7 easy, affordable and effective ways to make your attraction more appealing to cyclists
The cycling industry was already thriving but the pandemic saw interest in it boom. Bike shops even reported running out of stock. The trend was – and still is – visible across the UK, Europe and the States but unlike other lockdown hobbies, such as baking sourdough, knitting and jigsaw puzzles, it looks like cycling is here to stay.
Even before the pandemic, around 10% of the UK adult cycling population regularly participated in recreational cycling*; in Scotland alone, cycle tourism was worth £239m to the economy. Since then, pedal cycle traffic in 2020 has increased 45.7% on 2019 levels, according to Department for Transport’s Road Traffic Estimates Great Britain 2020: “The highest level of cycling on the public highways since the 1960s.” A Cycling Scotland press release, meanwhile, cites a 47% rise in cycling between 23 March 2020 and 22 March 2021.
But much of this growth goes beyond a short-term desire to commute or exercise while avoiding the crowds during the worst of the pandemic. The habit of jumping on a bike that so many developed during lockdown went on for long enough to become engrained. People have woken up to the potential of cycling as transportation, not just recreation.
If you haven’t already adapted your visitor attraction to cater for cyclists, now is the time to do so. As well as increasing your appeal and accessibility to locals and visitors recently converted to cycling as a means of transport, you’ll also draw touring cyclists, road cycling enthusiasts and casual holidaymakers out for a family ride.
Here are 7 easy and affordable but effective ways to make your attraction more appealing to cyclists
1. Help cyclists plan their day beyond visiting your VA
Friendly, ready advice about local cyclist-friendly trails, facilities and businesses can make all the difference to leisure cyclists. Write the weather forecast on a board and feature it on your website and social media. Have information about local buses, ferries, trains and taxis to hand. And know which local accommodation providers welcome cyclists. The more you can help cyclists plan their day and/or their trip, the more they’ll remember, recommend and return to your attraction.
2. Find out more about nearby cycle paths…
…and gear your attraction’s cycling facilities to the types of cyclists who tend to use these routes. As a rule, leisure cycling has a broad appeal that encompasses families, young professionals and retirees, but if your attraction is near a route that is, say, particularly family friendly, it makes sense to focus on facilities that work well for families. (The same applies to organised cycle events that could be happening nearby.) A good place to start is Sustrans’ National Cycle Network map; they usually have info about who uses each route too.
3. Provide a safe, secure place to store bikes and luggage
Bike racks or even a strong fence with space for a line of bikes can help encourage cyclists to drop in. You could even consider having a few high-quality bike locks on hand to lend to cyclists, to give them peace of mind while they spend time at your attraction.
4. Make it easy to get to toilets and cafes on arrival
Cyclists are more likely to arrive hungry, thirsty and in need of the bathroom than other visitors, so make it easy for them to meet these needs before they enter the rest of your attraction. If toilets and dining facilities aren’t near the entrance, make sure they’re clearly signposted from bicycle storage areas.
5. Sell energy-packed food that travels well
There’s an opportunity here to both feed cyclists on arrival and sell them food to snack on later in their journey. Cyclist-friendly foods such as energy bars and drinks or a special, energy-packed menu for cyclists will go down well. Free water bottle refills are appreciated, too.
6. Offer free e-bike charging
Hand-in-hand with the boom in cycling goes an explosion in e-bike sales as more and more people cotton on to the way electric bikes can make their lives easier, whether that’s getting up a hill without breaking a sweat, being able to cycle for longer into old age, or just being able to carry more grocery bags home. If you can offer free e-bike charging at your attraction – it should cost just a few pence per bike – you’ll tap into a captive and growing audience of e-cyclists.
7. If you want to go the extra mile for visitor arriving on two wheels, consider:
- Offering a baggage transfer service to their next destination
- Providing basic bike maintenance and cleaning gear
- Collaborating with other local tourism businesses to create a cyclist-friendly offer
Remember, the cycling community is a tight one, so a warm recommendation from a happy cyclist is likely to reach a lot of pedal-pushers. All the same, don’t forget to shout about your cycle-friendly facilities in your marketing materials, and make sure you’re included on any cycle tourism information offered by local tour guides, cycling hubs, local DMOs and relevant tour operators. If you do this well, you could even gain recognition from a cycling accreditation scheme, which will significantly raise your profile in the cycling community.
* VisitBritain: The Great Britain Day Visitor 2018 Annual Report, 2019
Further reading
Sustrans has excellent resources to help business of all kind make it easier for people to walk and cycle
