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The rapid adoption of e-bicycles challenges traditional route choice insights, which typically assume that cyclists minimize physical effort and adhere to habitual paths. By partially decoupling travel distance from physical exertion, e-bicycles may relax efficiency-oriented constraints and enable greater flexibility in route choice. This study introduces the concept of Variety Seeking Route Choice Behavior (VSRCB) to quantify the extent to which cyclists deviate from habitual routes, and examines whether electric assistance enhances this flexibility. Using high-resolution GPS trajectory data, we develop a multi-dimensional framework to quantify route variety among Dutch cyclists. The results confirm that VSRCB is an observable phenomenon across both modes, though e-cyclists exhibit higher levels than traditional cyclists. A decomposition analysis indicates that this variety primarily arises from more frequent switching among available route alternatives (Quantity and Balance), rather than from substantial geometric deviation (Distinction). Moreover, VSRCB is most pronounced in highly urbanized areas, where dense road networks support flexible routing, while demographic characteristics show no significant association. These findings suggest that cycling infrastructure planning should move beyond single high-capacity corridors and instead emphasize redundant, mesh-like networks that better accommodate the flexible routing behavior of e-cyclists.
Zhao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.