OPINION
PHOTO BY RAY ZHU ON PEXELS
of Cambridge, 36% of women cycle at least once a week, vs 54% of men and 43% of LGBTQ+ people. Why is this? For more than a decade, commentators have
spoken of a confidence – not a competence – gender gap. In March, research by Sustrans, the Children’s Walking and Cycling Index, found girls are left behind at secondary school, with half as many girls reporting they cycled weekly. Safety and a lack of routes are part of the picture, but it’s also a matter of feeling self-conscious while cycling, things like not being able to ride in a skirt or feeling like people are staring. Girls also worry about standing out when their female peers aren’t cycling, and it’s just not seen as cool. Would role models help? Maybe, but again, there’s more
to it. Various studies have talked about the harassment women experience on the streets. Thinking back, in the last eight days, I experienced three physical threats or aggression from male drivers. One guy in a van actually threatened to punch me. The other two yelled or honked at me on narrow roads because I didn’t get out of their way. For me, these are stressful incidents; I put them away and carry on, wisely or not. For many women, it’s understandably not worth the hassle.
16 | June 2025
Research by the London Cycling Campaign’s Women’s Group found that 93% of women had drivers use their vehicles to intimidate them. For 77%, it was at least once a month. One in five will give up cycling, temporarily or permanently because of it. Dark or isolated routes are intimidating for most people at night – something termed ‘social safety’, or a lack of. While these experiences could well have happened to a man, i.e. they aren’t gendered, some elements are. There needs to be alternatives to traffic-free paths that are unlit and isolated at night. A seminal paper on the differences between the UK,
where cycling is ‘marginal’, and cycle-friendly nations like the Netherlands, describes ‘Extensive cycling rights of way in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany… complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists, and a wide range of promotional events intended to generate enthusiasm and wide public support for cycling.’ It’s difficult, but not impossible, to change cultures. We could do worse than look to women and children to see how we’re doing.
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