“You have to dig in for the next three to five years”: What lies ahead for a struggling bike industry in 2024? More expert analysis, plus our Cycling Sgt. Pepper image discussed

It’s episode 68 of the road.cc Podcast and we’re turning our attention once again to the troubling state of the bike industry and its worryingly shaky prospects for the year ahead.

As we gather around our murky crystal ball, we’re joined by longtime bike industry stalwart Rory Hitchens to discuss what lies in store over the next 12 months for an industry still grappling with mounting challenges and issues as it enters the new year, following the news that Orange Bikes – one of the UK’s most iconic cycling brands and a staple of the mountain bike scene – has appointed an administrator.

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All you have to do is utter the word ‘Wiggle’ to know that 2023 was a turbulent year for the bike industry.

And just a few weeks into the new year, the severe headwinds battering the market don’t seem to be weakening anytime soon, a worrying and chaotic situation underlined already this month by Halifax-based Orange’s descent into administration and Raleigh’s recently confirmed job cuts and plans for restructuring at its Nottingham base.

> Orange Bikes set to appoint administrator – weeks after folding racing team citing bike industry “uncertainty”

What’s more, attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, a retaliation against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, has caused shipping container prices to soar, sparking fears that the cycling industry could be subject to a renewed supply chain crisis similar to those that gripped it during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, with that not so cheery news greeting us right at the start of 2024, what lies ahead for the bike industry over the next 12 months?

To discuss that vexing question, Ryan and Jack are joined once again by Rory Hitchens, a long-time bike industry stalwart and the founder of brand-new agency Greenleaves Cycling.

While Rory insists to us that the recovery of the bike industry is a “three to five year” project, he also asserts that cycling is not alone in the challenges currently wreaking havoc on the global economy.

And, in any case, it’s not all doom and gloom. While the road bike market continues to be squeezed, Rory notes that the ‘bottom’ of the bike pyramid – the bikes that propel many people to work or school or the shops – has the opportunity to flourish in 2024, despite the challenges gripping the rest of the industry.

When I Paint My Masterpiece (oops, wrong artist)

Meanwhile, in part two, Jack is joined by road.cc’s news editor Dan Alexander and Oli Pendrey, the creative and photography force behind the site, and the man responsible for the spectacular Sgt. Pepper’s Lovely Cycling Club Band image that accompanied Dan’s review of the year in cycling.

We take a peek behind the curtain (you lucky listeners) to chat about how our majestic Beatles homage came about, the work that went into making it (again, sorry Oli), and the stories and cycling characters of the past year that inspired it.

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At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.