Secret Cyclist: There's a stigma around being labelled a cyclist

Why, when we all use the same roads, are cyclists singled out for criticism?

The term cyclist comes with a lot of emotional baggage.

What makes a cyclist? Everyone has a unique journey into cycling. Between the ages of around nine and nineteen, my transport choices were very simple. School, both primary and secondary, was a short walk away. As were the local shops. Sports training, friends’ houses, and part-time jobs were all under a 15-minute cycle. Car journeys were mostly reserved for away sports matches and trips to the beach.

I grew up in a one-car household and that car was typically not in the driveway for the majority of the day so walking and cycling were my bread and butter. The only complicating factor in my early cycling days was the purchase of a road bike in my late teens. A road bike added a new dimension to my cycling as I wasn’t only just cycling for utility reasons anymore but also for exploration purposes. Giving a teenager a tool to let them travel 50 or 60 kilometers from home on their own or with friends is something that should be a formative experience for as many young people as possible.

Decades later, my travel habits are largely unchanged. I walk to pick up a pint of milk and cycle to work. I own a car but don’t reach for my keys unless it’s a long trip or I need to fill up the boot. If there’s the time at the weekends, I take my road bike out for a longer cycle; exploration has given way to socialisation. A 2-3hr cycle with a friend or a small group is as good a catch-up as you’d have anywhere.

Back to my question, what makes a cyclist? Being gifted a bike as a child? Cycling as a teenager? Cycling as a hobby into adulthood? In May 2020, Sport Ireland found that 510,000 people in Ireland were cycling at least once a week. I’d pay good money to ask these people two additional questions: ‘Do you identify as a cyclist?’ and ‘Are you happy for other people to label you as a cyclist?’.

Self-identification as a cyclist is not a problem. Cycling for sport or recreational purposes is a challenging and rewarding endeavour that promotes good health and an appreciation for the great outdoors. Cycling as a form of transport is a smart and practical option that lowers air pollution, reduces carbon emissions, and helps establish an active lifestyle.

However, being labelled a cyclist by others can be more problematic as the term ‘cyclist’ comes with a lot of emotional and societal baggage. Baggage that people may not wish to carry or even realise they have to carry. Collective responsibility for the actions of other cyclists is an example of this baggage. When you drive, nobody comes up to you to complain about motorists, or that one motorist they saw break a red light earlier that day. This happens a lot when you are seen as a ‘cyclist’ by others. I’ve had to listen to many the story over the years about people doing things on bikes. There’s always an unspoken assumption held by the teller of the story that I might perhaps know this particular cyclist or could somehow remedy the situation.

Cyclists fall foul of the ‘free-rider problem’. When you drive, people generally don’t tend to point to new motorways and say things like ‘look at what they are doing for you’ or dwell on the costs and question who has funded this. A new motorway is seen as a vital piece of public infrastructure. Unfortunately, a new greenway or cycle lane is seen by some as a luxury excess for a small minority that has used dark arts to trick the government into spending taxpayer money.

The use of the term cyclist also merits discussion as a result of how people view cyclists as a group. A 2019 study from Australia found that cyclists have been conceptualised as a minority group and are a target of negative attitudes and behaviours. The study reported that more than half of car drivers rated cyclists as ‘less than fully human’.

It seems strange to write the following sentence: In early 2018, people who cycle in Ireland took to social media in an attempt to humanise themselves. The idea was spearheaded by T.D. for Galway East Ciaran Cannon who posted a tweet that read: ‘Minister for the Diaspora & International Development, Ireland. TD for Galway East, husband, dad, musician, songwriter, #andacyclist.’

The #AndACyclist hashtag was tweeted by 100s of people to show that ‘cyclists’ come from all walks of life and are normal people, just like you. Cycling is a part of their life but it is not an attribute that negates other aspects of their life, namely their family life, their professional life, their interests, and their aspirations. The mere fact that this campaign was started and spread online should have sent alarm bells ringing across various Government Departments.

What makes a cyclist? A person on a bicycle that meets their needs.. Unburdened by what other people think of cyclists. Travelling in a way that works for them. This occurs in many European countries and should here.