PeopleForBikes released its 2024 U.S. Bicycling Participation Study, showing that 112 million Americans rode a bike at least once in 2024, marking the highest participation rate since the study began in 2014.
Additionally, the report revealed that youth participation (ages 3 to 17) in cycling increased from 49% to 56% since the last study, reversing a steady decline in youth ridership since 2018.
“The significant increase in youth participation signals a potential new generation of lifelong riders, but with 53% of riders worried about being hit by a car, we must take action to ensure people today and tomorrow feel safe and comfortable riding a bike,” said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “This underscores the urgent need for continued investment in safe places to ride and highlights the critical importance of connecting bicycle networks both on and off-road to ensure safer, more accessible riding experiences for all.”
Other notable findings from the PeopleForBikes study:
50% of riders said they are familiar with the bike lanes, paths, and trails in their area.
Ridership increased by 9% for youth ages 3 to 9 and 15% for youth ages 10 to 17.
Traveling to/from social or recreational activities became the number one reason for transportation riding, bumping errands/shopping.
The report also provides detailed breakdowns of how frequently Americans are riding, regional participation trends, and indoor-versus-outdoor riding, among other findings. It also examines consumer motivations and behaviors behind why they ride, how they feel when they ride, and even examines how likely non-riders are to get on a bicycle in the future.
As with past reports, the 2024 data was generated through survey results from 16,000 adults nationwide. The study used the same methodology as previous participation studies, allowing PeopleForBikes to tap into 10 years of historical data to track how bicycling participation and perceptions have evolved over time.
The full report can be accessed for free by PeopleForBikes Coalition members in the PeopleForBikes Member Center.
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