FEATURE


Not (just) for kids


The BMX industry may sit on the periphery of the bike trade, but it’s often a portal into cycling for many youngsters. BikeBiz editor Alex Ballinger goes back to his roots to explore the current state of the BMX market


“


BMX has always been a gateway into cycling,” said Wichai Saensawat, BMX brand manager for UK-based Ison Distribution.


“Talking to the media and shop owners, BMX was often their gateway into cycling.” That was my own route into bike riding - from riding days


spent at the skatepark into the wider world of two wheels. While cycling in the UK has grown dramatically in popularity, particularly in the past 10 years and accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, BMX continues to be the outsider in the trade, often seen as a kids’ passtime. But following on from Team GB success at the Tokyo Olympics, and with the boost to the whole bike trade


through the coronavirus pandemic, will there be a lasting impact for the BMX market? Ison Distribution, based in Cambridgeshire, has remained committed to BMX brands despite the fluctuating popularity of the sport, currently distributing Volume Bikes, Demolition Parts, and TSG Helmets. Managing director at Ison, Lloyd Townsend, said: “I think it’s fair to say that like most interests in cycling, markets have their phases. BMX racing, at least in the UK, has remained a relatively niche area of cycling for many years, whereas freestyle (in its variants of dirt, park, street) has tended to be the most significant and noticeable area of BMX that most dealers will have experienced over recent years.


16 | June 2022


www.bikebiz.com


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