light weight, recreational and folding bikes are hot picks at the ongoing International Bicycle & Fitness Expo, Shrabasti Mallik reports
You may not come across bicycles during daytime in Delhi, thanks to the narrow chaotic lanes and unending fuzzy traffic, but the city people are fast embracing the bicycles into their fitness regime. The industry figures validates an upswing in the pedal business, as claimed by several manufacturers who are showcasing the best of bicycles at an international exposition at Pragati Maidan. The three-day event has displayed the latest models of premium and budget bikes while many brands are launching a special drive.
From providing Shimano gears of 6, 18, 21 and 27 variations to incorporating lock-in lock-out technology to reduce human energy and shock, companies are leaving no stone unturned to impress the biking enthusiasts. Manoj Arora, GM of Avon cycles said that cycling had never lost its charm and till today, even in the most affluent houses kids are presented with a bicycle before a car. However with time, he said, the specifications have changed. “Kids below 10 no longer want colourful bicycles with ribbons. They want theme based bikes with proper gears and shock absorbant fork blades and they want it with images of Ben 10 or Doremon. It is difficult to incorporate so much into such small frames but we try our best to provide the latest technology.”
Focus is clearly on the light weight adventure bikes. Most companies use mag wheels or alloy based wheel rims which are durable and light. According to Pankaj Munjal, MD Hero cycles, “Today, everybody wants a trendy looking bike with hi-end features. Even for pleasure, customers seek for changing gears and the latest curled head tubes.”
Then there are tyres, too. They change and vary with the way a cyclist wants to use it. While sports bikes have very thin and narrow tyres, mountain terrain bikes have thick rugged tyres to endure rough roads. “Sleek and smooth tyres are attractive and some people want to use them for city roads and rough surfaces. These tyres are specially made for the cycle race tracks and they puncture when they are used in any other surfaces. Similarly a rugged, rough tyre is best suited for an uneven land. On an even surface the journey is not so smooth,” said a representative of Hindustan tyres.
Cycling now has become like a style statement and that has given companies like Tern, Bontrager and Finish line the opportunities to come up with accessories and equipments like tyre liners, quantum and solstice light weight helmets, crank sets, speedometers and brake shoes to name a few. The most interesting thing that one can come across at the exhibition is folding bikes. It can easily be folded and packed in a carry bag. Ajit Gandhi, deputy GM of Firefox Bikes said, “This is a good solution for metro people. They are slender and compact and they practically take up no space.”
“A silent revolution is pedaling its way into city dwellers’ lives. As more Indians living in cities take to cycling for reasons ranging from keeping fit, to general purpose, office commuting and leisure, cycling clubs have mushroomed on social networking sites. Seeing demand, bicycle companies are focusing on this niche but growing segment of recreation bicycles,” said Anil Khurana, MD, ADA Expo and Events.
The future of the bicycle industry is premium and lifestyle segment growing at a CAGR of over 30 per cent. This segment is estimated to be over 0.25 million units annually. Talking about the future outlook for bicycle industry, AICMA has said, “With influx of international bicycle brands in India, most Indian bicycle manufacturers have also expanded their base in the professional and recreational categories in metros. Offerings beyond the occupational bicycle are growing.” Today, India is the third largest exporter of bicycles in the world.
The Indian bicycle manufacturing and bicycle spares industry is well accepted and is also widely recognised for its quality standards in international markets. “The average spending power of Indian has shot up. They are willing to pay more on lifestyle products. Overall market of lifestyle product is upswing. The biking manufacturers are focussing on premium products,” Dron Sharma, manager, marketing, Starkenn told us earlier. Besides existing manufacturers, international brands like Giant, Trek, Cannondale and Bianchi have forayed into Indian territory.
“It’s open and a virtual market. It has got immense potential,” said Sharma, adding, “When luxury brands like BMW, Audi forayed into Indian market, nobody knew they would record thumping success. Their dominance proved a huge untapped premium market in India. People are travelling and cycling is perceived as a hip and cool activity. They are alternate means of transport in many foreign countries. So there is a great awareness about the quality worldwide.”
The biking manufacturers are also sneaking into tier-II cities. There is a great demand in Surat, Coimbatore, Pune, Haldwani and other cities. “There is a tremendous demand for premium bikes in India. Even though price and duty structure are some constrains, cyclists are willing to go an extra mile by increasing their budgets to gain the luxurious experience,” said Gandhi.
A great stride
Anil Kapoor looked grumpy and discontent at the inauguration but the moment bicycles fared in the discussion, he got excited and shared several anecdotes. He shared how riding a bike is more fun than travelling in an air conditioned car.
“The cycle was a prized possession when I was growing and I realised very early in life the joys of riding one.” It was during shoot of his film My Wife’s Murder in 2005 that he utilised the bicycle to the maximum. His character was that of a middle class man and he wanted to embrace the character. So instead of driving, he chose to ride all the way to the shooting location, which was an hour and a half’s drive. “It took me one hour and fifteen minutes to reach there on cycle,” he said.
“I exercise six days a week and whatever I eat or put inside my system, I try to take it out through exercise. A cycle not only gets you from one place to another, but it also helps to maintain the fitness level,” he added.