BEAT A RETREAT

How do we solve the problem of more people choosing to do a spin class rather than getting out on a bike?

Sport England’s biannual Active Lives survey made for, in the words of British Cycling, “uneasy reading”. As a snapshot of how British people are choosing to exercise, the fact that the number of people cycling, whether for exercise, sport or transport, has fallen is bad news for anyone who recognises the health, social and environmental benefits to the bicycle in all its forms.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to encourage those who don’t currently cycle to get on a bike,” the BC statement continued. “Our insight tells us that perceptions of safety and access to pleasant, trafficfree spaces to ride remain the biggest deterrents preventing more people from cycling. While cycling remains statistically safe, traffic speed, close passing or potholes can often make riding a bike in Britain intimidating and unpleasant, especially for those who are trying it for the first time.” It added that the result is people continuing to make cyclable journeys by car, and called on central Government to push for sustained change - a tough ask when the current transport secretary Chris Grayling has, among other ignominious achievements, a car-dooring of a cyclist on his CV.

Following swiftly on the heels of last issue’s The Spin, the survey provides hard evidence to what we have sensed in recent times: that British roads have become a more

hostile place for cyclists, which wouldn’t be the first hostile environment created on the watch of our current leaders. If you’re an experienced cyclist, it might become wearisome but you’ve at least got the tools to combat the odds that are stacked against cyclists. For new riders, it’s a formidable barrier to overcome.

An interesting addendum to the survey from a cycling perspective was that the number of people cycling indoors, whether that be spin classes or indoor training or racing on gaming platforms such as Zwift, has increased.

As chronicled in some detail in issue 354, British Cycling recently partnered with Zwift to create an eRacing British National Championships. The governing body has spotted an opportunity to bring more people into the sport via this new avenue; with the youth the major exponents of the esports boom, maybe it’ll encourage them into real-world riding and racing.

The key thing to remember - and Zwift know this better than anyone - is that we aren’t retreating into indoor spaces because the road is unappealing. The same applies with the gravel cycling boom; for some it’s appealing because of the absence of motor vehicles on back roads and bridleways, but we should be doing it because of what it provides in its own right, not because it’s some sort of safe haven. We have an entitlement as cyclists to use the roads and it’s utterly vital that we don’t give up our space.

It’s not the first hostile environment created on the watch of our government