FED:Survey shows 4 million Aussies ride bikes

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2011
FED:Survey shows 4 million Aussies ride bikes

EDS: Not for use before 0900 (AEST) Aug 31, 2011



By Jeff Turnbull

MELBOURNE, Aug 31 AAP - A nationwide survey undertaken by cycling's peak body Bicycle
Network has found almost four million Australians ride bikes each week, with Victoria
leading the pack.

The survey, conducted over the phone between March and April and talking to almost
25,000 people in 10,000 households, found that 18 per cent of the population had ridden
a bike in the previous week.

It showed that in an average week 1.2 million people cycled to work while another 3.6
million cycled for recreation.

The survey, conducted by Sinclair Knight Merz, found that Victoria is Australia's most
active cycling state, with 1.08 million riders. More than 365,000 used their bikes to
ride to work each week.

NSW had the lowest rate of participation, although 250,000 people still prefer getting
to work on a bike rather than using public transport or the car.

Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania had high levels of recreation cycling
compared to the national average.

Bicycle Network chief executive Harry Barber said the results of the survey would form
a critical baseline in efforts to increase cycling over the next five years.

Cycling's peak body wants to double participation in cycling by Australians between
2011 and 2016.

"What the participation survey is showing us is that adults who ride are on average
getting all the physical activity they need for good health but young people are only
getting half," Mr Barber said.

"Bike riding is part of the solution and now that we know how many and what type of
people are riding, and why they are riding, we can focus our efforts on turning things
around."

Other key findings showed that children have the highest level of participation with
nearly half of all two to four-year-olds riding and males (22 per cent) are more likely
to ride than females (13 per cent) in a typical week.

The average cycling trip for transport was just over 35 minutes compared to 44 minutes
for recreation.

AAP jxt/gfr/dep

KEYWORD: CYCLING EMBARGOED

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