There are plenty of advantages to riding a bike!
- It's fast: no traffic jams to worry about, and gets you door to door.
- It's convenient: no worries finding a parking space!
- It's cheap: petrol prices are rising constantly, but that won't affect you if you're riding a bike!
- It's sociable: you meet people you know when you're riding a bike and you can stop to chat
- It's healthy: people who cycle regularly live longer and have the fitness of someone ten years younger!
- It's sociable: you meet people you know when you're riding a bike and you can stop to chat.
- It's trendy! Cycling is on the up across London (especially North East and South West London) and in other major cities, both at home and abroad
- It's good for London: no carbon dioxide, no pollution, no noise.
Completely stationary motor traffic, 6pm on Thursday 5th Dec 2013, Wimbledon Chase. More people cycling = far fewer cars on the road and a better, more liveable London for everyone. Half of all car trips in Outer London are less than two miles in length. (Source: http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/cycling-revolution-london.pdf).
The cities of the future will be liveable cities where quality of life, people and safety are prioritised.
It's no wonder more and more people across London are taking to 2 wheels. Here, Christine Bleakley tells us the benefits of riding a bike:
Where are people riding bikes?
The cycling capital in London is the Borough of Hackney. Here 15.3% of people ride to work, more than those who drive to work. This can be explained by a variety of reasons, including its proximity to central London and an influx of professionals who do not own a car. Cycling is also popular in Islington, Camden, Lambeth and Wandsworth.
In Merton, around 3.5% of residents use the bicycle as their primary mode of transport. The outer London boroughs such as Merton have lower uptake of cycling due to their remoteness from central London, generally poorer cycle facilities and higher rates of car ownership.
Cycling is becoming increasingly popular across our capital. The map below shows where most of the increase is occurring, according to the 2011 census.
Map courtesy of http://drawingrings.blogspot.co.uk/