China's urbanites take to high-end cycling as COVID restrictions drive outdoor pursuits

Record ID: 1688756

  • Title: China's urbanites take to high-end cycling as COVID restrictions drive outdoor pursuits
  • Date: 13th September 2022
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 6, 2022) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) GROUP OF CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS RIDING ALONG STREET LEGS PEDALLING BICYCLE GROUP OF CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS RIDING ON STREET VARIOUS OF WANG YIOU, CYCLING ENTHUSIAST AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER OF BIKING LIFESTYLE STORE RE, RIDING HER BICYCLE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WANG YIOU, CYCLING ENTHUSIAST AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER OF BIKING LIFESTYLE STORE RE, SAYING: "Firstly, I think cycling is a good form of exercise and it's an eco-friendly way to travel. Cycling is also good for the environment, for the city and for myself. I've made a lot of new friends through cycling and we've all been riding together." WANG (RIGHT) CYCLING WITH OTHER PEOPLE CARS DRIVING PAST GROUP OF CYCLISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WANG YIOU, CYCLING ENTHUSIAST AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER OF BIKING LIFESTYLE STORE RE, SAYING: "I like cycling in the city because I can discover many hidden corners in the city, places that I normally wouldn't realise are there. Even for some routes that I’ve been on for three or four times, I can still be surprised by little discoveries each time I ride past. That is why I love riding in the city." 42-YEAR-OLD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHER, ZHOU CHANGCHANG, CYLCING PAST FORBIDDEN CITY ZHOU CYCLING CYCLISTS MOVING ON AFTER TAKING A BREAK (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 42-YEAR-OLD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHER, ZHOU CHANGCHANG, SAYING: "Yes, it is kind of a lifestyle. Because not only are you able to enjoy the process of cycling alone, you are also able to really enjoy riding together with others. So this is a form of lifestyle. Now every time when I don’t have work to do, during my leisure time, I’ll come out to cycle, no matter if it is 10 km or 5 km." GROUP OF CYCLISTS RIDING TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 42-YEAR-OLD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHER, ZHOU CHANGCHANG, SAYING: "It was really quick and sudden - I’ve seen a growing number of people riding on the streets this year, and now, I have many more friends too. There’s no gap among people who cycle. Everyone is with a different bike and we are all riding towards the same direction, so it’s very easy to become friends and chit chat. We often talk about each other's bikes, so it's very interesting and I really enjoy this." MAN LIFTING A BIKE PEOPLE TOASTING AND DRINKING / 30-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGRAPHER, PETER ZHANG, DRINKING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 30-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGRAPHER, PETER ZHANG, SAYING: "Cycling for me is... if I'm riding a road bike, my purpose is to go for the speed. Like if I go on the mountain roads, it is to feel the speed of the wind. As for the Brompton, it's all about the ease of stopping anywhere. Together with friends, we can eat and drink anywhere, and go anywhere without prior planning. We can go anytime. Within my community, there are dozens of Brompton users. For example, if we meet at midnight, we will head out together and have a barbecue meal. We can get there just by riding our bikes, and leave straight away when we are done eating." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHECKING THEIR BIKES AND PUMPING AIR IN THE TYRES WOMEN PUSHING THEIR BIKES CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS TAKING GROUP PHOTO CYCLISTS RIDING OFF BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 7, 2022) (REUTERS) LUCKY CAT FIGURINE DISPLAYED ON COUNTER IN BICYCLE SHOP PEOPLE BROWSING BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 6, 2022) (REUTERS) BICYCLES ON DISPLAY IN SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WANG YIOU, CYCLING ENTHUSIAST AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER OF BIKING LIFESTYLE STORE RE, SAYING: "For now, our main consumer group at RE is from 30-50 years old. Perhaps they place more emphasis (on health) and realise that one's health is the most important, so they are choosing a healthier way of living, and that’s why they pick up cycling as a sport. They also have the financial power to purchase some good quality and high-end racing bikes too. As for bikes like the Brompton, the consumer group is younger, with the main core group ageing between 20-30 years old." BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 7, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RETAIL STAFF SPEAKING TO CUSTOMER BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 6, 2022) (REUTERS) CUSTOMERS LOOKING AT BIKES IN SHOP BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 7, 2022) (REUTERS) RETAIL STAFF SHOWING FOLDABLE BIKE TO CUSTOMER
  • Embargoed: 27th September 2022 02:24
  • Keywords: BIKES BROMPTON CHINA COVID health
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Living/Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001400409092022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Peddling her white bicycle made by the British company Brompton, Wang Yiou cruises past famous landmarks along the streets of China's capital with her group of cycling club friends on a cool September night.
    The public relations employee of RE, a biking lifestyle company in Beijing, is part of a growing army of cycling enthusiasts in China, who are splashing out on premium bicycles made by the likes of Brompton, Giant and Specialized, fuelling a market that consultancy Research & Markets estimates could be worth $16.5 billion by 2026.
    Apart from making new friends within the cycling community, Wang said her hobby has also led her to look at her city with fresh perspective.
    "I can discover many hidden corners in the city, places that I normally wouldn't realise are there. Even for some routes that I’ve been on for three or four times, I can still be surprised by little discoveries each time I ride past. That is why I love riding in the city," said Wang.
    Fellow club member Zhou Changchang, who rides his Tiffany Blue Brompton bicycle whenever he has spare time, said the sense of camaraderie people build from sharing a common interest is what contributed to the cycling boom.
    "It was really quick and sudden - I’ve seen a growing number of people riding on the streets this year, and now, I have many more friends too. There’s no gap among people who cycle. Everyone is with a different bike and we are all riding towards the same direction, so it’s very easy to become friends and chit chat. We often talk about each other's bikes, so it's very interesting and I really enjoy this," the 42-year-old teacher said.
    China has had a long love affair with bicycles and was once known as the "kingdom of bicycles".
    For decades, bikes made by the likes of the Flying Pigeon company filled the streets.
    Cycling fell out of fashion when a growing middle class turned to cars but bike manufacturers saw a revival in 2014 as bike-sharing companies like Mobike and Ofo sprang up to flood cities with their fleets, offering rides as cheap as 1 yuan ($0.14).
    When COVID-19 and its lockdowns hit, it created an urge for the open road and the city saw a resurgence of interest in cycling over the past year. Social media and e-commerce platforms say sales of bicycles and gear are booming.
    Typically, Chinese cyclists will pay more than 13,000 yuan ($1,870) for an inner-city, high-end foldable bike made by the likes of Brompton. High-performance road bikes, made for longer journeys, start at around 10,000 yuan ($1,450) and can go many times higher.
    Last month, media reported that a bicycle made by luxury brand Hermes sold for 165,000 yuan ($24,500).
    E-commerce platform JD.com said last month that road bike sales on its platform had more than doubled from June to August compared with the same time last year, while riding apparel sales had jumped 160%.
    (Production: Thomas Suen, Josh D. Arslan, Jacinta Goh)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register