UK bike sales plummet

[nickfrog]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

Not this st again. There is nothing wrong with Hunt wheels.

I have been abusing Trail Wide V2s for a year on a hardtail and they have been incredibly resilient, light and comfy. Better all round than slightly more expensive yet heavier DT Swiss wheelsets I have ran in the past.

I couldn't give a shyte who makes the hub. At least you can remove the caps by hand, clean and regrease in less than 1mn per hub, brilliant.

[mattvanders]

GravelBen said:

Its interesting the different attitudes / motivations, road (and to a degree XC MTB) riders often seem to upgrade thinking it will make them faster whereas most recreational MTB riders upgrade thinking they will have more fun and be more confident on challenging trails/features.

I'm not a roadie but I can imagine road bike design being so established by now that any improvements with newer bikes are pretty small and incremental? MTB on the other hand has still been seeing significant changes in geometry and suspension dynamics over the last 5 years or so, fundamental enough changes that there can be benefits in updating to a newer MTB even if the weight and component spec is no better.

Edited by GravelBen on Sunday 3rd September 23:52

I was going to say the exact same thing, there has been huge changes within mtb bike design over the last 10 years with even more types and styles of bike. If you just took Santa Cruz for example they make 13 different mtb bikes (plus another 2 for gravel and road). There was a point 10 years ago there was probably only 5 bikes in their line up and you would be lucky if there was more than 4 frame sizes, now at least 6 in most frames. This more custom to fit riders needs and fit will lead to higher prices. Probably more stock is sold but numbers or an individual model in a presific spec and size lower

[President Merkin]

okgo said:

The frame will be totally different in materials used. The difference between S works and not isn't the components alone.

That is true but disiingenuous to the central point. Irrespective of whether it's carbon or aluminium which is something of a moot point for ebikes in any event, the rider experience will be broadly the same either end of the spectrum. And that's before you look around & see Carbon turbo Levo's have been on sale at £4k recently.

[768]

I bought a Wiggle branded bike a few years ago for about £200. I've used it for exercise and a couple of times to do about 20 miles each way to work when the car was in the garage. Seemed fine to me, although for thousand of pounds I could have done it on a bike that weighs a few less kg. I'm over 100kg and, I assume like most potential customers, not a top level competitive cyclist.

Bike prices are completely perplexing to me.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

mattvanders said:

I was going to say the exact same thing, there has been huge changes within mtb bike design over the last 10 years with even more types and styles of bike. If you just took Santa Cruz for example they make 13 different mtb bikes (plus another 2 for gravel and road). There was a point 10 years ago there was probably only 5 bikes in their line up and you would be lucky if there was more than 4 frame sizes, now at least 6 in most frames. This more custom to fit riders needs and fit will lead to higher prices. Probably more stock is sold but numbers or an individual model in a presific spec and size lower

I'm not an enemy of Novatec hubs. Really good things and at a really good cost price. You can buy them retail to the public at £50 for a pair. For that reliability per price? Yes.

[paulrockliffe]

lufbramatt said:

I've noticed this too. My kids love being out on their bikes but I think they are a minority. My daughter is 6 and not many kids in her class can ride a bike without stabilizers. The other kids see it as some sort of super power

I cycle with my son (8) to his football practice on a saturday morning, it's a good warm up for him and saves getting the car out. As part of that I've been letting him ride in the road in front of me and teaching him some basic road skills and safety stuff. It's only about 1,5 miles on quiet roads but other parents look at me as if I'm mental. He knows never to ride in the road without me. Very rarely see other kids their age cycling anywhere.

I don't think the cycling industry is helping though. Kids bikes are all heavy crap unless you spend a fortune on a Frog/Isla type bike which are £££ if bought new, the silly prices of adult bikes have trickled down to the better kids bikes too.

My experience too. Often hear from other parents that their kid can't ride a bike at 8 and it genuinely shocks me. My youngest ended up learning at 3, just to keep up with her brother, so 8 year olds that can't ride just doesn't compute. We are surrounded by old railway lines that are now cycle paths, so the kids have loads of safe places to ride too. The 3 year old is 6 now and can comfortably ride 15 miles, their mates that can't ride are missing out on so much.

