Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA) data shows suppliers shipped 8 percent fewer bikes during the nine months ended September 30 compared with the same period in 2015, according to its publishing partner Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), which is owned by the National Bicycle Dealers Association.
According to the BRAIN article, the decline translates to the loss of $49.9 million in wholesale business for suppliers.
Unit shipments in September declined 18 percent compared with August and 14 percent compared with September 2015.
BRAIN reported the following year-over-year changes for the January through September period:
- Lifestyle and comfort bike shipments fell 20 percent, or by 54,052 bikes.
- Road bikes shipments declined by 29,025.
- Mountain bike shipments declined by 25,512 bikes, a 5 percent loss.
- Electric bike shipments grew 75 percent, or $13.4 million.
- Commuter/town bikes shipments, which have been choppy due to changes in classifications, surged 63 percent, or by 21,518.