Pedal power - the unstoppable growth of cycling

[mercalia]

BBC article - Pedal power - the unstoppable growth of cycling

too many pictures of racing? and athletic type cycling?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35101252

[lingy]

Surely any boom in cycling is good news? There's certainly a London phenomenon but it seems to me the biggest boom outside the capital is in race bike rides....90% of the bikes I saw out yesterday.
We do need an even bigger boom in utility cycling and touring... But I think the boom in cycle sport and sports bike riding is great. It's now more likely that the motor vehicle driver passing you also rides a bike which must be good.
We just need politicians outside London to catch up...must admit I shuddered a bit seeing the latest 'superhighway' infrastructure being constructed in Leeds recently.
But happy to embrace all forms of cycling including the boom in cycle sport.

[Vantage]

The whole attitude to cycling in the UK is a joke. You can't even get a cycling themed Christmas card unless it's a race bike or mountain bike on the front.

[TrevA]

There's certainly a boom in leisure road cycling. I see many groups out on the road during my road rides and new road cycling clubs springing up all over the place.

This may lead to an increase in utility cycling as all these born-again cyclists realise they can commute by bike as well as use it for fitness and leisure. This may even trickle down to touring, although in my experience, these new cyclists want to do challenge-type rides, like London to Paris, with full back up and a support van.

[661-Pete]

I saw that article before this thread. Quite positive, I think, although I'd rather have had less mention of the clothing aspect. To me, cycling is about cycling - just that - and what you wear is immaterial (no pun intended). In fact I don't have a single item of cycle-specific clothing that I can get into, nowadays, except for shoes. And as for Rapha ....

You can't even get a cycling themed Christmas card unless it's a race bike or mountain bike on the front.

Maybe, but one of the OTT-Xmas-decorated houses a few streets from ours, was sporting an illuminated, and animated, Santa riding a bike. Might be better for his waistline than all those reindeer, at any rate....

[Pete Owens]

You can't even get a cycling themed Christmas card unless it's a race bike or mountain bike on the front.

You can't be trying hard enough:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/jeremy-corbyns-christmas-card-is-mocked-for-lacking-christmas-spirit-204101

[Ron]

A week after the start of the Big Bike Revival on 19th September, figures were released today showing continuing decline in cycling.
The 'Transport and Travel in Scotland' report found that 2.2 per cent of people "usually" cycled to work in 2015, down from 2.4 per cent in 2014. Among those who did not, nearly a third said they were put off by "too many cars on the road" or because "traffic travels too fast".
It comes as the estimated volume of traffic on Scotland's roads hit a record high in 2015, up by around one per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, cycling accounted for only 1.2 per cent of all journeys in 2015, down from 1.4 per cent the previous year.

[pwa]

Around here, in a rural area not far from a town, we have far more cyclists on the roads than we had when we arrived here about 19 years ago. Mostly in lycra. Nothing wrong with that. I wear it myself when I'm on a long ride and I put comfort above looking good. Anyone on a bicycle is a cyclist.

[arnsider]

I hate to appear superior, but anyone who cycles in and around London must be very brave and very long suffering.
Thankfully, all my riding has been done in some of the UK's loveliest countryside, away from traffic congestion, clogged up villages and small towns and rat run mentality.
The UK's big rural counties are by far the best areas to enjoy cycling and it's hard to beat places like North Yorkshire, Breconshire, Cumbria and Devon.
There has been a big upturn up here in the North, but then Lancashire's Fylde was always a hot bed.

[Postboxer]

It is a problem, late 80's early 90's kids switched from wanting BMX's to wanting Mountain bikes, I would guess that the majority of both were seldom used for their proper purposes though maybe more bmx's used for doing stunts that mountain bikes were for going proper off-roading, I haven't noticed any kids on race bikes riding around town, not sure there'll ever be a trend for touring or utility bikes. I think the problem is you don't see them anywhere, supermarkets don't sell them, Halford's may do a few utility bikes but not any tourers, despite them being the best suited for being an all round bike. Make children carry a few kilos of text books to and from school every day and ban them getting lifts and they'll soon all be cycling touring bikes to school, or cargo bikes. Maybe if the cost of motoring keeps rising there will be a big gap in the market for cheap utility bikes.

[nosmarbaj]

I hate to appear superior, but anyone who cycles in and around London must be very brave and very long suffering.
Thankfully, all my riding has been done in some of the UK's loveliest countryside, away from traffic congestion, clogged up villages and small towns and rat run mentality.

If all your cycling has been done away from congested urban areas, how do you know one has to be brave and long-suffering to cycle there?
OK, for pleasure many would prefer the countryside, but motor traffic congestion is one of many good reasons to use a cycle for utility journeys; and in heavy traffic the cars aren't moving fast, so if you cycle sensibly it's pretty safe. Also while there is always the occasional moron, most drivers can see that it's not the cyclist who's holding them up, and IME by and large are reasonably considerate.

[toomsie]

I hate to appear superior, but anyone who cycles in and around London must be very brave and very long suffering.

If I was to guess, about 50% of central London have a pleasant commute. On commuting times, its like a party happening. Cyclists everywhere. On many routes it feels very safe. Where I live, Croydon, there are less cyclists but there is a considerable increase this year though, by next year there will be more cyclists then BMW cars..

[drossall]

OK, for pleasure many would prefer the countryside, but motor traffic congestion is one of many good reasons to use a cycle for utility journeys; and in heavy traffic the cars aren't moving fast, so if you cycle sensibly it's pretty safe. Also while there is always the occasional moron, most drivers can see that it's not the cyclist who's holding them up, and IME by and large are reasonably considerate.

+1. I've spent a lifetime avoiding riding in London but, as of a couple of years ago, now work there. I'm perfectly happy riding in and even across the city.

[Philip Benstead]

I find it strange some people perception of the dangers of cycling in central London. I have been riding a bike in central London since I was 14. I find riding in some parts of outer London more dangerous and on some A roads in the south of England and some provisional towns.

I and 6 club mate were knock off our bikes in 1986 riding in the countryside near new Romney, the driver who caused it was later for cricket match.

[drossall]

I find riding in some parts of outer London more dangerous...

+1. Drivers out there lack the same experience with cyclists that their inner-London compatriots gain.