Cycling hostility and decline

Last week a Tour of Britain stage was in our town in North Devon. Massive turnout to see it. Local news headline asked if this made us feel like taking up cycling as they stated there appears to be a national decline in cycling. The hostility comments towards cyclists on the news thread was dreadful. It’s no wonder people are giving up cycling. Do you get the feeling in your area?

Maybe it’s a North Devon thing. Almost every ride out i get a motorist mouthing something out the window. What they shout out i reallly don’t know as i can’t hear it above the wind. It’s just a hostility thing. I am doing nothing wrong whatsoever. This is the reason my Big Bear has done just 570 miles in two years. I do sometimes feel like putting it to Ebay auction and buying an electric moped / motorbike to keep up with the flow of traffic.

Last week a Tour of Britain stage was in our town in North Devon. Massive turnout to see it. Local news headline asked if this made us feel like taking up cycling as they stated there appears to be a national decline in cycling. The hostility comments towards cyclists on the news thread was dreadful. It’s no wonder people are giving up cycling. Do you get the feeling in your area?

 

It must be localised since UK cycling has been at a new high with sales of new bikes per year in this decade rising from 2 millions to over 3 million with a peak at 3.93 millions. Compares with car sales at around 2.2 millions. Bike sales did drop a bit last year to circa 2.5 million though, but that's well above the pre 2000 average.

 

E bike sales have risen sharply too in recent years, from around 20,000 to as many as 50,000.

 

I think driver hostility is largely due to bikes holding them up at times, and I imagine that in many North Devon roads that's likely to be frequently.

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Edited September 11, 20187 yr by flecc

No sign of decline anywhere near me in Brighton and surrounding area. Absolutely the opposite with Ebike really picking up in last 5 years. I never used to see another .....now I see them everywhere

 

 

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London is absolutely packed with cyclists and not just commuters either. Come the weekend there's more lycra to be seen than at a Mr Motivator reunion.

Maybe it’s a North Devon thing. Almost every ride out i get a motorist mouthing something out the window. What they shout out i reallly don’t know as i can’t hear it above the wind. It’s just a hostility thing. I am doing nothing wrong whatsoever. This is the reason my Big Bear has done just 570 miles in two years. I do sometimes feel like putting it to Ebay auction and buying an electric moped / motorbike to keep up with the flow of traffic.

Just stick em the finger an tell um to go have sex with a close relative(of theirs).

Not sure whether it's increasing or not but quite a few drivers do seem to deliberately make life difficult for cyclists; blocking cycle lanes and marked areas at traffic lights and closing gaps generally

The Tenby Iron Man competition was last weekend. One participant I know well was ecstatic at the way the spectators turned out and supported them. I get the feeling he felt it better than the TdF (not that he was ever in that!)

The Tenby Iron Man competition was last weekend. One participant I know well was ecstatic at the way the spectators turned out and supported them. I get the feeling he felt it better than the TdF (not that he was ever in that!)

Tenby iron man lol

Most of South Pembrokeshire was closed and Tenby gets the glory again

Was in Swansea over the weekend, and there were lots of cycling on the prom area,.. all types from real lycra types to b leisure and commuters. Feeling the breeze on the front, it seems to me that electrical assistance would be very helpful.. don't think I saw an ebike.

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Another North Devonian here. I must have cycled many thousands of miles over the last 6 or 7 years and very rarely encountered hostility, although it does occasionally happen. The biggest concern is all the tractors, and increasingly delivery vans speeding down the single track roads that predominate.

they stated there appears to be a national decline in cycling.

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Maybe just the unpowered cycling, e-biking is booming. Link

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That's just not true. Drive out into the countryside and it's swarming with mamils. Drive into the city and there's commuters and others on bikes everywhere. Wherever the stats come from, they must be flawed or misstated. Cycling, of all flavours, is on the rise here...

We also are the holders of the three Grand Tours as well.

 

We rule at cycling on the track, road and commute.

That's just not true. Drive out into the countryside and it's swarming with mamils. Drive into the city and there's commuters and others on bikes everywhere. Wherever the stats come from, they must be flawed or misstated. Cycling, of all flavours, is on the rise here...

 

No, it is true. Don't forget you don't know how long they've owned those bikes and the effect of this year's fine weather bring them out.

 

Sales had long been at 2 millions a year but have been rising in recent years and peaked at 3.93 millions, but from that they've been falling. In 2017 they were down to some 2.5 millions and current sales are down again this year.

