BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The third batch of Fix Your Bike vouchers is now available.
The Government has released 150,000 on this occasion. “The scheme is open to anyone in England who has an unused cycle in need of a repair,” said the website. “However, as there are a limited number of vouchers available, please consider the needs of others before applying for a voucher and do not delay making planned repairs outside of the scheme should your circumstances allow it.”
Vouchers can only be used with bike repairers or mechanics that are registered for the scheme in England, and only one voucher can be claimed per customer. A full list of terms and conditions and eligibility criteria is provided when you register. For more information, click here.
Halfords has said it is ready to support the Government’s third release of the vouchers and will offer cyclists a free 32-point bike check. Once booked, the retailer’s bike mechanics will carry out the assessment including the check to diagnose and assess any repairs that are required. The store can then hold onto the bike and complete the repairs or the customer can revisit to have their repairs carried out at a later date.
Paul Tomlinson, cycling director at Halfords, said: “We have helped repair thousands of bikes through the Government’s ‘Fix Your Bike’ Voucher Scheme. This scheme means that many who might not be able to afford to get their bike fixed can now bring theirs back to a roadworthy condition and it looks like its happening against a backdrop of a huge increase in cycling – it’s fantastic to see that this demand looks set to stay – if not increase. Cycling brings so many benefits and as the country slowly starts to re-open, we are thrilled that more people are considering cycling more frequently than before.”
The news comes as cycling services and sales continue to increase at the retailer. Year to date, Halfords has performed over 300,000 free bike checks and carried out over 750,000 repairs or services on older bikes. The retailer has also reported that sales of adult bikes in the week prior to 19th February were up 193% compared to the same time last year and kids and junior bike sales were up 47% and 65% respectively.
New research commissioned by Halfords has revealed that once the pandemic ends, the cycling boom is likely to increase. While 40% of adults have cycled more frequently in the last year, 33% are planning on cycling even more than at current levels once the pandemic is over and 51% plan on maintaining their current level.
Read the March issue of BikeBiz below:
