New Derby Arena set to boost local bike businesses

Britain’s latest indoor velodrome is set for its long awaited opening on Thursday night and it is hoped Derby Arena will provide a boost to bike shops in the area.

The £30.8m Arena will be opened by Dame Sarah Storey and Derby South MP Dame Margaret Beckett in front of an expected 1,500-strong crowd.

Once open, members of the public will be able to try out track cycling in specially arranged taster sessions, which bike shop owners hope will boost sales.

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General manager of Duffield bike shop Velo Bavarian, Gavin Slater, told the Derby Telegraph: "Our track bike sales will definitely increase and, if we let customers know we can also do repairs, that will also increase our business."

"We'll be hiring out the velodrome for an hour to give customers some track experience.

"Track cycling is addictive, so we'd hope to sell more track bikes through doing that.

"I've taken a lot of Moda track bikes for hiring out. Our hope is that people will hire one out, like it and then come back and buy one."

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Moore Large, one of the UK’s largest distributors of bikes and accessories will provide all of the equipment for the taster sessions

Managing director Nigel Moore said: "For us, it's enabled us to raise the profile of our business within Derbyshire, and it's going to give us a tool to attract customers and suppliers to Derby and our business.

"In terms of the impact it will have on our turnover, you'll have to come back next year and see what it's done for us. It can only be positive."