By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Sales of high-end bicycles have increased significantly in Qatar due to the rising popularity of cycling in the country, according to supervisors of leading sports shops.
One supervisor said many cyclists have been upgrading their existing cycles and their accessories and parts since September, a few weeks before the start of the cold season.
“A lot of races and cycling events are being organised since last year and everyone wants to make sure that their bikes are good and performing well,” he added.
With Qatar hosting the World Cycling Championships next year, he said they expected the sales of expensive bicycles to shoot up.
The shop sells at least two to three units a week, with prices ranging from QR8,000 to QR26,000.
While the shop is the sole distributor of a popular brand, the supervisor said some stores sell cycles of other known brands from entry-level to high-end units.
Asked which units are the most saleable, he said average race and mountain bikes that cost between QR2,500 and QR5,000 top their list.
In June last year, the shop recorded an average sale of 65 units per week despite the soaring temperature. The figure is higher than their sales during the peak season as well, according to the supervisor.
The trend continued before the start of the winter due to some special promotions by the shop.
At some stores elsewhere in Doha, a typical mountain bike costs around QR1,600, a lot cheaper than the units sold in malls.
The price of a bicycle also varies depending on what its parts are made of: from the main frame to parts such as chain rings, pedals and the handlebar grip, among others.
The supervisor also noted that sales of bicycles for children have increased with at least 25 units sold in a week.
“Sometimes, it falls to 18 units but that is still good,” he pointed out. Prices of branded units range from QR1,100 to QR1,800. But in other shops, prices are lower, between QR500 and QR800.
Another shop at Salwa Road also recorded a rise in high-end bicycle sales, with the price range being QR14,000 to over QR20,000.
Meanwhile, sales of bicycles priced between QR1,600 and QR4,000 continue to surge, according to a supervisor. An average of 160 units (all kinds) has been recorded per month since last year.
He said that some of their customers who buy high-end cycles prefer to have their orders personalised.
“It is up to them what colour and type of materials will be used for each part. It takes about 45 days to complete it and the assembly takes place in the US,” he said.
