Pedaling paths over time: Exploring cycling adaptation among (forced) migrant women in Germany

Abstract

This qualitative study provides first-hand insights into the cycling adaptation of 22 predominantly forcibly displaced women from 11 non-Western countries living in Germany, exploring their experiences within a cycling-dominated culture. It examines whether these women, who learned to cycle within the past seven years in Freiburg and Stuttgart, continue to cycle and investigates the opportunities and challenges they encounter across rural, urban, and suburban contexts. Using an intersectional feminist lens and drawing on mobility justice principles alongside the motility framework, the study highlights how (mobility-related) key life events shape women's cycling trajectories. The findings classify the women into three groups: regular cyclists, temporary cyclists, and non-regular cyclists. Results indicate that cycling adaptation is most common among women without children or those with one or two older children who can cycle alongside them. In contrast, caregivers of young children—who bear primary responsibility for household labor, childcare, escort trips, and trip chaining—face the greatest barriers to continued cycling. This study contributes to research and policy by advocating for a more nuanced understanding of (forced) migrant women's diverse cycling experiences and calls for the development of inclusive cycling policies and infrastructure.