by Fiona Grahame

ONCE both a plaything of the wealthy and a means of liberation to the worker, the bicycle allowed men and women a freedom of movement they had never before experienced. There are several claims to its invention including that of Dumfriesshire blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan who took the cumbersome velocipede and in 1839 improved it. Fact or fiction, it did not take long for this two wheeled means of transport to revolutionise how people could travel about.

60% of bike ownership is by those on an annual salary of £40,000+

In the 1930s it became very much associated with the working class. Today a decent new bike starts at £250. Few people on low incomes can afford to buy new but second hand ones can be picked up relatively cheaply and yet 60% of bike ownership is by those on an annual salary of £40,000+. It is therefore about more than income.