FEATURE
The UK MTB market is in great health, says Silverfish UK’s Darren Mabbott
The rise of MTB Rebecca Morley examines the UK mountain bike market and what’s behind the rise in popularity
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ith the global increases we’ve seen in cycling across the globe over the past 18 months, one area that has also grown in popularity is mountain biking. According to Market Research Future (MRFR), the outlook appears ‘quite promising’ with the increasing cross-country competitions worldwide, with the MTB market expected to grow at approximately 10% CAGR from 2020 to 2027. Adventure tourism is the fastest-growing tourism industry worldwide, and several countries are focusing on new mountain bike strategies aiming for an economic boost. According to the latest research from Mintel on the UK cycling market, which found that bike volume sales rose an estimated 22% in 2020, MTBs remain the most popular type of adult bicycle, with one in three cyclists (33%)
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currently owning one. The popularity of mountain bikes and hybrids reflects the type of ‘new customer’ created by the pandemic, says John Worthington, senior analyst at Mintel – mainstream leisure cyclists, rather than the cycling ‘hardcore’. “Recently, we have seen a significant influx of off-road riders at all levels,” says Georgia Leslie, category lead – mountain, Specialized. “People are rediscovering routes from home for a variety of different reasons, be it just getting off the road, the ability to escape and explore, adventure or would you believe, just for fun. “Along these same lines, the bikes themselves have become increasingly more capable over the past few years, with shorter travel bikes becoming hugely popular in more recent times, with the handling being more capable.
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21/07/2021 15:22