Women’s Cycling is Becoming Bigger Business Since the Olympics

The success of the British Olympic cycling team at the London games last year has seen an influx of cyclists take to the roads. Due to positive female role models such as Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott, many more women are taking to the saddle than ever before.

1. Getting women into cycling
Despite the success of British female cyclists such as Pendleton at previous Olympic games and the exploits of the whole team at the 2012 games, women lag behind when it comes to participation in the sport. It is estimated that only 10% of those regularly cycling are female, compared with around 30% of triathletes and 40% of runners. Parity is reached only when it comes to using the gym, where over half of all users are female.

British Cycling believes that these ratios are changing when it comes to getting women onto their bikes, with over half a million cycling each week and just shy of 1.2 million biking at least once every month, according to their own research. In order to get women cycling more often, it is thought that more facilities are needed to be installed, such as changing areas at workplaces and more accessible cycle shelters in the UK.

Of course, these figures released by the UK’s governing body for cycling have caught the imagination of big business. When a new demographic gets interested in a pastime, a whole new market opens up, with new products to be dreamt up and profits to be made by creating products to meet the new and emerging needs created by this shift.

2. Women friendly cycling events
To combat the often male dominated air which surrounds most communal cycling meets, Calculus Capital has invested heavily in a company which organises such meetings. Human Race has used this additional capital to create a series of female only cycling meets billed as “Cyclettas”, backed by multiple Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton. These events have been created to provide a less intimidating environment for female cyclists, giving them the chance to just get on their bikes and ride. According to Human Race CEO Nick Rusting, women’s cycling has never been in a better place, with attendance at their female only events growing by over 30% in the past 12 months, with more growth expected in 2013.

3. The effect of the Olympics on participation
Face of the Cycletta events Pendleton believes that the Olympic games have had a tremendously positive effect on the uptake of female cyclists. “The female cyclists’ success for Team GB over the past two games has given the sport a real boost in interest from women,” Pendleton claimed. Whilst participation has increased, the 2012 Kirin champion also suggested that the “commercial success of the female side of the sport has benefitted massively too.”

In addition to the aforementioned female only events, a number of new cycling equipment and clothing brands have been launched aimed at the growing female market. New bikes have been launched, in addition to clothing which is designed to be both stylish and effective for a workout.

AUTHOR BIO

Smith writes for CAD Shelters amongst other companies, focusing on subjects such as cycling and business. When he is not writing, Smith is in the throes of composing a new album.

 

Tags: British Cycling, Cycling, Olympic, Olympic Games

Category: Business