The Lewes Cycle Challenge

Challenge Evaluation

CTC Challenge for Change run Workplace Cycle Challenges across the UK, New Zealand and Australia with the aim to get more people cycling more often. To evaluate the projects, participants in the Challenges are asked to complete surveys before and after the Challenges, the results of which enable evaluation of the initiatives.

In each Challenge the first survey was issued at baseline, when participants registered into the Challenge. Participants were also asked to complete surveys after the Challenge to explore the barriers that participants faced to cycling more and to assess cycling behaviour, to see what behaviour change had occurred.

Top-line Results

Non-Cyclists - People who had either not cycled at all or only a few times in the year before the Challenge.

Occasional Cyclists - People who had cycled 1-4 times a month before the Challenge.

Regular Cyclists - People who had cycled two days or more each week before the Challenge.

2010 Lewes Cycle Challenge

(Monday 6 September - Sunday 3 October 2010)

Three months after the 2010 Challenge:

• 32% of non-cyclists reported cycling more frequently
• 19% of non-cyclists were cycling at least once a week
• 17% of occasional cyclists were cycling more frequently

2011 Lewes Cycle Challenge

(Monday 4 - 24 July 2011)

Three weeks after the Challenge:

• 76% of non-cyclists reported intending to cycle more
• 70% of those who had not cycled to work at all at baseline reported cycling to work in the three week survey

Sustained behaviour change

122 participants took part in the 2010 Challenge and registered again for the 2011 Challenge. The data from this group of participants enabled an evaluation of their cycling behaviour 9 months on.

Nine months after the 2010 Challenge:

• 14% of non-cyclists reported cycling at least once a week
• 24% of occasional cyclists reported cycling regularly
• 3% of participants who travelled to work by car had switched to cycling to work as their main mode of transport.