BikeBiz #102 July 2014

Issue 102 | July 2014

THIS SUMMER is packed with home-set cycle events that promise to put the sport fi rmly into the public gaze once again.

We’ve already had the Giro in Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Yorkshire Grand Depart is almost here and then there’s the no small matter of the Glasgow-set Commonwealth

Games, starting at the end of July, where the likes of Laura Trott, Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe will be competing.

All of these sporting events are high profi le enough to gain column inches outside the specialist press and therefore we could be in line to see another 2012-style ‘Wiggo effect’ (or should that be ‘Froome effect’ this year?) providing a boost in sales, or at the very least awareness, of the cycle world amongst the ordinary folk of Great Britain, or ‘potential punters’.

From the outside looking in, and these grand sporting events no doubt contribute to it, there’s a perception that the cycle trade is going bananas and you retailers out there are struggling to cope with the fl oods of customers bashing down your door (online and in the fl esh) and forcing fi sts

full of cash at you. The reality is, to put it politely, slightly more nuanced. There’s a howling absence of decent sales fi gures, but we do know that imports are largely fl at and noone needs telling that competition is ever more fi erce in the trade... The thing is, the perception – that cycling is booming at retail – has attracted the attention of ever more players to the market, so it’s not about to get any less competitive. And if those import stats remain static, we’re likely talking about carving up share rather than growing the market. For instance, Go Outdoors is clearly taking the cycle market more seriously, launching its own brand bike range – recently expanded with road bikes. Then there is retail chain Direct Golf, which has just dipped its toe in the market with Bike-shed.com, with a view to potentially accommodating bikes sales across another 15 of its outlets.

It’s undoubtedly brilliant to have the Giro and Le Tour visit these shores, but ultimately, as my colleagues have noted previously on these pages (page 47, 65 in this issue and Spokesman, issue 101), the hope has to be that these fi ne sporting events will inspire potential punters to get in the saddle, and not just your regulars to stump up for the latest model of their favourite brand.

EDITORIALBring on the Froome effect

Jonathon Harker, Editor

The hope has to be that Le Tour, the Giro and the Commonwealth Games will help inspire potential punters to get in the saddle.

Our undercover reporter quizzes independents and chain stores alike over in central Manchester...

HIGH NUUN 29The nutrition brand is riding high. We catch up with the latest at nuun

CAFE CULTURE 15We head to the North East’s newest cycle cafe, Pedalling Squares

MYSTERY SHOPPER

FOCUS ON…WIN A BIKEBIZ AWARD 19We provide all you need to know to lobby and win one of the coveted BikeBiz Awards...

26

NEWS 7-8 The continued march of Vulpine takes the brand into House of Fraser, plus a round up of the big stories

OPINION 11Do the grand tours really provide a boost for local economies and the bike trade?

DEALER PROFILE 49Hunstanton’s Fatbirds comes under the dealer profi le spotlight this month

NEW PRODUCTS 50SRAM, Endura, Diamondback and FSA grace the new product pages with muesli energy yoghurts

BMX FORKS

53 61

COMMUNITY 65Is the UK bike business putting its eggs in one basket? One reader fears we may...

SPONSORED BY

SPOKESMAN 78Carlton Reid takes a trip down memory lane and praises the creation of CyTech

EVENTS 66 OFF TRACK 76 NUMBER CRUNCHING 75

Friedrichshafen’s other big show is

OutDoor. We preview the event 36

E-BIKESE-bikeshop expands and Batribike

explains how security measures

have boosted business 43Sponsored by

Issue 102 | July 2014

OUTDOOR SHOW PREVIEW

Style,function,finesse and power combine to give you the ultimate tool companion.

Studio Tool Box

Prestige brands from i-ride.co.uk

AWARDSWednesday 24th September 2014 • Crowne Plaza, NEC

For more information on trade tickets and sponsorship opportunities,please email [email protected] or call 01992 535647

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE WITHIN THE UK CYCLE TRADE

INDEPENDENT BIKE DEALER SPECIALIST RETAILER MAINSTREAM RETAILER STAR STORE WORKSHOP SERVICES BEST RETAIL EVENT IN-STORE EXPERIENCE ONLINE STORE BIKE DISTRIBUTOR P&A DISTRIBUTOR SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR BIKE BRAND P&A BRAND MARKETING TEAM SALES TEAM RETAILER SERVICES TRAINING CYCLING ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENT

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01993 862 300

NEWS

by Jonathon Harker

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4th 2014 is the date now fi xed for the second National Cycle to Work Day.

Tens of thousands of new cyclists are expected to take to the streets and cycle to work, according to organiser Cyclescheme.

Hundreds of bike shops across the country will be making sure their bikes are in tiptop shape and ready for a cycle commute to work by offering Free Bike Health Checks between August 25th and September 4th.

Free Bike Health Checks are ten point MOT-style checks for bikes – no restorative work is done on the bike but recommendations are made as to what work should be done on a bike if it does not have a ‘clean bill of health’.

Paralympic legend Dame Sarah Storey is on board for a second year and scores of UK employers will be putting on events and offering free ‘coffee and croissants’ to their

colleagues in a bid to stage Britain’s ‘Biggest Bike Breakfast’.

“Cycle to Work Day is our way of getting everyone together to celebrate cycle commuting,” said Cyclescheme director Daniel Gillborn.

“From our clients and their employees through to the independent retailers that we partner with, the day is a fantastic opportunity for people to give cycling a go.

“This year we want more stores than ever getting on board and offering free bike health checks. Opening your doors to new and to returning cyclists isn’t just about helping people get on two wheels, it also means an increased opportunity for parts and accessory sales, and will certainly keep your bike workshop busy.”

If you’re an independent bike shop and you want to offer Free Bike Health Checks, you can now head to www.cycletoworkday.org and pledge your support.

Clothing label set to double independent retail accounts Competition featuring Kinesis, Nuun, Vulpine, Muc-off and Leyzne to go out to 1.5 million on HoF database

Cyclists don’t have to ride in the gutter, rules ASAThe Advertising Standards Authority has overturned a ban on a TV advert showing cyclists taking the lane, as well as riding without a helmet, following an appeal.

19,000 go toFort William World CupOver 19,000 racing fans descended upon the Fort William World Cup, with the Sunday breaking all prior records. 294 media personnel also made the trip, alongside 55 traders occupying a 6,600m2 space.

Silverfi sh takes over Easton Cycling distributionWith the sale of Easton Cycling to Race Face owner Chris Tutton, Silverfi sh UK has become the exclusive UK distributor for Easton Cycling (Giro, Bell and Blackburn remain with Zyro).

Guy Andrews leaves RouleurRouleur founder Guy Andrews has left the magazine. Nick Miller, a media investor and former chairman of VOS Media, joins the board. Steve Prentice, formerly with media giant Bauer as publisher and editor, has become Rouleur consultant editor.

CSG brings Hoffman to retailHoffman Bikes have joined the CSG UK stable, with dealer previews of the 2015 bikes on offer at the August 3rd to 5th house show.

CYCLE

SHORTS

For breaking news visit: www.bikebiz.com

‘Pledge support for second National Cycle to Work Day’

by Mark Sutton

VULPINE’S RELENTLESS expansion shows no sign of slowing with head of sales Dave Hemming telling BikeBiz of the brand being signed up by House of Fraser.

“We’re reaching an audience as good as un-touched by cycling with the collaboration,” explained Hemming.

“With golf and even yoga represented by the business, we thought it was time to push cycling out to a bigger audience, especially our core product, of which House of Fraser will have stock of the range from Friday June 27th 2014.”

The collaboration doesn’t end there, however, with many other cycling labels set for introduction to the 1.5 million on the retail giant’s database. Spanning a three week long campaign to introduce cycling goods to the famous store, a competition will be run to consumers offering three winners goods from Kinesis, nuun, Vulpine, Muc-Off, Kask and Leyzne.

“There’s about £13,000 worth of goods being given away,” said Hemming. “We thought that while everyone else focuses on the Tour de France, everyday cycling will be largely overlooked. So with that in mind Upgrade will be supplying three Kinesis 4S

bikes, while the other labels help the cyclist get going.”

Despite being barely two years old, the apparel company has recently gone from three to nine staff, as well as adding a secondary showroom and conference room to its headquarters. BikeBiz was also told of high-profi le collaborations into new avenues for 2015.

Vulpine is in the process of doubling its independent retail stockists too, and now has accounts as far away as Hong Kong and Colorado. To enquire about becoming a stockist of any of the ranges, contact [email protected].

House of Fraser, who recently sold to Chinese conglomerate Sanpower in the Far-East’s territory’s largest retail investment to date, are now seriously looking at cycling, with potential window takeovers running alongside certain key events next year, BikeBiz was told.www.vulpine.cc

House of Fraser makes cycle clothing debut with Vulpine

“This is an increased opportunity for P&A

sales and keeping your workshop busy.”

Daniel Gillborn, Cyclescheme

by Jonathon Harker

AS THIS magazine lands, the UK-set Grand Depart of the Tour de France will be underway.

Opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at Harewood House, Yorkshire – also the setting for the Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling – the Tour has earned ever more column inches and signifi cant amounts of interest for the fi rst time it has ever visited the North of England. The Leeds Arena played host to the Yorkshire Grand Depart Opening Ceremony – touted as the biggest in the history of the Tour – on July 3rd, featuring all 22 of the pro teams taking part, as well as entertainment from the likes of Yorkshire band Elbow.

Visitors to the inaugural Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling (July 4th to 6th) were there for the passing through of the peloton with entertainment, activities and events for attendees.www.festivalofcycling.org

Huge retailer ramps up market presence with wider own brand range Concept store opens in 2014

Harry, Will and Kate

open Tour de France

by Jonathon Harker

GO OUTDOORS has signifi cantly ramped up its bike market presence with a vastly expanded range of own brand bikes, including road and commute models.

Last year the fi rm dabbled in own brand with a small selection of mountain bikes. That fi rst batch successfully scored a ‘bargain of the year’ title by Mountain Biking UK and subsequently sold out in-store, it was claimed.

The new Calibre road bikes and Compass commuter and folding bikes will be in-store this month. They will be on sale through more than 40 physical stores and online portal www.gooutdoors.co.uk. A GO Outdoors cycling concept store, named the fi rst by the retailer, will open in the Midlands later this year.

Perhaps as a sign of GO Outdoors’ cycle ambitions the fi rm has recruited a number of senior staff from the bike trade, including David Cox – a former chairman of Wiggle – as non-executive director – and Jon Asbury from Halfords, as GO Outdoors’ fi rst multi-channel director.

Another bike trade exec – Mike Sanderson – is cycling buyer for GO Outdoors. He said of the new own brand line-up: “All of the bikes offer features and equipment not normally available at such prices, making these bikes some of the best value on the market.”

Spokesperson Sarah Fretwell told BikeBiz: “The British public has never been more focused on cycling than it is today. Sustained success for British cyclists at the Beijing and London Olympics, a fi rst

British Tour de France winner in Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and of course this year’s Grand Départ in Yorkshire have combined, bringing things to fever pitch.

“With more and more people being inspired to ride at all levels, from sportives to more leisurely family days out as well as commuting, it is clearly an area of increasing importance for GO Outdoors. The new range of Calibre and Compass own brand road, leisure, commuter and mountain bikes launched by GO this year have been designed to give every customer, regardless of their experience or aspirations, the best possible ride.

“The two Calibre MTBs launched in Sept 2013 have excellent reviews from the specialist media, and sales have increased by 46 per cent in the last 12 weeks.”

GO Outdoors muscles in on bikes with expansion

NEWS

GO OUTDOORS’ OWN BRAND: THE DETAILSTHE CALIBRE range features three road bikes and a fl at bar road bike. The Calibre Progress, with a double butted alloy frame, is at the foot of the range. The Calibre Achieve is the next step up, with the same frame as the Progress but offering a carbon fi bre fork. Top of the range is the Calibre Stat, aimed at sportive and competitive rides, featuring carbon tapered forks, Shimano’s premium 10 speed Tiagra gearing, a Shimano Rs501 wheel set and tyres from Schwalbe.

Commuters have an option too in the Calibre Filter, a fl at-bar road bike featuring a double butted 6061 aluminium frame.

The Compass range is GO Outdoors offer for those looking for more leisurely cycling. The Dutch style 6061 aluminium framed Compass Eleanor features a laser cut chain guard, wicker style basket and a three speed Sturmey Archer internal gear hub. The Compass range also offers two folding bikes, Northern and Central.

© CREDIT: Welcome to Yorkshire

“Cycling is clearly an area of increasing

importance for GO Outdoors.”

Sarah Fretwell

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AS FURIOUS thighs stormed through Northern Ireland to a 5,000-strong audience, a celebration of Italian cycling history made its impact on the UK. From Belfast’s streets to the Lord Mayor’s hair, the tickled-pink city had endless energy for the Giro d’Italia. But has this enthusiasm translated in to British bike business?

“For the fi rst time since 1992,” stressed cycling writer Felix Lowe, “no Italian won the leader’s Maglia Rosa [the pink jersey] during the 21 days of racing”. Having thrived on Italian culture since its inception, such an outcome of this year’s Giro symbolises the embrace of cycling beyond Italy’s borders. Belfast is one of 11 cities that has played host to the Grande Partenza (Big Start) since 1965, though Felix explains that it was “last year, when Bradley Wiggins attempted to win the Giro” which saw the UK open its arms to the race, broadcasting the race “live on ITV in the UK for the fi rst time” and really making an impact on sales.

Business Success There is certainly an attitude that the Giro d’Italia helped expose trade. As BikeBiz reported, 20,000 attended this year’s Irish Cycling Show, an event exhibiting over 60 bike businesses.

Joining this year’s hysteria was Rob Bodill, founder of Jyrobike, who took his bike prototype along to Belfast this year and is confi dent of a positive impact on his business. “Jyrobike had the opportunity to present its prototype at the Giro festival in Belfast city and as a consequence gained public exposure and valuable user feedback,” he said.

Jyrobike’s chance to take advantage of the Giro’s pedestal equally “created a community atmosphere that built exposure” and allowed the opportunity to meet “potential resellers, suppliers and other business partners” said Rob; “it was an excellent networking and launch pad for our company”. The business even secured a handshake introduction with the city’s Lord Mayor. With the Jyrobike Kickstarter campaign having smashed its $100,000 target in just six days, it seems to have been a strategy that’s paid off.

Future trendsSuch globalisation of the race will surely translate for bike business and brands also reaching international consumers. Italy is an attractive destination to cyclists for its landscape and brands. It’s something that the

villa rental fi rm I work with, Tuscany Now, specialises in promoting and catering for. Italian manufacturer Pinarello, for one, is growing “more and more in the UK because they provide Team Sky with their bikes,” explains Felix. European competition needn’t be fended off, but a signal of growing interest in cycling; not just for transportation, but as a serious recreational sport.

It is also worth noting that seven of the top ten cyclists in the Giro were younger than 30; “pretty impressive given the age of last year’s Vuelta Espana – 41 year-old Chris Horner”. With an average age of 26 for all stage winners, the swing to the younger rider certainly demonstrates a fresh interest in cycling.

