Over half (53%) of UK cyclists have taken it up in the last 18 months, with nearly six in ten (58%) frequent cyclists purchasing a new bike during the same period.
The way people commute is changing, with three in ten (31%) saying they always choose to cycle over other forms of transport and the trend will grow, with 61% saying they will cycle more in the future.
Cities across the UK, including Cardiff, London, Brighton, Bristol and Exeter, are also redesigning streets to accommodate this ‘bike-boom’ and create safer cycling routes.
As the popularity of UK cycling continues, so does the importance of road safety. The research by Vodafone found that 22% of cyclists are not confident on the roads when they cycle and that two-thirds (65%) of frequent cyclists believe that family and friends are concerned about their safety.
Furthermore, cyclists feel most unsafe when cycling on busy roads (44%), leading almost seven in ten (68%) to say they are nervous about increased levels of road traffic as the pandemic begins to end.
Almost one fifth (19%) of UK cyclists also admitted to arguing with motorists over road-etiquette with 12% having been in a road accident and 39% having had a “near-miss”.
Just under four in ten (38%) cyclists believe that rules for motorists should be enforced to keep cyclists safe and prevent accidents. When asked about the most common altercation with motorists, three in ten (30%) cyclists have witnessed motorists fail to signal when turning and a similar 30% have felt that a motorist has not given them enough space when overtaking.
Bike theft is also a concern – one in five (19%) cyclists say they have had their bike stolen in the past, leading to two-fifths (41%) saying they would like more places to safely lock their bike.
The Curve Bike light & GPS tracker, which has an intelligent rear brake light, impact detection feature, GPS tracker and movement alerts, has been designed to help address cyclists’ concerns about road safety and bike theft.