All I want to do is…bicycle

A keen cyclist while living in London, I recently observed the huge increase in people cycling to work for health and financial reasons, or simply to avoid an uncomfortable commute on the Tube. So I missed my daily ride when I studied for my MBA in New York this year.

Eager to get back in the saddle while working here at BBMG over the summer, I realized, much to my dismay, that my new apartment did not have the facilities to keep a bike. So, my two legs and the pavement reluctantly made friends. I soon learned, however, that a visual feast awaited me as I walked the 20-odd blocks to the office and back each day.  One thing that struck me, as I glimpsed at the kaleidoscope of colorful shop fronts, was that so many of the stores were featuring bikes in their window displays. And the funny thing was that none of these stores actually sold bicycles!

So I wondered, “Is this a sign of the times?” A recessionary-induced play by clothing brands to show how to reduce your transportation costs but still spend, spend, spend when it comes to fashion!? Or is the bike itself the fashion? Well, evidence suggests that more and more people are eschewing the automobile for all its spluttering, costly, congestion inducing habits and opting instead for two wheels and a bit of legwork. In fact, more bikes were sold in the first quarter of this year than cars and trucks!

So are brands just jumping on this environmentally friendly ‘bikewagon’? Carefully suggesting to consumers how their brands’ designs can successfully co-exist with a more frugal and healthy chain-driven lifestyle? It seems that new bike brands catering to the practical benefits and lifestyle elements of cycling are becoming more common. Specialized has recently introduced a sub-brand called Globe Bikes to the burgeoning $6 billion industry – ‘a brand of bicycles that have (sic) the unique ability to become an extension of people’s lifestyles and personal tastes rather than simply a piece of sporting equipment’.

All these observations seem to indicate that lifestyles of health and sustainability are penetrating the mainstream, becoming a bigger part of the consumer shopping experience. Below, I have included some pictures of shop windows and store displays that I’ve come across in the past couple of months in this magnificent city.

If you see any more, please take a picture, post a comment and upload here.