Seven out of ten people say they never ride a bike, as safer roads – not
more cycle lanes – viewed as key to encouraging cycling, new national
travel study finds

According to the government’s National Travel Attitudes Study, almost half
of people in England don’t cycle due to safety concerns, while those who
regularly use a bike are more likely to be middle class and middle aged

by RYAN MALLON
FRI, JAN 19, 2024 13:48

Seven out of ten people never ride a bicycle, a new government survey on
attitudes towards travel has found, which also revealed that safer roads –
rather than the introduction of new cycling-specific infrastructure – would
encourage more people to cycle on a regular basis.

According to the National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) (link is external),
which collected responses from 2,011 individuals aged 16 and over in
England and was published yesterday by the government, general safety
concerns were also cited as the primary reason for discouraging cycling,
along with poor weather and travel distances.

However, when asked if they would be more likely to cycle, or cycle more,
if new bike lanes were introduced in their area, only 29 per cent of
respondents claimed that building new infrastructure would make them more
likely to ride a bike, compared to 44 per cent who reckoned such an outcome
would be unlikely (while 11 per cent, notably, believe that their area
already has enough cycle lanes).

Middle aged, middle class, and middle of the road?

When it comes to discerning what kind of person actually rides a bike, the
National Travel Attitudes Survey unfortunately won’t do much to dispel the
tabloid-fuelled notion that a large proportion of cyclists are well-off
MAMILs.

Of the survey’s 2,011 respondents, 39 per cent of people aged 16 and over
own a bicycle or have access to one, a figure comparable to the 2022
Walking and Cycling statistics release which found that 43 per cent of
people aged five or over are able to jump on a bike.

Drilling down into the demographics of those who own a bike, the results
echo socialist Eamonn McCann’s denunciation of nationalist reformers in
1960s Northern Ireland (a famous quote alluded to in the above subtitle and
not, of course, a reference to road positioning), with cyclists more likely
to be located firmly in the middle-class and middle-aged classifications.

According to the survey, 48 per cent of respondents aged 40 to 59 have
regular use of a bicycle, compared to 43 per cent of those aged 16 to 39,
39 per cent of those in their 60s, and 16 per cent of anyone aged 70 or
older.

The stereotype appears even harsher when assessing household income. In
households where the average annual income is less than £15,000, only 25
per cent of people have access to a bike. This figure rises to 35 per cent
for those earning a household income of £15,000 to £35,000, before jumping
to 48 and 50 per cent for those earning £35,000 to £50,000 and £50,000 or
more, respectively.

How often do people cycle?

With only 39 per cent of respondents having access to a bicycle, it’s
perhaps no surprise that 70 per cent say that in an average week they never
travel by bike. On the other hand, 18 per cent say they cycle for travel at
least once a month, with just seven per cent revealing that they have never
experienced the joy of riding a bike.

93 per cent, meanwhile, say they have never used an e-bike rental scheme,
though two per cent of respondents say they avail of hire bike initiatives
at least once a month.

When asked how confident they feel when riding a bike, 56 per cent said
they were either fairly or totally confident, compared to 36 per cent who
said they were not very or not at all confident when riding a bike (with
those who lack confidence jumping dramatically over the age of 70).

So what factors help encourage or discourage cycling?

While the introduction of cycling infrastructure and bike lanes has become
a central part of the active travel agenda over the past decade, it’s
perhaps noticeable that, at least in the government’s latest survey, cycle
lanes aren’t viewed as a panacea for getting more people to ride bikes.

National Travel Attitudes Study 2024 2
According to the study, only 29 per cent said that they would be likely to
cycle, or cycle more, if more bike lanes were introduced in their area.
This number was slightly higher in urban areas, though 42 per cent of town
and city dwellers said they would be unlikely to take up cycling thanks to
the presence of new bike lanes. 12 per cent of respondents also believe
that their town or city “already has enough cycle lanes”.

In rural areas, perhaps unsurprisingly, the percentage of those who
wouldn’t be swayed by fresh new infrastructure is 53 per cent.

The survey’s findings on cycle lanes, incidentally, echo the recent work of
Malmö University researcher Zahra Hamidi, whose study on attitudes towards
cycling suggested that building more cycle lanes is just one part of the
equation to get more people cycling, but it is not sufficient on its own to
achieve that goal.

Meanwhile, safer roads were instead cited as the factor that would
encourage the largest proportion of people to cycle, or cycle more, with 61
per cent of respondents choosing this option (including roughly two thirds
of those aged between 16 and 59).

Other factors, such as a clear gender dynamic, come into play when
assessing the factors that would most encourage cycling. 57 per cent of men
were inclined to agree that well-maintained road surfaces would be an
encouragement, compared to 47 per cent of females who thought the same.

The roles, however, were reversed when it came to assessing the impact of
cycle training for teaching both the fundamentals of riding a bike and
boosting confidence, with 17 per cent of women agreeing that training would
encourage them to cycle more, compared to 10 per cent of males.

