Does wearing a helmet make cyclists "less human"? We speak to the academic behind the study + Tour de France does Netflix review!

The road.cc Podcast

On episode 53 of the road.cc Podcast, George and Ryan are joined by Dr Mark Limb, the academic behind a recent much-discussed study from Australia which concluded that cyclists are perceived to be less than fully human, and that those who wear helmets and hi-vis gear while riding their bikes are viewed as less human than those who do not. An urban planner, lecturer, and self-described utility cyclist, Dr Limb says he was inspired to study the public’s perceptions of people who rides bikes after being “shocked” at another recent study which found that cyclists are dehumanised by an alarming percentage of the population.

In an in-depth and interesting interview, he discusses the role of helmets and hi-vis gear in categorising and potentially ‘othering’ cyclists in the eyes of other road users. He also explains the limitations of his recent research, which he describes as a “pilot study”, and the need for a more in-depth look at the ‘othering’ of road users and why cyclists can be dehumanised, as well the all-important relationship between infrastructure and the creation of a “normal and safe” cycling culture. Normalising cycling, he concludes, is key to humanising those who ride bikes.

In part two of the episode, Ryan, Suvi, and Adwitiya chat about the Netflix series we’ve all been binging the past few weeks: Tour de France Unchained. The trio discuss the series, who exactly it’s aimed at, and how well it captures the essence of professional cycling and its biggest bike race. Oh, and they also come up with a few animal-inspired pitches for the sequel…