Some days ago, I found a news, that I did not know: “Bike power to revolutionize the economy”. I have liked this news, because, some days ago, a friend of mine, who lives in Madrid, told me about the benefits of an electric bicycle.
Effectively, bike offers great business opportunities, from touring by bicycle to transport of merchandise by cargo tricycles and it has been even created an interparliamentary group to promote it. This is a booming sector with great potential. In Spain more bicycles than cars are sold and, more than 36,600 new jobs, could be created, if its use, as a means of transportation, will be double.
A young woman is going to her job by an electric bicycle
Two weekends ago, in Madrid, was held the first fair of entrepreneurs Bicity.org, an event which has hosted projects to promote the use of bicycles, in cities, beyond municipal rental services. The winner was Pablo Rosa, with Don Cicleto, a network of bicycle racks, in Madrid, to store the bike safely.
Rosa explained, to RTVE.es, he believes his idea will succeed, because "it resolves concerns, about theft of bikes and gives added services, such as maintenance or a map, with a network of friendly spaces for cyclists.". His company is launched, in April, with 12 parking spaces, that offer 250 placements and once entrenched, in the capital, is raised expand to other cities.
Ciclogreen, by Gregorio Magno, has been in second place. It uses mobile applications, that measure kilometers, traveled by bike, and rewards users with items or discounts. Companies also can use their services and register reductions, in carbon emissions, when workers go to work by bike.
European bicycle manufacturers, grouped in the Cycling Industry Club (CIC), are driving a green job initiative, to create 200,000 new jobs, related to cycling. According to their calculations, if the number of cyclists is doubled, in Europe, they could sell "10 million bicycles more each year" and, if the use of the bike reached, in each country, at the level of Netherlands (18 million bikes and 16 million people), "annual sales could grow to 30 million units.".
Spain could generate 36,603 new jobs in the sector, of which the majority (28 937) would be generated, in the cycling industry, if the rate of use of the bike, on commuting, was doubled according to the European Cyclists' Federation. The study, published in December, also shows that jobs, in cycling routes, accommodations adapted for cyclists, maintenance, security, accessories, mobile applications or specialty shops are more stable and accessible to people without much qualification.
The Federation calls for 10% of transport budgets, to encourage the use of bicycle is intended and argues that most jobs related to bike "neither they can be offshored outside our borders, nor even be transferred from their local area.".
The National Bureau of the Bicycle argues that Spain must attract more tourists by bike. The turnover of the European touring by bicycle is 43,940 million, of which 1,620 million correspond to Spain, a figure that could grow exponentially, considering that France more than quadrupled to 7,490 million, says, to RTVE.es, the expert on tourism by bike, Xandra Trojan.
The author of the study, on the economic impact of touring by bicycle, in Europe, underlines the great potential in Spain, a subject that our country does not approve, despite having diversified tourism. Trojan notes that "the economic weight of the bike is well above the public effort required" and she cites that, in France, "every euro invested, in supporting bicycle, is multiplied by nine”.
The profile of a touring cyclist is not a young with a few money, who travels by bike, because it has no other options. Rather, it is a university, between 45 and 55 years, with good social status. 60% are men and 40% women, they use to travel more than a week and they spend on average 439 euros. A day, they spend between 50 and 70 euros, including accommodation, details the expert.
"The touring by bicycle is based on simple infrastructure, easily redeemable, but require planning, maintenance and consistent and coordinated development", said Trojan. In Spain, greenways represent 2,000 kilometers, but they are not interconnected among themselves. Mostly are located in Andalusia (425 kilometers), but lack a national plan to achieve results.
France is the perfect example: "It started to invest in touring by bicycle later to Spain; but, now, is the premier destination for tour operators, followed by Austria". Trojan down as keys to success "the attractive offer of 7,000 km, of greenways and cycle routes, on one hand, and the policy, in favor of cycling, with an inter-ministerial coordinator, Monsieur Vélo".
In the last two years, they have been sold more bicycles than cars and all-terrains, for the first time, in Spain. In 2013, 1.034.000 bikes were purchased, for 722 703 cars and the trend continues, in 2014. The number of bicycles sold, largely will exceed one million units, according to the sources from the Association of Trademarks and Bicycles of Spain (AMBE) have advanced to RTVE.es.
By type of bike, the best sellers are still the mountain bikes, but electric bikes experienced "an strong double-digit growth and some companies of the sector have increased their sales, by up to 30%, driven by the PIMA plan", according to sources from AMBE.
The option of bicycle, as efficient transport within cities, has become deeply ingrained, even among automakers. Ford has presented, at the Barcelona Mobile Congress, a project that includes a folding electric bike, that can be carried in the car. The company proposes to leave the vehicle, parked on the outskirts of the city, move by public transport and arrive to work, by bike.
Bicycle also offers innovative solutions, for last-mile distribution, ie, in the distribution of goods within cities. Txita is a company, from San Sebastian, leading in logistic by bike, a field to which 67 companies are dedicated, in all Spain. Its founder, Daniel Ruiz, got the third prize Bicity.org, with a project of a sectorial association.
Ruiz explained, to RTVE.es, that the key to survival is to be adapted and diversify the activity. Originally, in 2006, they were dedicated only to pedicabs; the vehicle served as an advertising support and drivers all the money pocketed journeys. Three years later, the economic crisis became an almost impossible mission, to find advertisers and business resented, because "in winter, there were no tourists and no travel".
Txita founder realised, that he needed to expand services and now he works for companies such as Seur, Eroski or Gupost. In addition to having met with Post, which has been asked a budget, to deliver, by bike, through San Sebastian.
At present, the distribution of goods, in the centre of Donosti, "accounts for 40% of business of Txita, 30% comes from the distribution and sale of electric delivery tricycles, 20% of advertising campaigns (in pedicabs) and 10% in other activities, from consulting services to the mobile tannoy, with a DJ on board of a tricycle", explains Ruiz.
This entrepreneur sees only an obstacle, to the expansion of his business, the traffic code, which limits the engine power of electric bicycles to 250 watts. He suggests that expands up to 500 watts, to climb steep slopes, with a loaded tricycle.
Daniel Ruiz believes that "the distribution, in urban areas, with cargo tricycles, is where there is more future", by traffic restrictions, in urban centres, rising gasoline and increased hours of autonomous, dedicated to conventional transport.
When the founder of Txita explains, to the big logistics companies, that their electric tricycles can charge 250 kilograms and move around the pedestrian streets, they tell him that their activity is the future; but Ruiz answers that "it is present" and he is convinced that 2015 "It will be the year of the emergence of cargo tricycles.".
I think that, now, Spain has a great chance, to be one of the countries with most touring by bike; but, for that, we should have to make more bicycle advertising, for example on television, radio and, even, in newspapers. Also, we should expand the network of greenways and that they were interconnected.
I hope that Spain has the advantage of creating many jobs through touring by bike.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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