Though Halfords has attributed the ‘Wiggins Effect’ as the cause of surging sales and the Tour de France is now splashing canary yellow everywhere, the Giro’s impact is not to be underestimated. “The Giro has played second fi ddle to the Tour for quite a while now,” said Felix, “but for purists, it’s the biggest stage race of the season – and there is an increasing global interest now that cycling is becoming ever more popular around the world”.www.tuscanynow.com

With a keen interest in all areas of Italian culture, Tess Brumwell-Gaze of Tuscany Now closely followed this year’s Giro d’Italia. Here she asks; what benefi ts can a cycle race bring to the industry and wider economy…

Giro d’Italia ‘a launch pad’ for UK business

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JULY 11

OPINION

“The Giro has played second

fi ddle to the Tour for a while now,

but for purists it’s the biggest stage

race of the season.”

As well as being a massive crowd draw, racing can often forge business links trackside

WITH A High Street split between people willing to buy today and those who want 25 per cent off and are willing to wait until tomorrow, IBDs must identify which ‘camp’ each customer comes from because business will only be available from one of the two.

My sales training course seeks to explain to shop staff that internet retail is not an impenetrable brick wall for sales staff. It is simply a competitor and we need to look at how it is doing business and compete with it. This attitude creates a different mindset. If a shop down the road started offering 25 per cent off all its products, what could we do? Lower prices to compete? Certainly, but reducing net profi ts by discounting will kill us eventually.

Ask what research the customer has done – have they looked at your website? If not, take them over to the PC and go through it with them. But how about offering services the internet cannot? Now that starts to look attractive as it retains your net profi t. This year, following a conversation I had on the course, I came upon the fi rst bike shop owner I’ve met who is willing to try to compete directly by welcoming internet shoppers into his store.

Accepting that it is impossible to ‘save’ every sale from any objection, welcoming internet sales is certainly a fascinating concept. Starting with a poster in the window telling people

of a new service to assist internet shoppers, moving on to explaining that a customer can research in the shop alongside a knowledgeable staff member at £25 an hour which includes technical advice, starts to reveal brand new revenue streams. It means the internet shopper is encouraged to work with the bike shop as it creates a chance to sell the product to him directly; it is there, in his hand. Added to that, the shop is charging for the use of its technical knowledge – at last! This process could include a bike fi t, another source of revenue.

Putting the customer in touch with product he sees both in your shop and online at the same time gives the sales person the chance, at least, to sell him something. It forms the sales relationship so critical to achieving high sales levels and future business. Furthermore, it increases that hard core of regular customers who wouldn’t go anywhere else, that every IBD must have to survive. This store will go on to offer to assemble the bike, by a Cytech trained technician, for £45. Shops have a chance to offer to fi t accessories bought in the shop at the same time, to the internet bike at no fi tting charge. This is a good sales story as no one likes the hassle of fi tting things themselves. It will give a six-week safety check and service for £45 and proper scheduling ‘locks’ each customer into the workshop for the life of the bike.

Effectively then, this store is turning the loss of the sale into revenue for the workshop, giving the customer access to technical knowledge and locking the customer to them, areas the internet simply cannot compete with. As this concept grows adding further services, this bike shop is going to survive. It might be losing some new bike sales to internet customers, but that is happening already – those sales were already lost. The workshop becomes busier at £50 an hour.

By attracting these enquirers who are not even potential customers as they are presently using you to do research and will eventually buy from the internet, a chance now exists to sell some new bikes to internet shoppers who want product quickly and also supply accessories and that has to be a good way to go to protect profi tability. At the same time, they pay for your advice and come to you for a bike fi t, assembly, a six-week safety check and repairs over the lifetime of the bike. That’s effectively new business for a High Street store.

If you really can’t compete with a 25 per cent discount competitor, and things are getting out of hand in lost sales and low morale, then get the revenue you lose into another area of the business. Make sense?Colin Rees: 07540 351 [email protected]@wordpress.com

We present the second part of sales trainer Colin Rees’ views on how bricks and mortar bikes shops can take on showroomers by welcoming them in and charging them for advice…

Charging internet shoppers for advice?


OPINION

“Putting the customer in touch with

product he sees both in your shop and online at the same time gives the sales person

the chance, at least, to sell him

something.”

WELCOMETO the harder

the climb,the biggerthe grin

WELCOMETO

Sales telephone: 01332 274 252www.moorelarge.co.uk

used by record labels to shoot video and promotional stills. Downstairs there are murals of Marco Pantani and Eddy Merckx, upstairs in Bananastudio could be Olly Murs getting a portrait pic done.

Pedalling Squares is based in Swalwell, south of the Tyne, not far from the Gateshead Metrocentre. It’s at the base of Whickham Bank – Col de Whickham – an ideal stopping/starting point for roadies doing hill work or MTBers heading out to Chopwell Woods, heart of the local mountain bike scene. The cafe is about six miles from the Cycle Hub on Newcastle’s Quayside, a cycling cafe co-owned by holiday company Saddle Skedaddle and Cycle Centre of Byker. Tyneside’s cycling culture is being nurtured by businesses like these.

Murphy has been a pro photographer for 25 years and has worked for Nike, Reebok and LA Gear. “I’ve not shot for any bike brands,” he says, “but I’d love to do so. The studio can be rented out for catalogue work or we can take the pix.” Pedalling Squares is attracting cycling clubs as

well as locals who just like the coffee and the cakes. The locals can’t ignore the fact this is a cycling cafe – by the entrance there are hooks for hanging up customer’s bikes.

“We don’t mind how mucky they are,” says Murphy. (The bikes as well as the customers).

“The others parts of the business mean the cafe isn’t on its own, I’m happy for it to grow slowly. I like hanging out here. I love bikes.”www.pedallingsquares.cc

Pedalling Squares is based in Swalwell,

south of the Tyne

“I WANTED to bring a little bit of Looks Mum No Hands to Newcastle,” says Eric Murphy, owner of Pedalling Squares, a cycling cafe which opened in February in a former 19th century brass works. He travelled around the country checking out other cycling cafes and then set to work on his own. He’s a self-confessed bike geek, with a love of grand tour cycle races. His cafe shows the major races on a big screen.

The idea for the cafe was born from a three year old online business selling cycling caps and other items of retro memorabilia (want a Roger de Vlaeminck Brooklyn Gum jersey? Murphy’s yer man). Murphy also runs a newer custom jersey business. Pedalling Squares brings everything into one place, with his son Adrian being webmaster for the online business as well as being a barista in the cycling cafe. Murphy’s daughter also works in the cafe, which serves paninis called the Sagan, the Basso and the Pantani (with side orders of energy gels).

What most customers don’t know is that above the cafe there’s a full-on photo studio,

“Above the cafe is a studio used by record

labels.”Eric Murphy,

Owner

Pedalling Squares is a new cycling cafe in Newcastle on Tyne. Upstairs is an award-winning photographic studio. Carlton Reid takes a look.

Get your studio shots done in a bike café


PEDDLING COFFEE

Photography by Ryan Edy

R a c e --- TTTT uu n ee d H e l i xx -- TTTT eeee cccc h n oo l o gg y

from £2500 frame only

The 2014 Helix Disc sports a combined comfort and race geo and a competition tuned tube-set that’ll satisfy

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HOW TO WIN A BIKEBIZ AWARD

BIKE DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEARA pretty simple one this – the Bike Distributor of the Year is open to bicycle distributors that are operating to high standards. Judges will consider sales performance, customer service and commitment to an orderly marketplace. Lobby us at [email protected]

P&A DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEARFor this award we single out the high achievers in the parts and accessories distribution sector. Judges will consider sales performance, customer service and commitment to an orderly marketplace.Lobby us at [email protected]

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTORSome distributors specialise in particular sectors of the industry, whether it’s BMX, triathlon, CX, e-bikes or anything else – this is the award for them. Judges will consider sales performance, customer service and commitment to an orderly marketplace. Lobby us at [email protected]

Are you a distributor?If you’re in the distribution business then there are three dedicated awards up for grabs:

How to win a BikeBiz AwardIt’s simple – think you deserve a BikeBiz Award or know someone who does? Then let us know about it at [email protected]. If it’s more detail you’re after, then read on…



SPECIALIST RETAILER

Like last year’s Specialist Retailer prize, this award is open to both bricks and mortar and online retailers. Judges will consider reliability, range, customer service, product knowledge and commitment to an orderly marketplace.Lobby us at [email protected]

MAINSTREAM RETAILER

This new award will draw together the best examples of bicycle retailing from mainstream retailers who also operate in other sectors. Judges will consider product knowledge, range and commitment to an orderly marketplace.Lobby us at [email protected]

BEST RETAIL EVENT

Up and down the country, bike shops are putting on events to drive business and engage their communities, local or national. We’re seeking the best of these for the Best Retail Event shortlist. Judges will consider popularity of event, community engagement (cyclist and non-cycle customers) and originality.Lobby us at [email protected]

ONLINE STORE

Like it says on the tin, the Online Store award is for the retailers operating via the worldwide web. Judges will consider reliability, range, customer service, product knowledge and commitment to an orderly marketplace.Lobby us at [email protected]

HOW ARE THESE AWARDS WON?

BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry and consider any direct lobbying from retailers, suppliers or general readers before announcing a set of Finalists in August. The winner is then voted for by the Judging Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry executives taken from all sectors of the business. Members of the jury vote in confi dence and are only revealed after voting is complete. They cannot vote for themselves or associated companies.

WORKSHOP SERVICES

The Workshop Services category is open to not only top performing shop workshops, but also to workshop-only businesses, servicing companies working with hire or business fl eets, service centres and similar. Judges will consider organisation, customer communication, popularity and level of training of staff. Lobby us at [email protected]

IN-STORE EXPERIENCE

Has your store got an outstanding layout? Maybe a ground-breaking piece of point of sale? A bike fi t offering without compare? We want to know about it for the In-Store Experience Award shortlist. Judges will consider originality and look as well as impact.Lobby us at [email protected]

IN ADDITION THERE WILL BE TWO FURTHER BIKEBIZ RETAIL AWARDS – STAR STORE AND INDEPENDENT BIKE DEALER AWARD. Star Store will be decided by our own undercover reporter Mystery Shopper, based on shop visits. Independent Bike Dealer will be shortlisted from our 2014 Top 20 IBDs feature, which will then be voted by our judging panel.

Are you a retailer?These are the awards open to you:


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BIKE BRAND OF THE YEARFolders, BMX, MTB, road, CX… if it’s a bicycle brand, it can be in the running for the Bike Brand of the Year award. Judges will consider commercial success, innovation, marketing and performance. Lobby us at [email protected]

P&A BRAND OF THE YEARGloves, bars, pegs, lights…P&A brands can enter for our awards in the P&A Brand of the Year category. Judges will consider commercial success, innovation, marketing and performance. Lobby us at [email protected]

SALES TEAMGot a team that has delivered an impressive sales feat? Pioneered a new product or outperformed expectations? Then you can enter them into the Sales Team award. Judges will consider sales performance, customer service and commitment to an orderly marketplace. Lobby us at [email protected]

TRAININGMechanic training is the obvious one here, but sales trainers and all manner of other training can benefi t the businesses working in the bicycle business. We honour them with the Training Award. Judges will consider reputation in the industry, impact on retailer business and reputation and commercial success.Lobby us at [email protected]

AND THE WINNER IS…

You can fi nd out who wins the 2014 BikeBiz Awards in person at the Crown Plaza Birmingham NEC, just a stone’s throw from the NEC exhibition hall setting of Cycle Show. The BikeBiz Awards night is Wednesday September 24th, the night before the trade day of Cycle Show.

MARKETING TEAMWhether working for distributors, directly for brands, retailers or agencies, marketing teams can enter the running for the Marketing Team Award. Judges will consider creativity and execution, reach and impact on sales. Lobby us at [email protected]

RETAILER SERVICESThere are a number of hard-to-categorise companies that nevertheless provide an important set of services to retailers, whether that’s bespoke POS specialists, C2W providers, associations or something of a similar ilk. Judges will consider reputation in the industry, impact on retailer business and reputation and commercial success. Lobby us at [email protected]

CYCLING ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENTThere’s been no shortage of hard work by advocates to encourage cycling in the UK. In this award we will shortlist the best. Judges will consider level of publicity and the campaign’s impact on cyclist and potential cyclists. Lobby us at [email protected]

What other awards are up for grabs?Aside from the retail and distribution categories, there will be an award for you in this selection:


Harness the power of social media and grow your Cyclescheme sales in 3 easy steps (and win a staff night out to boot).

Take a picture of Cycleschemers leaving your store with their new bike and upload it to your social media accounts.

This will increase your exposure and result in interest and sales. We will also share your updates via our social media pages.

Each month we will pick the most proactive store and pay for you and your team to have a staff night out!

Cyclescheme LTD will refund winning retailers the cost of a staff night out up to the value of £100. All we ask is that winning retailers send us receipts for the claimable amount and a photo from the event showing some of their staff in attendance. Cyclescheme LTD retain the right to choose winners based on their subjective preferences and retain the right to change the terms and conditions of the promotion at any time.

A/ Cyclescheme Ltd, PO Box 3809, Bath BA1 1WXT/ 0844 879 5101 F/ 0844 409 9464E/ [email protected]

Getting a new bike is contagious

Latest Cycleschemer looking very cool with their new bike! Leaving our highstreet store this morning.

#cycleschemeSnap Cycleschemers

as they leave your store on their new bike.

Share the images on your social media pages and include @cyclescheme

and #cyclescheme.

Facebook + Instagram = @cyclescheme Twitter = @cycleschemeltd

#cyclescheme works on all platforms

This will result in compelling content for your

social media pages. In turn Cyclescheme will

promote your posts.

Each month the Retailers that are the most proactive

in integrating their social media with Cyclescheme’s will be

eligible to win a staff night out.

GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN OUR ACADEMY?

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CYCLE SHOW: 5 FACTS

YOU KNOW the score: the UK’s longest established cycle show is back at the NEC this September, running 25th to 28th (25th is trade and press only). But what you probably don’t know is there will be chance for industry feuds to be played out in a trade-only race, a number of big name celeb guests have already been signed up to appear and there’ll be a ten metre tower dirt jump competition starring one Sam Pilgrim.

The Upper Street Events team takes BikeBiz through some of 2014’s new features… www.cycleshow.co.uk

But it’s all good clean fun – Cycle Show 2014 will give distributors, retailers and media types chance

to ride against each other this year at the NEC. Jonathon

Harker fi nds out what else the Cycle Show team has in store…

Bike industry

clash CYCLOCROSS RIDES INTO CYCLE SHOW

INDUSTRY FACE-OFF DIRT JUMP CONTEST

DEVIL RIDES OUTIN BRUM

SWEET CELEBRITY APPEARANCES

THERE’S BEEN no shortage of chatter around the rise and rise of cyclocross and Cycle Show will refl ect that growth in interest with a new Cycle Show Cyclocross race on Sunday morning. Entries are already open for it – on the British Cycling website – and the elite races for men and women both have £1,000 prize money up for grabs and are limited to 40 places each.

