Afternoon:
15°c
The bicycle is back on children's Christmas wish list as sales triple
Mark Prigg17.12.08
SALES of bicycles are soaring across London as parents shun hi-tech gadgets for BMX bikes, it was claimed today.
Evans Cycles, one of the capital's biggest retailers, said sales have tripled in the past few weeks.
The chain sold 3,000 children's bikes between 15 October and 15 November, compared with about 1,000 in the same period last year. Overall, sales of all bikes doubled.
Spokesman Ben Hart said a surge in commuter cycling is encouraging parents to get their children involved.
He said: "There doesn't seem to be a real killer gadget on the market this year, so bikes have returned to their rightful place at the top of the Christmas wish list.
"We think this is largely due to the popularity of cycling among adults. Parents are now riding to work every day, and realising what a great activity it is, so they are buying a bike for their children.
"Cycling is also a great family activity, and we are seeing a lot of families coming in and buying several bikes."
Mr Hart said sales of BMX bikes were particularly strong.
"There's been a real resurgence. Sales are through the roof, and we are increasingly selling more of the higher end bikes. There also seem to be a lot more people actually riding these bikes in skateparks, so the whole sport seems to be growing."
Rob Spedding, the editor of Cycling Plus magazine, said the increased interest in BMX was largely thanks to the Olympics earlier this year.
"There was so much hype around Shanaze Reade in the Olympics that I think BMX saw a real resurgence, even though she didn't actually win.
"However, I think parents are also becoming increasingly concerned about their child's health, and see cycling as a great way to keep them fit, while having fun at the same time. Speaking as a parent and a cycling fan myself, there's nothing better than cycling to school with the children. And for a lot of parents, buying a bike is also cheaper than a PlayStation."
Hargroves Cycles, which has four shops and an online store, also says it is selling twice as many BMXs, and claims it is due in part to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme, which offers tax-free purchases of bikes through employers. "The Cycle to Work scheme has really taken off this year and it has got a lot of adults onto bikes," said Matt McDonald of Hargroves Cycles.
"Now it's rubbing off on their kids, as parents try to get their whole family riding."
A report into the capital's cycling published by Transport for London in May found that schoolchildren are much more likely to cycle than adults, with 41 per cent of 11- to 15-year-olds cycling at least once a week.
Researchers found the majority of London's young cyclists were boys aged 11-15. They generally cycled to school, averaging between one and three miles per day.
However, the report also found more than 80,000 children in the capital owned a bike, but said they never rode it.
Reader views (8)
Cyclists might annoy some people, but it's drivers that kill roughly 3,000 people a year on average. Cyclists kill less than one person per year.
- Mike, London, UK
Have you noticed that every time the Standard publishes an article about cycling, all these idiots crawl out of the woodwork and respond with jaundiced rubbish about people who cycle? Their pitiful lives must be so miserable, it's almost enough to make you weep.
- Austen, London
I've got a bike and I don't ride it ....
- Marke, Houston, Texas
Thanks to Chris Hoy, cycling is proving quite popular.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex
I saw Leslie Phillips on TV earlier today, pushing the case for bicycles to be registered/insured at the Post Office. I have to say, I share his viewpoint. Not only would it give us pedestrians legal recourse to take action against careless cyclists, it would also be in the interests of the many hundreds of people who have their bicycles stolen.
However, registration at the Post Office could become increasingly difficult, given the current state of the Royal Mail
- Jock, London
Step 3. Dont stop for ignorant pedestrians that walk out in to the road without looking, listening to music on their headphones.
- Dom, London
You cant expect kids to cycle on the road where idiots like you will knock them off.
- Al Stuart, ealing
Step 2.Try to learn to ride the things properly.Don't jump lights and keep off the pavements!
- Steve, London