Eldest loves riding Hamsterley Forest with me, he's even stopped being a complete danger to himself on the descents now which is nice!

If I teach them nothing other than that bikes are ace I'll be happy. There's nothing better.

I do think the stabilizer thing doesn't help, it's loads easier to learn it you start on a balance bike then get pedals, but no one tells you that.

[dave123456]

okgo said:

The frame will be totally different in materials used. The difference between S works and not isn't the components alone.

Totally different…. Let’s check that with Bully..

[anonymous-user]

JEA1K said:

There are tonnes of used/hardly ridden bikes for sale ... people that had all that spare time and good intentions during covid have reverted to the sofa and eating Dorito's and Jaffa cakes.

It's funny, when people were forced to stay home they wanted to be out or do exercise. At the time you could not buy a push bike or a set of weights for love nor money and Peloton built a new factory to keep up with demand. We used to go for a walk every evening and the park was full of people every time.

Now people can go out whenever they want, as you say they choose to stay in and order Deliveroo. Garages are full of barely used bikes and exercise equipment and nobody wants to go to the park of an evening anymore.

Bike sales were always going to plummet, everyone who even remotely wanted one bought one and they are all sitting unused in a shed or garage now so they don't need another.

[PastelNata]

ChocolateFrog said:

The manufacturers know that there's a significant minority of road cyclists who'll not think twice spending £15k on a bike. The equivalent in the motorcycle world would be north of £100k and they'd sell 5 yet it seems every other rider is on a bike worth atleast 5k.

Personally I think they're mugs, Pinerello must be pissing themselves that their £100 BOM frame sells for so much. But if there's people out there that want to spend that then great, people are getting paid.

My motorbike which isn't new granted but it does have a rather exquisitely built V4 engine in the middle of it all for the price of a bottom rung carbon bike with Tiagra kit, if you're lucky.

Sometimes I really hope the whole industry goes tits up and there's some sort of reset.

My 5 bikes have an RRP of £45000….

Worth every penny to me. More than my BMW Z4 M40i cost me. And I’d take my bikes over a car any day.

Done 1000miles in my car this year so far…10000 on the bikes.

Seen what people pay for watches? Wine? Suits?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Must admit a 10k motorbike isn't as good as a 10k bicycle (if it's not skimped on).


I'm looking at a new Tenere 700 and boy the finish just looks sooo cheap.

A proper road bike with your legs and lungs on point is waaay better than a motorbike ride (sorry!)

(I've done 6.5k since Marxh on my motorbike all non commuting miles)

[dcb]

PastelNata said:

My 5 bikes have an RRP of £45000….

Worth every penny to me. More than my BMW Z4 M40i cost me. And I’d take my bikes over a car any day.

Done 1000miles in my car this year so far…10000 on the bikes.

I think if you are spending more money on your bikes than your cars, then
you have a serious case of pushbikeitis.

1000 miles a year in your car ? Remarkably little motoring. My Dad does more
than that and he's 90 years old.

Perhaps you'd be happier elsewhere on t'Innernet than a motoring website ?

[PastelNata]

dcb said:

I think if you are spending more money on your bikes than your cars, then
you have a serious case of pushbikeitis.

1000 miles a year in your car ? Remarkably little motoring. My Dad does more
than that and he's 90 years old.

Perhaps you'd be happier elsewhere on t'Innernet than a motoring website ?

When I joined PH many years ago I was very much into cars and I’ve owned some nice ones, none of them garage queens.

My current car is just for the sake of it; my girlfriend likes roadsters and I have fond memories of commuting in my previous ones. I don’t need a car nowadays so it gets used only on the odd weekend. I bought it for a Lake District trip in March where it did half those 1000 miles

But yeah, cycling is my passion from racing to social while photography is my hobby and I do frequent forums for them - I remain on PH just because it is genuinely bizarre!

[Gweeds]

dcb said:

I think if you are spending more money on your bikes than your cars, then
you have a serious case of pushbikeitis.

