"People are giving up on cycling".

[Cycleops]

The proportion of adults in England who say they cycle at least once a month has fallen to 13.1%, the lowest figure since records began in 2015-16
So claim The Grauniad.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...ike-again-why-people-are-giving-up-on-cycling
Do you think there's any truth in this?

 

[GetFatty]

Possibly. I’m trying to reverse the trend by trying to get out once a week after 14 months of not doing

 

[Slick]

No I don't.

It looks like they have amassed some individuals who may have had a negative experience and put them all together for no other reason than to formulate some kind of story.

I don't doubt large swathes of people have made changes since lockdown, and stopping cycling is a choice for some, but I really can't see it being in any great numbers. I would have thought maybe more people looking to cycle to work given the cost of fuel. I certainly seem to meet more than was normal the last couple of months, which is obviously definitive proof.

 

[GetFatty]

Of course.
Cycling was a last resort when we couldn't do anything else. Now everywhere (except the NHS and public sector) is open and fully working again.
People can go shopping, to the pub, to footy matches. Hell'sbells we can even go and see the mother in law.
No need to kill time on the bike.
And have you seen the traffic? It's madness to ride anywhere with all those cars on the road.

It’s not just the public sector at home, most private sector office workers are at home too

 

[slowmotion]

My guess is that a lot of people bought bikes during the Covid lockdowns when city car traffic was pretty light. It enabled them to get about safely without closely mingling with hoards of people on buses and the Tube. The main road arteries in central London were amazingly free of motorised transport. I saw a family of five (with two kids under six) wobbling down Cromwell Road having a whale of a time. Those days have gone.
BTW, this isn't a personal plea for cycle lanes. I enjoy riding in traffic and am prepared to accept the small risk in order to do so. Understandably, some others are not.

 

[Vantage]

I see more cyclists now than at any time in my life so I reckon it's Horlicks.

 

[Gwylan]

Total tosh. Never trust a journalist with numbers.
Their grasp of scale is painfull and everything goes TU when it comes to percentages.

 

[JtB]

My guess is that a lot of people bought bikes during the Covid lockdowns when city car traffic was pretty light.

It wasn’t just bikes, lots of people bought home exercise equipment during the Covid lockdowns that they no-longer use due to general lack of commitment (you can’t really blame busy roads and aggressive drivers for that).

 

[slowmotion]

It wasn’t just bikes, lots of people bought home exercise equipment during the Covid lockdowns that they no-longer use due to general lack of commitment (you can’t really blame busy roads and aggressive drivers for that).

A lot of people temporarily changed their habits to avoid other people and to stave off the boredom of being stuck at home. "Lack of commitment" seems a slightly harsh way of describing it.

 

[Jameshow]

I think the cost of living will continue the cycling trend as people simply cannot afford to pay energy bills some has to go and the largest non essential items for many is the car... or second car.. the bike is a handy replacement for local journeys.

The train is also pretty good when running - Bournemouth to Leeds - £60 in 5hrs see a little of London as well.

 

[classic33]

Not including the ones on ebikes(no pedaling required), there's an increase locally in recent weeks. The fine weather lasting may have helped. A father and daughter out on mountain bikes. The daughter on an e-assist, the father providing the only power on his. Three years ago, he said you'd never see him on a bike. But the grin on his face as he passed...

Traffic volumes have fallen, but the type of traffic has changed, we've more tractors on the road, being used on building sites, and lorries have increased.

 

[Juan Kog]

It wasn’t just bikes, lots of people bought home exercise equipment during the Covid lockdowns that they no-longer use due to general lack of commitment (you can’t really blame busy roads and aggressive drivers for that).

It could be aggressive neighbours stopping them , some home exercise equipment is really noisy.

 

[harlechjoe]

I know loads of people with a cycle to work scheme bike that don't use them. Does anyone know if the C2C scheme has been fully evaluated?

 

[Casper1978]

I ride to work 4 days a week generally , then I take the long way home to give me more mileage for my day . For me the traffic is worse than it ever was pre covid . I can’t believe the number of people racing on my morning cycle into work . I must have the worst job as they are so desperate to get to their job 😂😂. I would love to chat to one of these over enthusiastic people to understand what makes their job so brilliant , or exciting 😂😂😂. It was the same with people walking during Covid , we live on a nice little 4 mile circuit outside a small village . During my furlough I could have set up a coffee shop in my front garden with the amount of people out walking ……. Now it’s back to normal hardly anyone except the pre covid regulars 😂😂. You can make a graph say anything you want to is my logic .,… all kidollogy 😂😂😜

 

[roley poley]

I will skew their numbers by being a commuter five days a week each way also to chums /pub /shops etc ....l do admit my bias....statistics can be.. ...they dont mention newbies or how many cycle more than once a month