Cycling in France: A Gender Gap

Cycling has long been a symbol of emancipation for women, but new data from Strava reveals that there is still progress to be made. Indeed, a study by the leading platform for athletes shows that women spend half as much time cycling as men.

Published ahead of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which started this Sunday, July 23, this data covers all approaches to cycling, from daily commutes to leisure activities. Strava’s latest study reveals that French women spend 54% less time cycling than their male counterparts. This also corresponds to the average difference in practice between men and women worldwide.

Among other significant results collected from the Strava community (over 100 million users worldwide) are the following:

– In France, women are 243% less likely than men to find other female cyclists to ride with. In a survey conducted among a panel of 3,000 users, including 330 French individuals, women were 3.4 times more likely to disagree with the statement “I can find other cyclists of my gender to ride with.”
– Globally, women are 23% less likely than men to record a sports activity on Strava before sunrise and 8% less likely to do so after sunset. Daylight is therefore an important factor for women’s cycling.

Marion Rousse, director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, commented on the study’s results: “This new data from Strava shows that there is still much to be done to promote gender equality in cycling. It is important that we use these figures now to guide our actions and help more women discover cycling, whether for leisure or for their commutes. It’s great that Strava is partnering with The Cyclists’ Alliance to help more women get into competition. This is a perfect example of how we can close the gap between men and women in cycling.”

As an official partner of the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Strava is working to encourage more women to cycle. As part of the Strive for More initiative, Strava has committed over $1 million to support women in sport. This initiative has funded international organizations such as The Cyclists’ Alliance, which supports female cyclists during and after their careers. Strava’s donation will allow more women to access competitions through the foundation’s mentoring program.

During the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift…

All Strava profiles of the riders in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been gathered on a dedicated page.
Other exclusive information is shared on the official club of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
In parallel, nearly 20,000 women have already joined the Les Petites Boucles challenge, which consists of completing a 29 km bike ride in July. Strava will reward each person who achieves the goal by donating €1 (up to €40,000) to Secours populaire français. These donations will help provide 500 bicycles to the association to support access to cycling for as many people as possible. The challenge is ongoing until July 31.

Source: Press Release

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