New strategic partnership to boost industry collaboration and data insights

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) and the Bicycle Association of Great Britain (BA) have announced a new strategic partnership designed to strengthen collaboration and support the future growth of mountain biking across the UK. The initiative will pilot innovative data-sharing projects, embed industry voices from Scotland and across the UK in strategic mountain bike planning, and create new opportunities for UK-wide collaboration.

The partnership will launch regional pilots in the Lothians & Borders and Aberdeenshire, working with local bike shops to trial anonymous data-sharing models that provide valuable insights into sales trends, servicing, and accessory uptake using the BA’s world-leading Market Data Service. These insights will help shape regional cycling and mountain biking strategies, inform economic development, and support trail and destination development in the areas with the overall aim of getting more people mountain biking in the pilot regions with the support of their local bike shops. 

Beyond the regional pilots, the BA will take a formal role in Scotland’s MTB Consortium, ensuring the industry voice is represented at a national level. The partnership will also explore the creation of a new UK-wide mountain bike sub-group, under the BA umbrella, to drive shared priorities such as trail access, product innovation, and sector promotion. The new sub-group will link in with the industry funded UK Trails Project enabling industry priorities and insights, such as future trends, to be fed into governing bodies and land managers helping to anticipate the needs of riders and develop trails and routes accordingly.  

Steve Garidis, Executive Director of the Bicycle Association GB, said:
"This partnership represents a major step forward in how the mountain biking industry and brands can have their voice heard in the development of future strategies for mountain biking. By combining DMBinS’s leadership in strategic planning with BA’s industry expertise and data capabilities, we can create a richer understanding of the market and a stronger platform to support independent retailers, regional growth, and national strategies across the UK."

Graeme McLean, Head of Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland, said:
"We are delighted to be working with the Bicycle Association on this innovative partnership. Independent Bike Dealers are at the heart of our cycling communities, and by bringing them into a structured data-sharing framework we can generate the insights needed to support their businesses, campaign for more trails and improved infrastructure, inform economic development, and help deliver the long-term ambitions of Scottish mountain biking. This collaboration also strengthens the industries’ role in a UK-wide conversation about the future of the sport and industry."

The first phase of the partnership will begin in autumn 2025 with initial data confirmation and retailer engagement, followed by the launch of regional working groups in early 2026. Evaluation of the pilots will take place in late 2026, with the ambition of rolling out a repeatable model across the UK.

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About the Bicycle Association

The Bicycle Association (BA) is the national trade association for the UK cycle industry. The BA works to represent the best interests of the UK cycle industry to government, stakeholders, and the general public. The mission of the BA is to grow cycling, particularly everyday cycling, and to grow the cycling market in the UK. 

About Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Strategy for Scottish Mountain Biking and delivering many of the actions within it. As part of Scottish Cycling, DMBinS work across land management, strategic planning and development, tourism, participation, mental health, promotion and marketing, strategic planning, product development, and representation. 

To achieve the vision and mission of the sectoral strategy, DMBinS work with a range of public, private, and community partners who all support the sustainable development of mountain biking in Scotland. 

About the Bicycle Association’s Market Data

The BA’s Market Data Service (MDS) is a not-for-profit service run by the Association for the benefit of the UK cycling industry. The Market Data Service tracks c.1m cycling products and services across the UK cycling market on a monthly basis. It captures sales directly from tills across the country, representing over 70% of the UK market 

About the UK Trails Project

The UK Trails Project is a UK-wide project which aims to help improve the sustainability and security of the mountain bike trail network across the country. This project, supported by an initial 3 year project manager post funded by SRAM, has been created to support the mountain bike community, governing bodies, and land managers/owners to share knowledge, discuss issues and opportunities for greater collaboration, and improve the sustainability of the mountain bike trail network across the UK. 

Scottish Cycling, through Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS), manages the post, and project, and is supported by a steering group including British Cycling, Cycling Ireland, Welsh Cycling, Forestry and Land Scotland, Forestry England, Natural Resources Wales, Outscape Northern Ireland, along with the project funders, SRAM.