Boom time for bikes
Camglen Bike Town
The number of people embracing life on two wheels by cycling along the Clyde Walkway at Cambuslang has seen a spike of more than 140 per cent in the past year.
Cycling Scotland’s nationwide network of automatic cycle counters, one of which monitors Cambuslang, has been the basis of a major survey to establish what cycling behaviour might look like post-lockdown.
The significant increase in uptake has been welcomed by Camglen Bike Town – a Cambuslang and Rutherglenbased not-for-profit cycling initiative and social enterprise, where the aim is to improve the lives and communities in both towns.
Senior team leader, Jim Ewing, said: “It has been really heartening to see the number of people start or return to cycling over the past few months – it’s what Bike Town is here to support and encourage.
“Demand has been extremely high since late March and we’ve seen hundreds of adults’ and children’s bikes being wheeled out of our centre in Thomson Court, Rutherglen.
“Alongside the increase in leisure cycling, many more people are using their bikes to get to the shops and work.
“With funding from Cycling Scotland, Cycling UK, Madison and our own resources, Camglen Bike Town is providing free servicing, maintenance, helmets, cycling jackets and lights for NHS and social care key workers.
“We’re also supporting NHS Lanarkshire with our fleet of loan bikes, which are now out on the roads every day supporting NHS staff to be safe and active in their travel to and from work.”
In the survey, one in four people living in Scotland said having more dedicated cycle paths would be the most likely change to encourage them to cycle once lockdown is lifted. he figure rose to almost two-thirds among those who discovered cycling during lockdown.
Fourteen per cent of people in Scotland said they think they will cycle more once lockdown ends. The figure was higher among 18 to 24-year-olds at 20 per cent.
Eleven per cent of young people said they started cycling during lockdown, while four per cent of people across all age groups started cycling during lockdown.
Of those who started cycling during this period, their top three reasons were good weather, improved wellbeing and reduced traffic.