Angus rural roads bring out enthusiasts as riders cite health over convenience

Angus is the local home of the cycling enthusiast.

It might be something about the county’s largely rural nature, with single-carriageway A-roads and farm tracks linking many of its towns and villages together, but Angus cyclists are the most likely to go out daily or at least several times a week, often socially and for pleasure.

They are also far more likely to be a member of a cycling club (47%, compared to a region-wide average of 29%) and to take part in cycling events than others across Tayside and Fife (57% and 48%, respectively).

They also tend to own more bikes – with half owning road bikes designed for piloting along tarmac, and half also owning mountain bikes for going offroad. Around a third own hybrid bikes, offering the best of both worlds.

People who cycle in Angus, like their counterparts across Courier Country, do not rate biking as a convenient means of getting about, citing health reasons above all else for why they get in the saddle.

That said, they are keen to cover distance, with more than half covering at least 40 miles a week and 16% claiming to rack up 100 miles every seven days.

The rates at which they report near misses or accidents are also the lowest of any part of Tayside and Fife, albeit still remarkably high: 70% compared with an average of 73%.

To date, Angus Council has successfully claimed £160,000 from the Spaces for People fund, of which £50,000 has been spent on a consultant to carry out feasibility studies for new active travel projects across the area. The other £110,000 has been used to create 20mph zones in all seven towns and a handful of villages.

It has now put in a second bid of £629,000 for further speed restriction and physical infrastructure measures.

More than half cover at least 40 miles a week and 16% claim to rack up 100 miles every seven days