The cycling market

Almost 500,000 trips are made to Scotland by UK holidaymakers for cycling – more trips are made for cycling on a road or surfaced path than for mountain biking. 

In the UK holidaymakers stayed over 2 million nights in total and spent over £125 million. 

Cycling is a very popular activity in several major international visitor markets to Scotland including: 

• Germany 
• India 
• The Netherlands 
• The Nordic countries 

Visitors from these countries are likely to be experienced cyclists and may be interested in more specialised and intense experiences.  

Visitors from Scotland’s other top overseas markets (France, Canada or the US) are not often daily cyclists, but they might still opt for cycling tourism packages aimed at less frequent leisure cyclists. 

VisitScotland’s cycling topic paper, Scotland. Made for Cycling provides more in-depth insights on the country’s offering, potential audiences and key stats that might help your business attract new visitors. You can find this within our cycling audience insights on our partner website, VisitScotland.org.

If your business is located near a popular cycle route, centre or event, it is useful to offer a few key facilities to make it easy for cyclists to stop for a quick break or a longer stay. 

Treat your cycling customers to a warm Scottish welcome with cycling facilities including secure bike storage and basic kit, a good food offering, WiFi and more.

Have secure bike storage 

Bikes and equipment can be worth thousands of pounds so it’s important to offer secure storage. You’ll need: 

• Dedicated, secure facilities to store bikes, such as sturdy bike racks or stands that allow frames and wheels to be locked. 
• Weather-protected shelters for covered outdoor storage. 
• A lockable indoor area (like a shed) designed to keep bicycles safe and secure. 

If you’re based on a main road or within a busy town, your secure bike storage should ideally be out of sight. Bikes are a common target for thefts these days and crime prevention is always the best approach. If you’re offering spare portable bike locks, make sure they are a minimum of grade 10. 

If you’re installing something new, check whether you need planning permission from the local council’s planning department. 

Offer WiFi and access to charging points

WiFi access is expected for any business but for cyclists, its vital for checking routes and weather, finding local attractions and facilities, and keeping in touch with others when travelling in a group. 

Charging points are important and need to be easily accessible – not just for phones, but for GPS devices, power packs and e-bikes. Removable batteries may require faster charging stations but the majority of e-bikes now have integrated batteries which can be charged at a standard power point.