How urban vitality shapes cycling behavior in the age of dockless shared bikes

Urban vitality, reflected in the intensity and diversity of urban activities, plays an important role in promoting sustainable mobility and shaping cycling behavior. Yet its relationship with the built environment is highly nonlinear, making it difficult to isolate its effects on dockless shared bike (DBS) use. This study investigates how urban vitality influences DBS trips and cycling distance, while examining its moderating role on built-environment effects. Using Beijing as a case study, we integrate DBS order data, built-environment indicators, socioeconomic variables, and street view image to analyze the interactions between vitality and cycling behavior. Results show that urban vitality significantly increases both DBS use and cycling distance, especially during weekends and non-commuting periods associated with recreational travel. In contrast, its influence on commuting patterns, such as morning peak-hour travel, is limited. Urban vitality also reshapes the effects of built-environment factors by strengthening the influence of land-use diversity while weakening the impacts of population density, public transport ridership, and housing rents in highly vibrant areas. Moreover, extending cycling distance is more difficult than increasing DBS use, with vitality-oriented strategies proving particularly effective for recreational cycling. These findings highlight the importance of integrating urban vitality into planning strategies for low-carbon and active urban mobility.