Thanks to everyone to responded to our survey on the top reasons why people DON'T ride bicycles more. Here is the link to our original article with our hypothesis. WHAT IS STOPPING YOU FROM RIDING A BIKE?
BELOW ARE THE TOP REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON'T RIDE BICYCLES
1) The perception of road safety
2) Weather - less appealing when the weather is not good - too windy or rainy
3) Practical issues - parking, security, navigation
4) Confidence
5) Distance - people living too far away from their places of work, making it impractical for them to cycle
6) Fashion - practical and nice looking clothing and accessories
7) Access to equipment - affordability of a bicycle / servicing
8) Vanity - looking dorky when wearing a helmet for example
OTHER REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON'T RIDE BICYCLES
When asked the open-ended question about any other reasons or comments about what limits or stops people from riding a bicycle, some of the comments included lack of infrastructure, its too crowded on the road, pollution and lack of facilities for showering when they arrive at work.
There were also some people who commented on the fact that as a cyclist it can also be too crowded on the road with some cyclists racing really fast and creating a overly competitive environment. I think this is a real shame because cycling to work should be comfortable and safe for everyone at any pace that they choose to take.
I am all for dutch or danish style commuting where the pace is a lot more relaxed. Although i have heard that recently with the increasing number of e-bikes and motorised scooters the pace can be unnaturally fast.
In this article "I've seen a lot of tears", the rise of electric scooters has seen a huge rise in the number of facial fractures and traumatic brain injuries, mainly caused by lack of helmet wearing. The lines between bikes and motorised vehicles are being blurred causing all sorts of agro and problems.
We would love to hear from you with any other reasons stopping you for riding your bicycle. Or even better yet, we'd love to hear about any solutions you might like to suggest that would make you ride your bike more often. Only by thinking about these blockers we can collectively start to make a difference in encouraging more people - especially women and children to ride bicycles more often.
#happycycling
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