Members Insight Series - Average Distance Travelled Per Cyclist Per County
The See.Sense Member’s Insights Series is back for 2023, and we're kicking off the year with a bit of friendly competition between the counties! We've ranked the top 10 counties in Ireland by the Average Distance Travelled Per Cyclist, using data from the last four years provided by See.Sense, our Official Bicycle Lights and Data Insights Supplier.
So, without further ado, let's dive into the results and find out which counties come out on top for cycling in Ireland. Will your county make the list? You'll have to read on to find out!
The Results: Top 10 Counties by Average Annual Distance Per Cyclist
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When looking at the data, County Kildare comes out as the winner! Looking closer at the average monthly distances travelled in Kildare (see below), we can see that cyclists are laying low through the winter months and March, before picking things up again once April comes. Once we reach the clearer evenings of the summer and autumn, the average distance per cyclist is two or three times greater than in January and February. August is a mammoth month in Kildare with cyclists riding further than in any other month at an average distance of 197km.
The Best of the Rest: Cork takes home silver
County Cork came second in our Top 10, not far behind county Kildare. Looking at the monthly average distances in Cork (see below), we see an interesting rising and falling pattern over the course of a year, with distances climbing higher in April (121km) and May (126km); as you might expect with improving weather conditions and clearer evenings. However, we see a decrease in June down to 80km, and an even more dramatic and curious decrease in September, which is the least distance travelled for the whole year at 43km.
County Tyrone Ranks Third
County Tyrone comes in next, with the Red Hand county placing third in the top 10. Interestingly, the rates of winer cycling in Tyrone are noticeably lower than in Cork, perhaps suggesting a larger number of commuter cyclists in Cork, with a greater percentage of cyclists in Tyrone being leisure cyclists. The following months are somewhat similar to County Cork, in that we see an alternating pattern of higher and lower distances, with September being particularly low, before increasing again in October and November.
Urban Cycling Brings Fourth for Dublin
In a result that may surprise a few, county Dublin only comes in at fourth on the Top 10 list. The monthly averages for Dublin see less variation, and this might be down to more people commuting in urban areas throughout the year. We see a slight bump in distances travelled around the spring and summer months, reaching a peak of 169 km in April, which may be down to better weather and clearer evenings.
Get Involved!
We’ll have more member insights blogs coming throughout 2023, so make sure to get involved by anonymously contributing your ride stats using the free See.Sense App. You need to own a See.Sense light to contribute, however Cycling Ireland Membership offers an exclusive 30% discount code off all See.Sense award-winning reactive bike lights - check your membership newsletter to find your unique code.
If your county isn’t featured here, put it on the map! Our coverage is still building in some counties, particularly in areas outside major population hubs, so if you’d like to see your county rank higher, be sure to use your exclusive discount and hit the roads with a See.Sense light.
Not Just A Bike Light
It's not just about the insights. If you own a See.Sense product and have joined the See.Sense community through their mobile app, you’ll see some unique and fun stats about your own rides too. These include:
The distance you've cycled
The calories you've burned
How much CO2 you’ve saved by cycling
More unique and fun stats.
Remember, all Cycling Ireland members get 30% off See.Sense lights!