ABSTRACT

Cycling as one of the most popular outdoor recreation activities worldwide exemplifies lifetime physical activity through sport, leisure and transportation. Advocates argue cycling participation alleviates the physical activity crisis by engaging individuals through competitive sport, recreational activity, and as a form of sustainable and efficient transportation. This three pronged approach reaches the lifetime physical activity needs of a wide range of individuals and addresses the general lack of physical activity during both leisure and transportation time. The benefits from cycling also extend outside of physical activity through the economic and social impacts from events and sport tourism and as a sustainable and green alterative to automotive transportation. However, cycling is not without its drawbacks as confrontations with other road users, equipment costs, poor infrastructure and a rather core homogenous demographic potentially inhibit its growth. This chapter will document cycling’s connection to physical activity and other related economic, social and cultural outcomes.