Shoddy tracks no deterrent,cycle sales graph soars

Manish Sabade,partner of Life Cycle Mall located off Tilak Road,says the large increase in the sale of these cycles is primarily because of the interest people have started taking in cycling. “Till three years ago,when we launched the mall in Pune,there had been a growing sense of urgency and attraction to cycling and even mountain biking in the city. However,for want of better options,the choices were limited for people. We came in and offered to bridge the gap and ever since the sales have been very promising and encouraging,” he adds.

It’s not only the high-end stores that are registering good sales. The smaller stores located in the lesser known suburbs of the city,too,have similar stories to offer. Guruvinder Singh,the owner and proprietor of Laxmi Cycles in Sangvi,says they sell around 25-30 cycles a month. “Most of the people coming to buy cycles are youngsters. A lot of them are students. Since there is a high concentration of students in this area,the sales are good. There is a lot of open space to cycle in the Pune University area,which is nearby.”

Sabade points out that while there is no dearth of people interested in seriously taking up this sport,there are no good places to cycle. “That is preventing proper expansion of cycle sales in the city. Even though there is no infrastructure,there are people buying cycles. Some even come to buy mountain bikes. Most of the clients are businessmen,corporates and even the elderly who enjoy cycling either as a sport or to keep fit,” he adds.

Sabade says they are trying to team up with the local civic authorities to create a mountain biking park and cycling zones so that more and more people taking up cycling. “We are currently selling around 300 cycles a month,of which 20 per cent are the very high-end products. Participation of the local authorities and the people will help improve the statistics further,” he adds.