Cycling is booming and is gaining more and more followers, in fact the data from the latest Sports Habits Survey, carried out by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, show that this sport is the second favorite of the Spanish. This trend has been reflected in the sales of bicycles which, according to the AMBE (Association of Brands and Bicycles of Spain), they increased the volume of business in the sector by 39% in 2020 and in 2021 record figures were recorded again.
Some bicycle manufacturers still suffer from stock outages due to the lack of raw materials for a couple of years, causing waiting lists of several months or even a year. This, added to the new priorities of consumers, such as saving and caring for the environment, have given a great boost to businesses dedicated to the sale of reconditioned bicycles.
This is the case of Bike Occasion, which opened its first store in Terrassa (Barcelona) in 2015 and since then they have sold nearly 10,000 bicycles. The years after the pandemic have been his great push and now expects to increase its annual turnover by approximately 30%going from 6.2M in 2021 to 8.1M in 2022. In addition, in this last year it has doubled its workforce and they sell more than 400 bikes every month, which makes them sales leaders in their sector. “One of the key points of our activity is the certified reconditioning that we carry out on each bicycle, which is why we need an ever-increasing team of highly qualified mechanics,” explains Xavier Palmero, founder of the company.
More for less
One of the main reasons for choosing reconditioned bikes is the saving. Each customer invests, on average, €2,000 in a high-end reconditioned bicycle, which represents a saving of 30% compared to a new one, also avoiding the inconvenience of the current circumstances, due to the lack of stock in stores due to to high demand.
On the other hand, the sustainability It is another of the keys to the rise of reconditioned bicycles, since customers currently take into account aspects such as the impact on the environment and the reduction of waste when making their purchase decision. Increasingly closer to the reuse of the product, the reconditioning of bicycles is already playing a very important role in this market.
Likewise, this business has a great impact in terms of caring for the environment. “Making a bicycle involves between 125 and 300 kg of CO2, a range that depends a lot on the material and the manufacturing process. According to our own calculations, every 100 bicycles we buy save the planet the equivalent of going around the world by car 3.5 times”, says Aitor Giles, co-founder. “We want people to be able enjoy sport and cycling without our environment having to suffer for itsince we are able to give a second life to each bicycle”.
The secret of the success of Bike Ocasión is the work carried out by its team of mechanics, who certify each reconditioned bicycle and ensure a 1-year guarantee on all of them. “Both the certification by a mechanic and the 1-year warranty on all our reconditioned bikes, as well as the payment security and financing facilities, are advantages without which this business model would not be possible”. And it is that around a third of the bicycles sold by Bike Ocasión in 2021 were financed.
an expanding business
The usual spur to the industry was seasonal purchases, people upgrading their mountain bikes in the spring and fall, and a high demand for road bikes each summer. However, the new post-pandemic habits and social awareness in favor of sustainability They have been a breath of fresh air for businesses such as Bike Ocasión, which is already planning its expansion to other European countries, among which France, Italy and Germany are beginning to be considered. In addition, since this year the company has had external investment from Taurus Capital, whose directors have also been involved in the management of the company and the day-to-day work to help it achieve its ambitious goals.