The racing will start and fi nish inside the show with the rest of the course blazing a path through the NEC woodlands adjacent to the Metropole hotel. John Holmes and the team from Derby Cyclocross will be ensuring everything runs smoothly on the day.

BEFORE THE elites (see top right) set off there’ll be an industry race open to anyone from a bike brand, distributor, shop, or media company. Entry proceeds from the industry race will go to Wings

for Life, which is the spinal cord injury charity that Martyn Ashton is raising money for this year. You can register interest in taking part in the race at: www.cycleshow.co.uk/cyclocross.

ROLLER RACING experts, South Coast Sprints, are building a new four man roller rig to showcase a ‘Devil takes the hindmost’ race programme they’ve designed especially for this year’s show.

The racing will take centre stage in the Doom Bar pub/café and on Saturday afternoon there will be a club championship open to all UK cycle clubs. The winning team of four will receive a delivery of Doom Bar prizes for their fellow club members.

ANOTHER NEW addition for 2014 is a big air MTB dirt jumping contest run with Monster Energy and headlined by UK Monster rider and current FMB World Champion, Sam Pilgrim. Riders will drop in from a ten metre tower with one mega jump to showcase their freestyle trick portfolio. With a £5,000 prize purse it’s sure to attract a stellar line-up of dirt jumpers to the UK for the fi rst major contest here in nearly ten years.

ON THE celeb front, the fi rst confi rmed name to appear at the NEC is non other than Italian Liquigas rider Ivan Basso who’ll be opening the show on Friday, but also meeting the press and doing signing sessions on the FSA stand on the trade day.

And Cycle Show regular Lord Alan Sugar will be once again making an appearance on Yellow’s stand to see the latest Pinarellos.

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op

EBC has two stores in Manchester, this one with reasonable parking with free spaces next to the shop. The branch is bright, clean and welcoming, with a big play on the Tour de France Grand Depart, less than 50 miles away to the East. Bikes are double stacked in a widely-spaced showroom, though confusingly there is no signposting as to the bike types, and a lack of staff to help initially. An otherwise busy member of staff shouted over that she’d fi nd someone to help, and within two minutes I’m in conversation with an assistant. She’s knowledgeable and engaging, quickly steering me towards some decent looking sportive bikes, hidden among the racers. We eventually settle with this year’s Giant Defy Composite 2. She fi ts the bike to me to ensure the reach and saddle is adequate, excellent service and she’s not happy until the fi t is spot on. Her product knowledge is great, especially around the different groupsets and frame materials on offer. She suggested a ride to be sure, offering a six-week fi rst service for cable stretch. Bike, service, knowledge all top notch, just a slightly confusing showroom to contend with.

Bike Doctor, Rusholme

Sat just off the Curry Mile at the end further out of Manchester sits a long established bike shop and another Co-Op, Bike Doctor. The shop has convenient parking right outside, as well as bike parking and good public transport. This busy, independent store serves the local community and offers good workshop facilities. On entry, I was warmly greeted and quizzed as to what I was looking for, by a pleasant and inquisitive member of staff. The shop is small but well set out, with many brands and cycle types in logical groupings (nice to see Surly and Bianchi brands). We round on a group of sportive bikes with a Trek Domaine 2.3 leaping out. Pumping up the tyres whilst extolling the virtues, he suggests a quick ride, which I take him up on. Ride done, we talk servicing (there are three free ones) and if this is the right size for my needs. He suggests a bike fi t on a turbo, with my shoes and pedals, all part of the service. No pressure to sell, just good and honest advice – I’d have no hesitation in buying from here, this is the best bike shop experience in a good while.

STA

R S

TORE

STAR STORE STAR STORE

ST

AR S

TORE

STAR S

TORE

S

TAR STORE STAR STORE STARSTORE

Central Manchester

Mystery Shopper is attempting to ride a sportive or two. With experience of MTB, and a budget of £1K to £1.5K for a suitable bike, what can the various shops offer to aid conversion to the ‘dark side’?


MYSTERY SHOPPER

The Bike Rooms, Deansgate

Is there anywhere else to go to if you want Pinarello? Probably not. With a glass fronted end of row store, it certainly looks enticing. The question is, can I get a Pinarello in my price range? The short answer is no. The branch showcases what Yellow offer (Assos and Pinarello mainly, but including Rudy Project, Corima wheels and Giordana apparel) in a high gloss, opulent showroom. This shop really is a future concept, with a ‘less is more’ approach upstairs. Downstairs, the bikes are far more crammed in, and again the choice is bewildering. Are there many people in Manchester willing to part with £8K to £10K for bikes? The complicated answer to the ‘do you have a sportive bike below £1.5K’ is still no, but the sales assistant got close, with some signifi cant compromises. The Sportive framed ROKH in 2012 guise may ‘technically’ be three years old, but there is still some stock, and it comes with a three year warranty (from day of purchase) and free servicing – for ‘as long as you own the bike’. Service and advice was impeccable and as a store its not aloof or untouchable – it’s a very friendly atmosphere.

Evans Cycles, Deansgate

Another Evans, another long wait to get service. In this case there just weren’t enough staff, though the girl that eventually served me was at least busy, and did apologise. This Deansgate store is within eyesight of the BikeRooms and has similar parking diffi culties. Manchester is making parking increasingly diffi cult, and expensive, driving potential customers to the ‘free’ parking at the nearby Trafford Centre – and the (Trafford) Evans close by. Evans offers more brands than its Concept neighbour, including a lovely Fuji Sportif, well within the price bracket, as well as a Cannondale Synapse Disc 105. It’s not carbon, and the mechanical disc brakes will need some TLC to keep them going, but its right on the money for the purpose, the advice was great and the knowledgeable assistant made this an easy sell. Disc-equipped sportive bikes will become a big thing, long before the UCI ratifi es the use for within the Peloton, and it makes sense. The shop was clean and well laid out (which it often isn’t), the only negative point is the inordinate wait to be served, but at least the assistant recognised that.

Summary Sportive bikes come in all shapes and sizes. Some within the budget come with full Carbon chassis, and others, aluminium with carbon forks. Not every bike offered was in budget, but the Shimano 105 groupset proved to be very popular. Sportive bikes need to be comfortable and reliable, and the general service offered by the shops appears to fi t the bill. With a Pinarello it is ‘lifetime’ – with appropriate kudos to the marque. On the subject of Pinarello (The Bike Rooms), whilst the shop could not meet the brief, full marks for trying, and for the ‘concept’, currently unique in central Manchester. Someone has to ‘win’, and this honour goes to Bike Doctor in Rusholme, excellent friendly service, good range of products and honest advice.

Withington Cycles

Close to Rusholme and the vast student population of Manchester, Withington Cycles offers itself as a local, with discounts to students. Well situated on a prominent crossroads, the store has good commuter links via bike, and ample on-street (free) parking. The shop is externally small, though extends back a long way. Bikes are stacked above each other, and as a result are not very accessible. But there’s little you can do in the confi nes.

I’m quickly greeted and enquire about a sportive Bike. The assistant is unsure of the term sportive, and instead refers to ‘Audax’. Splitting hairs maybe. Not having any sportive (or Audax) bikes available, I’m directed towards a ‘Kenisis (sic) 4 Seasons’, and informed that the distributors are unlikely to have stock, as it is the ‘wrong time of the year’, and the product sells very well. I’m asked to look online and get back to them. No mention of price against my budget. The Kinesis Racelight 4S is indeed a great bike, an all-rounder, but not niche enough to be a sportive bike, and the spec errs on the side of all weather, not summer sportive. Partly I’m let down by the lack of knowledge or options on offer, they could have tried harder, I felt.


MYSTERY SHOPPER


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WHAT DO you feel nuun’s unique selling point is over other labels?nuun was the world’s fi rst ever electrolyte replacement tab, so we have been around the longest (over ten years) and are the world’s most used electrolyte tab. As we focus solely on hydration we out-perform on fl avour profi le and choice with 12 currently in the range.

I think there are still lots of people out there totally overwhelmed by nutritional sports products on the market. The simple message with nuun is that when you exercise you sweat and when you sweat you lose electrolytes.

This will affect your performance and fatigue levels (and in extreme cases can cause death) so it is advisable to drink something more than plain water.

However, lots of sports drinks have tons of calories and sugar in them. It is often the case that when you are hot and thirsty you drink more, but you don’t necessarily want more calories, just more fl uids. nuun allows you to separate out hydration from energy needs, so you can go on a short ride and not ingest any calories with your drink, or go for a long ride and have a bar or a gel or stop for a burger (your choice!).

How do you compare to other labels in terms of value for money?Our tablets are a functional product and one we believe works for a variety of athletes. nuun

is not the cheapest product on the market, but we are chosen by millions of active users for a reason. We have the right levels of electrolytes and subtle refreshing fl avours in a variety of refreshing fl avours.

Which products are currently selling best?Our top sellers are and have always been the classic fruit fl avours – lemon and lime, tri berry, citrus fruits and orange. However, strawberry and lemonade are slowly closing rank.

Is your nutrition targeted at anyone in particular? (Others have recently developed age specifi c, men/women tailored nutrition – any plans to try the same?)The beauty of nuun active hydration is that it is suitable for any gender, any level of athlete and any age, from young (my kids drink it) to old.

What point of sale material have you got available for retailers?The ease of nuun is that eight tubes come in their own POS box. Many of our retailers dot them about the store and have a box on the counter. We also have racks (available at Madison) that hold four boxes of nuun on a shelf or a slat wall.

How do you plan to market Nuun this year? nuun is a drink for active people. So, for us, our approach is always to get tabs into the hands

of people out there doing what they love. We push single tabs out through both our online and bricks and mortar retailers for consumer trial, but also we support a bunch of people taking on active challenges for charity by hydrating them along the way. We also seek out bloggers to trial and review our product.

Will we see you at any events?We attend a bunch of small events throughout the summer where we can interact with active people. Our next major show will be the Birmingham Cycle Show. Look out for the nuun-Sigma Sport London racing team (they just raced IG Smithfi eld Nocturne)

Any plans to go beyond dissolvable tablets in future? That would be telling!

How do you go about developing a new recipe?There’s a small and active team of riders and runners that help with that. We key off trend data, customer requests and fl avours that we are in the mood for ourselves and that about sums it up.

How did you decide on cherry limeade and lemonade as fl avour additions?These were fl ashes of inspiration on a very long hot ride. www.nuun.co.uk

“Lots of sports drinks are

packed with calories and

sugar, Nuun’s different...”

Lizzie Baillie, Nuun

NUUN

Nuun started summer with 12 fl avours and

some tidy countertop point of sale


Having now found a home in Madison’s stable, nuun is expanding, offering new fl avours and revamped point of sale. Mark Sutton fi nds out more from electrolyte specialist Lizzy Baillie…

Let’s get Fizz-icle

With some of its locks boasting over one million combinations, as well as a variety of Sold Secure rated goods, British made Squire continues to fl ummox thieves. Mark Sutton speaks to family-business MD John Squire…

FOR THOSE that don’t know, tell us a bit about the Squire heritage:Henry Squire & Sons has been at the forefront of international lock-making for over 235 years. The company was established in 1780 at the time of the Industrial Revolution, which drove the demand for locks.

Several world wars and eight generations of father and sons later, Squire is the only independent family-owned British lock manufacturer in the UK with unrivalled experience in lock-making. Technological innovation is our trademark. Today, cycle security is an area of expertise for us, producing some of the most innovative lock designs on the market.

What strength testing do prototypes endure prior to production?All our cycle locks undergo rigorous internal testing and industry standard testing for Sold Secure. Our products are rated with the company’s offi cial 15-stage security rating, showing at a glance the lock’s level of security from 1 (low) to 15 (maximum).

How important has it become to get a Sold Secure rating on products in recent years?The huge increase in the number of urban cyclists in the UK, particularly in London, together with a dramatic increase in bike theft, means cyclists must be able to trust the overall quality and performance of their security.

Our aim is to provide the highest-level cycle security solution, which has a proven theft resistance against attack.

Squire’s Sold Secure ratings for our combination cycle locks is a fi rst for these type of locks, and refl ects the level of our commitment to producing the very best goods.

Our Snaplok was the UK’s fi rst combination cycle lock to achieve Sold Secure ‘silver’ status, and a trailblazer for our combination cycle products. These now include our new Mako Combi range, which is world’s only integrated range of combination cycle products that have been awarded Sold Secure approval to Bronze and Silver standards.

Our Hammerhead Combi is the world’s fi rst combination D lock to achieve Sold Secure Silver rating. These are higher security, higher

quality combination locks than have ever been available before.

There seems to be a lot of innovative bike security products coming to market lately – what has your biggest development been in recent years? The design of our patented Torq Driv technology in our combination cycle products is totally unique to Squire.

It’s very important for us to have patented products to establish market leadership. What makes our bike locks unique is Squire’s Torq Driv technology – a recoding mechanism that has been developed exclusively by our in-house designers to ensure that the lock cannot be accidentally recoded.

What are the current best sellers and products you’d recommend retailers take a good look at?Squire’s bestsellers include our Snaplok, our new Mako Combi range and typically anything within our range of Sold Secure approved locks.

What stock in deals do your distributors offer? Is there any point of sale material to go alongside them?Our main distributor in the UK is Raleigh, which offers point of sale merchandising stands and other POS material such as information boards and wobblers.

Combination locks seem to have become a big part of Squire’s line – a response to consumer demand or something else?There is a marked increase in the number of sales for combination padlocks from consumers who are looking to invest in a more convenient, ‘no keys to lose’ security solution, and one in which they can trust.

That’s why there has never been a better time for us to set new standards in combination security.

It’s not just on the street security Squire is known for – do you have home security products for cyclists too?Yes, Squire offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of market-leading security solutions to world-class standards for the home and business, as well as the two-wheel market. We make a vast range of general purpose padlocks and combination locks for home and garden security, travel and luggage, multi-purpose lock and chain sets, security cables, bolts, hasps and staples, and a host of security accessories, such as keysafes and wall and ground anchors to keep valuable bikes safe and secure.

How can a retailer take on Squire stock?Contact our main distributors Raleigh, Bob Elliot and Coyote.

Why choose Squire over other labels? We are at the forefront of lock technology. This includes our new advanced combination cycle locks, which refl ect of our superior design capabilities.

All our products benefi t from a ten-year guarantee, and we are proud to offer market-leading British designed products, which consumers can trust.www.squirelocks.co.uk

“All of our products offer

a ten-year guarantee. The consumer can

trust the Squire name.”

John Squire

A head for fi gures

SQUIRE: 235 YEARS IN SECURITY


Sold Secure ratings feature throughout the majority of Squire’s bike catalogue

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THE VAST halls of Messe Friedrichshafen are close to the bosom of the bike trade, but aside from four days at the end of August for the industry’s largest international show, they also play host to OutDoor.

OutDoor is, as you might expect, a large-scale outdoor business event aimed at trade and press visitors. Running from July 10th to 13th, there are industry awards (now in their eighth year) with the winners announced on the fi rst day of the show, over 21,000 trade visitors and enough new product to lure in visitors from over 90 countries.

