Woman Women get on the bike: this is how the pandemic has promoted women's cycling in Spain

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Bicycles are in fashion, that's a fact. In 2020 there was a general increase in demand of 400% compared to the period prior to confinement. This 'boom' of bicycles has also affected women, who are increasingly interested in this sport.

According to figures from Tuvalum, an important marketplace for the sale of second-hand bicycles in Spain, currently the percentage of women among its clientele is 20-25%. Although for some it is not a figure to shoot rockets, it represents a significant increase compared to previous years.

"In the first five years of business with Tuvalum our audience was mostly male, and when I say mostly, I mean 90-95% both buying and selling. Even our social media following was mostly male. But from a year to this part it has changed", explains Ismael Labrador, CMO of Tuvalum, to MagasIN.

This trend is not unique to Tuvalum, but carries over to Europe. "It is a market pattern. And not only in Spain, but it is happening throughout Europe."

How the pandemic affected it

Labrador, who co-founded Tuvalum with Alejandro Pons in 2015, attributes this surge in interest to several factors. On the one hand, regarding the use of urban bicycles as a means of transport, he considers that "as a result of the pandemic we have all reconsidered the way of commuting to work or moving around the city." "On the bicycle you are more protected than in a wagon crowded with people," he says. At the sporting level, "the confinement made us value outdoor sports more."

Woman Women get on the bike This is how the pandemic has promoted women's cycling in Spain

"We were locked up at home so we wanted to go out and enjoy nature. The bicycle is the ideal way to achieve that goal of practicing sports in the open air, and also being in contact with nature."

Finally, another important factor is that "many people who kept fit by going to the gym regularly before the pandemic are now shy about going into a closed room and sharing sweaty dumbbells with other people."

These factors may have encouraged many women to take up this sport. Labrador even affirms that "many whose partner used to go out on a bicycle but they did not, are now starting to cycle. They are buying bicycles to go out with their partner." Not only that, but more and more women's 'groups' -which is what amateur cycling clubs are called- are being created.

"We also noticed that before there were many women who practiced cycling but when it came to going to the market they relied on their partner: 'No, it's that my husband is the one who sold me the bike...' Not now, Currently they go to the market, publish the advertisement, are in charge of managing it...".

The ones that seem to have launched the most are the youngest, women between 18 and 24 years old. "There are women of almost all ages, but we do notice a very strong increase in that range. In fact, they exceed 30% among the clients."

Getting Started Tips

Like the men, they come to Tuvalum primarily looking for sport bikes. "Road bikes are the best sellers." In this sense, Labrador considers that, although some brands make specific bicycles for women, "in reality they are unisex, there is no difference."

When buying a second-hand bicycle, he always recommends "not thinking so much about what you are going to do with it today, but what you are going to do with it in six months".

"Many people buy one, but they don't take into account that in six months they might want a higher-end one to do different routes. Or, for example, what happens if in six months I discover that I don't like it and I want to leave cycling? In both cases, the ideal is that you put that bike up for sale and buy another if you want to continue, or don't buy any if you want to give it up".

Also remember that bikes depreciate and components go out of style. "When buying it, we recommend thinking about how it will be used and how you can amortize it if you want to sell it in six months or a year."

Once you have the bike, among the recommendations to be more comfortable is to adapt the saddle to your needs, use anti-chafing gel and if, for example, you are wearing a lycra short, it is better not to wear any type of underwear to avoid chafing.

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