How many cyclists?

[Wheeler]

Today on Radio 4, the sports reporter claimed that after fishing, sailing was the next most popular sport in the UK. So where does cycling fit in? He said the figures are based on the "number of participants". Surely we can beat the reported 3.3m anglers who are reputed to be sportspersons?

[gar]

Cycling is so much part of the woodwork that nobody even thinks of it. In the winter it would only number in thousands and possibly not even tens of thousands.

You can read what you like in to figures. Journalists will invent any figures they like to fit their story.
There are a great many sailors who sail once a year but describe themslves as weekend sailors
and have a boat, moored for 360 days a year.

To put it in to context at one time I went out with the Foot beagles and I used to read that there were more horse owners than any other sport.

When people are enthusiastic it is notoriously difficult to survey... they will say anything to satisfy their passion.

Some of the people who write here are some of the most dedictaed riders in the UK for general purposes and anti car.

That is the acid test for Cyclists.... if they have no car... then they are real cyclists!!
in the UK. Well!

[TJ]

Very true!
It was Dr. Johnson that said: There are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics.