The bicycle is the slow death of our planet

[tamada]

The CEO of Euro-Exim Bank Ltd. got economists thinking when he said:

"A cyclist is a disaster for the country's economy: he doesn't buy cars and doesn't borrow money to buy it. He does not pay insurance policies. Does not buy fuel, no costs related to maintenance and repair. He does not use paid parking. The cyclist does not cause serious accidents. No multi-lane highways required. They don't get fat.

Healthy people are neither necessary nor useful to the economy. They do not buy medicines. They do not go to hospitals or doctors. They add nothing to the country's GDP.

On the contrary, each new McDonald's outlet creates at least 30 jobs, say 10 cardiologists, 10 dentists, 10 dietitians and nutritionists, and of course the people who work in the store".

PS: Walking is even worse. Pedestrians don't even buy a bike.

[noosard]

Get into shoe sales

[Doodoo]

Just some information to ponder

In 2022, India had the largest share of regular cyclists, who used their bikes at least once a week. It was closely followed by China and the Netherlands, where around two-thirds of the population are weekly bicycle riders. At the other end of the spectrum, only 16 percent of Canadians cycle at least once a week.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/135 ... 20a%20week.

[glalt]

I once had a bicycle here but it disappeared a couple of years ago. I simply got too old and lazy to ride it. I think one of my wife's nephews used it and forgot to bring it back. No loss for me.

[Barney]

Back a few weeks from a holiday in Aussie and while there visited a cousin who has been managing a large bicycle shop for over 10 years. We discussed how business is going and what's trending in sales.
Business is booming but the trend is away from pushbikes, actually they are stagnant and peak around Christmas, and the trend is higher sales in battery bikes. So, i suppose it's not all about health.
He has a good business with parts replacement and the actual mechanical servicing of all bikes and in particular battery bikes, The most expensive bike he had in stock was a battery bike at 12,000 AUD. But one private bike he was servicing was valued at 15,000 AUD. Though you can get them much higher in price.

[tamada]

Back a few weeks from a holiday in Aussie and while there visited a cousin who has been managing a large bicycle shop for over 10 years. We discussed how business is going and what's trending in sales.
Business is booming but the trend is away from pushbikes, actually they are stagnant and peak around Christmas, and the trend is higher sales in battery bikes. So, i suppose it's not all about health.
He has a good business with parts replacement and the actual mechanical servicing of all bikes and in particular battery bikes, The most expensive bike he had in stock was a battery bike at 12,000 AUD. But one private bike he was servicing was valued at 15,000 AUD. Though you can get them much higher in price.

With this insightful news from the Aussie bicycle market, with their burgeoning electric (don't pedal so much) bike market, it's surely only a matter of time before they'll demand clean and eco-friendly nuclear power to charge all them batteries.

[Barney]

Back a few weeks from a holiday in Aussie and while there visited a cousin who has been managing a large bicycle shop for over 10 years. We discussed how business is going and what's trending in sales.
Business is booming but the trend is away from pushbikes, actually they are stagnant and peak around Christmas, and the trend is higher sales in battery bikes. So, i suppose it's not all about health.
He has a good business with parts replacement and the actual mechanical servicing of all bikes and in particular battery bikes, The most expensive bike he had in stock was a battery bike at 12,000 AUD. But one private bike he was servicing was valued at 15,000 AUD. Though you can get them much higher in price.

With this insightful news from the Aussie bicycle market, with their burgeoning electric (don't pedal so much) bike market, it's surely only a matter of time before they'll demand clean and eco-friendly nuclear power to charge all them batteries.

Perhaps but most bikes can be kept charged by moving the pedals in the well-worn method of cycling. But even then, there will be the total lazy types who will just not move the pedals and plug into the reliable and clean nuclear grid later. Aussies are just taking baby steps regarding electric bikes at this stage. You do have a valid point though. Thanks

[tamada]

Just read that Halfords, the UK's leading auto parts chain, that embraced bicycles on a grand scale after team GB's cyclists wiped the floor at the London Olympics, have recorded a significant Q1 loss on earnings. This is largely attributed to the weather (a lot of batteries and headlights get changed under their shopfront awnings) but also a steeper dip on bicycle sales.

Looking at their longer term market history, earnings crashed during Covid but have never recovered. Since 50% of their retail floor space has been given over to bicycles, they either need to divest or get into eBikes like the Aussies.