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More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007

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01 / Original postMore Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007Noel · 16 Jan 2008 02 / This pagePosts 1–7Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #7Martin Dann · 16 Jan 2008

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UK and Europe
Published
16 January 2008
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16 January 2008
Original author
Noel
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7
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Kids' cycling gear

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  1. Original post
    Noel
    Archived post
    #1

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007

    Australia's Cycling Promotion Fund released a report this week showing
    bicycles outsold automobiles down under by nearly 50% in 2007, with 1.47
    million bikes sold vs. 1.05 million cars. It's the seventh straight year
    that bikes have surpassed autos in sales in Australia.

    “Soaring petrol prices, concern over climate change, crippling traffic
    congestion and the desire to lead healthier lifestyles all contributed to
    the record breaking year” said Elliot Fishman, Policy Advisor at the
    Cycling Promotion Fund.

    The increase in bike sales is accompanied by increased ridership as well.
    The number of Australian adults who ride bikes is up 17% from 2001, and
    bike commuting is growing at an average rate of 22% across Australia's
    capital cities, with Melbourne in particular experiencing a 42% percent
    increase in bike commuter trips.

    This is great news, obviously, and the type of growth that would be great
    to replicate in other places around the world. Just for comparision's
    sake, in the U.S., there were 18.2 million bikes of all types sold in
    2006, compared with 16.5 million cars. That's good news and the past
    couple of years really represent the biggest jump in bike sales since the
    1970s in the U.S.

    However, this number does include tiny tot bikes, etc., and if you
    whittle it down a bit, you get around 12.7 million "real" bikes with
    wheels greater than 20" (and please pardon me if I offended any tots with
    that distinction). I wish the numbers were higher, but they're still
    impressive all the same.

    Conventional wisdom says credit for this surge goes to higher fuel
    prices, desire for improved physical fitness, concern for the environment
    and the so-called Lance effect. Personally, I think the trickle-down
    effect from Tour de France type racing to the average Joe getting on a
    bike is pretty minimal. A big part of it, I believe, is people just
    getting fed up with riding in the car all the time and finally starting
    to realize that riding around on a bike is many times just as convenient
    and a whole lot more fun.

    Cheers
    Noel

    Report
  2. Paul Boyd
    Archived post
    #2

    On 16/01/2008 19:56, Noel said,

    Quoted message said:

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007


    <Snippety>

    Is this the same country that supposedly had a marked downturn in
    cycling when helmet wearing became mandatory?

    (Ducks and runs for cover...)

    --
    Paul Boyd
    http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

    Report
  3. Email address hidden
    Archived post
    #3
    Noel said:

    Just came across this.  Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007

    Australia's Cycling Promotion Fund released a report this week showing
    bicycles outsold automobiles down under by nearly 50% in 2007, with 1.47
    million bikes sold vs. 1.05 million cars. It's the seventh straight year
    that bikes have surpassed autos in sales in Australia.

    From memory, the UK figure for 2004 (the last year for which figures
    are available) is 4.5 million bikes against 2.5 milion cars. The 4.5
    million however includes childrens bikes, tag-alongs, etc, and I
    haven't seen any data for "proper" bikes.

    Rob

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  4. burtthebike
    Archived post
    #4

    "Paul Boyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    On 16/01/2008 19:56, Noel said,

    Quoted message said:

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007


    <Snippety>

    Is this the same country that supposedly had a marked downturn in cycling
    when helmet wearing became mandatory?

    (Ducks and runs for cover...)

    very wise, and I hope you're wearing a helmet.

    Yes, there is no doubt that there was a marked downturn in cycling when the
    helmet law was introduced, and it's great that this is now being reversed.
    But......how much cycling would there be now if the helmet law hadn't been
    introduced? The answer has to be "more". Probably much, much more.

    So while the Aussies, with their long term, whole population study, have
    kindly proved that helmets make no difference whatsoever to the risks of
    cycling, they don't seem to have proved much else.

    I'm sure the authorities will ascribe the reduction in risk following the
    increasing amount of cycling to helmets. They always do, no matter what the
    real cause of the change.

    Report
  5. Mike Sales
    Archived post
    #5

    "burtthebike" wrote

    Quoted message said:

    "Paul Boyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    On 16/01/2008 19:56, Noel said,

    Quoted message said:

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007


    <Snippety>

    Is this the same country that supposedly had a marked downturn in cycling
    when helmet wearing became mandatory?

    (Ducks and runs for cover...)

    very wise, and I hope you're wearing a helmet.

    Yes, there is no doubt that there was a marked downturn in cycling when
    the helmet law was introduced, and it's great that this is now being
    reversed. But......how much cycling would there be now if the helmet law
    hadn't been introduced? The answer has to be "more". Probably much, much
    more.

    So while the Aussies, with their long term, whole population study, have
    kindly proved that helmets make no difference whatsoever to the risks of
    cycling, they don't seem to have proved much else.

    I'm sure the authorities will ascribe the reduction in risk following the
    increasing amount of cycling to helmets. They always do, no matter what
    the real cause of the change.

    Australia has one of the lowest rates of cycling in the world. It has this
    in common with all the countries with mandatory helmet laws. There is a
    strong correlation of helmet laws with few cyclists, but I would not assert
    that helmet laws cause this. The only jurisdiction where a helmet law has
    not been frollowed by a perceptible decrease in cycling is a Canadian one
    where the law isnot enforced.

    Mike Sales

    Report
  6. Martin Dann
    Archived post
    #6
    Paul Boyd said:

    On 16/01/2008 19:56, Noel said,

    Quoted message said:

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007


    <Snippety>

    Is this the same country that supposedly had a marked downturn in
    cycling when helmet wearing became mandatory?

    (Ducks and runs for cover...)

    A quick check on www.cyclehelmets.org show that the drop in cycling when
    the laws were introduced between 1988 and 1992 was between 36%(a) and
    50%(b). To get back to the pre-helmet laws you would need an increase of
    between 56%(a) and 100%(b).
    The article above quotes a rise of cyclist by 17% and commuting trips by
    an average of 22% since 2001 (with Melbourne at a 42% rise).

    If there was no changes between 1992 and 2001[1], then the amount of
    cyclist is still far below that of the 1988 figures.

    If the MHL laws had not been brought in, and there was a resurgence in
    cycling now, the amount of cyclist would be a lot more than it currently is.

    [1] I have no data here, so am just making an uneducated guess.

    Report
  7. Martin Dann
    Archived post
    #7
    Quoted message said:
    Noel said:

    Just came across this. Last paragraph gets it right I think:

    http://bicycling.about.com/b/2008/01/13/more-bikes-than-cars-sold-in-
    australia-in-2007.htm

    More Bikes Than Cars Sold in Australia in 2007

    Australia's Cycling Promotion Fund released a report this week showing
    bicycles outsold automobiles down under by nearly 50% in 2007, with 1.47
    million bikes sold vs. 1.05 million cars. It's the seventh straight year
    that bikes have surpassed autos in sales in Australia.

    From memory, the UK figure for 2004 (the last year for which figures
    are available) is 4.5 million bikes against 2.5 million cars. The 4.5
    million however includes childrens bikes, tag-alongs, etc, and I
    haven't seen any data for "proper" bikes.

    bikes sold per capita cars sold per capita
    UK 4.5/60= 0.075 2.5/60=0.042
    Aus. 1.47/21= 0.07 1.05/21=0.05

    The figures are similar, with Australians more biased towards buying
    cars than Britons.

    Report

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