2019 By The Numbers: Strava's Year-End Report

Last week, we looked at how important Strava is in contributing useful, actionable data to city planners and designers in making cycling safer. Today, we’re using Strava’s annual Year in Sport to look at just how many of us ride for recreational, transportation, and fun around the world. 

While not every cyclist in the world uses Strava, the company has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, and with riders across the country and around the globe tracking their activities, the company offers a huge trove of insight into the active community. The sheer volume is staggering. In the past year, Strava users logged 822 million activities, ranging from running to cycling to skiing. In total, the application tracked over 8 billion accumulative miles. 

One of the most encouraging statistics pulled from that data set points to a growing popularity in bike commuting. Among Strava users, commuters are up 43% around the world, with the US showing a 31% increase. All of that commuting action is growing safer, too, with over 130 now using Strava Metro, which uses data collected from commuters to inform decision-makers in city and road infrastructure planning. It’s also highlighting that gender parity is improving, with women commuting 17% less than men, an improvement on the numbers from 2018. 

There’s also plenty of evidence that community makes a difference. Group rides average nearly twice as many miles as a solo ride, with the typical individual ride covering about 13.8 miles for men, and 12 miles for women. Riders that join a group ride also ride more consistently and, odd as it may seem, earlier than if they rode in the morning on their own. Most rides, including group rides, start between 5am and 8am, not the evening ride many cyclists may have predicted. All that camaraderie contributes to consistency, too, with riders belonging to a club on Strava uploading 10% more activities than non-club members. 

These numbers are important for a lot of reasons, but highlighting the popularity of running and cycling helps to improve safety and encourage more active, healthy lifestyles. If we can get communities and businesses to embrace these activities, we’ll see changes in everything from road design to healthcare to education to climate science. 
What’s the most interesting tidbit that sticks out to you? Take a look at the Year in Sport and let us know!