Britain's Olympians help boost sales of bicycles

Team GB's outstanding performance in the velodrome pushed loans for bicycles at retail bank Secure Trust to record levels, it said yesterday.

Secure Trust is the biggest lender in the cycling market through retailers like Evans Cycles.

The bank's chief executive, Paul Lynam, said: "Usually the summer is the peak time for cycle lending but obviously this year it was a bit of a washout. Then came the Olympics. August was easily the best month since we started loans for cycles three years ago." Secure Trust lends on cycles ranging from £250 to over £10,000.

Mr Lynam said: "Consumers like it and retailers like it because people buying with a loan tend to upgrade the spec on the bike."