On October 10, at the 2013 Asia Bike Show in Nanjing, Knut Jaeger, consultant for the bike show, said that four or five years ago, China’s sports bicycle market was still a “toddler.” But now, more and more Chinese people are becoming aware of environmental and health issues, and bicycles have gradually transformed from mere transportation tools into a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and healthy lifestyle. Currently, China’s sports bicycle market has become a must-win battleground for international brands.
According to reports, a total of 394 brands participated in this year’s Asia Bike Show, including sports bicycles, high-end bicycles, cycling apparel, and accessories. Of these, 317 were international brands, accounting for 80.5% of the total exhibitors.
Li Hao, project director of the Asia Bike Show, said that more and more international bicycle brands are recognizing the potential of China’s sports bicycle market and are entering the Chinese market, as it is rapidly growing. “Over a decade ago, the sports bicycle scene in China was just beginning to develop. Back then, cycling was a very niche activity, mainly participated in by young people in their twenties and thirties. After more than ten years of development, now many elderly people and children have also fallen in love with this sport.”
Knut Jaeger, consultant for the Asia Bike Show, believes that cycling not only helps keep you fit but also reduces the harm caused by car exhaust emissions to the environment. “When you see the smog in Beijing and other cities, you realize that the increasing number of cars is harmful to people’s health. Cycling can reduce carbon and pollutant emissions.”
Knut Jaeger is very confident about the future development of China’s sports bicycle market. “In China, although it is already the world’s largest bicycle market, the sports bicycle market is still young. Four or five years ago, it was just a toddler, but now it is growing at a rapid rate of 30% to 40% per year.”
Knut Jaeger said that in 2012, the sales of sports bicycles were approximately 6.9 to 7.2 billion RMB, with a growth rate of about 30-35%. Global manufacturers are all scrambling to enter this highly promising market. At this exhibition, 80% of the manufacturers came from Europe, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. “This is also very beneficial for Chinese bicycle manufacturers. They are starting to produce
UCI President David Lappartient also has high hopes for China's sports cycling market. He predicts that within the next 5 to 10 years, China will become one of the world's top three countries in the development of cycling sports.