This month’s blog is written by cycle BOOM Co-Investigator, Kiron Chatterjee, and provides a valuable insight into the current state of older cycling in the UK.
When we have told some people about our research they have not been able to hide the view that we are wasting our time. They claim older people in the UK don’t cycle and they don’t want to cycle. They say why not put your effort into those that are willing and able to cycle – the younger generation.
However, participants in our research like Paul Taylor and Kathryn Johnson make you realise there are people who enjoy cycling in their ‘golden years’. But will these always be a minority? One part of our research is to examine existing data to see what it can tell us about the endangered species, the older cyclist. We have used this data to answer questions such as how uncommon is it for older people to cycle, under what circumstances do they currently cycle and what might encourage more of them to cycle in the future. On the surface what we have found seems to confirm the scepticism about older people cycling but scratch the surface and a more positive message emerges.
We have produced an infographic to show what we found. You can download a full colour PDF of it here. Infographics aim to present complex information in a quick and simple way. So perhaps I should just tell you to look at the infographic and stop my blog here! But for those happy to continue reading I’ll talk through what the infographic tells us and discuss some of the implications.
It is true that compared to other countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, there is a low level of cycling amongst older people in the UK. While cycling levels are not high for any age group in the UK, they are much lower for those aged 50 and over. This is not the case in the other countries mentioned where cycling is actually more common in older age. This is a firstindication of the potential for increasing the amount of cycling in later life in the UK.
As we get older in the UK, cycling is no longer principally undertaken for getting to school, college or work, but for other reasons such as social activities. These trips are shorter in distance. This highlights that to support older people cycling the focus should be on making local streets more cycling friendly. Cycling investment in the UK has tended to concentrate on cycling to school and work (and the routes that are used for this) but this neglects the needs of older cyclists. The gender divide that exists in cycling in the UK applies to older cyclists as much as it does to younger age groups with older women less than half as likely to cycle. We know women in general live longer and have healthier lives for longer but they are not cycling very much during older age. It is also found they are less likely to get sufficient physical activity for good health than men.
Turning to the reasons for low level of cycling in older age in the UK, it is evident that physical limitations and health barriers to cycling are higher amongst older people and confidence to cycle is lower. Whilst more than 1 in 4 older people have bikes, only 1 in 9 cycle of these regularly. That means there are a lot of older people who could presumably cycle but do not. What might encourage them to do so? Nearly half of older people say that if there were more dedicated cycle paths they would cycle (more). The bicycles themselves could also play a role. In the Netherlands many older people nowadays use e-bikes. Greater availability and visibility of bikes more suitable for older people (such as e-bikes) could increase the numbers of older people cycling.
In older age groups in the UK the proportion of the population getting sufficient physical activity for good health is very low – regular cycling could contribute to improving this situation. Thankfully it is not just us that recognise this potential. London’s Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan discussing the Mayor of London’s plans for cycling in the capital has said “What I want to see…is far more women doing it, far more older people doing it”.
Kiron Chatterjee is a Co-Investigator on the cycle BOOM research project and Associate Professor in Travel Behaviour at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Contact Kiron at Kiron.Chatterjee@uwe.ac.uk
I am 68 and retired, and like to cycle. As above most of my journeys are shopping, round trips between 3 and 6 miles. I like to take a longer rides but hate riding on roads because one is often cut up by vehicles passing too close or not giving way. Although we have lots of cycle tracks around Bradley Stoke/Stoke Gifford, for the longer rides there are often no routes that provide a mainly off road round trip. For example it would be good to use the Concorde way to Bristol then the Jubillee way to link up to the Strawberry way and back to Bradley Stoke. So my longer rides tend to be the same ones. Also South Glos doesn’t seem to like cyclists, they put in a new cycle path and put give way lines to cyclists so motorists can exit a car park. Not exactly cycling friendly. They do have a cyclist’s forum but items raised by cyclists remain ignored for years.
I’m 61, female and still working (at home, freelancer) and have always cycled. I hate driving so I use my bike (a Trek hybrid) for short trips into town but having moved to Cornwall and having a largely sedentary job I have been starting to ride purely for fun and to keep fit. It’s very hilly here and any trip involves a stiff workout!
Currently my longest solo ride has been about 10 miles. I’m reluctant to stretch it further until I am sure in my head that I know what to do to change an inner tube and get derraileur gears back on correctly. I’m not very good mechanically. Hubby is helping in that respect, he’s 54 and regularly does much longer trips and enters sportives of 100 miles or more, so I get lots of encouragement!
I tend not to cycle in the town centre so much, as I’m not confident of the use of cycle lanes on main roads. They seem to stop and start and change sides and I have never used one. They never had them years ago when I cycled to and from work in a busy town. My rides involve mostly rural roads, not too busy and often single-vehicle size and are hilly. The views range across both Cornish coasts at the same time, my true incentive to cycle.
My contemporaries’ attitude to me cycling ‘at my age’ (!) ranges from bemusement to respect LOL. To be honest, most of them are starting to have health problems due to their size but won’t consider cycling as they see it as hard work, which is a shame because I’d love a cycle buddy.
I am 60 years old and recently retired I now cycle for pleasure at least 3 times a week. I find that getting around Cardiff is a problem although there are many cycle routes they are not well policed and in many areas cars parking in cycling lanes cause many issues Canton being a regular dangerous area for cyclists.
I have found a good route now which takes in some road cycling with no cycle lanes and then off the main road along the cycle lanes around Avondale Road then around the bay and over the barrage.
I also enjoy cycling in and around Sophia Gardens but Newport Road can be a bit daunting some times.