RESEARCHERS are looking for people from the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area to take part in a project studying the impact of cycling past the age of 50.


The Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol is studying the practice, experience and impact of cycling on people aged 50-years-old and over through a project called Cycle BOOM.


Researchers are specifically looking for people from the area to understand the opportunities and constraints older adults face for cycling in towns of its size.


They will interview participants to get their cycling life story and those participants who still use a bike are accompanied by the researcher on a ride which they video with a camera mounted on the handle bars.


UWE Bristol’s Dr Heather Jones, who has been conducting the interviews and rides with participants in Bristol, said: “We’ve captured some fascinating accounts from our participants on their experiences of cycling through their lives.

"Those who have continued to cycle make a range of different journeys by bike – travelling for volunteering, to care for family members, to be socially connected with friends and community and travelling to work.”


From the interviews, Cycle BOOM aims to uncover the factors which discourage and encourage cycling in later life and identify how the physical environment and things like bikes and equipment can be better designed to help them continue or reconnect with cycling.


This year Cycle BOOM is particularly looking for more participants who are no longer cycling but did so earlier in adult life, or don’t cycle very often.


You can register your interest to participate at www.cycleboom.org or contact the Cycle BOOM team on 01865 482752 or admin@cycleboom.org.