Leisure News

Sustrans: Cycling resources, information needed

07 August 2008

A combination of dedicated cycling lanes and good-quality information on where and how to cycle would increase the popularity of the pastime, according to sustainable transport charity Sustrans.

The cycling organisation makes its assertion after publishing figures which indicate that while 44 per cent of women have access to a bike, three-quarters of them do not cycle at all.

It states that reasons for this vary from concerns about safety to issues about the weather and suggests that by establishing such lanes and providing more educational resources, the number of women cyclists could reach European levels.

For example, Sustrans notes that 32 per cent of women's trips are made by bike in the Netherlands.

Other findings from the research indicated that women and men in East Anglia are the most likely to cycle, while those in London had the least cycle ownership and those in the north-west were the most reluctant to get on their bikes.

Sustrans recently announced the availability of a free cycling map of Windsor, Maidenhead and Slough.

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