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Data released from Strava has given some interesting insight into the UK’s enthusiast cycling habits, revealing a staggering 54 per cent drop off in commutes in winter over summer, among other stats.
Globally, the cycling app recorded a total ride distance of 2,700,000,000 kilometers over 75,700,000 rides. Furthermore, an elevation gain of 26,500,000,000 metres was tallied. Rides surpassing 100 miles in length were recorded 96,000 times.
For men, the average distance recorded was 41 kilometers, cycled at 23km/h, with one hour and 46 minutes spent in the saddle.
Female cyclists recorded an average of 34 kilometers at an average of 20km/h, spending one hour 39 minutes in the saddle.
Over the course of the year men cycled an average of 809km with the app turned on, while females clocked 407km on average.
The Tour de France seemed to influence UK cyclists to follow in the tyretracks of the pros, with the below segments recording higher cycle traffic:
Holme Moss proved to be yorkshire’s most popular segment, closely followed by Cragg Vale, Buttertubs Pass and Grinton Moor.
Moving on to commuter habits, it turns out plenty of us must be running late a lot of the time having recorded an average speed of 26km/h – faster than the leisure cyclist’s averages.
The data shows that the average recorded commute took around 43 minutes and covered 17 kilometers, suggesting the UK cycle commuter is increasingly shunning public transport in favour of active travel.
Though the real figure is likely much higher, an averge of 114,000 cycle commutes were recorded weekly on Strava.
Now for some bragging rights…
Cambridgeshire, perhaps predictably, was the fastest county with cyclists in what can be considered the UK’s cycling capital clocking an average speed of 26km/h.
It was over in Merthyr Tydfil where cyclists are the biggest suckers for punishment on the legs, with an average recorded elevation gain of 591 metres per ride. Cambridgeshire is the loser here, with the topography lines the least pronounced – an average of just 121 metres per ride was recorded.
As you’ll see from the heatmap, London accounted for the largest number of rides, with 2,497,000 recorded in 2014.
Simon Klima, UK Country Manager for Strava, commented; “We launched the 2014 Strava Story to showcase personal achievements as a key element of Strava’s ethos, but it’s been equally interesting for us to gather the achievements of the UK Strava community as a whole, and share an insight into their active lives.”
He continued, “In the UK in particular, where we had such a huge year for cycling thanks to the Tour de France, and where our running network has continued to expand in 2014, the Strava Story reports have detailed just how active, dedicated and impressive our Strava members are.”
