U.S. Bicycle Industry - Statistics & Facts
Bicycle imports exceed exports 13:1
While the United States boasts a domestic bicycle manufacturing sector and exports bicycles, the U.S. bicycle market is dominated by imports. In 2022, the country imported bicycles worth more than 2.2 billion, while exporting bicycles of a value of only 171 million.The vast majority of bicycles imported to the United States originate from China. More than eight in ten bicycles imported to the country originated from there in the first half of 2023. The picture becomes more complex, when considering the value of bicycle imports. During the same period, Taiwan accounted for 45 percent of bike imports by value, not including electric bicycles. Meanwhile China only ranked second, accounting for less than a third of bike imports by value. Taiwan, Cambodia, and Vietnam all export fewer but on average more valuable bicycles to the United states than China.
Do Americans cycle for leisure or transport?
Cycling is both a recreational activity as well as a form of transport among U.S. Americans. Around 46 percent of adults in the United States who cycle, do so exclusively for recreational purposes. The remaining 54 percent of cyclists cycle exclusively for transport of a mix of leisure and transport. Yet, among cyclists who use their bike for transport, utility trips hold a similar significance as recreational trips. Among transport cyclist 70 percent indicated that they use their bike for running errands or shopping, nearly the same share as use their bike for social and leisure purposes, at 69 percent.Among young cyclists aged under 18, cycling tends to be more leisure focused. 58 percent of youths who cycle, only ride for recreation. Young U.S. Americans are more likely to have access to a functional bicycle, however. 68 percent of young people between three and 18 years old have access to a bike in their household, while this figure stands at 48 percent among adults.