Do attitudes and perceptions help to explain cycling infrastructure quality of service?

• Cyclists' interaction with their built environment affects the perceived quality of service. • Cyclists' attitudes and perceptions when riding explain infrastructure quality of service. • Pro-bike attitudes have a direct effect on perceived enjoyment. • Cycling infrastructure quality of service is influenced indirectly by pro-bike attitudes. • New studies on cycling infrastructure quality of service should include cyclists' sensory experiences. Many approaches have been developed to assess the performance or Quality of Service (QoS) rendered by cycling infrastructure. The most common methodologies (Level of Service/Level of Traffic Stress) do not consider user inputs. In other disciplines, user perceptions constitute a powerful tool that can help improve and tailor designs. This study was intended to explore the effect of cyclists' attitudes and perceptions on the perceived QoS of different cycling infrastructures using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The SEM model was developed using cyclist surveys applied at 16 locations comprising all typologies of cycling infrastructure in Bogotá, Colombia. We found that user attitudes and perceptions of tangible (e.g., pavement) and intangible attributes (e.g., enjoyment) can explain cyclists' QoS. The results lead to a better understanding of typical Global South cyclist perceptions when riding, and provide an accurate tool with which to improve cycling infrastructure QoS from a cyclist perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]