Southampton has been crowned the best city in England for cycling, ahead of Newcastle and Cambridge.

A study of 2,000 bikers found those in Southampton highlighted good cycle lanes (54 per cent), signage (48 per cent) and plenty of parking (43 per cent) as reasons why their hometown is best.

The research, commissioned by Halfords, also revealed Newcastle is the UK's two-wheel commuter capital - with 91 per cent of the cyclists polled using either bikes or e-bikes as their main way to get to work.

Birmingham came at the top for e-bike commuting - with 39 per cent commuting to work on an e-bike at least some of the time.

Pippa Wibberley, director of cycling for Halfords, said: “Cycling is great for the environment – and your legs - and with plenty of traffic on the roads, it can sometimes be quicker than getting in a car.

“But it seems some cities are better suited to bikes being on the road than others – it is clear the key is good cycle lanes and courteous drivers.”

“It can be easy to miss a cyclist when pulling out at junctions, so as a driver you should be checking more than once to make sure the coast is clear.”

Meanwhile, almost half of Mancunians (53 per cent) have picked up damage to their bike or injured themselves as a result of going over a pothole when cycling.

OnePoll has conducted multiple consumer studies exploring UK cycling habits. Commissioned by Halfords, highlighted key trends in cycling motivations and habits:Motivations: 74% of cyclists cited fitness as their main reason for riding, while 57% were cycling more due to rising petrol prices. Potholes remained a widespread concern for 65% of respondents.

When faced with the hurdle of arriving at work in sweaty clothes, 45% of riders stated that upgrading to an e-bike would encourage them to commute more.