Breaking the Cycle: Representation and diversity in photographs of cyclists.
This research report assesses the diversity (or lack thereof) of imagery found when conducting a Google search of “family cycling” in the UK. The imagery that people are exposed to influences public attitudes around cycling, including what types of cycling exist and who cycling is for, which can in turn impact take-up of cycling as a whole.
Who is depicted in “family cycling” images?
Heterosexual: Where two adults are pictured, there was one man and one woman – depicting a heterosexual nuclear family.
Gender neutral: In images where only one adult is pictured, there is roughly equal representation of men and women.
Smaller bodies: The majority of people shown in these images are of slimmer body size than UK average (most pictured are estimated to wear UK size 10-12), and no larger bodies were present in the images.
White: The vast majority of the people in these images were white, particularly when removing images from a non-UK context.
Non-disabled: None of the images in the sample showed any visible disabilities.
In addition, the type of cycling depicted in these images lacked diversity:
Most of the images showed rural settings, without buildings or urban infrastructure.
Locations of these images showed no motor vehicles, pedestrians, or cycling infrastructure.
Helmets were usually worn.
No non-standard bicycles (eg. tricycles/e-handcycles).
The report argues that the lack of diversity in types of cycling and people who cycle may be a factor impacting take-up of this sport/transport-option. Those who don’t see themselves in images of cycling (eg. disabled people, those with larger bodies, people of colour, LGBTQ+ families) may feel as if cycling is not for ‘people like me’, and thus be less likely to adopt it.
Similarly, as urban cycling, cycling without a helmet, and different types of cycles are not represented, it may feed into a public perception of cycling as less accessible for certain people or in certain places.
As such, the report recommends that authorities and other organisations should consider collating, sourcing, and using more diverse imagery, as well as images of newer cycling infrastructure allowing families to cycle separate from motor traffic and pedestrians.
Why is this report important in the fight against climate change?
To hit our climate goals, UK car miles need to be drastically reduced. For this to happen, elected politicians and the public must work together to achieve a modal shift away from private cars, towards walking, wheeling, and public transport. Unlike high cycling localities such as the Netherlands and Japan, it is not considered the norm for young people or families to use cycling as a way to get around here in the UK, and it is said that people are put off by a perception that cycling requires a lot of gear. By shedding light on the lack of diversity in cycling imagery that the UK public is exposed to, this report helps inform campaigners and policy makers about one factor that needs to be addressed if we are to encourage more people in the UK to choose cycling.
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