Why don't more people cycle?

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

I am amazed more people haven't found cycling as a form of exercise. It is a total revelation for me - 4/5 months ago I could barely get to the local shops & am now comfortably cycling 20+miles and LOVING IT! I've never really enjoyed exercise or found a sport I was any good at (used to force myself into the gym or to classes to keep trim) but I actually look forward to going on my rides. Oh and my legs have never been firmer which is always a bonus

Is it because, like me, people assume they just can't ride, or fear of traffic etc?

I lived in the Netherlands for a time and it is completely geared to cyclists.

Where I live in the UK, I had to stop cycling to work as it was too bloody dangerous!

That is your perception of it, JeSuis. many many years ago, pre children, I cycled to work and I would never ever do it again.

Of course Soup, but it is all in perception, isn't it? The stats just do not support the 'it's too dangerous' position, though people still hold that for them.

Traffic and death.

I love cycling but I have two dogs, both of whom would probably pull me over if I cycled with them and running gives me better effects than cycling anyway. So I stick to running. If I am going anywhere in the car It's usually somewhere where I'll be coming back with 'stuff' so again, not ideal on a bicycle.

We don't have the infrastructure here to support it, so many of the roads are too dangerous for cycling as a mode of transport. Also we have big out of town supermarkets rather than smaller local ones, people have to commute long distances to get work, no provision for bike parking, no storage sheds for those living in smaller houses and flats, it will never be like the Netherlands here unless we flatten everything and start again.

jesuis what are these stats? Where I live, there have been several fatalities involving cyclists. Maybe not huge numbers but enough to make people think it is just not safe.

For me it's partly fear of traffic but also the fact that most of my journeys are less than 1/2 mile or more than 10 miles. For less than 1/2 a mile it's quicker to walk than to unlock gates (two), wheel the bike round the side of the house, lock the gates again, find locks, keys and helmet, lights in winter, make sure you are dressed suitably then when you get to the other end lock it up, take off helmet etc. That's my school runs and evening journeys. I do it occasionally in order to encourage the DCs, but it really is more hassle than it's worth.

My journey to work is 10 miles - it has to be done within half an hour so it fits in between school times, also it's along a very busy, very dangerous dual carriageway. So that's a non starter too.

So that leaves cycling at the weekends. Fine if the weather is good, but the roads and traffic are still a problem. It's far easier to find safe places to walk than cycle. I'd rather swim for my main exercise, it fits into my lunch hours.

If we had regular journeys of say between 1 and 5 miles it would be worth it. If we had a garage that everything could be kept in ready to go it would be easier. But the bikes have to live in the garden, all the accessories have to come inside every time it really is quite a PITA.

I wish we lived somewhere quieter as I'd happily cycle the 13 miles to work and back most days. The truth of it is though, you get on a bike round here you're taking you're life in your hands and as a PP said, I don't want to die under a lorry.

I also have a bit of an irrational fear of having a puncture 10 miles from home and not being able to deal with it. I do have a spare inner tube but find it very difficult changing them.

Roughly without googling it? The number of fatalities in the UK are about 120 - a couple of years ago it was 109 - it revolves around that number most years iirc. Quite a few v tragically are people under 14 yo who do not have the experience or road sense for it. London is over-represented too - the capital seems to be fairly lawless in this regard.

Compare that with the millions/billions of road miles ridden by everyone else. Adult commuters experienced, in slow'ish moving traffic (like me), are prob very safe statistically.

You read my mind , op. I was just telling dh today that I need to sort my bike out ready for spring.
I used to cycle to work regularly, but got out of the habit.
I have a couple of busyish roads to navigate, but as long as I keep alert its fine.

Yes Pan! It's too pretty to stay in the house but I'm too chicken to ride it. I also need to master clipping in and out I'm going on my first outside ride next weekend if the weather is ok.

oh good. I'd fallen off until I worked out you need a downward pressure on the pedal to make clipping out easy. And of course realising you can just rest your foot on the pedal until it's okay to clip back in. Best to you!!

Ah that makes sense! I will try it tomorrow

I cycle a couple of miles a day to/from the station - faster than walking, and cheaper than driving/parking. And run errands at the weekend on my bike for the same reasons. I'm fortunate to live in a town with decent cycle paths on most of the main roads, and I have a national cycle network path (nice and flat, along an old railway line) 5 minutes from my front door in the other direction.

But for exercise I prefer to run (although I sometimes cycle to the start of a run, lock the bike up, do my run and cycle home).

Because where I live is uphill both ways.

I don't cycle because I have trouble staying upright, I fell in front of a bus once. It's not for me.

I'm too scared. I live in London and I don't even dare to drive here, let alone cycle. It's the kind of thing I think I would like as I do enjoy exercise (and saving money!) but I don't think I'll be taking it up any time soon.

I don't think it's that surprising, I commute by bike but I won't cycle for fun because the traffic is terrifying

That's really interesting about the impact of planning lljkk, do you know of anywhere I can read more?

I used to cycle everywhere, but that was in Germany. Cycle paths and wide roads.
I am far too terrified to cycle here. Roads too narrow, homicidal drivers everywhere. I do sometimes cycle, but it's a faff to find a good off-road route.

Because a bike adapted for disabilities are like hen's teeth and well out of my budget, even more for one adapted that can deal with very young kids.

At the one bike shop in the city that has finance and sells the type of adapted bike I'd need and pine after, it's about ~£70-80 a month for a year on finance if we qualified which is just out of budget at this time and a low priority when we have a bus practically on our door step.

Plus living on an A road near to an industrial estate (so tons of lorries especially at night). Also I'd need to measure the back to see if it would go either through the front door or through the back alley/gate to be stored.

I'd love to cycle, it just doesn't look feasible for the foreseeable future .

Also the main road into town from my area just got a new bridge and the cycle and pedestrian paths on it were shrunk from the previous one - apparently it's 1 meter to small on each side for proper paths I've been told it's a nightmare on foot or bike at the moment going over it.

The planners took ages on that bridge, blamed planning (and supplies) for how long it took to finish when we were all cut off, and they seemed to have forgotten any plans for cyclists or pedestrians. It's infuriating how they say they're pro walking/cycling and then reduce safe places to do so.