A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo

What A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo does

A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo (operating as 'Droit au vélo' and 'Droit au vélo et à la marche') is a French loi 1901 non-profit association founded in 1982 to promote cycling and walking as primary modes of everyday transportation in the Hauts-de-France region. Headquartered at the Maison Régionale de l'Environnement et des Solidarités (MRES) in Lille, the organization delivers a portfolio of practical services including Bicycode anti-theft bike marking (€15 for the public, €4 for members), participatory repair workshops (Ateliers Soignons Les Biclous), cycling education programs (Vélo-Éducation) for adults and schoolchildren, the Challenge de l'écomobilité scolaire, specialized 'Vélos adaptés' services for disabled cyclists, and a semi-annual barometer of bicycle counts measuring regional cycling infrastructure usage. The association operates through a decentralized network of local antennas (Arras, Maubeuge, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Saint-Omer, Dunkerque, and others) and correspondents, and publishes the L'HeurOvélO quarterly newsletter, which has been in continuous production since 1991 (issue 100 published in 2022).

The association's revenue model is a hybrid of individual membership dues and public financing from regional, departmental, and municipal government partners — including Hauts-de-France Region, ADEME Hauts-de-France, DREAL, Lille Métropole, the communes of Lille and many others, and over 30 intermunicipal communities. No proprietary technology is built or sold; the association's distribution is event-driven and community-led, anchored on Mai à Vélo (the 2026 edition recorded 1.42M+ participants), Broc' à vélos, cycling festivals, and school programs. The organization is a non-commercial advocacy entity rather than a technology or product company, with no fundraising history, no M&A activity, and no disclosed financials beyond its public funding footprint.

Name

A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo

Legal name

A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo

Website

https://droitauvelo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo is a French non-profit founded in 1982 that promotes cycling and walking as primary transportation across the Hauts-de-France region through advocacy, bike marking, cycling education, repair workshops, events, and policy guidance for citizens, schools, and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cycling Advocacy Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Bicycle Programs & Bike Share (Parking, Repair, Rentals) (EDALAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures (THAJABAF), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Cycling advocacy
• Active mobility
• Bike education
• Cycling infrastructure
• Non-profit association

Headquarters

HQ city

Hellemmes-lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Revenue from annual membership fees ('Adhérer à l'association'). Members pay dues and receive benefits such as discounted bike marking services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

A.D.A.V. is a non-profit association that promotes cycling and walking as primary modes of transportation in the Hauts-de-France region. It delivers practical cycling services (Bicycode anti-theft bike marking, participatory repair workshops, advice sheets), runs cycling education programs for adults and schoolchildren (Vélo-Éducation, Challenge écomobilité scolaire), publishes the L'HeurOvélO newsletter and collaborative cycling infrastructure maps, and advocates for cycling-friendly policy and infrastructure with regional and municipal authorities.

Product overview

A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo is a non-profit cycling and walking advocacy association serving the Hauts-de-France region of France. Rather than a software product company, the association offers a portfolio of cycling services including bicycle marking/registration (Bicycode), cycling education programs (Vélo-Éducation), participatory repair workshops, and advocacy services. The organization also publishes L'HeurOvélO newsletter and maintains collaborative cartography tools for cycling infrastructure. Core activities center on promoting cycling as a mode of transportation through services, events, education, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L'HeurOvélO: The association's quarterly newsletter/publication covering cycling news, infrastructure developments, policy analysis, and local events.

