Forum Topic

Will Norman makes me smile

From his Twitter account. New data shows that people cycling in London are more diverse than ever: 🚲For the first time Black, Asian & minority ethnic Londoners are as likely to have cycled in the last 12 months as white Londoners🚲One in five people who don’t cycle are now actively considering cyclingOr does  that actually sound ok to some of you

Maggie Dodge ● 1832d14 Comments

Yes - more Londoners from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds taking up cycling sounds like a positive thing to me.Here's the full press release:https://tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/tfl-press-release-new-data-shows-that-people-cycling-in-london-are-more-diverse-than-ever

Ed Saper ● 1832d

I just can’t see the relevance of race . It actually feels a tad racist to single them out, as if it’s unusual. How about all the people who are  thinking about cycling? I think about it and I think I’m not going to do it. Am in in the stats😂

Maggie Dodge ● 1832d

Wonder how many (a) older female cyclists were taken into the occasion and particularly (b) older female cyclists with a disability were considered?  (c and d) female cyclists in the above categories? Why should they not be considered as worthy of a voice?

Claire Moran ● 1832d

So true:https://www.onlondon.co.uk/dave-hill-cycling-policy-and-campaigning-needs-a-new-approach/?fbclid=IwAR1dhN9uacZW3i3zLpE4Jl1tMKiVewrQOl9cKkwc3xx0f8jge4c216dZWCs

Claire Moran ● 1832d

Send them home, eh.

John Hall ● 1832d

Wow you need educating sir, and your friend Will Norman. Can’t believe the stuff you’re both coming out with.

Maggie Dodge ● 1832d

Maybe it's because in the past cycling was seen as mainly a white male pursuit ( pardon the pun) not true but this is a perception , you only have to read the uninformed views of people on forums such as this about " mamils" but now as cycling is being given  more provision on roads in terms of safe cycle lanes people who had thought it too dangerous for them are thinking let's give it a try among them ethnic minorities who make up 39 percent of London's population and of course women  who had maybe been put off by the danger from road traffic In other words it's open to everyone. What's not to like? ..

David Burke ● 1831d

Any thoughts on why it has been a white male sport in the past? What’s your take on people who are thinking about cycling, according to Will Norman ?

Maggie Dodge ● 1831d

Isn't it common practice for most survey/questionnaires to include a (voluntary) section about the ages, ethnicity and gender of the respondents ?.  Whilst, as I'd expect from any press release issued by an organisation, there's a pro-cycling and pro-cycle measures spin within that release, isn't it also just stating the results of surveys which happens to show that more ethnic minorities are taking up cycling ?.  Or are we no longer allowed to publish data depending upon people's ethnicity, age, gender or so forth, because to do so is discriminatory ?.  I must ring up the ASA because I'm sure last night I saw an advert for shampoo that stated 17 out of 23 women questioned felt their hair felt softer after they'd washed it, hold on what about the lack of any survey data about how men felt after using the product ? - it's a sexist disgrace ;-)

Adam Beamish ● 1831d

"What's not to like".Well David, just for starters, it is going to make it a lot harder to "other" people riding bikes if they are representative of London society as a whole. Which is not on. And it will mean lots more people riding bikes, which will likely lead to more cycle lanes and more infrastructure that takes into account the needs of cyclists. Dystopian. And that's before we even get going on the intolerable prospect that the people who said that infrastructure that protects people from the dangers of motor vehicles would encourage more people to cycle were right. Us Chiswickians are never wrong and we are not having that.

Paul Campbell ● 1831d

I did say " perception" and thinking about something is the first step to actually doing something.

David Burke ● 1831d

Answer to Maggie Dodge.

David Burke ● 1831d

David Burke suggested" Maybe it's because in the past cycling was seen as mainly a white male pursuit "In the past it wasn't only a *pursuit". It was a necessity for thousands of mainly working class people, of both sexes who cycled to work.Where it was a *pursuit* it was regarded as a healthy outdoor activity for riders of both sexes in cycle clubs*, for touring, carrying your own tent etc or for sport - mainly time trials which were mainly male. But these were all strictly minority interests and not at all fashionable or stronglypromoted.*In one of Honor Blackman's early films she's a memberof a cycle club complete with a creditable Yorkshireaccent. Eee bah gum ! (Or is that Lancashire?)Other than that in general only relatively poor peoplerode bicycles in towns. In the country things may have been different. But again in general there was no greatcommercial push to promote bikes. Raleigh were the biggest bike makers in the world and always had beenand bikes lasted for 50 years. That was it. It was only in the 80's really that things changed.The introduction of hybrid bikes and other technicalinnnovations which were aggressively marketed, along with overcrowded roads and public transport made cycling an attractive proposition for middle class commuters. There was no longer any stigma of povertyor eccentricity attached to riding a bike.However in the case of minorities maybe that stigmastill exists to some extent. And being very status conscious and finding themselves already placed on the lower rungs of society means they avoid bikes for that reason  michael adams

Michael Adams ● 1831d

Trying to cover all points. I’ve seen many comments on why gender or ethnicity, marital status etc is relevant on many questionnaires. I think it’s because someone  somewhere will try to use for their own ends on an unrelated topic at a later date. Not necessarily anything wrong g with that, my daughter worked in MR, I get it.  To get excited and quote figures on someone of any age, gender or  ethnicity thinking they might possibly at some time in the future consider cycling is possibly clutching at straws and would this be necessary if numbers were already sufficient? Just my own view not getting hot under the collar just made me smile. Going back to the beginning, lumping  walking in with cycling will give you an idea of the tactics to make cycling seem more popular IMO

Maggie Dodge ● 1831d