Clearly then, like Eurobike for bikes, OutDoor should be on your to-do list if you’re in the outdoor trade.

For British brands like Sealskinz, OutDoor is crucial to reaching out to the global outdoor market. Sealskinz marketing manager David Richards explains: “The Outdoor Show plays a key role in our drive to grow the Sealskinz business. With our own operation going from strength-to-strength in Germany it gives us great visibility in the market, but more than that it is a chance for us to showcase the new brand and products to retailers from all over the world.”

It was, in fact, Sealskinz’s accelerated international growth that gave it a strong grounding for its recent rebrand, which saw it embrace its endurance accessory identity and celebrate its ‘products which perform in the most hostile environments, to enable you to go further, go longer and defy the outdoors’.

The fi rm now employs three levels of tech – Stretchdry, Waterproof and Windproof – each with their own specifi c benefi ts.

“We have seen a great reaction to the rebrand thus far,” said Richards. “With it due to go live globally to the consumer base from July 1st we are really excited about what the future holds for Sealskinz. Come and see for yourselves in Hall A4 – Stand 205 at OutDoor.”

Among the product highlights at the Sealskinz stand will be the brand new Dragon Eye Glove, packed with technical details including an Anti-slip lining to improve dexterity and feel via reduced friction. It virtually eliminates liner pull-out, we’re told, and the glove includes touchscreen-friendly tabs on the index fi nger for taking calls, photos and checking bearings without exposing skin to the biting cold or rain. Also on the gloves front, the improved All Season Glove and All Weather Cycling Glove all now feature Anti-slip too, touchscreen-friendly tabs redesigned aesthetics.

On the hat front, waterproof beanies from Sealskinz use ADD waterproof tech and a soft micro-fl eece lining for warmth and moisture control. A selection of patterns are available, while the Skull Cap and Waterproof Cycle Cap are both improved. Meanwhile, Sealskinz socks are guaranteed to keep feet completely dry in the wet and free of sand in dry arid conditions. The entire sock range has been redesigned for a more luxurious look and feel, not least with the Thin Mid-Length Sock. The close fi tting range offers Merino wool lining for warmth, comfort and moisture control.

Keeping outdoor enthusiasts warm is an aim close to the heart of F-Lite too, which also offers Merino, except in its base layer collection. Visitors to stand B4-302 will be able to see the new Merino TEC 240 base layer collection

“The Outdoor Show plays a

key role in our drive to grow the Sealskinz

business. With our own

operation going from

strength-to-strength in Germany it

gives us great visibility in the

market.”David Richards,

Sealskinz

The shores of Lake Constance don’t just play host to Eurobike, they’re also the setting for the one of the outdoor trade’s largest shows. Jonathon Harker collates the facts…

Outdoor attractions

Sealskinz: New gloves, a refreshed sock range and new colours in the headwear line-up



in person, which combines the advantages of the natural functions of merino wool with the performance properties of superfi ne polyproylene yarn, which is lightweight and offers body mapping for excellent wicking properties and ultimate performance. The range, which comprises of mens and womens long sleeve tops (RRP £79.99) and long tights (RRP £59.99) is pitched as the ultimate thermoregulator base layer for cold days outdoors, whatever the activity.

Over on stand B1-310, Snugpak will be showing off the new Snugpak Stasha, which is an ultra-lightweight shelter that can be packed away to a remarkably small size and stashed away in pockets, making it completely portable. The shelter features looped webbing and grommets in each corner so it can be staked out or attached with four guy ropes, which are also provided, allowing it to be confi gured in a different number of ways. Two plastic snaps allow the shelter to be folded to make an improvised bivvi.

Elsewhere Superfeet will be showing the newest member to its insole selection – Carbon – at OutDoor this year and will have a full range of samples at the show. Superfeet’s lightest performance insole yet, Carbon provides a low volume performance insole with unrivalled stability. Using new technology Superfeet has been able to create its strongest, thinnest insole which is designed to work in low volume shoes where performance is key, allowing customers to wear Superfeet in even the tightest of performance footwear. The Carbon is available in store now. Superfeet will also be exclusively giving all retailers who visit the stand a free test pair of Superfeet insoles (stand B3 402).

Teko (on stand FW-WA164) will be exhibiting the new EVAPOR8 Ultralight running socks and compression sleeves for improving calf muscle stability, comfort and endurance in an ultralight, fast-drying fi bre made from recycled polyamide.

To fi nd out about the rest of the 900-or so exhibitors appearing at OutDoor head to www.outdoor-show.de.

OUTDOOR:IN NUMBERS

OutDoor is in its 21st year

21,465 trade visitors from 93 countries arrived at the 2013 edition (21,730 in 2012)

Last year’s show saw 913 exhibitors from 42 countries. For the fi rst edition, in 1994, the show had 230 exhibitors.

1,042 journalists came to OutDoor 2013 (1,019 in 2012)

According to a poll of visitors last year, 44 per cent of the industry think the outdoor industry’s economic health is strengthening

Teko’s new Ultralight running socks and (below) Superfeet’s new Carbon insole collection

F-lite has a new Merino base

layer range

Tube & Tire

Frame & Fork

Torque Wrenches

t: 01332 274200 | e: [email protected] | www.moorelarge.co.uk

Professional Bike Tools

Wheel & Spoke

WorkstationTube & Tire

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Chain

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Bottom Bracket & Freewheel Folding

Cleaning

Disc Brake

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Other groups of young women from local schools took part in entry-level races at the start lines in other towns, as well as at the fi nish lines in Bury St Edmunds and Welwyn. The Go-Ride Racing events are part of British Cycling’s youth development programme for young people, giving novice riders the opportunity to experience cycle racing.

To encourage other women and girls across the country to get involved, a programme

of Rider Development Sessions for Women- and Girls-only have been hosted by Go-Ride coaches. Since their establishment last year, the sessions have provided over 2,300 opportunities for women and girls to get involved in cycle sport.

Go-Ride has been sponsored by the Bicycle Association’s own Bike Hub levy fund since February 2014.www.britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride

Sessions have thus far provided over 2,300 opportunities for young women to get into the sport

THE POPULARITY of the inaugural Women’s Tour of Britain shows that there’s huge interest in the pointy end of cycling, and at the grass-roots level Go-Ride could fi nd a British equivalent to Tour winner Marianne Vos of the Netherlands. The old Cycling England mantra was “more people cycling, more often.”

The Bike Hub-sponsored Go-Ride programme is putting that into practice by getting girls and women into cycling.

Forty percent of current Go-Ride participants are young women and girls. 50 per cent of Go-Ride-trained Young Volunteers are female. Seven out of 12 National Youth Forum representatives are young women. And earlier this year British Cycling hosted the fi rst women-only Go-Ride Level 1 coaching course so, in the future, it’s likely even more girls will be encouraged into cycling, catching the bike bug early.

During the kick-off Women’s Tour – which saw huge crowds greet the riders – Go-Ride coaches hosted girls-only sessions in schools along the route, giving young riders the opportunity to have a go at cycle sport.

A group of girls from schools in Hinckley, Leicestershire, experienced a short part of the life of an elite rider when they cycled 200 metres with the Women’s Tour peloton.

“40 per cent of Go Ride

participants are young women

and girls. 50 per cent of our volunteers are

female.”

The industry-sponsored Go-Ride youth cycling programme is the poster-child for inclusivity: nearly as many girls take part as boys.


GO-RIDE

Go-Rideis bringingmore women into cycling

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VanderkittenPro Cycling TeamPreLoad and Active Hydration helped the Vanderkitten women succeed in the brutally hot conditions during the 2014 Vuelta a El Salvador.

What Makes Osmo So Great? Science.Osmo’s revolutionary hydration and recovery products are based on peer-reviewed science, athlete input and the pioneering work of exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims. An athlete herself, Dr. Sims first tested the products on herself and her teammates. After more than a decade of lab research and beta testing with professional cyclists, triathletes and racecar drivers, Osmo was created.

The science is simple. Hydration, which refers to the maintenance of water in your blood, is critical to maximizing power, endurance and reducing fatigue. When you’re thirsty, you’ve already lost two percent of your body water – and 11 percent of your power.

There are no artificial ingredients or added fillers in Osmo’s products. This means hunting down the highest grades of fruit and electrolyte minerals and investigating how the sugar we use is processed. Just like the science of hydration, we’ve kept it simple, using only what the body needs.

By Us, For Us.We made Osmo for us. And if you sweat, you’re one of us. This Philosophy of Us stands behind everything we do. At Osmo, we want to enable more people to lead healthy, active lives and feel and perform better than they ever have. At Osmo we develop products that work with the body’s systems to optimize athletic performance. We make the sports drinks we want to use and test them daily. Whether you are an Olympic medal-winning cyclist or a first-time triathlete, you can help us with our mission. Our products are directly based on established cutting edge science, but we rely on feedback from athletes to get our products fine-tuned for field use.

We produce the best tools for sports hydration based on sound, peer-reviewed science and all of our products are a collaboration between scholarly research, feedback from athletes, and the pioneering work of our chief research officer Dr. Stacy Sims. Stacy has contributed to the sports hydration field for more than 15 years as both an athlete and a scientist. Stacy first developed Osmo drink mixes in her kitchen based on her needs as an athlete. Stacy later supplied these same mixes to pro cyclists who covertly replaced their sponsors’ sports drinks. Prior to founding Osmo, Stacy led the development of other industry sports drinks. Osmo, a complete drink system, is by far the most advanced and effective for athletes yet developed. To formulate the Osmo system, Stacy spent a decade conducting research in the lab and field testing thousands of litres of drink formulas on elite athletes, racecar drivers, champion triathletes, and the Garmin/Slipstream Professional Cycling Team during the 2009 Tour de France.

Dr. Stacy Sims Osmo Co-Founder & Chief Research OfficerMSc, PhD, Exercise Physiologist-Nutrition Scientist, CISSN

When you’re thirsty, you’ve already lost two percent of your body water – and 11 percent of your power.

“


Hydrating Team Tinkoff-Saxo.Once again team Tinkoff-Saxo has teamed up with Osmo Nutrition for the 2014 season. Osmo works closely with the doctors, soigneurs and riders to support their hydration and nutrition needs:

“The facts are there. The science is very clear. When you start feeling thirsty it’s already too late. In fact as soon as you feel thirsty you’ve lost two percent of your body water – and 11 percent of your power output. Then you’ll find yourself in a situation where success isn’t the goal any more. Now it’s all about survival.”

The same goes for the riders on Tinkoff-Saxo. Together with making sure that they’re loaded with plenty of carbohydrates and energy during a stage, we focus on keeping them hydrated at all cost. Otherwise the little merciless guy with the hammer will come knocking real soon beating all dreams of a stage win or the GC down the very same climb that together with tough weather conditions caused the dehydration in the first place.

Osmo products help to bind and retain water in the cells and blood resulting in optimum conditions for the riders to perform at their maximum power level. With changing weather conditions throughout the race season it’s crucial to remain hydrated. As team captain, Nicolas Roche knows he has to be ready and in top shape on all the stages:

“You can really never let your guards down when you are riding for the general classification. I have to optimize everything I do and that includes keeping my water balance at the right level both in the race and between the stages. Honestly as a professional rider you get a lot of different products throughout your career, but with Osmo I can tell that it makes a difference. I don’t have to drink insane amounts of water during really hot and long stages because the mix in Osmo helps me retain the water, and without artificial additives it feels natural to take it as a part of my daily routine. And that’s important since we eat a lot of food supplements during a day.”

Dealer Support. Keeping Your Team Hydrated.When you become a Osmo stockist, you are eligible for free Osmo support for your local cycle club or staff outing. So if you want to help support your local clubs on those long summer rides, or just offer some good will to your local athletes, Osmo is here to help. Also if you want your local influencer or cycle group leader spreading the word of Osmo and your good will for you, Osmo will support them with a seasons supply of the product free of charge.

Please contact [email protected] for full details.

Tinkoff-Saxo Pro Cycling TeamAs one of the premier World Tour teams, Tinkoff-Saxo has partnered with Osmo because of the leading-edge research behind the products. Osmo works closely with the doctors, soigneurs and riders to support their hydration and nutrition needs.

“With Osmo it’s the first time that all our riders are stomachache free all the time.Piet de Moor, Tinkoff-Saxo

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW OSMO WORKS:

OSMONUTRITION.COM/SCIENCE/


2PURE LTD.46c Bavelaw Road,Balerno,EdinburghEH14 7AE

SALES ENQUIRIES: +44 (0)844 811 [email protected]

PRELOAD HYDRATION FOR MENSPECIAL APPLICATIONSRP: £19.99

Osmo PreLoad Hydration is a special application “hyper-hydrator”. Use it before intense efforts, ultra-endurance events or exercise in hot conditions. PreLoad was used to win Gold in London and by Peter Sagan to secure the Green Jersey during the 2013 Tour de France. Consider it your secret weapon.

> Increase Performance During Hot & Intense Efforts. > Maximise Sustained Power. > Reduce Muscle Fatigue and Cramping.

Servings: 20 eight ounce servingsNet Weight: 9.2 OZ (260g)Flavour: Pineapple & Lemon

PRELOAD HYDRATION FOR WOMENSPECIAL APPLICATIONSRP: £19.99

Osmo PreLoad Hydration is a special application “hyper-hydrator” for women that addresses the effects of oestrogen and progesterone on athletic perfomance. It was developed to be used before intense efforts, ultra-endurance events or exercise in hot conditions.

> Counteract Hormone-Induced Drop in Body Water. > Increase Performance During Hot & Intense Efforts. > Maximise Sustained Power and Improve Recovery.

Servings: 20 eight ounce servingsNet Weight: 9.7 OZ (275g)Flavour: Pineapple Margarita

ACTIVE HYDRATION FOR MENUSE DURING EVERY WORKOUTSRP: £15.99 / £1.45 (24 single servings, per serving)

Olympic medalists, Tour de France riders, and pro triathletes know hydration is critical to top performance. That’s why they’ve replaced their sponsors’ drinks with Dr. Stacy Sims’ hydration formulas for years. Osmo Active has been developed to maximise the rate of fluid absorption into the body and uses only the highest quality natural ingredients - such as organic fruit.

> Increase Power Output. > Improve Endurance. > Reduce Cramping.

Servings: 40 eight ounce servings or 24 sixteen ounce servingsNet Weight: 14.1 OZ (400g) or 16.9 OZ (480g)Flavours: Orange or Blackberry

ACTIVE HYDRATION FOR WOMENUSE DURING EVERY WORKOUTSRP: £15.99 / £1.45 (24 single servings, per serving)

Women are not small men. During our menstrual cycle our internal temperature varies by 0.5°C, while our sodium losses increase and plasma volume drops.

> Increase Power Output. > Improve Endurance. > Avoid Premenstrual-Related Performance Decline. > Get the nutrition that matches your physiology and see how much better you feel and perform.

