Your cycling fallacy is…
“We shouldn’t provide for cycling, as it disadvantages people with physical disabilities”
The response
There are cycles available for almost every type of disability – it’s actually an inclusive mode of transport that will often act as a mobility aid for people who find walking difficult, people who can't walk far and even those who cannot walk at all.
Evidence from the Netherlands (and increasingly from the UK, where new infrastructure has been built) shows that high quality cycling infrastructure is often shared with wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other assistive modes of transport.
And in general, cycling infrastructure should go hand-in-hand with other improvements to the physical environment too – like smooth, continuous footways across side roads, for example.
So in fact the truth is the opposite of the myth – cycling actually gives people with physical disabilities more transport options and independence, not less.
![man using handbike](fallacy_images/size_display/man-using-handbike.jpg)
Photo by The Alternative Department for Transport (Copyright, used with permission)
![two older people riding bikes and a man using a motorised wheelchair](fallacy_images/size_display/two-older-people-riding-bikes-and-a-man-using-a-motorised-wheelchair.jpg)
Photo by As Easy as Riding a Bike (Copyright, used with permission)
![wheelchair cycling on new cycle infrastructure blackfriars road london](fallacy_images/size_display/wheelchair-cycling-on-new-cycle-infrastructure-blackfriars-road-london.jpg)
Photo by As Easy as Riding a Bike (Copyright, used with permission)
![a wheelchair user uses a separated cycleway in london](fallacy_images/size_display/a-wheelchair-user-uses-a-separated-cycleway-in-london.jpg)
Photo by Adam Reynolds (Copyright, used with permission)
Related fallacies
Further reading
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'A rolling walking stick': why do so many disabled people cycle in Cambridge? — The Guardian
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Don't assume disabled people aren't interested in cycling – or in proper bike lanes — The Guardian
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Enabling disabled people — Push Bikes
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Supporting disabled people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of cycling — Wheels for Wellbeing
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5.1% of cycle commuters in England and Wales have a disability, versus 6.8% of all commuters. — Twitter
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Who else benefits from the Dutch cycling infrastructure? — BicycleDutch
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Cycling is only as discriminatory as we make it — As Easy as Riding a Bike
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Enabling the disabled: A view from the UK — streets.mn
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Who else benefits from the Dutch cycling infra? on YouTube Show video Hide video
Deutsch
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Wer sonst noch von der niederländischen Fahrrad-Infrastruktur profitiert on YouTube Show video Hide video
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