Products and services

• Bicycode bike marking service (Marquage Bicycode) Authorized-operator bicycle marking and registration service operated under the national Bicycode/FUB system to combat bike theft. Offered at €15 per bike for the general public and €4 for association members in good standing, available by appointment or during Wednesday walk-in permanence (15h-18h) at the Lille headquarters.
• Vélo-Éducation (cycling education programs) Cycling education programs including bike schools for adults, school interventions, and reintegration workshops (Remise en selle) for returning cyclists, designed to help the public master cycling for comfortable and safe everyday use.
• Collaborative cartography (cyclability and cycling infrastructure maps) Collaborative mapping tools including cyclability maps and maps of cycling infrastructure (aménagements cyclables) for the Hauts-de-France region, plus AF3V greenway maps. Users can consult and contribute ratings of route cyclability.
• L'HeurOvélO quarterly newsletter/journal Quarterly newsletter published since 1991 covering cycling policy, infrastructure developments, safety, events, and regional mobility news for members and the general public.
• Fiches-conseils (advice sheets and educational materials) Advice sheets and educational materials covering cycling topics including safety, health benefits, and practical guidance, produced to raise awareness among elected officials, technicians, users, and motorists.
• Participatory bike repair workshops (Ateliers Soignons Les Biclous / Ateliers d'aide à la réparation) Participatory and solidarity-based bike repair workshops held regularly (e.g., Wednesday evenings) where volunteer teams help cyclists repair and maintain their bicycles; available at the Lille headquarters and at local antennas such as Arras and Saint-Léonard-de-Bruat (SLB).
• Adapted bicycles service (Vélos adaptés) Specialized bicycles adapted for people with disabilities or specific mobility needs, supporting inclusive everyday cycling in the Hauts-de-France region.
• Bicycle counting and semi-annual barometer (Comptage des vélos / baromètre semestriel) Bicycle counting and a semi-annual barometer measuring cycling infrastructure usage and growth across the Hauts-de-France region, used to inform public-authority decision-making.
• Cycling events program (Mai à Vélo, Broc' à vélos, Fêtes du vélo, Balades, Manif' à vélo, Ciné-débat, Challenges écomobilité, Opérations éclairage) Organization and co-organization of cycling events including the annual Mai à Vélo campaign, bike markets (Broc' à vélos), cycling festivals, group rides (balades), demonstrations, cinema debates, the Challenge écomobilité scolaire inter-school competition, and bike-lighting/visibility operations.
• Membership of the association (Adhérer à l'association) Annual membership of A.D.A.V. providing member benefits such as discounted Bicycode bike marking (€4 vs. €15), access to association news and L'HeurOvélO, and participation in the volunteer community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mai à Vélo 2026: over 1,420,000 participants across the region

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rue de l'AvenirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association promoting calm and pleasant urban living, with which ADAV collaborates on pre-electoral communications about sustainable mobility for regions and departments.
• AF3V (Association Française pour le Développement du Véloroute et Voie Verte)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association for greenway development; ADAV publishes AF3V cycling maps on its website.
• BicycodecoreTechnology or IntegrationNational bicycle marking and registration system operated by the FUB (Fédération Française des Usagers de la Bicyclette). ADAV provides Bicycode marking services as an authorized operator.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Cyclists' Federation (ECF): International umbrella federation of cycling advocacy organizations across Europe, including FUB as the French member. ECF operates at a different scale than ADAV but shares the core mission of cycling advocacy and cycling-friendly policy work.
• FUB (Fédération Française des Usagers de la Bicyclette): National French cycling users federation and operator of the Bicycode bike marking system with which ADAV is integrated. FUB is the umbrella body for cycling advocacy associations across France, making it the closest broad incumbent to ADAV's advocacy and anti-theft marking work.

Direct peers

• Paris en Selle: Paris-focused cycling advocacy association that promotes everyday cycling, runs events and workshops, and engages local authorities — directly comparable in mission, operational model, and activities to ADAV but serving Paris instead of Hauts-de-France.
• AF3V (Association Française pour le Développement du Véloroute et Voie Verte): National French association promoting greenways and véloroutes, with which ADAV publishes AF3V cycling maps on its website. AF3V is a direct strategic partner and operates in the same cycling-infrastructure-and-promotion nonprofit space as ADAV.
• Rue de l'Avenir: National French association promoting calm and pleasant urban living, collaborating with ADAV on pre-electoral communications about sustainable mobility. Operates in the same advocacy/urban-mobility nonprofit space as ADAV with overlapping policy missions.

Others

• Vélo & Territoires: French national network gathering territories and organizations active in cycling development. Functions as an enabling/ecosystem organization adjacent to ADAV, providing policy coordination, training, and resources to regional advocacy actors including ADAV.

Regional players

• Collectif Vélo Île-de-France: Regional cycling advocacy association for the Paris region (Île-de-France), operating as a non-profit promoting cycling through advocacy, events, and partnerships — directly comparable in mission and structure to ADAV but serving a different French region.
• Collectif Vélo Strasbourg: Strasbourg-based cycling advocacy association covering the Eurométropole de Strasbourg area. Comparable as a French regional cycling advocacy non-profit focused on everyday cycling promotion, though operating in a different region than ADAV.
• La Rochelle & Vélo: Local cycling association in the La Rochelle area promoting cycling as a daily mode of transport. Comparable as a regionally-scoped French cycling advocacy association with similar educational and event-driven activities to ADAV.

Emerging players

• Pro Velo Belgium: Belgian cycling advocacy organization promoting everyday cycling through education, services and policy advocacy. Comparable as a neighboring-country bicycle user federation with a similar nonprofit advocacy-and-services model to ADAV.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xmasto.bike/@droitauvelo
• Facebookfacebook.com/droitauvelo
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/a.d.a.v.-association-droit-au-v%C3%A9lo
• Instagraminstagram.com/droitauvelo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A.D.A.V. Association Droit au Vélo