BikeBiz April 2010_issue 51

Issue 51 | April 2010

TICKETMASTER fired its openingmarketing salvo in the lead up to theLondon 2012 Olympics by mailing itsvast database last month, askingprospective attendees to register theirinterest for the event.

And if it’s not too early for the ticketagency to start stoking up interest forthe Olympics, then maybe it’s not toofar in advance for the cycle industry to

start banging the drum of the forthcoming event. Undoubtedly the Olympics is sure to have a huge impact

on sales and – maybe just as crucially for the long term –on the perception of the world of cycling too.

Here in the first half of 2010 it is easy to underestimatejust how big the 2012 Olympics is going to be, but theimpact of Beijing, whole continents away, should give us

some clue. So huge was Beijing’s impact on the UK in fact,that the echo from ringing tills can still be heard in someUK bike shops if you listen carefully enough. And Hoy,Pendleton, et al’s, medal tally for TeamGB didn’t hurtmatters either.

Possibly the nearest comparison to the forthcoming eventis the England-set European Football Championship in 1996.It’s true enough that summer tournament was more evenlyspread across the country than the next Olympics is goingto be, by my understanding at least, but the effect will be, Istrongly suspect, very similar indeed.

It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that Euro ‘96 wasabsolutely massive for football in this country, stirring uphuge sales of shirts, boots, kit and assorted merchandise andthat all-important public interest that lasted long beyondthe end of the tournament and kept interest and cashheaded to the sport for years afterwards. That tournamentcame six years after England getting to an advanced stageof the World Cup (but not winning, missing out to Germanyon penalties in the semi-final, as if you didn’t know).Likewise, the 2012 Olympics will be following thoseimpressive cycle acheivements at Beijing.

While football and cycling are not the most likelybedfellows, in the eyes of some, the example stands of justhow big an impact an international sports event can havewhen its on home turf, played out close to the homes ofyour customers and whipped up by the media.

In other words, the stage is set for cycling to acheiveuntold heights. Will the sport benefit from the 2012Olympics like football did from Euro ‘96? Fingers crossed...

EDITORIALIssue 51 | April 2010

NEWS 4-11

REGULARS

BikeBiz heads to the distributor’s Derbyshow room to see a wealth of new linesfrom its huge portfolio27

WELDTITE INTERVIEW

MYSTERY SHOPPER

BRAND SPOTLIGHT 20Zyro’s luggage and clothing brand Altura comesunder the Spotlight this month

PEOPLE 44New faces arrive at online retailer Wiggle andCycling Sports Group UK

NEW PRODUCTS 66Motorex, Pro Energy, Nukeproof, Buff, Serfas andDahon accessories all feature this month

BikeBiz talks to the UK manufacturer about tools, lubes andstaying ahead of the pack in a competitive market

Jonathon Harker, Editor

CLOTHING

Colchester comes under the glare of our undercover reporter’sspotlight. How will the bike shops of the town fare...?

EUROBIKE SHOW REVIEWOne year on from its formation, Eurobike shows off thelatest from Moda, Casco and new exclusive brand Airbone

42

22

24

INDUSTRY OPINIONS 15 OFF THE RADAR 16 EVENTS 65

Independents outperform multiples and Madisonreveals the latest on the new ExCeL show...

MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW

FOCUS ON…

SADDLES AND GRIPS

55 60

“Will cycling benefit from the 2012Olympics like football did from Euro‘96? Fingers crossed...”

LETTERS 75BikeBiz faces stern criticism, while the Forum

has its say on Tesco ‘Bike Shops’

SPOKESMAN 78Carlton Reid looks at electric bikes and howbig retailers are jumping aboard the trend

SPONSORED BY

VOS MEDIA, organiser of thenew super show to debut atLondon’s ExCeL in January,believes that the combination ofexhibitions could draw a footfallof more than 145,000 visitorsover the four days.

One ticket gains consumersaccess to the Outdoors Show,the Bike Show and the TullettPrebon London InternationalBoat Show.

This, as explained by Madisonmarketing manager Will Fripp,creates a huge opportunity forthe cycle trade to access newcustomers: “Madison is reallyexcited to be part of whatpromises to be the first ‘supershow’ for cycling. With so muchcross-over in consumers betweenthe outdoors world, sailing andcycling, this new show at ExCeL

London is truly exciting forMadison and offers us a chanceto expose our brands to a farwider audience than we havebeen able to in past cyclingconsumer expos.”

The cycle trade is heavilysupported, with a diverse range ofinteractive activity, exhibition andtraining, too. Event organiserGeraldine Reeve told BikeBiz:“We’re very much in the planningstages for the show at themoment and would appreciateinput from the bike industry onany features and activities thatthey would want to see there.

“That said, we have alreadyplanned in regular speakers onstage, including cycling celebs,bike doctor training sessions, anon and off-road race track madepossible by the enormity of thelocation and a sports injuryclinic, as well as BMX and dirt

jump demonstrations, amongother instalments.”

Freshly appointed to handlethe cycle trade’s enquiries, FrazerClifford becomes the salesdirector for the show. As acompetitive cyclist, Clifford has afirm grounding in all things bike-related. He has been involved withevents and publishing for the last14 years and has run successfulpublications in various industriesfrom gift and jewellery to catering.

VOS Media has beennominated for no less than 12awards in the last two years,winning ‘Most Impressive VisitorExperience’ and ‘The InnovationAward’ to name but a few.

If your firm is interested intaking exhibition space at theJanuary 13th to 16th event,contact Frazer Clifford on07889362775, or via email [email protected].

“With so muchcross-over inconsumersbetween theoutdoor world,sailing andcycling, this newshow at ExCeL istruly exciting.”

Will FrippMadison

One pass grants consumers access to each show � ‘Huge crossover potential’ couldmean accessing a wealth of new customers � Put January 13th to 16th in diaries

NEWS

By Mark Sutton

ExCeL ‘super show’ to draw 145,000visitors, says event organiser

4 BIKEBIZ APRIL BIKEBIZ.COM

THE BRITISH ELECTRIC BicycleAssociation has confidentlypredicted sales of electric bikeswill reach 30,000 in 2010, andthen will treble by 2012.

The UK e-bike market, whichis arguably still in a fledglingstate, is currently lagging behindestablished electric cycleterritories like China, where there

are reportedly 120 millionelectric bikes. Closer to the UK,the market for e-bikes inGermany has grownsubstantially, with sales reaching100,000 and expected to reach300,000 in the next three years.

The sector has seen greatersuccess in cycle-centric Hollandtoo, where eight in ten people

own a bike and there are morebicycles than people – 18million bikes for a population of16 million. E-bikes account for athird of bike sales, retailing atbetween £900 and £4,000.

Owner of Juizz Holland’s onlyall-electric bike shop, Juizz, RalfVan Kempen said: “It’s a trendthat is undoubtedly set to

increase. Initially, e-bikes were boughtonly by disabled andelderly people who hadtrouble getting around,but now people of allages are catching on tohow cool they are. You cancommute to work or school15km away in just 30 minutes.

“If you did that on publictransport or in a car it wouldtake you double the time.”

Great expectations for e-bike sales in 2010 and beyond

HALFORDs has teamed up withUrban Mover in a bid to emulatethe booming success of electricbikes in Europe.

The retail giant will stock anexclusive range of bikes fromBEBA member Urban Mover,including the UM44L step-through and UM33X mountainbike-style electric models.

Urban Mover and BEBA’s MarkLoveridge said that Halfords’ new offering would provide

the UK electric market with ashot in the arm. Loveridgeenthused: “Halfords’ entry intothe market is certain to provide aboost to the sector. We expectdemand for these bikes to bestrong. This sector really has the potential to go mainstreamvery quickly.”

Eighty Halfords stores willstock the electric bikes. AHalfords spokesperson toldBikeBiz: “Our research shows that

London, cycling cities such asCambridge and Oxford, andholiday destinations such asDevon and Wales all lendthemselves to the cycle-savvyconsumer keen to try andembrace this new trend.”

Halfords’ UM44L U-SpriteElectric Bike will retail at£649.99, with a range of up to20 miles on one battery charge.The UM44L also features alightweight aluminium frame,

weighing 22.4kg including thebattery. The 200W rear wheelmounted motor is brandedmaintenance free, with punctureresistant tyres and a simple touse handlebar mountedcontroller.

The UM33X Motion ElectricBike, priced at £899.99, featuresa gel saddle and front suspensiontyres, with durable tyre andmountain bike-style designed forusing on tow paths or park trails.

Halfords plugs into electric market“Our researchshows that cyclingcities and holidaydestinations lendthemselves to theconsumers keen toembrace e-bikes.”

Halfords

Frazer Clifford

NEWS

Halfords cycles expert SueCrawford said: “We are delightedto be at the forefront of themove to establish e-bikes in

the UK. They offer a realalternative to people

concerned about rising fuelprices and environmentaldamage caused byconventional petrol anddiesel engines. We areconvinced that, as in otherparts of Europe, they will notbe a short-term trend.”

The retailer’s electric bikerange has already begun tobe picked up by themainstream media. Halfordstold BikeBiz: “It’s a greatsocial trends story andwe’ve had a lot of media

interest because of it.”Halfords: 01527 517 601Will e-bikes take off in the

UK with the added supportof firms like Halfords?

DURING THE month ofMarch, two much loved tradefigures – hub maker PhilWood and cycle advocateChris Hutt – both passedaway.

Across the Atlantic, PhilWood, founder of Phil Woodand Co and creator of thefirst production sealedbearing hubs and bottombrackets, passed awaypeacefully at his Iowa farm,aged 84.

Phil Wood companypresident Peter Enright said: “Ifeel so lucky to have talkedwith him about a week beforehe passed away and hementioned again that he waslucky to sell the businesswhen he did.

“We talked off and on over the years, usually to catch up on news about hisfriends in the bike business. But he was quite happy toreturn to the farm after sellingthe business to help raise his

granddaughter.”On home soil, much-loved

Bristol cycle advocate androute planner Chris Hutt died, aged 59. Hutt workedtirelessly to develop Bristol’sinfrastructure, always planningcyclists into the bigger picture.

Hutt frequently blogged on thetopic at greenbristolblog.blogspot.com.

Sustrans’ John Grimshawsaid: “It’s a sad loss. Chris was a

great friend. I worked with himfor 30 years and he was alwayscommitted to Bristol and tomaking the traffic better. Hewas the most gifted routefinder in Britain and surveyedmuch of the National CycleNetwork in the nineties.”

Trade mournsPhil Wood andChris Hutt Cycle industry says goodbye to majorfigures in hub-making and advocacy

By Mark Sutton

Phil Wood created the first productionsealed bearing hubs and bottom

brackets, while Chris Hutt developedBristol’s infrastructure, always

planning cyclists into the picture.

Chis Hutt

CYCLE SYSTEMS has beenworking alongside other City and Guilds providers to developan industry standard inmechanical training.

To date, drafts of Level oneand two are circulating amongthe training providers, with aLevel three standard draftcurrently in the works.

Sean Lally, from Cycle SystemsAcademy, said: “As more peoplemove into the training market,the new City and Guildsqualifications will become thefirst choice for them. We wantedto pass on our expertise inshaping this qualification,alongside other bike industryexperts, and to help define whatwe foresee becoming the industrystandard in mechanical training.”

In an unrelated move,Magicalia has signed an exclusivedeal in which it becomes atechnical partner with CycleSystems. The move sees thepublisher making good use of theAcademy’s online trainingmaterial, extending it to afurther 400,000 viewers monthly.

The publisher’s JamesHamilton said: “Magicalia isabsolutely delighted to be

working with Cycle SystemsAcademy throughout 2010/11and is looking forward tobringing its expertise on bikemaintenance to our users.

“With the undoubtedinfluence of the internet on ourdaily lives, we both believe thateasy-to-find, easy-to-read,digital-based ‘how-to’ is what

cycling enthusiasts truly needwhen researching how to repair a bike.”

The latest upload at cycle-systems-academy.co.uk discussesbleeding and adjusting a varietyof brakes and is aimed squarelyat trainee mechanics.Cycle Systems: 0207 608 2577

“We wanted to passon our expertiseand help definewhat will becomethe standard.”Sean Lally, Cycle Systems

Cycle Systems helps to shapethe future of City and GuildsTraining outfit lends its expertise to qualifications that are set to become industrystandard and signs exclusive new partnership with publisher Magicalia

NEWS

20-INCH wheel legend and theowner of MacNeil Bikes, Ten PackDistribution (US) and MetroEvents, Jay Miron has revealedthat he has sold the former twocompanies to his businesspartners Darcy Saccucci and JamieMcIntosh. The latter, Metro Events,will reportedly be closed down.

Having started the firms justover ten years ago, Mironannounced that he will bepassing the torch on, largely as aresult of having to stop ridinghimself due to injuries,commenting in an interview withTheComeUP.net that it has been“difficult to stay around thesport, watching everyone elseenjoy BMX so much.”

Miron added: “After spendingmy entire life either on a bike, orworking in the bike business, I’mwalking away from it. While it’spretty scary leaving it all behind,I’m super excited for the new lifethat lies ahead. I haven’t yetdecided what that life will be. I’mgoing to take a while to relaxand see what comes up.

“I want to thank everyone whom I’ve ridden with, partiedwith and worked with over theyears. I especially want to thank Darcy, Jamie and everyone elsewho has worked with me atMacNeil and Ten Pack. It’s been amazing.”

Seventies carries the MacNeilbrand in the UK.


By Mark Sutton

Mirra recoveringfrom bacterialmeningitisBMX frontman and MirraCoowner Dave Mirra iscurrently receiving treatmentfor bacterial meningitis. It isbelieved the condition wascaught early, so the 24-timeX-Games medallist shouldmake a full recovery.

IMG addressupdateIMG Distribution haschanged address and cannow be found at Unit 1,Mountbatten Business Park,Ellis Square, Selsey, WestSussex, PO20 0AY.The distributor’s phonenumber is 0845 8725446.

CannondaleOnBike set forproductionAccording to the Cannondaleblog, due to massive interestin the OnBike concept, thefirm will put the design intoproduction in the nearfuture. The OnBike sacrificesthe rear triangle, utilising achainstay/drivetraincombination, which keepsthe back end rigid.

CMO calls foreight-foldincrease in cyclingThe UK’s chief medicalofficer, Sir Liam Donaldson,has called for an eight-foldincrease in cycling, statingthat such a take-up wouldvastly reduce obesity andother health disorders.

British Cyclingpartners withGatoradePepsi Cola-owned Gatoradeis to sponsor both the GreatBritish Cycling and Para-cycling teams, effectiveimmediately.

The level of fundinginvolved has not yet beendisclosed, though thecontract runs through theLondon 2012 Olympics.

CYCLESHORTS

For breaking news visit:www.bikebiz.com

“After spendingmy entire lifeeither on a bike orworking in the bikebusiness, I’mwalking away fromit. It’s scary, butI’m excited.”

Jay Miron

Jay Miron sells his BMX businesses

The Cycle Systems Academyteam is expanding its reach

Jay Miron

Chiller ProgrammeNow available through Madison.

Contact your P&A Account Manager for details.

INDEPENDENT RETAILERSoutperformed multiples interms of store openings in thesecond half of last year, areport has found.

The Local Data Companyreported that the number ofindependent cycle shopsincreased by 3.9 per cent in thelast six months, compared withjust one per cent for multipleretailers.

Three hundred and sixtyindependent cycle shops(grouped with sports, toys andhobby shops in the research)opened in the second half of2009, compared with 225stores from multiple businesses(6.3 per cent) in the sameperiod.

A spokesperson from theBritish Property Federation toldBikeBiz: “Clearly the greenagenda and the focus onmaking us a nation of cyclistshas geared up our interest inbike shops.

“Given that bike retail is onearea where a personal touchand good service are integral,it’s no surprise that the sectoris enjoying some positivegrowth despite the challengingeconomic climate.”

Across all retail sectors,independent shop openingsincreased by 5.6 per cent in thesecond half of 2009, comparedwith just 1.2 per cent ofmultiples in the same period.

Chief exec of the BritishProperty Federation Liz Peace,added: “Landlords’ commitmentto supporting tenants andhelping nurture new businesshas ensured that retail firmshave avoided the kind offailures many predicted.”

The first six months of 2008saw closures reach 1.9 per cent(4,707 closures out of a total of242,824 businesses) and therewere a further 5.4 per cent inthe second half of the year(14,290 out of a total of264,976), giving a total closure

By Jonathon Harker

Independent shopsmultiples with 360

NEWS

THE PROBLEM OF predicting theBritish climate and stocking theappropriate cycle clothing is setto be a thing of the past forcycle dealers, according to FisherOutdoor Leisure.

The distributor’s Santini 365service boasts an all year roundsupply of the brand’s high-endroad and mountain bike product,backed up with a stockreplacement scheme.

Santini’s range includesclothing appropriate for allweather conditions and anywinter-specific season stock(end March 2010) can bereplaced with summer stock tothe same value, with theexception of fashion collections,replica kits and special orders.

The service means that theSantini range of high-endclothing can be stocked all yearround while also keeping stockup to date, clean and, crucially,avoid discounting. The 365service is available in a variety ofoptions, from Taster to Elite 365.

Jon Sangan, product managerfor the brand, explained theservice: “We are delighted tooffer our customers thisfantastic range of Santiniclothing at terms that areperfectly suited to their needs.

“We designed the scheme tohelp retailers manage their stockand profitability whilst providingtheir customers with the verybest clothing perfectly suited tothe British climate.”Fisher Outdoor Leisure:01727 798 345

By Jonathon Harker

Santini revealsall-round appeal

“Bike retail is onearea where apersonal touchand good serviceare integral. It’s nosurprise the sectoris seeing positivegrowth.”

British PropertyFederation

More IBDs are opening than closing, despite testing High Street

rate for 2008 of 7.2 per cent(18,997 out of 264,976).

In the first six months of2009 6.3 per cent (17,661 outof 281,983 businesses), followedin the second half of the year byanother 5.4 per cent (15,834out of 290,749 businesses),which gives a closure rate for2009 of 11.5 per cent (33,495closures out of 290,749).

However, the report wasn’tuniversally positive forindependent retailers. Twohundred and thirty two shops inthe ‘sports, toys, cycle shops andhobbies’ category closed in thesecond half of 2009. In thesame category and period, 190multiples closed a business.

Compared with the first halfof 2008, the last six months of2009 saw overall shop closuresup almost six times from 1.9 percent to 11.5 per cent.

Peace added: “While closuresare above ten per cent, it couldhave been much worse. In orderto maintain healthy options fornew firms, High Streets need tohave a certain amount of emptyspace.

“However, there is no denyingthat our obsession with cheapsupermarket deals and internetshopping is having a massiveeffect reshaping the look of[physical] retail.”

The Local Data Company’sresearch was drawn from 705town centres in the UK fromJuly 1st to December 31st 2009.

are beating ‘09 openings

ONE HUNDRED and forty girlsare taking part in Beauty and theBike sessions in York in a bid toboost female cyclist numbers.

The project, run by York CityCouncil working with Sustrans, isaiming to tackle cycling’s imageproblem amongst females bytargeting younger girls with themessage that cycling can befashionable. The sessionsemphasise the health and fitnessbenefits, as well as providingparticipants with free ethicalbeauty product goodie bagsfrom Lush.

According to NationalChildren’s Bureau research, thenumber of female cyclistsplummets when at secondaryschool age.

Graham Titchener, Cycling CityYork’s programme manager, saidhe believes initiatives like Beautyand the Bike are vital to tacklethe decline. He told BikeBiz:

“There needs to be an on-goingeffort. The commitment fromthe schools and parents, and theresults for the currentparticipants, will be invaluable.We’re hopeful about theproject’s ability to provide along-term boost to girl cyclistnumbers, especially given the

fantastic response we’ve had. Itwill help future and currentgenerations, and hopefully we’llbegin to see the cultural shift weall hope for.

“I think having female-only

opportunities is a good wayforward, including cyclemaintenance, training andevents, whether organisedthrough Cycling City York or ourpartners, including Bike Rescue.”

There are plans to get retailersinvolved too, Tichener added: “Aswe encourage more people of allages to cycle, retailers willnaturally become involved, butwe’re also running a number ofinitiatives involving retailers andI plan to widen this further sowe can better learn from theexperience that they have here.”

The project is also gatheringdata from participants that mayprove to be vital in addressingwhy women cycle less than men.Vicki Hill, Sustrans eventsmanager, ran the sessions onbehalf of Cycling City York. Shetold BikeBiz: “When the projectends we’ll collate feedback fromthe girls. The report should revealsome of the causes behind whatis stopping them from cycling.”

NEWS

By Jonathon Harker

“We’re hopefulabout the project’sability to provide along-term boostto the number ofgirl cyclists.”

Graham Titchener

‘Beauty’ scheme tackleslow girl cyclist numbers

RegionaldifferencesThe report from theLocal Data Companyalso revealed thatgeographical locationhad a significant impacton the number of storeopenings.

Shops in Wales,Yorkshire and Humbersaw the greatest numberof openings. Conversely,London, Scotland andthe West Midlands sawthe least new activity interms of store openings.

The net increase ofopenings across allregions and sectors wasnearly four per cent. localdatacompany.com

conditions, says Local Data Company

Female-only opportunities and an on-going effort isrequired to raise amount of girl riders, says Cycle City York

York schoolgirlsat a session

CYCLING SPORTS GROUP hasbeen recognised in the form oftwo awards by holiday andleisure firm Center Parcs.

