This graph, taken from an article on the BBC News site, says it all for me. People go on about cycling being popular and cycle sales going up. They paint lots of lines on the road. They have campaigns. But for a real cyclist it just feels like it gets more dangerous and there don’t seem to be that many more cyclists around. The ones there are come into the “macho” bracket – representing a small minority, mainly men, mainly young (or in a midlife crisis) and typically riding mountain bikes. No bike that lacks mudguards is really a means of transport – flame on.
This is the graph that matters and it isn’t going up. In fact it has been flat like this for decades. Until we take major anti-car planning decisions the graph will stay flat. I don’t see those decisions being made any time soon. Wake up and smell the diesel fumes!