Fair to say, 2025 has been a year of ongoing change for the cycling industry. Making change to drive us forward, keeping us relevant for our audience, and the evolving business landscape, has been a key focus for the BikeBiz team.
During this time, one thing we’ve been keen to do is give over our platform to others in the industry – offering them our platform, to share their experiences, and their insights, in their own voice.
With tough trading conditions continuing, it’s also vital that we showcase those who are finding ways to win in this current, challenging climate.
With all this in mind, this morning we hand over the keyboard to Lee Comerford, co-founder, with partner, Louise Laker, of Eat Sleep Cycle.
These days, the cycling industry is littered with bad news stories – sales down, profits slashed, and even unfair labour. So it is rare we are blessed with a good news story – a company that is doing well against all the odds. Here, we’ll share with you a little of the Eat Sleep Cycle journey.
A humble beginning
With just one credit card and a lot of enthusiasm, Louise and I set about creating something special, a community of cyclists that was also a business. It was tough; they couldn´t even afford to turn the heating on in our tiny little shop. But the people still stopped by to ask what was going on, and they won the first Eat Sleep Cycle customers.
They would close that little shop at every opportunity to go and ride with cyclists of every shape and size. The group sizes grew and grew until they couldn´t quite believe what they had achieved.
The first bike rental fleet was pinned to the wall; however, they could make it happen. They ran their first cycling tour across the Pyrenees, recruiting friends and passers-by on the street.
Surviving COVID
From 2016 to 2019, the business exploded, new premises were opened, and cycling tours grew to the French Alps, the Dolomites and Beyond. There was no stopping them… Oh yes, there was! COVID hit, and the entire travel business was lost in just 2 weeks. But they were determined, and the customers were understanding, working with them to retain deposits for future bookings (that would be the catalyst for future growth). They also looked local and focused on the retail business, a move that saw growth of over 800% in 2 years!
Surviving the bike market crash
Then, in 2023, came the bike market crash! At that point, Eat Sleep Cycle was buying and selling millions in new bikes. But the team was determined and pivoted the retail business to focus more on its own brand apparel and merchandise – it worked!
A globally successful brand
Fast-forward to today, and Eat Sleep Cycle is a global cycling brand with 3 successful verticals: Cycling Tours, Cycling Hubs and Apparel Brand. With more than 35 full-time staff and more than 30 cycling guides. Eat Sleep Cycle operates in 13 countries and has 2 profitable cycling hubs.
So what does the future hold?
Growing the business means having a positive impact, so we are not stopping – we are turning up the heat. We plan to grow our cycling tours business to new territories and to add cycling hubs in specific locations. We will also grow our own apparel brand.
Growth has been funded in a variety of ways as the business has taken the journey that brings us to this point. What is right at one stage may not be the same at a later stage in the journey. As business owners, there are tough decisions which you need a clear understanding of.
The ethos you share with your co-founders and customers will likely impact what you see as ‘good’ when it comes to investment opportunities. Be clear about what you want, what goals you are working toward, and what timeline you are working to. Your investors will thank you. Your customers will thank you. And you will also thank yourself.
One last thought: Being brave when facing risk most definitely isn’t the same as being ill-considered. Your attitude to risk and the way you measure it will impact everything, and that can, just as easily, be a massive positive for all involved.
