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  5. How to target and reach the cycling market

How to target and reach the cycling market

11 minute read • Last updated: 21 February 2025

Scotland is made for cycling with its stunning landscapes and over 1,600 miles of outdoor trails. Home to world-class cycling venues and spectacular on and off-road routes, it also attracts incredible events like the 2023 Cycling World Championships and is a regular host to the Tour of Britain, the Tour Series and much more. 

Our country is hugely popular for day cycling trips and longer cycling holidays. Find out more about the cycling market, the growth of cycling trends such as e-bikes, and consider if your business can capture this rapidly growing audience. 

In this article:

  • Who is the cycling market?
  • Suitability for the cycling audience
  • Marketing to the cycling audience
  • Responsible cycling
  • Advice for welcoming cyclists
  • Cycling accommodation

Who is the cycling market?

Man and child cycle along a wooded path

Cyclists on the Deeside Way

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. 

Cycling trends

While most people are familiar with road cycling and mountain biking, there are many other ways to enjoy cycling that are growing in popularity. 

  • E-bikes are power-assisted bikes which make cycling easier for everyone. 
  • Large scale gravel bike events are becoming more popular in Scotland. 
  • New technology and lightweight equipment have spurred a growth in bikepacking – a multi-day self-supported adventure. 

Check out our cycling audience insights for more trends.

Suitability for the cycling audience

Mountain biker mid-air jump

Mountain biking at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

© Phunkt

Cyclists exploring Scotland require: 

  • accommodation
  • food and drink 
  • places to visit en route
  • events 
  • bike hire 

Your suitability for the cycling audience will depend on whether you have access to: 

  • an area known for cycling with a large variety of routes 
  • cycling facilities such as secure bike storage 
  • a main cycling route 
  • a cycling event 

VisitScotland’s event listings are a useful tool to find out what cycling events and more are coming up in your area. 

Improve your local knowledge

Research your local area to discover the type of routes which may be accessible from your business. 

  • VisitScotland.com has information on cycling in Scotland. 

  • Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland has a list and map of trails. 

  • Check sites such as Strava and Komoot which are popular with cyclists for planning and tracking routes. 

  • Your local council website or destination marketing organisation (DMO) website may also carry information on local routes – for example, bike trails in Angus. 

Marketing to the cycling audience

Now you know your business is suitable for attracting the cycling market, what do you need to do to improve your appeal and market to them? 

  • Understand the customer journey

    Make sure you understand the customer journey, from inspiration to planning and booking. 

    Read more about the customer journey.

  • Offer last-minute online booking

    A cyclist’s plans may change based on the weather or how fast they complete a cycling route. Make sure your business is easy to find and book online, so you can catch any last-minute opportunities from passing cyclists. 

    Read more about online booking systems for experiences.

    Find out about web booking engines for accommodation. 

  • Create content for social media

    Adding cycling-focussed content to your social media channels is a great way to attract cyclists. It's also useful to show why your business should be their first choice on their cycling trip to Scotland. 

    Why not consider working with influencers to show how a cycling trip could look in your region? Or take some high-quality imagery of the cycling amenities your business can offer. 

    Read more about learn about developing digital marketing content.

  • Connect with local cycling operators

    Work with other cycle-related operators such as local guides, tours operators and companies, local hire, or retailers. Together, you can tap into the trend of taking cycling holidays with partners, families, and groups of friends. 

  • Sell through a travel distribution partner

    For cycling holidays, consumers will often look for specialists based in their own country. These specialists may then contact local Scottish-based suppliers to deliver the experience for their clients. Working with a travel distribution partner such as a tour operator or destination management company (DMC) can help you reach these markets. 

    Find out more about working with a travel distribution partner.

  • Offer packaged services

    You can work collaboratively or via a tour operator to package services. Tour operators can package these together and carry the expense and risk of complying with the regulations. 

    If you are considering or already packaging two or more services such as accommodation and cycle hire, then you must comply with package travel regulations. 

    Find out more on package travel regulations. 

Responsible cycling

two cyclists on a quite country road with hills and fields in background

Cycling in Glentress

It’s important that any cyclists visiting or exploring Scotland understands their rights of responsible access. 

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act gives everyone rights of responsible access to Scotland's outdoors. This is a huge advantage over other destinations across the world. 

Inform visitors and clients about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which makes Scotland an attractive choice for cycling. This might help them to choose Scotland as a destination. You should also share responsible cycling advice with any booked customers through your email marketing programme. 

Information you can share: 

  • Scottish Outdoor Access Code 
  • Do the Ride Thing with Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland 
  • Share, respect and enjoy the National Cycle Network with Sustrans
  • VisitScotland’s Responsible Tourism Promise 

Advice for welcoming cyclists

A couple with mountain bikes look down from a hill onto Loch Lomond

Mountain biking at Loch Lomond

© Go Rural / Craig Stephen

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. 

