Deconstructing the categories of urban cycling: beyond transport, leisure and sport

Abstract

The most common classifications of urban cycling distinguish between three basic categories, each related to a concrete purpose: transport, leisure, and sport cycling. Upon closer examination, however, these categories are not homogeneous. Significant interconnections can be found among them, implying that cycling identities are complex and dynamic. These latter configurations could thus have relevant repercussions on research on cycling mobility. Using qualitative methodologies, we analysed cyclists’ discourses and practices relating to urban cycling. The objective was to examine the significant connections between different cycling motives. The data came from a research project on a selection of cities in Southern Spain, which have remarkably favoured cycling as a means of transport.