Why are 75% of cycling trips made by men?

[roubaixtuesday]

https://bsky.app/profile/cyclinguk.bsky ... ucjsocpc2u

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026vvf

According to stats from Cycling UK, 75% of cycling trips in the UK are made by men - but women are increasingly turning to the gym and indoor classes for their biking fix. Nuala discusses how we can get more women cycling, inside and outside, with Michelle Arthurs Brennan, digital editor at Cycling Weekly, and Clare Rogers from the London Cycling Campaign women's network.

[axel_knutt]

But punctures - learn how to repair one.
But potholes - watch where you're going and don't ride through puddles.
But I'll get lost - learn how to navigate.
But I'll get sweaty - cycle slower.

[deeferdonk]

Because dude's rock!

But seriously its because men are statistically more likely to be risk takers due to hormones etc.

Unfortunately taking a cycling trip that shares a road with traffic often is and/or is rightly perceived to be a risk by right thinking people (AKA women). This won't change until we reduce the risk adequately via attitudes and infrastructure. There's plenty of women riding around Amsterdam.

[jgurney]

Is there data on cycling by teenagers of each sexes?

How many adult cyclists started as children or teenagers (I suspect, most) and how many as adults? In particular how far is it true that someone who has never cycled by the age of 18 is unlikely to start later?

I wonder whether children and teenagers of both sexes start cycling in similar numbers, but then women are less likely to continue cycling into adulthood, or whether boys more likely than girls to start cycling as children or teenagers?

[Aikon]

Bike share schemes are closer to an even split, https://democracy.brighton-hove.gov.uk ... 0n%201.pdf

[irc]

Why is it a problem?

[Carlton green]

Why is it a problem?

Quite, it’s up to the Ladies what they do and the Ladies in my life are - as seems the norm - self determined. The thread is in the wrong section of the forum, this part of it (women’s cycling interests) is for women to raise issues particular to them and us chaps should respect that.

[deeferdonk]

Why is it a problem?

Well if you see cycling as a an inherently good thing for society, better for health, less congestion/pollution, etc you want more people to cycle and you may look at the barriers that stop people from doing it. If these barriers statistically affect a portion of the population more than others, or they have additional barriers, it would be useful to understand why this is, so society can mitigate this.

(apologies if this response comes across as patronising - i have a tendency to mansplain!)

[Carlton green]

Why is it a problem?

Well if you see cycling as a an inherently good thing for society, better for health, less congestion/pollution, etc you want more people to cycle and you may look at the barriers that stop people from doing it. If these barriers statistically affect a portion of the population more than others, or they have additional barriers, it would be useful to understand why this is, so society can mitigate this.

(apologies if this response comes across as patronising - i have a tendency to mansplain!)

Blokes trying to answer for the Ladies is a bit like trying to see without a torch on a cloudy and moonless night. My observations, which aren’t comprehensive and might not be correct, include:
# one answer doesn’t apply to all and there’s (also) a wide range of influences.
# women have a low power to weight ratio, for some it’s sometimes too low for cycling. That includes things like pulling brake levers as well as pushing peddles.
# women mostly don’t enjoy exercise and do mind getting sweaty.
# there are multiple vulnerabilities that blokes don’t understand, and that women only talk about between themselves.
# bikes sold to people are often a poor fit that’s uncomfortable to use, men suffer and then change whatever needs changing whilst women suffer but are unable to change whatever needs changing so give up riding.
# women sometimes find bike saddles uncomfortable and sometimes they have additional issues that make them really uncomfortable.
# the roads do have some aggressive behaviour on them and that makes cyclists physically vulnerable - women are typically weak so even more vulnerable than men.
# there’s always some stupid bloke who fancies his chances with a vulnerable women, they feel (additionally) unsafe on the roads.
# women rarely know how to mend punctures or fix other mechanical issues, and some of that work requires strength that they either don’t or might not have.
# women don’t understand how gears and other stuff works, and for whatever reason blokes explaining doesn’t help.
# personal presentation can be important so clothing and appearance are an issue.
# women have other calls on their time and energies that displace cycling.
# women tend to travel less than men.

