What is stopping Britain from becoming a cycling nation? The proportion of people cycling to work has remained almost static for a decade, with 741,000 working people cycling to work in 2011. Though an increase of 90,000 from the previous census, the increase in the working population means the proportion of cycle commuters remains on 2.8%.

Peter Walker reports:

The figures also bear out the concern that intimidating road conditions mean cycle commuting is primarily the preserve of younger men, seen as more happy to mingle with heavy, fast traffic. Men were significantly more likely to commute on a bike than women – 3.9% of the total as against 1.6% – and it was most common overall among people aged 30 to 34.

We would like to hear your stories of the difficulties commuting by bike in the UK. Perhaps you did once cycle, but the infrastructure and fear of accidents put you off.

What was it that drove you out of the saddle and into other modes of transport, and what would it take to encourage you back?



And for those still cycling, what improvements would you most like to see, and does the current road climate mean you've been considering giving up yourself?



Share your stories and images via GuardianWitness, and we will feature them in our cycling coverage on the Guardian website.