As part of the first annualCenter Parcs Supplier Awards,CSG was one of just 23businesses to be recognised, outof the 1,900 UK firms makingdeliveries to the ‘home holidays’firm. Having picked upcertificates in the Best SupplierService and Best EnvironmentalInitiative categories, the Pooledistributor spent a day in Marchtouring Center Parcs, SherwoodForest, just one of the locationsmaking good use of a range ofMongoose bikes.

Russell Merry ( joint MD ofCSG) commented: “We aredelighted to win these awards.

We really enjoy our relationshipwith Center Parcs, which is agood firm to work with. Most ofthe credit for these awards mustgo to Ian Wagman (business

development manager), who runsthe account on a daily basis.”

Wagman has developed andrefined the specification over the

last four yearsof supply tothe pointwhere thebikes offer ahighly reliableandmaintenance-freeoperation.

Ian added: “We haveworked with Darren Salsburywho leads the Mongooseproduct development teamfor adult bikes and builtmodels specific to CenterParcs’ needs. We are pleasedwith their durability andperformance. We recentlychanged the light spec to reducewaste and cut man-hourschanging bulbs to furtherimprove efficiency.”CSG: 01202 732288

NEWS

CSG bags a bracefrom Center ParcsHoliday firm awards just 23 of its 1,900 suppliers –CSG is recognised across two categories

AS PART of Fuji’s progression intothe UK market, the retailprice of the Roubaixroad range has beenadjusted to hit themarket even harder.

They start at just£649.99 for the Roubaix3 (Sora), £775 for theRoubaix 2 (Tiagra)and £999 for theRoubaix 1 (105).

MP Cyclesmanaging directorMark Winters toldBikeBiz: "These models

will return better marginsthan many other

niche players andwe are able tooffer thesewith massivevolume

commitment."These three

bike builds are nowin the UK and MP

Cycles is expecting increaseddemand as a result of the keenpricing in a competitivemarketplace. The firm can becontacted on 01942 254100.

By Mark Sutton

“Most of thecredit for theawards must go tobusinessdevelopmentmanager, IanWagman.”

Russell Merry, CSG

Russell Merry andIan Wagman

accept the awards

Fuji Roubaix series now available to dealers

Three models builtto varying specsare available

NEWS

FISHER OUTDOOR Leisure’s newsaddle and grip brand Vavert hasgarnered a enthusiastic reactionfrom dealers following itsunveiling at Expo 2010 inFebruary.

Vavert – ‘goes green’ in French– is targeted at the leisure andcommuter cyclist, joining awealth of similarly focusedbrands at Fisher, including bspokeand folding bike brand Kansi.

Under the Vavert umbrella,Fisher is launching a range of 20saddles and 17 grips, which coverthree main user groups: comfort,leisure/commute and sports.

Each Vavert saddle has amatching grip, allowingconsumers to co-ordinate theirbike. Fisher promises Vavertproducts are competitivelypriced, in a wide choice ofcolours to suit all tastes andriding styles.

Product manager Rob Handoll,part of the team that introducedthe brand at Sopwell Houseearlier this year, said: “We areproud to offer a range ofproducts that are functional, butlook good too. The feedback wehave received so far has beenoutstanding and we look forwardto seeing the range developfurther.”

Point of sale and innovativespace-saving packaging isavailable to those with anaccount, with the latter makingefficient use of slat wall space.Fisher Outdoor Leisure:01727 798 340

“The feedback received so far has beenoutstanding. We’re looking forward todeveloping the range further...”

Rob Handoll, Fisher Outdoor Leisure

By Jonathon Harker

This month BikeBiz takes a look at some ofthe products tested and rated within thecycling consumer press…

PRODUCT: Garmin Edge 500 PRICE: £199.99

“The head unit is only slightly larger that astandard bike computer, and has a Li-ionrechargeable battery with a run time of up to 15hours. The only real downside is that youoccasionally lose the signal – if you’re goingthrough a wooded area, for example – but thatreally is rare.”

Publisher: FutureCost: £3.99 Pages: 170

Cycling Plus

PRODUCT: Kona Cinder ConePRICE: £750

“We’d be first in line to buy this bike. We reallyenjoyed riding it despite the fact that it wasn’tthe ideal size for our tester. It has a great feel,fast but not twitchy, robust but not heavy, smartbut not too flashy. The spec is neitherextravagant nor stingy, but all the parts work asthey should.”

Publisher: Factory MediaCost: £3.95 Pages: 130

The Bicycle Buyer

PRODUCT: Genesis AbyssPRICE: £1,249

“The Abyss is a textbook ‘out of the box, burlyhardtail’. It doesn’t sacrifice so much to thedownhill gods that it’s only ever fun whenfreewheeling back down. It makes a wonderfullonger-travel trail centre and all-day basher forriders that occasionally want to see whathappens if you let the brakes off and go for it.”

Publisher: SingletrackCost: £4.25 Pages: 114

Singletrack

Press office

Trade goes green for new brand

PROTECTION FOR THE RIDER

For all dealer enquiries contact

X-SUIT RRP: £74.99

BLACKLITE HELMETRRP: £119.99

REPLACEMENT BACK SLIDERRRP: £37.99

LANDING ZONEFOREARM

RRP: £32.99HAMMER JACKET

RRP: £89.99

MALLET ELBOWRRP: £34.99

WC KNEE/ELBOWCOMBO

RRP: £72.99

HAMMER KNEERRP: £42.99

BATTLE EVO JACKETRRP: £259.99

FLAK JACKETRRP: £99.99

LANDING ZONE KNEE/SHINRRP: £49.99

ROOST GUARDCHEST PROTECTORRRP: £59.99

X-FREERIDEELBOW/FOREARMRRP: £34.99

X-ELBOW/FOREARMRRP: £19.99

MKII KNEE/SHINRRP: £34.99

www.hotlines-uk.com | [email protected] | tel:0131 319 1444

CHAIN REACTION

MUCH fun has been made ofMI5’s fears during the 1930s thatGermany sent bicyclereconnaissance operatives tocomb the British countryside inthe guise of Hitler Youth cyclingparties. But there is nothing new,nor unique about the bicycle’suse in armed struggles.

In February, a bicycle waswheeled into the bazaar inLashkar Gah, the capital ofHelmand, Afghanistan. A fewminutes after it had been leantup outside the governmentbuilding, a remote-control devicetriggered the explosives that hadbeen packed into its frame. Amassive blast cut thesurrounding throng of peopledown, leaving seven dead and 14injured. Sadly, the insurgents whodetonated the bomb were by nomeans original in their ghastlyuse of the bike.

Last August, cycling suicidebombers in Chechnya killed fourpolicemen. The two-wheeledterrorists swooped into Grozny,searching for police cars, and thendetonated them when they cameto within a yard of their quarry.

Bombs unleashed on civiliansare troubling, of course, whatevermeans are used to convey them totheir intended targets. But it is thepossibility that bikes can be put tosuch a use that really disturbs me– not least because I have tangledwith this incendiary issue before.

BLAST FROM THE PASTIn a previous life, over a decadeago, I travelled to work daily at theHouses of Parliament. It’s easiersaid than done, on a bike. Gettingwithin sight of Big Ben was noproblem, of course. An earlymorning charge through London’straffic meant that I arrived at mydesk with my blood up and myshirt sticky. The difficulties arosewhen I made to lock my bicycle.As I started to chain up on myfirst day, a policeman was almostimmediately at my side.

“Oh, no you don’t,” heordered. “Why not?” I demanded.At this, the officer adopted hisgravest expression and explainedthat there’s a cycle-lockingexclusion zone around the Palaceof Westminster to preventagainst ‘bicycle bombs’. At this

time, I had never even heard ofsuch things.

After a frustrating morningmaking phone calls to theMetropolitan Police, I obtained a

map of this exclusion zone. Atthat time it did not reach quite asfar as Smith Square, a block awayfrom the seat of democracy – so Itook to depositing my mountoutside Conservative CentralOffice. (The exclusion zone stillexists, but in these days of evengreater fear from terrorism, thePolice won’t actually disclosewhere you can’t chain yourbicycle. “We do not disclose

specific security arrangements inoperation around Westminster,” aMetropolitan Police spokespersontold me.)

My anger back then, was notthat this added five minutes tomy commute, nor the somewhatarbitrary way that I had learnedof this prohibition. It sprang froma deep, unfocused feeling thatbicycles were intrinsically a forcefor good. I suspect that I sharethis with a great manycommitted cyclists. We knowthat our preference for twowheels places us in a minority –but it is a righteous minority. Weare efficient, non-polluting andtake up little road space. Thepracticalities of fashioning abomb from a bicycle struck meas daunting enough – but notnearly so improbable that acyclist, of all people, would dosuch a thing.

The blasts in Helmand andGrozny are sufficient to dispelsuch optimistic hokum forever.Like any other inanimate object,a bicycle is morally neutral. Itmight be beautiful, practical andingenious, but it is the cyclist,

not the cycle that is the force forgood or evil.

I’d still like to think that, onbalance, bicycles tend toencourage good behaviour, butthere is no room to be blasé. Ifcyclists want to inhabit themoral high ground, it is thedecisions that we make abouthow we ride our bicycles, day-in,day-out, that matter. Whether ornot we jump red lights, whetherwe are courteous to other roadusers, and whether we arerespectful of pedestrians is whatwe will be judged upon. Indeed,every time we venture out onour bikes, we are ambassadorsfor our chosen form of transport.

Nothing that we do today,tomorrow, or the day after, willmake any difference to the deadin Chechnya or Afghanistan, ofcourse. The better we behave,however, the more entitled wewill be to our conviction that we,at least, are on the side of theangels. Tim Dawson is a journalist withThe Sunday Times – he writes theCycle Guy column. He is also siteeditor of cycling-books.com.

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ APRIL 13

Cycle bombs Anyone who takes to two wheels automatically becomes an ambassador for cycling, argues Tim Dawson, Sunday Times ‘Cycle Guy’ columnist and editor of cyclingbooks.com. But, at present, can cyclists really claim the moral high ground...?

“Like any otherinanimate object,a bicycle is morallyneutral. It mightbe ingenious, butit’s the cyclistthat’s the force forgood or evil.”

Marketing InitiativesCyclelife exclusive Spring 2010 flyers to be delivered to over one million homes in the UK Monthly personalised promotions for 2010

Quote“Being a Cyclelife Dealer has bought in a nice corporate image.The marketing side has benefited us and has helped project our company image very well locally, It is something we are proud of being connected with.” Neil White – Cyclelife Bexleyheath, White’s Cycle Centre

New store opportunitiesWe are looking for independent bike dealers in various locations throughout the UK to join the Cyclelife Partner network.

Target Towns – Aylesbury, Bath, Bedford, Brighton, Catterick, Lancaster, Lincoln , Newcastle, Norwich, Oxford, Warminster, Watford,

Target Locations –Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight London, North Nottinghamshire, Somerset West Midlands, Worcestershire, Scotland, Wales,

For more information please contact Paul Wignall at Raleigh on 07730 666647 or email [email protected]

CYCLELIFE DEVELOPMENT

Discovery daysTo learn more about Cyclelife and how it can improve your profit margin why not attend one of our Discovery Days at Raleigh UK.

20th April21st April12th May13th May

To book your place please contact Pam Simmons on 01773 532651 or email [email protected]

Is your store in need of a Spring refresh.? Do you feel you need to be part of a bigger retail presence,? if so please call Paul Wignall at Raleigh on 07730 666647

New Stores New store to join the Cyclelife network - Scunthorpe

www.cyclelife.com

Cyclelife Membership Benefits• Retain your independent identity whilst trading under

the Cyclelife brand • Enjoy preferential terms• Marketing Support• Store Development including 50% contribution

towards shopfit, point of sale and signage

Quote“We made the decision to be 100% Raleigh a long time ago, and the transition to Cyclelife gave us access to professional point of sale material and a better corporate image” Cyclelife Guildford, Shoreham & Woking - RCC

Loyalty bonus for Cyclelife partnersRaleigh is rewarding Cyclelife dealers for their loyalty to terms and their support for Raleigh led initiatives that further the network. By offering an additional quarterly rebate based on their spend.

INDUSTRY OPINIONS

“Good thing, bad thing, whocan say? I think that time willtell, ultimately.

“Can a supermarket giantreally manage to operate this?Historically there has alwaysbeen a spread of cycle retailersfrom entry level to the high-end crème de la crème, and

there has always been space forus all.

“If we look further afield intoEurope and one of the biggestcycling Meccas in Europe –France – you’ve been able tobuy a ‘Velo’ in a hypermarchefor many years. And how strongis cycling there? Could this

actually help support thecycling industry?

“I’m sure that during certainmonths of the year, summer andChristmas, Tesco will do quitewell selling to the market thatit attracts. But at the end of theday, the bikes it is selling aren’t afantastic product, and

customers will either tire ofconstantly returning products orjust never ride them.

“Ultimately, I suspect thatTesco will roll this out into moreof its superstores and I imaginethat a few of the rivals, likeASDA, will follow suit. It’s notsomething that I see everysupermarket doing, though.

“Would the kind of personwho buys a supermarket bikereally walk into an IBD and partwith their cash? I suspect not.However, when the BSO goeswrong and the supermarketgiant can’t fix it, where doesthis person go? – To an IBD thatcan then potentially benefit.Personally, I don’t see Tesco as athreat to IBDs. Its products,support, backup and servicecan’t match what a good IBDcan offer.”

ANDY RAMSDALE,NOTTINGHAM/DERBY STORE

MANAGER, LEISURE LAKES

“It depends very much on howTesco approaches things. Lookinto any big Tesco and you willsee that the non-food stuff issold on the box shiftingprincipal. Boxes are put onshelves where the customer canhelp themselves and haul it offto the checkout. There may be abody around who can give somehelp if needed, but you cannotbank on their presence or thequality of the advice. Moresubtly, if you look at the stockyou will find that the smallnumber of standard items areabout the same price asanywhere else.

“It’s only the Tesco exclusivebrand stuff which is cheaper andthat’s because it is bottom-endquality. If it goes the same waywith bikes than you can expecta few feet of shelving with basiclow quality, high marginaccessories on them, togetherwith some low-end bikes inboxes. If they do provide a buildservice then it will be Tesco,rather than customer, oriented.By that I mean the customerwill have to wait and pick updays later and that sorting outwarranty issues will be slow.That’s because its normalmethod of dealing withcomplaints – to apologise, giveyou a new one off the shelf andthen penalise the supplier – isnot an option for bike sales. Inthe end it will be competingwith the other supermarketmodel retailers like Toys R Usand JJB and its presence will belargely irrelevant to the bikeretail world as a whole.

“However, just supposingTesco doesn’t revert to type andit does something very different.Just supposing it recruits somegood, well trained staff, puts inproper workshops, allocates floorrather than shelf space, and evenpersuades some of the biggermanufacturers of better qualitykit to supply it and create aseries of real bike shops withinthe stores.

“That might stir things up abit. It won’t happen, of course,because the profitability persquare foot of such an operationwould never meet Tescoperformance targets. The factthat Halfords has struggled tomake that model work won’t belost on it.

“So, on balance, my ownfeeling is that the independentretail sector has little to fearfrom Tesco or any othersupermarket. You cannot getaway from the basic fact thatwhat we do is incompatible withtheir business models.”

STEVE BARNETT, CYCLING ON

“Back in the early ‘80s, whenworking for Viscount Cycles, Iwas responsible for the Asdaaccount in Reading. Wesupplied display racks andcycles with a full specificationsheet to hang on the bikes. Theonly ones sold were cheapItalvelo folders – £69 in thosedays. Customers returned themeven if the gears were notworking just because theyneeded a minor adjustment.

“The untrained staff werenot interested in the non-fooddepartment, and just had themreplaced. I spent most of thetime ‘fortnightly’ sorting thereturns out that had beenburied in the rear of the storeunder cardboard and roll pallettrucks and other rubbish.

“Tesco will only ever sellcheap product and the returnwill soon be seen as non-profitable. So, I believe it is abig mistake. Children’s bikeswill probably sell at Christmasto those customers living in low employment areas,otherwise bikes will only takeup floor space.

“The Asda experiment lastedless than one year. Cycle shopsshould not be concerned byTesco’s move. Dealers will beable to charge to put the bikessold by Tesco into workingorder, like many of us still do forthe Halford sales.”

DAVID WILSHER, MISSION CYCLES

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ APRIL15

Is the grocer’s latest move into the cycle trade anything forIBDs to fear? Or just a load of hot air? Jonathon Harkerspoke to some UK cycle dealers for their views…

Should bikedealers fearTesco’s in-store‘Bike Shops’?

THERE ARE many things thatseparate triathletes from cyclists– other than two other sports.Their attitude towards bikescouldn’t be more different: noroom for nostalgic steel framesor thrifty home upgrading, this isa special breed of, for the mostpart, cash-rich, time-poor bikebuyers. And they’re prepared tospend what little time and lotsof money they do have on thevery latest, most ‘proven’aerodynamic bikes, componentsand accessories. Yes, it’s a sportthat’s about training hard andchallenging yourself, but it’s alsoa sport in which buying time isall part of the fun.

Yet for all their evidentpassion for expensive aero bikesand gear, it seems triathletesaren’t quite sure how best tobuy and use it. A common sightat triathlons nationwide is aman riding a full tri bike, sittingupright with the point of hisaero helmet pointing upcomically. But even for those

racing on a standard road bike –which still account for mostamateur triathletes – confusionabout fit and how to get aerowith the equipment they have isrife, because they don’t knowwhere to find the expertise orthink they can’t afford advice.

A QUEUE FOR HELPThis was illustrated clearly to meat the Triathlon, Cycling andRunning (TCR) Show in February,the opening consumer event forthe triathlon season in the UK.Wanting to offer our readerssomething genuinely useful, wetook along Future Publishing’sresident bike mechanic, GeorgeRamelkamp. George has a longhistory of helping people buyand set up bikes, so we offeredvisitors the chance to bring theirbikes along and have Georgeassess their fit and position.

Half an hour after the showhad closed on Sunday night,George still had a queue of threepeople with their bikes,

desperate to find out what theywere doing wrong or could bedoing better. From too-lowsaddles to high bars to bikes thatwere just not the right size, theproblems were many, in somecases just hindering performanceand in others causing long-termpain in the riders.

ONLINE CREATES CONFUSIONOf course, part of the reason forGeorge’s popularity was that heoffered a service normallycosting upwards of £100 at abike fit specialist. But partly itbecame obvious that thesepeople hadn’t been given anyadvice on bike fit and ridingposition when they bought thebikes in the first place, eventhough they were clearly hungryfor knowledge about it. Georgenoticed a pattern: almost all thepeople he saw with bike fitproblems had bought their bikes online.

This is hardly surprising giventhe high-cash low-time

demographic we’re talkingabout, but George was right. Infact, a survey of Triathlon Plusreaders last year found thatspecialist online retailers werethe most common place to buybikes, with 81 per cent ofreaders using that route.Nothing wrong with that ofcourse – online retailers providebrilliant service, a huge rangeand often lower prices. But whatmight be lacking is the kind ofhands-on service that Georgeoffered and that is readilyavailable in a walk-in cyclingstore – incidentally, the numbertwo choice for our readers with58 per cent using them.

There’s a clear opportunityhere – perhaps for both onlineand High Street retailers – tooffer a professional bike fit andposition advice service, andmore importantly, to make suretriathletes know it’s available.After all, if you’re wanting tobuy time, you need to make sureyou get what you’re paying for.

“For triathletes,confusion about fit and theirequipment is rife,because they don’tknow where to findthe expertise.”

Elizabeth HuftonEditor, Triathlon Plus

They’ve got cash to splash and a need for speed – so Elizabeth Hufton, editor of Triathlon Plus, askswhy are so many triathletes riding the wrong bikes...?

Fitting comments

OFF THE RADAR


Pic

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LAST MONTH, the States ofJersey – the island’s parliament– voted to make it compulsoryfor every cyclist under the ageof 18 to wear a helmet. Themotion had been tabled bydeputy Andrew Green MBE,founder of the Jersey branch ofthe brain injury charityHeadway, and current nationalchairman. Deputy Green hascampaigned for greaterawareness since his son,Christopher, suffered braininjuries as a child of nine, in acycling accident 21 years ago.

Deputy Green’s proposal wasunderpinned by a body ofevidence, taken from variouscountries around the world thathave brought in helmet laws,and the opinions of healthprofessionals who deal with thistype of trauma on a daily basis.But it would be fair to say thatthe House was moved by theirpersonal feelings as much as any evidence.

Several members of theHouse brought forward the pointthat ultimately it was theparent’s responsibility to ensure

that their offspring wereprotected rather than society.Others felt that life was full ofpossible dangers, and it wasmore a question of how theserisks were addressed.

The principle opponent to theintroduction of the new law waskeen cyclist and deputy DanielWimberley. Before becoming apolitician, he owned a cycle hirebusiness and was chairman ofthe Jersey Cycling Group. Hismain point was that therewasn’t enough conclusiveevidence to back up deputyGreen’s argument and that if alaw came in, it would effectivelydiscourage people from cycling,with the loss of the health andenvironmental benefits thatwent with it.

EMOTIONS RULED MOTIONAfter an emotive two-daydebate, the motion was passed infavour of a compulsory helmetlaw for under 18-year-olds by 33votes to 16. A motion proposingthat the law be extended toadults as well was very narrowlydefeated by one vote.

Opinion among local cycleretailers was unified. Most dealersfelt they would see a smallincrease in the sales of children’sand youths’ helmets, especially inthe run-up to the law beingimplemented, which is still 18months away. Going on pastsales, dealers agreed that mostchildren already had helmets,usually because their parents feltit was wise, or because theirschool or one of the groups thatthey belonged to insisted on it.

