Why are 75% of cycling trips made by men?

[irc]

... and what about France, Belgium, Italy, Eire ...

Have the stats been cherry-picked?!?

[I'm not saying we can't learn from Germany and NED by the way; just be careful how you interpret statistics ... ]

Yes these statistics have been cherry picked. They have purposefully chosen the countries with the best representation of female cyclists to show what could possibly be achieved - that's the point. Probably are quite a few countries that are worse than us.

Why is fewer female cyclists worse?

[axel_knutt]

Are women more inclined to worry about what others think of them? Cycling isn't a particularly productive way to go about getting yourself a positive image in the UK.

[Audax67]

Bah. What are you going to do, force the lassies onto bikes or yank 33% of blokes off them? People are free to do what they want to (within the law or when no-one's looking) for whatever reason they want. Why bother speculating? Unless, of course, you've got 10 column-inches to fill in the Graun by Monday and you feel like inventing something to belabour half the race with (it always seems to end up there).

[Nearholmer]

If you take the view that getting people out of cars and onto bikes for utility trips is a good idea, because it reduces emissions and congestion, and improves health, then it is important to understand why women are less likely to cycle than men are, and to then try to increase the amount of cycling by women, of course it is.

I’d wager, BTW, that women make more utility trips than men, judging by who I see at the supermarket, school gates, doctors etc, and how women with young families tend to zip around doing errands around the edges of their working day, so there’s probably extra benefit in terms of car-trip reductions, to be had by encouraging/enabling women to cycle more.

[PH]

Bah. What are you going to do, force the lassies onto bikes or yank 33% of blokes off them? People are free to do what they want to (within the law or when no-one's looking) for whatever reason they want.

Because you feel free to do as you please, you shouldn't assume that applies to everybody. If a section of the population feels there are barriers to enjoying these freedoms, then surely it's a good idea to remove them (The barriers, not that section of population). Before doing so they have to be identified and an obstacle to that is the lack of acceptance that they exist.

[Audax67]

Bah. What are you going to do, force the lassies onto bikes or yank 33% of blokes off them? People are free to do what they want to (within the law or when no-one's looking) for whatever reason they want.

Because you feel free to do as you please, you shouldn't assume that applies to everybody. If a section of the population feels there are barriers to enjoying these freedoms, then surely it's a good idea to remove them (The barriers, not that section of population). Before doing so they have to be identified and an obstacle to that is the lack of acceptance that they exist.

Well then, has anybody asked the ladies in question what such barriers might be, or are we just meant to speculate and feel guilty?

[roubaixtuesday]

Bah. What are you going to do, force the lassies onto bikes or yank 33% of blokes off them? People are free to do what they want to (within the law or when no-one's looking) for whatever reason they want.

Because you feel free to do as you please, you shouldn't assume that applies to everybody. If a section of the population feels there are barriers to enjoying these freedoms, then surely it's a good idea to remove them (The barriers, not that section of population). Before doing so they have to be identified and an obstacle to that is the lack of acceptance that they exist.

Well then, has anybody asked the ladies in question what such barriers might be, or are we just meant to speculate and feel guilty?

Not sure why any individual would feel guilty about gender statistics in cycling.

Re listening, did you listen to the item?

[roubaixtuesday]

It seems that harassment of women by other road users has a part in this, as does the general (false) perception of cycling as being dangerous. Together with the roles women take in society.

Very disappointing to read men feeling it's not an issue.

[Audax67]

Re listening, did you listen to the item?

TL;DL, I must confess. Besides, it's about Britain.

It seems that harassment of women by other road users has a part in this, as does the general (false) perception of cycling as being dangerous. Together with the roles women take in society.

Very disappointing to read men feeling it's not an issue.

If there are oiks who feel free to harass women on bicycles I'd expect them to harass women in any circumstances. I suppose that being on a bike means that they may be seen as vulnerable and therefore easier victims, but it's the oikery in general that needs to be tackled. I don't think there's much that male cyclists can do about it unless they are cycling with the women in question and are prepared to get into a fight.

[PH]

Because you feel free to do as you please, you shouldn't assume that applies to everybody.

Well then, has anybody asked the ladies in question what such barriers might be, or are we just meant to speculate and feel guilty?

I didn't suggest you should feel guilty, just not be so dismissive. We don't need to ask again, there's plenty been written on the subject* , it certainly doesn't need my male speculation to identify the problems. Though we can all be aware of the issues that have been identified, so as to not exacerbate them, even if we're doing nothing to alleviate them. Action is being taken to break down those barriers, Cycling UK and British Cycling have made some effort over the last few years, as has AUK. Part of that is simply being what image is presented as the norm, like attracts like. If you compare the websites of CUK, BC and AUK to what they were ten years ago there's far more diversity in the images presented.

* First four hits on Google, there's plenty more.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/campa ... en-cycling

https://seesense.cc/blogs/hub/why-don-t ... N7rW29opiC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... e-41737483

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ling-roads

[Carlton green]

It seems that harassment of women by other road users has a part in this, as does the general (false) perception of cycling as being dangerous. Together with the roles women take in society.

Very disappointing to read men feeling it's not an issue.

It would have helped if you’d summarised the report for us, not everyone has the time and inclination to listen to radio programs.

In my guessing exercise I suggested harassment and to be honest that happens right across women’s experiences of the world, decent men do what they can to improve matters but there’s always someone who will try to take liberties with others. The Ladies can be an assertive bunch and those in my own family have tackled people who have behaved inappropriately to them - whether it be in the workplace or passing a building site.

You can decide that some men here feel it’s not an issue or you could just think that the original question was far too vague and that it got the dismissal it baited.

[mattsccm]

Is it societies position to mitigate this?
If some one is unwilling to do something that is not a problem belonging to the rest of us on the whole. Agreed there may be specific circumstances where it might be but generally people's personal likes, dislikes, fears etc are not the responsibility of others.

[Blondie]

Why is it a problem?

# women have a low power to weight ratio,

As do middle aged men, but it doesn’t stop them cycling.

[Nearholmer]

Until we understand why it is so, we don’t know whether or not “it’s societies business”; it might be, or it might not. So, we could do with more facts.

[Nearholmer]

Is it societies position to mitigate this?

It might well be in relation to some of the known reasons.