Why don't more people cycle?

I cycled everywhere as a child and teen, then cycled little until ds was old enough to want to go places together. And now I cycle for exercise and pleasure - a couple of 20 milers in the week, longer with ds and dh at the weekend (with a cafe stop), and then if the club rides in the right direction I go on the C ride with ds (dh goes with the Bs), or dh and I fight it out as to who goes with the club.

Yes, I'm scared of the busy roads around here and I also wouldn't be able to get a shower at work. In addition we miscalculated and got a stupidly small she'd so it's an absolute pain in the arse to get out bikes out.

I love cycling but have stopped since children. I can't do the work/nursery/grandparent run and tried a children's seats at the weekend but it:s a bit busy round here. Maybe if we lived in the country......

I love my bike, hate cold wet weather. The big thing that puts me off cycling more is hills, and living in Yorkshire there's nowhere flat near me!

I love cycling. But not in the UK. In Germany on cycle lanes yes. In the UK I've been knocked off my bike twice and once had someone open their bloody car door on me.
We do go out for bike rides in 'the woods' but they're very leisurely because DS can't keep up.

People in Netherlands & Denmark have worse weather. Go back to 1970 and Britain had double the cycling rates of the Danish or Dutch.

They planned to encourage lots of cycling, planners here didn't give a damn. :(

I would love to cycle more, but my journey to work is 25 miles with 3 major climbs and I need to drop 2 dc off on the way. And the last 4 miles is dual carriageway. I used to do it occassionally before the dc came along.

Way too dangerous for me.

Besides, I much prefer running.

Hurts my bum to sit on a bike for too long, although Im sure that would go away with time?

Cost and nowhere to put one.

Have thought about one in my previous employment to get to/from work, but changed job to one that is 20 mins down a motorway so not possible now. Though looking for a new job closer to home possibly so maybe in the future if I can think of where to put one.

FlowerFairy, I'd love to see some of these 210 year old fitties

for those worried about the cost of cycling, lots of employers are part of cycle to work schemes - its worth looking into www.cyclescheme.co.uk/

I love cycling - but only on flat, traffic free roads, and in nice weather.

(I've never really worked out about changing gears either, and I'm in my late 50s ).

Because bikes are expensive. Because I have no garage/shed/garden and would have to keep my bike in my living room.

I get free bus/tube travel so I wouldn't save any money by cycling. I don't like being out in the cold/rain either, and there have been a high number of fatal/serious accidents involving cyclists where I commute (have seen the aftermath of some of them...it's not pretty). I like being able to put my heavy bag down on the bus, sit down on a comfy dry seat and read the day's news/gossip on my phone on the way home.

I like it too BUT we live at the top of a very very steep hill. Even fit 210 somethings tend to push up it so that's a bit off putting actually when coming back.
Secondly last night in London I saw a car go into a cyclist who could not move - his leg was obviously very hurt. It was awful.
Thirdly I have never cycled whether in my teens or at my age without on about 1 in 3 journeys men stopping or shouting at me. You would have thought they might have stopped it by my age.
Fourthly I tend to go places with loads of stuff - brief case absolutely full to bursting with papers, so much shopping even the basket on the bike is full etc etc.

Avocadotoast, I understand that fear too - I made the mistake of only using my back brake when going down a gravelly hill and skidded off. I don"t think I will ever enjoy cycling. I do admire people who cycle to commute but surely they need shower facilities and somewhere to store clothing, must take alot of organisation.

I agree OP! When I don't have small children I do audax and cycle to work. Gets my Goat that I always see hoardes of male cyclists out of a weekend, but so few women in comparison.

knackered I'm the opposite, I'd be terrified of going down hills. I've never tried it as an adult but as a child I was always really scared!

I would love to cycle, but cannot afford a bike. It's actually been recommended as a good exercise for my specific back problem. Wish I had more money. :(

I'd have to get changed and cooled down at work, no showers. TBH it would take just as long to cycle, lock up and get changed as it does to walk.

We have quiet parks to cycle through though so at least I wouldn't have to deal with traffic. I wouldn't cycle on the road full stop

I don't like it.

No matter how much I try to enjoy cycling I can never get used to hills! I try to reassure myself going downhill will make it all worthwhile but hills ruin a bike ride!

For me its lack of time. I drive because its quicker. I can go to work, do a supermarket shop on the way, leaving me time to do housework when I get home. If I cycled to work and back I wouldn't have the time (or the energy) for anything else.

It's the cost of a decent bike which is putting me off.

But I think like running cycling is becoming more and more popular

I love cycling, but as PPs have said, the traffic puts me off

Where I live (large town) is out on a limb, and while we've recently had some lovely new roads built over the past few years, no one has thought of putting a cycle path next to them, unlike the road linking the next town along to their neighboroughing town