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Shimano has released its latest ‘state of the nation’ report for 2022, exploring how the cycling landscape has changed in the UK.
Now in its fourth edition, Shimano’s Europe-wide study of 15,500 people, including features 2,000 people in the UK, reveals that there is a perceived lack of progress for cyclists in Britain.
The most stark statistic from the report is that the UK has one of the lowest levels of bike ownership in Europe, with 63% not owning a bike, compared to 51% in France, and just 13% in the Netherlands.
According to the study, released on Wednesday (23rd November), just 27% of Brits surveyed believe cycling infrastructure has improved in the past year, compared to 56% and 49% in Poland and France respectively.
Jonathan Davis, PR and communications manager, Shimano Europe said: ”We are delighted to be launching our fourth State of the Nation report. Based on a poll of over 15,500 people across Europe, it aims to examine the motivations of e-bike users and better understand the attitudes to e-bikes and cycling more widely.
”The findings are fascinating and allow us to identify key trends in the market. The awareness of (and even attitudes towards) those who interact with an e-bike in some way are shifting upwards.
”We hope this report will be a useful tool for anyone in the cycling industry and beyond, and that it continues to play a role in advancing the e-bike sector further.”
Those taking part in the survey also revealed the biggest factors that may encourage a person to buy or hire an e-bike, with 56% suggesting the cost of living would contribute, along with purchase subsidies (40%) as the main motivations.
According to the report, 37% of people in the UK also cited reducing their environmental impact as a factor that might encourage them to hop on an e-bike – this is compared to 33% across Europe.
Across Europe, within those citing environmental impact as a factor, the percentage was highest amongst those aged 18-24 (37%); and higher for women at 36% compared to 30% for men. Overall, environmental concerns were also higher in both Italy (51%) and Spain (46%), possibly related to recent climate change related weather events in both countries, Shimano said.
Seeking to understand the perceptions that people have around e-bike usage, Shimano asked, ‘In general, who do you think e-bikes are for?’. In the UK, ‘The elderly’ only received 24%, compared to a 38% average across Europe and 65% in the Netherlands.
People in the UK are the least likely in Europe to say that they had plans to get their bike serviced within the next six months, with just one in 10 saying (10%) they had plans to do so. The UK also has one of the lowest levels of bike ownership, with 63% not owning a bike compared to an average of 41%.
Figures from the report are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size for the study was was 15,792 adults in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland and Switzerland. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th -25th August 2022, Shimano said. The survey was carried out online.
You can view the full report here.
