Edinburgh 2nd in the UK for female motorcyclists

Edinburgh is one of the UK’s top cities for female motorcyclists.

The research from leading motorcycle insurance broker, Carole Nash, reveals that 11% of Edinburgh’s bikers are women, nearly twice the UK average of 6%, seeing the Scottish capital come second in the survey.

The research also finds that capital cities are a hotspot for female bikers in general, as Belfast tops the poll with 16%, with London rounding off the top three with female representation at 8%.

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. Glasgow scored at 6%.

The most popular cities for female bikers are: 1, Belfast – 16% of motorcyclists in the city are women; 2, Edinburgh – 11%; 3, London – 8%; 4, Bristol – 7%; 5, 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.

Rebecca Donohue, head of marketing at Carole Nash, said: ‘It is great to see women in the UK participating in motorcycling. Biking brings many benefits, from time-saving to general health and wellbeing, it’s also a great way to get out and meet new people at club meets and events – being part of the biking community.

‘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/.