PeopleForBikes released its 2024 U.S. Bicycling Participation Study, offering new insights into bicycling trends across the country. This biennial report reveals that 112 million Americans — 35% of those ages 3 and older — rode a bike at least once in 2024. This marks the highest participation rate since the study began in 2014, underscoring an increasing interest in bicycling propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In even better news, youth participation (ages 3 to 17) in bicycling increased from 49% to 56% since the last study, reversing a steady decline in youth ridership since 2018. As the bike industry continues to navigate sales turbulence and economic headwinds, this data provides key information to guide industry investments, advocacy efforts, and infrastructure development.
“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:
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50% of riders said they are familiar with the bike lanes, paths, and trails in their area.
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Ridership increased by 9% for youth ages 3 to 9 and 15% for youth ages 10 to 17.
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Traveling to/from social or recreation activities became the number one reason for transportation riding, bumping errands/shopping.
In addition to these insights, the report 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. The study is available for purchase by non-members in the PeopleForBikes Resource Marketplace.
About PeopleForBikes
PeopleForBikes is a national bike foundation and the U.S. bicycle industry’s trade association representing more than 340 bicycle industry supplier members and nearly 1.4 million individuals. Through our three areas of influence — infrastructure, policy, and participation — we accelerate the construction of safe, fun, and connected places to bike; advance pro-bike and pro-bike-business legislation; and welcome more people to the joys of riding a bike. Our goal: Become the best place to ride a bike in the world. Join us at PeopleForBikes.org.
