The perspective of cyclists on current practices with digital tools and envisioned services for urban cycling

Abstract

As cycling becomes increasingly important in sustainable mobility policies, there is also an urge for new digital applications and services for urban cycling. This new generation of cycling applications should be able to connect cyclists with their local cycling ecosystem, promote cycling, and empower cyclists to become active agents of urban mobility. In this work, we aim to explore the new opportunity space of digital tools and applications designed specifically for urban cycling. We pursue this goal by trying to uncover current practices associated with digital tools that are already available and also by trying to uncover new information needs, even those that cyclists are not yet able to fully express. To explore these topics, we conducted 2 focus group sessions and 10 interviews with cyclists. The result is a set of design opportunities for the development of new applications, tools and methods for improving the cycling experience in the context of urban mobility. We expect this contribution might help to better define the design space of innovative digital tools for urban cyclists.