The Cost-of-Cycling Crisis: Why Bike Brands Need to Shift Gears for the Greater Good

(A variation of this article was originally published in Little Black Book)

We’ve just had a summer of cycling. Worldwide, billions watched the Olympics, the Tour de France, and Tour de France Femmes. Many will be inspired to jump on two wheels and reap cycling’s health benefits. Cycling has increased in England by 46% from 2016 to 2023 (Statistica). If it continues, the UK cycling industry will be worth ￡1.5 billion by 2028 (Mintel).

Yet, the cycling industry is suffering. UK bike sales slumped to a 39-year low this year (Bicycle Association). Major bike manufacturer Giant reported a 38% loss in profits in the first quarter of 2024. The reasons are complex but, in short, prices have skyrocketed during a cost-of-living crisis. The same bike would cost you ￡1,000 in 2019 but ￡1,400 in 2022, a rise of 26% (Bicycle Association).

Cycling is notoriously expensive and elitist, but some brands have taken exclusivity so far they’re at risk of pricing their next generation of consumers out of the market – and robbing people of a sport that should be open to all. Almost half (49%) of Brits can’t afford a bike outright. It’s not just bike brands who suffer if people cycle less; it’s also makers of energy bars, coffee shops, masseuses, and even the NHS.

A Lycra epiphany

“Cycling. So much more expensive than therapy.” - My favourite cycling meme

I was in the south of France in July when tragedy struck. I was due to cycle up some mountains to greet the Tour de France riders when my Airbnb’s washing machine shuddered to a halt, trapping my best kit inside. I did what any respectable cyclist would do and freaked out.

The next day, I bought a pair of shorts that cost the same as a budget washing machine. Hands clutching my precious Lycra cargo, it struck me that a year ago I’d have scoffed at such prices. But cycling had improved my life so it had become more important. I do my best thinking on my bike - even piecing this article together. The benefits of cycling are so great, the NHS is trailing prescribing it for health issues. I’ve ridden 13,000 kilometers in my first year, spending over 600 hours in the saddle. And I’ve learnt that shorts can make or break your ride.

Climbing a sun-baked Col de Braus on Stage 20, I pondered whether my passion for cycling needed an IV drip from my bank account to my bike to survive. If it did, then cycling, and its health benefits, are restricted to those who can afford it. At the mountain’s summit were thousands of fans on superbikes (>￡4,000). The atmosphere was like nothing I’d experienced before. As the peloton passed so closely I could see every detail on Mathieu van der Poel’s concentrated face, it seemed sinful to restrict the wonderful world of cycling.

Keeping up with the dentists

“I’ve been battered by the cycling community for wearing normal clothes [on the bike]” Chris Boardman MBE, Olympic and World Champion

As with any sport, amateurs look to the pros for inspiration. But when Mark Cavendish secured his record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win this year, just as much attention was on his ￡18,000 bike set-up, which included ￡1,000 aerosocks. As tour teams revealed the lengths they’d gone to for marginal gains, the cycling community went into meltdown. They scoffed at Visma-Lease a bike’s bizarre TT helmets and Dylan Groenewegen’s €350 nosepiece, or ‘aero beak.’

Pro cycling’s relentless pursuit of aerodynamics has filtered down into the broader cycling community, fostering a judgmental subculture that most cyclists don’t relate to, giving rise to the ‘dentist’ trope. As a Reddit user explains: “cycling is full of wealthy, white male, kale-eating professionals who work flexible hours, see themselves as "adventurous," and love buying pointlessly expensive shit for their hobbies. In other words, dentists.” These ‘dentists’ might be why half the 77 cyclists I surveyed at Islington Cycling Club (ICC) said they’d felt pressure to upgrade their equipment. Within inclusive, social cycling clubs like ICC, few riders care about how much your bike weighs. When I asked them what they enjoyed most about cycling, they said getting fitter (90%), the sense of freedom and adventure (86%), and socialising (78%). Few found joy in buying new equipment (25%) and following tech news (7%).

But some cycling brands remain over-reliant on ‘dentists.’ Colnago, a premium bike brand, just demonstrated this by releasing a new rim brake bike in an era where disc brakes dominate - reverting to outdated equipment in a bid to keep drinking from a depleting well. Colnago said the bike caters to a “traditional” and “sophisticated” consumer, suggesting their audience is a superior cyclist.

Brands like Colnago might be alienating what could be their next generation of consumers. BHS Extras found that 58% said they “don’t fit the bill” of what a cyclist represents. Whereas cycling should represent everyone, it represents an elite few. This is at odds with racing’s origins. The Tour de France, which started in 1903, was crafted for the working classes, its grueling routes mirroring the mental resilience and physical endurance manual labour demanded. But today, Sustrans just found 38% on low income or not in employment who want to cycle are excluded due to high costs and lack of discounts, like the Cycle to Work scheme. Bike traders are calling for the government to cut out ‘bloated fat cats’ from the scheme, which was designed to help people buy bikes but which favours high earners, and do more to help low earners access bikes.

