Daft fashions are a sure sign that something has peaked in popularity and is about to decline. Beckham buying a fixed wheel bike with pink wheels marked the beginning of the end of the cycling boom, the cool brigade are on the verge of finding new ways to stay ahead of the herd and deserting us and the broadsheets will soon go back to indignant articles about lycra louts instead of pull out supplements on favourite cycling routes.
It will mirror what has happened in motorcycling. There was a year on year increase in sales of leisure bikes for over a decade, every middle aged poser had to have his 'Blade or R1 for a Sunday outing, complete with all the fashion kit. Then boredom set in because most of the trendies weren't really bikers at all, just fashion junkies. Looking for a new way to be cooler than the rest bunny ears and fake pony tails started appearing on crash helmets, a sure sign that they were running out of things to spend their money on because their are only so many ways to be different on a bike. Sure enough, sales have plummeted and show no signs of slowing, especially on big bikes.
I predict that next year bicycle sales will begin a sad but inevitable decline.
