Record numbers of people cycling

Survey finds almost nine million people in UK use a bike

Published: November 24, 2014 at 4:30 pm

The number of cyclists in the UK has reached almost nine million, a leading sports survey company has said.

Cycling is showing continued growth across the country – with a reported 8,741,000 UK riders – according to Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) Inc's International Participation Report. This makes cycling the third most participated-in sport in the country, behind swimming and running, with a significantly high participation of under-18s (22%) getting involved.

The report also reveals that 16.9% of adults in the UK are cyclists, with the average participant cycling 48.9 times in the past year. One fifth of the cycling population are believed to ride at least once per week. Road cycling was found to be the most popular form, and 40 percent of cyclists said they rode their bike for commuting purposes.

“Cycling is the growth sport in the UK and our report shows no signs of that slowing down. The insight into youth participation, along with positive involvement from older age groups, is testament to the healthy state of the sport,” said John Bushell, managing director of SMS Inc.

The full cycling participation data report is available from SMS Inc.