Hanover – – November 02, 2026 -- Adults in Germany cover about 190 million kilometers per day by bicycle and e-bike, according to a longitudinal mobility study from bicycle insurer and leasing provider Linexo. The total splits into roughly 130 million km by conventional bike and 60 million km by e-bike, about 4,750 times the circumference of the Earth.

Two-wheelers take 27% of daily mobility time, ahead of public transport

Bikes and e-bikes account for more than 15 minutes, or 27%, of daily mobility time. That is second only to cars and carsharing at 55% and ahead of public transport at 19%.

Distance tells a different story. Of 38 kilometers traveled in total, 73% are covered on four wheels and 9% on two. Linexo's Sören Hirsch said the gap shows how much potential remains for further trips by bike and e-bike.

Northern Germany logs more than 17 minutes in the saddle, the South under 14

The national average is 15 minutes 19 seconds per day. Residents of the North ride more than 17 minutes and those in the West more than 16. In the South and East, riders spend less than 14 minutes daily on two wheels. Gender, formal education level and place of residence also have a positive influence on active mobility, according to the study.

Shopping leads weekday bike use at 49%, while e-bikes skew toward leisure

On weekdays, 49% of cyclists use their bike for shopping, 40% for leisure and 37% for commuting. E-bike riders put leisure first at 49%, ahead of shopping at 43% and commuting at 27%.

Leisure dominates at weekends, with more than half of bike and e-bike riders using their bikes for it. Over a third also use the bike as sports equipment. Hirsch said these patterns offer potential for retailers and sports clubs.

Study tracked 1,094 panelists through weekly diaries from March to November 2025

Rather than surveying travel behavior on a single reference day, the study followed participants over time. About 1,000 adults kept a weekly mobility diary for 30 weeks, recording mode of transport, distance, time and purpose. After data cleaning, 14,318 complete weekly reviews remained.

Participants were recruited through an online access panel: 1,094 people aged 18 to 69. The sample is representative by age, gender, education, employment status, size of place of residence and residential location.

Linexo will publish deeper analyses on four topics: workplace health promotion, company bike leasing and active mobility, women's perspectives on sporty cycling, and cycling in old age.