Recreational cyclists use their pedals more often than five years ago and are more positive about the possibilities for cycling in their own country. This is apparent from a survey that the ANWB had conducted among 9156 cyclists.
Nevertheless, recreational cyclists also see areas for improvement. According to half of the cyclists, the safety and comfort of the cycle paths and roads could be improved. Cyclists are particularly bothered by paths that are too narrow and the poor quality of the road surface. Crowded bicycle paths, speed differences and antisocial behavior are also an annoyance for an increasing number of cyclists. A problem that in 2016 only played a role in the Randstad.
The best province for cycling is Drenthe (8,5). Gelderland and Zeeland follow in joint second place with an 8,4. The provinces of Overijssel, Friesland and North Brabant share third place (8,3). Recreational cycling is rated with an average of 8,2. This is higher than in 2016 when the rating was 8,0.
Two thirds of recreational cyclists make at least one or more trips per week. They cover many miles; an average trip of an e-biker is between 30 and 50 km, cyclists more often cover between 50 and 70 km or more and 'regular' cyclists are good for distances of up to 30 km. It is striking that the number of respondents who start a bicycle tour from a parking space has increased from 13% in 2016 to 19% in 2021. A quarter of e-bikers use the car and a bicycle carrier to explore another area. The increased number of bicycle trips therefore also causes more car kilometers and parking pressure in beautiful areas. Yet most bike rides still start at home.
More than half of the respondents use an e-bike for a recreational bike ride. That is a significant growth compared to 2016, when the use of an e-bike was 32%. The number of e-bikes sold is increasing enormously. In 2021, more than half of the bicycles sold were e-bikes. The ANWB sees an increase in e-bike use among all ages.
Recreational cycling is one of the most popular leisure activities among the Dutch. In the first corona year 2020, the number of recreational kilometers increased by 30% compared to 2019.
The ANWB wants people to be able to cycle safely and with pleasure. This means safe and suitable cycle paths and sufficient facilities for cyclists along the way. The ANWB will conduct this survey every four years to monitor the quality of cycling country in the Netherlands.
Photo below: ANWB image bank.
Also read:Working together to combine bicycle and public transport even better
