06-03-2016, 01:18 PM
That was a really nice write-up. nms’ comment was right on the mark, too: you are leaving our certain populations when you rely on only one type of data. Strava specifically doesn’t track children, for good reasons, so an overreliance on its data will mean children are left out. People unable to afford smart phones, or people uncomfortable with having their geographic location tracked, will be left out.
But zanate’s point about existing cyclists not behaving very much like potential new cyclists is most important. Our generally poor bicycling infrastructure means that most cyclists (I feel very confident saying “most” here) are young and male. Data about cyclists’ habits are data about that group. We need information about other groups, who we want to start cycling. That will be qualitative information rather than data.
But zanate’s point about existing cyclists not behaving very much like potential new cyclists is most important. Our generally poor bicycling infrastructure means that most cyclists (I feel very confident saying “most” here) are young and male. Data about cyclists’ habits are data about that group. We need information about other groups, who we want to start cycling. That will be qualitative information rather than data.