We behold that certain truths are self-evident: If there are few female cyclists it is likely that a roadway is unsafe. And the first amendment of this truth is that, if very few female cyclists are observed it is highly likely that it has been a very cold winter. These words are somewhat plagiarized from the American Constitution yet there is some truth to them.
The winter season of 2025-26 in London, Ontario was unusually brutal. Much snow and very cold. Last winter season was also unusually brutal. So the past two winter seasons have been reminiscent of those winters of the 1970s in southern Ontario. And many are puzzled over the research findings that there is global warming taking place. However the phrase “global warming” might also include “global extremes” where droughts, high heat, severe storms and every other climate pestilence may be ahead of us.
From the Gorski Consulting viewpoint we have been conducting substantial cyclist observations along the roads of London, Ontario and these are also a barometer (thermometer) giving us an indication of the weather conditions. For several years now we have made comments in various website articles that few female cyclists can be observed riding on or adjacent to London’s roads. We then observed that those female cyclists are even more scarce in winter months. And if a winter is particularly “brutal” even less female cyclists can be found. So we say, without too much scientific rigour, that observations of female cyclists can predict safety concerns and they can indicate seasonal weather patterns. Our latest cyclist data for this past winter season in London, Ontario, is shown in the table below along with data from a few previous years.
The above table confirms that the overall number of cyclists observed riding along London’s roads in winter is low compared to warmer months. The average number of cyclists observed in the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb and Mar) for the past 6 winters has been about 161 observations. These winter months are about a third of a full year. So if we multiplied the 161 by 3 we could say that, if the trend continued, we should be observing about 483 cyclists per year. But that is not the case. In the past six years Gorski Consulting has been making observations of about 1000 cyclists every year. So, again, this demonstrates the general lack of cyclists riding along the City’s roads in winter. However the trends are even more interesting when we focus on female cyclists.
Observations from previous years indicate that the percentage of female cyclists fluctuates about 13% each year. However the above table shows that, in winter months, the female percentage has been about 7.25%. So, although we are seeing a reduction in cyclists observations in winter months overall, that reduction is even greater for observations of female cyclists.
What is the purpose of our focus on female cyclists? It is because a reduction in female cyclists affects our ability to increase cycling as a mode of transportation. We need to shift our methods of transportation riding in gas-powered, personal automobiles. And we need to increase our usage of mass transit and active transportation. The lack of female cyclist observations is telling us that we have to do better. But we need to understand why females appear to avoiding riding along London’s roads. It could be a safety issue that we may need to correct. It could also be a matter of convenience and comfort. But we do not know. That is the purpose of gathering this observational data.
In late March of 2026 local news media announced that the City of London had a reduction is transit bus usage from 18.4 million rides in 2024 to 17.5 million in 2025. Those are troubling numbers. London City staff have concluded that much of this drop has to do with the reduction in foreign students attending Western University and Fanshawe College. Perhaps. However, what is the ridership situation with cyclists in the City? We had great plans about transitioning into mass transit and cycling but are those plans faltering? From the cycling standpoint there is no real data available from the City other than some broad numbers of imbedded cycle counters which are of minimal assistance.
We have to have a realistic understanding of the challenges posed to cycling in the City of London. Our climate is not helpful and variable/extreme weather conditions are more than inconvenient if cyclists cannot ride except through some heroic effort.
Officials are great at ignoring large gorillas in their rooms. They just pretend they are not there. A very large gorilla is the reality that cycling is more dangerous to persons than if they were riding in a personal automobile. Modern, passenger vehicles have improved tremendously in the last few decades in terms of protecting their occupants. Air bags, seat-belts and a whole litany of standards in the interior that most occupants are aware of. Given a scenario where the severity of impact is a velocity change of 20 km/h the occupant of a passenger could may sustain minimal or no injury. Given the same 20 km/h velocity change for a cyclist the injury potential could deadly because there is absolutely nothing between the cyclist’s body and what is struck and could control and manage those collision forces. As much as we want to encourage cycling, we also cannot ignore this very large gorilla.
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