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Paper short abstract:

Uptake of cycling remains extremely low, yet it offers a vital route to decarbonising transport. In developing a set of individual ‘mobility biographies’, we provide a novel perspective on how past experiences can shape choices around cycling in later life and what this means for a just transition.

Paper long abstract:

Despite recognition of the benefits of cycling for decarbonising mobility, and increased policy attention and investment, limited progress has been made across Europe and beyond in increasing levels of cycling. Consequently, efforts to research determinants of travel mode choice remain important, particularly amongst those who are known to be less likely to cycle, such as people in mid or later-life. This research adopts a historical perspective on the role of longer-term trajectories and ingrained cultural and societal attitudes in shaping travel choices around everyday cycling.

With the view that policy intervention is intertwined with locally specific mobility cultures and given that as an everyday practice, travel choice is rarely documented in traditional historical sources, this paper makes a contribution through an oral history approach in Sheffield, UK. This paper builds on the understanding that such travel choices can be shaped by key life events (e.g., moving home, changing jobs) but also by more nuanced factors, such as how an individual’s perception of their mobility might change over time. Oral history interviews are employed to develop a set of ‘mobility biographies’, helping to show how participants’ early experiences may shape attitudes and behaviours around cycling in later life. This will draw on a sample of 14 Sheffield residents aged 50+ and provide insights into the under-researched area of cycling amongst those in mid or later-life. This application of oral histories is novel and seeks to inform how approaches to increasing cycling can be brought into closer dialogue with just transitions.