Much as I’d like to encourage the Ladies to ride more they don’t and it’s not for want of enough blokes being interested and able - at least in part - to improve matters for them.

[irc]

Why is it a problem?

Well if you see cycling as a an inherently good thing for society, better for health, less congestion/pollution, etc you want more people to cycle and you may look at the barriers that stop people from doing it. If these barriers statistically affect a portion of the population more than others, or they have additional barriers, it would be useful to understand why this is, so society can mitigate this.

(apologies if this response comes across as patronising - i have a tendency to mansplain!)

While I think cycling is safe for me it may not be as safe for inexperienced riders. So choosing something other than cycling for exercise is a valid choice. My son who bike commutes has had three offs in the last few years. Once taken out by a car, twice his fault. No serious injury but I can see why some people might choose to commute by car/bus/train and go to the gym or the Parkrun rather than cycle.
I have no interest in whether or not more people cycle. With the current 1 0r 2% of journeys by bike congestion is not a major problem where I live.


Barriers? I see choices. A female neighbour runs ultra marthons. Never cycles. The gym? Fitness benefits that are not affected by weather, danger etc. Same for jogging. I see loads of female runners locally. Female cyclists are rare enough that they stand out when I see them. Likewise non white riders. There is only 1 non white guy I have seen riding locally a few times. Same as for hillwalking. Mostly white and male. Barriers or choices?

[deeferdonk]

# women have a low power to weight ratio, for some it’s sometimes too low for cycling. That includes things like pulling brake levers as well as pushing peddles.
# women mostly don’t enjoy exercise and do mind getting sweaty.
# bikes sold to people are often a poor fit that’s uncomfortable to use, men suffer and then change whatever needs changing whilst women suffer but are unable to change whatever needs changing so give up riding.
# women sometimes find bike saddles uncomfortable and sometimes they have additional issues that make them really uncomfortable.
# women rarely know how to mend punctures or fix other mechanical issues, and some of that work requires strength that they either don’t or might not have.
# women don’t understand how gears and other stuff works, and for whatever reason blokes explaining doesn’t help.
# personal presentation can be important so clothing and appearance are an issue.
# women have other calls on their time and energies that displace cycling.
# women tend to travel less than men.

Why don't these reasons apply to Dutch, German and Danish women?

According to cycling UK:

In the Netherlands, although far less heavily skewed, the gender split is the other way around: women make 55% of all cycling trips, while 25% of trips made by over 75-year-olds are done by bike. With 45% of trips taken by women in Denmark and 49% by women in Germany, our European neighbours show that cycling doesn’t have to exclude women to the great extent it does in the UK.

[mattheus]

...

Why don't these reasons apply to Dutch, German and Danish women?

According to cycling UK:

In the Netherlands, although far less heavily skewed, the gender split is the other way around: women make 55% of all cycling trips, while 25% of trips made by over 75-year-olds are done by bike. With 45% of trips taken by women in Denmark and 49% by women in Germany, our European neighbours show that cycling doesn’t have to exclude women to the great extent it does in the UK.

... 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 ... ]

[PH]

Why is it a problem?

That can't be answered without first understanding the reasons it occurs.

[Carlton green]

Why don't these reasons apply to Dutch, German and Danish women?

We don’t know whether or not some or all of those observations/variables/influences also apply to those women, all that we know is that women cycle more in those countries.

Maybe those countries have geography and social attitudes that are more supportive of cycling in general. Maybe the bikes that are available to them are more fit for purpose. Maybe there are great variations across Europe that we don’t understand.

Whilst quoting me you missed an important and contextual part of my post:

Blokes trying to answer for the Ladies is a bit like trying to see without a torch on a cloudy and moonless night. My observations, which aren’t comprehensive and might not be correct, include:
# one answer doesn’t apply to all and there’s (also) a wide range of influences.

[deeferdonk]

... 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.