Americans are looking for a reason to get back on their bicycles, according to a new survey released by Bell Sports. While three-quarters of the 1,062 respondents ride less often now than in the past 10 years, 79% said they would ride more often if their key concerns about bike riding were resolved.
In the category of bicycling gear, the No. 1 complaint was hard seats. 57% said they would prefer bike seats with extra padding for added comfort. Flat tires were the second most cited complaint, with 36% of riders saying they wish they had tires that could immediately seal themselves after a puncture.
The survey, conducted by Greenfield Online, also discovered a somewhat surprising motivation of America's active cyclists — more recreational riders bike to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family (60%), than specifically for exercise (25%).
Questions regarding safety yielded surprising responses:
- Few Act on Desire to Protect Head: While 71% of adults said that the body part they are most concerned about injuring in a bike accident is the head, only 27% always wear a helmet. 43% of adults said they never wear a helmet. Furthermore, 60% said they don't know what constitutes a properly fitting helmet.
- Safer Places to Ride: Most bike accidents occur within one mile of a cyclist's home. Still, 77% of adults view residential streets as safe places to ride. respondents ranked “safe places to ride” as their biggest concern about bike riding.
- In the Dark on Nighttime Biking: 76% of those surveyed either don't know or don't believe there is a law requiring headlights when biking after dusk or before dawn. In fact, the law in every state requires bicyclists to use headlights when riding after dark. Some states also require a taillight.
“What this survey clearly indicates is that people enjoy biking as a family and social activity, and that they would like to ride more often,” said Alex McKinnon, vice president, mass marketing at Bell Sports.
