Cycling

The image shows a bicycle.

An estimated 2.9 million Australians cycled for sport in 2021–22 (ASC, 2022).  There were 8,600 injury hospitalisations attributed to cycling as a sport – 7,100 males and 1,500 females. For those aged 15 and over, the rate of hospitalisation was 185 per 100,000 participants.

Cycling can be a sport, a leisure activity, or a mode of transport. There were 14,800 cycling injury hospitalisations in 2021–22, of which 7,100 were identified as cycling for sport. For more details, see the technical notes.

Between 2017–18 and 2020–21 the age-standardised rate of cycling injury hospitalisations increased 57% (Figure 1). AusPlay data shows that the estimated number of adults participating in cycling for sport or exercise increased from 2.3 million to 3.2 million over the same 3-year period (ASC, 2021).

The number of cycling injury hospitalisations declined between 2020–21 and 2021–22, however age-standardised rates increased.

Figure 1: Trend in injury hospitalisations from cycling for sport, by sex, 2012–13 to 2021–22

Line chart shows upward trend of hospitalisations from 2012–13 to 2016–17 and a downward trend between 2020–21 and 2021–22.

Visualisation not available for printing

For more detail, see data tables B1–2.

The age distribution of hospitalisations shows a large spike for the 10–14 age group (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Age distribution of injury hospitalisations from cycling for sport, 2021–22

Bar chart shows the age distribution of hospitalisations in 2021–22. The 10–14 age group had higher hospitalisations than other age groups.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A14.

Fractures accounted for over half of these hospitalisations (58%) (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Top 5 injury hospitalisations from cycling for sport, by type of injury as a proportion, 2021–22

Bar chart shows fractures, open wounds, and intracranial, superficial and soft-tissue injuries were the main types of injury in 2021–22.

Note: Type of injury is derived from the principal diagnosis.
Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A25.

There were 425 hospitalisations for concussion – 360 males and 62 females.

The shoulder or arm was the main site of injury in just over a third of cases (38%), while the head and neck accounted for 1 in 5 cases (20%) (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Injury hospitalisations from cycling for sport, by body part injured, as a proportion, 2021–22

Diagram of human body shows percentage of body parts injured in hospitalisations in 2021–22. Ankle and feet contributed the least at 2% of cases.

Notes
1. Body part injured is derived from the principal diagnosis.
2. ‘Trunk’ includes thorax, abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine & pelvis.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data table A26.

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