David Cameron called for a cycling revolution in 2013 and for women in particular who have joined in with Cyclescheme- it has done wonders for their health.
Half of female cycle commuters now cycle outside of work with family and friends
Clearly the idea of cycling to work is becoming more appealing as a quarter of female commuters are now thinking about ditching the car or train for a bicycle. Those who have already taken up the challenge are seeing the benefits in their bodies. Four in ten women who cycle to work have lower stress levels since taking up the activity, a third say that they have suffered less from illness and 49% believe that their mental health has benefitted.
Mr Grey Giddins, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at BMI Bath Clinic: "Those who commute by bike, and therefore exercise regularly, are less likely to smoke and drink heavily and become ill less, showing a snowball effect on other areas of our health. If we were all to take up cycling to work, we'd not only see a much healthier population, but an improved economy too with workers showing increased productivity and taking fewer sick days."
Cycling to work is becoming more fashionable- however some women still fear what people will think of them as they believe they will be laughed at, that they are too unfit to rise to the challenge or that it's seen as 'uncool'. 49% are unsurprisingly worried about the weather in the great British outdoors and the rest don't want to be sat in sweaty clothes in work all day.
How do we get more women on bikes?
- More cycle highways (24%)
- Other road users become more tolerant of cyclists (22%)
- Shower facilities at work (21%)
- Government starts to take the safety of cyclists more seriously (16%)
- Local councils start to take cycling more seriously (14%)
- Mandatory training for motorists on how to share roads with cyclists (13%)
- More training for cyclists (13%)
- Helmets became mandatory (10%)
- Lower cost equipment and bikes (6%)
- Better cycle safety clothing (6%)
- Greater acceptance in the workplace (6%)
- More fashionable clothing (5%)
Research suggests that if just 10% of journeys were made by bike instead of in the car- the NHS would save itself 2.5 billion by 2025 and the nation would gain over a million years of healthy living. With a guaranteed reduction sick days and a surge in productivity, £830 million could be saved in the UK economy in the next ten years.
Richard Grigsby, founder, Cyclescheme says: "The next 10 years are pivotal to the UK's growth in cycling to work, particularly with regards to female participation. This report shows we currently have the momentum we need for a 'cycling revolution' to take off but we need to capitalise on this and show individuals that the benefits outweigh many of the barriers, whilst encouraging government, local councils and employers to invest in the infrastructure needed to maximise on this potential."
Caz Nicklin, Director of CycleChic: "For a long time women were put off cycling by two main factors: cycling's geeky or sporty image and safety fears. Safety is still a major barrier putting women off but fortunately the image of cycling has changed dramatically in the last eight years and this has had a positive effect in getting more women cycling."
Rachel Aldred, Senior Lecturer in Transport, University of Westminster: "Britain's roads too often appear hostile, fast-paced and challenging, whereas cycling should be enjoyable. We need to make it easier for women and men to carry out their daily lives by bike, whether that's taking their children to school before heading into the office, or being able to quickly hop on a bike to travel short distances. It's important to build positive and consistent messaging around how good cycling is for society instead of blaming cyclists for the road danger they can experience. More diverse role models cycling to work in all sectors can help reinforce the message that cycling is for everyone and, importantly, isn't a high impact sport but an easy and enjoyable mode of transport."
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