Servings: 40 eight ounce servings Net Weight: 14.9 OZ (425g)Flavour: Mango

ACUTE RECOVERY FOR MENUSE AFTER EVERY WORKOUTSRP: £29.99

Feed your potential! When you exercise, you stress your body. During recovery you adapt to those stresses, getting stronger and more efficient. Osmo Acute Recovery is the result of over ten years of Dr. Stacy Sims’ lab and field research with elite athletes to:

> Speed Recovery. > Optimise Training Adaptions. > Rapidly Restore Glycogen.

Servings: 16 eight ounce servingsNet Weight: 13.4 OZ (380g)Flavour: Vanilla

ACUTE RECOVERY FOR WOMENUSE AFTER EVERY WORKOUTSRP: £29.99

As women, our recovery physiology is heavily influenced by our menstrual cycle. Recovery is critical for us because progesterone and estrogen inhibit muscle repair and glycogen restoration.

> Promote Muscle Synthesis. > Reduce Hormonal Influences on Recovery. > Optimise Training Adaptations. > Get the recovery nutrition that matches your physiology and see how much better you feel and perform.

Servings: 16 eight ounce servingsNet Weight: 12.6 OZ (360g)Flavour: Honey & Spice

OSMO FOR MEN OSMO FOR WOMEN

KEYLINE

KEYLINE

by Jonathon Harker

EARLIER THIS year e-bike fi rm Batribike confi rmed it was to beef up the security of its entire electric bike range with the Datatag security marking system fi tted as standard.

Pitched as a fi rst in the market, the trade has reacted positively to the security conscious move.

Batribike director Sue Coulson told BikeBiz: “Fitting Datatag as standard to the whole of our range has gone down very well with the customers and dealers alike. We have had positive feedback that Datatag is a recognised brand and our dealers see it as an aid to sales.”

Strategically placed UV markings on the battery, frame, forks and other key areas are combined with ‘Datadots’ are being used to mark components, including the e-bike display. A warning label will also be installed on the bike with a QR code that, when scanned, can fl ash up if the bike is of interest to the police, including data regarding the colour and make.

Batribike has made further changes to its offering to boost appeal to retailers, Coulson explained: “To help our dealers we have now also included delivery in the trade price of our bikes. This means that increasing courier costs are not eroding the dealer margin.

“We are always happy to talk to new bike shops wishing to become Batribike Dealers. A wide dealer network is important to us because we believe that most customers interested

in purchasing an electric bike would like to ‘try before they buy’. Batribike does not retail online or by phone which is why our website is aimed at sending customers out to their local.

Cykell comes to the UKIn other news, Batribike has taken on UK distribution for Cykell tow ball mounted cycle racks. The simple to use Belgian bike carrier – winner of a 2014 Red Dot Design Award – comes in two or three bike confi gurations and there’s an option to add an extra bike to each. There is also an optional loading ramp. Both racks are rated to 60kg so that electric bikes

can easily be carried by the range. Coulson said: “We saw it at the Amsterdam show and were very impressed by it’s quality and easy to use just click system. The carrier is ready to use straight out of the box, there is no assembly, and fi tting it to a tow ball couldn’t be easier. Place on the tow ball, unfold, and it securely locks into position, no tools, tightening or adjustment required.”

To fi nd out more about becoming a dealer for Batribike electric bicycles or Cykell Bike Carriers contact Steve or Sue via [email protected] or 01427 787774

“Datatag is a recognised label and

dealers see it as an aid to sales”

Sue Coulson, Batribike

THE TEAM behind North America’s key cycle trade show Interbike put on its second e-bike specifi c Charged Up event just outside of New York City in Hamburg, New Jersey.

With over 4,000 acres of open space to test and interact with the e-bikes on display, Charged Up was created to appeal to New York-based publishers and non-endemic media including the likes of Esquire, Wired, The Wall Street Journal and Vogue. In its fi rst year it was held in Southern California.

A select bunch of around 25 brands took part in Charged Up including Haibike, Izip, LaPierre, Bell, Giro, LEVA (Light Electric Vehicle Association), Blackburn, Bion-X and Prodeco.Interbike.com/events/electric-bike

Big Apple bitten by e-bike bug

Trade welcomes Batribike theft-busting Datatag team up


ELECTRIC BIKESSponsored by

Charged Up event sees 25 brands take part

Installing Datatag throughout the range is ‘positive for everyone in the supply chain,’ says Batribike

Batribike is seeking fresh retail

accounts

The second edition of Charged Up was held in Hamburg, New Jersey


ELECTRIC BIKESSponsored by

by Jonathon Harker

RETAILER E-bikeshop has opened a new store in Farnham, on the Surrey and Hampshire borders. Pitched as the UK’s largest crank drive electric bike specialist, the new outlet offers a large showroom and facilities to accommodate customer collections and home delivery via direct despatch from the warehouse.

E-bikeshop stocks the whole range of Haibike, Moustache and Raleigh electric bikes. The expansion was ‘essential’ to keep up with demand, the retailer said, and its ever-widening customer base, which now extends to all corners of the UK as well as to mainland Europe and also beyond.

Brown said: “We are very excited to have our new premises up and running. We have already been taking appointments and everyone who has visited us so far has been very impressed at the large showroom and good selection of parts and accessories available, in fact the main word we have been hearing down here is ‘Wow!’

“Our excellent customer service must be working and word has now quickly spread as we have more e-bikes going out of the door than ever. The demand is defi nitely growing at a huge rate and our customer age range has now also widened to include people in their 20s with the main attraction for them being the new e-mountain bikes.

“Our new site means that we can display a large selection of e-bikes, from mountain, road, hybrid and trekking bikes. We have a fresh new range of parts and accessories to match, along with all the essential spares and components should they ever be required. We also have new workshop, dispatch and packing bays. This ensures we can get website orders out quickly, often arriving at the customers door fully set up ready to ride within 24

hours. With the extra space we can now hold more stock than ever with a good selection of European bikes ready to hand as the orders fl ow in – we found this an essential part of our service. Our new workshop also allows us to quickly service and maintain our existing customers’ bikes and as a Bosch UK service centre we have all the Bosch diagnostics systems ready to hand.”e-bikeshop.co.uk

E-bikeshop expansion

THE BRITISH Electric Bicycle Association (BEBA) has seen a change in the chairman role.

Mark Loveridge has stepped down as chairman as he has now left the

electric bike industry to take a position in a completely different fi eld.

BEBA said: “Mark has been a driving force in BEBA since its inception in 2009, his enthusiasm will be missed by all in

the industry. He will remain as a non-executive member of the working group as he retains an interest in electric bikes.

“The BEBA Working Group and members wish him all the best for the future in his new position.”

Ralph Coulson of Batribike takes over the position of chairman until the AGM next April. Coulson has been involved in the background of the working group since the association’s early days.www.beba.info

Batribike’s Coulson moves into BEBA hotseat

“Our new site means that we can often have a bike on the

customer’s doorstep within 24 hurs, ready

to ride.”

The store is also a service centre for Bosch e-bike goods

Moore Large

RETAILCOMMENT

RETAIL ONLYThe trade’s guide to sourcing stock, up-and-coming IBDs and the very latest products

Have we a promotion problem?

DEALER PROFILE: FATBIRDS 49Having been under new ownership for a while now, BikeBiz checks back in with Hunstanton’s FatBirds.

BMX GUIDE 53Local skatepark producing demand for small bikes? Check out our guide to 20-inch wheel stock on 53

NEW PRODUCTS 50BikeBiz rounds up the month’s latest product releases, both new to market and due for delivery shortly.

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE

[email protected]

Many of you will have read our executive editor Carlton Reid’s piece last month on the likelihood that one day the current bubble carrying the bike trade – high-end road – will no doubt burst. The question remains; then what?

I think the answer to that question, (though to some extent it depends on sorting the roads out) could have been provided by BikeBiz.com readers this month.

Within the comments on last month’s excellent guest piece by Cyclocrossrider.com’s editor Konrad Manning, one poster suggested that the CX boom is not necessarily down to those taking up the sport, pointing instead to the versatility of the bikes and perhaps the easily infl uenced nature of the newbie. I’ll hazard a guess you may have heard this one before: “my mate told me disc brakes are good?”

So, might the formula to carry our bubble a little further be as simple as everyday bikes for everyday people? They certainly seem to think so on mainland Europe where the ‘Dutch bike’ is the staple of shops, the cargo bike widely promoted as an alternative to driving and where sporty bikes are not necessarily put on the pedestal they often are here in the UK.

Another retailer’s comment pointed to the 50 million, perhaps more, UK residents who currently do not cycle, asking to what extent has the non-cyclist been subject to market research. Market research tends to focus on reasons for and against cycling, very rarely touching on the bikes themselves.

Might it be possible that many simply do not know of the joy of cycling, having been put off by their prior experiences of buying into the false economy offered by ‘cheap’ bicycles? Should marketing budgets instead be spent on educating the consumer about their prospective beginner purchase, instead of promoting the ubiquitous and often prohibitively expensive sport cycling image.

This brings me to the Evans summer advert, currently running on TV. I fi rst spotted it at half time during a World Cup friendly. Branding cyclists ‘odd ones’ aside, I can’t help but feel the industry might be pushing the wrong image. If your average football fan is going to cycle, they’ll not be trading their Beckham 07 shirt for a tight fi tting Wiggins ‘12 jersey. We have to reduce the promotion of sport cycling to beginners and instead normalise cycling for transport. Can you imagine the Equestrian trade promoting its big bucks professional riding gear to someone afraid of horses?

“Can you imagine the equestrian trade promoting big bucks

professional riding gear to those afraid of horses?”

Catering for the high-end cycling connoisseur, Fatbirds’ itself has become a highly sought after brand. Managing director Peter Flett tells Jonathon Harker how the shop’s catchment area is growing...

How’s business at the moment? Business is going really well – we specialise in building bespoke titanium bikes and we have seen interest increase dramatically over the last three years.

What is the story behind the name? Have you ever been tempted to rename the shop to something more generic like ‘Hunstanton Cycles’? The name comes from the previous owner and there was a move to change it when the new team took over. However, internet research showed that 8,000 people a day were searching specifi cally for www.fatbirds.co.uk – so there was no way we could change it!

Is road cycling still going strong? We hear anecdotally that MTB is having a slow resurgence… Road cycling is around 80 per cent of our sales. There is a slow growth in MTB, but the biggest growth currently is in the ladies who are getting into the sport. We have three groups of girls who ride from the shop each week.

Do you aim to attract customers from afar to the shop?The majority of our business is web based and our customers come from all over the UK and Europe.

We have a great telephone team of experts who can help customers specify their bike and ensure they get what they need!

How many staff do you have? We currently have a staff of ten.

Do you still have a ‘bored spouse’ area where there’s a coffee table, sofa and mags?Of course! But we also have stunning sandy beaches less than ten minutes ride away and we fi nd that riders bring their families up and set them up on the beach before coming to see us. During winter it’s a bracing walk, but in summer it’s time for building sandcastles.

How long have you offered bike fi tting and in terms of popularity is it growing/the same?We’ve offered bike fi tting for the last fi ve years – position on the bike is easily as important as the bike itself.

How do you engage with your community? We have smaller weekly group rides from Hunstanton and the surrounding area – and on the last Saturday of every month do a larger ‘team Fatbirds ride’, which is typically 50 miles plus. We support the local ‘Sportive’ club, Sandringham and West Norfolk, who have just over 300 members.

Our biggest event is Pedal Norfolk – a three day cycling festival held at the beautiful Holkham Hall over the fi rst Bank Holiday in May. This year we had 2,500 riders and 10,000 visitors from all over the country. Emma Pooley was our fi gurehead – Emma is world time trial champion and was a Team Fatbirds rider ten years ago. It was a great weekend.

We also sponsor the Norfolk Superhero, a mad local quadrathlon which involves a sea swim, kayak, 50 mile ride and then eight mile run along the beach.

How else do you drive business? Search engine optimisation (through WMG), PLA, press both local and national, Facebook and Twitter. We also attend local and national trade fairs, ride locally and at national sportives.There’s a team going to the Dragon Ride and Ride London, for example. It’s always busy!

What’s the biggest challenge for a bike shop owner or manager in 2014? Not having enough time to be able to ride. Seriously though, ensuring that you’ve got stock throughout the season is always a challenge.

What would you say to someone setting up a bike shop? Make sure you have a point of difference.

“Internet research showed

8,000 people specifi cally

search FatBirds daily. We simply couldn’t change

the name.”Peter Flett, MD

Birds of a feather-lightOpening Times: 9.30 to 5.30. Closed Sundays

Telephone: 01485 535875Web: www.fatbirds.co.uk

Email: [email protected]: fatbirdscycles

Twitter: @fatbirds


DEALER PROFILE

Send your product details including a hi-res photo and brief description of the product. Email [email protected]. Or call Mark on +44 (0)1992 535646 for a chat.

This month, after a light Muesli breakfast, we’re out on a Roam with SRAM, FSA, Endura and Diamondback

New Gear NEW TO Raleigh’s youth line up are Diamondback’s

Octane 20-inch and Impression 24-inch mountain bikes.Built around a lightweight aluminium frame,

the geometry and fi nishing kit are tailored to the rider’s dimensions, with customised colour-matched Diamondback saddles a particular highlight. Both carry a Suntour suspension fork, alloy Promax V-brakes, combined with Shimano gears, to produce four great looking bikes, offering both boys and girls versions.

Product manager Jason Boness said: “We’re introducing these new bikes to bring a sophisticated adult look to our junior category.

“The Octane and Impression are ‘grown-down’ versions of the adult Diamondback bikes in our range, so they’re just like adult bikes but designed on a smaller frame. There’s a growing number of children looking to ride a serious bike and we feel that we’ve nailed it with these.”

Diamondback Octane & Impression

Raleigh – 01773 532600

BOOSTING ITS off-road catalogue, SRAM has introduced the Roam 30 and 40 wheelsets in 26, 27.5 and 29-inch.

The Roam category is designed to sit between the lighter use XC-oriented Rise series and rough and ready Rail wheels. Thanks to a new hub design, the bladed spokes are all the same length, making it n ice and simple to fi nd spares. Customers will fi nd the same aysmetric 21mm wide profi le as you’ll found on the higher priced Roam 50 wheels.

The differences between the 30 and 40 are largely subtle details such as the 40s being welded, while the 30s are sleeved to reduce production costs. The hub rolls on smooth large diameter Speedball bearings, with the 30 carrying two pawls and the 40 having four, as well as 26 and 52 engagement points, respectively.

Prices per pair are £378 for the 30 and £529 for the 40. Front and rear wheels are available to buy separately.

SRAM Roam 30/40 wheelsFisher Outdoor – 01727 798345 Raleigh – 01773 532600

FURTHER BUILDING on the helmet line now within its catalogue, Endura has added the Singletrack lid.

Having listened to feedback from both retail and end-users, Endura has revised the fi t over the previous generation’s Snype helmet, eliminating all pressure points. Further to that, the adjustment system has been refi ned, with the addition of three internal vertical adjusters recessed into the mold to give a snug, 360-degree fi t.

The Singletrack also improves on its predecessor by adding a faster-wicking antibacterial padding, which is slightly thicker too for improved comfort. Spare padding is also included in the box, as is an insect net.

