The huge investment of almost £30m being made in the Cycling Super Highway between Bradford and Leeds means it is absolutely vital that more people get on their bikes to use the new route.

Which is why the latest figures relating to people who are actually leaving the car, the bus or the train behind and using a bike to commute to and from work make disappointing reading.

Fewer than one per cent of people in Bradford actually cycle to work, according to the figures from the Office of National Statistics.

Over ten years, the actual number cycling to work in the district has increased by 14 per cent, but it remains a small fraction of the overall population.

Of course, the Tour de France factor may well have a significant impact on that figure this year, encouraging more commuters to get on their bikes.

There is no doubt that the coverage of Le Grand Depart through parts of the Bradford district in July will see hundreds of weekend cyclists donning lycra to emulate the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins.

And as a spokesman for cycling charity Sustrans says, one of the reasons many people don’t cycle more is concerns over safety, and the arrival of the Cycling Super Highway can only allay those fears.

It also should be pointed out that the figures also don’t include those who cycle for pleasure, many of whom will make full use of this new route.

But even allowing for these various factors, a significant portion of the population are unlikely to ever use this Super Highway, and on that basis, the value of this £30m investment must be examined very closely.