By our Peace Health Rides Account Team
In public relations, we are constantly looking at trends to tell us what is going on in the market. With this knowledge, we can analyze ways to connect these trends with our clients so they can remain relevant in their industries. Being on top of what is new and thriving in clients’ perspective areas of business is a crucial way of understanding the question: well, what do we do next? Trends help you to find something new that will keep your customers happy and your client’s name top of mind.
As we get into the second month of 2020, we can observe what has been hot in the biking world thus far. As years have passed, it isn’t just about hopping on a bike and riding to your friend’s house for a play date anymore. Bike riding has become a popular mode of sustainable transportation, leisure and fitness that accounts for around six billion U.S. dollars annually. As the number of cyclists continues to grow, new trends have emerged from the U.S. bicycle market that has kept people on bikes.
Photo Credits: Giant Bicycles
E-bikes are not new to the market, but in 2020, they will be everywhere. An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric motor used for propulsion. As the market grows, we will see more variety of e-bikes that will range from fitting bikes to children to bikers who are focused on the look of the bike. E-bike manufacturers are also developing even more additions to the bikes, such as navigation and GPS tracking, making it easier for people to get around sustainably. Likewise, new e-bike designs are coming into the market with even more functions such as streaming cameras, higher speeds and larger motors.
According to Mordor Intelligence’s industry report, the e-bike market is expected to grow 6.93% by 2024. With these many advancements and innovation coming into the e-bike industry, we will likely see more and more of these bikes on the road in 2020.
Indoor Cycling
Photo Credits: @onepeloton
Indoor cycling has become popular with the rise of cycling studios like SoulCycle and Cycle Bar. As a result, we are seeing a push towards indoor, stationary biking with products such as the One Peloton bike, which has taken over several living rooms across the U.S. because of its convenience. Anyone, living anywhere, including areas with bad weather, can benefit from this product. Whether you may be limited on time or do not belong to a gym, indoor cycling may be for you in 2020.
3D Printed Bikes
Photo Credit: HEXR
The biking industry continues to expand rapidly with new technology and creative innovations. In 2019 and 2020, we have seen an increase in using 3D printing to manufacture cycling related products. The 3D printer allows for “manufacturing unique designs that aren’t possible with conventional manufacturing techniques.”
These new techniques will soon find themselves on the bike market. Products to look out for include custom helmets, bike parts, handlebars and more! Some brands and competitors to keep an eye out for are HEXR 3D custom helmets and Arevo. 3D printing is faster, better for our environment and can be easily customized to fit your needs. Be aware of this trend; it could change the bike market.
Credit: fattiretours.com
The newest traveling trend includes biking! Fat Tire Tours is a company that makes exploring tourist destinations easier and more sustainable. These tours let you explore fantastic places including Paris, Barcelona, Washington D.C., London, Berlin and more. These guided bike tours have been a highlight for many tourists and continue to grow in popularity.
Tourists are able to cover more ground, interact with the culture and get exercise! It is no wonder everyone wants to try it out. One of our Allen Hall members Emma Stevens went on a Fat Tire tour in Paris while studying abroad. Stevens said, “It was the best part of my trip. I saw everything I wanted to see in Paris in just four hours while being outdoors. I rode my back right by the Eiffel Tower.” How cool is that!
Whatever industry you may be in, it is always important to stay on top of what is going on around your client. Tracking trends is a great way to do so and allows you to incorporate what you have learned from the rest of the world into your scope of work. Trends such as the bike tours have helped our client PeaceHealth Rides stay in touch with its surrounding community and has added another activity it can offer that helps it stay relevant!