Impact of cycling infrastructure on cyclists experience and sense of flow in two cities

Many cities seek to increase cycling as part of broader strategies to reduce the reliance on private cars and alleviate traffic congestion. Nonetheless, promoting cycling can be a challenge, as it requires building appropriate infrastructure that offers positive and functional cycling experiences, thus inviting more people to bike. This paper investigates cyclists’ perceptions of existing cycling infrastructure to find how the designed infrastructure impacts their sense of flow. Using mobile video ethnography with 30 cyclists in two cities, Gothenburg (Sweden), and Curitiba (Brazil), the study examines how infrastructure shapes their sense of flow and related behaviours. The findings show that cyclists’ sense of flow is frequently disrupted in both cities, with similar types of infrastructural disruptions, producing comparable behavioural and experiential consequences. We also find that these situations reflect recurring design tensions, contextual constraints, spatial trade-offs, and institutional capacity of implementations that affect the compliance with the existing infrastructure manuals’ recommendations. The paper offers an experience-based perspective on cycling infrastructure, highlighting the value of complementing technical guidelines with more user-centred and designerly approaches that attend to cyclists’ functional and experiential needs.