Cycling for Transport Among Older Adults: Health Benefits, Prevalence, Determinants, Injuries and the Potential of E-bikes

Cycling is an environment-friendly transport mode that entails several health and mobility benefits for older adults. This chapter aims to summarize the available evidence about the health benefits, prevalence and individual and environmental determinants of cycling for transport among older adults. It also provides an overview of bicycle crash statistics and characteristics among older adults. Increasing perceptions of safety appears to be key to stimulate cycling among older adults, and increasing actual safety is needed to reduce the burden of cycling-related injuries. Finally, this chapter examines the potential of e-bikes, an emergent technology that is gaining popularity in some parts of the world. E-bikes may lower some of the cycling barriers, but more research about their safety and contribution to mobility is needed