A 2022, Ipsos released a study that analyzed bicycle use in 28 countries. It found that Canada ranked the lowest for preferring cycling for distances under 2 km. Canada also ranked the lowest for those who use a bicycle once a week.

Fighting climate change with these abysmal numbers makes it look like moving Mount Everest might be easier. In this blog post, we’ll propose a different point of view when encouraging Canadians to take up two wheels.

Find the Right Comparator: Waterloo Region as a Case Study

Whenever I read about making improvements to cycling infrastructure in our local paper, I’ve noticed that Amsterdam’s cycling infrastructure, one of the best in the world, is used as inspiration.

However, it may not be the best comparator, which makes it hard to communicate the benefits of cycling to those who rarely use it. Let’s take a quick look, using our office’s location—Waterloo Region, Ontario—as an example.

Cycling Numbers Often Ignored

It’s easy to compare how many cyclists are on the road, and how many roads have dedicated bike lanes. But we’ve noticed some details that may affect a person’s decision to ride get ignored with this cycling campaign strategy.

Cycling in Amsterdam

  • Amsterdam’s elevation ranges from -8 m to 18 m, a difference of 26 m.
  • Amsterdam’s annual temperatures move between 23 ˚C in July to -2 ˚C in January. A difference of 25 ˚C.
  • Amsterdam’s precipitation: between December and February, the city averages 1 cm of snow. Its highest average of rain is 86 mm in August.

Cycling in Waterloo Region

  • Its lowest elevation is 204 m, and its highest 468 m, a difference of 268 m.

Because Waterloo comprises three cities and four townships, we’ll use Kitchener, which sits in the middle, to report on weather statistics.

  • Temperature range: +27 ˚C in June to -18 ˚C in February, a difference of 45 ˚C.
  • Kitchener’s precipitation: Kitchener’s highest averages are 132 mm of rain in July and 28 cm of snow in February.

What Do These Differences Mean?

Not only is Amsterdam relatively flat, but its climate is much milder. In other words, it’s much easier to hop on a bike and go.

Waterloo Region has almost twice the temperature range, ten times the elevation range, 76% more rain in its rainiest month, and 28 times more snow (although that one’s misleading, since Amsterdam only gets 1 cm).

It is simply not an inviting environment for first-time cyclists. This needs to be taken into consideration when planning a cycling campaign, whether to support efforts at reducing global warming one ride at a time, or improving one’s health. It surprises me, with everything I read about cycling infrastructure, that basic statistics like these are not reported.

Define Your Audience in Your Cycling Campaigns

When analyzing the population you’d like to encourage to hop on a bike, ensure you understand their environment. What is holding someone back from cycling in the first place?

Let’s say your campaign is trying to encourage people to start cycling. Have you asked yourself these questions:

  • How can they carry home groceries?
  • How easy is it to ensure they can lock their bike?
  • Can they easily buy a helmet?
  • How can they avoid getting their right pant leg dirty from the chain?
  • How does a cyclist avoid reaching their destination drenched in sweat?
  • What do they do in the winter?

For someone used to driving a car, none of these questions are important.

  • They throw the groceries in the trunk.
  • They press a button on their key fob or stick the key into the lock to lock the vehicle.
  • They don’t need a helmet.
  • They don’t need to protect their clothing.
  • They turn on their vehicle’s A/C to avoid sweating.
  • They switch their tires and turn on their heat in the winter.

Choosing a bicycle over a car comes down to convenience, and even safety.

What Is Your True Message?

In my everyday travels, I often hear drivers ask in frustration why earth-friendly transportation campaigns expect them to give up their vehicle. I believe they’ve made that assumption because marketing campaigns and news articles encouraging cycling, and even public transit, rarely discuss incorporating alternatives into transportation routines.

Very few people will dive into cycling. Including aspirational examples of dedicated cyclists who got rid of one or both vehicles means drivers will see “that’s not me” in the article and move on with their lives.

Sneak in a Little More Information

According to an Ipsos study from 2022, 67% of Canadians reported that too many cyclists in their communities don’t obey the rules of the road. Angus Reid reported a similar statistic in 2018 and that 60% of Canadians blame cyclists for conflicts between drivers and cyclists.

I’d like to offer some insights as someone who’s cycled around her city for about 25 years now. Sadly, I do see many cyclists disobeying even common sense:

  • riding on sidewalks, where they buzz by pedestrians and fly across pedestrian crossings at intersections
  • driving the wrong way in a bike lane
  • squeezing through rows of cars to get ahead
  • not using hand signals to communicate
  • weaving between riding on the sidewalk and on the road

Is your campaign, for example, encouraging people to ride their bike to the nearest coffee shop? Mention that, if they’re going to ride on the sidewalk, to ride slowly and ring their bell when they approach a pedestrian.

Do you want to encourage people to enjoy city trails for a leisurely form of exercise? Remind them to ring consistently as they slowly round a corner.

Keep It Defined, Keep It Clear, Keep It Collaborative

When encouraging people to try cycling, ensure you’re focused on the right target audience and that you address their concerns, not your dreams. This includes reassuring them you aren’t advocating for disposing of their vehicle, and that you educate cyclists, too, on how to share the road and sidewalk.

If you’re planning a cycling campaign and would like some suggestions for your content writing, contact us for a free 15-minute call via the form below.

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