Time for Optimism?

[mark a.]

There has been a rush of cycling programmes and news stories on the BBC.
Chris Hoy is a household name.
The new London cycle hire scheme has launched today and is getting lots of press.
According to this month's Cycle magazine, there are up to 1000 new CTC members a month.
Sportives sell out like hot cakes.
There are waiting lists for Pashleys and Bromptons.

And, my mum has finally bought a bike!

Is this a good time to be optimistic about the future of cycling in the UK?

[Guy951]

I'm sticking with good old-fashioned pessimism. That way I can be pleasantly surprised when the worst doesn't happen.

[thirdcrank]

... And, my mum has finally bought a bike!

Is this a good time to be optimistic about the future of cycling in the UK?

I'll take your word for it that that's a positive sign. For the rest, we have had a few false dawns. For the first decade at least of my cycling, the household name was Reg Harris (and I've had his name idly shouted at me much more than Chris Hoy's - although that may say more about my current cruising speed) We've had any number of initiatives - think "Bike it, you'll like it" (circa 1959?) was the first I remember.

An eveing of cycling progs on telly? It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since we had "A Sunday in Hell" "Belleville rendezvous" finished off with, wait for it "Death on the Mountain."

So the jury's still out. Tell your mum a lot depends on her I'm sure she's up to it.

[Nutsey]

I agree with the OP. Seeing Boris on tv this morning encouraging novices to get on abike, ride assertively, and NOT wear a helmet really put a smile on my face

[mark a.]

Looks like pessimism rules. I suppose it's the easy option.

It can be more fun, though, since arguments, rants and moans can be entertaining. But that's probably an optimistic view on pessimism, so I should stop there.

[kwackers]

Looks like pessimism rules. I suppose it's the easy option.

It can be more fun, though, since arguments, rants and moans can be entertaining. But that's probably an optimistic view on pessimism, so I should stop there.

Optimism is a young persons game, once you've seen several false dawns you finally twig that you may as well wait for the sun to rise before getting too excited.

[reohn2]

I'm certainly seeing a lot more cyclists on the road and more groups/clubs than ever,theres even a new branch of The Clarion doing well in Warrington (just down the road from me) so yes,I think cycling is growing in popularity,though were not out of the woods yet by a long shot.
In this country we're well know for our fads.If its fashionable we'll do it .The thing is to keep the ball,err I mean wheel,rolling and to do that people will need to "feel" safe when cycling and not be treated by some as weirdos,which is all too apparent by a minority of road users.
The more cyclists on the road the more acceptable it will become as "normal" but theres a lot of prejudice out there,my eldest daughter was chatting to a seeingly well balanced mother at her mother and toddler group this person was mentioning how she needed to get some exercise,my daughter mentioned cycling and that her mum and dad were cycling nuts which was met by "cyclists!oh I can't stand those they're always in the way" my daughter put her straight on her misconceptions,needless to say she was a 4X4 driver,its this kind of mindset we're up against but things are on the up at the moment .

[thirdcrank]

I suppose it's going two ways. Cycling for leisure, fitness etc., is a growth industry: go in any main car dealer's showroom and they are likely to have a 4 x 4 on display complete with a mountain bike on the roof rack. A lot of 'cycling' is on excercise bikes. Of course, all that extra motor traffic - including cars with bikes strapped on and people driving to the gym - means that making any journey of any length by bike (journey as in 'route defined by wanting to ride from A to B' rather than 'ride a decent distance on any road so long as it's pleasant') becomes more and more difficult.

It also seems that utility cycling is also increasing - probably on the Tebbit principle. As the financial chicanery of recent years begins to unravel, so the gap between the haves and have nots widens. The growing use of motor vehicles affects this as well. Public transport is either too expensive, too unreliable (or both) for many working people so cycling is the only option. I doubt if many of them would reject a company car if they had the opportunity.

[kwackers]

It also seems that utility cycling is also increasing - probably on the Tebbit principle. As the financial chicanery of recent years begins to unravel, so the gap between the haves and have nots widens. The growing use of motor vehicles affects this as well. Public transport is either too expensive, too unreliable (or both) for many working people so cycling is the only option. I doubt if many of them would reject a company car if they had the opportunity.

I think utility cycling is probably more of a growth activity amongst the middle classes. As a point of note the company I work at (where most people are well paid, essentially middle class young folk) has around 200 people and there are frequently around 20 bicycles in the racks. That's 10% - I doubt the average is anything like that.
Although in the winter the number drops to around 5 or 6 hard core types, so they're not 'seasoned' vets...

Of course it could just be an anomaly of my particular company.

IMO if there's a cause for optimism then young middle class professionals cycling is it. They're the folk who'll eventually have the politicians ears.

[patricktaylor]

"Between 1980 and 2008 ... the distance travelled by pedal cycle has remained around 5 billion passenger kilometres." - I think they mean per year (seems a lot) and it excludes offroad cycling and maybe some other categories. Of course everything might have changed since 2008 - Boris, Sir Chris, Beaumont, etc.

(I'm a passenger on my bike!)

See the Department for Transport (PDF)

I'm always optimistic about the future of cycling. When those cycling programmes appear on BBC1 instead of BBC4 we'll be getting somewhere, or when there are as many cyclists as gardeners.

[Nutsey]

I think whats going on in london should be a significant catalyst for the nation's cities. Shame manchester is turning a blind eye despite wanting to be a cycling city.

We have a pro cycling PM, pro cycling mayor of london, and a drive towards third sector power in local politics - so the CTC has a lot of wiggle room to make changes.

[reohn2]

"Between 1980 and 2008 ... the distance travelled by pedal cycle has remained around 5 billion passenger kilometres." - I think they mean per year (seems a lot) and it excludes offroad cycling and maybe some other categories. Of course everything might have changed since 2008 - Boris, Sir Chris, Beaumont, etc.

(I'm a passenger on my bike!)

See the Department for Transport (PDF)

.

How do they measure that ? no one has ever asked me how far I cycle.

[kwackers]

How do they measure that ? no one has ever asked me how far I cycle.

How far do you cycle?

[reohn2]

How do they measure that ? no one has ever asked me how far I cycle.

How far do you cycle?

Not telling

[Lawrie9]

with the population expected to rise to about 80 million in 30 years and rising sea levels only mountain bikers living on mountain tops have any cause to be optimistic