When considering just those who cycle at least annually, women are more
likely to be encouraged by the presence of off-road and protected cycle
paths and lanes (76 per cent compared to 63 per cent of men surveyed),
along with safer roads in general (78 per cent compared to 69 per cent).

Those findings support the recent study conducted by the London Cycling
Campaign’s Women’s Network, which found that 93 per cent of women have
experienced dangerous and intimidatory driving while cycling, and that 88
per cent of women say they prefer cycling on protected cycle lanes or on
low traffic routes, and that they rely on them for their journeys, refusing
to ride their bike without them.

People from ethnic minority backgrounds, meanwhile – who despite being more
likely to cycle “at least annually” make fewer cycle trips than their white
counterparts – responded more favourably to every kind of encouragement to
cycle than respondents on the whole, with 74 per cent agreeing that safer
roads were key to encouraging cycling.

Individuals from white backgrounds were also notably much less likely to be
encouraged by cycling training, better bike hire facilities, and the
opportunity to buy or hire cheaper bicycles than those from ethnic minority
backgrounds.

Finally, when asked what reasons they gave for choosing not to ride a bike,
or for not cycling more, 48 per cent of respondents said they were
concerned about safety (with 51 per cent of females citing safety concerns,
compared to 45 per cent of males).

29 per cent of females also said they didn’t feel confident enough in their
cycling skills (compared to just 12 per cent of men), while 32 per cent of
women surveyed – and 28 per cent overall – said having children,
passengers, or too much to carry prevented them from cycling regularly.

36 per cent also said that poor weather stopped them from riding a bike,
while a third of respondents claimed to live too far away “from where I
need to get to” to cycle. 35 per cent of those aged over 70 also noted a
health condition that prevents them from cycling, while 27 per cent of the
same demographic concluded that “cycling is not for people like me”, a view
shared by 12 per cent of the survey’s 2,000-odd respondents.

<https://road.cc/content/news/seven-out-ten-people-say-they-never-ride-bike-306281>

