The 23rd of July marked the beginning of the Women’s Tour de France. Women, as with most sports, have faced significant barriers to entry into the world of cycling. While the Women’s Tour de France claimed a viewership of 23.2 million in 2022, according to Zwift, a Strava survey revealed that women spent 54% less time cycling than men. Cycling UK also revealed a persistence of the gender cycling gap with only 79% of women being able to cycle compared to 91% of men. Sustrans cited a lack of fit-for-purpose infrastructure as a major obstacle to women cycling, with only 27% believing cycle infrastructure is good in their city. As governments look to invest majorly in cycling infrastructure across the nation, the cycling experts at Swytch- the UK’s leading e-bike conversion kit company, highlight the number of benefits cycling provides once started.
From better health on both a physical and mental level, the number of benefits cycling provides are extensive. Surveys by See Sense found that 79% of cyclists felt better both mentally and physically after going for a cycle. Beyond this cycling is a low impact aerobic exercise. This means it can help raise heart-rates and improve cardiovascular health as well as overall fitness. The National Institute of Health has found that cycling 60 mins a week was associated with 19% lower cardiovascular mortality. Finally on a mental health level, it has been found to decrease feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety. Linked with mindfulness as drawing focus to the road when cycling helps develop concentration and awareness of the present moment. This is backed by Swytch’s own research which found that 48% of Brits claimed that their mental health dramatically improved since they started cycling or walking for regular periods of time.
With £32.9 million of government funding being put into designing a safe network and an already fantastic community of women who like cycling. The prospect of lowering perceived barriers and bridging the cycling gap is promising. Swytch themselves have created an e-bike conversion kit that enables any bike to be converted into electric. This means that this type of exercise can be made even less demanding, making these health advantages available to adults of all fitness levels and ages.
