“Two wheels bad”? : the status of cycling in the Youth Hostels Association of England and Wales in the 1930s

Abstract

The Youth Hostels Association (YHA) was founded to provide cheap accommodation for rural holidays. It catered for both walkers and cyclists. However, many perceived the organisation as one that favoured walkers, considering walking to be a superior form of travel which was also reflected in YHA policy. Despite this, the YHA had close institutional links with cycling organisations and many cyclists among its members. This article traces the YHA’s relationship with walkers and cyclists and, despite occasional tensions, shows that the two groups could be accommodated within the organisatio