--
Spike

On 19/01/2024 02:30 pm, Spike wrote:
>
> Seven out of ten people say they never ride a bike, as safer roads – not
> more cycle lanes – viewed as key to encouraging cycling, new national
> travel study finds
>
> According to the government’s National Travel Attitudes Study, almost half
> of people in England don’t cycle due to safety concerns, while those who
> regularly use a bike are more likely to be middle class and middle aged
>
> by RYAN MALLON
> FRI, JAN 19, 2024 13:48
>
> Seven out of ten people never ride a bicycle, a new government survey on
> attitudes towards travel has found, which also revealed that safer roads –
> rather than the introduction of new cycling-specific infrastructure – would
> encourage more people to cycle on a regular basis.
>
> According to the National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) (link is external),
> which collected responses from 2,011 individuals aged 16 and over in
> England and was published yesterday by the government, general safety
> concerns were also cited as the primary reason for discouraging cycling,
> along with poor weather and travel distances.
>
> However, when asked if they would be more likely to cycle, or cycle more,
> if new bike lanes were introduced in their area, only 29 per cent of
> respondents claimed that building new infrastructure would make them more
> likely to ride a bike, compared to 44 per cent who reckoned such an outcome
> would be unlikely (while 11 per cent, notably, believe that their area
> already has enough cycle lanes).
>
> Middle aged, middle class, and middle of the road?
>
> When it comes to discerning what kind of person actually rides a bike, the
> National Travel Attitudes Survey unfortunately won’t do much to dispel the
> tabloid-fuelled notion that a large proportion of cyclists are well-off
> MAMILs.
>
> Of the survey’s 2,011 respondents, 39 per cent of people aged 16 and over
> own a bicycle or have access to one, a figure comparable to the 2022
> Walking and Cycling statistics release which found that 43 per cent of
> people aged five or over are able to jump on a bike.
>
> Drilling down into the demographics of those who own a bike, the results
> echo socialist Eamonn McCann’s denunciation of nationalist reformers in
> 1960s Northern Ireland (a famous quote alluded to in the above subtitle and
> not, of course, a reference to road positioning), with cyclists more likely
> to be located firmly in the middle-class and middle-aged classifications.
>
> According to the survey, 48 per cent of respondents aged 40 to 59 have
> regular use of a bicycle, compared to 43 per cent of those aged 16 to 39,
> 39 per cent of those in their 60s, and 16 per cent of anyone aged 70 or
> older.
>
> The stereotype appears even harsher when assessing household income. In
> households where the average annual income is less than £15,000, only 25
> per cent of people have access to a bike. This figure rises to 35 per cent
> for those earning a household income of £15,000 to £35,000, before jumping
> to 48 and 50 per cent for those earning £35,000 to £50,000 and £50,000 or
> more, respectively.
>
> How often do people cycle?
>
> With only 39 per cent of respondents having access to a bicycle, it’s
> perhaps no surprise that 70 per cent say that in an average week they never
> travel by bike. On the other hand, 18 per cent say they cycle for travel at
> least once a month, with just seven per cent revealing that they have never
> experienced the joy of riding a bike.
>
> 93 per cent, meanwhile, say they have never used an e-bike rental scheme,
> though two per cent of respondents say they avail of hire bike initiatives
> at least once a month.
>
> When asked how confident they feel when riding a bike, 56 per cent said
> they were either fairly or totally confident, compared to 36 per cent who
> said they were not very or not at all confident when riding a bike (with
> those who lack confidence jumping dramatically over the age of 70).
>
> So what factors help encourage or discourage cycling?
>
> While the introduction of cycling infrastructure and bike lanes has become
> a central part of the active travel agenda over the past decade, it’s
> perhaps noticeable that, at least in the government’s latest survey, cycle
> lanes aren’t viewed as a panacea for getting more people to ride bikes.
>
> National Travel Attitudes Study 2024 2
> According to the study, only 29 per cent said that they would be likely to
> cycle, or cycle more, if more bike lanes were introduced in their area.
> This number was slightly higher in urban areas, though 42 per cent of town
> and city dwellers said they would be unlikely to take up cycling thanks to
> the presence of new bike lanes. 12 per cent of respondents also believe
> that their town or city “already has enough cycle lanes”.
>
> In rural areas, perhaps unsurprisingly, the percentage of those who
> wouldn’t be swayed by fresh new infrastructure is 53 per cent.
>
> The survey’s findings on cycle lanes, incidentally, echo the recent work of
> Malmö University researcher Zahra Hamidi, whose study on attitudes towards
> cycling suggested that building more cycle lanes is just one part of the
> equation to get more people cycling, but it is not sufficient on its own to
> achieve that goal.
>
> Meanwhile, safer roads were instead cited as the factor that would
> encourage the largest proportion of people to cycle, or cycle more, with 61
> per cent of respondents choosing this option (including roughly two thirds
> of those aged between 16 and 59).
>
> Other factors, such as a clear gender dynamic, come into play when
> assessing the factors that would most encourage cycling. 57 per cent of men
> were inclined to agree that well-maintained road surfaces would be an
> encouragement, compared to 47 per cent of females who thought the same.
>
> The roles, however, were reversed when it came to assessing the impact of
> cycle training for teaching both the fundamentals of riding a bike and
> boosting confidence, with 17 per cent of women agreeing that training would
> encourage them to cycle more, compared to 10 per cent of males.
>
> When considering just those who cycle at least annually, women are more
> likely to be encouraged by the presence of off-road and protected cycle
> paths and lanes (76 per cent compared to 63 per cent of men surveyed),
> along with safer roads in general (78 per cent compared to 69 per cent).
>
> Those findings support the recent study conducted by the London Cycling
> Campaign’s Women’s Network, which found that 93 per cent of women have
> experienced dangerous and intimidatory driving while cycling, and that 88
> per cent of women say they prefer cycling on protected cycle lanes or on
> low traffic routes, and that they rely on them for their journeys, refusing
> to ride their bike without them.
>
> People from ethnic minority backgrounds, meanwhile – who despite being more
> likely to cycle “at least annually” make fewer cycle trips than their white
> counterparts – responded more favourably to every kind of encouragement to
> cycle than respondents on the whole, with 74 per cent agreeing that safer
> roads were key to encouraging cycling.
>
> Individuals from white backgrounds were also notably much less likely to be
> encouraged by cycling training, better bike hire facilities, and the
> opportunity to buy or hire cheaper bicycles than those from ethnic minority
> backgrounds.
>
> Finally, when asked what reasons they gave for choosing not to ride a bike,
> or for not cycling more, 48 per cent of respondents said they were
> concerned about safety (with 51 per cent of females citing safety concerns,
> compared to 45 per cent of males).
>
> 29 per cent of females also said they didn’t feel confident enough in their
> cycling skills (compared to just 12 per cent of men), while 32 per cent of
> women surveyed – and 28 per cent overall – said having children,
> passengers, or too much to carry prevented them from cycling regularly.
>
> 36 per cent also said that poor weather stopped them from riding a bike,
> while a third of respondents claimed to live too far away “from where I
> need to get to” to cycle. 35 per cent of those aged over 70 also noted a
> health condition that prevents them from cycling, while 27 per cent of the
> same demographic concluded that “cycling is not for people like me”, a view
> shared by 12 per cent of the survey’s 2,000-odd respondents.
>
> <https://road.cc/content/news/seven-out-ten-people-say-they-never-ride-bike-306281>

The Late Medway Handyman used frequently to quote a survey and study
which had concluded that the majority of the population not only saw no
value to them in either possessing or using chav-bikes but also couldn't
really see any point for anyone else. A key word was, IIRC,
"embarrassing". That was how the majority regarded chav-bikes and the
chavs who ride them.