In countries where the share of bicycles in total road traffic is relatively low, women in particular ride much less often. A study shows how ebikes could change this trend.
New Zealand* is one of the countries where bicycles appear much less often in road traffic. Around 30 percent of the people living there ride bicycles. In terms of men, the share is around 36 percent, while for women it is exactly ten percentage points less at 26 percent. This is according to the 2018 Census by the New Zealand Ministry of Transport. For comparison: In Germany, the Fahrradmonitor 2021 survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Transport showed that around 77 percent of the population rides a bicycle. Both genders are almost equally represented. About 48 percent of cyclists are female, 52 percent are male.
In search of answers
Researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago have studied the situation in New Zealand in detail. Among other things, they conducted interviews with ebike riders, ebike dealers as well as cycling planners and policy makers. They wanted to find out to what extent gender-specific dimensions influence the assembly of ebike riders, ebikes and the environment. The result is a very comprehensive paper entitled “Gender and the E-Bike: Exploring the Role of Electric Bikes in Increasing Women’s Access to Cycling and Physical Activity”.
As part of the study, the researchers counted cyclists on the Northwestern Cycleway near Auckland. The graph illustrates the popularity of ebikes among female cyclists. While women accounted for 27 per cent of all cyclists on the cycleway, they accounted for 41 per cent of e-bike riders.
The example of transport planning shows how beneficial such an approach can be. For many years, transport planning in both New Zealand and Germany has been geared to the car without alternative. If, at the same time, little money is spent on cycling infrastructure, this can tend to “masculinise” cycling, according to the researchers. Where cycling is possible in road traffic, fitness, risk tolerance and self-confidence as well as advanced cycling skills are increasingly in demand under these conditions. Qualities that women define themselves by much less often than men. They tend to prefer bike lanes that are separated from car traffic.
What makes cycling more difficult for women?
Overall, the study lists numerous other aspects that make it relatively difficult for women to use bicycles in countries with a low cycling mode share. In addition to the transport planning component just described, these are mainly the following:
- acquisition costs for bicycles
- unequal distribution of domestic duties between women and men
- concern about sexual assault
- lower confidence in one’s own cycling abilities
- challenges of distance and weather conditions
- concerns about injury
- difficulties in cycling safely with children
- limited availability of suitable bikes for taller and heavier people
- discomfort sweating while riding and general “showing off”
- cultural conditioning of cycling as a socially accepted activity, preferably for white males
The importance of removing these barriers is well established by other scientific research. Studies have shown that adults in New Zealand who choose to cycle or walk to work are 76 per cent more likely to meet typical physical fitness guidelines. In terms of the total population, the mortality rate drops by 13 percent for those who commute regularly by bicycle.
In order for more women to cycle in the future, more than just ebikes are needed, of course. More and better designed bike lanes as well as a fundamental equal treatment of all genders are two essential aspects that contribute to the promotion of cycling. At the same time, pedelecs and ebikes don’t need to hide their light under a bushel either. According to the researchers, they could very well be an important instrument to increase the cycling rate of women.
Women in e-mountain biking are showcased just as spectacularly as men.
Noticeable changes
The first signs that gender-specific views are also being taken in the cycling world have long been evident. Just take the low-step. It has long since shed its image as a “woman’s bike”, which in this case was always accompanied by a certain devaluation. Instead, more and more people are recognising that the choice of frame is solely about their own needs and not about cementing outdated stereotypes.
The study also emphasises how crucial it is that bikes for women are increasingly upgraded technologically. In this respect, ebikes even play a pioneering role. The number of e-mountain bikes and e-road bikes specially designed for women’s anatomy still lags far behind the number of models intended for men. However, the tendency to install state-of-the-art technology on these bikes is clearly visible and will hopefully continue.
Something similar can be found in marketing. Action, the desire for speed, sweat and dirt have an enormous appeal for women as well and are increasingly being taken up by manufacturers. With e-cargo bikes, there is a type of bicycle that long ago abandoned the focus on a male-dominated clientele.
E-cargo bikes offer countless advantages in everyday life and enable women to actively reconcile family and career.
Ebike a promising tool
We already mentioned the extent of the study at the beginning. It becomes clear again when it comes to the potential that ebikes have specifically for women. Therefore, we briefly summarise for you which advantages the researchers attribute to ebikes:
- Ebikes open up new possibilities in accessing higher quality, more functional cycling technology.
- Women get an additional option to keep up with sportier (male) cyclists and to ride longer tours.
- The feeling of safety on the road increases for women, as they can solve difficult situations themselves and the speed difference to other vehicles is generally reduced.
- This gives women a stronger feeling of being equal road users.
- E-bikes make it easier to return to cycling after pregnancy despite a decline in fitness in the meantime and the simultaneous more strenuous riding with one or more children. This applies in particular to e-cargo bikes.
- Family and work can be reconciled more easily due to the higher cycling speed combined with moderate physical exertion.
- Particularly in urban environments, ebikes save time when commuting compared to the car.
- For women, it offers an alternative sporting activity in contrast to the often still patriarchally determined fitness studios and the sole training in private.
According to the authors, however, only some of the women will really benefit from this. The reason for this is primarily the high purchase price for ebikes. This makes it all the more necessary, for example, to subsidise and create low-cost rental offers for electric bikes, especially for e-cargo bikes. In this way, women with low incomes could also be reached. These would potentially derive the greatest health benefits from e-biking.
* In the study, the authors use the term “Aotearoa” for New Zealand. This is the most common term used by the Maori people for the country. In a current petition, the largest Maori party is calling for New Zealand to be renamed Aotearoa. As the outcome of the petition is still open and the New Zealand Parliament has not made a decision to this effect, we choose the current name New Zealand for reasons of greater familiarity.
Study and image source: Wild K. & Woodward A. & Shaw C., (2021) ‘Gender and the E-bike: Exploring the Role of Electric Bikes in Increasing Women’s Access to Cycling and Physical Activity’, Active Travel Studies 1(1).
https://doi.org/10.16997/ats.991
