3 biking trends putting the pedal to the metal
Feeling adventurous? From amateur #Bikepacking to professional #BMX, biking participation is ramping up consistently, with the BMX racing category making its sophomore Olympic appearance at Paris 2024. WGSN Social Analytics brings you the lowdown on the biking trends to focus on and the ones to approach with caution, as forecasted on WGSN Sports & Outdoor.
The biking opportunity
Expect the global bicycle market to reach $76bn by 2027 with a CAGR of +4.7%. New categories like gravel riding see boosted participation as the demand for accessible adventure continues, while the BMX biking category has big potential following its social pickup at the 2024 Olympics.
We’re seeing key macro and micro trends within cycling influencing social media activity consistently. The broad push towards inclusivity across the sports and outdoor industry is reflected in the increase in #AdaptiveCycling posts, while consumer hunger for accessible off-grid adventure is fuelling the #Bikepacking trend.
Contextualising social signals with broader data sources and consumer indicators is critical to identifying which trends to invest in and which have a misleading social media presence. XC mountain biking is more stable than the decline in TikTok content suggests, while the #FatBike boom requires a careful approach due to the diverging bike styles covered by the term and its location-specific popularity. We break down three key biking trends to watch.
#BMX bikes
Expand your BMX product offerings as participation consistently increases globally.
Need-to-know: BMX participation is growing at a CAGR of 5.4% across 5 years (US). With 3.9 billion TikTok views in the past 12 months, BMX remains a large and dependable social media trend, especially when paired with significant long-term participation growth. Having appeared at the Games for the second time, the BMX category holds significant potential.
Opportunity: Female riders represent a key opportunity for brands with growth at 6.7% CAGR even as they remain in the minority at 28.5%. As BMX athletes have significant followings, harness this opportunity to endorse riders to increase social media visibility, especially following the Paris Olympics when social activity remains high.
#Bikepacking
Invest in bikepacking-ready equipment to capitalise on this fast-growing soft adventure activity.
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Need-to-know: #Bikepacking has experienced a significant social media spike since March 2024, with monthly TikTok views up 122% YoY. With strong ‘STEPIC’ alignment scores – WGSN’s signature forecast methodology – and a high trend lifespan rating, the bikepacking expansion is primed to rev up.
Opportunity: Gravel bikes are a key product category for bikepacking. Capitalise on gravel cycling’s momentum – it’s one of the fastest-growing global sports on Strava, with a 55% YoY upsurge in users recording a gravel ride in 2023 and new events and race series being added every season. Gravel bikes are less intimidating than mountain bikes and less twitchy than traditional road bikes, making them approachable to newcomers.
#FatBikes
With comfortable rides and all-terrain capabilities, interest in fat-tyre bikes is expanding rapidly.
Need-to-know: Conventional fat-tyre mountain bikes – MTBs – are more prominent on Instagram, where activity has remained modest but consistent. On TikTok, the hashtag is dominated by fat-tyre electric utility bikes, often paired with quasi-motorcycle aesthetics. The rise of #FatBikes on TikTok is meteoric at 512% YoY, though it is highly localised with 48% of content originating in the Netherlands.
Opportunity: With the ability to traverse new terrains, access off-grid adventures and offer comfort and convenience for short urban journeys, various fat-tyre bikes provide potential appeal to a wide range of consumer personas. Approach the #FatBike trend carefully due to its diverging strands and location-specific spikes.
About WGSN Social Analytics
WGSN Social Analytics analyses the trending hashtags and keywords from TikTok and Instagram, alongside Sports Participation data, to identify the opportunities and focus points within bike categories for investment.
About WGSN Sports & Outdoor
WGSN introduces Sports & Outdoor, a new platform that helps you to beat the competition with unique, in-depth coverage of the global macro shifts and key trends impacting sports and outdoors. It guides you on how to implement them for new product development in equipment and gear, making your products the most desirable to your future consumers.