For bicycle sellers, future appears to be a mixed bag

In the cold early spring of Northeast China, Wang Chao, a bicycle retailer, clothed in no more than a single-layer blue garment, was sweating profusely, busy assembling new bikes and serving customers. No time for even a coffee.

Wang stocks the products of Giant, a leading bicycle producer, at his 240-square-meter store in Shenyang, a metropolis of 8 million denizens. Last year, he sold more than 600 sports bicycles.

But thousands of other bike retailers appear to be struggling to survive in the fast-changing market. The change has been brought about by the mushrooming bicycle-sharing service providers.