Wanted: bike-riding scally role models

Yesterday in the House of Lords there was a long and interesting discussion on the merits and demerits of cycling.

I’ve waded through the Hansard transcript and heavily edited their Lordship’s words for ‘Bike-loving Lords chew cycle fat in Other House’ on Bikeforall.net.

Tons of useful facts were used in the debate and all was going swimmingly when Earl Howe put a spoke in the wheel:

“There is an inherent problem with cycling; it is not exactly ‘cool’. It will probably not be seen as cool until we have role models who promote it in a way that resonates with those disadvantaged groups in society who most need to get on their bikes. At the moment it is the relatively affluent and educated sections of society who cycle, and we need to get the message to those at the opposite end of the social spectrum.”

Cycling uncool? Not enough MPs ride fixies, that’s the root of the problem. Bloody Brompton riders!