Three sizes are now available from Endura and retailers can take stock of blue, green orange and black colours, all retailing at £69.99.

Endura Singletrack Helmet

Direct to retail – 01506 497749

BAR TAPE is all the same, right? Well FSA may beg to differ, having just launched its Powertouch handlebar tape, as seen on the bikes of pro-tour teams such as Lampre-Merida, Belkin Pro Cycling, Androni Giocattoli, MTN Qubeka, 3M, Astana Continental, Bretagne Séché and Nippo-De Rosa.

FSA believes that its tape is one for all weathers, boasting to be the grippiest on the market in all conditions. We’ve not tried it, but all those professionals can’t be wrong, can they?

Your customer can choose among a variety of colors including black, white, red, blue, yellow and green. FSA have also included a special ultra-resistant FSA adhesive, specifi c for woven material.

FSA Powertouch tape

Windwave – 02392 505320

THOSE OF us with strict training regimes have to watch what we eat, we’re told, anyway. So for those that are committed to their training goals, Moma has come up with a breakfast Muesli that is low in fat, high in fi bre and full of taste.

Available to be sold in packs of four, the slow-energy release breakfast comes in wild berry, strawberry and banana fl avours, each of which is crammed full of jumbo oats soaked in apple juice and mixed with low-fat Somerset yogurt and more actual real fruit.

Moma are interested in hearing from independent sports retailers interested in adding something a little different to their nutrition stocks. A pack of four retails at £2.99.

Moma Muesli

Direct to retail – 0208 6927979


NEW PRODUCTS

MOUNTAIN ELITE LINK SHIFT KITEasy to Install, Ultra-Flexible, Lightweight Performance

This new aluminum link housing is the ultimate combination of durability and attention grabbing looks. Available in Black, Red, Silver or Gold, our Link Kit

tight bends without kinking during tricky cable runs.

available.

For more information visit jagwire.com.

www.moorelarge.co.uk


Turn your smartphone into an action camera

• Rugged and durable shock proof body

• 10m IP68 waterproof

• Removable 180° lens for fl exible shooting options

• Complete dust and dirt protection

• Full HD video recording in 1080p at 30 frames per second

• Chest mounting strap included for use out of the box

• Optional Outdoor Pack for expanded mounting options for bikes, boards & helmets

• Now available for immediate delivery – check out our website for B2B ordering or contact our offi ce for more information

iPhone 4/4SiPhone 5/5S

Galaxy S4Galaxy S3

www.greyville.com • [email protected] • 0845 166 1983


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Stock for the daily grindBMX, like many other sectors within cycling, can be confusing for the uninitiated. Mark Sutton rounds up product suited to the trails, skate park, streets and more…


BMX

RaleighAS ONE of the original brands dating back to the seventies, Diamondback has over thirty years in BMX.

With a range of models on offer, from a customer’s very fi rst BMX, the Remix 12”, through to the Forum, a pro spec full 4130 double butted tubing bike, Raleigh’s stocks have every riders needs covered.

The £200 Grind is the starter model with a frame featuring tapered rear stays, a lazer cut brake bridge, and micro

dropouts. Wheel wise its kitted out with double wall rims, an alloy10mm front hub and a semi-sealed 14mm alloy cassette hub with nine tooth driver.

Deeper into the range you’ll start to notice brand name components from the likes of Odyssey and Alienation. Take the mid-range Ison at £375, a bike that bears the same geometry as the team bikes. The aftermarket components used are Odyssey Chase Hawk Tyres, Twisted Pedals and Alienation Rims.01773 532600

CSG UKICONIC BICYCLE motocross label Hoffman Bikes is now found with the Cycling Sports Group in the UK, beginning with the 2015 range.

The all-new Crucible model from the 2015 range will be one of many launched at the CSG UK Show in early August. Redesigned from the ground up, competitively priced, well specced, and with brand and marketing support that

continues the Hoffman Bikes legacy, CSG UK will be giving Hoffman a big push this year. Stock of the 2015 Hoffman Bikes line will be available to dealers from September onwards.

With BMX powerhouse WeThePeople within its stocks, CSG UK customers also not only have access to the entire WTP bike line, but also brands such as Eclat and Fuse, which are also produced by the German manufacturer.01202 732288.

ElephantANOTHER DISTRIBUTOR dedicated solely to 20-inch products is Elephant distribution, run by long-serving BMX media veteran Steve Bancroft.

Having launched just two years ago, Elephant Distribution is the exclusive UK distributors for Volume, Demolition and Markit Denim, the latter of which has quickly picked up a massive following thanks to a stunning DVD release worthy of the shop TV. Bancroft continues to use Elephant’s muscle

power to promote BXM at grass roots, telling BikeBiz: “We’re keen to inject as much personality and fi rst hand personal experience into the BMX as possible – an ethos we’ve been espousing recently by putting on local grass roots events and enticing participation with treats such as hot dogs and cups of tea.

“In late August we’re hitting the road again for another full UK shop tour with seven American Pro riders, as well as our UK team and distro riders.” 01425 839864

SeventiesAS TRADE-voted winner of last year’s Specialist Distributor BikeBiz Award, Seventies is recognised as a key supplier to any retailer looking for quality BMX bikes, parts and accessories.

Within its stable you’ve the likes of Cult, Subrosa, The Shadow Conspiracy, Mutiny, Kink, Fiend, DUB, Lotek shoes, as well as house brands Federal and 88.

88 will be a key brand for the distributor going forwards thanks to its beginner-friendly and robust builds. Not shying away from market trends, the range includes bikes sporting

freecoasters or cassettes, as well as the new KHE Affi x Rotor gyro system.

Staff at Seventies are, or previously have all been BMX riders, so for expert knowledge give them a call on01424 855556.


BMX

Claud ButlerTHE SCORPION 2015 range is brought to UK IBDs by Claud Butler. Available from August, (although pre-orders are now being taken), the catalogue offers a range of 14 bikes in four wheel sizes, starting at £149.99 for the 16-inch wheel Maul, to £299.99 for the 20-inch full cro-mo Scourge. It also includes a 24-inch wheel model for taller riders (or older riders who can’t kick the habit).

Many of the bikes have been updated to include compact rear dropouts, integrated headsets and tapered fork legs. There are two colour options on most of the models and the majority of

the bikes also have Tektro rear brakes supplied as standard.

The range covers a wide spec, from basic V brake equipped one-piece cranked bikes, to the range-topping 25 x 9, U-braked, full cro-mo bike, which includes the frame, forks, bars, seat post and cranks.

All models are supplied with custom decal sheets for the customer to apply.01652 656000

Madison & SportlineSARACEN BIKES is bringing two-tone frames back into fashion this year with the £449.99 Amplitude Terminal complete.

There is, in fact, a whole range of BMX bikes, available from £229.99 for the 18-inch wheeled Amplitude Source and spanning six price points up to £499.99. The entire range is built around heavy-duty three-piece cranks and 25/9 gearing, giving beginners plenty of clearance as they roll over a ramp’s coping.

Arcane continues to develop its components and service parts offering for BMX bikes. The range covers everyday workshop commodities such as half link chains, pedals, headsets and BBs, as well as aspirational upgrade parts such as the 729-gram Precision 13 butt handlebar, or Machine Head Top Load CNC stem. The great attraction of the Arcane range is that dealers can buy a reliable product range via Madison’s B2B site, without committing to a huge opening order. View the range at Madison.co.uk/arcane

Moore LargeHAVING VASTLY increased and improved its BMX stocks with new labels and new products in recent years, with Moore Large dealers have access to brands like Haro, Premium Products, Box, Social Bike Co, Cliq and others.

For the racer, Box makes some of the most intricate and stylish race plates that are available today, featuring colour fast 3D injection moulding.

The Phase 1 plate retails at £19.99 and each plate includes hook and loop closures secured with custom Box rivets and silk screened graphics.

Also from the race label is the new Delta stem which claims to be the fi rst, modern, 31.8 Ø, oversize stem designed specifi cally for BMX racing, retailing at £89.99. When used with the new Box Maximus chromoly handlebars (currently the only BMX bars on the market compatible with the Delta), you

get the stiffest cockpit available, says the brand.

With a following that is running into the tens of thousands of BMX riders, Chad Kerley’s signature Premium Products frame is another to look out for. Available in four top tube lengths, the £299.99 frame is beefed up with double butted top and down tubes, as well as heat-treated head and rear triangle tubes.01332 274200

Coyote SportsEARLIER THIS year Coyote added premium BMX label KHE, giving the distributor a strong spread of value, mid-range and performance bikes.

With stock of 18 and 20-inch builds, Coyote has a catalogue of 14 different KHE builds, including signature models. What’s more, the revolutionary new Affi x Rotor system features throughout, giving riders a clean and low maintenance gyro system which can help them learn tailwhips.

At present Coyote is looking to increase its dealer base for the KHE

range and with excellent margins and back up, interested stores are asked to make contact on0161 727 8505.

IsonTRADITIONALLY A go-to source for BMX bikes and spares, Ison to this day has a deep range of 20-inch goods, including the market’s top-selling grip from ODI.

Suited to the racers among us, Identiti has a strong seller in its Krisis MX BMX Race frames.

Ison’s Gusset label has an extensive range of BMX parts available to the trade including the Woodstock 853 three-piece cranks which are made from Reynolds 853 tubing making them superlight, but still super strong.

FS and Race versions are available with or without bosses and they are fi nished in gorgeous Black Chrome.

As well as bars, pedals, stems, saddles, forks, chains, tyres and chainrings (to list just a few) for the freestyle market, Gusset has now released a range of race parts.

Furthermore, dealers have access to trails-specifi c label Deluxe, specialist fork label AND Forks, UK-made Renthal, braking goods from Dia Compe and SST Oryg, as well as protective gear from TSG.01353 662662

HopeWITH BMX riding staff on its books it was only a matter of time before Hope dabbled with some prototypes in this sector and they seem to have come up with a pretty good fi rst attempt with the new hubs.

Now available is a street capable hub with a nine-tooth sprocket machined onto the cassette and also a hub with interchangeable sprockets using a six-bolt fi xing usually found on the label’s disc fi ttings to mount the sprockets.

The Hope hubs feature the brand’s usual fi ve high-quality stainless steel bearings and a brand new quicker 40 tooth ratchet.01282 851200

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Cranking up salesWhether your customer is keeping it traditional or embracing new ratios, there’s a wealth of new crank-fare on offer this year. Jonathon Harker lists some of the options...


CRANKSETS AND CHAINS

Chicken CyclekitThis summer, Campagnolo’s Chorus gets the electronic treatment and joins the EPS family. The group will have the same V2 system, which allows the rider to mount the battery internally. It’s the fi rst chainset from Campagnolo featuring the redesigned four arm system and allows the rider to change between 53/39 52/36 and 50/34 chainrings on a single chainset. It’s not only the top end groupsets that get all the attention: the Veloce and Athena Ergopower shifters have incorporated the thumb shift design from the EPS range and the downshift lever boasts an even more ergonomic design. The SC-14 chainrings used on

the Super Record RS groups, will become standard on the 2015 Veloce and Athena chainsets.

Meanwhile, KMC has taken the popular 11-speed X11-SL

models and has covered it in an ultra-strong

hard coating to create the

Diamond Like Coating range.

Along with reducing abrasive wear, the

DLC gives greater optical stability and higher durability. The

DLC chains come in a variety of colours, including Grand Depart appropriate black and blue.www.chickencycles.co.uk

ISONHIGH QUALITY, superlight Woodstock 853 cranks as well as great value EXP and TAF24 cranks alongside a fantastic assortment of chains (single speed and geared) and chainrings make up Gusset’s drivetrain offering.

Surly’s OD (Offset Double) Crank is perfect for fatter tyres, while the brand also produces a popular range of stainless steel chainrings and rear cogs, both in HG and Fixed variations.

Driven’s lightweight gears are for road or MTB including high-end carbon cranks and derailleurs, complemented by alloy versions offering performance without the cost.

Sunrace offers workshop replacement cassettes, BBs and cranks as well as great value shifters for road and MTB.

MRP’s Camber cranks have been a DH favourite, particularly when paired up with the Podium chainrings. The superlight Bling Rings attach directly to SRAM cranksets and replace the standard removable spider via the splines and three bolts, making them 40 per cent lighter than standard.

Sturmey Archer’s thumb shifters, hub gears, cranks and shifters are all available from this long standing brand.

The Passport Elements Anti-Rust chain

has a special anti-rust coating which provides up to ten times more resistance to corrosion compared to conventional chain fi nishes.

Genetic’s Tibia track cranks and chainrings as well as the retro-inspired Heritage double crankset sit atop the Genetic range. While 4Jeri’s budget chains include the best selling Gang BMX chain which is available in a host of colours. 4Jeri Pro Style three piece cranks are available for MTB and BMX applications and are a great replacement for worn out OEM parts.

All City’s track cranks, Messenger, Track, Cross Wizzard and Fixie Splined chainrings are all beautifully crafted from Minnesota’s fi nest bike company.

Renthal’s SR4 chainrings are popular on DH, XC, Trail, Jump and Enduro bikes, using a single front chainring all benefi t from the superlight weight and hard anodised fi nish. New SRAM compatible 104bcd versions are now available.

Dia Compe’s Gran Compe single track cranks and chainrings keep fi xed gear and singlespeed riders happy. Deluxe BMX has two great chainwheels in the range: the Pom Pom and the F-Lite which are fantastic looking CNC 7075-T6 aluminium chainwheels in various colours and sizes.www.ison-distribution.com

Clarks Cycle SystemsClarks chain line-up includes a wealth of options, from self lubricating to PTFE coated editions. Iterations include the single speed half link chain in gold, in 1/2”x1/8”x102 links. There are rust

busters too, in 8, 7-8, 5-6 and single speed options. Clarks also has a variety of links in the product catalogue and even a couple of pliers for dealers. Find out more at www.clarkscycles.com


CRANKSETS AND CHAINS

Moore LargeOver the past 25 years SR Suntour has grown into one of the world’s biggest bicycle components suppliers, expert in magnesium, carbon and alloy moulding technologies. SR Suntour offers a range of chainsets for ATB, Freeride, Dirt Jump and Road and retail prices range from £29.99 to £89.99.

Long-established KMC now produces over 80 million chains a year for a wide range of companies. The XSL super light range sits at the top of the current road range with 9, 10 and 11 speed compatible chains available. Fitting is a doddle with the KMC missing link system and the gold fi nish of the blingin’ XSL is not only good looking but also has a titanium nitride coating, improving wear. The real bonus of the XSL is the weight: at 243g* (*X10sl) out of the box it’s light. Retail prices start from £52.99 for the Xsl 9-speed silver and go up to £89.99 for limited edition chains.

