When will bike boom end?

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DFT Report -

Since now we have consistent cycling data for three consecutive years, we can begin to examine whether there is any indication of a trend in cycling. For about two thirds of authorities, the pattern over 3 years has been mixed– increasing in one interval, and declining in the other. Over the three years, 13% of authorities increased cycling levels consistently, whilst a fifth of authorities (20%) declined consistently. There is some indication that those authorities with higher levels of cycling also saw higher increases in cycling in the last year.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I don't want the bike boom to get any bigger! I find myself spending more and more time giving a wave or a salute to other cyclists. Forty acknowledgements a ride is plenty enough thank you!

 

[Gravity Aided]

Getting quite visible in my area, but I work where 20,000 plus are employed, so I can sometimes see 4 bikes or more at a given intersection. I could be wrong, but I think the last few years' financial downturn/recession/depression/disaster has taken a few people out of their cars, maybe for good. cannot hurt them one bit.
http://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/participation-statistics#recent-trends

 

[srw]

http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/ctc-cycling-statistics
See section "is cycling increasing?". The data seems to be about 3 years out of date, but shows a clear upward trend.

The DFT data above is curious - it shows the number of people cycling regularly as stable, for one particular definition of "regularly" but doesn't talk about distance. One might observe that the DFT isn't always the cycle-friendliest of departments. Going to Sport England's website (they did the research) cycling is the third most popular sport, after swimming and jogging, and ahead of football and golf. It's also worth taking a look at the underlying data for adults: http://www.sportengland.org/media/328142/1x30_sport_APS8Q2_16-_final.xlsx.

This shows that for adults (16+) there has been a statistically significant increase in cycling (21%) over the 7 years of the survey. The same is true for ...errr... more mature adults (25+) - 26% increase.

So I don't entirely know what the DFT are trying to say..

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I work in two offices, one of about 400 people in a city, the other of about 1000 in an affluent town. Both regularly see 20-30 bikes in the bike racks. When I first started working I was, for years and years the only person in the office to ride to work, and considered slightly loopy for it. Up until a couple of years ago I'd have said the London cycling success story was confined to zone 1. I regularly drive on a commute from home to the M25. I first saw an adult cyclist on one particular stretch of road about 2 years ago. These days - at exactly the same time of day - it's rare I don't see at least one cyclist, whatever the weather. Gradually the habits of London are stretching into its hinterland.

The London cycling boom (which is, I think, what it is) it now too entrenched to burst in a hurry.

The London boom, and it is undeniable there has been one, also prompts 'trickle-down' into SE England. Folk working in London but living in the halo of historic market towns commuter towns see bikes on the streets where they work and begin to imagine they might be feasible as transport where they live. For themselves and their families even if only at weekends. Southern Railway have seen a huge increase in demand for secure cycle parking at their stations, which they have, in part responded to, and have introduced their cycle hub concept at strategic locations on the network.

The 'trickle-down' also, regrettably, applies to cyclist behaviour. One rarely, if ever, saw, an RLJ on local roads hereabouts, ten years ago but such boorish manoeuvres are becoming increasingly common and the response to any attempt at chastisement predictably metropolitan.

And yes London and the South East isn't the be all and end all of the UK. But it does represent far and away the greatest population area of the UK. IIRC between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 of the entire UK population live there. Get more of them cycling and much of the rest of the country will follow.

 

[format]

Get more of them cycling and much of the rest of the country will follow.

This sort of thinking makes me really uncomfortable.

 

[mcshroom]

What, encouragement by popular choice?

 

[ColinJ]

What, encouragement by popular choice?

Perhaps the ideas that London is the centre of the universe, and that the population of the rest of the country are sheep-like followers of fashion?

 

[Markymark]

Perhaps the ideas that London is the centre of the universe, and that the population of the rest of the country are sheep-like followers of fashion?

Exactly. Nice to see a non-Londoner getting it.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Perhaps the ideas that London is the centre of the universe, and that the population of the rest of the country are sheep-like followers of fashion?

So if cycling becomes (more) fashionable in London and the South East, where roughly a quarter of the current UK population live, the northern types will reject the whole idea as some effete southern affectation and do what, jump back in their cars in protest...?

Right you are, your loss.

 

[ColinJ]

So if cycling becomes (more) fashionable in London and the South East, where roughly a quarter of the current UK population live, the northern types will reject the whole idea as some effete southern affectation and do what, jump back in their cars in protest...?

Right you are, your loss.

Which means that roughly three quarters of the UK population do NOT live in London and the South East!

People have been riding bikes up here for well over 100 years without needing any encouragement from London!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

People have been riding bikes up here for well over 100 years without needing any encouragement from London!

Blimey happy anniversary colin

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Which means that roughly three quarters of the UK population do NOT live in London and the South East!

People have been riding bikes up here for well over 100 years without needing any encouragement from London!

No one is arguing otherwise.

But where is the "bike boom" of the title taking place? London is now a cycling city despite the parp infrastructure.

 

[ColinJ]

But where is the "bike boom" of the title taking place?

Everywhere?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Everywhere?

If only that were true.