Fitness craze beefing up bicycling boom as urbanites embrace great outdoors

Tan Lei, an architect in Beijing born in the 1980s, commutes daily by bicycle from Monday to Friday, and joins her friends in road cycling excursions on the weekends. Cycling has now become an integral part of her life.

"I cycle for around 1 hour and 10 minutes to work every day, and the same duration back. When I get to my office, I take a shower and get refreshed for work. Cycling frees me from traffic jams and I can enjoy the view. On weekends, my friends and I usually cycle together," Tan said.

Tan is among millions of consumers in China who are embracing cycling as part of the rising awareness of healthcare and environmental protection, and thus helping spur the development of the country's sports industry.

"My first bike, which was a folding bike, was bought for around 3,000 yuan ($463). Later on, I bought two more folding bikes, both costing me around 10,000 yuan, and a road bike, which cost me over 40,000 yuan. I also spend money on accessories, such as a spare chain, flywheel, helmet, glasses, cycling jersey, gloves and pedals. I don't spend too much on the accessories. One of my friends bought a limited edition of a cycling jersey series, which has seven sets of clothes he can wear from Monday to Sunday. Each set is priced over 1,000 yuan," Tan said.

Shenzhen, Guangdong province-based research firm OCN said that currently, there are over 100 million regular cyclists in China, among whom around 6 million are genuine bike enthusiasts.

China has over 20,000 kilometers of cycling greenways, over 3,000 cycling clubs and more than 3,000 cycling-themed activities and races every year, which get millions of people involved in cycling. In 2020, the market size may have reached 160 billion yuan, and the compound annual growth rate in the coming five years will be around 10 percent, the firm said.

The cycling market has great room for development. According to data from the Chinese Cycling Association, current annual average spending by China's cycling enthusiasts is 5,820 yuan, and over half of these consumers spend over 10,000 yuan per year. In 2019, the cycling population in both Beijing and Shanghai surged over 200 percent year-on-year.

"Apart from building up people's bodies, cycling is expected to become a strong supporting subcategory within China's sports industry," said Shen Jinkang, former president of the Chinese Cycling Association.

According to a report jointly released by Qinghai Lake International Cycling Race and Guangzhou, Guangdong province-based Magic Cycling Corp, in 2020, amid challenges brought by COVID-19, global bicycle sales grew. The sales revenue of Brooklyn Bicycle Co surged by 600 percent year-on-year, while Brompton, the largest bike manufacturer in the United Kingdom, said that in April 2020, its online bike sales increased by fivefold year-on-year.

Sigma Sports, a London-based retailer for high-end road bikes and triathlon equipment, saw its sales of entry-level bicycles skyrocket by 677 percent year-on-year in April 2020, and even bicycle-related accessory and tool kit sales grew by 255 percent year-on-year.

According to the report, in the first half of 2020, males dominated the Chinese cycling market, accounting for 95.28 percent of the total cycling population. Those aged between 31 and 40 were the major consumption group, taking up 29.26 percent of the total.

In terms of people's cycling habits, 72 percent of surveyed consumers rode bikes at least once a week. People preferred to ride during mornings and evenings, with around 35 percent choosing to ride between 6 am and 11 am and another 35 percent riding from 7 pm to midnight.

An Guangyong, an expert at the Professional Committee of Credit Management of China Mergers and Acquisitions Association, said: "The pandemic caused people to stay away from enclosed transportation means such as buses and subways, and shift to safer means of transportation, such as bicycles. This brought opportunities to the cycling market."

"Correspondingly, the government should enhance awareness, such as publicizing the environmental protection role that cycling plays. Enterprises should explore more cycling scenarios, including traveling, contagion prevention and control, daily commuting and public welfare. They should also build up a cycling-related culture," An said.

Lai Yang, a member of the expert committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce, said: "China's cycling consumption market is diversified. Some cycle for daily commutes, while others see cycling as a sport, fashionable and even a lifestyle. Enterprises should consider the needs of different consumer groups and work out specific business strategies."