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Halfords has reported a “clear spike” in demand for cycling products following Team GB successes at the Olympics and Paralympics.
Figures from the brand show that over the course of the games in Paris, Brits visited the Halfords bike website more than half a million times (552,282), marking an increase of 12% versus the same period prior to the games.
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.”
Certain types of bikes featured in Paris – such as BMX, in which team GB performed well – saw larger increases.
Team GB’s Kieran Reilly won a silver medal in the men’s BMX freestyle in Paris, while Beth Shriever made it to the final in BMX racing.
This led to a 27% increase in interest (based on searches) for BMX over the period.
Road bikes also saw a significant uplift in demand of 17%, with mountain bikes also up by 8%, potentially driven by Tom Pidcock’s gold medal for Great Britain in the men’s cross-country event.
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.
Begley concluded: “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.”
