Bike imports into UK fall to 10 year low

[Cycleops]

But e-bikes have increased their share. Maybe it's a sign of a downturn in the economy or perhaps the market is saturated? Or are people hanging onto their bikes for longer?

https://cyclingindustry.news/first-half-bicycle-imports-into-uk-lowest-for-for-over-a-decade/

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You missed the obvious, our currency is weaker than recent years so UK imported bike prices are rising. That aside they shouldn't be looking to have something like the car market where you replace what you have every few years. Well made bike will last decades, with just the odd consumable to be replaced. If you don't ride that much then the chain will also last decades.

My 80's racing bike that I had till 2003 was still on its original chain, 5 speed block and chain rings. It just did daily commuting duty and short rides of no more that 30 miles or so at weekends. I had yet to discover long distance cycling back then.

 

[DCLane]

There's probably a wide range of reasons, including:

- We didn't win anywhere near as many cycling medals in the last Olympics
- People keeping hold of spare cash in case of Brexit issues
- Many came into cycling as the 'new golf' and then found it was harder than golf, so went back to hitting little balls
- Lots of new bike purchases and replacements need to have a significantly greater benefit that may just not be there
- e-bikes are still developing faster than other bikes: my LBS is selling a lot of these
- Import prices as @YukonBoy added just before me, making the overall cost/spec argument weaker

The second-hand market for bikes also seems to have slowed, although parts sales are good.

 

[screenman]

You missed the Biggie, computer games.

 

[Shadow121]

You missed the obvious, our currency is weaker than recent years so UK imported bike prices are rising. That aside they shouldn't be looking to have something like the car market where you replace what you have every few years. Well made bike will last decades, with just the odd consumable to be replaced. If you don't ride that much then the chain will also last decades.

My 80's racing bike that I had till 2003 was still on its original chain, 5 speed block and chain rings. It just did daily commuting duty and short rides of no more that 30 miles or so at weekends. I had yet to discover long distance cycling back then.

You might as well buy a second hand car where I live as a bike, bike prices are simply
too high for what you get, and the electric bikes are outrageous for anything decent,
bike prices here in Ireland are rising at an alarming rate, just like car price fixing
has effected the market, there is no way to get motorists to leave the car at home
when they do the maths and find an electric bike will be just as expensive over time,
such as replacing batteries regularly, as they only can take so many charges before
they are useless, Some brands 1000, some brands as low as 500 cycles.
It looks like the usual suspects (importers) are getting set up to rip people off
as the pressure to get rid of the car will be put into full swing.

The economy is not in great shape either, and am quite sure most people
won’t be buying a bike when there are more pressing needs.
Did anyone see the add on tv where some car brand are giving the equivalent of
the vat rate off the price of a new car, looks like the first shots in the battle to
keep the car on the road begins.

 

[Crackle]

A bike shop owner told me last year that sales had dramatically gone down and he was selling things to the same people who always rode, no one new coming through the door.

I'm definitely seeing more e-bikes though. Used by older people and commuters. I expect that trend to continue and diversify. Some of the commuter ones have definitely been tinkered with, i thought as I looked down at my Garmin as one screamed past me into a headwind, "There's no fecking way that's restricted to 15mph".

 

[Globalti]

Yes, I was about to chip in saying that it was the generation who played sport at school and enjoyed working up a sweat and were worried about impending middle age, who bought into the new more comfortable plastic bikes. They discovered a sport that was enjoyable and sociable and got them very fit indeed without the pettiness that dogs many established sports clubs.

The Game Boy generation are now at their physical and economic peak but maybe they don't share the concern about fitness or have much experience of amateur sport.

PCP has also made it possible to drive a powerful German saloon car. I'm convinced though that PCP is going to be the next mis-selling scandal.

 

[Shadow121]

A bike shop owner told me last year that sales had dramatically gone down and he was selling things to the same people who always rode, no one new coming through the door.

I'm definitely seeing more e-bikes though. Used by older people and commuters. I expect that trend to continue and diversify. Some of the commuter ones have definitely been tinkered with, i thought as I looked down at my Garmin as one screamed past me into a headwind, "There's no fecking way that's restricted to 15mph".

I actually see more people getting into cycling on e bikes than ordinary bikes here, but even at that cycling is almost completely in the hands of the sports and health orientated mindset here, the general public are not interested at all.

I would say the electric motorbike will end up more popular than the e bike
when legislation to get rid of cars is introduced, the government will of course
gain in road tax and the insurance companies will get a new life line from them too.
I can only assume this is the reason the powers that be aren’t pushing the e bike,
there’s nothing it in for them.

 

[Shadow121]

You missed the obvious, our currency is weaker than recent years so UK imported bike prices are rising. That aside they shouldn't be looking to have something like the car market where you replace what you have every few years. Well made bike will last decades, with just the odd consumable to be replaced. If you don't ride that much then the chain will also last decades.

My 80's racing bike that I had till 2003 was still on its original chain, 5 speed block and chain rings. It just did daily commuting duty and short rides of no more that 30 miles or so at weekends. I had yet to discover long distance cycling back then.

Totally agree, but business is about money, far cry from the old companies like Lister
Peters, Blackstone etc, whose products are running in every corner of the world @ 100
years after they were made.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The Game Boy generation are now at their physical and economic peak.

I will probably drop to the Game Boy generation physical peak when I go into the care home, aged 127 years and 4 months.

 

[screenman]

Totally agree, but business is about money, far cry from the old companies like Lister
Peters, Blackstone etc, whose products are running in every corner of the world @ 100
years after they were made.

Are you suggesting those companies were not about making money?

 

[Cycleops]

Totally agree, but business is about money, far cry from the old companies like Lister
Peters, Blackstone etc, whose products are running in every corner of the world @ 100
years after they were made.

Looks like Brompton is heading that way too.

 

[Shadow121]

No, saying you got an amazing product that just kept on going,
as opposed to the throw away products of today that are designed
to fail or become too expensive to fix, necessitating another purchase.

 

[Shadow121]

Looks like Brompton is heading that way too.

Sad when you see a good company giving in to make it today make it again tomorrow cash cow
mentality.

 

[Smokin Joe]

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.