World Bicycle Day: We Don't Need More Bicycles. We Need More Confidence

Written By Daniel Gelinas

June 3, 2026

Every year on June 3, the United Nations celebrates World Bicycle Day.

At first glance, it may seem like a symbolic recognition of one of humanity’s oldest and simplest inventions. But the UN’s decision goes much deeper than that. The bicycle was recognized for contributing simultaneously to public health, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and quality of life. In other words, the bicycle is not merely a vehicle.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥.

𝐀 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

Coincidentally, this year’s World Bicycle Day arrives at an interesting moment. Belgium has just released and approved its new Be Cyclist 2.0 Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to increase bicycle use through 2040. The plan is ambitious.

Its objectives include increasing cycling’s share of all trips from approximately 12% today to 22% by 2040, doubling the distance travelled by bicycle, reducing cycling fatalities, expanding secure bicycle parking, strengthening bike-train integration, fighting bicycle theft, supporting bicycle leasing programs, and developing the Belgian cycling economy.

The strategy recognizes cycling not only as a mobility solution, but also as a health, environmental, and economic opportunity.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓

As someone who has spent years working in the active mobility sector, I find one particular aspect of the plan especially interesting. The document repeatedly identifies secure bicycle parking as one of the most important factors influencing whether people choose to ride. This observation deserves attention.

Because for decades, most discussions about cycling have focused on three things:

• bicycles
• cycling infrastructure
• bike-sharing systems

All three matter. But they may not be addressing the largest remaining barrier.

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐈𝐂𝐘𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐒𝐓

Millions of people already own bicycles. Millions more own e-bikes. The question is no longer whether bicycles exist. The question is whether people can confidently use them for daily transportation. What happens when they arrive at their destination?

  • Can they park securely?

  • Can they protect a $3,000, $5,000, or even $10,000 e-bike from theft?

  • Can they recharge safely?

  • Can they leave personal belongings behind?

  • Can property owners manage fire safety concerns related to battery charging?

  • Can employers, municipalities, transit operators, and real estate owners provide reliable infrastructure that makes cycling practical every day?

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

In reality, they are strategic. Transportation systems succeed when they remove friction. Every friction point reduces adoption. Every friction point discourages behaviour change. And arrival may be the single largest friction point remaining in many communities.

𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐈𝐊𝐄-𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

This is where I believe we need to expand the conversation beyond bicycles and beyond bike-sharing. Bike-sharing systems can play an important role, particularly around transit stations and dense urban centres. But bike-sharing primarily solves access to a bicycle. For many communities, access is no longer the limiting factor.

𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬.

The next phase of sustainable mobility may depend less on providing more bicycles and more on activating the bicycles that already exist. That requires destination infrastructure:

  • secure parking

  • weather protection

  • charging capability

  • theft prevention

  • data collection

  • user confidence

  • fire-conscious e-bike storage

In short, it requires what I call 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲™.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄

Instead of asking how many bicycles we can deploy, we ask how many existing bicycles we can activate. Instead of focusing exclusively on vehicles, we focus on the conditions that allow people to use those vehicles every day. The distinction may seem subtle.

Its consequences are enormous.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

The United Nations recognized the bicycle because of its ability to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges. The next challenge may be ensuring that people can actually use the bicycles they already own. Perhaps the future of cycling is not about putting more bikes on the road. Perhaps it is about removing the barriers that prevent them from leaving the garage in the first place.

And that may be one of the most important mobility conversations of the next decade.

Daniel Gelinas
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