British car parts to bikes retailer Halfords said a recent boom in bicycle sales had fallen off sharply in its second quarter.
However, it added that strong trading across the rest of its retail business would keep it on track to meet profit forecasts.
Cycling has increased in popularity in recent years, with Halfords expanding its accessories, bike ranges and improving online categories to tap demand.
However, the company said today that wet August weather and increased discounting in the market had led to an 11% decline in like-for-like cycling sales in the first eight weeks of its second quarter, well below its expectations.
Sales rose 2% in its first quarter and grew by 11.4% in its previous fiscal year to March 27.
The firm trades from 470 stores in the UK and Ireland and another 306 Autocentres.
In recent years the firm has invested heavily in customer service, store upgrades and new ranges, helping it to achieve its £1 billion sales target a year early in June.
Chief executive Jill McDonald, who joined Halfords in May from fast food chain McDonald's, said she was confident the cycling business would grow, helped by a planned revamp of children's bikes and accessories.
"This recent weakness in our cycling sales is disappointing, but it comes after two years of very strong growth in the category," McDonald said.
Halfords said retail trading elsewhere, particularly in car maintenance, had been strong and that improved profitability and cost control meant full-year group pretax profit would be broadly in line with market expectations.
Halfords is expected to post a pretax profit of £86.2m, up from £84.1m a year earlier, according to Reuters data.
