MONTREAL, Quebec (BRAIN)—It's a good time to be in the bike industry and the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada's Data Capture program, which tracks bikes sales in Canada, has the numbers to back that up. Canadian suppliers sold nearly 200,000 units to retailers in the first six months of 2009. This represents a total estimated retail value of $150,000,000.
Rob Jones, director of data capture for BTAC, is encouraged by the numbers.
"Its great news for our exhibitors," Jones said. "Numbers like these, right in the middle of all the talk about recession, are the sign that the Canadian bicycle industry is strong and growing."
The industry seems to agree. Last week's ExpoCycle was abuzz as manufacturers and distributors showed off their latest cycling products and technologies to a strong retail audience.
Crowd pleasers included the eco-friendly hand-painted bells from DringDring, a local Montreal company who could hardly keep up with orders, and Opus's new children's bicycles. Opus designers have re-imagined the toddler market with an innovative line of sturdy, light-weight models. Featuring bright colours and hand-brakes, these are designed for beginner cyclists.
"The mood on the show floor is really positive," said Sumar Clarke, show director. "They're making connections, getting attention and meeting their retailers. And that's the purpose of ExpoCycle."
