C19 Cycling Club: Entry 32 - 'The Bike Boom'
I want to live in a world with more bicycles and fewer motor vehicles. A happier, healthier more environmentally sustainable world.
I’m not talking about a world full of lycra-clad roadies with glossy legs boasting about power-data and KOM’s/QOM’s (guilty as charged). I mean a world where grabbing a bike to commute to work, nipping to the shops for a loaf of bread, or just pedalling around your local park to clear your head is a perfectly normal thing to do.
A world where people on bikes are a priority, not an afterthought.
Due to COVID-19, we have a huge influx of new people on bikes. People are relying on cycling as a form of transport (to reduce contact with others on public transport), as a form of exercise, wellbeing and much-needed escapism from our four walls of lockdown.
Our situation has created a pressing demand for better cycle infrastructure, and hopefully, it will help us create more of a ‘Dutch’ mindset towards cycling here in the UK.
“Britons bought 60% more bikes in April as the nation turned to two-wheeled transport during the coronavirus lockdown.
Government advice to avoid public transport led to a complete turnaround in the cycle market. In the first three months of the year, 8% fewer bikes were bought in the UK, according to the Bicycle Association.”
“A total of £38m in funding has been announced to improve cycling and walking facilities in Wales.
Bike sales surged in lockdown as people avoided public transport for fear of catching Covid-19.”
“Soaring levels of cycling during coronavirus lockdowns have prompted Google to make considerable updates to their maps in major world cities including London, the company has said. Since February, requests for cycling directions in Google Maps have jumped by 69% to hit an all-time high in June.”
When I lead the creative for Sky Cycling’s sponsorship team, we had a joint mission with British Cycling:
“To win the Tour de France with a British rider, win gold medals at the Olympics and inspire one million people to start cycling.”
Team Sky produced three British winners of the Tour de France and Team GB spent a fortune on extra baggage trying to fly back home with a haul of gold. The hard work and success of our cycling heroes inspired the nation to start and continue, cycling (AKA ‘inspiration to participation).
Working alongside British Cycling and 64 local authority partners, we created ‘Sky Ride’ events, where people could ride with their friends and family on traffic-free streets in major towns and cities across the county.
Together since 2009 to the end of our partnership, we inspired more than 1.7 million people to cycle regularly.
“COVID-19 has got more people on bikes in a fraction of the time. ”
Every weekend London and Surrey look like the Prudential Ride London 100 event is taking place, I’m sure its the same in every cycling hotspot across the UK and the rest of the world. It seems ironic that the official event had to be cancelled, but obviously the right thing to do…
This has presented a challenge to seasoned roadies. How can we train and enjoy the road with the new influx that has taken over? How can you maintain the concept of ‘social distancing’ when you are in such close proximity to other road users?
One morning I looked over my shoulder, the whole of Surrey was drafting me. Surely sitting an inch from my wheel, unannounced, is a slight violation of the ‘social distancing’ guidelines?
Everyone is welcome on the road. More cyclists can only lead to a better society, right? So rather than get angry at the situation, I have just adapted.
I have always ridden during ‘off-peak’ times. I get up before sunrise each day, so I’m on the road before the rest of the world is even awake. Hard training sessions are reserved for indoors on the turbo trainer, so I can ‘get it done’ without distractions, obstacles, COVIDiots, etc. If I need to roll in the daytime sun, I do it around my local park on my fixed gear, ‘piano, piano’ pace.
The best thing about the ‘bike-boom’, is seeing all the vintage steel frame bikes that have been dusted off. I have seen some of the most amazing 1970’s racing bikes around my local park, but they all need a good service and a drop of chain oil (you can hear them before you see them).
This is not exactly a success story… COVID-19 has devastated our way of life, killed thousands of loved ones, stretched our NHS resources and destroyed our economy…
But we have to keep moving forwards. Two wheels are a great way to start.
Gareth.