Share key information

By the time a cyclist gets to your business, they likely know where they are going but it could be useful to offer information on other local routes and places to stop.  

  • Information on website

    Create a page on your website detailing services, trails and attractions located nearby: 

    • National Cycle Network routes 
    • Local cycle routes 
    • Cycle hire shops 
    • Cycle cafés 
    • Bike shops 
    • Train stations and services which allow bikes onboard 
    • Bus stops and services which allow bikes onboard 
    • Recommended visitor attractions on each route 
  • Useful cycling websites

    It can be helpful to link out to useful websites from your own website or provide these to cyclists on request:

    • VisitScotland’s cycling section 
    • Sustrans National Cycle Network 
    • Developing Mountain Biking Scotland 
  • Travel information

    Providing information on transport routes and operators can help show which services are suitable for cyclists travelling with a bike:

    • Scotrail  
    • CalMac Ferries  
    • NorthLink Ferries 
    • Stagecoach Highlands (Highland Explorer Service) 
    • West Coast Motors (selected routes) 
    • Shiel Buses (local rural service) 

    Recommend the best local weather forecast, travel information and anything else that might help them. 

  • Guidebooks and trailmaps

    Cyclists often expect to find local information as part of their experience off the saddle. They might also need it if they lose their trail map or can't access the internet to check their location. 

    This is a good opportunity to upsell and offer local maps, OS maps, and guidebooks. Offering information on attractions also creates value for the area and gives more reasons to stop, spend time in and explore your local area.

Other things to consider for cyclists

  • Make space for cycling gear

    Think about the extra equipment a cyclist might be carrying – either have space around their table for them to leave things or offer a dedicated area for storing bags and equipment such as helmets. 

    On rainy days, it can be useful to have somewhere to hang a wet coat, and somewhere to wipe muddy feet. 

  • Offer food for takeaway and sit-in

    Make sure to offer a variety of food options: 

    • Sit-in or takeaway 
    • Hot and cold drinks 
    • Healthy options 
    • Delicious baked treats 
  • Provide free water bottle refills

    An easy offering which cyclists really appreciate is a fresh water drinking tap or service to refill water bottles. 

Cycling accommodation

Getting mountain bikes ready in shed

Comrie Croft

© VisitScotland/SLG Photography

Make your accommodation business more appealing to cyclists by offering suitable facilities including cycle storage, cleaning and flexible mealtimes. Small gestures can make a big difference to a cyclist looking for a comfortable and welcoming place to stay. 

You could also collaborate with another business to promote cycling tours and accommodation as a package. This could be a good option to sell via a travel distribution partner such as a tour operator. 

Stock basic bike repair equipment

Consider stocking some of these repair products so any small but common issue can be fixed easily, allowing the cyclist to have a more positive experience and not be held up on exploring the local area. 

Consider stocking some of these repair products so any small but common issue can be fixed easily, allowing the cyclist to have a more positive experience and not be held up on exploring the local area. 

Essential cycling kit items

  • First aid kit 

  • Puncture repair kit 

  • Spare inner tubes for various wheel sizes 

  • A track pump compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves. Find out more about which bike pumps you should have.

  • A range of adjustable spanners and Allen keys 

Cleaning

A man with a mountain bike and cycling helmet stands beside a van

Dirt School mountain bike coaching

© © VisitScotland / Danny Bonnar

Allow bike cleaning

If you’ve got outdoor space, set up access to a low pressure water hose for cyclists to clean off after a long ride. Stock a biodegradable bike wash spray somewhere they can easily pick up as well. 

Offer laundry services

Think about providing access to laundry services for washing cycling clothing, rubbing down cycling shoes, and drying both clothing and shoes after cleaning.

Provide transfers

Make it easy for a cyclist to get to and from your business. 

You could: 

  • Offer pick-ups for the train station, bus depot or airport using a vehicle with a stable bike rack. 
  • Recommend a local taxi firm who can do bike transport. 
  • Recommend any nearby minibus hire companies who can do shuttle services. 
Regional options 

Ticket to Ride is a company in the Highlands who deliver luggage for cyclists between Inverness and Fort William or Loch Ness. 

Look out for other local businesses when at networking events as there could be an opportunity for you to collaborate and market together. 

Package options

Once you know your business is properly set up for cyclists and meets their expectations, you might want to think about collaborating with other businesses to sell a cycling package. 

This could be combining accommodation with a bike tour for example and selling that through a travel distribution partner such as a tour operator or destination marketing company (DMC). 

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