Práticas e percepções de ciclistas durante a pandemia de covid-19. Resultados de uma pesquisa com ciclistas na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract

ABSTRACT This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study that interviewed 340 cyclists in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, using a google form questionnaire. This research was carried out between February and March 2021 and investigates how the pandemic changed the habits of those who use bicycles, and how these practices were changed. Cyclists were initially recruited from the ‘Pedal Project’ and then through snowball methodology. The authors conclude that the bicycle was used tactically, both to avoid crowds and maintain social isolation and to practice physical exercise when other places for sports activities were prohibited. The circulation occurred mostly in the central region of the city, inhabited by the middle and upper class and with better cycling infrastructure. The proportion of those who increased or maintained the use of bicycles is similar to that which decreased, changing the motivations for commuting. Keywords: Cycling; Mobility; Transport; Covid-19; Brazil.