What did concern them washow the law would beimplemented – could Jersey'spolice force spare the time topursue such minor offences?Who would be held responsible:the rider or their parents? It’soften the case that kids leavehome with a helmet on theirhead only for it to be hung ontheir handlebars the momentthat they are out of sight.

Cycle dealers all agreed that ifthe law had been applied toevery cyclist, it would have beenan unnecessary burden thatwould deter casual riders fromusing their bikes. Who would

bother with a quick dash to theshops if you’d suddenly becomean outlaw by forgetting to putyour helmet on?

I’ve always been keen to get asmany people cycling as possible,and I feel that a law that forceseveryone to wear a helmetwould be detrimental. After all,cycling is sustainable, cheap,healthy and good for theenvironment, and people should be encouraged to enjoythese benefits.

However, in this instance Idon’t think that the numbers ofchildren who cycle at present willbe unduly affected, simplybecause so many of them doalready wear helmets. Hopefully,by the time they are old enoughto choose for themselves theycan make an informedjudgement about whether tocontinue wearing one withoutthe need for legislation to forcethem one way or the other.

Finally, maybe I’m old-fashioned, but shouldn’t it fall tothe parents to safeguard theirchildren, rather than theGovernment?

“Who wouldbother with a quickdash to the shops ifyou’d suddenlybecome an outlawby forgetting to putyour helmet on?”

Jersey-based Arthur Lamy gives hisperspective on the island’s landmarkhelmet legislation that passed last month,and only narrowly avoided makinghelmets compulsory for adults...

CHAIN REACTION

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ APRIL19

Arthur Lamy ran St. Helier-set bike shop Boudins foralmost 30 years and nowworks as a Blue Badgeaccredited freelance touristguide and freelance writer.He specialises in cycling andwalking tours.www.cycleinjersey.com

Are helmetsafeguards astep too far?

BRAND SPOTLIGHT ZYRO-ALTURA

Having been in the bicycle business for ten years, Zyro MDSimon Ellison’s luggage and technical clothing venture is nowconsidered as one of the country’s premier brands. MarkSutton discusses Altura’s ever-changing business with brandmanager Ian Young…

IT’S HARD to believe that, givenAltura’s strong reputation for itsclothing lines, the brand isactually positioned as the UK’snumber one luggage supplier. It’sperhaps even harder then toimagine that luggage sales make up roughly one fifth ofAltura’s business.

On the back of a solid year’sgrowth last year, where salesrose 25 per cent, the sheer scaleof Altura’s business means itscompetitors are increasinglylooking over their shoulder asthe brand settles among themarket’s larger technicalclothing brands.

“Clothing product is generallyconsidered the more exciting ofthe two main sectors Alturaoperates within, so the luggageside of the business often goesunnoticed,” says brand managerIan Young. “We do, however,have some really exciting thingsgoing on within the luggageproduct, including a newwelding technique thatcompletely seals areas thatpreviously would have had to be stitched.”

Ultimately, the only reasonAltura ever made moves on the

clothing sector came as a resultof its highly thought of productwithin the luggage sector. It wasin response to customerfeedback that the Neviswaterproof jacket came tofruition. Needless to say, sincethat first garment hit themarket, fabric technologies havecome on leaps and bounds, withthe brand registering several ofits own proprietary designs.

React is just one of thosetrademarked systems designedby Zyro alongside Altura’smanufacturer. Garmentscarrying the Reacttechnology areincredibly efficient attransferring sweatfrom the inside,toward the surfaceof the material,keeping the rider dryand cool.

So, why shouldretailers take note ofAltura’s progress?“Zyro holds a highamount of stockfor any currentseason, as well assome items, suchas waterproof

jackets, through all seasons,”explains Young. “Altura goods aredesigned here in the UK forBritish conditions, so realisticallya lot of technology features inmost garments, oftenwaterproofing. What’sinteresting, is that our waterproofitems exceed the UK standard ofone meter by no less than tenmeters on any item. Stores mayalso be interested that weoccasionally offer incentives forforward ordering too.”

Retailers with a high clothingturnover may also have notedAltura is picking up the paceyear-on-year. According to

Young, last year lycrashort sales rose a

whopping60 per

cent, while the number of tightssold rose 45 per cent.Indications suggest that, whilethe off-road clothing marketremains stable year-on-year, onroad and commute garments areconsistently selling through andgrowing in sales volume.

For those specialising in off-road, Young tells BikeBiz: “Altura’ssummer range looks to havegone down well with dealers.Given that the off-road sector isgrowing a little slower than on-road, pre-orders this year havebeen particularly strong,particularly on hot weatheritems like baggy shorts. Thecatalogue’s more comprehensivethan ever this year. It really is aone-stop-shop, so our customersneedn’t carry anything else intheir stores. Altura has it allcovered at various price points.”

As of 2011, price points willbe pushing into the elite end ofthe market, with someprototype jackets forecast to sitat around £200 in next winter’sline. If your store is interested incarrying the Altura line, Young iscontactable [email protected], or viaphone at 01845 521750.

“It really is a one-stop-shop, so our

customers needn’tcarry anything

else in their stores.Altura has it all

covered at variousprice points.”

Ian Young, Altura


One-stop-shop

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO RETAILERS,SUPPLIERS AND SERVICES WITHIN THE CYCLE TRADE

For advertising opportunities contact:[email protected] or call 01992 535647

Did you miss out?

MYSTERY SHOPPER

Count on ColchesterShould a university studentopt for a road bike, or asinglespeed rig? That is thequestion Mystery Shopperpopped to Colchester’s manycycle stores. We suspect,based on the immaculateservice of one store, we mayhave been recognised. Didyour store provide thatperfect retail experience?

Colchester

Cycle KingON ENTRY, Mystery Shopper waded through the sea ofbikes, finding a tidy road bike on sale for £350. It was atthis point that I looked for assistance.

With three staff members behind the counter, the fairersex came to my aid and led me to the cheaper of thestore’s road bikes, sharing her knowledge as she pointedto a model in the window. In an industry that is oftencriticised for its male dominance, it’s nice to walk into astore and have a female staff member lead the way.

A very thorough job was done of selling the lowerpriced model to me, but what if I had a reasonablebudget to play with? Mystery Shopper is consistentlylead directly to the lower end products with any requestfor a bike in Cycle King stores. Come on guys and girls – upsell cycling to me. I haven’t even told you mybudget yet!

That aside, and taking into account that the mostexpensive model was just £350, we can’t fault the retailexperience. It would, however, have been better still hadI been able to get closer to the desired model, whichwas hidden among the swathes of stock.

CyclelifeBIKEBIZ FEELS that the edge may have been taken off ofour ‘mystery’ in this visit due to a badly timed storephoto while the window display was being adjustedfrom within. Our suspicion was only increased due tothe absolutely spot on, comprehensive seeing toMystery Shopper received inside.

If, however, the store staff did not spot ourundercover reporter, then this may very well have beenthe best retail experience in the history of our cycletrade snooping. From the outset, both staff memberswere friendly, offering opinions, advice, catalogues andbusiness cards detailing the ins and outs of where tobuy Raleigh. Offering honest advice, including warningme that grip shift gears are a nightmare, the experiencewas further bolstered with a little bit of backgroundinformation on Raleigh’s reputation as a manufacturer.

Having spoken in depth about my needs, explaining thatflat barred road bikes appeared to be the way forward forcasual cyclists and advising me to seek further informationon the Cyclelife website, Mystery Shopper genuinely feltbad about leaving without handing over some cash.


MYSTERY SHOPPER


HalfordsIN MYSTERY Shopper’s experience, Halfords staff areoften a little shy of leaving the counter, preferring tobarricade themselves behind the till, where theoverheard discussions frequently revolve around bikes.

So, after walking the shop floor for five minutes, Iapproached the two employees. I began to discuss myneeds, to which both offered advice. One of the twoexpressed distaste for fixed gear bikes, recommending aroad bike purchase. Both remained behind the counteruntil I prompted a quick demo of the gear and brakecombination lever on one model.

Once out on the shop floor, the staff member’sdemonstrations and explanations were spot on,reassuring me that, with a little push, Halfords’ staff aremostly very good at selling bicycles. Mystery Shopperfeels that add-on accessory sales would have requiredanother prompt.

Though not the best of the bunch, Halfords did havea diverse stock, tidy layout and all-in-all providedMystery Shopper with enough information to take awayto make an informed decision on a purchase.

Colchester Cycle StoresCOLCHESTER Cycle Stores was the only shop located ona busy town centre street. On entry, Mystery Shopperwas greeted by an attentive assistant.

Having listened to my brief and understanding that Iwas in two minds whether to opt for a road bike, or afixed gear, the staff member recommended I visit localeco-friendly business Cycle Re-cycle, which could supplyme with a low-priced recycled frameset, on which theColchester Cycle Store could build me a custom rig toperfectly suit my needs. This was either a nifty up-sell,or some very friendly advice and a kind gesture towardthe local cycle refurbish business. Either way, the storehad the stock to fulfil the promise of a tidy custom build.

When I suggested that I might be too lazy to go downthe custom route, I was shown to a line of Orbeas, whichbegan at my quoted budget. It was explained to me thatthe frameset alone makes up near 90 per cent of the price,so essentially I would be receiving the rest of the bike at‘unbelievable value’. It was a strong sales pitch. Only a fewminor prompts for upsell opportunities were missed,making for an all-round very professional sales experience.

SummaryEACH COLCHESTER store had something tomatch Mystery Shopper’s requests for a universityworkhorse, though opinions were divided overwhether a road bike or a fixed gear would servebest at my up-to-£500 price point.

BikeBiz may well wrongly suspect the Cyclelifestore as having sussed out the ‘media student’ intheir store. If that is the case, then Colchester’sdivision of Cyclelife truly deserved a sale.

Among the other stores, we feel Halfords staffcould have been a little braver, while Cycle King,focusing on the lower end of the market, couldupsell a little more. All in all though, there wasvery little else Colchester’s stores did ‘wrong’.

The fixed gear trend wasn’t favoured with retailersoutside London. “It’s not my thing” and “they can bedangerous” were some of the comments received.

Thomas’ Cycle RevolutionBIKEBIZ’S VISIT was perhaps badly timed for this store –Mystery Shopper turned up during refurbishment, aswell as a busy period. But the staff weren’t distracted bythis and were all busy attending customers.

Having walked the store for ten minutes, it was clearthat staff were going to be tied down with genuinecustomers for a while longer, so Mystery Shopper didnot interfere. The experience was saved by someexcellent display cards, which had brilliantly worked outfinance plans for each bike, which ultimately led me tolook at higher priced models.

Based on the education some header cards provided,combined with a bit of cheeky eavesdropping on othercustomers’ conversations, Mystery Shopper concluded thathad I arrived at a more convenient time, Thomas’ CycleRevolution could very well have been a top performer.

AT AN INTIMATE venue justdown the road from where thebusy Moore Large show wasreaching its conclusion,Eurobike’s dealer event was infull swing and attracting similartrade attention.

Completely unannouncedprior to the show invite beingsent out, Eurobike surprisedmany with the exclusiveaddition of a new inflation brand– Airbone. Coming from aspecialist Taiwanese factory, thebrand has a couple of fairlyunique items in its catalogue,most notably a £14.99 pump,which due to its size, couldalmost be mistaken for acartridge. The alloy pump is nomore than 10cm long, yetaccording to Eurobike MD PaulStewart, can reach 120 PSI.

He says: “The modelaccommodates both Presta andSchrader valve types and comeswith a tidy frame mount thatsits out of the way where abottle cage might otherwise go.There’s also a carbon fibreversion, selling at £25. What’sfantastic about these tinypumps, is that they’ll pumpconsistently right up into thehigher levels of psi. What’s more,dealers will find an array ofcolours, so customers can mixand match with their bike.”

Airbone offers pro floorpumps too, with the £59.99model capable of 220 psi. Themodel, which at the show wasdemonstrated in a moreexpensive (£69.99) polishedversion, again gives no resistanceas the going gets tough.

With spring just around thecorner, Eurobike had plenty ofHincapie’s spring line, includingplenty of women’s specificclothes. The topaz and lemon

coloured garments are aparticular highlight of the range.Stewart let BikeBiz in on a secretduring the show, revealing thatHincapie is to expand its casualwear line past t-shirts and hatsinto denim items, such as jeans.Depending on how final samplesare received, these could bearriving with Eurobike as earlythis month.

The centrepiece was thesneak peek of what’s new fromModa – Eurobike’s flagship, UK-built bike brand. To emphasisethe diversity of the brand,Eurobike placed the junior andwomen’s model in focus,providing some perspective ofthe unique builds Moda offers.Tucked among the range,however, was Moda’s first timetrial bike, due to appear in May.A thorough spec is not availableyet, though you can be sure thebike will come specced withAmerican Classic wheels, as seenelsewhere in the line-up.

The wheel brand, carriedexclusively by Eurobike in theUK, also had new builds in itsportfolio. The Aero 420 has justlanded in stock at £499 for theblack, or £539 for the white. TheAero 420 is built with eightspokes on the non-drive side and16 on the drive side. This is asdue to a larger flange on oneside, though the tension balanceon either side of the rim remainsequal. The result is a lightweight,super stiff, 24-spoke wheel withsuperb acceleration properties.

The manufacturer also nowhas a firm solution to themountain biker seeking to gotubeless. Available as either a 26or 29-inch rim, a wheel isavailable for £399 for the black

version. The first shipment ofthis system sold out, though anew batch will be in stock bythe time BikeBiz hits desks.

Finally, Casco had its popular‘E-bike’ helmet on display, ablymodelled by Stewart for BikeBiz(see pic top left) all whileexplaining how the protectionutilises the same tech as coolboxes to keep the ridercomfortable. The helmet comesin three colours, ideal for thoseseeking something trendy. Cascoalso supplies Eurobike with itseyewear range, with casualitems beginning at reasonableprices. The competition line,which goes to great lengths toprotect eyes, begins at £59.99.The glasses are built from aflexible polycarbonate material,and three clip-in, clip-out UVresistant lenses come with mostmodels.

Having been trading for overa year, Eurobike certainly seemsto have made a good firstimpression on the trade, keepingthe expo busy with dealers forthe duration of BikeBiz’s stay atleast. Stewart said: “We’ve gotdealers in place over much ofthe country, though we’re keento speak with any interestedretailers, particularly those inScotland where we’ve plenty ofopportunity for new stockists.”

EUROBIKE SHOW REVIEW

One year on from Paul Stewart’s announcement of Eurobike’s formation, the distributor has held a seriesof dealer invitationals to view the latest and forthcoming product from the firm. Mark Sutton attendedthe distributor’s Derby show and discovered an unexpected brand addition…

Happy Birthday, Eurobike

“We’ve gotdealers in place

across the UK, butare keen to speak

to interestedretailers.”

Paul Stewart,Eurobike


New and exclusive inflationbrand Airbone was among thefresh names to appear at theEurobike dealer show

The flagship brand, Moda, hadits junior bikes on show

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THE MOORE LARGE show wasunmissable for many due to theintroduction of Forme, a newroad brand tackling key pricepoints, of which the majority ofthe country’s specialist dealersstruggled to get stock of duringlast summer’s sales boom.

The event, though, gaveretailers plenty of reason to makethe journey, with the introductionof new brands and the promise ofa balance of educational seminarsand one-to-one time with brandmanagers.

For the most part, it wasBasso and Forme brand managerAdam Biggs who drew thecrowds. With an introductoryrange of five bikes on display, allwithin the Cycle to Work bracketof up to £1,000, Forme’s line-upis key to those looking for areplacement or alternative to theestablished leaders in this sector.

From September, the 2011range will be trickling into stock,with 25 models ranging from£300 to £1,500 expected toarrive. Designed totally fromscratch, the 2011 range won’t belimited to just road bikes either.

Biggs tells BikeBiz: “We’ve hada great show reception toForme, with strong orders. Stockarrives at the end of March. Ithink dealers have warmed tothe brand, partly because of thestock shortages last summer ofroad bikes in this bracket, butalso due to the intentional Cycleto Work friendly pricing. Thebrand will only be sold to thosewith a bricks and mortar storetoo, which is important inkeeping its appeal to the trade.”

Biggs’ other brand, Basso, hasgone through a major period ofincreased popularity as well,having grown over 1,000 per

cent in the past 12 months.Biggs believes this is down to astrong marketing drive andcompetitive margins and pricepoints, upping the brand’s appealto both retail and consumersalike. The Astra remains the bestseller, while the new Diamante isanticipated to pick up the pacethis year due to its competitivepricing, said to be around £500cheaper than other framesets onthe market.

Next door to Basso andForme, and just as popular, wasthe Haro and Premium Productseminar room. The focus herewas a range of BMX race bikes,with one custom build revolvingaround the brand’s Race LTframe and a carbon Sinz fork. In-store POS is one incentive MLprovides with both brands.

Premium Products now offersa range of complete bikes, with

the flagship Garret Reynoldssignature model sat at the topof the range, costing £469 andbuilt onto the rider’s Death Trapframe. The Premium line is wellspecced with Odyssey’s popularplastic ‘Twisted’ pedal featuringthroughout, as do colour co-ordinated Alienation rims.

HaloGlow was one of MooreLarge’s exclusive brand additionsthat almost went under the radardue to its compact line of fourhelmets. Two styles are available,sport and commuter, though it’sthe unique built-in light that hadmany asking questions. The fullyin-molded design of the £39.99model features a built-in rearlight and glowing strip coveringthe helmet’s diameter. A cheapershelled version of the samehelmet is also available in thetwo styles. All are tested to CE standards.

“We had a greatshow reception toForme, withstrong orders. Thebrand will only besold to those witha bricks andmortar store too,which isimportant inkeeping its appealto the trade.”

Adam Biggs, Basso and Forme


On Forme…Based around a regular brand seminar format, Moore Large’s Derby show proved an education for thoseunfamiliar with the many new brands featured in the firm’s catalogue. Mark Sutton discusses some ofthe new products now available on the front line…


Hugo Davidson, founder of Knog, displays the latestproducts from the brand at the Moore Large show

For Knog’s many fans, muchof the product had been seenpreviously at the Cycle Show inLondon. However, behind closeddoors, BikeBiz was given a sneakpeak of some of the securityproducts soon to join thecatalogue. Knog’sfounder, HugoDavidson, said:“There will be 48new productslaunchedbefore January2011, whichmeans we’vegot a prettyhectic schedulethis year. The range goeswell beyond the lighting gearthat we’re best known for. Withthe introduction of computers,silicon-coated locks and more,the range will have real depth.”

All Knog packaging is nowmade from recycled materialsand printed with soy-based inks.

If you were in attendance atthe show, chances are that you’llhave tried Science in Sports’new Build Bar. Aptly named, thesnack is designed for use afterexercise and designed to helpmuscle growth. With 20 gramsof protein, the bar is available ina chocolate and peanut flavouronly. In response to consumerdemand, the brand’s popular GoBar has also been madeavailable in a smaller portion,and utilises a recipe change thathas made the final productsofter and even more appetising.

Having been introduced tothe Moore Large stable just priorto the house show, folding brandOyama was of particular interestto urban cycle retailers. Foundedfour years ago, the Taiwanese-built bikes are designed in

cyclist-Mecca Holland and arenow in stock at the distributor’sDerby-set headquarters.

Beginning at £299.95, thecatalogue spans four definedniches consisting of sport, pure,classic and urban.

Dealer support is alreadyplanned years ahead, with acampaign due to hit theconsumer press once a firmnationwide dealer base is

settled. The brand will havea presence at the London

Cycle Show this yearand dealers signedup as stockists willbe listed on thefirm’s website –www.oyama.eu.

Moore Largeis seeking 100

dealersnationwide by this

summer and themain bulk of the

products, including therange-topping £899, 18-

speed Tiagra folder, will bein stock by April.

At trade shows, childrens’products are often overlooked infavour of the latest shiny fixie(of which Onza now has onestunningly crafted model that isworth a look), though family-friendly dealers should take noteof OK Baby’s latest productaddition.

Though an entry-level piece,the brand’s BodyGuard babycarrier is well suited to be a keystock item going forwards.Offering protection more or lessall over, including from sideimpacts, the ergonomicallydesigned seat has a set backheadrest to accommodatesmaller heads. Thirteenadjustable straps hold the childfirmly, while the EU/GS testedchassis is reinforced for added protection.

For the latest information andupdates to Moore Large’s stockand catalogue, log on tob2b.moorelarge.co.uk.



“There will be 48new productslaunched before2011, whichmeans we’ve got ahetic schedule thisyear. The rangegoes well beyondthe lighting gearthat we’re bestknown for.”

Hugo Davidson,Knog

A selection of products were on showincluding Haro’s Race LT frame andOK Baby’s BodyGuard baby carrier

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GEOFF APPS has always beenahead of his time. His crosscountry bicycle pre-dated themountain bikes of Marin Countyand even wearing tweeds onbikes is back in vogue, thanks toLondon’s Tweed Run.

Apps now lives in Scotland –he moved to Coldstream whenJim McGurn’s New Cyclist uppedsticks there from York – but hewas formerly based inBuckinghamshire, smack bang inthe middle of the Chiltern Hills.His first commercially-availablebike was the Range-Rider CrossCountry Cycle in 1979, althoughhe’d been refining his designsince the mid-1960s. The uprightRange-Rider, later to form partof Apps’ Cleland Cycles brand,was built for riding through mudand for hacking up and downwet, slimy hillsides. It had mud-guards and obscure studdedtyres from Finland.

