British Cycling report shows how “small behavioural nudges” can get people back on their bikes.
Virtual reality headsets showing footage of people enjoying cycling could have a major impact on getting people into cycling, according to a new report by British Cycling and HSBC UK.
The Bike Shed Studies report looked at the effect of “small behavioural nudges” on getting people who have stopped cycling – so-called “lapsed riders” – to get back on their bikes, with virtual reality headsets one of a number of methods which could help people return to two wheels.
The study showed participants a virtual reality video of people enjoying cycling, such as children learning to ride a bike or someone taking a turn on a velodrome, and found that these people were 39 per cent more likely to cycle again compared to a group who just viewed a video about cycling on YouTube.
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The report also looked at the effect of different messages to get people out on their bikes, altering the wording of registration emails for various HSBC City Rides to test what sort of messages were most effective.
The result was that messages that appealed to a rider’s sense of fun and nostalgia made them 15 per cent more likely to sign up to these free city-centre rides, while making sure that proper information was available in registration emails saw a 75 per cent increase in registrations.
Finally, British Cycling looked at the role that friends and family can play in getting people back into cycling. The findings show that people who set specific plans and goals for their cycling, and receive support and encouragement from those around them went on to do 20 per cent more cycling than those who were left to their own devices and did not receive encouragement.
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Source: Cycling Weekly