Official: UK has joint 3rd lowest levels of daily cycling in the EU

Whilst Brit riders have all ganged up in the peloton.

London has seen a huge increase in people cycling in the past several years. The roads used to be clear and I could cycle away quite happily without having to look out for other cyclists. Now, in the 3 hours of rush hour each way, whenever I do the commute, it's packed. Admittedly this is along the Cycle Superhighway routes, but it is significant.

The good new sis that I see motorist behaviour changing (probably because they are intimidated/scared of hitting cyclists when they are in both mirrors all the time (except WVM of course)

Not a surprising set of results given the UK's political landscape which isn't big on "common good" compared to these other countries.

One big gain we could make in the UK would be to challenge and defeat the speed-cameras-only-after-deaths consensus. Getting those 20mph zones enforced would change the feel of local urban cycling for many people I think.

{NEED SHOWERS TO CYCLE KLAXON}

{UK IS TOO COLD/WET/HILLY TO CYCLE KLAXON}

{DISMISSING PERCIEVED SAFETY CONCERNS KLAXON}

The falsely inflated perception of danger is a pathetic joke in the UK and I think it's the biggest challenge we face. If that particular nut can be cracked then the floodgates will open.

A workmate recently started cycling (good for him!) but he's kinda blown it out of all proportion on the perceived risks front. It's quite a delicate balancing act trying to educate on the actual risks whilst at the same time not appearing dismissive and thus alienating him from reaching a more reasoned PoV.

Airzound - I think you need some pep up pills, you sounds depressed. How about going for a cycle ride!

Really its not that bad, I do about 5K miles per year with no real hassle from drivers in Devon.

I think our wet weather doesn't help people get out but the biggest thing is cycling is percieved as being dangerous despite actually being low risk if you take the right precautions. The roads surface quality leaves a lot to be desired. Some how English road builders ought to take lesson from the French on how to lay Asphalt. The French do it bowler smooth whereas Messers Hanson & Lafarge only seem to cock it up.

Most people who would, won't cycle as they don't think it's safe.

All they see from their car windows are roads which are gridlocked or racetracks with everyone rushing to be first to the back of the next queue.

UK needs cycling infra which is safe, more convenient than a car, and visible (so people know alternatives are there) before we will get any significant boost in numbers rising bikes.

For a lot of the UK this may not take a lot. From my home I can get to my three large local superstores, local shopping areas and the town centre on either traffic free or very lightly trafficed routes. The problem is that some of the links are technically illegal. There is no connectivity or even signing. I found all the routes from looking at Google Maps etc, because I was keen enough too.

This absolutely has to change.

Let's face it in the UK cyclists are hated and ridiculed except when Team GB are winning gold medals. It's a shitty country full w*ankers in cars, vans, trucks etc who would sooner drive over you than pass you safely. There is no proper cycling infrastructure as per the Dutch model.There is little no help from the pigs when you are hit and injured and the courts don't give a monkeys about cyclists letting drivers off or merely giving them a slap on the wrist. Drivers lie through their teeth to the pigs and courts to try to get them off. Cycling in the UK sucks and it is likely to greatly increase your chances of dying prematurely. You might be very fit and healthy when it is your time to shift your mortal coil, but when you do, you will still be lying dead in the road, dead. To all cyclists who have lost their lives cycling on UK roads - RIP. No wonder few cycle.

Approximately 1k surveyed in each country is not a major data set in my opinion. Yes I know this is the level ipsos/mori target to start to get "statistically significant" results but there will be big differences regionally (eg urban/rural) and demographically (eg commuters where savings are more marked).
Bottom line is we are one of the fattest & most indolent nations in the EU anyway and major social change in attitudes are required. Funny that we are the most pessimistic on urban travel when we persist with the primacy of the car....
Can't see anything changing until we get serious about pollution/inactivity/obesity/health though.

Unless its printed in a cycling forum i think the vast majority of people will never hear of or be aware of Police operations such as the one in Essex, its just not interesting enough to put on local or national news so i cant see that having any effect at all on the numbers of people cycling.

To be honest i think a lot of it has to do with the sheer cost of starting to cycle or the publics perception of how much it costs.

This is also quite possibly related to over zealous actions of UK police, such as the current Essex news story, sending out the wrong message - I don't want to get stopped by the police if I'm doing nothing wrong, it just sends out a negative message to law abiding cyclists out enjoying a pleasant ride - it's not surprising people don't want to take up the activity......

And there are the things like the Jeremy Vine "punch & Judy" show, which often has cyclists vs xyz as a subject. Ding dong round one, gloves are off lets do another bit of cyclist bashing.

the office I am in has couple of hundred people I am the only one who cycles, where I worked previously again a hundred or so and two people cycled.

Most telling to me, Finland, can anyone honestly tell me the Finish weather is more conducive to cycling than the UK weather!

Also quite telling, Public transport should be cheaper, Buses and trains in the UK are extortionately priced, hardly surprising that people call for lower prices. It is a few years since I last went to Switzerland, but the trains were cheaper and more reliable in what is a horrifically expensive country. So what is the UK's excuse?

What are these bike racks?
There are a pair of metal hoops in the ground, but they are only uncovered once a year when the gardners come in prune them back. Not that they are accessible via the road without dismounting.

We have a bike rack that holds approx 50 bikes and its always full and there are always bikes at the rear of the building as well as people cant get them in the rack.

Our problem is there are only 3 showers in the building

300 people work where I do. Mine is usually the only bike in the bike racks. Tells you lot.