In an earlier blog post last month I wrote of the rise of the MAMILS (Middle aged men in Lycra)
and the thread seems to rumble on.
This morning on Radio 5 there was yet another report on recent research that found that cycling, and road cycling in particular, is the new sign of a mid-life crisis in men.
This all stems from a report by market research powerhouse Mintel that found that the cycling market is being driven by affluent 35-44 year old men. It went as far as to say that cycling is “the ‘noughties’ version of the midlife crisis”.
This all stems from a report by market research powerhouse Mintel that found that the cycling market is being driven by affluent 35-44 year old men. It went as far as to say that cycling is “the ‘noughties’ version of the midlife crisis”.
Another study carried out by academics at the University of the West of England
Fi Spotswood and Sarah Leonard commissioned YouGov to undertake a UK wide survey that asked: what do British people really think about cycling? Their research investigated the opinions about cycling amongst a representative UK sample of adults. 3,885 people aged 16-64 were interviewed in early summer 2010.
Professor Tapp comments, “We wanted to find out if cycling is still the 'poor man's transport' populated by badly dressed social misfits muttering about gear ratios, or a fashionable activity of good looking people who rock up to the office with the latest carbon frame. We asked questions about how congestion, global warming and ever rising fuel prices might persuade us out of our cars and back onto two wheels.
“Our findings suggest that most people see Jeremy Clarkson-esque critics of cycling as missing the point. An impressive 42% of the British public think that 'cycling has become cool nowadays', and, good news for those forty-something men with mid-life crises, 38% agree that bike technology is much sexier nowadays. Perhaps surprisingly there was also encouragement for government initiatives, with 43% agreeing that 'there's a new push by the government towards getting people to cycle'.
“These pro cycling feelings might be a symptom of traffic jam stress as much as anything. A whopping 43% of us agreed that 'When I'm stuck in a traffic jam I sometimes wish I were cycling'. The success of the likes of Chris Hoy and Mark Cavendish might be rubbing off on us as well: a surprising 18% of us admit that 'The success of British cyclists has encouraged me to think about cycling more myself'.
“But cycling lobbies can't quite break out the champagne just yet. It was quite clear from the study that Britain is still a divided nation over cycling, with a die-hard 28% of people agreeing that 'roads are for cars not bikes'. In fact, only 12% of us cycle quite or very often (once a week or more). What's for sure is that getting over our love of cars isn't going to be easy: 54% say 'I would not support any measure that penalises car use'. Perhaps the divided nation theory is best highlighted by the finding that 39% agree that 'global warming has been exaggerated 'with a similar number, 38%, disagreeing.
“Can things get better for cyclists? Well, we could certainly use our Olympic and Tour de France heroes to help us market cycling as a way of getting about. After all, at the moment, more people recognised David Cameron (picked out by 59%) as a cyclist than Chris Hoy (53%), and Boris Johnson (48%) was a more famous cyclist than Victoria Pendleton (27%).”
“Commuter cyclists not serious career people”
Accepting that the UK is still dominated by a 'car culture', the researchers investigated whether UK cyclists see themselves as a breed apart. How do cyclists see themselves, and what do the motoring majority think of them?
Findings suggest that the way cyclists see themselves isn't always matched by how outsiders see them.
Cyclists see themselves as independent minded and free spirited, environmentally aware, adventurous, and even a bit rebellious. They are also less likely to see themselves as conventional or boring. But a different picture emerges when non-cycling people were asked what they thought of cyclists.
Some descriptions such as fitness conscious and independent minded were not surprising but interestingly the general public thought that cyclists were less happy than they were- perhaps because they see cyclists getting wet and cold.
Professor Tapp concludes, “We were also surprised to find that cyclists were seen as lazy and non-cyclists perceive cyclists as less hard working than they are. Maybe the perception is that if you are a serious career professional in the UK, you don't cycle – you drive a 5 series instead.”
Fi Spotswood and Sarah Leonard commissioned YouGov to undertake a UK wide survey that asked: what do British people really think about cycling? Their research investigated the opinions about cycling amongst a representative UK sample of adults. 3,885 people aged 16-64 were interviewed in early summer 2010.
Professor Tapp comments, “We wanted to find out if cycling is still the 'poor man's transport' populated by badly dressed social misfits muttering about gear ratios, or a fashionable activity of good looking people who rock up to the office with the latest carbon frame. We asked questions about how congestion, global warming and ever rising fuel prices might persuade us out of our cars and back onto two wheels.
“Our findings suggest that most people see Jeremy Clarkson-esque critics of cycling as missing the point. An impressive 42% of the British public think that 'cycling has become cool nowadays', and, good news for those forty-something men with mid-life crises, 38% agree that bike technology is much sexier nowadays. Perhaps surprisingly there was also encouragement for government initiatives, with 43% agreeing that 'there's a new push by the government towards getting people to cycle'.
“These pro cycling feelings might be a symptom of traffic jam stress as much as anything. A whopping 43% of us agreed that 'When I'm stuck in a traffic jam I sometimes wish I were cycling'. The success of the likes of Chris Hoy and Mark Cavendish might be rubbing off on us as well: a surprising 18% of us admit that 'The success of British cyclists has encouraged me to think about cycling more myself'.
“But cycling lobbies can't quite break out the champagne just yet. It was quite clear from the study that Britain is still a divided nation over cycling, with a die-hard 28% of people agreeing that 'roads are for cars not bikes'. In fact, only 12% of us cycle quite or very often (once a week or more). What's for sure is that getting over our love of cars isn't going to be easy: 54% say 'I would not support any measure that penalises car use'. Perhaps the divided nation theory is best highlighted by the finding that 39% agree that 'global warming has been exaggerated 'with a similar number, 38%, disagreeing.
“Can things get better for cyclists? Well, we could certainly use our Olympic and Tour de France heroes to help us market cycling as a way of getting about. After all, at the moment, more people recognised David Cameron (picked out by 59%) as a cyclist than Chris Hoy (53%), and Boris Johnson (48%) was a more famous cyclist than Victoria Pendleton (27%).”
“Commuter cyclists not serious career people”
Accepting that the UK is still dominated by a 'car culture', the researchers investigated whether UK cyclists see themselves as a breed apart. How do cyclists see themselves, and what do the motoring majority think of them?
Findings suggest that the way cyclists see themselves isn't always matched by how outsiders see them.
Cyclists see themselves as independent minded and free spirited, environmentally aware, adventurous, and even a bit rebellious. They are also less likely to see themselves as conventional or boring. But a different picture emerges when non-cycling people were asked what they thought of cyclists.
Some descriptions such as fitness conscious and independent minded were not surprising but interestingly the general public thought that cyclists were less happy than they were- perhaps because they see cyclists getting wet and cold.
Professor Tapp concludes, “We were also surprised to find that cyclists were seen as lazy and non-cyclists perceive cyclists as less hard working than they are. Maybe the perception is that if you are a serious career professional in the UK, you don't cycle – you drive a 5 series instead.”
Well observed Mr Tapp.
As a cyclist and a career professional I am the first to arrive at my desk invigorated by my morning ride. I am also the last to leave !!!! I do pass lots of similar professionals in their '5 series' on route stuck in jams. Maybe I'm being lazy by not subjecting myself to life in the slow lane.
These are often sassy girls with attitude, who will pull at the front, box you in, and shell you out of a chain gang like an errant pea on a dinner plate.
The thought of covering herself with 
Four years later she now has 1000’s of miles in her legs including a number of Century rides. She 
After returning back from America I have started commuting again and intend to cycle as many days as I can during the winter.