Microshift’s Centos group features classic polish road levers with Tefl on cable, front braze on derailleur weighing 98g and rear derailleur weighing 201g. MTB additions include a nine-speed group, the Marvo LT and Mezzo a 7/8spd or 8/9 speed.01332 274200

MadisonShimano’s latest 5800 105 Groupset is due to land in July benefi ting from Shimano’s trickle down technology. Most notably 105 is now 11-speed and features Shimano’s new four arm cranks design which is compatible with all sizes of chainring. The new 105 has adopted some key features from Dura-Ace and Ultegra, like the same light action and defi ned click engagement. The shift levers have a compact grip for improved comfort and control during riding and the front derailleur has a longer link arm combined with a new spring mechanism. The rear derailleur has a new spring mechanism and cable pitch, offering robust adjustability. Find out more via Madison directlywww.madison.co.uk

SRAMThe new X1 integrated drivetrain was engineered in Germany for ‘every rider and every trail’. The simple, clever and synchronised design aims to deliver confi dence in the face of any terrain—from cross-country racing to all-mountain adventure. With a super-wide 10-42 gear range and multiple chain ring options, it’s the universal drivetrain for experienced or new-to-the-trail riders. Featuring SRAM’s X-SYNC chain rings, optimised MINI CLUSTER cassette and dependable X-HORIZON rear derailleur, X1 puts the power of the SRAM 1X philosophy into every ride. X1 is available this summer via distributors Fisher Outdoor Leisure and Raleigh.www.fi sheroutdoor.co.uk www.raleigh.co.uk

Silverfi shAfter what the Canadian fi rm says was a “phenomenal 2013”, Race Face has the Next SL and SIXC carbon creations which boast an “unrivalled strength to weight ratio”. The fi rm says it has the lightest MTB cranks on the planet as well as the wallet friendly Ride cranks or Whistler Bone Yard destroying Atlas. The launch of the Narrow Wide chainrings sees Race Face producing a chainring offering a tooth profi le that retains the chain even on the roughest terrain and thanks to its 104BCD bolt profi le.

Onto e*thirteen Components: Following World Champ winning chain devices designed for the hardest DH

track on the planet manufacturing high performance chainsets for AM and DH cranksets was a logical step. Based around a 30mm axle with a Polygon interface the e*thirteen TRS trail and LG1 DH cranks offer more than just good looks. Stand, Plus or ‘Race versions available to suit budget and use.

On top of manufacturing high performance cranksets, e*thirteen also introduced the new M-Ring tooth profi led chainrings for 2013 as well as released the hotly tipped EX range extender Cog which will be hitting dealers this month. Designed for either Shimano or SRAM cassettes the EX cog sits behind the current 10 speed cassette meaning you can benefi t from either a 40T or 42T maximum tooth size to ensure you can ride back to the top

once you’ve enjoyed the downs.www.silverfi sh-uk.com

– Leonardo da Vinci


More bounce to the ounceDoes your customer need the latest enduro specifi c fork, or a lightweight carbon front end perhaps? Mark Sutton gives a run down of various suppliers for the road, trail and just about any other terrain…


FORKS

Jungle ProductsNOW AVAILABLE via Jungle is BOS Suspension, whose latest catalogue addition, the Dizzy XC fork, is one to watch for customers with a 29er.

Weighing in at 1,580 grams, it’s competitive on the scales, but doesn’t skimp on strength with 32mm diameter stanchions. Both a 100mm and 120mm version are currently stocked by Jungle and there’s even a 27.5 SKU that is in the pipeline.

For the Dizzy, BOS has developed an all-new closed cartridge damper, allowing a substantial weight loss compared to the open systems used on the Deville and Idylle.

The cartridge design was focused application to the new generation of BOS XC forks. With a lower diameter than the AM version one, this cartridge offers the exact same compression system, adjustable via a three positions knob: Soft, Medium and Hard. The essential difference of this hydraulic system is that the setting acts not only on low speeds, but offers three combinations of low and high-speed rate curves.

Retail price for the UK is £999.01423 780 088

Claud ButlerCLAUD BUTLER is the exclusive UK partner for sales, service and warranty for RST suspension products.

RST has been manufacturing suspension technology since 1972 and continues to dedicate its time to making riders’ time on the bike the best experience possible with plenty of technology packed in often for very competitive prices.

Claud Butler currently offers a range of products to cater for dirt jump, cross country, city trekking and also, by special request, have access to all mountain, free ride and downhill products. The range provides coverage from 20-inch wheel, right through to 29er, with the added fl exibility of a variety of forks using replaceable steerers, which can be tailored to different head tubes and headsets. This allows the retailer to give customers the opportunity to update or upgrade older bikes with the modern suspension technology.

The element rear shock completes the line-up for the customer looking to upgrade their full suspension rig.

If you are interested in further information on the range, or becoming a sales partner, please contact Claud Butler on01652 656000.

IsonWITH A total of nine brands in its stable who list forks within their catalogues, Ison might have the most comprehensive offering available.

There’s carbon goodness from Whisky, added to the range earlier this year, BMX forks from specialist fork maker And Forks, as well as the MRP suspension line to name just a few.

The new range of MRP Stage forks have had extremely good reviews from the media and riders alike since the release only a few months back. Some media review types apparently didn’t want to give them back after testing, according to Ison. Rock Solid carbon rigid forks for MTBs and Fat Bikes have always been best-sellers and continue to do so.

Whisky will have caught many retailers eye when debuted at Core back in January. Providing some of the best value carbon fork upgrades you’ll fi nd. Their No9 forks were the fi rst production thru. axle disc forks for CX and Road. They offer a wide choice of Disc, Canti or Caliper Forks with 1 1/8” or Tapered steerers and QR or bolt thru axles in a Matte fi nish.01353 662662

WindwaveIT’S ALL about enduro lately, or so it seems, so you’ll no doubt have had customers in looking for something designed for the job.

Coming in at £569.95, the 350 CR is Marzocchi’s all-new 650b enduro fork that has been designed from the ground up to offer premium performance but at a mid-range price.

Every detail of the 2,040 grams 350CR has been looked at in order to improve the stiffness and reduce the weight over the 55 model. The new lowers save 100 grams compared to the 55 and a further 25 grams has been saved with the new 15mm QR axle. Finally, 70 grams has been removed from the crown thanks to the hollow forged design.

Performance comes courtesy of Marzocchi’s next-generation damper technology, the DBC (Dynamic Bleed Cartridge) CR damper. The DBC damper is a semi-sealed cartridge that auto regulates oil capacity for superior damping performance and a lighter weight. 35mm GRC (Gold Race Coating) stanchions reduce friction and improve stiffness.

The 350CR offers 160mm of travel, but can be simply reduced to 140mm with the space included.02392 505320

FORKS

VelociteFOR YOUR road-going customer after a lightweight replacement or upgrade, Velocite’s Bora S is the fork used by the race winning Matrix Fitness Vulpine team and distributed in the UK by VIP Bikes.

Retailing at £199 with good margins, the Bora S is a carbon monocoque, ultralight, tapered steerer fork that offers exceptional stiffness and minimal weight. In fact it’s just 360g with decals. What’s more, the narrow front profi le was designed to effi ciently carve through the air without sacrifi cing stiffness.

The Bora S is available in gloss or matte fi nish with immediate delivery and strong dealer terms. Call Kevin Brown on 07540 783081, or email [email protected] for further details of this and the discuss opportunities with the rest of the Velocite bike and component [email protected]

Silverfi shTHE EYE-catching upside down DH triple clamp Emerald is a one of the meanest looking components around. Packed within is suspension technology capable of delivering a smooth ride on rugged downhill and minimal un-sprung weight sensitivity of an upside down for with a Carbon Torsion Arch. There’s high and low-speed adjustment too. DVO are also now in the fi nal stages of testing the much anticipated Diamond enduro fork and Jade coil shock.

Though best known for its brakes, Silverfi sh also supply Formula’s suspension fork line, which is greatly expanded for 2014. Dealers should look out for both the Thirty3 XC fork and the trail/enduro Thirty5, which is designed for big mountain performance.01752 843882

Moore LargeHAVING SPENT plenty on research and development over the years, the SR Suntour product of today is certainly worth your customer’s consideration.

Suntour puts its expertise in magnesium and alloy molding technologies to good use with the feature-packed Auron RL-RC, retailing at £349.99. Suited to 27.5-inch wheel builds, the lightweight RL-RC cartridge (remote speed lock with low speed compression and rebound adjust) is highly tunable. It has a magnesium monocoque 15mm Q-LOC through axle design, with alloy crown and stanchion tube to further reduce the weight up front. Designed for trail riding, it weighs in at 1,900g.01332 274200

Chicken CyclekitRENOWNED WORLDWIDE for its tubing, Columbus supply some very appealing options to fi nish a classically styled frame.

The Minimal fork is designed to complement the classic lines of a frame fi tted with a non-integrated headset, and narrow tubing. So, if you are a classic framed specialist, these are a set of forks you should always have in stock. The aeronautical grade carbon fi bre combined with the progressive curve of the blade dampens the blows from the most unexpected potholes, and performs to a standard that will grace any modern bike.01525 381347


Wednesday 24th September 2014Crowne Plaza, NEC

For more information on trade tickets and sponsorship opportunities,

please email [email protected] or call 01992 535647

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STAR COMMENT

COMMUNITY

Is the UK bike market bubblein danger of bursting?

YOU POSE the question to the UK bicycle market: “We’re selling lots of expensive bikes to the same few people. Should we be worried?”

In response to your question – relative to the U.S. bicycle market, yes, you should.

If you attended Press Camp and in addition to enjoying the snow you may have found that the US road bike segment started declining last year, and continues to drop-this year. This in turn impacts the overall market by lowering average unit prices and the total value of bicycles sold.

There are a number of factors at play here, including the US bike shop channel focusing on the same enthusiast cluster of mostly upper income, white males who purchased multiple high-end bicycles through the ‘90s until around 2008-2009.

The used bike market took off during and after the great recession, and our American Bicyclist Study shows that used bicycles captured 26 percent of the total adult US bicycle market in 2013 – and is evenly spread across household income levels, meaning that the enthusiast cluster went for the savings of a used bike as quickly as all other US households in all income brackets.

Age and specifi cally the aging of the ‘baby boom’ generation has also impacted the road bike segment of the US market, as aging enthusiasts ride fewer miles and are aging out of the “sport” of bicycling, and simply “hurting” more when they do ride. As more baby boomers reduce their

bicycling activity many also leave their road bike hanging and ride an upright bar urban or comfort bike, and some are turning to recumbents as they seek a way to continue riding a bicycle without the pain associated with aging.

In the US, the baby boom generation of about 79 million has given way to the Generation X of about 68 million around 2008-2009. Gen X now controls the US bicycle market and the “Sweet Spot” representing the best customers for new and used bicycles is between the ages of 30 and 38 or so. The problem is the bike business has continued to market, with no non-endemic advertising outreach since the great recession, just like it did prior to the great recession, when the Baby Boom generation still holding on the last bits of its control of the bike market. The problem is…there are about 11 per cent fewer Gen X than Baby Boomers, and if you continue marketing and advertising to a smaller Sweet Spot you will get smaller and less satisfying results – like a fl at market, with no growth. Add to this a shift by the smaller Sweet Spot in bicycle category preferences, and you have a problem that is going to get more painful – unless you change the way you do business. So far the US bicycle business has not wrapped its head around the concept of changing the way it does business – something the UK bike business will hopefully do better at.

Jay Townley Gluskin Townley Group

www.jaytownley.com

Is it petty to be less likely to buy Endura now? MT @BikeBizOnline: How does the bike trade feel about #IndyRef @Bromptonalba

Nice article about @JuicyBike in this months @BikeBizOnline we have demo models in if anyone wants to try one.@cyclelogicMCR

We’re mixing it with the big names. VeloVixen’s own Kirsty @cyclebybicycle’s in @BikeBizOnline’s 30 Under 30 @velovixen

Reading the 30 under 30 article the other day, any chance of doing a 40 under 40 so I have a small chance getting in?! @Danielmottishaw

So proud, @cyclebybicycle is in BikeBiz’s 30 under 30 A rising star. That’s my girl @cathy_medlock

How does the #bike trade feel about #Scottish Independence?” – Interesting views – via @BikeBizOnline@pleasecycle

BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether you send them via email, Facebook, Twitter, BikeBiz.com or semaphore…

SPONSORED BY

Last month Carlton Reid asked if the business should be worried whether the 3million bikes sold yearly are going to the same people…

RESPONSETO STORYVIA E-MAIL

How’s business at the moment? Business has been very good for us at the start of 2014. We have a bigger portfolio than ever and wherever possible we are piling stocks to the ceiling in order to service our growing customer-base. We are fi nding some of our key brands are becoming more popular, especially Schwalbe, Continental, Clarks and Muc-Off. Zefal is also back in our range and we are seeing great early success with this brand. We are expecting a very busy summer with the Tour de France starting here in the UK. Our distribution network is stronger than ever across the UK, from Cornwall to the Highlands and Northern Ireland, and we have sales representatives available to service most areas.

What’s new for this season?We are now fully-stocked on our new range for the summer season and are enjoying big success. Funkier is a range that has grown for us year-on-year and this summer we expanded our range. We are now offering more colours, and more price-point garments. We also offer an “Elite” range of clothing for this summer, of which all products come in a presentation box and are made from Funkier’s fi nest materials and technologies.

What kind of tech goes into the range? For summer products, the vast majority come with Quick Dry Active Protection which is great to protect from moisture. Short sleeve jerseys come with UPF 50+ protection against the sun but also cater for our changeable British weather with a rear waterproof zipped pocket which is suitable for smartphones. Each jersey comes with refl ective strips for visibility and start at a competitive £29.99 SRP. All shorts come with a range of pads,

available in six sizes and have silicon grippers for leg comfort. We offer shorts from £19.99 and bib shorts from £43.99, all available with a range of technologies.

Will you be stocking clothing for men/women and kids? Our Funkier range already caters for men, women and children. Our gents range is big and includes all the necessaries from shorts, to short and long sleeve jerseys. We also offer tri suits, summer and winter accessories and baggy shorts. Our ladies range has expanded this year, offering more shorts and short sleeve tops than before. Our kids’ range offers shorts, tights, short and long sleeve tops all at competitive prices.

What are the POS options for dealers?We offer more POS material for shops this year than ever before ranging from different size stickers, slat wall header boards, pens and coffee coasters.

Which disciplines does FLR cater for? Is it stronger in a particular sector? FLR Shoes are the sister-company to our Funkier Clothing. We introduced the range last year and have seen great success. Stockists who have decided to take on the brand this year have been replenishing their stocks from good sales. We have POS material available for FLR including fl oor stands, which are big and look great. These house 12 pairs of shoes and cater for accessories. We also have similar POS material available for FLR as we have for Funkier including stickers and pens. We are very strong on both road and MTB shoes with road shoes starting from £59.99 and MTB from £64.99. For 2015 we expect to see a new trail shoe and a triathlon shoe which will help complete the collection.

COMPANY PROFILEBOB ELLIOTPAUL ELLIOT,Marketing director

Tel: 01772 459 887Fax: 01772 433 310W: www.bob-elliot.co.uk

UPCOMING EVENTS

For more cycle trade dates: www.bikebiz.com/events

EUROBIKEAugust 27th to 30th

Friedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.de

SPOTLIGHT

For additional copies please contact: [email protected]

THE BIBLE IS BACK!

