Wednesday 4 December 2013

Cycling is a modern means of transport not just recreation

Summary: Cycling is actually far more relevant to most city residents as a means of transport than as sport or recreation. This myth is perpetuated by groups with vested interests and norms that simply reflect current majority behaviour but not objective evaluations.


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Tejvan Pettinger

Details:

1. When the actual facts of life in modern cities are considered then it becomes clear that cycling is superior to the transport alternatives for many citizens in various circumstances according to objective criteria: speed, convenience, reliability, cost, safety, enjoyment, simplicity, comfort and even coolness. Click on the above category links on this blog to see how cycling measures up on these criteria.

2. The automobile industry and motoring lobby groups have actively campaigned to persuade citizens that the roads are for cars not bikes. The car industry is superb at marketing to sell their product but reality tells a different story. Their broad messages are as accurate as their ads depicting cars driving on empty roads.

3. The bicycle industry (especially in the US/UK/Australia) has conventionally marketed bicycles to customers for sport and recreation. Again, commercial marketing strategies that dominate or are successful tell you little about the actual utility of cycling for transport.