Cycling cities

We all know that cycling offers numerous benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing, but are people over the age of 50 a generation of cycling fanatics, or should we encourage a newfound love for Lycra?

As part of our Cycling Cities campaign, we conducted research to determine the most cycle-friendly cities in the UK – and surveyed 2,000 adults from different generations to delve into their perspectives on cycling and gain a deeper understanding of their attitudes towards it.

We discovered:

• Norwich is the most cycle-friendly city in the UK. The East Anglian city scored high marks for categories like cycle routes, bike sharing schemes and cycle-friendly weather conditions.
• 19% of over 50s choose cycling as an activity to keep physically active, while 86% cycle for leisure or as a hobby.
• Dangerous roads are the biggest barrier to cycling – cited by 57% of non-cyclists.
• Most people learnt to ride a bike between the ages of 5 and 10 (59% of respondents).
• London is the region where cyclists are most likely (35%) to say they cycle in order to stay physically active, compared to 17% in the East of England.

A nation of bike lovers?

It’s fair to say that historically, getting on a bike hasn’t exactly been second nature in UK towns, cities and villages.

In fact, data from Discerning Cyclist reveals that just 8% of the UK population cycles more than three times per week, compared to 90% of people in the Netherlands.

Even so, our survey revealed many cities across Britain have caught the biking bug. Using external data, we analysed the most populous UK cities and ranked them according to a range of factors, including:

• Bicycle usage
• The availability of bike share schemes
• Cyclist safety
• The likelihood of bike theft
• The impact of local weather conditions (such as average rainfall) on cycling.

Here are the cities that ranked the highest for their cycling experience.

As our research uncovered, the East Anglian city of Norwich is ideally suited to cycling, and scored highly on factors like the availability of cycle routes, bike sharing schemes and temperate weather conditions. Norfolk as a whole is a relatively flat county, which makes cycling a breeze in low-lying areas.

Elsewhere, cities like Edinburgh achieved high marks for the number of cycle routes, but scored zero for the availability of hire bikes, after the Scottish capital’s bike sharing scheme was withdrawn in 2021. And while all those cobbles on the Royal Mile look beautiful, it’s perhaps not the best terrain for bikes!

Looking ahead, Manchester may have only reached sixth place in our table, but the city is currently investing £1.5bn in an ambitious Bee Network which aims to create 1,800 miles of cycling and walking routes by 2028.

Given that the UK government has set a target to double cycling activity by 2025, a new generation of commuters and leisure travellers could be inspired to get on their bike. And while Norwich tops our list of UK cycling cities, cycling infrastructure across the country could soon be catching up fast.

Cycling roadblocks

Despite there being an array of excellent cycle-friendly cities across the country – and an expanding network of routes – our survey painted a picture of a nation whose passion for pedalling has been held back.

So, what are the barriers to entry – and why are more individuals not taking advantage of cycling in these top cities?

To find out, we asked non-cyclists why they wouldn’t give two-wheeled transportation a try.

Understandably, safety is a concern for many people who are reluctant to ride. Cycling is hugely beneficial for our physical and mental health, so it’s important to consider the impact of safety concerns on our confidence and wellbeing.

• 67% of 55-64-year-olds told us that dangerous roads are their biggest barrier to cycling, compared to 29% of 18-24-year-olds who said the same.
• In contrast, 18-24-year-olds were most likely to be concerned with high crime rates (24%) as a reason not to cycle, while just 12% of 55-64-year-olds said the same

As many Britons would like to cycle for work, leisure and exercise, perhaps it goes to show that measures like segregated cycle lanes would give people greater confidence and ultimately, better personal health.

Money makes the wheels go round

Safety wasn’t the only cycling roadblock we uncovered. At a time when millions of households are feeling the pinch, 13% of respondents said the initial cost of a bike is a turnoff.

Money worries can have an impact on our health and wellbeing, but can cutting back on car usage save you money? To examine this, we asked cyclists how much they save each week compared to taking the train, bus or car.

Given the growing cost of petrol and even charging an electric vehicle, life on two wheels could be increasingly appealing not just for our health but the bank balance too.

Changing cycling habits

For millions of people, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed attitudes towards work, life and health habits – and cycling was no exception.

As the world stood still, cycling rates increased by 46% during the pandemic, reports GOV.UK. Transport habits may have changed overnight, but did the upheaval reset people’s attitudes towards two-wheeled travel?

We asked cyclists (those who cycle for exercise and transport) whether they’ve increased their cycling usage since the pandemic.

While a clear majority (72%) of cyclists told us they were cycling more or the same than pre-COVID, responses differed across the generations.

Just under a fifth (19%) of people aged over 50 said they were cycling less, compared to 30% of under 50s.

And opinions were split when it comes to people’s motivation for cycling. Those who said they cycle to keep fit were most likely to be from the youngest age category (35% of 18-24-year-olds) versus 15% of people aged 65-plus who said the same.

The road ahead

Although many cities are looking to make cycling more accessible, Britons of different ages had contrasting views on the quality of their local cycling network. For example, 66% of 18-24-year-olds agreed that their city is well equipped for cyclists, compared to 36% of 55-64-year-olds.

Additionally, 40% of Londoners strongly agree that their city has good public transport, compared to 20% across the UK as a whole.

While many Britons aren’t quite ready to ditch their vehicles for a ‘velo’, it appears the appetite for cycling remains strong – with respondents agreeing there are a whole host of benefits.

Even with the UK not being a cycling haven quite like the Netherlands just yet, our survey revealed an abundance of enthusiasm for two-wheeled travel across all age groups. But to truly unlock this passion, there are several steps to be made until everyone can access a top Cycling City on their doorstep.

Your health in good hands

Whether we enjoy whizzing through cities or admiring the views on a mountain trail, life on two wheels is great for our physical and mental health. Life’s too short to leave our most important health decisions to chance, but Saga Health Insurance could give you the confidence you need to enjoy your next adventure.