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9 Jul 2025

A recent BBC Breakfast segment has sparked backlash from the cycling community over its portrayal of e-bikes, with critics accusing the broadcaster of conflating legal e-bikes with illegal,...

8 Jul 2025

More than 30 locations across Scotland have seen a major rise in the number of people cycling, according to newly released data.

7 Jul 2025

Sixteen illegally upgraded e-bikes capable of speeds up to 40mph have been seized and disposed of in a joint enforcement operation in Birmingham city centre.

7 Jul 2025

Bristol-based Cytech training provider and ACT member Life Cycle has launched its award-winning Bikes Beyond Bars programme at HMP Bullingdon, expanding a project that has already impacted lives...

4 Jul 2025

New data from Strava reveals a major surge in cycling across the UK, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the charge.

3 Jul 2025

Shimano has launched an urgent investigation into what it describes as a “critical” shortage of skilled bike mechanics across Europe, warning that the situation threatens to...

2 Jul 2025

MPs have called on Amazon and eBay to tighten controls after e-bikes and chargers flagged as serious fire risks were found for sale on their platforms.

25 Jun 2025

The E-Bike Positive campaign has seen major success in the first half of 2025, with its message reaching nearly 8 million people across the UK through high-profile media coverage and growing...

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on...

20 Jun 2025

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.
 

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Study warns forceful cycle advocacy risks hindering bike lane progress

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

A new academic study has found that overzealous pro-cycling campaigners on social media may be inadvertently damaging the case for better cycling infrastructure across the UK.

Bike Social Media

The research, led by Dr Alexander Nurse at the University of Liverpool and published in Local Government Studies, revealed that some councillors and transport officials find the tone of online advocacy around cycling to be hostile and counterproductive.

Based on interviews with nearly 50 local government officials and councillors, the study highlights how “toxic” and aggressive social media debates, while dominated by anti-cycling voices, can also include vocal cyclists whose criticism is seen as unconstructive.

One participant remarked that cycling campaigners are often “mostly counterproductive due to their rudeness,” while another noted a growing reluctance among councils to promote new cycle lanes for fear that “nothing we ever do will make cyclists happy.”

The findings suggest that loud digital voices, even those in favour of active travel, can alienate decision-makers and undermine cycling’s wider political support, particularly among undecided councillors.

Well-known biking social media figures such as Jeremy Vine and Cycling Mickey have long championed the cause of safer cycling, but the study points to a tension between passionate online advocacy and effective policy influence.

Despite these concerns, the report acknowledges that the majority of abuse faced by council officials stems from anti-cycling factions, often fuelled by misinformation and anonymous accounts aligned with fringe ideologies.

Dr Nurse said: “This research shows that while passionate advocacy for cycling is important, the way it’s delivered matters and aggressive or dismissive online behaviour can alienate the very people needed to make change happen.”

The study also highlights that social media, while visible and loud, is rarely the most effective channel for influencing policy; officials cited emails and direct conversations as far more impactful.

Independent bike retailers, often embedded within local communities, may play a quieter but more persuasive role in advocating for change, leveraging face-to-face relationships and deep local knowledge.

Dr Nurse added that the findings raise broader questions about democratic engagement and how campaigners, however well-intentioned, can engage more productively with those shaping public space.

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