Page 23 - RidingOn156 SPRING 2022

Second, I also modelled why current active riders do more current member of a bike club (as opposed to a past member
kilometres per year and bike club membership was a reason. or non-member wanting to join). That key question is the fourth
There are many complex reasons why some people ride more one, about speaking “bike”. That is, those who want to talk with
than others—which are interesting patterns but a conversation people about bikes, are more likely to join clubs. Group rides,
for another day—but after controlling for those issues, bike club socialising (in general), being part of a group or learning things
members ride a lot more, 50% more than those not interested aren’t the reason why they join. Everyone interested in a club
in bike clubs. For each of the above groups, the average said those six things were important. That is, riders might enjoy
kilometres ridden per year are: those things, but the thing that separates those who are in a
club from those who aren’t any more or are merely interested,
CLUB MEMBERSHIP STATUS AVERAGE is that members join and stay members because speaking
“bike” with other riders is more important.
KILOMETRES
YEAR Fourth, I also asked current active and past non-active riders
Member of a bike club 5,250 about a number of attitudes toward riding in general and used
that to predict the likelihood of joining a club. I asked three to
Used to be a member 4,100 four dozen questions to get at these attitudes toward riding in
general, and I asked these questions of not just those who said
Not a member but would like to be one 3,800 they were interested in a club, but all active and non-active
Not interested in a bike club 3,500 riders.
Overall, those who valued “A sense of belonging and
camaraderie” tended to join a club—as you would expect—but
Third, of those current and past riders who were interested in this reason was not as strong as I initially thought. However,
a bike club (e.g., the first three lines of the above table), I also there were two other reasons that actually predicted club
asked about the importance of six reasons for joining a bike membership better. First, joining a club was viewed as an
club: opportunity to “show off” to others. For many of us that
conjures up visions of leather-clad sportsbike riders knee-
Group rides down scraping their way through tight corners on popular bike
Socialising roads, but this may just describe younger riders, rather than
Being part of a group Ulysses members (personal disclaimer: I still like track riding!).
That they are people who speak “bike” However, a second issue more relevant to Ulysses involves the
I can learn about bikes and riding web. That is, those who are more likely to join a club are those
I can learn about places to ride. agreeing with the following statement: “I like participating in
Most riders interested in clubs thought these six reasons were on-line social media, groups and forums about motorbikes.”
important for joining a club, but there was another less obvious Next edition I’ll discuss these trends.
pattern. I did some additional analysis and figured out only Scott Koslow #68722
one of the six reasons predicted whether or not the rider was a
Email: scott.koslow@mq.edu.au
Webpage:https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/scott-
koslow

ACTIVE NON-ACTIVE RIDERS DID L’S BUT CHOSE NOT
CLUB MEMBERSHIP STATUS RIDERS WITH FULL BIKE TO GET THEIR P
LICENSE
Member of a bike club 22.5%
Used to be a member 18.7% 10.6% 3.9%
Not a member but would like to be 24.2% 13.1% 20.8%
one
Not interested in a bike club 34.6% 76.3% 75.4%

100% 100% 100%

RIDING ON 23