The ECI Bike Share Expert Group gathered in Rimini for its annual session at Velo-City, this time at the session: “Bike Share: Should It Be Profitable — And Do We Care?”, to discuss whether we ask the correct questions when it comes to the benefits of bike sharing.
Building on the first European bike-share ROI study by ECI, EIT Urban Mobility and EY, the session focused on examining whether profitability is the right benchmark for success for bike sharing systems, given that few other transport systems are judged solely on their financial performance. BSEG Vice Chair Nick Brown shares his takeaways from the session and Velo-city 2026.
1. Other values generated by bike share flew under the radar
One of the central themes of the ECI Bike Share Expert Group session was whether we are asking the wrong question when we ask if bike share is profitable.
Evidence from the European Bike Share Return on Investment study demonstrates that bike sharing delivers benefits far beyond the farebox: improved public health, reduced congestion, lower emissions, increased accessibility, and stronger local economies.
Like public transport, parks or bridges, the success of bike share should be judged by the wider value it creates for society. Measuring these externalities gives a strong lever for the sector to demonstrate the benefits of bike sharing systems.
2. Sustainable bike share requires strong public-private partnerships
The debate is not simply profit versus purpose. Across Europe, successful systems operate under different models — some publicly supported, some commercially driven, and many based on partnerships between cities and private operators.
Private sector innovation and expertise are essential, but achieving meaningful modal shift requires cities and industry to work together with shared objectives and long-term thinking.
3. The conversation is moving from evidence to action
It was particularly encouraging to hear cities throughout Velo-city referencing the findings of the Bike Share ROI study in their own discussions and presentations.
This demonstrates a growing recognition that investment in cycling and shared mobility should be based on the wider economic and societal returns these systems deliver.
4. Social leasing is becoming a major part of Europe’s cycling transition
Beyond bike share, social leasing was one of the most prominent topics throughout the conference. The launch of the new Véligo 2 programme, doubling the fleet to 40,000 e-bikes, demonstrates the scale of ambition now being shown to make cycling more accessible to more people.
By reducing the upfront cost of access to high-quality bicycles and e-bikes, social leasing has the potential to become a key tool in tackling transport poverty and accelerating the transition towards more sustainable mobility.
The overall message from Velo-city was clear: the cycling sector is entering a new phase of maturity. Whether through bike share or social leasing, the challenge is no longer proving that these solutions work — it is creating the partnerships, policies and investment frameworks needed to scale them.
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