BEIJING: Zhou Changchang likes to spend his free time cruising along the streets of China’s capital with his cycling club friends, on his Tiffany Blue bicycle manufactured by the British business Brompton.
The 42-year-old instructor is part of a growing army of cycling enthusiasts in China, who are splashing on premium bicycles created by the likes of Brompton, Giant and Specialized, fuelling a market that consultancy Research & Marketplaces estimates could be really worth US$16. 5 billion dollars by 2026.
Social media and e-commerce platforms say there is a surge of interest in cycling in the last year and sales of bicycles plus gear are flourishing.
Typically, Chinese language cyclists will pay over 13, 000 yuan (US$1, 870) for an inner-city, high-end foldable bike made by other brands Brompton. High-performance road bikes, made for lengthier journeys, start at about 10, 000 yuan (US$1, 450) and may go many times higher.
Last 30 days, media reported that a bicycle made by luxurious brand Hermes people paid 165, 000 yuan (US$24, 500).