Bike imports into UK fall to 10 year low

[Shadow121]

It's probably new hobby fatigue. They've done the sportives and they are on STRAVA but reached their physical limit and the average ride speeds are not showing the improvement they used to do. Most of them got into cycling as a performance sport on the back of the Olympic and TdF successes but never learned to ride a bike for the enjoyment of just cycling somewhere for it's own sake. Like any "New thing" which has a meteoric rise, the fall will be just as severe.

Agreed, these sorts don’t need a bike, never did, it was just a phase they were going through,
the only good thing about this phase was the amount of good second hand bikes available
at very affordable prices.

 

[Cycleops]

We'll probably never know the sales figures for Brompton but I suspect they have held up reasonably well compared to bike sales in general.
Brompton is not really a bike company but one of urban commuter transportation so not a fair comparison, but they are selling a premium product.

 

[pawl]

I have three bikes
A Ribble unable to remember what year I bought it but was prior to them building with carbon forks.
Giant OCR aluminium Carbon fork .Nine speed Campag.Bought2003.
Planet X pro carbon bought2016

Have no plans to replace any of these bikes,

For someone new to cycling the range of bikes can be confusing.Sportive bikes gravel bikes.Endurance bikes Mountain bikes full suspension hard tail.Time trial electronic gear mechs.

The current crop of magazines in my opinion don’t help and the prices make even my eyes water.

I bought my first bike.in1955,a Dawes Clansman 3 speed Benelux gears.I used this bike for club runs Touring,Rough stuff,OK some of the climbs and descents had to be walked.

I rode my first 25 TT on this bike and did a 1hour 8 mins and won first handicap As someone on this sight says it’s about smiles per mile

Any one asking me for advice about bikes go on to Cycle Chat and get the advice of the experienced cyclists on this sight.

 

[derrick]

You missed the Biggie, computer games.

You mean laziness.

 

[AuroraSaab]

I think the effect of UK Olympic success on bike sales is probably very significant. There are a lot of people with substantial disposal incomes who would think they fancied giving cycling a go and who would go straight to a new carbon bike at £1k+ rather than a £200 used bike, simply because they can afford to. There is a similar effect every time a Brit does well at Wimbledon. To some people buying a bike is like getting a new gadget. With the additional excitement of buying all the clothes and extra gear (me included).

I don't think cycling is any different to other hobbies though. People who fancy a go at photography or guitar playing will buy a £500 SLR or a Fender Strat if they can afford it, it's human nature.

Some will stick with it, others won't, but it does mean there is less of a return market in that many people are not upgrading their bikes, because the one they have is still in the shed. I include myself in this description, as I have a 40 year old Raleigh Pursuit that has gone further on the back of a removal van than it ever went on the road - which is why I bought a used bike this time round.

 

[AuroraSaab]

This is an old graphic, but it gives you some idea of the effect national success has on interest in a particular sport:

I am not sure how you could turn around the decline in interest in cycling. There has never been as much choice of bikes, and so many ways to purchase a cheap bike, used or new, like Gumtree and eBay and Decathlon. For me, only having loads more cycle ways where you can cycle far more safely would make a big difference.

 

[pjd57]

Maybe people are holding on to their bikes for longer and looking after them better, rather than seeing them as disposable.

I think there are more bikes on the roads and paths around Glasgow than there were a few years ago.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

I certainly see far more cyclists at weekends than I have ever done, so they were bought somewhere but when. As pjd57 said perhaps people just look after them better, of course you get the odd one or two that don`t. I have two bikes, one 9 years old and the other a mere 4 years. I have no inclination to replace either, why should I, if they are well looked after ? My bike prior to that was a steel framed bike which I loved until the fork broke, metal fatigue and thought that`s it. It was over 35 years old. The Olympic effect did instigate a lot of new riders, some I am sure still ride but others I dare say have since given up. Cycling is like any sport or hobby in so much as you make it what you want it to be and enjoy it.

 

[Nebulous]

It's a mature market. Look at what's happening with mobile phones. Lots of people needed/wanted the newest iphone. Apple kept introducing new gimmicks to persuade them to buy. Now people are still using mobiles, but not upgrading as often as they used to. Our club is in rude good health. It has a pleasing increase in female members / participation. Yet people aren't buying as many new new bikes. I feel no urge to splash cash on a bike, despite spending a fair bit on components / upgrades / clothing etc.

 

[Cycleops]

I guess there's some truth in that @Nebulous . Mobile phones have really gone about as far as they can do with regard to development, much like bikes so apart from the odd tweak and paint job last year's model I'd much the same as the 2020 one. Plus of course a Yorkshireman is like an Aberdonian with the generosity squeezed out . People can't see any reason to splash out so hold onto their cash and bike.

 

[biggs682]

Still seeing very lightly used 2 - 3 year old machines for sale and this week i picked up a 2 yr old Voodoo Limba that had only been ridden once in that time for less than 5 miles !!

 

[Cycleops]

It's true I see a lot of ads for newish bikes which have hardly been used. Dont know if this a trend.

 

[screenman]

Agreed, these sorts don’t need a bike, never did, it was just a phase they were going through,
the only good thing about this phase was the amount of good second hand bikes available
at very affordable prices.

I disagree, there are way more benefits to your so called phase. "These sorts"

 

[screenman]

I would rather people try cycling and find it is not for them, rather than not trying it at all.

 

[the_mikey]

I would like a new bike, but it doesn't seem a good time to buy , I'm considering selling my brompton to fund a new audax frame.