Britain’s strong performance in the cycling events in Paris has seen demand for bikes soar, according to new figures released today from Halfords.
Figures from the brand – the UK’s largest bike retailer – show that over the course of the games in Paris, Brits visited the Halfords bike website over half a million times (552,282). This marks an increase of 12% versus the same period prior to the games.
However, certain types of bikes featured in Paris – such as BMX’s, in which team GB performed well – saw much bigger increases.
Team GB’s Kieran Reilly won a silver medal in the men’s BMX freestyle in Paris, while Beth Shreiving made it to the final in BMX racing – with high hopes she would repeat her gold from Tokyo. This led to a huge 27% increase in interest (based on searches) for BMX’s over the period.
Britain also saw success in the velodrome, with a gold medal and world record in the women’s team sprint. Road bikes – those closest to the cutting-edge bikes used by Team GB in the velodrome – saw a significant uplift in demand of 17%.
In addition, Tom Pidcock secured a fantastic gold medal for Great Britain in the men’s cross-country mountain biking. Halfords saw demand for mountain bikes increase by a solid 8%.
The games appear to have had a stronger influence on female cyclists – overall interest in women’s bikes increased by 25% compared to 15% for men.
The figures come at an exciting time for Halfords cycling offering. As well as its acclaimed range of children’s and more affordable everyday bikes, the brand is increasing its premium offering, making high-end bikes – such as those ridden by Team GB athletes – more accessible.
This includes the cutting-edge Boardman ADV range, known for delivering outstanding performance and value for money, and which includes both carbon and alloy frames. In addition,, Boardman is introducing the all-new TRVLs, which, tailored for adventures that require more from the bike and of the rider.
Katie Begley, head of cycling at Halfords, comments: “We saw a very clear spike in demand for bikes over the course of the games in Paris. As the largest bike retailer in the UK, an increase of 12% – and up to a quarter in some categories – is very significant indeed. It’s clear the increase was down to the games, as the categories we saw the largest rises in were those prominently featured in television coverage over the period.
“To help those looking to emulate their heroes on TV, Halfords is launching a new range of higher-end, premium bikes – many of which are available now, and more are set to be released by the end of the year. This includes state-of-the-art bikes with carbon frames, giving cycling enthusiasts and those with larger budgets a wider range of high-spec bikes to choose from at Halfords. This is in addition to retaining our wider offering of bikes for all ages and budgets.”
