Does cycling racing success encourage cycling?

2016-09-14-17-16-48Does cycling racing success encourage cycling in everyday life?  This is the question I’ve been thinking about since Geraint Thomas won the tour.  It seems to be question that not many people are either thinking about or have an answer to since there does not seem to be any information out there on it.  When I say everyday life I mean in crude terms does Geraint’s win make people make the step of cycling to work or the shops?  As opposed to leisure cycling.

I’d like to think it does but I’m not sure.  At least with older people.  I think his win will encourage many children to have a go at competitive cycling.  Most of course will not go onto win the tour or anything like it, but hopefully they will continue to cycle in later life.  I started cycling seriously as a teenager (around town), gave it up when I passed my driving test and then took it up again as a student.  London – no helmet – doesn’t bear thinking about.  So if the Froome’s and Thomas’s and Hoy’s can encourage children to get on their bikes they will be doing us all a favour.

Cycling as a means of transport is on a gently rising curve in the UK but there does not seem to any correlation with our sporting success.  Its more to do with lifestyle/environment/traffic concerns.

Neil

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