Smaller tour operators may not have the best hardware, and until fairly recently, even some of the better known and larger operators used mass market mid-range bikes.
This summer, retailers suggest that mid-range bike sales have been hit hard by the poor weather – one shop reported in June that its top-selling clothing line was winter overshoes – but in 2010 and 2011, the market in high-end bikes, those costing more than £5,000, was more than bucking the recession.
Bigger machines and dainty mopeds were worst hit, dropping by 16 % and 21 between 2012 and 2013.Sales of motorcycles with 120-130cc engine capacity (a lower-range bike) however have risen from an eighth to a third of the market share since 2000.
It is adding a pedelec - or an electric bicycle - to its range of bikes, and is launching a range of scooters.
Bike hire Cyclexperience (01590 624204) near the train station in Brockenhurst has a range of bikes for all ages.
The hotel offers a range of bike services including bike hire and guiding.
A wide range of bikes can be hired on site, with prices for a four-hour rental period starting at £8 for children and £15 for adults (katrinewheelz.co.uk).
Then there is a whole range of bikes for amateur racers who want some speed as well as lightness and durability at affordable prices.
In between the obligatory trips to the Palace, the parades, the public appearances and the ambassadorial roles, Hoy also has spent time launching a range of bikes that bear his name.
In a departure for the Shropshire-based company, it has created a range of bikes aimed specifically for riders aged 65 or more, seeking to use its experience in shrinking and adapting components for little hands to create bikes suited to the reduced flexibility and muscular strength of older age.
