Hostility on the road
One in four of the non-riders we spoke to said the behaviour and attitudes of others stopped them from cycling – the figure was the same among male (25.1%) and females (25.7%) and highest among younger (age 16-34) respondents.
Don’t let them deter you “Abusive road-users could have stopped me from cycling, but I know that the benefits of getting out on my bike far outweigh those attitudes,” says Kelly Hargie, 36, from Belfast.
The mother of two, cyclist and blogger ( everytreasure@wordpress.com) has experienced the good, bad and ugly aspects of being a cyclist in her home city. “We’ve taught our children to cycle well, safely and courteously but last summer while riding along the Lagan Towpath we overheard a lady say ‘I really hate cyclists’ as we went by. We were in single file, on the left-hand side of the path, cycling at a slow, steady pace. I could tell by the looks on my kids’ faces that they’d heard. I stopped to explain to the lady that we weren’t ‘cyclists’, just ordinary people who just happened to be on bicycles. It’s about changing that mindset. It’s something that cyclists and non-riders need to work on.
“I had other ugly experiences from road users who’ve shouted abuse and even pushed me off my bike. I’m a strong person but I can see how it puts people off.”
25.1% of men and 25.7% of women said the attitudes of others stopped them from cycling