BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Evans Cycles has given its Waterloo Cut store a 1940s-themed revamp for one week only in a campaign to highlight how cycling levels could and should return to pre-war levels.
The store will now be offering daily workshops and demonstrations from leading heritage cycling partners, including a display from Brooks and kit printing with Tour de France yellow jersey manufacturer, Le Coq Sportif.
“In order to boost health and fitness across the UK we need to make all sport safe and accessible. We’re calling for an increased investment in cycling infrastructure, a focus on improving cycle safety and a continued commitment to reducing traffic on the roads in order to help the UK become a true cycling nation once again,” says Evans Cycles Marketing Director, James Backhouse.
“We want Britain to reap all the benefits the sport has to offer. While 2030 might seem an ambitious target, we should look at the Netherlands where cycling has been transformed in less than 20 years and 27% of commutes are now made by bike. We know what is possible with the right investment and support."
The 1940s was a cycling heyday with 20% of commutes being made with pedal power. Today, despite the cycling boom of the last few years, that number sits at a lowly 4% with only 3.25 billion miles being covered annually by bicycles across the UK.
Evans predicts that, based on current growth, we will be back to this peak by 2030, given a 10% year-on-year average sales increase over the past decade.
