The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns significantly altered mobility patterns worldwide. In this study, we analyze the usage of shared bikes before, during, and after lockdown periods to understand whether lockdowns led to long-term shifts in cycling behavior. Using data from the shared bike system in Kocaeli, we applied the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to assess differences in trip distributions across time periods. Additionally, we calculated Cohen's d to quantify the effect size of these changes.

Before the start of the pandemic in March 2020, it was observed that bicycle use increased especially in the spring and summer months in 2018 and 2019, and that bicycle use reached a minimum value in March-April 2020, when closures and restrictions occurred with the start of the pandemic. In the following period, with the end of the full closure and the gradual normalization process, it is seen that the number of bicycle rentals and the total time spent on bicycles reached the highest value in four years in the summer of 2020.

Our findings indicate a significant increase in shared bike usage immediately following lockdown periods. However, this surge in usage was temporary, with trip frequencies gradually returning to pre-lockdown levels over time. These results suggest that while lockdowns influenced short-term mobility preferences, they did not lead to a sustained increase in shared bike adoption.

This study provides insights into the resilience of urban mobility patterns and highlights the role of external disruptions in shaping transportation choices. Our findings have implications for urban planning and shared mobility policies in post-pandemic cities.