Between anecdotes of friends as well as data like this throughout the year, I would be very wary of cycling myself. I have a few friends who were hospitalised by careless drivers over the years.
Edit: this is the data I mean. A 31% increase in road deaths here in recent years https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/20400-lives-lost-eu-road-crashes-last-year-2024-10-10_en
And the weather, how is noone mentioning that Irish weather is horrific for cycle commuting like… 9 months a year. Not just rain either, also crazy windy.
Edit: just to clarify, cycling against the wind is a cruelly unenjoyable experience, it can make a downhill feel like an uphill.
Edit 2: I just saw this comment in the article “Irish weather is not even close to the main consideration of why most adults do not cycle.” And I mean for me, hard disagree, but maybe I’m a minority.
Yeah. I know people who dress for the weather and consider it a minor problem. But arriving to work even slightly wet or sweaty put me off completely. We had work showers for cyclists but that just meant leaving too early compared to taking a bus.
Right and even in waterproof clothes you’re then a hot sweaty mess when you arrive. Plus if it’s raining it’s usually windy