Aside from those tyres and aneclectic mish-mash of

international components, somefrom the world of trialsmotorcycling, the Range-Riderwas English through andthrough. Apps sold a few, butfrom an evolutionary point ofview, it was a bicycling dead-end. But just because theCalifornian mountain bike hadthe right kind of off-road genesto take over the world, thatdoesn’t mean Apps’ Range-Riderwas a flop. It turned heads andgot people thinking. Apps wasalso in touch with the MarinCounty pioneers from theearliest days. His 700C tyresfrom pre-phone Nokia wereshipped to MTB pioneers GaryFisher and Charlie Kelly. Theyhad a frame built for thewheelsize by Tom Ritchey – if itweren’t for Nokia’s supplyproblems all MTBs today mighthave been 29ers and not thenow familiar 26-inch standard.

It’s this linkage to theCalifornian pioneers that needs

to be recognised, and recognisedby the US Mountain Bike Hall ofFame. Apps has been nominatedbefore, but there are preciousfew non-Americans in whatpioneer MTB racer JacquiePhelan of America calls theHollow Fame.

With the help of BikeBiz andsome famous names, perhapsApps can stake his claim as oneof the visionaries who helpedtransform the global market for bicycles?

RECOGNITION FOR APPSIn a Skype conversation, GaryFisher told me: “I’ll talk with JoeBreeze, Charlie Kelly and DanCook and the rest of the gangand do something for Geoff.”

Hopefully, 2010 will be theyear Geoff Apps gets therecognition he deserves. I’mbiased. I rode with Apps in the1980s, trying out the successormachine to the Range-Rider.Apps’ Wendover bashes were

among the earliest MTB eventsin the UK and helped fire up anenthusiasm for mountain bikingfrom the early adopters, thefolks like me who raved aboutthis new form of cycling.

By the time I was writingabout the Wendover bash, App’sAventura mountain bike wasalready losing ground to the likesof the first Ridgeback, the DawesRanger and, of course, theSpecialized Stumpjumper. Soonto popularise MTBing in the UK,the likes of Ari Hadjipetrou andDrew Lawson were about tointroduce the Muddy Fox Courierand its game-changing print andTV adverts.

Geoff Apps faded from view.He still has a small, but loyalfollowing of Cleland owners.They meet up for annual retrorides and reminisce.

The Range-Rider and Apps’later bikes might have beenpractical for UK conditions butthey were never likely to take


GEOFF APPS MTB HISTORY

“I’m not sure Ishould be in theHall of Fame.How muchinfluence have Ihad on themountain bike?”

Geoff Apps

Carlton Reid examines the contribution to mountain bike history of Geoff Apps and the English GaryFisher (both are dapper, both were pioneers)...

An Englishman for Hollow Fame?There’s an Apps for that

over the world. He rode his inwellies, not exactly zeitgeistpotential. Nevertheless, Appsinfluenced designers who cameafter him. Some of his originalideas later became standard onMTBs, such as twist-grip gearsand sloping top-tubes. He wasusing big rear blocks in the 1960s.

Mountain bike designer BrantRichards says: “Geoff Aps and hisframebuilder, Dave WrathSharman, were a huge influenceon me because of their differentway of solving problems.”

Richards would like to seeApps in the US MTB Hall ofFame but Apps himself isquintessentially deprecating:“I’m not sure I should be in theHall of Fame. After all, howmuch influence have I had onthe mountain bike? Althoughmany mountain bikes do nowhave sloping top-tubes andtwistgrip shifters, they do notfeature hub gears, roller-brakes,full-length mudguards, achainguard, a skate-plate, a highcentre-of-gravity, short-reachhandlebars, a hub dynamo andlights, nor swing pedals.

“One difficulty for me is that,by 1986, the height of theboom, I’d been developing myideas for twenty years, with noexternal influences. I’d had tothink through design solutionson my own. Once millions ofmountain bikes appeared, whichdiffered significantly from what Ithought to be the most logicaldesign solution, the majoritywent with the majority.

“Now, more than 25 yearshave passed, and I have acceptedthat I am quite deluded. I’mcontent to stick with what I’vegot and admire the success andachievements of others.”

COMPARING TYRE SIZEOn the supply of 29er tyres toFisher and Kelly, Apps says: “Isent some of these tyres over toCharlie Kelly and Gary Fisher,who had built a frame inreadiness. They loved them andreally appreciated the ride theygave, compared to 26-inch tyres,and also loved the success theyhad at the races. As far as theywere concerned, these 29-inchtyres were the way to go.

“This was the only tyre of thistype and size in the world, therewas no other choice.Unfortunately, getting a supplyof tyres was impossible.

“Twenty-six-inch wheels werenot absolutely fixed at thattime, so, had the supplysituation been better, it is quitepossible that 700C tyres and

wheels would have been themountain bike standard now.

“When I tried to promote the700C idea to UK mountainbikers, they just thought it wasbonkers, Apps raving again, likehe did about short wheel-base,steep angles, sloping top tubeand twist-grip gear shifters.”

It’s important to rememberthat Apps swam against the tidefor many years. He rode withRough Stuff Fellowship members(it was his appearance in a RSFjournal that alerted two RSFmembers in America, Fisher andKelly, to Apps’ existence) buteven RSF members thought hisideas were extreme and odd.

OFF-ROAD RIDING“The attitude among cyclists,and therefore the entire trade,all shops, magazines, clubs,everything cycling, was thatriding off-road was, at best, anecessary evil. Even the RSFwould wax lyrical about theexperience of finding themselvessomewhere remote, but if theride experience was evermentioned, it was to say howdifficult or inconvenient it was.

The idea of seeking out anddelighting in riding rough terrainwas utterly alien to all thecyclists I met and talked to.Rough Stuff Riders would get off

and walk when I was able tokeep riding.

“Cycling, as it is now, was justtotally inconceivable in the1960s and 70s, but I had myown fantasies about machines,the capabilities of thosemachines, and fantasies that itwould be really popular. Yet Ioccasionally voiced thesethoughts, which then made me unpopular.”

BIKE HALL OF FAMEApps’ first Cleland machines werebuilt by Roy Davies’ Dees Cyclesof Amersham. Fitting a skate-plate to the bottom bracket,which helped the bike slide overlogs and rocks, was seen as theheight of eccentricity.

Graham Wallace helps toorganise the annual Clelandreunion and is a big Apps fan. Hesays: “I was one of his customersin 1984 and still own and use

two of his machines. Organised off-road cycling in Britain hadexisted since 1955 – via theRough Stuff Fellowship – butGeoff was the first person todevelop and market purpose-built bikes.

“People back then must havethought of Geoff and his ideasas eccentric, not realising thatwhat he was doing was pre-empting the invention of a newsport and style of bicycle.

“Much of what happenedback then went unreported andso its history has beenoverlooked,” comments Wallace.

It’s time that this longforgotten part of the British biketrade’s early MTB history iscommemorated, which is whyBikeBiz is throwing its weightbehind the campaign to getGeoff Apps into the USMountain Bike Hall of Fame.www.mtnbikehalloffame.com

GEOFF APPS MTB HISTORY

“People musthave thought of

Geoff and hisideas as

eccentric, notrealising that hewas pre-emptingthe invention of a

new sport andstyle of bicycle.”

Graham Wallace


Geoff Apps

pictured with a Cleland

The Muddy Fox Courier ’s high

profile print and TV ads were a

hugely visible sign of the increasing

popularity of MTBs in the UK


TOP TWENTY IBDS

The thriving independent bike dealer population is something for the UK cycle trade to shout about,so we asked several top UK cycle distributors for their thoughts on the best IBDs currently operatingin the industry. Jonathon Harker counts the votes and compiles the list...

BASED IN SIX locations in Scotland –Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness,Innerleithen and two in Glasgow –Alpine Bikes is set to open the doors toa new unit in Perth later this year.

That expansion has made the 20-year-old retailer one of the largestindependent cycle retailers north of theborder. Notsurprisingly,Alpine’ssuccessful twodecades have ledit to receivepraise from thetrade, gaining anomination forthe BikeBizAwards in 2008.

It’s been a busy few years for Alpine,which saw the Tiso Group snap up thedealership in a management buy out in2006. Since the buy-out, Alpine hasmaintained high levels of service, rangeand focus, and has enjoyed the fruits ofits labour with a strong 2009performance – the best in Alpine Bike’s

history. Alpine isgetting involved ina huge number ofevents in Scotlandthis year throughsponsorship andparticipation. Youcan read moreabout those eventsand more in ourprofile on page 49.

Alpine Bikes

READING-BASED AW Cycles has forgedits reputation over 25 years of bicycleretailing. The shop specialises in avariety of sectors: mountain anddownhill bikes, road bikes andaccessories, and finally, commuter andtown bikes. The shop is perfectly placedfor that latter category, located close tothe capital, andseveral nearbyuniversity towns.

When MysteryShopper visitedthe store lastyear, theundercoverreporter praisedthe retailer,saying: ”AW

Cycles features an eye-catching storefront with bike parking facilities outside.

“The shop was bustling withcustomers, with a vast array of bikesand accessories on offer for visitors.”

The retailer makes every effort toreproduce its high levels of customerservice in its online shop.

AW Cycles alsosupports localcycling initiatives,from fundingschool cyclingevents to thelaunch of the AWCycles Elite CyclingTeam, nurturingyoung andtalented riders.

AW Cycles

Top20

IBDs

TOP TWENTY IBDS


BASED IN the beating heart of thepicturesque Lake District, Bike Treks isopen seven days a week, offeringaccessories and bikes for sale and hire. Andy Stephenson set up the businessfrom the back of a van in the 1980s,fixing bikes and hiring out mountainbikes.

Stephensonwent on to openBiketreks atMillans Park (in Ambleside) tohandle thegrowing business.

Biketrekscontinued toflourish over thecourse of the

next twenty years and now the retailerhas recently moved to new premises onRydal Road, doubling stock capacity andcreating a modern purpose-built bikedisplay that has led the shop to receiveaccolades from Richie Roland, Silverfishsales manager. Roland said of the store:

“It’s hands downthe best-dressedbike shop in theUK.”

Now taking upa prominentposition in thetown centre, thesuccess ofBiketreks looksset to continue.

BOASTING TWO outlets in the city,Cambridge Station Cycles serves thestudent-filled locale with bikes for saleand hire. In fact, Station Cycles says it isthe largest cycle sales and hire businessin the East of England.

As you might expect, it has an outletat Cambridge’s railway station, and nowalso in the citycentre on theGrand Arcade.

The retailerrelaunched itswebsite lastsummer, andshortly afterwardspicked up anomination forBest Independent

Retailer at the BikeBiz Awards 2009.Mystery Shopper rated the shop as“One of the star stores of the city,” andadded: “Overall, this shop was excellent– namely due to the staff member’swillingness to explain and take the timeto provide enthusiastic, honest advice.”

Founded in 2000, Cambridge StationCycles stocks awide range of city,road and mountainbikes. The decade-old retailer alsospecialises inDutch-style bikes,folding bikes,electric bikes andfixies as part of itsdiverse range.

SITUATED ON the busy TrumpingtonRoad at the centre of Cambridge, BenHaywards Cycles has served theresidents and students of the city forclose to a century. The shop is in thefourth generation of two Cambridgefamilies, with a tradition of highstandards of service.

Ben Haywards Cycles has shunnedthe mail-ordercycle market,enouraging localsto buy local andoffering a deliveryservice instead.The retailer’sworkshop is adesignatedShimano Service

Centre and its mechanics are Cytechtrained. The store says its cycles havebeen chosen for their quality and valuefor money.

One of our anonymous panel said ofthe cycle store: “Ben Haywards’ staff aregenuine, friendly, knowledgeable andenthusiastic. It’s a great shoppingexperience for every consumer.”

Ben Haywardshas also takenpart in charitableactivites, includinglast year’sRollapaluza eventin association withTeam Cambridgefor hospice ArthurRank House.

BIKE BRISTOL and Ralph Colman Cycleswere picked out by one of ouranonymous panel, who lauded themwith these words: “Professional staff,superb product knowledge, with a

personal touch. Total customersatisfaction is their goal.”

Bike Bristol and Ralph Colman bothboast excellent workshop facilitiesstaffed with Cytech qualified

mechanics. Theformer sawconsiderableexpansion twoyears ago thatsaw floor spacenearly double. Theexpansion sawBike Bristol addtwo workshops.The stores alsoshare a websiteat www.bike-uk.co.uk.

COMBINING a bike shop with a café,Base Camp Mountain Bikes is set in theLagan Wolftrax mountain bike park inthe Cairngorn National Park, up in theScottish Highlands.

Base Camp offers custom-built high-end MTBs from premium brands and awealth of other services (including amean frothycappuccino).

Richie Roland,Silverfish salesmanager, said ofthe store: “Basedat the foot ofsome of the besttrails in thecountry, BaseCamp Mountain

Bikes is run by a classic Scottish ‘man ofthe mountains’.

“A true cyclists’ heaven, there’salways a warm welcome at Base Camp,great service, a wide range of some ofthe best products on the market and,most importantly of all, homemadesoup and cake.

“Lindsay, theowner, is key insupporting trailmaintenance inthe area. Theysponsor a team ofracers, and Lindsayrides regularlyhimself, lovingevery singleminute of it.”

FOUNDED IN THE 1980s, BeelineBicycles started out as a retailer ofsecond-hand cycles. As the businessgrew, Beeline upped sticks to busythoroughfare Cowley Road and took onstock of new bikes in addition to thesecond-hand models.

With nine full-time staff, Beeline hasaround 170models on displayand is splitbetween the roadcycle room, andthe main shop –which stockshybrid and citybikes, fullsuspensionmountain bikes,

hardtail mountain bikes and children’sbikes.

BikeBiz’s Mystery Shopper visitedBeeline Cycles last month and found itsservice to be top drawer: “The storeearned high marks for taking time toprovide advice, and for the obviousenthusiasm of the sales assistant

spoken to.”Beeline Cycles’

web offering iswell developedtoo, with a repairupdate service tohelp customerstrack theirworkshop processand a fully fledgedonline store.

Biketreks (Ambleside) Cambridge Station Cycles

Base Camp MTB Beeline Cycles

Ben Haywards Cycles Bike Bristol and Ralph Colman Cycles

FOUR STORES make up the HargrovesCycles retail network, all based in theSouth. Hargroves’ Southampton shopwas the first, opening over 20 years agoin 1985. Since then, shops inChichester, Winchester and finallyFareham haveopened, withthe latter beingestablished inearly 2007.

Set up bycyclo-cross riderPeter Hargroves,the retailerprides itself onofferingcustomersimpartial advice

on road, cyclo-cross, cross-country, allmountain, downhill and trial cycling.

During the course of the retailer’sevolution, Hargroves has introduced awarehouse and website, supporting thestore’s mail order business.

FAMILY-RUN J E James Cycles is anindustry stalwart, having clocked uphalf a century in the bicycle biz.

The retailer currently has largebicycle stores in three towns acrossYorkshire and Derbyshire – Sheffield,Chesterfield and Rotherham.

J E James Cycles is no stranger toappearing on top lists.The retailer also scoreda place in theACT/ActSmart’s firstever Cytech top 50 latelast year, making thelist for its investmentsin its people andservice through theCytech training andaccreditation scheme.

Alongside top-notch service andquality, J E James also stocks a hugevolume and wide selection of cyclinggoods in its stores. The Sheffield store,for example, is home to a refurbishedSports Performance Centre offering roadand mountain bikes, clothing,accessories and assorted shiny parts.

SET IN A CONVERTED 17th Centurybarn in the heart of Worcestershire,the aptly-named Epic Cycles boastsa 4,000ft showroom. In thatshowroom is a 70-strong demo bikefleet, providing customers with theopportunity to try out cycles beforethey buy on quiet nearby roads.

It’s an area that Epic Cycles,pitched as no ordinary bike shop, hasworked hard on – giving customersheaps of unhurried advice before theypurchase a cycle, and not pressuringconsumers to buy something thatdoesn’t fit with their needs.

The retailer stocks rides for roadracing, triathlon, cyclo-sportives, timetrails and more. Epic Cycles also strivesto offer everyday fair pricing, treating

customers equally whether they are anoccasional rider or a bike nut with tencycles in the garage.

It all adds up to Epic Cycles’ desire tooffer some of the best customer servicelevels in the industry – and it seems ourpanel agreed when they nominatedthem as one of the UK’s top 20independents.

PERTHSHIRE-BASED Escape Routeopened in 1997 and following a periodof growth had to look for largerpremises only six years later. Later in2003 the firm found a likely spot andby early 2004 had moved into the newlarger retail space.

The move gave Escape Route theopportunity to expand into stockingoutdoor clothing andequipment, giving theretailer chance toserve a widercustomer base withits product andservice.

One of ouranonymous panel ofjudges said of Escape

Route: “An Aladdin’s cave of knowledgeand experience. We dare you not tosmile at the enthusiasm.”

It really isn’t just product that EscapeRoute offers either. The firm provides arange of advice on riding around thelocal Pitlochry area, informing riderswhich routes suit their requirements –and the probably rainy weather.

CHELMER CYCLES scored highly duringBikeBiz’s visit to Chelmsford in Octoberlast year, bagging a raft of complimentsfrom the undercover reporter. MysteryShopper said of theretailer: “ChelmerCycles was tidy, wellarranged and stockedgood kit. Mostimportantly, the ownerlistened to my needsand offered soundadvice. Top marks here.”

And it seems it’s notjust in the opinion ofthe mystery journalistthat the store has beenearning top marks,with a number of the

aforementioned distributors singing thepraises of the Essex-set store.

Aside from retail, Chelmer also hasits own team, which is fully accredited

to British Cycling.Chelmer’s enthusiasm forcycling also extends toorganising road rides,starting from the store.

Chelmer Cycles hasbeen the subject of praiseover the years. TheSingletrack Reader Awardsshortlisted the retailer in2004, while in the sameyear The Independentpicked out the store asone of the UK’s 50 BestSports Shops.

A FAMILIAR name to the trade, CondorCycles has not only been nominated forBikeBiz Awards, but has picked up acouple too – not bad considering theindustry awards, have only been runningfor two years.

The well-regarded retailer brought a42-piece Condor bike range to the CycleShow last year and recently, the world-famous CondorCycles had acheekily-namedclosing downsale. The cleverruse was all for arefurbishmentthat madeCondor 25 percent bigger.

Having clocked up over 60-years inthe industry Condor does, of course,manufacture custom builds, workingclosely with Dedacciai to get access tothe very latest tubing innovation.

Commenting on the BikeBizIndependent Retailer Award win lastyear, MD Grant Young told BikeBiz: “It’sbeen an incredible year for us and for

the industry as awhole.

“Condor Cycles’refurbishment isnow complete,providing us with agreat space to offera uniqueexperience to ourcustomers.”

Hargroves Cycles J E James Cycles

Chelmer Cycles Condor Cycles

TOP TWENTY IBDS


Epic Cycles Escape Route

MOUNTAIN BIKE specialist WorcesterCycle Centre is a family-run businessboasting one of the largest showroomsin the country, says the retailer. Withover 120 bikes on display, WorcesterCycle Centre also carries over 200bikes in stock, meaning customer havea good chance of leaving the store onthe day of the visit with a bike in tow.

Like many of the other top-ratedindependent dealers, Worcester alsoprides itself on serving fine fresh groundcoffee alongside its top-notch productoffering. It’s seemingly a glib point, butthe beverage offer for customers isindicative of the shop’s welcomingphilosophy.

Silverfish said of the retailer:“Worcester Cycle Centre is pretty close

to what every bike shop owner wouldhope to achieve within their store.”

The Twitter-savvy retailer has aworkshop staffed by two full-timemechanics, boasting over 23 years ofexperience between them.

And such is Worcester Cycle Centre’sreputation that even Worcester’s ownpolice bicycles are serviced by the shop,as are the cycles of the New College ofWorcester.

ESTABLISHED IN 1992, Wheelbase isbased in the heart of the Lake District,between the picturesque towns ofKendal and Windermere.

And not only is the shop situated ingood looking scenery and some of thecountry’s finest cycling territory, butWheelbase also has a huge shopfootprint (which the retailer says is theUK’s largest cycle shop). Over 400bikes are on display at its 18,000 sq ftpremises, as is a vast range of cycleaccessories and clothing.

The retailer sees range as its uniqueselling point, and works to aphilosophy of customers being able tocome in, see a bike in his or her sizeand colour, and then being able tobuy it and walk away with it on the

day. The firm also sponsors its ownraceteam and holds Demo Days.

Wheelbase saw a management buy-out four years ago, with a youngmanagement team taking the reins ofthe store, including MD Chris Herd andbrothers Toby and James Dalton. Sincethe MBO turnover has grown year-on-year, and profitability has increased too.

RUTLAND CYCLES is anotherretailer that has been honouredin a variety of ways.

The 60 staff-strong firmscooped ‘Business of the Year2009’ at the Rutland andStamford Mercury BusinessAwards. Speaking on the win,the sales director said: “Although wehave grown to be one of the biggest UKcycle retailers we have still maintainedour core values of good customerservice and competitive prices.”

Rutland Cycling has now expanded tofour sites and also went on to benominated for best IndependentRetailer at the BikeBiz Awards 2009,narrowly missing out on picking up oneof the industry-nominated awards.

Over a quarter of a century old,Rutland offers cycle hire alongside itsretail business and has recently uppedits investment in online, complementingits physical business.

That investment has paid off too,with internet sales now accounting fora third of Rutland Cycles’ business. Theretailer also set up a new mail orderdistribution centre and office to handlethe growing arm of its business.

SURREY-SET Sigma Sport specialises inthe road and triathlon sectors. TheKingston-upon-Thames-based retailergrabbed the headlines at the start ofthis year with a high-profile team-upwith Specialized. Thetwo joined forces forTeam Sigma Sport-Specialized.

