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Small ‘nudges’ can get people back on their bikes, according to studiesFamily Ride 650x390

Small ‘nudges’ can get people back on their bikes, according to studies

Make a plan, get support from friends and family – and remember that it’s fun
by Alex Bowden
Tue, Dec 05, 2017 16:50
7

Over half of UK adults are considered ‘lapsed riders’, but a series of studies developed by HSBC UK and British Cycling has found that small behavioural ‘nudges’ can encourage people to start cycling again.

Julie Harrington, Chief Executive at British Cycling said: “We are all creatures of habit, and this is no different when it comes to riding a bike. Most of us are aware of the many health or environmental benefits that riding a bike brings, but still do not cycle regularly, perhaps because we have concerns about safety or lack confidence when riding on the road. Our partnership with HSBC UK is all about understanding those barriers, breaking them down and getting people back on a bike.”

Working with behavioural experts at New York’s Columbia University, the two organisations looked at how they could get more people to cycle. The Bike Shed studies drew several conclusions.

Researchers found that those who set goals with support from friends or family went on to do 20 per cent more cycling during the following four weeks than those who were not prompted to make a plan.

One in ten people in UK have forgotten how to ride a bike finds survey

Visualising yourself as a cyclist also had a significant impact. People provided with a virtual reality headset showing them scenes of being out and about on a bike were 39 per cent more likely to get on a bike again compared to those who viewed a control video.

Perhaps most significantly, when people are reminded of the fun they can have cycling, they get back on their bikes. In registration emails sent out to HSBC UK City Ride attendees, messages appealing to a sense of fun or nostalgia were on average 15 per cent more effective in motivating people to sign up than alternative reasons.

Hale Forster, Behavioural Scientist, Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia University, New York said:

“The Bike Shed studies applied behavioural science insights to real life scenarios to generate evidence on what motivates people to cycle. The results from the first year have been promising so far and the findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that small nudges can help us to achieve our own goals. Because they are simple, these behavioural nudges can be applied at a wide scale fairly easily and quickly.”

Luke Harper, Head of British Cycling Partnership at HSBC UK said:

“The goal we have set with British Cycling to get two million people back on their bike is deliberately ambitious. We know that changing people’s behaviours is tough – especially when it comes to changing long standing habits. The Bike Shed studies launched today are the first of our partnership and they have shown that even the smallest of changes can make a lasting difference to people’s behaviour.

“There’s a cyclist in all of us, it just needs teasing out – primarily through fun, friends and family. This the first step we’re making with British Cycling to inspire people to get back on their bikes to create a greener, fitter and healthier country, and will shape our thinking on how we encourage people to get back on their bikes.”

HSBC
British Cycling
Bike Shed
Columbia University
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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7 comments

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jamesbikes | 6 years ago
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For me on the biggest issues with cycle commuting is actually having a place to park your bike. For the price of them there should be really no excuse. I asked our facilities management to get one, found this https://www.urbanfab.com/products.php?p=77&type=10-Cycle-Eco-Shelter- on the internet and he got it. 

Two extra people from the office took up cycling because of that..

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
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Yawn!

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Leviathan replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
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alansmurphy wrote:

Yawn!

Get some rest, Alan,  you look tired...

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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Over half of all adults are "lapsed riders" is patently bollocks in the true sense of them being regular riders.. A 'lapsed' rider could mean people who rode a bike only once or twice as an adult ever and then gave up.
It's not a small 'nudge' to get people cycling for utility/commute, in most cases for those that are lapsed it's a big nudge often fraught with trepidation as to safety which is what nost peoole fear.

Then there's getting 'all the gear' that is pushed so much by many of the cycling organisations (CUK has helmets/hi-vis on its magazine more often than not) and media/blog/online forums, RoadCc themselves do it too.
Some more familiar with the cycle scene or have only very short or easy journeys traffic density wise might be more encouraged with a small nudge but the vast majorityneed far more, all things that have being adentified as a priority but ignored by government at all levels and indeed those representing people on bikes to a lesser degree (bedford turbo roundabout scandal for one)

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fukawitribe replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Over half of all adults are "lapsed riders" is patently bollocks in the true sense of them being regular riders.. A 'lapsed' rider could mean people who rode a bike only once or twice as an adult ever and then gave up.

The foreward of the report starts

Quote:

Why cycling? In six words: Simple. Universal. Healthy. Fun. Nostalgic. Freedom.

 

There are defining moments in all our lives. Instances we remember forever, that shape and mould us. Learning to ride a bike is one such moment. Its ubiquity unites. It’s a feeling you never forget.

 

Fifty per cent of UK adults are ‘lapsed riders’ – those who know how to ride but have stopped. They’ve forgotten or lost the freedom that came with getting on their bikes. This is sad for many reasons: it means they are missing the physical and mental health benefits of cycling; the financial savings that can come from not paying for petrol or parking; the joy of passing on and sharing the experience with their children. It means that cycling, for many, is a part of the past when it could be part of their present and future. 

..so that's what they're calling them in the context of their report. HTH

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Edsonytic replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

It's not a small 'nudge' to get people cycling for utility/commute, in most cases for those that are lapsed it's a big nudge often fraught with trepidation as to safety which is what nost peoole fear.

They are not claiming that it's a small nudge to get people commuting on a bike, taken from the original report "The solutions we tested in the Bike Shed are based on robust scientific evidence and real-world testing – so we can build evidence about what works. These simple behavioural ‘nudges’ can be applied at a wide scale fairly easily and quickly, and still allow each of us to decide what works best for our own needs." No mention of frequency there... 

As for what they did intend to glean knowledge about, we get the next two paragraphs.

• The first two studies aimed to get people back on their bike at least once, as an important  first step to creating a new cycling habit. We did this by testing a range of messages to motivate people to attend a cycling event; and gave people a brief yet memorable experience of cycling. In both cases we can present very encouraging results.
• A third study explored cycling habits, testing new ways to encourage people to stick with cycling once they’ve started. Changing long term habits is harder than changing a one-off behaviour such as attending an event. So we’re especially excited to present encouraging results from this study.

Regarding their third study, the results have already been covered on the article: "People who were prompted to make a cycling plan and set cycling goals with support from friends or family went on to do 20% more cycling during the following four weeks, compared to people who were not promoted to make a plan." No specific claims about commuting or nearly daily use here either.

In the end the report highlights three things which can help to get people to include at least a bit more bicycle use in their life and surely we can agree that's a good thing.

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Deeferdonk | 6 years ago
2 likes

Small nudges can help people fall off bikes.

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