The ladies' 4-week cycle challenge: experiences and insights

Limerick was designated as Ireland’s National Smarter Travel demonstration area in 2012. Limerick Smarter Travel (LST), which aims to promote sustainable travel in the City and suburbs, is a partnership between the Limerick Councils and the University of Limerick (UL). Within UL, final year projects and other research is on-going in the smarter travel subject area. Although cycling participation in Ireland is on the rise both nationally and locally within the Limerick community, travel survey data conducted by the LST team has demonstrated a significant gender gap exists among cyclists with far less women cycling than men. This paper is based on a final year project thesis: The Ladies’ 4-Week Cycle Challenge: An active research study of females investigating the barriers and motivators regarding cycling participation in Ireland. The research involved a group of females taking up cycling over a period of 4 weeks as a means of commuting to work/college. Following pre- and post-challenge interviews with the female participants a number of measures to encourage cycling participation among women are outlined along with recommendations for further research.