Sigma has long hada strong UK squadwhich has scoredsuccesses at thehighest level. Nationalchampions,Olympians and GrandTour Riders can all befound in the teamalongside young riders

eager to earn their stripes. Also, thisyear,Team Sigma Sport-Specializedregistered with the UCI to gain EliteContinental status with the aim to ridea number of UCI events overseas.

WHILE NOT STRICTLY an IBD,Winstanley received votes from anumber of our anonymous dealers,Winstanley is not just a well-established mail order cycle retailer, but

it also has over 3,000 bikes in stockavailable for viewing at its Wigan base.The retailer has been set up in thebusiness for seven years, predominantlysupplying mountain bikes to consumers.

PHIL CORLEYCYCLES got theBikeBiz MysteryShoppertreatment in thesummer of lastyear. Theundercoverreporter found that the popular MiltonKeynes-based business excelled in anumber of areas, noting: “Productsignage was good at the store, withprices clearly displayed with eachmodel’s key features. Alongside salesand servicing, the specialist store alsooffered various finance options and acustom bike fitting service.”

And it seems as if Mystery Shopperwas on the money as far as our

distributorjudges wereconcerned, withseveral of ouranonymouspanel pickingthe store out asa top performer.

The eponymous Phil Corley himselfopened his first store thirty years ago in1979 in Great Linford, just north ofMilton Keynes. He went on to move tolarger premises two years later on atNeath Hill with business partner DickHooper.

A further five years later and the pairopened a second store in StaceyBushes, where the business hasremained ever since.


TOP TWENTY IBDS

J Winstanley Phil Corley

Rutland Cycles Sigma Sport

Worcester Cycle Centre Wheelbase


Tell us a little about Weldtite’shistory:Weldtite was founded in 1939as the brand name for C.B.Baggsof London and started makingpuncture kits for the War Office.All appropriate governmentvehicles were supplied withpuncture repair kits, many ofwhich were supplied by Weldtiteand the company continued tosupply the Ministry of Defenceuntil the end of the Falklandswar in 1982.

WeldtiteProducts hascontinued

with the early legacy of puncturerepair kits and still supplies repairkits to the cycle trade to thepresent day.

In 1980, David Bennett-Baggs,the grandson of the founder ofC.B.Baggs, joined the companyin order to further develop thecycle side of the business. Thesuccess continued and in 1989we had outgrown the Londonheadquarters and a decision wasmade to move to new premisesin Barton-upon-Humber, NorthLincolnshire.

Weldtite still operates fromthis site today and hasexpanded the factory to

23,000 square feet.

Now we’re back to thepresent day, how manystaff do you employ

to handlethe firm’sbrands?

Weldtite employs between 40and 45 people, dependent onthe season. This is due to theseasonality of cycling and whereincreased production hours areoften required during thesummer months to meetincreased demand.

Weldtite’s business is nowsplit into tooling, cleaning andlubrication – how much morecan the company diversifywithin the trade? I currently think that within themaintenance arena we havemost of the bases covered.However, there are always newopportunities and ideas beingraised during production andinnovation meetings and I couldnot say at this time what thefuture holds for development offurther brands and products.

Are there any plans forexpansion? Weldtite monitors the marketvery closely both in the UK andabroad and although there areno plans for expansion at themoment, we continue to lookfor opportunities to give the

companystronger marketpenetration andbrand awareness.

Tell us about Weldtite’sinvolvement with the WXCMountain Bike Team UK:Weldtite has been a sponsor ofthe WXC Mountain bike teamfor three years. During thecoming season the team willride the National Enduro Series for Weldtite in the new team strip.

What’s the thinking behindthe online tutorials andpodcasts on Weldtite’swebsite? In the cycle market, Weldtiteoffers a one-stop maintenancesolution and as such we feelthat it is important to educateboth the public and the trade inhow to properly use our product.

The podcasts enable peopleto access a visual guide torepairing their bikes and the

Being the only UKmanufacturer ofcycle-specifictools, Weldtite hasmanaged to keepmarginfluctuations tight,which in turn haslead to increasedretail interest.Mark Sutton talksto Chris Jenkinsonabout progressacross the firm’slubrication,tooling andcleaning fluiddivisions…

WELDTITE INTERVIEW

Well-oiled machine…

Cyclo ToolDVDs provideinstructional

information forthe home and

professional mechanic. Wesee this media as a valuablecommunication tool and plan toexpand the range of videos inthe future.

In what ways have youimproved the lubrication andcleaners business in the pastfew years?There are always companies thatare offering a new lubricant orcleaning product within theirproduct portfolio, but onlyWeldtite has consistentlyproduced a complete range ofmaintenance products under theone umbrella.

We are continuallymonitoring developments incycle maintenance and thenresponding to the marketdemands by developing newproducts using in-housepersonnel and production within our factory at Barton-upon-Humber.

How do you protect theproduct’s margins?During the past two years ithas been difficult to protectthe margin of every product inthe range. Due to the huge

fluctuations in raw materialcosts and the movements incurrency rates it has been tough to maintain.

However, because of the hardwork of our purchasing divisionand improvements in ourmanufacturing process, we havemanaged to limit the marginloss to an acceptable level.

How are you advancing theCyclo tools business in what isa highly competitive sector?Although the competition in thisfield is greater than othermarket segments in whichWeldtite operates, the advancedtool range has achieved goodpenetration both nationally and

internationally in the first yearand I believe that Cyclo nowoffers a complete package,which covers all aspects ofbicycle repair.

Has the trade responded wellto the more complex toolingCyclo offers?The Cyclo advanced range oftools was produced in-house byour design department andfollowing 18 months ofcontinued development we havecreated a complete range ofcycle specific tools for both theconsumer and the professional.

The development of this newrange has made Cyclo the onlyBritish-designed tool brand on

the cycle market, and assuch it has quicklyestablished a reputationfor quality and value,which is helping the

products to

compete against the existingbrands.

Many in the cleaning andlubrication market areproducing product in recycledpackaging – how is Weldtiteprogressing here?Weldtite is involved with anumber of programmes todevelop environmentally friendlypackaging wherever possible.

Why should dealers chooseWeldtite’s brands over marketcompetitors? How do marginsand product performancecompare?There are any number ofmaintenance products availablein the market, but our mission atWeldtite is to ensure that whena customer is looking to improvethe life and performance of theirbike, they ask for Weldtitebranded products by name. Wehope our existing customers aresafe in the knowledge that theyhave bought a quality product,from a UK manufacturer, at acompetitive price.

Will Weldtite be at any showsor cycling events this year?Weldtite will be attending anumber of international showsduring 2010 including Taipei,Eurobike and both the Japaneseand Brazillian National shows.

“Only Weldtite hasconsistentlyproduced acomplete range ofmaintenanceproducts under theone umbrella.”

Chris Jenkinson,Weldtite

Weldtite is proud to make UK-produced tools for the bike trade

All pics © Rob Ainsley


WELDTITE INTERVIEW

� WIGGLE DAVID JONES hasrecently been appointed as headof own-brand productdevelopment – hard goods atonline bike retailer Wiggle.co.uk.Jones will be spearheadingWiggle’s move into own-brandbikes, working on projectsincluding the recently launchedVerenti Sportive bikes as well asMTB and road race brands inyears to come.

His main duties will beoverseeing and managing thedesign, sourcing and productionof Wiggle’s bikes and accessories.Working alongside Wiggle branddesigner Marc Edwardson, Jonessays it is his intention forWiggle’s own-brand bikes “tobecome a recognised anddominant force in the industry”.

Jones joins Wiggle after morethan 12 years working at CyclingSports Group (CSG, formerly HotWheels), the UK importer anddistributor of Cannondale, GT,Mongoose and Charge Bikes.During his time there, he helpeddevelop the Charge brand into amarket leader in urban, fixed gearand hardtail MTB. He was alsoresponsible for internationalsales, which covered distributionin more than ten countries.

Paul Bolwell, Wiggle’smerchandising director, said: “Weare delighted to have David onboard. He has a wealth ofsourcing experience andknowledge. Over the comingyears, both he and Marc will bebusy working on our excitingown-brand bike projects.”

CSG bolsters team with more recruits


PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT

Send your recruitment news [email protected]

David Jones

Online retailerWiggle brings inJones to handleown-branddevelopment �Peter Bragg headsup Shutt VeloRapide’s marketingand commercialbusiness

� SHUTT VELO RAPIDESpecialist cycle sport clothingmanufacturer Shutt Velo Rapide,has announced the appointmentof PETER BRAGG to head up itsmarketing and commercialbusiness. The appointmentfollows increased demand forShutt VR’s garments, coupledwith significant outsideinvestment. Bragg will beresponsible for Shutt VR’sbusiness in the UK and Europe.

Bragg, a lifelong cyclist, is aseasoned sales and marketingprofessional with over 20 years’experience. He started his careerat IBM and more recently heldsenior sales and marketing rolesat eGain Communications,Ovidium and Mindjet UK.

“Peter came to our attentionbecause of his strong executionskills, proven consultative salesexperience and his ability to drivenew business developmentthrough the retail sector,” saidMD Simon Warren. “We expect2010 will be another successfulyear for Shutt as we continue togrow our market share. We lookforward to working with Peter.”

� CSG The distributor hasappointed four new recruits,including two telesales staff.

ADRIAN LEES is the firstaddition to the telesales team.Lees is new to the trade havingpreviously worked in the retail hi-fi industry. He also recentlymoved from Peterborough to thesouth coast and is a keen cyclist.

JAMES CRUICKSHANK alsojoins CSG in telesales, havingmoved from Bromley where heworked in a bike shop.Cruickshank has competedpreviously in duathlon events.

MARK BROUGHTON joins asfinance manager. Broughton is achartered accountant andqualified with KPMG. Morerecently he worked as businessservices manager with a localaccountancy practice. He is akeen badminton player and socialrunner and enjoys getting out atweekends in his VW camper.

Finally, CHRIS WILLS joins CSGas bike mechanic. An enthusiasticcyclist, Wills will also help out inthe despatch department andwith the warranty team.

PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT


People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords

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RETAIL ONLY

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUEDEALER PROFILE 49Alpine Cycles is opening a new store in Perth, Scotland. Flipto page 49 for a little business inspiration...

BIKE SECURITY 51Home Office stats paint a worrying picture of bike theft inthe UK. See how you can help protect customers on page 51.

NUMBER CRUNCHING 74Having put on another whopper of an exhibition, Taipei’sCycle Show has collated some impressive stats...

RETAILCOMMENT

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

IS TAIPEI THE new Interbike? The chairman of the TaiwanBicycle Exporters Association certainly seems to think so. Ican’t help but feel, though, that Taipei’s Cycle Show is ever soslightly basking in the spotlight of putting on another well-received exhibition, using this to knock out some subtle hintsthat it is becoming more important to the trade than Vegas.

Without doubt, the trade is very much warming to the Far-East’s premier industry gathering, but surely, with the majorityof the industry’s business done in the region, overtakingInterbike is an inevitability anyway?

In fact, having placed 3,018 booths in the Nangang centre,which has an official capacity of 2,000, the show could be indanger of carrying the ‘too much to see’ tag, somethingEurobike trade visitors have been known to note as adownside of making the journey.

So, is Interbike ‘dead’, as some have suggested, or has thebigger picture become distorted by the likely false rumourthat Interbike’s attendance is in freefall, all because a few bigexhibitors pulled their space?

Granted, Taiwan’s bicycle show will, without doubt, conquerthe number two spot in worldwide show rankings within the

next few years, though Las Vegas remains very relevant to thetrade, despite the absence of some larger brands

By the time Eurobike is over, retailers have typically roughlyallocated cash to purchases, or at least have a strong ideawhich main lines they’ll be carrying. Thus, a large portion ofthe money to be invested in stock going forwards has beenspent already. Interbike serves not only as a refresher just amonth down the line, but also to reassure dealers that they’veindeed made the right stock choices before signing on thedotted line.

So, does it really matter that a few larger bicyclemanufacturers have shunned a plot in Vegas in favour ofspending marketing budgets on roadshows? In my eyes, thisshould give those retailers who do travel to these shows moretime to focus on other areas of their business, oftenoverlooked in favour of securing stock of key bike lines for theyear ahead.

If Interbike has become more intimate, retailers and buyershave a great opportunity to tie down smaller firm’s brandmanagers with a view to striking up new trade relationships.Meanwhile, on home soil, it’ll be interesting to see how wellLondon’s October Cycle Show stands its ground against thearrival of a January ‘super show’ at ExCeL.

“Las Vegas remains very relevent to thetrade, despite some notable absences. Ifanything, these provide fresh opportunityfor one-to-one time with smaller firms...”

[email protected]

Alpine Bikes

How many shops does AlpineBikes have at present?We have six shops at themoment in Aberdeen, Edinburgh,Inverness, Innerleithen and twoin Glasgow.

Are there any plans to add tothe number?We are opening in Perth thisOctober in an exciting new unit,and in a great location.

And how is business? Did thesnow impact on sales?The snow had a big effect for usin late December and earlyJanuary. We have seen strongsales in February coming fromthe fact that people could notget out on their bikes and arenow taking advantage of theimproved weather. Overall, 2009was a very good year for us, oneof the best in the firm’s history.

What’s going to be the biggeststory from Alpine in 2010?We will be building on a strong2009 and looking to develop new

opportunities in new productranges and in different locations.

Alpine was bought by Tiso in2006 – how have thingschanged since then?The company has changed verylittle since becoming part of theTiso Group in terms of service,range and focus. What haschanged is that by being part ofa larger group, Alpine is in amuch stronger financial positionto expand, either organically orthrough acquisition.

Do you specialise in a sector?Alpine has always had a strongmountain bike focus. We have acore stock, but all our stores arein very different locations. Insome we focus on road, in othersdownhill and others commuting.

What about electric bikes?We are stocking some from Trek.

How does Alpine market itsshops? Sponsorship? Radioadverts?

This year we are focusing onsponsoring events and are proudto be involved with many greatevents in Scotland, from theWorld Cup downhill at FortWilliam to the Pedal ScotlandEdinburgh and the Glasgow bikeride. We use many forms ofmedia to promote our sales andpromotions including press, radioand online.

How much of the businessrevolves about the workshop?The workshops of all the shopsare important both from acustomer service point of viewand sales.

Is it tough to run an onlineportal as well as a bricks andmortar business?When you open a new shop ittakes a bit of time to get toknow the customers and whatworks in that shop.

Online is no different fromthis and it has taken a bit of trialand error to start to see successin this challenging market.

Telephone: 0141 548 8808Web: www.alpinebikes.com Email: [email protected]

Address: 41 Commercial Street, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JD(Head Office)

With a new store set to open later this year in Perth, Alpine’s growing cycle dealernetwork goes from strength to strength. Jonathon Harker speaks to marketingdirector Pippa Thackray to find out more about the cycle retailer…

“Overall, 2009was a very goodyear for us, one ofthe best in thefirm’s history.”

Pippa Thackray,Alpine Bikes

IBD PROFILE


Alpine fresh

Store History

Alpine Bikes, one of thebiggest independent cycleretailers in Scotland, wasfounded in Aberdeen twodecades ago by DaveMcKay.

In 2006 Alpine wasbought out by Tiso Group –an independent outdoorretail chain also based inScotland and founded inthe ‘60s. At the time of thebuy out, Alpine’s turnoverwas reported to be £3.5million.

The retailer only enteredthe online space in 2008 –at www.alpinebikes.com –with the firm telling BikeBizat the time: “It may havetaken us a while to join theonline marketplace, but itwas imperative to us thatour online offering wassynonymous with ouroffline core values.

“We wanted to makesure that our customerswould have the sameunique experience online asthey do in any of our shopsthroughout Scotland."

PragmasisPRAISE FOR Pragmasis’ products hasnot been hard to come by of late.Recently What Mountain Bikemagazine awarded the firm’sProtector Chains an eye-catchingfive out of five in its Mammoth LockTest. Both the Protection 11mm and13mm have gained the Sold SecureBicycle Gold accreditation.

The firm also tells BikeBiz that theTorc Series II ground anchor is thehighest-approved ground anchor onthe market. With the Series I beingshowered with praise by Cycling Plus(dubbing it Security Product of theYear) Pragmasis says the Series IIis stronger, easier to fit andcheaper too.

The firm also produces the ShedShackle – an anchor designed toreinforce the wall of a wooden shed,

so customers don't have to dig upthe floor of their garden hut.

The made-in-Britain Shackle isSold Secure approved and is easy tofit for consumers. [email protected]

GelertTHE CANYON stainless steel joint lock(L829) features a clever double-lockingbarrel action and comes complete withfour unique smart keys – ideal for thoseprone to losing the essentials.Measuring 20mm by 900mm, the steel

joint lock includes heavy dutyinterlocking steel joints that comecomplete with a stainless steel meshcovering for still more extra strength.

A non-scratching clear cover doesexactly what you’d expect, while thelock includes a fitting bracket to boot. www.gelert.com01766 510301

Safe andsecure

When it comes to bike security, cycleretailers rarely have to sell the fear –customers usually know all too well,usually from bitter experience, justhow easy it is to lose your ride to bikethieves. Jonathon Harker asks thetrade for their insights on the latestbike security products…

BIKE SECURITY

CoyoteSports COYOTE Sports offersdealers a comprehensiverange of locks from thefamous Squire brandand also under theVentura name.

Both of the rangescover some of the mostpopular types of locks,including cable, shackle,combination and loop locks.

One of the newestproducts from the range tolook out is the Bike Alarm(BS000). www.coyote-sports.com 0161 727 8508


RaleighTHE DISTRIBUTOR handles the RSP locksrange, including Sold Secure Silver Shacklelocks. The locks use ultra hardened steelshackles so they provide maximum cutresistance to, cutting implements.

It boasts a reinforced cyclinder andcrossbar sleeve, plus a Quattro boltlocking mechanism. The lock has its ownsliding dust cover, protective vinyl coatingon the cross bar and laser cut keys.

Also up fromRSP is a

Sold Secure Gold-rated Chain andpadlock. Titanium reinforced steel linksserve to put off cycle thieves, as does thecylinder, which provides defence againstphysical attacks and picking. Water andheat resistant, the chain and padlockboast a double steel ball lockingmechanism.

RSP’s armoured lock is Sold SecureBronze rated, with a twisted steel cableprotected by hardened steel links and adouble bolt locking mechanism. www.raleighbike.co.uk01773 532680

Moore LargeMOORE LARGE supplies a range of locksfrom both the OnGuard and Magnumbrands. The former has a wealth ofexperience specialising in security for alltwo-wheeled transport and thedistributor assures BikeBiz that it willoutclass competitors in terms of valuefor money, presentation, dealersupport and profitability.

In fact, OnGuard productsall come with a no-quibble,lifetime warranty offeredto the consumer, plus ananti-theft guarantee onmany of its products,helping to install someall-important confidencein prospective customers.

The suggested pricefor each lock has beenset to reflect a minimumten per cent time savingagainst a comparablecompeting product.

Five keys are included witheach lock and a keyreplacement service enables accessto an unlimited number of keys.

The range spans a number of lockingoptions, whether it be maximum securitychains and shackle locks, or the simplercoils and cables. This level of optionsmeans there is a lock at a price to suitany number of security requirements all

from within just the one brand.Meanwhile, the mid-level Magnum brandoffers a comprehensive variety of locksto cycle dealers, covering U locks, coillocks, chain locks, armoured locks andcable locks, retailing from between £4.99and up to £[email protected]

WalkersWALKERS Cycles supplies a wealth ofsecurity related products from theSerfas range, including the Jaw Breakerkey lock. This 15mm, six foot recoilbraided quality lock comes with allimportant top notch margins, saysWalkers, together with great packaging.

The Jaw Breaker Combo lock followsthe same principle as the first, but – asyou might have guessed – it comeswith a five-digit combo lock instead of

a key lock. Both models feature a dualdensity body and vinyl coating to avoiddamaging the finish of the bicycle towhich it is attached.

The locks both are flexible,lightweight and are self coiling to maketransporting a breeze, as well as cuttingedge ergonomic no-slip technology.

Finally, these feature-laden JawBreakers both boast co-moulded andfused Thermoplastic rubber andaluminium bodies. www.walkerscycles.co.uk 01162 833885

CyclocTHERE’S NOTHING quite like aEurobike award to boost awarenessand respect for your latest product,which is something Cycloc can attestto, having been awarded with a designaward at the Friedrichshafen show inGermany last year.

Set to be available commercially forthe first time this month, the Cycloc isideal for retailers as they can attachand secure bicycles to it, giving thempeace of mind that their expensive kitisn’t about to be half-inched. Even theBritish Design Council has dispatched

praise for the product, saying: “theCycloc is a minimalistic triumph ofform, function and social awareness.”And frankly, it’s not that often you getto hear such words spoken about aproduct from the lock market.

The Cycloc itself is a simple devicewhere retailers and cyclists can storebikes horizontally or vertically. It’scapable of suiting a wide range offrame syles and with a unique shapethat, when combined with the weightof the bike, holds it instantly in place.To find out more about the award-winner, head over to the Cycloc site. www.cycloc.com 020 7249 8868


BIKE SECURITY

MadisonTHE MADISON-DISTRIBUTED Kryptonitebrand has introduced what it is calling anew era in portable and versatile bikesecurity in its Modulus product.

The unique Modulus system has anadjustable length and two locking portsthat enable it to adapt to virtually anysituation and locking ‘anchor point’,excelling in those places that a U-Lockcan’t be fitted. The double dead boltmechanism holds the two cable ends in

place, and a spring-loaded design allowseach end to be locked and removedindependently.

