Pashley made the bikes for the Royal Mail and now sells cargo-worthy commuters to the general public. (Photo: Elly Blue)Researchers from the London School of Economics have been looking into the bike economy, and have found it to be thriving.
They look at the direct economic impact of the bike industry—23,000 jobs, £1.5 billion in sales, £600 million in wages and taxes.
The report says that 13 million people who ride regularly, at least a million of them new riders. That
Someone pointed out to me this morning, “But of £1.62bn bike sales, only £51m were bikes made in the UK. Maybe we should be encouraging cottage industry bike factories?”
Yes. It would be slower growth, and it would probably earn less money overall, but for more people and more lastingly. Yes, we should.