Nat Bromhead
Seven billion activities, 40 million activities each week, more than 30 million segments and 9.9 billion Kudos! They are just some of the numbers from the past 12-months on Strava.
Releasing their annual ‘Year In Sport’ data report, the eye-watering numbers are collated and aggregated from the past 12-months of uploads by Strava’s 100 million users around the world.
The 2022 findings show a gradual return to the ‘new normal’ of the post-Covid era. The stats show developing trends such as more people engaging in a second sport and the growing popularity of trail sports – both gravel cycling and running. Commuting by bike is becoming more popular, and the e-bike sector continues to charge ahead.
The numbers also prove that those who ride with one or more training partners travel further and ride for longer. Globally, cyclists went almost twice as far in pairs compared to solo efforts. Cyclists also rode faster in groups than solo.
‘People keep people active – we’ve said it before, and it’s still true. Athletes in pairs went longer in both time and distance than when they were solo, and often longer still in a group of three or more,’ stated Strava in the release of the annual numbers.
Travel Takes Off
If 2021 saw travel start to pick back up for athletes, it was fully off the ground in 2022. The share of athletes uploading activities outside their home country was up 101% over the past year – and only 3% below pre-pandemic numbers from 2019.
A Second Sport
Yes we know, there is only one sport and that’s cycling. But occasionally some people venture to the dark side and take up running, kayaking or a host of other ‘dark side’ activities.
Strava report that athletes who uploaded two or more sport types in January not only had 75% more active days compared to those who stick to just one activity, but their total active time was up by 62% as well– indicating they didn’t split their time, but instead carved out more.
Off Road
More and more people are hitting the dirt. Whether we were motivated by exploration, open spaces or new found freedoms, 52% of athletes uploaded trail activities in 2022.
Many are riding the new trends in cycling – like gravel bikes and electric mountain bikes. Others are contributing to a surge in trail and ultra running. And while solitude may be a motivator for some, trail activities are 55% more likely to be done in groups.
‘Head Down To Electric Avenue’
The share of cyclists on Strava with an e-bike ride increased 26% this year and e-bike rides are 30% more likely to be commutes than non electric assist bikes. Mountain biking is surging ahead in popularity, and e-assist technology is helping athletes of all levels take on challenging terrain.
The share of cyclists on Strava with an e-bike ride increased 26% this year, but that growth isn’t evenly distributed – older athletes are much more likely than younger ones to be using e-bikes.
More Riders Going Longer
Just as the marathon is an iconic goal for runners, riding a century is a rite of passage for many cyclists. This year the share of cyclists with at least least one 100mile (160km) ride increased by 22% globally.
Although most people who ride a century still do it on pavement, the numbers show long gravel races are an increasingly popular way to mix up the distance
Commuting
During 2022, bike commutes nearly rebounded to 2019 levels, and they are far more likely to happen on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over Mondays.
Predictably, when workplaces closed, the share of bike commutes dropped. Two years on, the global share of riders commuting on Strava is on the rise again, and women are bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels of commuting more quickly than men.
About The Data
Strava’s Year In Sport 2022 analyses public activity uploads on Strava between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. Private activities and activities from athletes who have opted out of any Strava features are excluded from aggregated insights.
Ride With Us On Strava
Did you know more than 5000 riders are over on the Bicycling Australia Strava Club. Join us today!
