COVID cycling surge brings bike fit opportunities

Cities around the world have reported an increase in cyclist numbers as people turn to bikes for commuting and keeping fit during the pandemic.

The surge in the number of people turning to cycling as a way to keep fit and travel to work during the global pandemic has the potential to drive demand for bike fit services around the world.

The closure of gyms and cancellation of team sports has prompted significant numbers of fitness enthusiasts to purchase bikes, while people keen to avoid public transport have also been investing in two wheels. Sales have been so dramatic that many bike brands are now out of stock of bikes under $2000, and several say they will be for the next three to six months.

New bike fit opportunities

While the shortage is a challenge for bike shops, the potential growth in demand for bike fit services is a major opportunity for the bike fit industry.

It’s estimated that around 35% of these new cyclists will remain in the sport long-term, and there is potential for bike fit play a more pivotal role in increasing that number further. Many new cyclists fall out of the sport due to discomfort, with saddle pain, lower back stiffness and hand numbness being common complaints.

These are common complaints that bike fitters resolve on a daily basis. By retargeting our marketing efforts at gym users and team sport enthusiasts, bike fitters may be able to help more new cyclists remain in the sport.

Webinars and online sessions can help get the message across that a lot of these discomforts are related to set-up and not common to the sport.

Focus on limiting injury

When approaching these new cyclists it’s important to remember that they may currently see this as a short-term solution until the gyms re-open, so selling them on a bike fit to reduce their risk of injury might be a better bet than trying to explain how it’ll help them cycle longer or faster. Once they’re comfortable and seeing improvements, hopefully their competitive nature will kick in and they’ll start enjoying cycling as much as the rest of us.

Remember, when you’re dealing with new cyclists, it’s important to use the appropriate language and not get hung up on cycling ‘jargon’.

Working around stock restrictions

A large portion of bike fit business is fitting customers to new bikes, but how can we do that if they aren’t able to buy a bike in the first place? If your client can’t access the bike they want, there may be alternatives that can help.

Custom builds

Firstly, explore the option of building the bike from the frame up. Some brands still have stock of frames and groupsets are still available. While your margins will be lower, the industry runs the risk of being unable to sell any bikes for several months and any profit is better than no profit. You can also base the price on what it would have cost to swap all the inappropriate stock parts, like the wrong length stem, wrong bar width and saddle. This should help bump up your margin and keep the till ringing.

Find other fit options

As a bike fitter you have a unique skillset that can help identify other bikes that fit your client. Using tools like Pure Position, Geometry Geeks and frame finder tools from companies like Retul and VelogicFit can open the door to some options your client may not have considered. Whilst you may not be able to fulfil the order yourself, you can charge for the consultation time and the re-fit on the new bike.

Explore custom frames

As a fitter you’re in a great position to help identify geometry that will work for your client. By working with custom frame builders you might be able to supply a solution your client hadn’t considered and get them a unique bike with no positional restrictions.