How learning to cycle influences lifestyle: an eight country pooled analysis and person-centered approach

Cycling plays a key role in the promotion of individual, community, and planetary health. However, no previous study has explored the interplay between the process of learning to cycle and cycling habits, adopting a person-centered approach. To understand which variables promote the learning process (i.e., acquisition) and lifelong bicycle use on a daily and recreational basis (i.e., engagement), the aim of this study was to identify different clusters of individuals with similar characteristics related to their cycling acquisition and engagement. Methods: A cross-country pooled sample of 8542 individuals aged 28.9 ± 14.4 years (58.5 % female) was assessed via online questionnaire. A Self-Organizing Map (SOM) was used to classify and visualize the values of individuals in the variables tested. Results: A K-means cluster analysis resulted in seven profiles. Participants in profiles characterized by a relatively old age to learn to cycle (i.e., 7-8 years-old; n > 1500 mainly from Mexico and the United Kingdom) typically learned to cycle on a conventional bicycle, were taught by their father, mother, or both, and mainly cycle for leisure. Participants in profiles characterized by a relatively young age to learn to cycle (i.e., 5 years old; n > 1500 mainly from Belgium and Finland)

Keywords

cycling learning profilis bicycle use age

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/5816

Citation

Estevan, I., Meester, A. D. , Sanne L.C. Veldman, Mercê, C., Branco, M., Lopes, F., Catela,D., Hasanen, E. Laukkanen, A., P Sá, C., Jidovtseff, B.,Fujikawa, R., García-Massó, X. & Cordovil, R. (2025). How learning to cycle influences lifestyle: an eight country pooled analysis and person-centered approach. Journal of Transport & Health, Vol. 44, 102114, ISSN 2214-1405, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2025.102114