Bike riders have always faced aggression from car drivers. But they now find themselves on the latest front in the culture wars – with anger whipped up by the rightwing press
18 years ago. Everyone was always congratulating me on my bravery. “Oh, you wouldn’t catch me on a bike,” people would say if they spotted my helmet or the cycling shorts peeking out beneath my dress. “Far too dangerous.”
It was a quiet news day and suddenly every radio phone-in had a topic sure to light up their hotlines. Never mind that neither idea stands up to more than a moment’s scrutiny.the Department for Transport ruled out any sort of bicycle registration system on the basis that the costs would outweigh the benefits, and that it would deter many people from cycling, particularly if riders had to cover the costs.
Given how few of us saddle up in Britain, it can be difficult to understand why we inspire such vitriol. Why do drivers not thank us for not adding another metal box to their traffic jams, instead of getting irritated when we skip to the front of the queue? Why are they not grateful that we are keeping our hearts healthy, saving the NHS a fortune?
“A lot of people in this country – not other countries – see cyclists as middle-aged men in Lycra. I want it to be my daughter going to the park, and just moving around without having to drive. That’s an image that I think we need to prioritise,” says Boardman, recently appointed by Boris Johnson to be England’s active travel commissioner.
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