Why bicycles are better than women

According to the Women's Cycling Project , adequate bike lanes, separated off-road cycling paths, wider lanes on roads, good connectivity and more direct routes encourage greater numbers of women bicyclists. As you can see, a lot of this is subject to the chicken and the egg syndrome. Which comes first, safer bicycling infrastructure or more women on bicycles? As with a lot of things, it's probably a combination.

As more women take to the roads on their bicycles, the more they will help get better bicycle infrastructure in their cities. And as cities install more safe bicycle infrastructure, more women will ride their bicycles and hence there will be a positive spiral effect. At any rate, cities need to build their bicycle plans with women in mind because when bicycling is safe and appealing for women in a city, than bicycling is safe and appealing to everyone.

Search x. Comparisons with Australian data on cyclists [ 6 ] indicate that our findings are biased towards middle-aged adults and slightly biased toward men. The sample characteristics do reflect that in Australia, cycling is predominantly undertaken by middle-aged men [ 7 ], and the sample included a good cross-section of different types of riders.

Our sample also tended to be of relatively high socio-economic status, which supports travel data from elsewhere [ 50 — 52 ] that suggest a socio-economic gradient in transport cycling in Australian and other car-dependent English-speaking countries. Other limitations include the reliance on cross-sectional self-report data that only captured cycling patterns, behaviors and perceptions at one point in time and were subject to recall bias.

Our findings provide evidence of a substantial overlap between recreational and transport cycling in Australia. Namely, almost all transport-only cyclists, both male and female, reported that fitness improvement or maintenance was their main motivation for transport cycling; these cyclists were primarily cycling only to a destination work far enough away from home to allow for fitness training; and both transport and recreational cyclists were highly physically active, with participation in either type of cycling making a substantial contribution to physical activity levels.

We conclude that promoting transport cycling, particularly commuting cycling, to recreational cyclists, may increase cycling for transport, but most likely among men and the most athletic. With literature from the transport field indicating women choose their transport mode based on safety and accessibility [ 14 ], adoption of transport cycling by women will require conversion in Australian society to a transport cycling culture, one in which there is a strong commitment to prioritizing transport cycling over car travel for short daily trips; providing bicycle infrastructure and end of trip facilities to support short, safe and direct trips; and promoting everyday cycling in city and suburban neighborhoods.

The findings from this study support prior work [ 8 ] that suggests that a strategy of creating system-wide networks of designated bicycle paths will assist in achieving higher levels of more socially-inclusive transport cycling. In summary, the establishment of cycling as a convenient, safe and enjoyable form of transport for a wide range of trip purposes in multiple settings is likely to increase the bicycle mode share of transport, and, in particular, encourage more women to go along for the ride.

Scand J Med Sci Sports. Wen LM, Rissel C: Inverse associations between cycling to work, public transport, and overweight and obesity: findings from a population based study in Australia. Prev Med. Article Google Scholar. Engbers LH, Hendriksen IJ: Characteristics of a population of commuter cyclists in the Netherlands: perceived barriers and facilitators in the personal, social and physical environment.

Am J Public Health. Google Scholar. Sahlqvist S, Heesch KC: Characteristics of utility cyclists in Australia: an examination of the associations between individual, social and environmental factors and utility cycling. J Phys Act Health. City Cycling. Edited by: Pucher J, Buehler R. Transpt Rev. Twaddle H, Hall F, Bracic B: Latent bicycle commuting demand and effects of gender on commuter cycling and accident rates. Transp Res Rec. In search of explanations for an increase in average travel time.

J Transp Geogr. Accid Anal Prev. Australian Bureau of Statistics: Am J Prev Med. J Epidemiol Community Health. Results of the National Physical Activity Survey. Catalogue Number CVD Arch Intern Med. Am J Epidemiol. Soc Sci Med. Akar G, Clifton KJ: Influence of individual perceptions and bicycle infrastructure on decision to bike. Dill J: Bicycling for transportation and health: the role of infrastructure. J Public Health Policy. Bonham J, Koth B: Universities and the cycling culture. Health Promot J Austr.

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Med Sci Sport Exerc. Contributions of daily walking and cycling to physical activity. Int J Mark Res. J Sci Med Sport. Download references. The authors wish to thank the Bicycle Queensland staff for their assistance with development of the questionnaire and study design, recruitment of their members, and collection of incentives for the prize draws.

We would like to give a special thank you to those Bicycle Queensland members who took the time to complete the online survey for this study. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to Kristiann C Heesch. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

No external financial support received. KCH participated in the study conceptualization and design, reviewed the literature, analyzed the data, participated in the interpretation of the findings, and drafted and revised the manuscript. The few commuting cyclists who dared to dart and weave through morning traffic were usually men, and well-meaning friends and coworkers cautioned me that drivers could easily overlook a small woman like me.

Their warnings stayed with me when I moved to New York City. When I think about cycling to work here—facing off against aggressive taxis, struggling to be seen by bus and truck drivers, trying to convince motorists and myself that I deserve to take up space on the road—I feel fear, not freedom.

And I am not alone. In countries and cities around the world, the two-wheel commute is largely dominated by men.

From France to Australia , women are far less likely to bike than men. That pattern holds true in cities from Seville to London , Seattle , and Vancouver. Cultural factors certainly play a role. Women are expected to arrive at the office more carefully dressed and coiffed than men, which can be a challenge after huffing uphill in a rain shower. Male-dominated bike culture can make women feel unwelcome in cycling clubs or bike shops.

Most importantly, commuting women make more stops than men to chauffeur children and pick up groceries, tasks that prove more difficult on two wheels. But survey after survey finds that one concern trumps all others: safety. Women are more likely than men to say they want safer cycling. Many cities have failed to deliver on this score. Historically, the places where a cycling gender gap persists are also places lacking in bike infrastructure.

Without bicycle lanes, barriers, greenways, and the like, cyclists may be forced into risky situations alongside motorists. I can clean myself, I don't get grease on him.

He doesn't have to worry about someone stealing me. Only slightly evil. In a good way. Post 14 of 30 views. Lets be honest Re: Top 28 ways bicycles are better than women [chjohnson] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply. Post 15 of 30 views. It could go something like Who do you spend more time with? Bob Loblaw. Post 16 of 30 views. Katy wrote:. Post 17 of 30 views. Post 18 of 30 views.

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Post 24 of 30 views. Re: Top 28 ways bicycles are better than women [packetloss] [ In reply to ] Quote Reply. Post 25 of 30 views. Bikes don't have boobs. I am way less pricey than my husband's bikes. Back To Forum Print Thread.

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