Women’s cycling is measured across several different populations: recreational riders, bicycle commuters, organization members, national-team athletes and professional WorldTeam riders. The figures below keep those denominators separate while covering U.S. participation, commuting, representation, safety perceptions and professional-racing economics.
Key Women’s Cycling Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2024, 112 million Americans aged 3 and older rode a bicycle at least once, representing 35% of the U.S. population aged 3 and older.
- Between the previous PeopleForBikes study and 2024, youth bicycling participation rose from 49% to 56% among U.S. children ages 3–17.
- From the previous study to 2024, participation increased 9% among U.S. children ages 3–9.
- From the previous study to 2024, participation increased 15% among U.S. youth ages 10–17.
- In 2024, 53% of U.S. riders worried about being hit by a car.
- In 2008–2012, women’s bicycle-commuting rate was 0.3% of U.S. workers, compared with 0.8% for men.
- In 2008–2012, about 786,000 U.S. workers bicycled to work, across all genders.
- From 2000 to 2008–2012, the U.S. bicycle-commuter count increased 60.8%, from about 488,000 to about 786,000 workers.
- In 2008–2012, bicycle commuting represented 0.6% of U.S. workers.
- In 2008–2012, the 50 largest U.S. cities had a 1.0% bicycle-commuting rate, up from 0.6% in 2000.
- In 2024, women represented 17.79% of USA Cycling’s 40,638 NGB members.
- In 2024, women represented 47.47% of USA Cycling’s 99 national-team athletes.
- In 2024, women represented 54.54% of USA Cycling’s 11-member board.
- From 2020 to 2021, average UCI Women’s WorldTeam rider salary increased 25%.
- The minimum salaried-rider pay in UCI Women’s WorldTeams rose from €15,000 in 2020 to €20,000 in 2021.
- In 2020, the men’s UCI ProTeam average salary exceeded the women’s equivalent by 67.53%.
- In 2021, the comparable average salary gap narrowed to 44.21%.
- From 2020 to 2021, average UCI Women’s WorldTeam budgets increased 22%.
Contents
- Women’s cycling participation and riding population
- Women’s bicycle-commuting statistics in the United States
- Women in cycling organizations and national teams
- Professional women’s cycling salaries and team budgets
- Women’s cycling safety, access and perceptions
- Youth and community cycling trends
Women’s Cycling Participation Statistics and the Riding Population
The 2024 PeopleForBikes participation study estimated that 112 million Americans aged 3 and older rode a bicycle at least once, equal to 35% of that U.S. population. This is a broad all-gender participation measure, not a women-only estimate, and it should not be treated as the size of the women’s riding population.
The study drew on responses from 16,000 adults nationwide and used the same methodology as prior participation studies, tracking 10 years of historical data from 2014 through 2024. These design details support trend comparisons, but the results remain survey estimates subject to sampling and recall error.
PeopleForBikes, “More Americans Rode a Bike Than Ever Before in 2024”
Youth results show movement in the broad riding population:
- Youth bicycling participation rose from 49% to 56% between the previous study and 2024 among U.S. children ages 3–17.
- Participation increased 9% among U.S. children ages 3–9 between the previous study and 2024.
- Participation increased 15% among U.S. youth ages 10–17 over the same comparison.
The youth measures describe children and teenagers rather than adult women, so they are indicators of future participation rather than direct evidence about women’s current cycling rate.
Women’s Bicycle-Commuting Statistics in the United States
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008–2012 American Community Survey measured the principal work-trip mode for workers age 16 and older. It found a 0.3% bicycle-commuting rate for women, compared with 0.8% for men; this excludes leisure cycling and may miss bicycle segments of multimodal commutes.
| Measure | Result | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Women bicycling to work | 0.3% | U.S. women workers, 2008–2012 |
| Men bicycling to work | 0.8% | U.S. men workers, 2008–2012 |
| All workers bicycling to work | 0.6% | U.S. workers, 2008–2012 |
| Bicycle commuters | About 786,000 | U.S. workers, 2008–2012 |
| Driving alone or carpooling | 86.2% | U.S. workers, 2008–2012 |
The same Census report estimated about 488,000 bicycle commuters in 2000 and about 786,000 in 2008–2012, a reported increase of 60.8%. The rounded endpoints cover periods of different lengths, so the percentage is a reported comparison rather than a precise annual growth rate.
Earlier national rates were 0.5% in 1980 and 0.4% in both 1990 and 2000; the Census noted that these three earlier rates were not statistically different. In the 50 largest U.S. cities, the combined rate rose from 0.6% in 2000 to 1.0% in 2008–2012, while Portland, Oregon, had the highest large-city rate at 6.1%.
Additional commuting patterns provide context without changing the women-specific comparison:
- The West had the highest regional bicycle-commuting rate at 1.1% in 2008–2012, compared with the national 0.6% rate.
