Cycling offers important health and sustainability co-benefits for the population, both as a physical activity and as a sustainable mode of transport. Recreational cycling, which includes bicycle tours and sports cycling (mountain biking, road cycling) is practiced by over 40% of the population and is the second-most popular sport activity in Switzerland (OFSPO, 2020). But to what extent do recreational cyclists also cycle for their daily trips (utility), and if not why? To leverage this potential, our research aims by explore the ‘porosities’ between the practice of recreational cycling and utility cycling, by analyzing the barriers between both practices, but also, the links between them.
Only few studies have addressed the relationship between utility and recreational cycling. Some suggest a ‘spillover effect’ from recreational cycling to utilitarian cycling, or vice versa (Kroesen & Handy, 2014; Ledsham et al., 2023; Piras et al., 2021; Sottile et al., 2020). Others see recreational cycling as a ‘gateway’ (Boyer, 2018), allowing people to acquire the basic equipment and experience they need before moving on to utility cycling. Moreover, the boundary between utility and recreational cycling is not always clear, since both practices may share the same motivations (pleasure, physical activity) (Jordi-Sánchez et al., 2022).
To understand the porosities between recreational and utility cycling, a holistic view of the elements that compose cycling practices is needed. Based on social practice theory (Shove et al., 2012), we analyze porosities at three levels: materials (bike, equipment, routes), competences/skills (physical, traffic-related, strategic), and meanings (images and motivations). Our research is based on a questionnaire survey and interviews to be conducted in spring 2025 with cyclists participating in two recreational and sports cycling events in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. The study will aim to produce (1) a typology of users according to the frequency with which they use recreational and utility cycling, and (2) to identify the barriers and links between the elements that make up these practices. The results will inform practical recommendations for better integrating recreational cycling into a strategy to promote utility cycling.