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Ride to move

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Gen Z and the Future of Urban Mobility: Cycling Toward Change

Gen Z isn’t chasing cars. They’re chasing freedom from traffic, high costs, and pollution. But what will it take for cities to keep up? In this special podcast, Irwin Wouts, General Manager of Sport and Mobility at Decathlon, and Camila Herrero Rodríguez, Senior Manager for Walking and Cycling at C40 Cities, dig into the big questions: Why are bikes at the heart of Gen Z’s commute? How can safer infrastructure and new policies unlock their full potential? And what surprising role will culture play in shaping tomorrow’s streets?

Tune in to hear how the next generation, along with cities and organizations, are pushing for smarter and more people-friendly cities.

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To go further, discover the results of the European urban mobility barometer

June 2025 - OpinionWay survey for DECATHLON - 4,094 respondents

Cycling is emerging as a sustainable mobility solution tailored to the needs of young people, particularly in urban areas.

In an urban context shaped by the ecological transition and the search for alternative mobility solutions, the bicycle is emerging as a key response to the aspirations of the younger generation.

Three quarters of 18–28-year-olds (75%) use them on a daily basis, a trend consistent across the continent. More than half of the young people surveyed use their bikes at least once a week (58%), with 16% using them every day. Germany (66%) and Poland (62%) stand out in particular: in these countries, weekly cycling is even more widespread.

Cycling is motivated by various factors, with health and well-being at the forefront. Staying fit is the number one reason: 79% of young cyclists use their bikes for this purpose. Cycling is also seen as an economical means of transport (67%), synonymous with freedom and flexibility (both 68%). Nearly two-thirds of young people also cite reducing their
environmental footprint as a motivation (64%).

Cycling is widely used for leisure and sport (60% and 45% respectively), but its use for daily commuting (work, shopping) is more limited.

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Driver behaviour and the lack of dedicated cycle lanes are major obstacles to cycling among young people

While the mapping of usage patterns reveals a definite interest in cycling among young Europeans, it is essential to look at the barriers that are limiting its full development.

Despite a general feeling of safety when cycling (87% of respondents feel safe), concerns remain: 61% of young people surveyed say they do not feel completely safe when cycling.

There are national disparities: while Poland (93%) and Spain (90%) have the highest sense of safety, Italy and France lag behind: in these two countries, one in five young people do not feel safe on their bikes (19% and 18% respectively).
Several factors contribute to this feeling of insecurity. Risky behaviour by car drivers is the main source of concern (62% overall), with peaks in the United Kingdom and France (67% and 66% respectively). The lack of dedicated cycle lanes is also a major concern (50%), particularly in Italy and Spain (63% in both countries). Traffic density (43%, rising to 52% in Germany) and fear of theft (35%) are other important issues.

Overall, only 50% of young people surveyed consider their city to be ‘very’ suitable for everyday cycling. There are significant disparities: in Poland and Spain, this rises to 61% and 59%, while in Italy it drops to just 36%. Nearly half of young Europeans (47%) consider their city to be ‘somewhat’ bike-friendly, but with limitations, or completely unsuitable. This is especially true in Italy, where 17% of young people feel their cityis entirely unsuitable for cycling.

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Safety and adaptation of cities remain major challenges in encouraging more young people to cycle

Several solutions have been proposed to create more favorable conditions for cycing among young Europeans. The top priority is to make cycle paths safer and more attractive: 54% of respondents believe that more dedicated and protected cycle paths would encourage them to cycle more often.

Measures to facilitate access and encourage cycling were also cited. 31% of young people would be more likely to cycle if financial support for purchasing a bike were introduced, a figure that rises to 38% among French cyclists.

Improving access to bike-sharing schemes (25%) and promoting cycling-related social initiatives (23%) were also mentioned, with even higher percentages among young British people (30% and 31%, respectively).
Finally, the expectations of political decision makers are clear, and revolve around two main themes. On the one hand, young Europeans insist on the need to improve safety and awareness: priority should be given to improving safety and protecting cycle paths (27%), as well as educating road users (motorists, cyclists, pedestrians) about sharing public space (17%).

On the other hand, they would like to see greater democratization and facilitation of cycling: the expansion of cycling infrastructure (23%), measures to make bicycles more affordable (16%) and better integration of cycling with public transport (17%) are considered important.
Priorities vary from country to country: in Poland, the emphasis is on expanding cycle infrastructure (30%), while in others the safety of cycle paths is paramount, particularly in Germany (33%).
In France, the affordability of bicycles is a greater concern (20%) than in other countries.

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Methodology note:

The OpinionWay survey for DECATHLON was carried out on a sample of 4,094 people, aged from 18 to 28 years old, in the following countries: France (770 people), United Kingdom (663 people), Germany (672 people), Italy (662 people), Poland (665 people), and Spain (662 people).
The samples were drawn up according to the quota method, with regard to the criteria of sex, age, socio-professional category, region of residence and size of agglomeration in France, sex, age, region and income in other countries.
Although popular, cycling is mainly used by young Europeans for recreational and sporting purposes, with its role in daily commuting remaining more limited.
The interviews were done from May 28th to June 5th, 2025.
The results of this survey must be read considering the margins of uncertainty: 1.6 to 3.8 points at most for a sample of 700 respondents. OpinionWay carried out this survey by applying the procedures and rules of ISO 2025.

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What to remember

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