There are always some people who aren’t very sympathetic to cycling. If they discover that you’re a cyclist (and rather like being one) you might find yourself having to defend any and every aspect of your transport choice, excellent as it is.
It's sometimes quite hard to come up with facts, figures and arguments on the spot, so we're hoping that our '10 Common Questions' with answers to each will help you. There are some questions that keep coming up time and time again, namely:
1. Cycling's dangerous, isn't it?
2. Wouldn’t wearing a helmet make cycling safer? Shouldn’t it be compulsory?
3. Cyclists should all be wearing hi-viz, shouldn't they?
4. Cyclists cause havoc on the roads, don't they?
5. Why don't cyclists obey red lights?
6. Cyclists are always knocking people down by cycling illegally on the pavement, aren't they?
7. Shouldn’t cyclists stop slowing down traffic and stick to where they belong – i.e. cycle paths/tracks off the road? Shouldn’t campaigners be asking for more off-road paths and on-road cycle lanes because they make cycling safer?
8. Cyclists should have compulsory training, number plates and insurance, shouldn't they? That’ll stop them riding dangerously and illegally – or make sure they pay for it if they do.
9. Cyclists don’t pay road tax, so have no right to complain about the roads or drivers, or to take up road-space, do they?!
10. You’ll never get large numbers of people cycling, will you?
And the answers? Click on for our 10 Common Questions. (PDF)