The Kryptonite Modulus SecuritySystem’s cables have been constructedwith 10mm braided steel and a handybracket system is included which canmount to the bicycle in two ways, via the‘no tools needed’ strap or attaching to thewater bottle braze-on – an exceedinglyeasy transportation offering. The systemhas a suggested retail price of £29.99. www.madison.co.uk0208 385 3385

2pure2PURE SUPPLIES the Pinhead securityline-up to the cycle trade, theinternationally patented locking systemwhich promises to provide bicycleowners with effective, affordableprotection from the ever-growingproblem of bicycle component theft.

The Pinhead range started withlocking wheel skewers, and the range hasgrown to include a seat collar lock, aheadset/fork lock – which is ideal formountain bikers – and finally the all-newBubble Lock.

2pure tells BikeBiz that a key (ahem)attraction of the Pinhead componentssystem is that one single key, withthousands of possible combinations,works with all the locks. A single keyprovides enough security to protect notjust the bike, but also the most valuablecomponents on the bike from attack,leaving potential thieves to walk awaywith frustration, rather than a cyclist’svaluables.

Within the Pinhead range is a two,three and four pack lock set, a headsetlock pack and a Bubble Lock (pictured).

The Bubble forms the crux of acomplete one-key locking system thatsecures the bicycle frame. It’s designed towork individually or in combo. www.2pureb2b.co.uk0131 448 2884

ZyroTHE LATEST from decades-old Germanbrand Abus includes a Combination D-lock. Priced at £34.99, the D-lockcomes complete with a carryingbracket for the seatpost and adustcover for the four-digit resettablecombination mechanism. Coming in asingle size – 107 by 180mm – the lockbenefits from a 15mm round shackle.

As we’ve detailed before in the pagesof BikeBiz, Abus has also released a setof Combination Chain Locks in variouscolours, for £34.99, to take advantageof the increasingly lifestyle slant to the

market. The lock boasts a resettablecode with a strong seven mm squarechain, which is in turn covered with afabric sleeve to protect the all-important bike finish.

The G51 is a Sold Secure Gold lock,priced at £69.99. A favourite in the bigcities, the G51 provides top-notchprotection without hitting a sky highprice. It uses a virtually identical lockbody to the supreme Granit X-plus 54,and uses a parabolic extra thick 13mmhardened steel round shackle forincreased pulling resistance. [email protected]

OxfordProductsOXFORD’S Magnum Ultra Strong U-Lock certainly sounds impressive and,happily, puts its money where itsmouth is in a credential-backingmove of offering a £1,000anti-theft guarantee.

The Magnum itselffeatures an ultrastrong doublelocking mechanismand a 16mmshackle. A hightech pick-resistant lockingsystem provides asignificantobstacle tocriminals, whilethe carry bracketis ideal for usersto transport it.

The Magnum(which we’reassumingprobably hasnothing to dowith TomSelleck) is SoldSecure Goldapproved too.

The tough Ultra Strong U-Lock hasalso stood up to Oxford Product’s ownrigorous attack test, proving resistantto five minute attacks from not onlysaws, but also drills and bolt croppers. www.oxprod.com01993 862 300

BIKE SECURITY


Well, you wouldn’t want them naked, would you? Though in the UK, where the wind and rain batter usdaily, it can feel like you’re riding with nothing on if you’re not clad in the latest weatherproofs. MarkSutton tries some on for size…

Clothe your customers!

SeventiesFRESH OUT of the container, Seventiesnow has stock of Robbie Morales’ newCult brand, including a number of t-shirtdesigns sure to sell well with the brand’sfollowers. Each is screen printed with adesign and are made entirely from cotton,carrying custom printed labels. Each isavailable in small, medium or large.

The Shadow Conspiracy has alsorevealed a new line of casualwear, printedon soft cotton tees, which are cut to slimfit. Look out for the Castle Fade andVoodoo shirts, both coming in black only.

Finally, among the Seventies clothinglines, DUB’s is perhaps the most unique,utilising slogans such as “chills, not skills”,which comes screen printed on a greencotton t-shirt. And if you are looking forsomething standout to sit among yourstock, check out the colourful ‘Blend’ shirttoo.

Unrelated to clothing, look out for themuch-anticipated DUB DVD due out laterthis year – the hype around this title isconstantly building due to some crazyteaser web edit previews already postedonline at seventies.co.uk.0845 3103670

2PureTHE 2010 spring/summer collectionfrom De Marchi is shipping now. Bystocking De Marchi, dealers arecarrying entirely handmade clothing,but with an advanced conception thatcomes from decades of authentictechnological innovation.

All De Marchi shorts feature ElasticInterface Technology chamois. DeMarchi chose the high quality EITbecause it was actively involved withthe development of the first everelastic chamois back in 2000. All ofthe chamois’ feature ananatomically-designed, multi-layer fused structure with afour-way stretch frame for abody conforming fit. Combinethese features with an exclusivebacteoriostatic microfibre fabric,which prevents the formation of

germs and multi-density cushioninginserts and you can see why the brandis popular.

New for 2010 is the Pure Classicrange, which combines classic DeMarchi styling with modernconstruction techniques and materialsto create an affordable range ofclothing – perfect for everyone fromthe weekend warrior to the seriousracer.0131 448 2884

OxfordOXFORD’S ever-popular range of multi-functional head and neck wear continuesto expand with the introduction of anOfficial Licensed Superman product andtwo children’s designs.

Three iconic Superman designs adornthe adult-sized triple pack, whichcontinues to offer tremendous value forjust £12.99 (effectively three for the priceof one). Trade margins are generous and

display systems are available free ofcharge to any retailers stocking the fullrange in reasonable numbers.

Oxford’s Chillout jacket is available tocycle retailers too. Utilising ‘Chilltex’fabric, which can be worn as either anunder or overlayer, the £69.99 jacket isboth waterproof and breathable, as wellas entirely windproof, even at thetroublesome frontal zip.01993 862300

ZyroALTURA’S new flagship perfomanceErgofit range has been in developmentfor several years and takes Alturaclothing to a new level. Using multi-panel, pre-shaped designs and thehighest quality fabrics, these garmentsoffer a fantastic fit in the ridingposition, total comfort andperformance on long days in thesaddle.

The Ergofit summer range consistsof a lightweight Short Sleeve Jersey(£59.99) and Mitts (£29.99) both inblack or white with red trim and two

levels of bib short. Both levelsof Ergofit bib short use

a new 3D moulded,stretch, multi-density insert withcritical gel paddingand a silver thread

top sheet giving each permanentantibacterial properties.

The Ergofit Comp Bib (£79.99) isavailable in three colour options whilethe Ergofit Pro Bib (£99.99) featuresaggressive red external leg grippers,power lycra panels and a laser cutvented bib.

Flick to page 20 for an in-depthlook at Zyro and Altura’s product,business and aspirations goingforwards.01845 521700

Shutt VRA YEAR SINCE its inception, Shutt VeloRapide, a UK-based cycling clothingspecialist, has now extended its productline to include a range developedspecifically for women.

The women’s catalogue includes newjersey designs, shorts, tights andaccessories. Of notable mention is thatShutt VR is now offering a made-to-

measure bespoke service for those whorequire a more tailored fit.

The Orbea-For Goodness Shakes!women’s racing team assists Shutt VRwith testing new kit all year round.

The end result is that with the race-tested designs, the company can improvethe quality of the clothing the teamuses, as well as provide its customerswith the best in British-made cyclingclothing.Shutt VR: 07939 115295

CLOTHING GUIDE


WalkersNOW CARRYING a comprehensive stockof US super-brand Serfas, Walkers Cyclescan offer its customers a few tidy optionsfor glove and mitt stock.

An example is the men’s full fingerZen glove, which is available insmall to extra-large sizes in a dirt-resistant charcoal shade. It has adurable hem too, doublestitched all over, meaningit’s not only tough inareas prone to wear, butas a unit. Partionedpadding features, givingthe user further comfort onthe handlebar. Among all ofthis sits a breathable, wicking,stretchy mesh panel, as well as areflective trim and microfiber thumb. 01162 833885

SugoiFOR SPRING 2010, SugoiPerformance Apparellaunches the all new RSE(Racing System Equipment)series, which is designed toprovide the ultimate in highend racing and trainingapparel in strong pro opticsfor men and for women.

An advancement on themulti-award winning RSseries, the line featuresadvanced chamoistechnology, breathabletight-knit fabrics and specially applied‘zone construction’.

A key item for those stockingcompetitive gear is the men’s RSE bibshort, sold for £110 at retail price.Made from Sugoi’s latest fabric

innovation, ‘UltraProfi’, this garment isan all-season,technical garmentdelivering strongmoisture transfer,stretch and recoveryand efficient musclesupport. Also new anddeveloped specificallyfor the RSE series isthe highly evolvedFXE chamois, a tri-density foamconstruction providingultimate performance

and comfort. FXE is seamlesslaminated for a friction free feel,naturally thermo-regulated, is anti-microbial and features Sugoi’s bestVcontrol dampening technology.07734 206702

EurobikeWITH OVER 50 years in the cyclingindustry, theHincapiesdraw fromtheir ownexperiences asthey work toproduce onlythe best incyclingclothing. Richand Georgecarefullyexamine andtest everygarment to make sure it follows thecompany mantra of ‘Style in Motion’.

From bib shorts to jerseys to accessoryitems, each piece is purposely designed tocarry both the level of performanceGeorge needs in competition and the

stylish look that makes the clothingdistinctive among the peloton.

Having come on board with Eurobikelast year, the

brand’s focus isnot just limitedto race jerseys.Retailers cantake stock ofgloves,baselayers,skinsuits, shoecovers andmore. In fact,during a recentdemonstration,

Eurobike MDPaul Stewart told BikeBiz about a range ofcasual wear currently in the prototypingstages. Expect that within the next fewmonths, Eurobike will have Hincapiebranded denim jeans, as well as t-shirts.01332 774796

MadisonTHERE’S A few spring additions to theever-growing Madison clothing line toannounce this month.

First up is the Psyclone Jacket,retailing for £79.99 and arriving instock in May. The garment is astripped down evolution of the EvoLite jacket. Madison has used superlight, ultra breathable fabric carrying a20k waterproof rating, too. Thereflective jacket carries a droppedhem with bar-tacked draw cord, side‘inlet’ vents with waterproof zips, aswell as rear ‘exhaust’ vents whichdouble as jersey pocket access points.

Just in time for spring, three ofMadison’s popular men’s shorts arenow available in a 3/4 cut. The ShieldProtec 3/4 Roubaix padded bib tightsare designed to be used in coolerconditions with the thermal Roubaix

fabric treated with awater-resistantcoating for addedprotection.

The Flux andTempest 3/4 shortswill appeal tomountain bikers andcommuters alike.The tech brief forthe Tempest 3/4was a lightweight,waterproof andhigh breathableshort, while theFlux 3/4 uses highlytechnical fabrics(four-way stretchcrotch) and, with itsremoval paddedliner, has a superbfit.0208 385 3385

BikePureTHE 2010 Bike Pure cycling team clothingwill be produced by Onimpex UK/BioRacer, one of the country’s leading cyclinggarment manufacturers.

The firm will initially producejerseys and bib shorts for theanti-doping organisation,with further items beingadded as the seasonprogresses. Co-founder ofBike Pure Andy Layhe said:"The new design is in keepingwith Bike Pure’s previous jersey, aclean, fresh, eye-catching garment,although we have now added theWorld Champions colours to representthe World Champions who form partof our organisation. We wanted a lineof garments that our members andcyclists alike would be proud to wear

and show that they support drug freesport. The clothing range will also beavailable in both men’s and women’ssizing to provide a spot on fit."07990 833887

Moore LargeHAVING ONE of the more diverseclothing catalogues in the trade, MooreLarge is able to supply the full range ofTifosi, Vangard, Outeredge and Lakeproducts – that’s top to toe coverage.

Starting at the bottom, Lake hasgained many followers sinceintroducing its CX401 custom fitcarbon fibre road shoe. Able to becustomised using a conventional oven,the shoe can be re-moulded toperfectly fit the rider’s feet, ensuringthere are no pressure points. TheCX401 is made from kangaroo leather,with side-mounted Push/Pull BOAlacing system and temperatureregulating heel and tongue liner.

Outeredge is the distributor’s budgetfriendly clothing and luggage line. Thelatest releases within the range come

from the luggage sector, with a line of3M reflective waterproof bags goingfrom just £19.99 to £44.99 in price.

New to Vangard is the Windflexrange, which features four styles – zipcollar, roll neck and both long sleeveand short sleeve turtlenecks. The rangeis made from unique four-way stretchfabric, with exceptional elasticity andhigh moisture transfer. The garmentsretail between £55.99 and £67.99.01332 274200


CLOTHING GUIDE

2010 SRAM Red TeamsFrom 3 teams in 2009 to 6 professional cycling teams in 2010! SRAM has doubled the teams, doubled the riders, doubled the possibilities of yet another record breaking season. Here they are:

Team RadioShack (USA) - Top riders: Lance Armstrong, Andreas Klöden, Levi LeipheimerFRAME: Trek / GRUPPO: SRAM REDwww.teamradioshack.us

Team Astana (KAZ) - Top riders: Alberto Contador, Oscar Pereiro, Alexander VinokourovFRAME: Specialized / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zippwww.astana-cyclingteam.com

Team Saxo Bank (DEN) - Top riders: Fabian Cancellara, Andy Schleck, Frank SchleckFRAME: Specialized / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zippwww.team-saxobank.com

Cervélo TestTeam (SUI) - Top riders: Heinrich Haussler, Thor Hushovd, Carlos SastreFRAME: Cervelo / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zipphttp://testteam.cervelo.com

AG2R La Mondiale (FRA) - Top riders: Cyril Dessel, Rinaldo Nocentini, Nicolas RocheFRAME: Kuota / GRUPPO: SRAM REDwww.cyclisme.ag2rlamondiale.fr

Team Milram (GER) - Top riders: Gerald Ciolek, Linus Gerdemann, Fabian WegmannFRAME: Focus / GRUPPO: SRAM REDwww.team-milram.de

WWW.SRAM.COMDistribution in the UK: Fisher Outdoor Leisure LTD, www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk & Saddleback Ltd, www.saddleback.co.uk


CLOTHING GUIDE

Fli distributionAS A SOURCE of O’Neal supply to the UKtrade, Fli Distribution is able to offer thefull catalogue of shorts, jerseys, hoodiesand more.

One of the highlight garments worthconsidering for stock ahead of the warmersummer months is the Thrasher Short,now available in black/white, white/blackand white/red colour combinations. TheTrasher short makes an ideal trailgarment due to the four zipper pocketswoven in to the heavy duty denierfabrics, which are triple-stitched in areasprone to wear and tear. Despite beingtough on the outside, the inner liningsare soft and accommodating, with aspandex strip sewn into the crotch area,allowing a wide range of movement, aswell as breathability.0161 304 0114

RaleighTHE COMPREHENSIVE Avenir clothingrange from Raleigh featureseverything from summer mitts todurable waterproof shells. A top selleryear round in the UK is thePerformance Waterproof jacket at£49.99. This is a fully featured, cyclingspecific jacket made from abreathable outer fabric with meshliner, pit zips, reflective piping andfinished with an adjustable wrist, neckand waist. The garment comes in fivesizes and three colours.

Raleigh also stocks Vaude’s clothingrange, which is made up of severalgloves, jackets and trousers. The Droppants are a fine example of Vaude’stechnical product, utilising a 2.5 layerfabric PU coating for wet weatherresistance. As with most garments in

the Vaude portfolio, the Drop pantsfeature various tactically placedreflective trims and a variety ofadjustable features.01773 532600

BuffEVER-DIVERSIFYING its product, Bufferahas announced a new reversible PolarHeadband Buff. Primarily designed toprotect the user’s ears from the cold, thegarment is ideal for wintersports, or just acold British winter.

Utilising a two-layer construction, thegarment is tailored from polyestermicrofibres sewn to a high insulationPolartec thermal fleece.

Also new and similarly reversible fromBuff is the standard neckwarmer Polar.The Polar Buff’s design combines thewarmest Buff fabrics to produce the mostversatile, chill-killing accessory on themarket.

The Polar Buff garment’s two-layersystem is made from stretchy OriginalBuff polyester microfibre sewn top andbottom to a cylindrical piece of Polartecfleece fabric. This dual layer construction

creates an air pocket for extra protectionto help maintain body temperature andprevent heat loss.01707 852244

FoskaADD A BIT of excitement to yourclothing department this year, with arange of quirky jerseys to catch theeye of your customers.

Foska.com is best known for its off-the-wall cycle jersey designs from theclassic Marmite to the recentinclusion of the London UndergroundMap and much loved classicWallace and Gromit.The firm hasalso recentlyteamed upwith BikeBiz’sown executiveeditor CarltonReid to produce theiPayRoadTax jersey insupport of his

campaign for a better understandingof Vehicle Excise Duty and a cyclist’sentitlement to be on the roads.

Foska offers cost effective, low-riskstocking-in options to maximise thereturn on each sale. The range consistsof road jerseys, in men’s, women’s andkids’ sizes, as well as freeride jerseysand water bottles, plus a winterselection for all year round sales.0845 310 0120

SkinsFOLLOWING the well-received launch lastyear of its first cyclerange, high-techAustralian firm Skins isintroducing seven garmentsin a new line, ‘C400’ and fivemore products to its current‘Cycle Pro’ range, all of whichbecame available in late-March. C400 has only beenmade possible throughmajor leaps in technology by Skins,which has brought cycle-specificcompression technology to its line.

Both ranges also include the company’sfirst non-compression tops for use inconjunction with gradient compressionbaselayers. With C400, laser bodymapping and motion capture were used

to take 800,000 individualmeasurements and assess400 key body-fittingpoints on hundreds ofathletes. The use of astate of the art, multi-sensor measuring device

– claimed to have been usedfor the first time ever in thesporting goods industry –enabled compression to becalculated accurately on athletesin-motion – not just when static.This increased level of precisionhas not only led to new designs,

but a greatly enhanced fit in Skinscycle garments.

The upped precision also resulted inthe two C400 cycle-specific compressionjerseys, which means that riders now havethe opportunity to wear a full Skins cycle-specific outfit – from top to bottom. 01543 420 550

GreyvilleGREYVILLE’S BBB catalogue features anumber of clothing items that sit in

the lower to mid price points ofwhat’s available on the market.

Take the Squadra shorts forexample. Retailing for £44.95, theseare built with a ten-panel, strong lycraand mesh construction. Featuresinclude outside seams for maximumcomfort, a silicon print elasticatedleg gripper and ultra stretch paddedinsert.

BBB’s ladies’ shorts are tailored tofit the female form and at just£34.95 are great value consideringthe materials and anti-bacterialproperties gained via six special panelinserts. Made from Lycra, thegarment keeps friction to aminimum, preventing the irritationassociated with long spells in thesaddle. Additional features include asilicon print elasticated leg gripperand rear pocket.01543 251328


Akhter House Perry Road Harlow Essex CM18 7PN

01279 821243

JN-1470 15.4.09 Prices subject to change without notice. E&OE

email: [email protected]

The Dawn of a New Era for Electric Bikes

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Lithium PolymerBattery

£765Inc VAT

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Windsor LPXLithium PolymerBattery

£765Inc VAT

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Lynx LPX 20” Lithium PolymerBattery

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In Stock

ChargeTHE CHOPSTICKseatpost isavailable in 27.2mmor 31.6mm, and a broadnumber of colours – black, blue, brown,purple, red or silver. Boasting a single boltclamp design, the Chopstick is very easyto fit and adjust. At 350mm long theChopstick retails for £34.99.

Charge’s original intention with theChopstick was that it would complementthe bars that the firm offers to fixed gearriders, but the firm tells BikeBiz that itfound all kinds of riders are enjoying thesimple style they offer.

Also up is the Knife saddle, the shapeof which is derived from the

critically acclaimed Spoonsaddle. The Knife is a

slightly slimmer,lighter version of theSpoon and is for

road or mountain bike racing – and isalmost as comfortable as the Spoon too.The Knife is available in black or whiteand has a retail price of £49.99.

Finally, the carbon-friendly lock onSponge grips are slimmer than the originalSponge grips, with a half plastic innersleeve so the rubber is in direct contactwith the bars. For more details, contactthe firm directly. 01202 732288

SADDLES, POSTS, GRIPS, BOTTLES AND CAGES

AxelUS-MADE Esi grips are100 per cent silicon andmassively lightweight, fromjust 48gm a pair. Thecomfortable Esi comes in two styles –one for the racers priced at £14.50,and for those that like their grips a bitthicker, there’s the Chunky at £15.50.

Axel distributes King Cages – hand-made titanium bottle cages fromDurango, Colorado. Made by a singleman in his small workshop, the cagesweigh only 28gm, and don’t mark

bottles. The hugelydurable cages retail at£49.99.

Axel also offers NewUltimate Bars – lightweight

stems and seatposts from Denmark.New Ultimate formed nine years ago,and its range now includes road andMTB bars, stems, skewers, seatposts inboth carbon and aluminium. Seatpostsweigh in at a 117gms and retail at£190, stems weigh a mere 97 gm andretail at £87. Road bars weigh185grms for £239 and flat MTB barsweigh 106 gm, priced at £120. [email protected]

2pure2PURE supplies grips fromthe Lizard Skins brand. Theever-popular and well-reviewed Charger Lock-on gripreturns this year with some newcolours, as does the Steve Peatsignature grip. 2010 also sees thelaunch of the Aaron Chase signaturegrip. This super thin grip is extra long,with a mini flange and is available infour colours. Lizard Skins lock-ongrips are also available, withcustom-etched lock rings and aquick turnaround time (usually two

weeks). Shipping now from 2pure is

the Crank Brothers Joplin 4seatpost, which promises toreinvent on-the-fly saddleadjustment for 2010. It features

a full four inches (100mm) ofinfinitely adjustable drop and the

new robust seat clamps help to keepsaddles secure, while improved sealingis provided by all-new u-seals. Wherethe original Joplin used one guide block,the new Joplin 4 tracks along dual guideblocks, which are longer, avoiding side-to-side play. It also comes available witha handlebar remote or under-seat lever.0131 448 2884

BottlesportBOTTLESPORT’S bottles are all UKprinted and manufactured using foodsafe material and available in a varietyof colours.

