BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Bicycle Product Suppliers Association members shipped 218,741 bikes to retailers in April, up from 217,980 for the same month in 2017, a nominal 0.3 percent increase. But dollars were way up, about 14 percent month on month, accounting for $114.7 million. That's up from $101.1 million in April 2017.
The BPSA categories with the biggest dollar growth for the month were full-suspension 29ers (up 89 percent), cyclocross (218 percent), road other all (139 percent) and electric (83 percent). "Cyclocross" and "road other" account for the drop-bar adventure and gravel bikes with fatter 700c tires and rims, and are stemming the drop in sales of performance and sport road bikes.
BMX shipments were also up for the month and year to date, increasing 37 and 31 percent, respectively.
Year to date, supplier dollar sales are up nearly 6 percent to $343.6 million. Unit sales, however, are down 6.2 percent YTD, to 634,552 bikes shipped through April.
Some of the biggest losses in April were in commuter/town bikes — only 1,992 units shipped during the month, compared with nearly 7,000 units last year. Hybrids were also down about 3,000 units for the month, from 60,110 units shipped in April 2017 to 57,362 this April.
