Gravel and e-bike rides on the increase on Strava

Gravel riding and e-bike usage have both risen significantly over the past year, according to data from Strava in 2023

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The Strava fitness platform has released its ‘Trend Report’, based on data from user activities and a survey of almost 7,000 people, as part of its Year in Sport round-ups, which included the 2023 Strava Awards.

One of the fastest growing trends was gravel riding, with a 55% increase in the share of athletes logging a gravel ride, compared to the previous year.

Another growth area was the share of users who logging an activity using an e-bike ride, which rose 23%.

Top manufacturers users were riding included; Trek, Specialized and Giant the bigger players in the cycling industry. The most used cycling accessory by Strava user was the Garmin Edge 530 head display.

Strava stated that the “cycling boom keeps rolling along”, as the share of riders who rode a metric century of 62 miles rose by 5%.

Cycling is still behind running overall, with cycling coming in second overall in 2023. Walking and trail running came next, with gravel and mountain bike rides together in fifth and sixth and virtual rides in seventh.

The report split users into four generations – Boomers 1946-64, Gen X 1965-1980, Millennials 1981-1986, and Gen Z 1997-2012.

63% of Boomers uploaded rides in 2023 compared to 29% of them uploading runs.

Gen Z are nearly twice as likely to upload runs (69%) over rides (36%).

Gen Z were credited with being among the most sociable on Strava – both within the app and out in the real world, too.

They were described as “the leading contributor to the 11% increase in new Strava clubs in 2023” but also were “29% more likely than Millennials to work out with another person at least some of the time”.

Demi Vollering Crowned Strava's Athlete of the Year

Demi Vollering was crowned Strava's Athlete of the Year 2023. The Dutch cycling sensation, who enjoyed a stellar year with her team SD Worx, capped off an incredible 2023 by taking the coveted crown. Average Rob won the Strava Community Vote for Best Follow, while Team Jumbo Visma finished their stellar season with a win in the Team of the Year category.

2023 has been an outstanding year for Demi Vollering. With wins at the Tour de France Femmes, Ardennes classics, Dutch National Road Race Championships and the Women’s Vélo d’Or award, it's easy to see why she was crowned Strava's Athlete of the Year. The 26-year-old, who hails from Pijnacker in the Netherlands, fended off strong competition from Sam Ruddock, Cal Calamia and Jim Walmsley to take the Athlete of the Year title.

Check out all of the Winners in the Strava Year In Sport 2023 Awards.

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