The use of bicycles in Europe analyzed in the State of Nation 2026 Report by Shimano

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Shimano has just presented its State of Nation 2026 report, based on a survey of more than 25,000 people across Europe, aiming to capture how Europeans view cycling infrastructure, the safety of children on bicycles, and the quality and availability of bicycle maintenance and repair services. This report is being conducted for the fourth time, having first been carried out in 2020.

The use of bicycles in Europe analyzed in the State of Nation 2026 Report by Shimano

Positive and negative aspects regarding bicycle use in Europe are highlighted in the State of Nation 2026 report, which Shimano has prepared through the survey of more than 25,000 people from across the continent.

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On the negative side, there is a quantification of 121 million people who do not use bicycles due to difficulties such as maintaining their bikes. In Spain specifically, while 91.6% claim to have owned a bicycle at some point in their lives, currently only 62.2% have a bike. This decline indicates that, despite a cycling culture, nearly a third of the population stops riding bikes upon reaching adulthood. This drop contrasts with figures from the Netherlands, where the decline is only 8.6%.

Many respondents cite the difficulties associated with bicycle maintenance. In fact, 37% of Spanish respondents pointed to the lack of nearby shops and limited opening hours as the main obstacles. This coverage problem contrasts with, for example, Germany, where respondents suggest there are too many bicycles and too few mechanics.

Globally, when asked to identify the main problems related to bicycle maintenance, 20.3% cited high costs, and indeed, 26.9% of respondents attempted to fix their bikes on their own; 15.3% expressed a lack of local shops or limited opening hours, and 11.8% mentioned their dissatisfaction with long repair times.

Child Safety

The perception of safety regarding children riding bicycles is another aspect focused on in Shimano's State of Nation 2026 report. In this parameter, Spain ranks particularly well, occupying the 4th position in the ranking, with respondents indicating that their perception of child safety has increased in the last 12 months.

Poland leads this classification with a 41% increase in those perceiving an improvement in safety, while Greece occupies the last place, where the perception of safety has decreased by 28.1%. Interestingly, in the Netherlands, the perception of safety also decreases by 22.7%, a negative figure attributed to the risks posed by the proliferation of electric bicycles and mopeds on their cycling paths.

In fact, cycling infrastructure seems to be linked to the perception of safety, which is not the same as actual safety, for which accident statistics are a better indicator. In Spain, 44% of respondents have perceived an improvement in nearby cycling infrastructure, while traditionally cycling-friendly countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, or Denmark rank among the worst, indicating a stagnation in the evolution of bicycle use.

In the words of Shimano Europe's promotion specialist and the report's lead, Ties van Dijk, “We see millions of people who want to ride bicycles, but they are deterred by barriers that should not exist, from the lack of availability and the complexity of maintenance to concerns about the safety of children riding bicycles. If we do not make it easy for people to maintain their bicycles and safe for the next generation to ride, we risk reducing participation at a time when society most needs active and sustainable mobility.” You can consult the complete State of Nation 2026 report by Shimano here.