedal. The concept is simple but powerful. Back Pedal installs hidden trackers on bikes, and when a bike is stolen, trained recovery agents—often former police officers—go into action, tracking and retrieving the bike wherever it may have ended up. These recovery agents are the muscle behind the mission, working closely with local authorities and, as Dunn puts it, “sometimes searching in some very unlikely places.”
We have been working with BackPedal to bolster this mission, with Sustainable Ventures Design working alongside BackPedal to push their technology forward. Through our latest Better Futures Programme, our designers Jeremy and James have worked with BackPedal to refine the latest version of their bike tracker technology - a covert design that, for obvious reasons, we’re not able to share!
“When we first started, we had ideas, but Sustainable Ventures helped us explore even more possibilities,” co-founder Richard says, noting that the partnership led to innovative design ideas that could lead to new and exciting projects later down the line.
As they move into 2025, BackPedal’s focus will be on continuing to scale, White explains. Sustainable Ventures remains a steadfast supporter of BackPedal’s growth, and a vision of cities where bike theft doesn’t stand in the way of a sustainable choice.