Inside the virtual peloton: perspectives on motivation and sporting status in ecycling

Ecycling has grown from a niche training tool into a global virtual community and digitally mediated leisure practice, yet it remains empirically underexplored. How practitioners engage with it, what draws and retains them, and how they understand their own activity remain open questions. This lack of empirical foundation also underlies the unresolved debate over whether ecycling constitutes a sport, esport, or something else entirely. This study works towards that foundation through a survey with qualitative and quantitative elements of 323 ecycling practitioners from 26 countries, investigating motivational dynamics and attitudes towards sporting legitimacy. We found that 79% of the respondents’ motivations shift from pragmatic entry points (e.g. weather, fitness, and time efficiency) towards competition, community, and intrinsic enjoyment. Seasonal patterns reveal strong winter peaks alongside a substantial year-round subgroup (41%), suggesting ecycling has evolved beyond supplementary winter training. A majority (87%) classify ecycling as sport, though scepticism centres on fairness, verification, and organisational regulation. Crucially, participants did not experience virtuality as a limitation but rather described it as enabling distinct forms of embodied engagement and social belonging. The findings offer new insights into ecycling as a mixed reality leisure practice and contribute to broader discussions on sport and digital technology.