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More butts on saddles

?“To me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I’m riding a bike I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world” – Mark Cavendish

I pay for a Strava subscription to see where I place on leaderboards and get a little kick out of overtaking other cyclists. But when I started cycling, I didn’t care about either. Enthusiasts like me don’t need pro-level bikes, just like amateur basketballers don’t need Nike Air Jordans, but some start craving them after they’ve got more into cycling. Some legacy brands, like Cannondale, have spent decades building high-performance associations in the minds of keen cyclists, increasing their prices as they went. But the risk of glorifying the bike is that it speaks to existing enthusiasts over aspiring ones.

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But some brands are shaking the industry up, making top-end bikes more accessible whilst welcoming a new wave to cycle sport.

As the industry struggled post-pandemic, bike manufacturer Canyon thrived - growing sales by 23% in 2023. Canyon’s direct-to-consumer model allowed them to offer WorldTour-level bikes at competitive prices. It helps that the face of their brand is Mathieu van der Poel (MVDP); one of today’s most successful, well-loved, and, dare I say it, very cool pro cyclists. Despite their performance credentials, Canyon’s recent ad is devoid of bike jargon, instead celebrating the freedom of riding and inviting people to “push boundaries.” A diverse mix of pro athletes, including MVDP, basketballer LeBron James, and 16-year-old Olivia Silva, welcome a broad audience. LeBron James, a Canyon investor, runs an initiative that gives free Canyons to schoolchildren, sharing cycle sport with a new generation. But Canyon’s aren’t for everyone. Self-assembly and limited customization is a drawback for less seasoned cyclists.

Where Canyon falters, global sports retailer Decathlon excels. Decathlon disrupted the industry when they launched high-performance cycling brand Van Rysel in 2019. Van Rysel offers professional-grade cycling equipment at more realistic prices.? “We are not cheating the customer. This is what we consider a fair price for people to enjoy the thrill of speed” said Yann Le Fraillec, chief product officer, to Cycling Weekly. Cyclists can see and touch the Van Rysel bikes, clothes, or accessories they like the look of in Decathlon stores. They spent five years developing their first road bike, the RCR Pro, collaborating with the likes of ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab. Dubbed the WorldTour’s most affordable bike, the RCR Pro sold out in hours. The bike’s maiden season was this summer and its led WorldTour team Decathlon-AG2R to 30 wins and rider Ben O’Connor to his first WorldTour podium finish. Van Rysel proved that high-performance and style doesn’t have to brake the bank, a sentiment enthusiasts embraced. More and more Van Rysel bikes are circling Regent’s Park. It’s not uncommon to see a rider pairing a Van Rysel jersey or helmet alongside items from legacy cycling brands.

As Van Rysel makes high-end bikes more accessible to the masses, parent brand Decathlon makes sport a more inviting place by injecting fun and humour into a category that can be serious and intimidating. The recently launched brand platform Ready To Play? reminds people of the real reason they should get back into sport – because it’s fun.

Pedal to the future

?“It never gets easier, you just get faster” - Greg LeMond, 3 x Tour de France winner

This is a famous saying in cycling culture. But I don’t think the sentiment applies to your average Jo. When I first started road cycling, my mind was besieged by dark whispers encouraging me to quit. But I persevered and it wasn’t long before leg pain and anxiety gave way to enjoyment. Cycling became important. It meant when a washing machine ate my best kit, I replaced it without question.

New and lapsed cyclists might need to break a pain barrier before they become lifelong buyers of bikes and Lycra. Add high prices and high pressure to the mix, and they may give up before they have a chance to affix a helmet to their head.

Millennials, remember playing the recorder at school? Today, schools across Europe are concerned the recorder is at risk of following in the footsteps of other instruments and going extinct. The recorder is a gateway instrument for many musicians. The classical music industry is feeling the ill effects of too many barriers to entry. Private schools offer long-term music education and some of these parents can afford a violin that costs as much as a Colnago. Today, UK youth orchestras cannot find enough musicians. The Royal Northern College of Music has warned the music we love could soon sound very different.

The balancing act between exclusivity, inspiration, and access can be tricky. Whilst it’s unlikely cycle sport will go the way of classical music, it’s a stark warning to any category that places too much dependence on one audience. Bike brands who foster an elitist cycling subculture, one that isn’t representative of most cyclists, risk alienating the next cohort of riders. Brands who pull the brakes on gatekeeping cycling with price-inclusive options, like Canyon and Decathlon, help usher in a new wave of cyclists when the industry, and even the world, needs them most. From air quality to the tourism industry, when there’s more cyclists, there’s more of the good stuff.

Thanks for reading! Now, anyone for Regent’s laps? https://www.strava.com/athletes/47987498