The sizes on offer are 300ml, 500mland 750ml and smaller orders of 100pieces are possible with a seven-dayexpress service.

Manufactured in the UK (inHertfordshire and Norfolk to beprecise), Bottlesport’s range featuresnon-leak screw caps and can be printedin up to six colours with the logo anddesign of the customer’s choice.

Bottlesport has recently announceda brand new partnership with WelshCycling – providing a discount for allWelsh Clubs that place their orders forwater bottles throughout the year. 0845 602 9267


Blazing saddles There’s plenty of hot product on the shelves of the warehouses, justwaiting to head to your store. Jonathon Harker gets a grip (and asaddle) on the latest and greatest out there…

HopeTHE LONG-AWAITEDEternity post has arrivedfrom Hope after a threeyear continual process ofdesign, test and retests.

The post, CNC-machined in Barnoldswick,is made from customAltium T6 aluminium, withsuperior mechanicalstrength, fatigue andcorrosion resistance. Thecunning design of the post

allows for free and fineadjustment of angleand fore/aft positioningof the saddle, yet offersthe security of themore fiddly cradle styledesigns.

The Eternity isanodised and laser-etched, with a silverhead clamp andcoloured fixings as anaftermarket option(matching the otherfive standard colours inthe range). 01282 851200

ClarksFOR 2010 Clarks has launched acomprehensive range of bicycle handlebargrips, ranging from children’s mouldedrubber grips all the way through toergonomically designed city grips.

Clarks’ range also includes ‘lock on’grips. They come in a variety of colourswith anodised ends that will matchcables kits and other products availablefrom the range. Available at highlycompetitive prices and in a variety ofpopular colours, it’s detailed on the firm’swebsite, www.clarkscyclesystems.com01827 382 800

IsonODI’S GRIPS are dominant on the MTBscene, featuring Lock-On grip tech. ODIhas regular grips too – including thebest-selling BMX grip Longneck ST, nowavailable in new colours.

Ison also stocks Renthal, the BMXgrips, in four advanced synthetic rubbercompounds for optimum strength,tackiness and shock absortion. Gripsfrom Gusset, Genetic, Salsa, All-City,Dimension and Passport are also on offer.

Ison distributes a wealth of saddleproduct, with gear from in-house Gussetto suit XC, road, dirt jumping or BMXbikes. New for 2010 is the R-series saddle– aimed at XC and road bikes. A range of

pivotal saddles (and seatpost) completethe package. Ison also supplies Integral,Passport, KHE, Dia Compe and Genetic.

For seatposts, the Dia Compe GrandCompe has a super lightweight CarbonKaryotype. Ison also stocks posts fromKHE, Gusset, Identiti and Salsa. 01353 662662

GelertTHE CANYONbrand providesboth saddlesand grips tocycle retailers.

The CanyonSuper gel saddleis an anatomicallyshaped saddle withsuper gel and extra thick padding. It’s not just about comfort though – the Supergel also boosts visibility with a rearreflector sticker.

Other features of the Super gel saddleinclude a fitted seat clamp and sideprotection with twin bag loops and child-

proof elastomer cushion buffers.Moving beyond saddles,Canyon’s Comfort Gripsboast soft profiled TPRmaterial grips that are

suitable for most styles ofbikes with regular type gear

shifters. The Comfort Grips areergonomically shaped for both ladies andgents, and the grips also boast air ventingand embossed grip surfaces. 0208 459 9970

Coyote SportsCOYOTE SPORTS offers saddles to thebicycle retailer community from a numberof brands by SMP, Selle Royal and Velo. Asyou would expect, the broad portfoliooffers a wide range of saddles covering thejunior, BMX, road, MTB and comfortsectors. A full range of sizes ofseatposts are also offered fromPromax and Kalloy.

Coyote’s own branded bottlesand cages are still as popular asever, the firm tells BikeBiz, and newmodels have been planned to arrivelater in the season. The firm alsosupplies a broad and comprehensive

grip range, including Velo and Coyote grips,again for a variety of sectors – BMX,comfort, MTB and cork ribbon for roadbikes. For more details on any of theranges contact Coyote directly at thenumber below. 0161 727 8508


MadisonIS INTRODUCING its own Sport range ofsaddles this spring, with offerings for roadand MTB in men’s and women’s fits. Theformer’s Prime Road has already scorednine out of ten in a recent Cycling Plustest; the range starts from £24.99.

The distributor also stocks the Selle SanMarco RegalE, anevolved versionof the popularoriginal Regal.For 2010, SelleSan Marco hascombined the classic

shape with modern cutting edge materialsand the saddle itself is available in a rangeof different options, including a RacingTeam replica.

On the bottle side of things, Madisonhas the Elite Jossa – a lockable bottle thatuses a silicone membrane valve combinedwith a lock/unlock bottle top that is sureto stand up to vigorous bashing andsqueezing. Finally, the Elite Sior Carbon

Fibre and titanium bottle cage (priced at£59.99 SRP) is a superlight

from Elite Italy forincreased

durability. 0208 385 3385

GreyvilleGREYVILLE CARRIES the BBBrange, with the Anatomicdesign saddle available inthree colours (black, silverand white). Priced at £37.95and weighing 225gm, it issuited to road or MTB with aglass fibre reinforced shelland super light foam padding.

BBB’s Skyscraper alloyseatpost is available in a widevariety of sizes with an in-linedual bolt adjustable seatclamp– making it a universal choiceat just £19.99 retail.

In terms of grips, BBB offersreal leather versions in black orbrown at £15.95 a pair.Internal foam prevents shockor vibration and high qualitystitching promises to stay inplace after intensive use.

Also up from the firm, theHydratank Bottle is anelegantly designed 600 mlpolypropolene bottle, retailingat £3.45. The Flexcage (£12.95)is a lightweight offering, withstainless steel bolts thatprovide a tight fit due to theunique auto-adjust flex system.01543 251328

Moore LargeTHE ETC range includes SolarComfort, Sport, Cruiser andJunior saddles – thecomfort lines useRoyalgel paddingmaterials. ETC’ssports saddles are Velomanufactured andfeature D2 bases. Thecentre panels on thebases are made of pliablematerial which flexes to reduce pressure.

Moore Large supplies seatposts fromETC, One23 and Savage. ETC provides

suspension, micro-adjust,standard and BMX

variables in alloy andsteel. The One23

range includescarbon-fibre

and alloyseatposts. New

posts – with brightlycoloured pivotal products –

are available from Savage. ETC, Savage and Premium Products

have a range of grips, with the samefirms producing bottles alongsidePolisport, Zefal, Outeredge and One23. [email protected]


WalkersUS BRAND Serfas US has new hot roadsaddles such as the Vistoso road saddle,available in black or white. Weighing in ata mere 260gm, the Vistoso features apatented dual density base, cromo rails,and the standard Serfas saddle 90-daysatisfaction money back guarantee. Tradeprice for the saddle is £15.95, with asuggested retail price of £34.95. 01162 833885

RaleighOUTLAND’S saddles,covering the basicservice replacementto high-end MTBand road offerings,have been treated to anew look, shape, or both.

The Outland El Rey is available in twocolours, with an improved platformshaped for support, offering comfort andperformance. The El Rey VC, with a slightlylower spec, is aimed at the everyday rider.

Raleigh’s new brand, Affix, has a lightsaddle and post combo for the BMX

market, while Diamondback BMX hasrecruited BMX designer Sophie Broadley

to develop its saddle graphics. TheSpectrum, Vector and Graffito

demonstrate thecolours available.

Avenir hasa line ofcomfortsaddles for

leisure and commuting. Gel suspensionsaddles and seatpost complete the range.Diamondback grips are available in 12colours, while RSP’s bottles include a highflow trail model with dust cover (£12.99). 01773 532600

USETWENTY-YEAR-OLD USEspecialises in a full range oflightweight and suspension seatposts, recently adding a 31.6diameter titanium post – theonly UK company to offer sucha post, it tells BikeBiz.

The post range numbers 42, inaluminium, carbon or theaforementioned titanium. TheShokpost line is a suspensionseatpost range, while the Alien isa rigid lightweight range targetedat road cycling and ‘weightweenies’. The Sumo line is aimed

more at the MTB market,with a rigid post with burly

looks. The Aero is a carbon seat postrange for time trial and triathlonbikes, fitted with an Alien-styleclamp. USE also offers a full range ofshims that fit either USE seatpostsor others to frames of different sizes.

The firm also offers a customcarbon bottle cage, featuring fullcarbon construction, custom cut-out logo and bottle fin grips.Available in one style, it comessupplied with stainless steel boltsfor a retail price of £40. [email protected] 344477

WildooWILDOO specialises in printing custombottles and this year the firm hasbroadened its services by offering newtranslucent colours from stock onWildoo’s 750ml BigMouth bottle. Unlikepromotional merchandising companies,Wildoo sources product directly fromfactory, with no middle men.

Wildoo has over ten years ofexperience in the field and handles theentire order process from artworkpreparation, right the way through todelivery. The bottles themselves offertop-notch quality and available sizes

range from 550ml to one litre, allfeaturing leak proof screw on caps withWildoo’s special soft thermoplasticpulling spout. The firm can custom printfrom just 150 identical pieces. 08709 771550

Selle RoyalSELLE ROYAL Ergogel brand is a range ofanatomical saddles with Royalgel – thefirm’s ownpatented twin-flex base. Withdesigns specificto both genders,Ergogel has certainlydone its homework.

The men’s saddles feature a35mm wide central depression, relievingpressure from the prostate, reducingcompression of pudendal arteries andnerves, optimising blood flow to thepenis and cutting feelings of numbness.

The women’s version, meanwhile,feature a narrower depression, avoidingthe compression of the tissue at thecentre of the saddle.

Another saddle brand from SelleRoyal is the Lookin –

ideal for comfort-seeking cyclists.They incorporatetwo new

comfort-based features. Firstly,the innovative cool cover which

helps the saddle cover up to 25°C inthe sun. Secondly, the saddle also usesRoyalgel – reducing pressure on theprostate and pubis. 01933 672170

ZyroCAMELBAK’S bottle range, includingthe Podium and Podium Chill, hasbeen improved, with a moresqueezable version of the Trustatepolypropylene.

Zyro also has bottlesfrom Zefal, with apersonalised service topromote shops, eventsand so on. Bottle cagescome by way of Tortec(Competition BottleCage) and Minoura(Dura Cage).

The latest fromPrologo includes theTeam Sky replicasaddles. Three models

will be available and come withPrologo Sky bar tape.

Bodyfit has comfort saddles for men,women and children from the Tortecfirm, from £12.99 to £29.99. They arewaterproof, soft shelled and durable.

Post Moderne’s Cushy SL and Gildeseatposts are available,as is Dahon’s innovativeBioLogic PostPumpseatpost – an ingeniouscombo of a seatpostand floor pump.Dahon’s BioLogic brand alsomanufactures grips(Biologic Arx Grips),designed to support thepalm of the rider andminimise numbness. 01845 521700

SeventiesTHE FEDERAL SL Pivotal seat features abolt to reduce weight and has anextremely thin amount of padding,giving it a super slim look and feel.Finished with a black kevlarcover, the SL is available inblack, gold, blue andwhite for £29.99The ShadowPlastic SL Pivotalseat, however, isdesigned for riders who want a strippeddown no-frills seat. It only weighs 6.1ozand is available for £21.99.

Seventies also supplies a wide rangeof posts, from the Hoffman B-Rad SL

Pivotal, the Subrosa Lay back Pivotalpost, to the Macneil Nub Pivotal post

and the Kink Super StampPivotal post.

Grips come in a rangeof styles. The Duo VanHoman grips by Duofeature a softmushroom style

patter with plastic barends and a price of £7.99.

Also new, the Shadow Thirteen grip isavailable in a wide range of colours – fromblack to blue, red, white, purple and more– for £7.99. The Federal Glow grips thatlight in the dark are available in a choiceof Thin, Thick, Battle or Conquest’ styles. 0845 3103670

OctagocyclesportOCTAGO imports the Selle An-Atomicaline of saddles. The hand-made line isproduced in Wisconsin USA, using itspatented ‘Watershed’ leather saddle. Thehero product is the Titanico. It features ananatomic cut-out for women and men,and comes in two rider weight categories.

Octago also supplies PMP seatposts intitanium and carbon, with post lengths of250mm or 350mm, and a range of shimsavailable for internal seat tube sizes.

OURY grips have gained a following inthe fixed wheel sector. OURY’s originalMTB model, available in a wide range of

colours, is popular with fixie fanatics. Thefirm also offers a model utilising the ODIlock-on system, and there are two BMXmodels and a further MTB model – ahybrid of a MTB and BMX version. 07939 [email protected]



May 2010

To advertise call Carly Bailey on +44 (0) 1992 535647, or email her at [email protected]

For editorial contact Jonathon Harker on +44 (0) 1992 535646,or email him at [email protected]

� ENERGY AND NUTRITION � WOMEN’S

PRODUCTS � 30 UNDER 30: RISING STARS

JUNE 2010� EPoS focus � Cycle Luggage � Gears, Brakes & Chains

Editorial Deadline: May 7th Advertising Deadline: May 12th

JULY 2010� BMX: Bikes & Accessories � Cycle Computers: Heart Rate

Monitors, Navigation and more

Editorial Deadline: June 4th Advertising Deadline: June 9th

AUGUST 2010� Bicycle Lighting � Complete Bikes

Editorial Deadline: July 9th Advertising Deadline: July 14th

SEPTEMBER 2010� Children’s Bikes and Accessories � Carrier Racks

Editorial Deadline: Aug 6th Advertising Deadline: Aug 11th

OCTOBER 2010� Clothing and Accessories � Cycle Show Special

Editorial Deadline: Sept 3rd Advertising Deadline: Sept 8th

NOVEMBER 2010� Stocking FIllers � Trailers and Trailer Bikes � Cycle Review

Editorial Deadline: Oct 8th Advertising Deadline: Oct 13th

Editorial Deadline: April 9th

Advertising Deadline: April 14th

Editorial Planner SPOTLIGHTUPCOMING EVENTS

SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2010Thursday April 15th – 18th Monterey, USA www.seaotterclassic.com

2010 MTB WORLD CUPSaturday April 24th – 25thDalby Forest, Yorkshire www.britishcycling.org.uk

BIKEASIA 2010: THE GREEN PLANET Friday May 21st – 23rdSingapore Expo Hallwww.bikeasia.org

BIKE WEEK 2010 Saturday June 12th – 20thNationwidewww.bikeweek.org.uk

MOUNTAIN MAYHEM 2010Friday June 18th – 20thEastnor Castle, Ledbury osmountainmayhem.co.uk

CTC YORK CYCLE SHOWSaturday June 19th – 20thYork Racecoursewww.yorkcycleshow.co.uk

PRESS CAMP 2010Tuesday June 22nd – 25thDeer Valley, [email protected]

TOUR DE FRANCESaturday July 3rd – 25thHolland, Belgium, Francewww.letour.fr

BIKERADAR LIVE 2010Saturday July 10th – 11thBrands Hatch, Kentlive2010.bikeradar.com

BIKE DEALER CAMPThursday July 29th – 31stDeer Valley, [email protected]

AUSBIKE CYCLE TRADE EXPO Saturday August 21st – 23rdMelbournewww.ausbike.com.au

EUROBIKE 2010Wednesday Sept 1st – 4thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.de

INTERBIKE 2010Wednesday Sept 22nd – 24thHolland, Belgium, Francewww.letour.fr

CYCLE SHOW 2010Thursday October 7th – 10thEarls Court, Londonwww.cycleshow.co.uk

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

2010 MTB WORLD CUPSaturday April 24th-25thDalby Forest, Yorkshirewww.britishcycling.org.uk

For advertising opportunities contact Carly Bailey:[email protected] | 01992 535647

THE BIBLEIS BACK!

EVENTS AND EDITORIAL PLANNER


August 2010

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

September 2010

October 2010

Pro Energy Max gelCNP Professional0161 368 3850

HAVING worked with British Cycling to develop anenergy gel solution for use by Team GB and the SkyPro Cycling team, CNP Professional is nowmarketing its cola-flavoured booster to retailers.

It comes in a 45g single-portion sachet, designedto be taken during exercise, and combines caffeine,guarana for slow-release energy, carbohydrates tomaintain glucose levels, and electrolytes forrehydration. It also contains B vitamins that allowthe body to convert the ingredients more easily.

The Manchester company is offering boxes of 24sachets, which retail for £1.49 each.

Nukeproof Science PadsHotlines0131 319 1444

MADE IN Japan, Nukeproof Science Pads all feature asemi-metallic compound, tailored for different ridingconditions. Trail pads utilise these materials to greateffect, offering solid weatherproof braking. Enduro-specific pads offer higher performance for riders thatlike to use their brakes hard and need more durability.Downhill riders are taken care of too, with padstailored for high-speed racers scrubbing off speed on arun needing power, consistency and control.

Trail pads will retail for £14.99, Enduros for £17.99and heat-resistant downhill pads for £19.99. Each is instock at Hotlines now and fit with a variety of brakes.

Motorex carbon specific greaseRaleigh01773 532600

LUBRICATION manufacturer Motorex now offers acarbon fibre specific grease, which is priced at £13.99(retail) and suited to all components touching thelightweight material.

Motorex also has a new all-purpose chainlubricant, retailing at a wallet-friendly (£5.99) to sitbelow its popular ‘Wet and Dry’ lubes, in an attemptto get people to use bike specific products ratherthan general lubes found in DIY stores.

Raleigh is the exclusive cycle trade wholesaler forMoterex lubes in the UK, carrying the brand’s entirecatalogue, which can be viewed at www.motorex.com.

Serfas tyresWalkers Cycles01162 833885

THIS MAY, Walkers Cycles takes its first stock ofSerfas foldable tyres, which offer a stunningly cheapinitial stock-in price.

Coming in eight different colours, the 23c Seca RStyres are inflatable to 130psi and hold 120 TPI. Retailprice for the road tyre has been set at £24.95 –customers receive a tyre with high punctureresistance, long-wearing tread life and super quick feelon the road. The rubber holds a 60 Durometer CenterRidge for extended life and 56 Durometer sides forenhanced cornering. A wire bead version is alsoavailable at a lower cost, but comes in fewer colours.

Motorex greases up carbon, CNP re-energisescyclists with cola gel and Nukeproof lives up to itsname with tough, high performance pads...New gear


LATEST PRODUCTS

Buff 2010 Christmas gift packsBuffera01707 852244

BUFFERA’S limited, yet popular Christmas bundleshave been announced and the firm is calling on itscustomers to have placed their orders by May 21st.

Shipping in October, those who take stock willreceive a point of sale unit 18 light metal canscontaining 18 Buffs – eleven in a chocolate shade andseven in red. With the £112.50 package, retailers willreceive one sample of each original Buff, which can bepositioned on the POS to show the contents of the tins.

Alternatively, Buff customers can pre-order adifferent package where the product is heavily Buffbranded. All orders should be placed at Buff’s B2B site.

Dahon bike bagsZyro01845 521700

DAHON has announced a line of three bicycle storageand transportation bags, now in stock at Zyro.

Retailers can place orders for the CarryOn, Stowand Body Bags, each of which serves a differentpurpose. For commuters, the CarryOn is designedto get you aboard a bus or train with little fussover your luggage. Next up, the Stow is aimed atpeople looking for a rugged option and designedwith protection of the contents in mind.

Last of all, the Body Bag is designed aroundhome storage and as such can be accommodatedinto smaller spaces, or hung from a hook.


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACETO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL CARLY BAILEY ON 01992 535647

The BikeBiz Marketplace offers a completemarketing package of print, online andeditorial visibility, allowing companies theopportunity to maintain contact withreaders each month without the associatedcost of full display advertising.

The BikeBiz Marketplace, and its associatedonline version, has been designed to offerreaders a directory of all products andservices in the bike trade.

Your presence in this section ensures thatyour company’s details are easily found,keeping you one step ahead of yourcompetitors.

