Dublin City Council has teamed up with the popular photography project Humans of Dublin to launch a nine-part storytelling series in celebration of Bike Week 2026.

The initiative focuses on nine individuals from various backgrounds, using Humans of Dublin's signature portrait-and-narrative style to explore how cycling fits into their daily lives. By highlighting personal experiences, the series aims to present cycling as a practical and positive element of life in the capital. The stories are set to be released daily over nine consecutive days, reaching a conclusion on the final day of Bike Week.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, welcomed the project, stating: "Bike Week is a celebration of the everyday people who keep Dublin moving by bike, whether travelling to work, school or around their neighbourhoods. Through our partnership with Humans of Dublin, we are giving faces and voices to these daily journeys, moving beyond infrastructure and statistics to the real lived experiences of Dubliners. By sharing these personal stories, the series highlights cycling as a normal, human part of city life and its role in creating a more connected, accessible and people‑centred Dublin." The collaboration is part of a wider effort to build a collection of cycling-related narratives, with the partners investigating the possibility of a future physical exhibition to extend the campaign's impact beyond digital platforms.

Peter Varga of Humans of Dublin, who is interviewing and photographing the participants at various city locations, commented on the importance of perspective: "My focus has always been on the people and their experiences. This project is about 'slowing down' long enough to truly see the person on the bike. Every person I photographed is someone's parent, child, partner, friend or neighbour, simply trying to get from one place to another. I believe empathy plays a huge role in how we share our roads and our city. The more we recognise each other's humanity, the safer and kinder Dublin becomes for everyone."

The campaign also seeks to counter recent negative discourse regarding cyclists in the city. Aillish Lally, Cycling and Walking Officer at Dublin City Council, explained: "We wanted to work with Humans of Dublin to share cyclists' lives and stories to literally humanise cyclists in the city as a response to negative commentary and coverage of cyclists in recent months. We hope that these stories help to make cycling more relatable and to change common discourse and media commentary about cyclists, and, ultimately, to make our roads safer for all users."

Bike Week 2026 is a national event dedicated to promoting the individual and community benefits of cycling, with this series ensuring that the residents of Dublin remain at the centre of the celebration.