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We rule at cycling on the track, road and commute.

 

Bunkum

 

UK's fairly regular cycling overall is some 3% of the population, even in London with the largest increase it's around 4%.

 

Several European countries greatly exceed that in daily or near daily cycling alone, in The Netherlands it's 70% of the population, in Denmark 26%, in Germany 9% as examples.

 

We very recently rule in competition, but over time have a poor record even in that. It was 109 years before we won a Tour de France for the first time.

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Bunkum

 

UK's fairly regular cycling overall is some 3% of the population, even in London with the largest increase it's around 4%.

 

Several European countries greatly exceed that in daily or near daily cycling alone, in The Netherlands it's 70% of the population, in Denmark 26%, in Germany 9% as examples.

 

We very recently rule in competition, but over time have a poor record even in that. It was 109 years before we won a Tour de France for the first time.

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Well arn't you a ray of sunshine?

 

There was nothing in my statement that needed correcting. But well done.

 

Have a useful. Tool.

There was nothing in my statement that needed correcting. But well done.

 

Really, what about you posting we rule in commute?

 

We are way down in the world league for that.

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No, it is true. Don't forget you don't know how long they've owned those bikes and the effect of this year's fine weather bring them out.

 

Sales had long been at 2 millions a year but have been rising in recent years and peaked at 3.93 millions, but from that they've been falling. In 2017 they were down to some 2.5 millions and current sales are down again this year.

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Bike sales being down and there being a 'national decline in cycling' are two different things.

Bike sales being down and there being a 'national decline in cycling' are two different things.

 

Whilst this can be true, I don't believe such large reductions in sales during some of the best weather we've had in many years indicates anything other than a fall, especially in newcomers to cycling.

 

Such statements must be time qualified though, the 2.5 million sold is well down on the last two years but well above the previous consistent 2 millions a year over several years.

 

So recent national decline is probably right, but overall national decline wrong.

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I'd still question whether there are actually fewer cyclists on the road this year than last, even if there are fewer new bikes...

I'd still question whether there are actually fewer cyclists on the road this year than last, even if there are fewer new bikes...

 

Agreed, and why I gave an agree to your earlier post, the exceptionally fine weather will have been a great influence.

 

As said, statements need to be clarified. A very large reduction in sales undoubtedly means a decline in those taking up cycling, whilst those who bought bikes last year but had more limited use then could have been very evident in this year's sunshine.

 

The decline in those taking up cycling I've been forecasting for some three or four years now. This is a car driving nation and car drivers in Britain mostly don't like cyclists and certainly wouldn't join them.

 

It follows that the pool of people who might take up cycling is limited and will continually reduce as more cycle. There will come the point in cycling expansion where there's hardly any more willing to.

 

After that recent huge surge in bike sales, almost doubling some years, we'll are much closer to that point now.

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Agreed, and why I gave an agree to your earlier post, the exceptionally fine weather will have been a great influence.

 

As said, statements need to be clarified. A very large reduction in sales undoubtedly means a decline in those taking up cycling, whilst those who bought bikes last year but had more limited use then could have been very evident in this year's sunshine.

 

The decline in those taking up cycling I've been forecasting for some three or four years now. This is a car driving nation and car drivers in Britain mostly don't like cyclists and certainly wouldn't join them.

 

It follows that the pool of people who might take up cycling is limited and will continually reduce as more cycle. There will come the point in cycling expansion where there's hardly any more willing to.

 

After that recent huge surge in bike sales, almost doubling some years, we'll are much closer to that point now.

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But tbf you are a glass half empty type of guy.

 

You have to admit that. Your posts certainly reflect a pessimistic view on life. This isn’t meant as an insult btw.

 

I personally think cycling can only expand. The building of cycling lanes across our major cities indicate this.

Certainly agree that with so many initiatives encouraging cycling across the country, cycling participation can only grow. To suggest that cycling is in decline is ridiculous. We also have a number of bike rental schemes going on, which will have had some effect on bike ownership. When I see a statistically significant poll, I just might start to take such statements seriously...

Down here in our little old towns there is no such thing as a cycle lane. History freaks are so determined to keep the place in the 19th century that nothing gets done. Most of the roads once used by just horses & carts and bicycles are much the same width today. They were not upgraded for cycling safety when the motor vehicles took them over. And you should hear them if we ride on the pavement.