- Bicycle commuters averaged 19.3 minutes per trip, compared with 11.5 minutes for walking and 25.9 minutes for other non-home workers.
- Bicycle commuting was most prevalent for 10–14 minute work trips, although the highlighted Census passage did not state the exact percentage.
- Workers departing between 9:00 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. had a bicycle-commuting rate of 1.1%.
- Workers with no available vehicle bicycled to work at 2.8%, compared with 0.8% for workers with one vehicle, 0.4% with two and 0.3% with three or more.
- Workers living and working in the same place bicycled at 1.2%, compared with 0.3% for workers crossing place boundaries.
These associations do not establish causation, and same-place status is a Census place proxy rather than a measured travel distance.
Women in Cycling Organizations and National Teams
USA Cycling’s demographic data show different representation levels depending on the population being counted. In 2024, women were 17.79% of the organization’s 40,638 NGB members, but 47.47% of its national-team athletes, a selected competitive population of 99 athletes.
| USA Cycling population | Women’s share | Period |
|---|---|---|
| NGB members | 20.73% | 2020 |
| NGB members | 20.42% | 2021 |
| NGB members | 20.00% | 2022 |
| NGB members | 23.15% | 2023 |
| NGB members | 17.79% | 2024 |
| National-team athletes | 53.44% | 2020 and 2021 |
| National-team athletes | 50.00% | 2022 |
| National-team athletes | 47.78% | 2023 |
| National-team athletes | 47.47% | 2024 |
The organization also reported women as 54.54% of its 11-member board, 66.66% of 18 standing-committee members and 41.50% of 53 professional staff in 2024. Those small governance and staff populations are organization-specific and are not estimates of women’s representation across the cycling workforce.
USA Cycling’s reported overall demographic average was 39.94% women in 2020, 37.86% in 2021, 39.27% in 2022 and 40.16% in 2023. The report labels this a composite average, not a population estimate.
USA Cycling, “2024 DEMOGRAPHIC DATA REPORT USA CYCLING”
Professional Women’s Cycling Salaries and Team-Budget Trends
An EY Lausanne study summarized by the UCI reported rapid movement in UCI Women’s WorldTeam economics between 2020 and 2021. Average rider salary increased 25%, while average team budgets increased 22%.
| Professional measure | 2020 | 2021 | Later scheduled value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum salaried-rider salary | €15,000 | €20,000 | €27,500 scheduled for 2022 |
| Average salary gap versus men’s comparable division | 67.53% | 44.21% | — |
The minimum figures are regulatory thresholds, not typical pay. The UCI said the women’s minimum was scheduled to join the men’s UCI ProTeam minimum in 2023, then stated as €32,100; that forward-looking value was a forecast in the 2021 release.
The salary-gap comparison uses women’s WorldTeams and men’s ProTeams as the nearest equivalents, not identical divisions. The reported gap narrowed from 67.53% in 2020 to 44.21% in 2021, while the study’s average salary and budget changes describe averages rather than medians.
UCI, “Significant increase in UCI Women’s WorldTeams’ salaries and budgets for 2021”
Women’s Cycling Safety, Access and Riding Perceptions
PeopleForBikes’ 2024 U.S. survey measured perceptions among riders rather than crash exposure or women-specific risk. 53% of riders were worried about being hit by a car, and 50% said they were familiar with local bike lanes, paths and trails.
PeopleForBikes, “More Americans Rode a Bike Than Ever Before in 2024”
Familiarity is not the same as infrastructure quality, access or actual use, and the public summary does not provide a women-only breakout for either finding. The Census Bureau’s 2008–2012 average bicycle-commute time of 19.3 minutes is also a travel-duration measure, not a measure of cycling exposure or safety risk.
For geographic context, workers living and working in the same place walked at 6.6%, compared with 0.9% for workers in different places in 2008–2012. That walking comparison helps describe active-transport geography but is not a women’s cycling statistic.
Youth and Community Cycling Trends
The available trend evidence combines a decade-long participation series with older commuting data. PeopleForBikes’ 2024 survey tracks 2014–2024 using the same methodology as earlier studies, while the Census comparison records bicycle commuting from 2000 to 2008–2012.
- The U.S. bicycle-commuting count rose from about 488,000 workers in 2000 to about 786,000 in 2008–2012.
- The 50 largest U.S. cities’ bicycle-commuting rate rose from 0.6% to 1.0% across that comparison.
- Workers ages 16–24 had the highest overall bicycle-commuting rate among the reported age categories at 1.0% in 2008–2012.
- Workers ages 55 and older had the lowest overall bicycle-commuting rate at 0.3% in 2008–2012.
- The West’s bicycle-commuting rate was 1.1%, compared with the national 0.6% rate in 2008–2012.
These figures describe all-gender workers or broad U.S. riders unless a narrower population is named. They should therefore be used to frame participation and access trends, not to infer an unsupported national women-only rate.