London cyclists "too white, male and middle aged" and this is a problem.

G-MAN2004 · 20 Jun 2018 at 20:53

Too few women and people from ethnic minority groups cycle in London and more must be done to promote diversity among a largely white, male and middle class biking community, the city’s walking and cycling commissioner has said.

Grand schemes, such as the Cycle Superhighway network of partially-segregated routes linking the suburbs with the centre, are too often perceived as simply a way of getting “middle-aged men cycling faster around the city”, Will Norton acknowledged.

He said he was considering setting diversity targets for London’s cycling population to ensure progress was achieved.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...iq-khan-bikes-race-class-gender-a8367916.html

Gosh, what a problem! I understand wanting to increase the number of cyclists, but why does race always have to be brought into everything these days? Why does everything have to be diverse to the point where it is forced? If they don't want to ride their bikes, then who cares?

Is this how Sadiq Khan and his commissioners operate or something?

-Pick a popular activity or hobby
-Measure how many minorities take part
-If more minorities than natives, ignore it. If more natives than minorities, go to next step
-Use tax payers money to address the imbalance because diversity is clearly the most imortant thing in this country...

Efour · 20 Jun 2018 at 20:56

This is old. Incredibly stupid though.
Sargon of Akkad did a nice reaction to it.

Malevolence · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:01

A mate said something similar when we were watching Croatia v Nigeria in the pub on Saturday. We tried to imagine the uproar by the usual brigade of sad ***** on social media if England fielded 11 white guys like Croatia did.

One More Solo · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:04

Malevolence said:
A mate said something similar when we were watching Croatia v Nigeria in the pub on Saturday. We tried to imagine the uproar by the usual brigade of sad ***** on social media if England fielded 11 white guys like Croatia did.

You need smarter mates.

robfosters · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:04

Malevolence said:
A mate said something similar when we were watching Croatia v Nigeria in the pub on Saturday. We tried to imagine the uproar by the usual brigade of sad ***** on social media if England fielded 11 white guys like Croatia did.

Surely its acceptable if its genuinely your best team? And if England fielded 11 black players, as a white man, would I get called racist for mentioning it?

Diddums · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:08

"walking and cycling commissioner"

Your mother must be so proud.

Lemme guess, £120k a year?

explicit4u · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:08

What's your issue with it?

They want to encourage more people to cycle and noticed that cyclists tended to be disproportionately male and white. Why wouldn't they target the BAME and female demographic?

robfosters · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:10

explicit4u said:
What's your issue with it?

They want to encourage more people to cycle and noticed that cyclists tended to be disproportionately male and white. Why wouldn't they target the BAME and female demographic?

But why is it so important that there is diversity amongst cyclists?

explicit4u · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:14

robfosters said:
But why is it so important that there is diversity amongst cyclists?

To make it more appealing to people who don't tend to cycle.

If you start going into BAME communities or having things such as female only cycling training you get more cyclists from groups that wouldn't otherwise be cycling, and more cyclists overall.

Diddums · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:16

explicit4u said:
To make it more appealing to people who don't tend to cycle.

If you start going into BAME communities or having things such as female only cycling training you get more cyclists from groups that wouldn't otherwise be cycling, and more cyclists overall.

Cycling isn't hard, it doesn't require an education or special skills, it's also extremely cheap to do, so what reason do these people have for not cycling? And why do you think promoting cycling will change that?

(I can't help but think that this is some kind of drive to justify the crap cycle lanes in London which have screwed up loads of junctions and routes, which London's transport chief has even admitted are a complete balls up)

V F · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:16

Why is this being brought up just now when the article was from May 28?

dowie · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:18

Climate change is racist too - don't you remember when a bunch of white hippy types acting on behalf of Black Lives matter closed London City Airport... that'll teach all those airlines to stop their racist pollution!

you've just got to remember that it is [current year] and everything is racist:

mmj_uk · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:19

Having 'diversity targets' for people choosing to cycle to work just seems like a monumental waste of government time and tax payer money. How about just letting people have the freedom to travel how they want and get rid of the pointless bureaucracy?

If they want more women riding to work I'd suggest bicycle lessons in schools as I suspect most women never learn to ride, either way get rid of the bloated bureaucracy it's not needed.

Diddums · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:20

dowie said:
[current year]

Stop this. You look a tool.

dowie · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:20

Diddums said:
Stop this. You look a tool.

Bit rich coming from you!

explicit4u · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:21

Diddums said:
Cycling isn't hard, it doesn't require an education or special skills, it's also extremely cheap to do, so what reason do these people have for not cycling? And why do you think promoting cycling will change that?

I'd guess confidence and certain stigmas about cycling.

I cycle all the time and get comments from friends and colleagues about the dangers of cycling in London, some say they're too embarrassed that they won't be fast enough or everyone will see them sweat, don't want to wear cycling gear, it's too expensive etc etc.

Not everyone thinks like you and a lot of the reasons will be ill informed.

Diddums · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:23

dowie said:
Bit rich coming from you!

You care what others think of

explicit4u said:
I'd guess confidence and certain stigmas about cycling.

I cycle all the time and get comments from friends and colleagues about the dangers of cycling in London, some say they're too embarrassed that they won't be fast enough or everyone will see them sweat, don't want to wear cycling gear, it's too expensive etc etc.

Not everyone thinks like you and a lot of the reasons will be ill informed.

Perhaps. I grew up in Holland so my opinions of cycling and cyclists is very different to the average Brit.

dowie · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:27

Diddums said:
You care what others think of

I'm really not sure what you're on about now or why you want to try and police content that is neither offensive nor breaking any rules.

Diddums · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:31

dowie said:
I'm really not sure what you're on about now or why you want to try and police content that is neither offensive nor breaking any rules.

I honestly don't know how that got there, I was half way through a reply when I deemed it stupid and deleted it :confused:

Fusion · 20 Jun 2018 at 21:33

It's not an inaccurate observation. Though they forgot "middle class" too (guilty as charged, though not yet middle aged).