The standard package includes:� A quarter page advert in each issue� Regular editorial coverage in the

dedicated column� Company details listed in the online

directory with web link� Company details listed in the BikeBiz

Marketplace Contacts

To get your company featured here contact:

Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or

[email protected]

Marketplace Rates: Quarter Page£175 (minimum six months)

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE CONTACTS

BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

Madison 01908 326000 www.madisonb2b.co.uk

Paligap 01454 313 116 www.paligapltd.co.uk

BIKE MAINTENANCE

Weldtite 01652 660000 www.weldtite.co.uk/

BMX PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Seventies 0845 310 3670 www.seventies.co.uk

COMPONENTS

Bob Elliot & Co Ltd 01772 459 887 www.bob-elliot.co.uk

Otago Cycle Sport 07939 543 016 www.otagocyclesport.co.uk

Pace cycles Ltd 01723 867 919 www.pacecycles.com

The Cycle Division 0845 0508 500 www.thecycledivision.com

USE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com

EPOS

Citrus Lime 0845 603 9254 www.citrus-retail.com

Evopos 0845 644 9424 www.evopos.com

LIGHTING

Exposure Lights 01798 344 477 www.exposurelights.com

RACKS

Maxx Raxx Trading Ltd 0845 230 3799 www.maxxraxx.co.uk

Pendle 01282 699 555 www.pendle-bike.co.uk

RESPRAYS & REPAIRS

Argos 0117 972 4730 www.argoscycles.com

TRAINING SERVICES

ATG 01296 737 815 www.atg-training.co.uk

Cycle Systems Academy 0207 6082577 www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk

WATER BOTTLES

Bottle Sport 08456 602 9267 www.bottlesport.com

Wildoo Ltd 08709 771 550 www.wildoo.co.uk

WEBSITE SERVICES

I-Bikeshop.com 01709 511766 www.I-bikeshop.com

SimpleEshop 0116 267 5145 www.simpleeshop.com


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

BIKES AND ACCESSORIES BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

How many years has Wildoo been inthe business, and what is thecompany’s background?Wildoo has been trading for seven years.Before Wildoo I notched up many yearsexperience in the bike industry at alllevels, from independent bike dealersand Halfords to distributor Moore Large.

Back in 1994 I founded Arc Marketingand introduced brands including Busch &Muller and Basil to the UK market.

Custom printed sports bottles are aspeciality for Wildoo, so how did thefirm come to distribute for Token,XPACE and Pletscher? Wildoo is focused in two areas: as amanufacturers’ agent and as a sourcingspecialist.

As an agent we represent brandsincluding Token (distributed exclusivelyby Jim Walker) and Pletscher, taskedwith developing sales in the UK.

As a sourcing expert we supplyframes, wheels, components andaccessories (including the bottles) withprivate label branding. For this we sourceout of Taiwan through Token Productsand in addition offer XPACE carbon

frames to dealers looking to developtheir own brand range as well. Thebottles themselves are from Hungary.

Are there any plans to add to theWildoo portfolio? During 2009 we added Jet BlackProducts to the portfolio, which we haveplaced exclusively with Chicken Cyclekit.

Customers have been asking us formore own-brand products so for 2010we are now starting to co-operate witha number of new suppliers across Asia tooffer gloves, bandanas, clothing andmuch more.

We carefully select the suppliers wework with for quality, in terms of bothproduct and service. We always ensurethat we start slowly with new suppliersto ensure that they can meet our highstandards.

Can you tell us more about theprinted sports bottles service? Printed sports bottles are our coreproduct. We have a minimum orderquantity of just 150 bottles and thesizes we supply range from 500ml toone litre.

Our bottles are of a very high qualityand are a firm favourite with cyclists.You will often see our bottles in use byprofessional cyclists, sportive riders andleisure bikers.

We also sell bottles to schools,charities, local authorities, eventorganisers, clubs, teams and more.

We supplied the Team GB bottles forthe Beijing and Vancouver Olympics too.

Do you distribute your product rangeoverseas? We have a growing demand for bottlesfrom Ireland and a few bottle customersin Scandinavia and Spain, but our mainfocus is the UK.

Tell us about your work with BritishCycling and the Go Ride bottlesBritish Cycling approached us two yearsago to design a bespoke bottle. Wedeveloped a special bottle for it with theweb address moulded into the bottlesand printed up with the British Cyclingand Go Ride logos.

For 2010 we have developed other GoRide branded products to complementthe bottles.

ANDY EASTERBROOK,

WILDOOTEL: 01908 374555 EMAIL: [email protected]

WEB: www.wildoo.co.uk

COMPANY PROFILE

“Our bottles are a firmfavourite with cyclists.You’ll see them in use byprofessionals, sportiveand leisure riders.”

Andy Easterbrook, Wildoo

COMPONENTS

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

COMPONENTS

BIKE MAINTENANCE


BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

COMPONENTS COMPONENTS

COMPONENTS EPOS


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

RACKS RACKS

LIGHTING


EPOS

TRAINING SERVICES

RESPRAYS AND REPAIRS TRAINING SERVICES

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

WATER BOTTLES


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

WEBSITE SERVICES

WEBSITE SERVICES


WATER BOTTLES

To advertise in this sectionplease call Carly Bailey on:

01992 535647or email:

[email protected]

Let’s getstatistical…


NUMBER CRUNCHING

The Taipei Show saw more nations than ever head through its doors,with more space given over to exhibiting companies. Conversely,bike exports from Taiwan dropped by over a quarter last year...

29er Giant announced what is believed to

be the first women’s-specific 29erduring March. Dubbed the Rainier, thebike is of a lower spec and cost price

than the equivalent men’s model.

10 to 14%The amount by which Sustrans

believes its TravelSmart programmehas helped reduce car use among the

250,000 UK households it hasworked with.

86 The number of nations from which

visitors came to attend the Taipei CycleShow – 22 more than in 2009.

894Exhibitors occupied 3,018 booths atthe show, representing a 4.5 per cent

increase in firms taking space atthe event.

4,913The figure by which attendance figures

jumped in the first three days of theshow – a 7.6 per cent increase.

692,028The number of complete bicycles saidto have been exported from Taiwan to

the UK in 2009. That’s a 27.69 percent decline on the prior year’s trade

when 956,995 units were shipped.(Source: BOFT International Trade

Information System)

12.29% The increase in the average value ofbikes shipped in 2009, compared to

those in 2008. The value rose year-on-year from an average of $165.97 to

$186.36.(Source: BOFT International Trade

Information System)

Taipei Cycle Show

BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether they’re fromletters, emails or via BikeBiz.com...

From the Forum...

Mail to:Saxon House, 6A St. Andrews Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA

Email:[email protected]

LETTERS PAGE


Star LetterWhether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-post letter, email or a comment made on theBikeBiz forum, the best letter of the month winsa prize from Oxford Products.

This month the lucky winner will receive Oxford’ssuper duper new Magnum U Lock with £1,000anti-theft guarantee.

A pint of milk, loaf of bread and a hardtail frame please…

So it’s here: Tesco ‘Bike Shops’.Or is it just a small area in-store with a selection of usualbikes you would expect in asupermarket, with the option tobe built up by a mechanic usinga dumbell spanner? Whatsurprises me is that people stillcarry on buying from supplierswho supply these stores.

Elvis

I thought I’d just share my nextweek’s shopping list with youall: one loaf of bread, four tinsof beans, half dozen eggs, a tinof GT85 and two, 26x175 tubes,four Mars Bars and a gear wire.

Not sure of the calories ofthis little lot or whether the girlat the checkout will ask if Ihave chosen the right valve onmy inner tubes.

best

Just think of all those Clubcardpoints. It’s got to be worthsacrificing buying a bike fromsomeone who knows whichpedal goes in which crank.

It’s bad enough trying to talkto their ‘trained staff’ in theelectrics department, all ofwhom speed past when you askthem for help.

Mr-C

I READ with great interestCarlton’s article, re: green areaoutside shops. I have to guessthat Carlton is finding it hard tofill the Spokesman page, whichis now considerably bland.

Having called on 85 percent of cycle shops in thecountry outside Wales, I haveyet to find such a site where agreen area would benefit froma makeover of a bench andcontinental style table andchairs. If there are such areasoutside shops then they haveto be in Wales, a country Inever had a passport to enterwhen I was on the road.

Precinct areas are verycheerful, but how many cycle

shops have prime sites? Mostare in secondary positions. Andwe may be in Europe, but theUK is not Spain and certainlynot California, where I believethe sun does shineconsiderably more.

The continental table andchairs would last only one dayas the local kids would nickthem as soon as dusk camealong. I doubt the local councilwould allow the extra spacewithout giving a rateable valueto the use of the land.

We do not have any cycletracks around us for kids to beengaged in friendlycontributions to society, soBike Hub get your finger out in

the Kent area – we need moreencouragement to get kidsriding cycles.

The back page used to be agood read and a chuckle onceupon a time.

David Wilsher, Mission Cycles

Everyone’s got an opinion, andwe here at BikeBiz think thearticle made plenty of validpoints about the worth ofmaking streets more friendlyfor humans, and less friendlyfor cars, potentially boostingcustomer numbers in store. Ifyou disagree let us know yourthoughts at [email protected].

Think of the childrenI AM WRITING for some adviceand assistance regarding anupcoming cycling event.

On July 26th I am undertakinga bike ride for Tiny Lives, a charitythat helps the neo-natal ward atthe RVI hospital, Newcastle. Irecently became a father andafter a traumatic birth, theextraordinary care provided bythe staff at the RVI resulted in myson being with us today.

The event is aptly named Life-cycle. This is no ordinary bike ride.I am cycling to work and backagain for five consecutive days.This might not sound a lot, but Iwill be biking a distance of 61.8miles (per journey), whichequates to 618 miles in five days.

To complete the ride I need aroad bike that will be up to thechallenge. I’d like to raise as muchmoney as I can and my target is£10,000. Hiring a suitable roadbike would take money awayfrom this target, so I’d like to askif any of your readers would beinterested in being part of thisevent by lending me a suitablebike, or helping me find someonewho can, for the event and thetraining. Any advertising orsponsorship would be greatlyappreciated. If you are interestedin helping, please email me.

Andrew Wake,justgiving.com/AndyWake

[email protected]

Never let it be said that the BikeBiz letters page isn’t a hotbed of opinion,debate and criticism. This month one reader complains about a Spokesmancolumn that advocated keeping space outside shops car free…

STA

R L

ETTE

R

Green space outside shops?I don’t think so...

TF TUNED SHOX, appointed last year asofficial service centre for Cannondalesuspension forks, hosted the annualHeadShok dealer seminar on March 9that its HQ in Westbury.

Cannondale retailers were treated to aday of hands-on training, covering the

routine service steps per product, as wellas being given an exclusive demo of the‘Simon’ electronic suspension fork. Thisfuturistic model has been described byMBR as the “future of suspension”. There’sonly one working prototype in the world.

“Having recently partnered with TFTuned Shox it made perfect sense to runour service seminar there, not onlybecause of the exceptional resources, butbecause it’s also such an impressive set-up that it has in place,” said MichaelCotty, CSG UK marketing manager.

Jules Tandacharry, head ofworkshop services at Evans,

added: “It’s not only good torefresh some of the key service

points, but also to see how thewhole HeadShok range is

developing, not to mention theSimon prototype. That’s a whole new

level altogether.”

OFF TRACK

TF Tuned reveals‘future of suspension’

• schoolkids saddle up for lejog

OFFTrack

A FIVE-MAN team from ChitechIndustries Europe is set to take on all3,132 miles of the length of America bybike this September.

The gargantuan task is all in aid ofraising £100,000 for life limited children,young people and their families at ClaireHouse Children’s Hospice. With a goal ofcompleting the ride in just 30 days, this

tough challenge is the equivalent ofrunning 115 marathons back-to-backthrough difficult terrain. It will testfitness and stamina, motivation andmental determination.

Bike suppliers M&J Distributors ofDenton, Manchester, run by Steve andMark Henshaw, will be heavily supportingthe charity effort.

Chitech team takes onthe United States


Intrepid cyclists from Chitech are planning to tackle a America-wide charity ride

Retailersgot theirmits dirtyat theseminar

York schoolkids takeon LEJOG…SCHOOLS ACROSS York have gonehead-to-head in the city’s first evervirtual cycle race.

The race has been organised byCycling City York and sustainabletransport charity Sustrans to encouragemore children to make the journey toand from school by bike.

The virtual race works by awardingeach team ‘miles’ towards a virtualjourney between opposite ends of thecountry. In the artificial ride from LandsEnd to John O’Groats, miles are notchedup in return for each journey to schoolthat pupils make by bike.

The cunning ploy means that themore children cycle to school, the

more miles their school will cover in thebiking battle.

Throughout the pedal-powered face-off, the results will be recorded on adedicated website and can be viewed bythose taking part, so competitors cansee how rivals are doing.

The first school to reach thatnorthernmost point of John O’Groats willbe the winner. In good news for smallerschools, each has an equal chance ofwinning regardless of size, because thenumber of miles awarded for eachjourney is weighted according to thetotal number of pupils at the school.

You can find out more about the raceat www.sustrans.org.uk.

Cycling to schoolnotches up virtualmiles in a new head-to-head competition


Send your pictures [email protected]

OFF TRACK

OVER 200 mountain bike enthusiastsgathered at Wheelbase CycleSuperstore, Staveley last month for thethird annual Big Demo Weekend.

Said to be among the largest eventsof its kind, the Big Demo offersmountainbikers thechance toselect one of140demonstrationbikes for aguided testride in andaround thestunningKentmereValley – hometo some of theUK’s bestnatural riding.

Potentialcustomersseriously consideringpurchasing a newmountain bike in thespring had thechance to try outbikes at the freeevent. An impressiveroster of names fromthe biz provided the

rides and had technical representativeson hand, including Kona, Trek,Cannondale, Marin, Yeti, Turner, Kona,Mondraler, Whyte, Wilier and Intense.

Penrith-based Cycle Active providedthe guided tours, with the routes

designed to show visiting ridersthe best the area has to offer.The event was also a bonus forthe guesthouses, pubs and cafesof Staveley, which were bustlingwith happy mountain bikers.

Wheelbase has a number ofraces and events packed into thecoming months includingchallenges for road cyclists andmore MTB-based events.

Wheel good time

Sponsored by thebrands of Moore Large

01332 274252

“Madison is really excited to bepart of what promises to be thefirst ‘Super Show’ for cycling.

“With so much cross-over inconsumers between theoutdoors world, sailing andcycling this new show at ExCeLLondon is truly exciting for usand offers us a chance toexpose our brands to a farwider audience than we havebeen able to in past cyclingconsumer expos.” Will Fripp, Madison, March 15th

“BMX riders are like strippers,as both love grinding on poles.

So, removing all the metalparts from a BMX bike is likereplacing the pole in a stripclub with a gigantic HackySack.”

BikeSnobNYC, March 8th

“Ironic, iconic and probablyiconoclastic.”

Edmund King, president of theAA, delivers his verdict on the

iPayRoadTax cycle jersey

“On the Core77 discussionboards ‘Slippyfish’ recentlystarted ‘The Official HublessWheel Hater Thread’.

“One of the posts on thatthread paints a prettyentertaining gallery of late19th Century hublessmonocycles. Of course,BSNYC’s ‘save the hubs’campaign gets a mention too.All in all, it seems thateveryone is kind of tired ofseeing new hubless wheelconcepts on the web each andevery week.”

bicycledesign.net, March 16th

“I’ve been looking at marketingbudgets for bike companies for

about 25 years now, and Ihaven’t found a more cost-effective way for mostcompanies to accomplish themission-critical business ofputting brands and products infront of retailers than at tradeshows.”

Rick Vosper, March 10th

“Sticking to the kerb wheredrivers are not necessarilylooking means they are lesslikely to see you.”

Duncan Pickering of the IAMencourages cyclists to ‘claim

their lane’, March 18th

™

• mountain bikers wheel into demo day • tf tuned hosts shocking seminar at hq

quoteunquote

Edmund King

NINE COUNTY schools inLeicestershire are set to benefit fromnew cycle parking to encouragemore children to choose the healthyoption and cycle to school.

Leicestershire County Council hasbeen working with the schools onthe £80,000 project, which hasbeen partly funded by Sustrans, toinstall secure cycle parking.

The areas chosen for the newcycle parking are in centralLeicestershire and Loughborough– areas where transport studiesshow congestion is heaviest.

Lesley Pendleton, cabinetmember for environment andtransport at the County Council,said: “By installing secure cycleparking we hope that manymore pupils will be encouragedto ride their bikes to school. Cycling is ahealthy way to get from a to b and is agreat way to keep fit for both schoolchildren and their parents. School

children will help us withmonitoring the success of the cycleparking after the installation.”

Leicestershire schoolsbenefit from £80,000in cycle parking

Pic © Dave Macfarlane.

Riders get to grips with MTBsand more at the Wheelbase BigDemo Weekend

Executive Editor: Carlton Reid [email protected]

Editor: Jonathon [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton [email protected]

Advertising Manager: Carly Bailey [email protected]

Editorial Production Manager:Helen [email protected]

Sub-Editor: Gemma [email protected]

Production Executive: Abby [email protected]

Design: Kelly [email protected]

Business Development:Dave Roberts [email protected]

Managing Editor: Lisa [email protected]

Publisher/MD: Stuart [email protected]

Finance Director: Hilary Cole

EditorialSaxon House, 6A,St. Andrew Street, Hertford,Hertfordshire. SG14 1JA

BikeBiz is mailed FOC to3,000+ trade addressesevery month

ISSN 1476-1505

LATEST NEWS

BOOKMARK US:MOBILE.BIKEBIZ.COM

STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

RALEIGH has a new electric bike. I still have one of thefirst the company produced, back in the days whenMark Todd was MD, and Yvonne Rix was Britain’s highestplaced female exec.

In fact, the Raleigh electric bike was her project. Itwas heavy and had a lead acid battery that petered outprematurely, but it was ahead of its time. This was theearly 1990s – Todd and Rix left the firm in 2002.

The e-bike was lauded as the machine for the future.And it was: it didn’t sell in huge numbers at the time.Raleigh got its fingers burned, and shelved the project.

The new bike is a huge improvement on Raleigh’sfirst effort. It has been sourced from Raleigh Germany,where sales of e-bikes are strong.

What might hinder it is the retail channel. You lotalso got your fingers burned by the first few electricbikes on the market. Naturally, you will be wary ofgetting back into the sector in any big way.

We’ve not yet experienced a Netherlands-stylee-bike boom. Perhaps we never will. E-bikes, in themain, sell to older, more affluent consumers. E-bikes in

the Netherlands are high quality and, consequently,expensive. The demographic which buys e-bikes in theNetherlands and Germany doesn’t tend to buyexpensive bikes in the UK.

It’s an (electrified) chicken-and-egg thing. Sales of e-bikes in the UK are therefore concentrated in a fewspecialist ‘urban transport’ retailers.

In the US, e-bikes are appearing in Walmart and BestBuy. You might not be afraid of a cheap Chinese e-bikein Asda, but Best Buy is a different animal. Theelectronics chain is a big box retailer with service at itscore. It’s famous for demystifying tech and couldtransform the US e-bike market.

So? Best Buy is opening stores in the UK. It’s just ahandful for now but, if Best Buy can bloody the nosesof Comet and the like, it’ll expand. Consumers maycome to expect e-bikes in Best Buy – and Halfords,which is now electrifying apace – and not expect themin IBDs. This may suit you fine, but remember thatmuch of the buoyancy in the Dutch bike market is dueto sales of expensive, profitable electric bikes.

BikeBiz is published 12 times a year by Intent Media – Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA

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SUBSCRIPTIONSUK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90

What bikes do you own? At the moment I’ve got a Yeti 575, Klein Attitude, GaryFisher Sugar, Single Speed Rigid hack, Ridley Excalibur,Lemond Tourmalet and a few other bits.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest rush achievableon a bike? Fast flowing descents, off or on road.

How long have you been cycling? For about 25 years, ish.

Why should retailers choose Altura over other brands? Altura is a UK brand designed for UK riders. We offer greatquality and value products for all types of rider. The brandmakes big steps forward in product design and qualityyear-on-year, striving to supply the perfect clothing andluggage ranges. We’ve grown marketing activity over thepast two years and this is set to increase further with theappointment of brand marketing manager Robin Puplett.

What’s your business background? I worked for Alpine Bikes (Scottish IBD chain) as shopmanager, then area manager for five years, which gaveme a great insight into the industry from both sides.

Tell us something we didn’t know about Altura... How about these three things: Altura means ‘height/altitude’ in Spanish, and Altura started producingpanniers before clothing. Finally, the Altura design anddevelopment team has trebled in the past three years.

OFF THE RECORD

78 BIKEBIZ APRIL

SPOKES IN THE SADDLE

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648

Electric goes big box Ian Young, Altura Brand [email protected]

Can you afford to let Best Buy and Halfords own the e-bike market?

E-bikes – coming to abox near you soon?

for your future...

With so many people getting their treasured bikes out from winter hibernation, now is the peak of the service year for the bike industry.So you need to get yourself equipped with the very latest cycle qualifications and this has has never been easier. At the Cycle Academy we offer a range of both NVQ and Cytech accredited courses. We are proud to be the only organisation that the government have chosen to deliver both nationally and industry recognised qualifications.

Our presence is national, so wherever you live in the UK you can benefit from a course with us, and more often than not secure funding for your qualification.

Whether you are looking to improve your own skills or to train your staff we can help.

We offer levels of training to suit all abilities and can tailor courses to meet your needs.

We’re a not for profit charity who have become the leader in cycle maintenance training throughout the UK. Details of courses plus resources that may be of use to your workshop can be found on our website.

Contact us today for further information. Please quote promotion BB1

Contact us on:

01296 [email protected] www.atg-training.co.uk

atg trainingcycle academy

Bike gold...

... Career highs

You realise that the instructors here don't just work

here. They love bikes and cycling. That m

akes a

difference and creates a good craic. Studying at

Cycle S

ystems A

cademy has given m

e the ability

to open my ow

n shop - Cycle O

ps - in Dublin.

· City and

Guild

s Professional C

ycle Mechanic Training

· Short courses in W

heel Build

ing

· One D

ay Basic M

aintenance Co

urses

Checkout our new

web

site atw

ww

.cycle-systems-acad

emy.co

.ukO

r call 0207 608 2577 for a chat about what w

e can offer you orto arrange a visit to our state of the art w

orkshop in London, N1.

We are very p

roudto be sponsored by:

Chaz Farrell

Photo: Em Fitzgerald

BikeBiz April 2010_issue 51

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Transcript of BikeBiz April 2010_issue 51