Cycling is huge in Ireland, but not everyone who takes out membership with Cycling Ireland is coming back for more.
Cycling may be booming on the island and the membership of Cycling Ireland now close to 30,000, but there is emerging evidence that not all of the boom is sticking.
Those taking up the sport and/or deciding they need to join the national federation are not always staying the course.
Some are allowing their Cycling Ireland membership lapse while still continuing to get out on their bikes.
And others are drifting away from the sport entirely.
Cycling Ireland has not specified what that churn rate of gaining and losing members is.
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But it was sufficiently concerned to try to find out why many were taking out membership only to let it lapse.
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It conducted an online survey, with almost 700 former members completing it.
Over half of those who had allowed their Cycling Ireland membership lapse said they did so because they were no longer cycling much.
And almost half said they were not sure how membership benefitted them. A huge number, 94 per cent, were over 30 years old and three quarters were former leisure members.
Cycling Ireland has released the some of the results of the survey. Unfortunately some of the findings are vague, with exact figures not supplied.
But while the specific data has been withheld by the governing body, the trends can be seen in the findings as they are expressed here.
Main findings of survey
- Almost 700 people completed the survey, half of whom offered to have further involvement in improvements that can be made.
- Two thirds of respondents would like to remain in touch with Cycling Ireland by social media and newsletters.
- 94% of respondents were over 30 years of age and three quarters were former leisure members.
- Most of the former leisure members were members of Cycling Ireland for less than five years.
- The main reason people had initially joined Cycling Ireland was because membership was required for their club or to enter an event.
- Over half also said they joined to be part of the cycling community.
- Over half of the respondents said they had left Cycling Ireland because they were no longer cycling very much.
- Almost half were not sure of the benefits of having a Cycling Ireland licence.
- Most of those who were no longer cycling much expressed a desire to renew membership if they were to cycle more in the future.
- Two thirds said they would like more membership discounts and cheaper membership if they were to renew their Cycling Ireland membership.
- Almost half would like access to more training programmes and cycling tips, if they renewed their membership.
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