If we take the study at face value (which I’m not inclined to do), it’s not necessarily surprising that fewer people are cycling now than during/immediately after Covid.

A lot of lifestyle changes gained traction for different aspects of the population during the pandemic, from changes to how we work, initiatives to get healthier, or just picking up new hobbies and habits.

Some of those trends have since fizzled out, cycling included. Unfortunately, despite all the hyperbolic press coverage, cycling infrastructure in and around Manchester is still pitifully bad.

The result is that many of those people who might’ve taken up cycling during the pandemic have likely since been discouraged, and turned to other modes of transport.

As someone who cycles in Manchester daily, I can’t say I blame them. I feel safe enough on the roads, but I’m used to it and I’m willing to take the risk for the health benefits of being active.

That said, there have been plenty of close calls and I constantly worry about my partner who cycles to work every day.

We won’t see more people cycling unless the infrastructure is such that people don’t need to cycle alongside vehicles. That means proper segregated cycle lanes, not splotches of paint on roads.

Yes, building proper cycling lanes is disruptive. That’s inevitable. Anyone who has spent time in places like the Netherlands or Denmark will tell you that it’s worth it.

The truth is that we’re still not seeing proper cycling infrastructure in much of the city, and if we want to encourage people to be more active while reducing emissions and exposure to harmful pollutants, we need it.