Determinants of the use of bike in the city: between practical motivations and social cultural values

Introduction Bike is a possible means of transportation, alternative to private cars, which could contribute to the reduction of CO2 emission and to the achievement of a more sustainable mobility within the city. However, its use in many western countries is still limited and deserves to be fostered throughout appropriate communication and educational campaigns. Most of the studies in this domain have focused on the structural factors (availability and quality of cycle tracks, bikes structural characteristics, climate conditions, etc.) able to increase or reduce bike use in the city. A few studies have also focused on individual attitudes towards cycling. Nevertheless, more research work is needed in order to deepen the understanding of the social-cultural motivations (values and worldviews) which support bike use and to clarify the way these interact with the structural and practical factors. Methods Some preliminary results of a set of studies addressing these issues will be presented. The studies focused on two different sources of social cultural motivations such as the mass-media, and the perceived normative influence from familiar and non-familiar others. Results Findings reveals a complex interaction between practical motivations, personal fears and social cultural values at the base of bike use choices. Discussion Implications for the structuring of possible communication and educational campaigns will be also synthetically sketched.