Successful cycling lessons? Data from Leuven show how to go about it
What makes a beginner an independent cyclist? That question is answered by De Fietsschool in a new report based on five years of data from Leuven.
In recent years, more than 600 people took part in a series of lessons provided by Cycling School Leuven. By systematically registering attendance, learning steps and final results, we investigated which factors determine the success of a cycling course.
These insights are valuable every municipality that wants to commit to sustainable mobility and equal opportunities.
Why this analysis?
How many people actually learn cycling after a lesson series? What is the effect of lesson structure, number of lessons or personal factors such as age and cycling experience?
For many local cycling schools, these are difficult questions. In collaboration with De Fietsschool, Mobiel 21 therefore analysed a unique dataset from Leuven, where De Fietsschool and its partners structurally collected data on 619 participants and their results between 2020 and 2024.
Five striking insights emerge from our analysis. These form a solid handle for other towns and municipalities that want to invest in cycling education.
Five insights for local boards and organisers
1. More lessons = more success
62% of participants who take more than 10 lessons cycle independently in traffic after the series of lessons. For fewer than 6 lessons, the figure is barely 13%. So the probability of success increases sharply with the number of lessons taken.
Recommendation: Provide lesson series of 12 to 15 lessons to allow for absences due to illness, work or family circumstances. And that without learning loss.
2. The first lesson is crucial
Those who get on the pedals in the first lesson are twice as likely to cycle independently afterwards. A good first experience makes all the difference.
Recommendation: Invest in suitable exercise material, a safe exercise room, strong didactics and tailor-made guidance.
3. Early street practice works
Almost 3 in 4 participants who practise in traffic by the fifth lesson succeed at the end of the series. Those who move from the safe practice area to real traffic only later have a lower success rate.
Recommendation: Plan the theory lesson on the highway code as early as one of the first lessons, and allow for flexible practice in traffic as soon as participants are ready.
4. Consistent attendance pays off
Attendance is directly linked to the end result. The more often someone comes to class, the more likely they are to succeed. Group dynamics, motivation and confidence also play an important role in this.
Recommendation: actively monitor attendance. Work with reminders. Good group dynamics encourage participants to come to class.
5. Age plays no role
A participant's age has no predictive value. Young or old, anyone can learn to cycle.
Recommendation: Also target older participants. Let age not be a threshold.
What can you do with this?
The data from Leuven are not just numbers. They are encouragement and guidance for anyone who wants to organise cycling classes with impact. Would you like to:
- start your own cycling school in your municipality or organisation?
- measure the impact of an existing operation?
- know whether your investment really pays off?
Then we would like to help you on your way:
- with an intake meeting without any obligations
- with tools for impact measurement and data collection
- or via a premium partnership with De Fietsschool
Want to know more?
Want to know more about the data from Leuven, and the insights we glean from it? Then be sure to dive into our report.
Questions?
Do you have questions about the dates, our methods, or The Cycling School in general? Then contact us using the form below.
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