ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024: New Questions Provide New Answers

Cycling still has many fans in Germany. According to the Cycling Travel Analysis 2024 by the Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. (ADFC) for the year 2023, 37.4 million people went on an trip by bike or got on a two-wheeler during their holiday. Nevertheless, this figure represents a slight decrease compared to the previous year. However, those who cycle do so more frequently than in 2022, according to one of several other interesting findings from the recently presented analysis.

Traditionally, the ADFC analyses the propensity of people living in Germany to travel and at the beginning of spring takes a look at the previous calendar year. It has now done this again and will continue to do so in the future. However, in a different form than before. On the one hand, the survey and analysis have been adapted more closely to current travelling habits and being on the road in an age of constantly available digital media. On the other hand, the ADFC would like to analyse the data more intensively for deeper insights. Experience has shown that this requires more time. It is therefore switching to a two-year cycle with immediate effect.

Start of a new referring to time

This means that the 2024 Bicycle Travel Analysis has a special status. It will still be published according to the old procedure, but will already contain new questions. As a result, not every detail can be compared with previous years.

At the centre of the revision is a more differentiated view of journeys by bike. Previously, the Bicycle Travel Analysis differentiated between day trips and cycling tours. In the case of cycling tours, the analysis then looked at whether it was a round trip or whether a fixed location served as the point of departure. Now, the following quartet replaces this categorisation, which places noticeably more emphasis on the time factor:

• Day trips by bike without an overnight stay
• Short cycling tours with one to two overnight stays
• Cycling tours of three nights or more
• Cycling as part of a holiday where cycling is not the main motive.

1. Day trips
2. Short cycling tours with up to two overnight stays
3. Cycling tours with at least three overnight stays
4. Cycling on holiday
5. Trend for 2024
6. How often is an ebike used?
7. What motivates people to take a cycling tour?
8. What revenue is generated by cycling tours?
9. Which means of transport do cycle travellers choose to get there and back?
10. The not yet cyclists
11. Which long-distance cycle routes do Germans prefer in Germany?
12. Which regions are particularly frequently travelled to?
13. Which are the destinations of German cyclists travelling abroad?
14. What data is the ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024 based on?

1. Day trips

Many people sprinkle a single day trip into their daily routine. In around 90 per cent of cases, this starts and ends at home. Around 38 million people living in Germany did this at least once a year in 2022. In 2023, it was only 36.4 million. Somewhat surprisingly, they still made a total of 455 million day trips by bike. This represents an increase of ten million trips. As such, each person made an average of 12.5 trips instead of the previous 11.7.

2. Short cycling tours with up to two overnight stays

For a journey by bike to be recorded as a short cycling tour in the Bicycle Travel Analysis, cycling must be the main reason for the tour. Overnight stays can vary between one and two. Around five million people took almost exactly seven million such short trips in 2023. This results in an average of 1.4 short trips per person. The approximately 62 kilometres covered are significantly higher than the 44 kilometres covered on day trips.

3. Cycling tours with at least three overnight stays

People in this country cycle a little longer every day when they set off on a cycling tour where they stay overnight at least three times. At the end of the day, this adds up to around 65 kilometres. In 2023, 3.6 million people felt the urge to do so, a whopping one million fewer than in the previous year. This is the most massive decline within the groups used by the ADFC to categorise the Bicycle Travel Analysis. The comparison is also not distorted by the methodological change in the study. After all, it previously only categorised a cycling tour as a cycling tour if it included at least three overnight stays. What is new, however, is the information on the number of cycling tours. The statistics record a total of 5.5 million journeys. The ADFC uses the number of overnight stays to measure how long each person spends on a cycling tour. These increased slightly from an average of 7.4 to 7.6 overnight stays.

4. Cycling on holiday

Sometimes, however, we also cycle by chance. This aspect was not reflected in the previous Bicycle Travel Analysis. This is changing with this year and the data for 2023. As part of the survey, respondents were able to state whether they cycled during their holiday and, if so, to what extent. This explicitly referred to a holiday in which cycling played a secondary role at best.

In addition to relaxing on the beach, visiting a gallery or hiking to the nearest mountain pasture, this nevertheless adds up to quite a few kilometres on the bike. Around 10.6 million people use a bike during their holiday, on average even on six of their holiday days. More than half of all respondents stated that they used a bicycle on at least two thirds of their holiday days.

In around 37 per cent of all cases, the bike itself is a rental bike. As cycling was not the main focus when planning accommodation and activities, this high proportion seems only logical. People who go on a day trip or cycling tour usually do so on their own bike. Just 4.4 per cent of people use a rental bike for this purpose.

Cycling on holiday seems to be a very practical part of most people’s holiday plans. When asked about reasons for use, the three most common answers were to go on short trips, explore the place and get to sights.

5. Trend for 2024

Some of the results of the analysis will not have pleased the ADFC. However, there is no great reason to mope. When asked about their plans for 2024, respondents confirmed that they were planning more cycling tours and wanted to cycle more often on holiday. In contrast, there are fewer specific intentions for day trips. Experience shows that people tend to follow spontaneous impulses in this regard. There is therefore a relatively high degree of uncertainty in the corresponding prediction.

6. How often is an ebike used?

In recent years, sales figures for ebikes in Germany have risen continuously. This is also gradually being reflected in other statistics. The Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024 also attests to a growing share of cycling with electric assistance. In every segment analysed by the ADFC, more than 40 percent of people are now travelling by ebike. For shorter cycle tours, the figure is even approaching the 50 per cent mark.

