Cycle Cafe Survey
Goring Gap Active Travel organised a self-reporting online questionnaire of cyclists visiting several local cafes. The cafes were invited to display an A4 poster describing the survey, with a scannable QR code linking to a secure online form.
The aim of the survey was partly feasibility, to see if this low level of intervention could produce useful results for assessing the amount and type or leisure cycling locally. The questionnaire was deliberately kept simple, with only nine questions, and no personal data collected.
Key Findings
- Prominence drives engagement: The highest response rates occurred at locations where posters were displayed directly at the point of sale.
- Social and leisure habits: Groups of two or more made up the vast majority of respondents. The riders typically covered distances between 10 and 40+ miles per journey.
- Strava Use: 64% of riders covered by the survey used Strava to record their trips. This confirms that while Strava data may miss utility commuters or family shoppers, it remains a useful baseline for tracking leisure and fitness traffic in the area. A poll of two local social cycle groups reported Strava use of 21% and 52%.
- Active Travel integration: The survey captured a mix of single-day loop rides and multi-day tourists integrating rail travel (e.g., via Paddington, Reading, or Swindon), while zero respondents relied on cars to access the area.
- Cycle Clubs: It is a little surprising that the largest group reported was of five cyclists. These venues are known to be frequented by a number of formally-organised cycle clubs. It could be that there is lower attendance on club rides during the school holiday period, or that groups from outside the area on the poster’s map thought it was nor relevant to them.
The report on the survey makes a number of recommendations as to how the methodology could be enhanced to provide greater insight into cycle use in this (or any area).