Cycling Ireland membership numbers have increased so far this year, with 24,950 people taking out membership according to data obtained by stickybottle.
Numbers grew quite significantly, by almost 3,000, though are still not quite back to levels seen in 2019
The trends represent mixed news for Cycling Ireland as the number of adult cyclists racing in Ireland has declined significantly; something analysed, below, for each category. At the same time, youth cycling looks like it is going through something of a boom.
The number of U16 cyclists with a Cycling Ireland membership in 2021 was higher than at any other time in the sport's history apart from 2015.
Overall, the number of junior and youth cyclists who took out membership this year was 3,145. That was up more 50 per cent on 2020, when 2,027 juniors and youth riders were members of Cycling Ireland.
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That seems to be a very positive development as cycling in Ireland has for years performed poorly in attracting younger members. Even in the rapid growth years for cycling during the recession, many of those cyclists who took out a Cycling Ireland membership were aged 30 years or more.
However, the good news in the junior and youth ranks this year is off-set by numbers in adult racing, which have again declined this year.
Some 2,305 adult cyclists took out full competition membership this year. That was down by 352 on 2020 and down by 465 on 2019.
Leisure membership has proven very resilient this year, even though so many sportives were cancelled both this year and last. Indeed, the 16,720 leisure members this year was an increase of almost 2,000 on the previous year.
The long term picture
In 2017 the number of people who took out a Cycling Ireland membership reached a peak of 29,233. That was the high point of the Irish cycling boom experienced over a period of about a decade in the years after the economic crash.
Indeed, in the six-year period from 2012 to 2017 inclusive, Cycling Ireland almost doubled its membership; from 15,331 to 29,233.
In 2018 numbers began to decline, falling by almost 3,000 members that year to 26,305. That reduced further in 2019 to 25,010 members and fell again in 2020 to 22,046. That figure in 2020 was over 7,000 down on the peak of 2017, a drop of 25 per cent.
Leisure cyclists
These are the engine of the national governing body's membership, representing by far the biggest chunk of the sport across the country. Indeed, the 16,720 leisure members this year accounts for 67 per cent of Cycling Ireland's membership.
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Leisure members were previously called 'non competition' members and their numbers peaked in 2017 at a massive 19,474; an incredible number. They declined by just over 700 in 2018. They dropped again in 2019, to 16,731, and once more in 2020; down to 14,775.
However, that declined was halted and reversed this year as some 16,720 leisure memberships were taken out in 2021. Increasing leisure members, who are so important to the sport in Ireland is one of the success stories for Cycling Ireland this year as cycling boomed in the pandemic.
Full competition - racing
The number of cyclists take out full competition memberships peaked in 2017, reaching 3,374 before declining. In 2018 numbers declined to 3,071. There was another decline in 2019, but only a marginal one, as some 2,970 cyclists took out full competition memberships.
That fall off accelerated in 2020, dropping by 313 members. That decline has been repeated this year, with 353 fewer full competition memberships being taken out.
The number of full competition memberships this year, at 2,305, is 32 per cent lower than the all-time peak of 2017.
Where is the fall in adult racing numbers being felt most?
Let's breakdown each category but as we do that, let's keep in mind that junior and youth numbers have increased this year.
Indeed, the jump in the number of youth and junior riders taking out memberships this year is about three-times higher than the drop in adult racing members. Having said that, not all of the junior and youth members of Cycling Ireland are racing cyclists.
- A+ licences: This is the pro rider category, with 10 riders taking out these memberships this year. That's a fall one just one in 2020 and is down four on the peak of 14 in 2013.
- A1 licences: In the figures provided to stickybottle by Cycling Ireland, there were 156 cyclists who held an A1 licence this year. That was down from 160 in 2020 and down from 216 in 2019. The peak for A1 licences was in 2017, at 307. That means the number of A1 memberships this year is down to about half the number of A1s racing in 2017.
- A2 licences: Some 310 cyclists have A2 memberships this year; down from 342 in 2020 and 319 in 2019. The peak number of A2 licence holders was witnessed in 2018 when we had 407 cyclists were A2s in Ireland. That means A2 licences have dropped by about one quarter since 2018.
- A3 licences: There were 775 Cycling Ireland memberships issued for A3s this year; down from 874 in 2020 and down from 1,026 in 2019. At its peak, there were 1,224 licence holders in the A3 category in Ireland in 2015 and numbers have fallen each year since then.
- A4 licences: There were 1,054 Cycling Ireland memberships held by A4s this year. That's down by 216 on 2020 and down by 272 on 2019. The peak in A4 numbers in Ireland was experienced in 2016 when we had 1,778 A4s in Ireland.
Junior and youth rider trends
A total of 3,145 youth and junior riders took out membership of Cycling Ireland this year, which is higher than ever. The previous high was in 2016, when numbers reached 2,861.
In the junior ranks this year there were 265 Cycling Ireland members, up very strongly from 179 in 2020 and up marginally from the 242 juniors who were members in 2019. However, the junior numbers are still some way off the previous high of 304 in 2016.
The U16 ranks saw a noted increase in numbers this year at 423, up from 275 last year and 291 in 2019. This year's number was the highest number of U16s with a Cycling Ireland membership since 2015, when 441 U16s were members of the association.
In the U14 category there were 561 Cycling Ireland memberships this year; up from 410 last year and 423 in 2019. The only other time when U14 numbers were higher was in 2015 and 2016, with 610 and 580 U14 members respectively.
In the U12 category there were 652 members this year, compared to 441 and 466 in 2020 and 2019. This year's numbers were only slightly off the previous peak, of 675 members in 2015.
There was a similar trend in the U10 category; 552 members this year, up from 344 last year and 359 in 2019. This year's U10 numbers were close to the 590 Cycling Ireland U10 membership holders in 2012.
The U8 category, numbers were also way up, at 552 this year compared to 344 last year and 359 in 2019. The record high was witnessed in 2017 when Cycling Ireland had 602 U8 members.
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