REVVING UP: FEMALE BIKING ON THE RISE AS BELFAST IS NAMED HOTSPOT FOR FEMALE MOTORCYCLISTS

The number of women riding motorcycles has risen by almost a third, with Belfast claiming the crown as the female biking capital of the UK, according to new figures from leading motorcycle insurance broker, Carole Nash.

The data, obtained from one of Carole Nash’s largest insurers, shows that female bikers on their books have increased 30% between 2014–2018, with the number of female policy holders rising each year over the time period.

Biking is especially popular in the Northern Irish capital, with 16% of all Belfast’s bikers being women – over 2.5x the UK average of 6%.

The research also finds that capital cities are a hotspot for female bikers in general, as Edinburgh and London round off the top three with female representation at 11% and 8% of bikers respectively. Cardiff is the only UK capital not to feature among the most popular areas for women – its 6% rate of female motorcyclists is in line with the national average.

The most popular cities for female bikers are:
Belfast – 16% of motorcyclists in the city are women
Edinburgh – 11%
London – 8%
Bristol – 7%
Sunderland – 7%

Biking is far less popular among Liverpool and Newcastle’s women though. Just 3% of Liverpudlian and Geordie bikers are female, while Leicester’s female biking community only represents 4% of the city’s motorcyclists.

Commenting on the findings, Rebecca Donohue, Head of Marketing at Carole Nash, said: “It is great to see women in the UK participating in motorcycling, particularly in Belfast. Biking brings many bonuses, from time-saving to general health and wellbeing, so now more and more women are able to benefit from these.

“Finding that capital cities are a prime spot for female bikers is an interesting discovery. It seems as though commuting is a major factor for women as they are using motorcycles for the ease and convenience of navigating around the busiest cities, rather than purely as a lifestyle choice or as a hobby.”

Valerie Thompson – the world’s fastest female motorcycle racer, with a top speed of 328.467 miles per hour – also lent her support to the research: “As a woman who rides both for fun and professionally, I take great pride in seeing more ladies taking an interest in riding motorcycles. Riding is an amazing sport that invokes strength and freedom, something every woman everywhere deserves to experience.

“If you use a motorcycle for commuting, be extra careful of inattentive drivers and heavy traffic. Commuting on a bike is a lot more fun than a car and more economical too, so go for it!”

For more information on the UK’s female biking hotspots, visit the dedicated page at https://carolenash.com/female-biking-hotspots/.