There has never been a better time to get on your bike. Whether you’ve been inspired by the Tour de France and want to take up cycling as a sport, hope to save some money on the daily commute, or just want to get more active, riding a bike has never been more popular.

In 2021, it was estimated that 6.5 million people in the UK participated in cycling for sport, leisure, or transport. The popularity of cycling was boosted by reduced traffic levels during the Covid-19 lockdown and the ongoing investment in safe cycling infrastructure to encourage active travel.

While the lockdown encouraged more people to start cycling, other aspects of the pandemic had a negative impact on the cycle industry. Factory closures in Asia and the ongoing supply chain crisis meant buying a bike wasn’t always easy. For many cyclists, online marketplaces like eBay become the only place where they could find a bike or buy accessories (and good news for sellers – prices reflected the global shortage).

Cycle Sales on eBay by Numbers

• eBay sells a bike in the UK every 2 minutes. That’s 720 bikes sold on the marketplace every day.
• Electric bikes are proving increasingly popular on eBay UK, with 2 eBikes sold every hour.
• Although technically not a bicycle, an electric scooter is sold on eBay UK every six seconds. That accounts for a staggering 14,400 eScooters sold every day.
• 55% of eBay UK cycling customers are families, contributing to 51% of sales.

Bicycle Sales Best Practices

Because a bike is often a considered purchase, sellers should follow several eBay best practices to maximise their sales opportunities.

These include:

• Item specifics: There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all bike, so make sure you get your item specifics right to reflect the bike brand, type, frame size, frame material, wheel size, colour, number of speeds, and gender fit.
• Product Images: Sellers should take care to feature close-up images of all the major components on the bike. Before making a purchase, buyers will want to check the quality of the bike’s frame, groupset, brakes, handlebars, grips, etc.. eBay suggests sellers should use at least six images (12 are better)
• Shipping: A bike isn’t the easiest thing in the world to ship. Giving your customers options to how they receive their bike will be more beneficial than simply offering an expedited service.
• Accessories: When people buy a bike, they’ll probably also need a helmet, some lights, a water bottle, etc. Frooition’s cross-promotion tool is an essential piece of kit if you want to win those added-value purchases.

Bike Sales: Making Marginal Gains

Sellers looking to make marginal gains and sell more bikes and accessories on eBay can check the quality of their listings by running a free eBay optimisation report.

To learn more about how Frooition can help you sell more bicycles and accessories on eBay, book a 15-minute discovery call with one of our eBay experts today.