Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

British bike firms lose out – London 2012 Olympic Park bicycles to be supplied by... BMW

German carmaker includes bikes as part of auto contract as UK bike makers denied chance to bid

Athletes and officials will be using bicycles supplied by BMW to get around London’s Olympic Park in 2012 after UK-based companies such as Pashley and Brompton, the latter based in the capital, were denied the chance to put in their own bids.

Those concerned about the environmental impact of the Games may also have raised an eybrow about the bikes being supplied by a motor vehicle manufacturer.

BMW is supplying the bicycles as part of its successful bid under a competitive tender process to become automobile partner sponsor for the Games, meaning that there is no need to undertake a similar process for bicycles alone.

The issue was raised in a parliamentary question by the Labour peer, Lord Berkeley, who is the secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, who asked the government “why the supply of bicycles for use by athletes and officials at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was not put to competitive tender,” and where the bicycles would be made.

In his reply, Lord Davies of Oldham, Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords, said: “The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) competitively tendered for the automobile partner sponsorship category. The successful company, BMW, included in its deal a small number of bicycles for use by both elite athletes and LOCOG staff at Games time. This was in addition to a significant financial contribution towards LOCOG's budget for staging the Games. The production of the bicycles is likely to be within the EU.”

He added that “LOCOG is responsible for staging the London 2012 Games, and needs to raise its £2 billion budget through sponsorship, tickets, merchandise and licensing and media rights.”

London isn’t the first Olympic host city where provision of bicycles to enable people to get around the various sporting venues has proven to be a thorny issue. Last year, we reported how plans by the Netherlands government to bring bikes to the Winter Olympics and donate them to local charities afterwards were in danger of being thwarted by the Canadian taxman.
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

6 comments

Avatar
Ciaran Patrick | 12 years ago
0 likes

Ah well - another cash rich car company that can out bid proper iconic bike firms like Pashley, Brompton etc. What is really irratating the hell out of me is the fact that this company has got free advertising (the money they put in is so insignificant to them as to be meaningless) from bikes for there cars. If there was any oxymoron of a concept this is it. I am finding I am going right off the Olympics.

Here's a stat for you all. In 1972 Munich Olympic's there were around 28 friends of the Olympic's or sponsors. Many of them were local companies supporting the local games. Guess how many there will be next in 2012. 4. yes 4 main sponsors and not one related to the local or UK business.

Still can't stand the logo though. Its not growing on me.

Avatar
OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
0 likes

BMW will be providing 'some' bicycles. How many exactly are included in the deal? Will this be enough? And if it's not enough, will other manufacturers be able to tender for the contract?

Avatar
CYCLECRANK | 13 years ago
0 likes

sounds to me as if someone will be getting a rear handshake in the form of a german made auto.. al est gut al est clar.. danke..

Avatar
timlennon | 13 years ago
0 likes

But think of all the money they're providing! Never mind any principles, feel the lucre!

Avatar
OldRidgeback | 14 years ago
0 likes

BMW makes cars for some of the worst drivers on the road - ironic really.

Avatar
Karbon Kev | 14 years ago
0 likes

Quite atrocious decision imo, why not Raleigh or as a retro mode, Mercian? or to go with British Team Sky, Pinarello?

These 'BMW bikes' are obviously another manufacturer's bikes with BMW stickers all over them. They know nothing about bicycles anyway and should stick to making over engineered gas guzzling cars.

Latest Comments