1000 miles a year in your car ? Remarkably little motoring. My Dad does more
than that and he's 90 years old.

Perhaps you'd be happier elsewhere on t'Innernet than a motoring website ?

Why do you care?

[GravelBen]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I've been advertising my Orbea ebike for a while now. Even at 50% off no bites.

There does seem to be more reluctance for people to buy ebikes second hand - I guess due to the added cost and complexity of motors/batteries/control electronics etc which make a new bike warranty more appealing.

[Salted_Peanut]

PastelNata said:

I remain on PH just because it is genuinely bizarre!

What’s bizarre about PH?

[CooperS]

The kit is just too expensive ( just like the new car market), the UK has little in the way of superstar sports ambassadors pushing product in the faces of milllions (unlike 10 years ago), and lots of people bought their bikes over covid just as they did with laptops etc so don’t need to upgrade.

It’s not rocket science.

My bike is 12 years old - and is relegated to Zwift. But to get a carbon , Ultegra disc brake road bike is £4k+

[yellowjack]

GravelBen said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I've been advertising my Orbea ebike for a while now. Even at 50% off no bites.

There does seem to be more reluctance for people to buy ebikes second hand - I guess due to the added cost and complexity of motors/batteries/control electronics etc which make a new bike warranty more appealing.

One big issue with eBikes is the risk that they've been "chipped" or modified in some way. A very reputable local shop have started refusing to work on any eBike which has been altered fundamentally from manufacturer's spec. And they can tell simply by plugging it in to a laptop. I think they fear that they'll be in as much trouble as the owner/rider if an eBike modified to provide illegal levels of pedal assist, or simply to operate on a twist of throttle, were to be involved in a crash or cause a house fire while being charged. I'm not suggesting that every eBike is heavily modified, but there are plenty of them about, and someone unscrupulous enough to make such adjustments is hardly likely to occupy the moral high ground when it comes to giving an honest description of a bike they're selling. Which will likely hurt the second hand eBike market for those selling honest unmodified eBikes too.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I've noticed alot of owners (on a group) seem to buy them then immediately chip the bike etc. The common one is remove the speed limiter.

One of my biggest concerns is being stranded due to a bike failure in the middle of nowhere.

[PastelNata]

CooperS said:

The kit is just too expensive ( just like the new car market), the UK has little in the way of superstar sports ambassadors pushing product in the faces of milllions (unlike 10 years ago), and lots of people bought their bikes over covid just as they did with laptops etc so don’t need to upgrade.

It’s not rocket science.

My bike is 12 years old - and is relegated to Zwift. But to get a carbon , Ultegra disc brake road bike is £4k+

G is getting on and close to retirement and Cav’s time is up but we do have a superstar in Tom Pidcock.

Olympic and World Champion XCO MTB. He’s phenomenal on the road too and at jumping off speedboats!

But yeah, the Wiggo and Froomy era is over and while we are still very good at track, not as completely dominant.

The UK should do what Portugal has done: scrap tax on new bike purchases.

[emicen]

CooperS said:

The kit is just too expensive ( just like the new car market), the UK has little in the way of superstar sports ambassadors pushing product in the faces of millions (unlike 10 years ago), and lots of people bought their bikes over covid just as they did with laptops etc so don’t need to upgrade.

I can honestly say whilst I know/knew the names Froome and Wiggins, the only one that I found apparent in the media over that kind of period was Hoy. I don’t remember any product placement of any kind.

So whilst I agree we don’t have superstars pushing products in to peoples faces, unless you were already in to cycling, I don’t really feel like we ever have had such a marketing push.

GravelBen said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I've been advertising my Orbea ebike for a while now. Even at 50% off no bites.

There does seem to be more reluctance for people to buy ebikes second hand - I guess due to the added cost and complexity of motors/batteries/control electronics etc which make a new bike warranty more appealing.

I fancy an elec full sus, something levo SLish. Main sticking points whenever I half seriously start looking at the used market is lack of warranty.

Can’t help but feel that the lack of ability to use C2W or easily Klarna the purchase stops a lot of people buying used as well.