CYCLISTS ARE 'SOCIAL MISFITS AND UNHAPPY', CLAIMS STUDY

jimmypippa

In the Express.

or not

Cyclists! The public thinks you're cool and normal

New research shows motorists no longer consider cyclists weirdy beardy Guardian readers – in fact, they envy us

In the Guardian

I know which version of the report I think is more accurate:

The one where the person carrying out the study pointed out the Express as bad reporting:

alantapp

1 September 2010 2:15PM

Overall I think the research was genuinely heartening for cyclists - lets face it 10 or 20 years ago we would never have had nearly half the population thinking "cycling is cool nowadays".

Our research team is trying to help develop pro-cycling marketing ideas designed to be used by advertisers to promote the positive feelings around cycling - things like freedom, stress busting, the joy of being outdoors etc are coming up a lot.

Any ideas welcome.

Changing the subject it was interesting to see the completely negative spin put on my press release - the same one which led to Helen's excellent article above - by the Daily Express:

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/196766/Cyclists-are-social-misfits-and-unhappy-claims-study

A classic case study of press spin.

Alan

Here is the press release

The express missed out the bit "seen as" and didn't realise that the study was asking whether cyclist were seen as social misfits, not stating that they were either eseen as social misfits or were actual misfits:

Professor Tapp comments, “We wanted to find out if cycling is still the 'poor man's transport' populated by badly dressed social misfits muttering about gear ratios, or a fashionable activity of good looking people who rock up to the office with the latest carbon frame. We asked questions about how congestion, global warming and ever rising fuel prices might persuade us out of our cars and back onto two wheels.

deptfordmarmoset

Nonsense, cyclists are happy social misfits

Splottboy

I agree...

What's a Fismit?

jimmypippa

I hope you liked the caps lock (just pasted the Express headline into the title).

Yes and I am a happy misfit.

Cool...

My kids seem to find endless amusement in mocking my cycling clothing, si I don't really think so.

jonginge

I am unhappy with the Express' headline and would like to misfit a d-lock into the sub ed. responsible




Actually the above is hyperbole. I've long since despaired of headlines in the Express or the Mail. Anyway, (I think) in most cases the article headlines aren't written by the author of the piece, which leads to cases where they don't tally

shouldbeinbed

jimmypippa wrote:

In the Express.

Isn't it just gloriously barking. its cheered this misery up

Bacteria Man

Let us just take this opportunity to scoff at the statistician's definition of using a bike very often (at least once a week). Pah!

ndru

Cyclists are misfits - we don't use cars when we don't have to (or not at all) get a decent amount of exercise, spend a lot of time outdoors, which means we don't fit with the general population.

Clarion

I'm normal.

It's just everyone else who's a misfit.

sloboy

My kids are so busy telling me I'm a misfit cos I is Ginge, that I think they've barely noticed the bike/lycra thing.

Sirius631

For a given amount of space, a bunch of cyclists will fit in more easily than the same number of fat blobs of the average population.

ex-pat scot

sloboy wrote:

My kids are so busy telling me I'm a misfit cos I is Ginge, that I think they've barely noticed the bike/lycra thing.

+ 1 million

spasypaddy

im pretty miserable tbf