britons cycle 53 miles per year

[Banjo]

How on earth do they dream up these "statistics". Anyone on here ever been asked how far they cycle by anyone from the statistics office?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I propose adopting the Brit (53 miles) as a cycling unit. Far better than an imperial half-century.

 

[I like Skol]

I propose adopting the Brit (53 miles) as a cycling unit. Far better than an imperial half-century.

I once did 2.5 brits in one day

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I once did 2.5 brits in one day

Slut!

 

[Brandane]

I am surprised that the figure is as high as 53 miles. If my home town is anything to go by, I would estimate that from a poulation of 14000, there are perhaps 20 regular cyclists. Add on another 50 casual cyclists, and maybe 70 teenagers and kids who venture out occasionally. That gives a nice round figure of 1% of the population who cycle, and that is probably a fair representation of most small towns in the west of Scotland. So each cyclist has to do 5300 miles to compensate for everyone else!

 

[Easytigers]

As above...also surprised that it's that high. When commuting only ever see two or three other cyclists on the 40 minute ride.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

How on earth do they dream up these "statistics". Anyone on here ever been asked how far they cycle by anyone from the statistics office?

Of course not - we're statistical anomalies . Weirdos who think that cycling can be a regular part of our lives, and don't feel the need for cars.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Of course not - we're statistical anomalies . Weirdos who think that cycling can be a regular part of our lives, and don't feel the need for cars.

Cycling is very much a part of my life, however I also feel the need of a car. Am I a weirdo? I get very tired of these generalizations.

 

[I like Skol]

Cycling is very much a part of my life, however I also feel the need of a car. Am I a weirdo? I get very tired of these generalizations.

^^^^^ This. Horses for courses etc.......

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Cycling is very much a part of my life, however I also feel the need of a car. Am I a weirdo? I get very tired of these generalizations.

People who use cars aren't looked on with the same mixture of distrust and dislike that cyclists who don't use cars are. I know this from personal experience.

However, I'm well aware that a lot of cyclists also need cars sometimes, so agree that my previous post contained an invalid generalisation.

 

[400bhp]

As above...also surprised that it's that high. When commuting only ever see two or three other cyclists on the 40 minute ride.

I account for 139 other people in the population

Must be another 1/2m peeps like me, how dull.

 

[Fifelad]

Get my kill at work where my commute there is only a 33 mile round trip, when asked the first time I cycled in "you haven't cycled all the way though right ?" a look of disbelief from fat/smoking/generaly unfit work collegues, enough said....

 

[nickyboy]

I am surprised that the figure is as high as 53 miles. If my home town is anything to go by, I would estimate that from a poulation of 14000, there are perhaps 20 regular cyclists. Add on another 50 casual cyclists, and maybe 70 teenagers and kids who venture out occasionally. That gives a nice round figure of 1% of the population who cycle, and that is probably a fair representation of most small towns in the west of Scotland. So each cyclist has to do 5300 miles to compensate for everyone else!

And that's probably not far wide of the mark in terms of what's happening nationally (although cycling is probably more popular in less hilly, more affluent areas). These simple averages are a waste of time, other than to show the trend. "53 miles" means nothing in itself.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Now ther was me thinking it was because us poor old souls up her in the Hyndburn/Rossendale area did not do as much cycling due to all the hills we have to climb up,lets face it our flat bits are either up or down,now where all those rich folks live it seem to me to be so much flatter that I think my milage would shoot through the roof lol.

If i lived on the "posh" Fylde Coast Ern i'd nearly double my annual mileage i reckon! Flat as a pancake and a "well to do area" as well,no wonder so many of 'em are out there doing the easy stuff! I was talking to some cyclists from St Anne's on Sunday,they love our hills they told me as you can't do any serious stuff back home as the roads are clogged up and it's full of plodders doing 6mph on the flat!

 

[slowmotion]

I wouldn't get too lathered up about those 53 miles. A similar statistic was mentioned about the usage of privately owned boats in the UK....all yachts, motorboats, dinghies etc. They divided the number of craft by the total time that they were used on the water.

Forty minutes.

Statistics are wonderful, innit?