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COMPANY PROFILE AND EVENTS

DARE 2B YORKSHIRE FESTIVAL OF CYCLINGJuly 4th to 6thHarewood House, Yorkshirewww.festivalofcycling.org

YORKSHIRE BICYCLE SHOWJuly 4th to 6thLeeds Town Hall, Yorkshireyorkshirebicycleshow.co.uk

TOUR DE FRANCESaturday July 5th to 27thYorkshire, Cambridgeshire, London. And Francewww.letour.yorkshire.com

OUTDOOR 2014July 10th to 13thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.outdoor-show.com

THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2014July 23rd to August 3rdGlasgow, Scotlandwww.glasgow2014.com

ORBITAL CYCLING FESTIVALJuly 26th to 27thGoodwood Motor Circuitwww.orbitalfestival.com

EUROBIKE DEMO DAYTuesday August 26thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.com

EUROBIKE 2014Wednesday August 27th to Saturday 30th 2014Friedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.com

INTERBIKE OUTDOOR DEMOSeptember 8th to 9thBoulder City, Nevadawww.interbike.com

OUTDOOR TRADE SHOWSeptember 9th to 11thStoneleigh Park Exhibition Centre, Warwickshirewww.outdoortradeshow.com

INTERBIKE 2014September 10th to 12th 2014Mandalay Bay, Las Vegaswww.interbike.com

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2014September 24thCrown Plaza, NECwww.BikeBiz.com

THE CYCLE SHOWSeptember 25th to 28thNEC, Birminghamwww.cycleshow.co.uk

July 2014 August 2014

September 2014

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ AUGUST 67

Marketplace Rates: Quarter Page

£175 (minimum six months)

Its associated online version, has been designed to offer

readers a directory of all products and services in the bike

trade.

Your presence in this section ensures that your company’s

details are easily found, keeping you one step ahead of your competitors.

THE BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE OFFERS A COMPLETE MARKETING PACKAGE OF PRINT, ONLINE AND

EDITORIAL VISIBILITY, ALLOWING COMPANIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH

READERS EACH MONTH WITHOUT THE ASSOCIATED COST OF FULL DISPLAY ADVERTISING.

THE STANDARD PACKAGE INCLUDES:A quarter page advert in each issueRegular editorial coverage in the dedicated columnCompany details listed in the online directory

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Jake Adams on 01992 535647 or [email protected]

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CLOTHING Wildoo 01908 374 555 www.wildoo.co.uk

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How many of us are infl uenced by celeb endorsements? Which bike company suffered a horrendously expensive theft in June and are more women taking part in cycle events? All these questions and more are covered in our statistical round-up

Figurativelyspeaking

30%That’s the amount of people who have bought a product

due to a celebrity endorsement (Source TwoLittleFleas.co.uk, survey of 854 UK respondents).

327%A whopping 256 female riders are taking part in this year’s

Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, compared with just 60 lastyear – a 327 per cent rise. It takes place July 20th in County Durham.

www.etapepennines.comWhat does your day-to-day job involve? It’s a combination of the day-to-day runnings of the business, from the boring stuff to more exciting stuff like new account pitches. And getting stuck in with our clients, coming up with new campaigns and making sure they’re run in the best possible way.

Does Fusion Media work exclusively in the cycle world?We’ve ensured we’re absolute subject matter experts when it comes to cycling, but we do a bit in running and triathlon too.

Are your staffers keen cyclists? Yes, it’s kind of a pre-requisite. Laura, one of our execs, doesn’t ride too much, but comes from a family of lifelong cyclists; her Grandad used to race with Tommy Simpson, so we’ll let her off.

Are there any campaigns that you are particularly proud of? We’re proud of most of the stuff we’ve done, we get really involved and stuck in. We like it especially when we get bums on seats, or capture the imagination of the industry. Recently, we’ve launched a fi lm about Marco Pantani, which has been really well received. We’ve also been working hard on the Great Manchester Cycle, selling out 8,000 places. We’re really lucky to work with SiS who are constantly innovating with new products and scientifi c breakthroughs – which makes the job of creating a buzz a bit easier.

What clients are you working with at the moment? At any one time we’re working with around ten clients. At the moment we’re working with SiS, Jaguar, Yorkshire Festival of Cycling, Right To Play, Channel 4, The Trois Etapes and Nova – to name a few.

Has the business of PR and related changed? For us, there are three key changes. The competitiveness in cycling to gain column inches – it’s important to be creative and understand the publications you’re dealing with. The rise of mainstream media covering cycling – our reach has grown hugely because of this. Lastly, the importance of digital and social – everything we do now takes this into consideration.

How can the trade get in touch?Drop us a line on email at [email protected], or call us on 0207 299 4290 for a chat.

I n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h f i ’ z i : k

Adam Tranter, Fusion Media Services


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£650,000One million Swiss Francs-worth of bicycles (around £650,000) were stolen from

Scott Sports’ Swiss HQ last month. 200 bikes, mostly expensive 2014 models and some 2015 model year samples, were taken.

55%Turns out it’s not just the trade

unconvinced by the government’s lack lustre approach to cycling – 55 per cent

of the nation believe the government could do more to encourage safe cycling. 82 per cent thought cycling profi ciency, or Bikeability, should be on the National

Curriculum. (Source: Halfords)

Daniel Gillborn,Director

Free Bike Health Checks and Cycle to Work Day return

Daniel Gillborn is director of Cyclescheme, the UK’s leading provider of tax-free bikes for work. You can reach

him on Twitter @cycleschemeltd

CYCLE TO Work Day 2013 saw tens of thousands of cyclists get on their bikes and cycle to work (a huge proportion of them, for the fi rst time ever), hundreds of employers organised bike events for their colleagues and hundreds of independent bike shops from across the UK offered Free Bike Health Checks. Collectively, these trailblazers pledged to cycle 256,932 miles which, in turn, offset 6,821.17kg of CO2 and burnt just over 12-million calories – pretty impressive for the inaugural event.

Free Bike Health Checks are, simply put, MOTs for bikes. No restorative work is done on the bike, but recommendations are made if the bike does not have a clean bill of health. This, of course, is a fantastic opportunity to up-sell things like safety kit, accessories and is an opportunity to build a valuable relationship with new customers too. It’s not surprising, then, that we had loads of positive feedback last year from retailers who saw scores of new customers come through their doors

This year, we are hoping to expand on the great success achieved in 2013 and get more and more retailers signed up to offer Health Checks. If you’re a Cyclescheme retailer, you should have already received an email asking you to ‘pledge’ to offer them – this may seem a little trivial, but it is our only sure-fi re way of reporting on how many retailers have signed up to take part. It also means we have all the information we need to help you make the most of Cycle to Work Day – you’ll be listed on the Cycle to Work Day website, plus we can inform you of local events, employer activities and do everything we can to drive new customers to your door. There is a real opportunity here for bike shops to own Cycle to Work Day and reap the benefi ts for very little investment. So, if I can ask you to do one thing as a result of reading this it would be, very simply: pledge! You just need to head to cycletoworkday.org and fi ll out your details; plus you can download an array of promotional material (including posters, leafl ets and the Health Check form) too.

The day may be a few months away, but now is the time to get prepared. With your help we can grow this event into a national celebration of cycling and help achieve our target of 1-million commuting cyclists by 2021.

2ndYou might not realise it, but cycling is the second most participated sport in Great Britain, with 9.63million adults having cycled in the last 12 months. With a larger participation base than

running and football, cycling does, however, trail leisure swimming by

almost 2 million participants. (Source: Sports Marketing Surveys Inc).


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bikebizstatistics

Pelican Cycles rides 192miles for charity

Bike traders get Freedom of the city

Chesterfi eld IBD Pelican Cycles took part in a 192mile ride for charity, from Buckingham Palace to Magnolia House in Sheffi eld – the home of the Sick Children’s Trust. Pelican Cycles was the main sponsor of the event.

Pelican Cycles owner Neil Armitage said: “Some of the riders had only been riding seriously for around three months, specifi cally for the event so it was a massive achievement for each and every rider to complete the massive distance.”www.justgiving.com/teamhomefromhome2014

Five bike traders got the Freedon of the City of London last month, including FACE Partnership MD James Pope, Grant Young of Condor Cycles, Kristian House (Rapha Condor JLT), Guy Pearson of Pearson Cycles and Stephen Green from Brooks.Pope said: “This is a great honour and it’s really good to see members of the cycling industry - including the pro riders - recognised for their contribution to the cycling scene over the years.”

The 192mile ride was in aid

of the Sick Children’s Trust

The Tyne Valley Mountain Bike Club is planning the inaugural North Pennines Mountain Bike Marathon in Garrigill, Cumbria. On July 19th, based around Garrigill Villiage Hall, funds will be raised for the village hall’s community fund and for the club to to invest in local trail development and enhancing access. Help is sought for the fl edgling event, so fi nd out more viatynevalleymtb.org

A pint of EPO

Trail development fund raising ride launches

Long has the BikeBiz team peered enviously at the Singletrack offi ce for regularly hosting ‘beer at your desk Fridays’, but at last we’ve a chance to take part with a delivery kindly made by Polaris Bikewear. The reason? To celebrate the rebranded Pedalers Inn at Langsett, Sheffi eld, created for the occasion of the Grand Depart. Over the weekend the brand will be providing its own EPO Real Ale in the pub, where Leeds Met students will have their own take on Tour de Yorkshire themed cycle jerseys, there’ll be a charity turbo trainer race and of course Le Tour on the big screen.www.facebook.com/PolarisBikewear


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Sponsored by the brands ofMoore Large 01332 274252

“A BOLD COMMITMENT to increasing the uptake of active transport in the UK would cost-effectively contribute to addressing a serious health crisis, create more attractive, cleaner, safer towns and cities with better social integration and thriving local economies. These benefi ts are now very extensively recognised within and outside of Government, as this report demonstrates. Yet there remains insuffi cient political support for an extensive programme to make active transport the safe and attractive option it should be. This is a sorely wasted opportunity and we urge Ministers to publicly recognise the potential and commit to achieving it.”

Alastair Chisholm, Policy Manager at

the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, speaking on the publication of a report underpinning the case

for an active transport revolution in the UK. The inacticty crisis will cost society around

£10billion a year.

“We acknowledged Cycling Scotland’s reference to the National Cycling Charity (CTC) report, which discussed the possible harmful outcomes of wearing cycling helmets, including evidence that some drivers perceive cyclists wearing helmets to be less vulnerable road users and that this can infl uence driver behaviours.”

The Advertising Standards Authority

E X C L U S I V E B R A N D O F

For more on these stories, head to www.BikeBiz.com

quoteunquote

Pint for the peloton MTBepics launchesBalck Sheep Brewery is welcoming the Tour de France to Yorkshire with the launch of a special celebratory beer – Velo. Le Tour starts just a few miles up the road from the Brewery, in Masham, with the stage taking riders to within a stone’s throw of the fi rm. At 4.2 per cent it’s unlikely the riders will be partaking of a pull of Velo during the competition (unless it’s going particularly badly), but for those free to sup the ‘freewheeling’ fresh pale ale is brewed with cascade hops, with a subtle hint of orange and coriander. Sales will help raise funds in support of Mike Hughes, Yorkshire’s own Marie Curie Power Peleton rider. www.blacksheepbrewery.com

Endorsed by British Olympic riders Oli Beckingsale and Liam Killeen, MTBepics is launching with two UK mountain biking experiences over three day summer events, devised by pros as part of their daily climbs.

First up is the ‘Down to Plains’ (August 15th to 17th) and then ‘Fort to Fort’ (September 26th to 28th). Both routes are over 150m in length and have over 75 per cent off-road riding. It’s not a race, though, the focus is largely on personal acheivement, according to founder Adrian Thornycroft. He said: “I quickly realised that there wasn’t anything that catered for mountain bikers that offered a hassle free experience combined with an adrenaline fi lled opportunity to explore the beautiful English countryside.” Beckingsale added: “The UK has been crying out for events like this for a long time. Mountain biking is growing rapidly in popularity and these events enable participants to focus on the rides. It is all about the challenge, the experience and the exhilaration www.mtbepics.com

The Brewery’s Jo Theakston and Neil Dunkley fl ank Moonglu owner Mike Hughes

Oli Beckingsale and Liam Killeen are backing MTBepics


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78 BIKEBIZ JULY

“THE CYCLE trader is the connecting link between manufacturer and user and in this capacity he can do much to help increase or decrease the prosperity of the industry.” Those wise words were written by H. N. Crowe in 1938. Crowe was secretary of the National Cyclists’ Union, forerunner to the British Cycling (Federation). He was praising the National Association – the forerunner to the Association of Cycle Traders. “Your efforts to create a really effective organisation are worth of support by every genuine [cycle] retailer in the country,” Crowe added, sniping about “dabblers whose only interest in the profi t they can snatch.” He probably meant hardware stores and other such non-cycle outlets rather than “van sales”. The NA certainly was an active and robust organisation, as my old, dusty copies of Cycle Trader attest. Of course, my entry into the bike trade came at a time when the NA had morphed into the ACT, the Association of Cycle Traders. I remember rambunctious AGMs when the “usual suspects” would hold the fl oor and bore everybody silly with their rantings but, despite the apparent anarchy of the AGMs, the ACT was solidly led by volunteer presidents and ably organised by Anne Killick.

The ACT still exists, although it’s now part of ActSmart, a “business support organisation for specialist retailers, their supply partners and trade associations”, including sewing retailers. The old ACT created CyTech, which quickly became the gold standard accreditation scheme for UK bicycle mechanics. It was the brainchild of

Albert Shucksmith, a former president of the ACT, and was created under the presidency of Peter Robinson. (Both are no longer with us – RIP, gents). Shuckmith’s idea for CyTech came after he was quizzed about his credentials during a court case in which he was an expert witness. His assertion that he had many years’ experience of fi xing bicycles cut no ice with the defence lawyer and the judge. He pushed and pushed and got the ACT to create what is a major asset to the UK cycle trade. Take a look at Bicycle Retailer, the American trade magazine. There are a number of mechanics’ course and training regimes, but no nationally recognised cycle mechanics accreditation scheme. We are lucky to have CyTech.

CyTech is owned by the ACT which is a “partner” of ActSmart. ACT is said to represent “the interests of over 3,250 specialist cycle retailers and their supply partners throughout the UK.” ACT members can benefi t from the Ride It Away fi nance scheme and Fetch bicycle insurance, as well as access credit card processing deals.

These sort of deals are important. For instance, the average sale price of Ride it Away bike is now £1,754, compared to £595 without the fi nance. 650 IBDs are tied in to the scheme and it’s got an annual throughput of about £50 million worth of bikes.

I guess having access to fi nance deals sure beats listening to yet another annual rant about “bikes in boxes”. Talking of which, I paid a visit to Chain Reaction Cycles in Northern Ireland recently and, boy, have they got their “bikes in boxes” down to a fi ne art. More about CRC soon...

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Carlton Reid remembers when ACT AGMs were stormy affairs and when Anne Killick was mother hen.

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