• Day trips: 43.1 per cent
• Short cycling tours with up to two overnight stays: 49.3 per cent
• Cycling tours with at least three overnight stays: 43.1 per cent
• Cycling on holiday: 44.7 percent

7. What motivates people to take a cycling tour?

There are various reasons why people would like to experience their surroundings from a bicycle. However, these appear again and again – just with changing emphasis. First and foremost, it’s about seeing more of the country and its people. Then it drives people to want to explore routes that can only be reached by bike. Basic things like being active on vacation and promoting your own health also contribute to motivation. Aspects such as the option to protect the environment and climate when traveling by bike or to be able to organize your trip flexibly have become increasingly important in recent years.

People also seem to draw inspiration for their everyday lives from their experiences. Around half of those who have been on a longer cycling tours say that they then use the bike more often outside of such activities. Almost 42 percent of short-tour riders make this statement as well.

8. What revenue is generated by cycling tours?

The cycling trip analysis becomes revealing when the ADFC tries for the first time to record the sales that cyclists generate on their trips. There is of course a certain political calculation behind this. The weight of one’s own interest group leaves a greater impression on political decision-makers as soon as positive effects on the country’s economic well-being can be demonstrated. Appropriate demands can then be derived from this, such as: Improve the cycling infrastructure and thus further stimulate tourism and gastronomy.

In any case, the calculations drawn up by the ADFC show the great potential that cycle tourism has in Germany. At the beginning there are relatively inconspicuous amounts. People spend an average of 32 euros on a day trip by bike. At around 17 euros, the majority of this goes to food and everyday products. Retail and catering trade will be happy to take note of this. Due to the aforementioned 455 million day trips, we end up with a total of 14.5 billion euros.

For cycling tours, the average daily expenditure is 117 euros for longer cycling tours and 130 euros for shorter variants. The ADFC does not take this into account when it comes to cycling on holiday. Maybe because cycling is not actually the reason for the activity there. Nevertheless, additional revenues amount to eight to ten billion euros. In total, that would be a maximum of around 25 billion euros. A considerable size.

9. Which means of transport do cycle travellers choose to get there and back?

Other means of transport that people use are grouped around cycling due to arrival and departure. Day trips are somewhat excluded. Only in one out of ten cases does another means of transport come into play. If the start takes place other than by bicycle, the car ranks first with 69 percent, well ahead of public transport with 33 percent in second place.

This distribution most closely corresponds to traveling on vacation. To do this, 62 percent of people use a car. Public transport with eleven percent and bicycles with four percent are far behind.

The situation regarding cycling tours is different. When it comes to shorter cycling tours, the car still maintains its top position at 36 percent. However, not far behind are public transport at 29 percent and bicycles at 28 percent. People’s behavior changes even more with longer cycling tours. With 39 percent, public transport is the most popular choice among travellers – closely followed by cars with 35 percent. At least 15 percent of riders consistently go for their bicycles and use them to travel to and from their destination again.

10. Those who are not (yet) cyclists

At the beginning of the article, it was already indicated that cycling is by no means very popular with all Germans. Instead of acknowledging this in frustration, the ADFC draws confidence from this fact. After all, there are still a lot of people who could get be excited about it. To be precise, 64.1 million people did not go on a cycling tour once in 2023. But there is a second value that is particularly encouraging: Half of them believe that this will be an option in the future.

Apparently, the physical challenge involved is particularly daunting. The most common reason given for why a cycling tour is generally out of the question is that a cycling tour lasting several days is too strenuous. It would be interesting to know how many of those who answered like this have already been on an ebike and how many have not.

11. Which long-distance cycle routes do Germans prefer in Germany?

Great consistency characterizes the question of which long-distance cycle routes people can be found on as part of their activities – regardless of whether it is a day trip or a cycling tour lasting several days. The ten most popular cycle routes from last year also form the current top ten. The Moselle cycle route lost four places in the ranking. At the same time, the RuhrtalRadweg and the Bodensee-Königsee cycle route each gained three places. Otherwise, it goes up or down a place with minimal shifts.

12. Which regions are particularly frequently travelled to?

A look at the regions through which people prefer to cycle reveals a certain preference for the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas. Eight out of twelve of the most popular regions can be found there. Eight out of twelve sounds strange when we’re talking about a top ten, right? This is simply because there was a split ninth and tenth place in the vote. And unlike in professional sports, the ADFC awarded both and did not leave one out. By the way, the Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast and East Frisia appear new on the list.

13. Which are the destinations of German cyclists travelling abroad?

If people’s cycling tours takes them beyond Germany’s borders, they prefer to head to a directly neighbouring country. The only exception is Italy. This swaps places with Austria in terms of popularity for 2023. At the bottom end, Denmark made it into the top five, displacing Switzerland compared to the previous year.

Those who cycle abroad most often do so while on holiday. With a share of around 44 percent, this is only just ahead of longer cycling tours. They come to 40 percent. At least 14.2 percent of cycling tours abroad are shorter cycling tours with a maximum of two overnight stays.

14. What data is the ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024 based on?

The ADFC has been producing Bicycle Travel Analyses since 1999. For the current edition, a total of 16,019 people were surveyed from the end of October to mid-December 2023 – a new record. The survey took place in two stages. Panel 1 provided more general data via a nationwide representative online survey. Panel 2 went into greater depth together with an open survey via the ADFC channels. So that the information provided by respondents close to the ADFC does not distort the results due to possibly more intensive cycling, they had been weighted accordingly and included in the analysis.

 

Pictures: Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. (ADFC)