BikeBiz March_Issue 50

New stylish, quality and functional British brand is launched...SEE PAGE 2

Issue 50 | March 2010

For more information call: 01332 274252 | www.formebikes.co.uk

FRAME Double butted alloy, reinforced BB shell, oversized tubing. FORK Lightweight alloy straight blade. COMPONENTS Shimano 2300, Truvativ Touro compact chainset, FSA internal headset, Forme finish kit. WHEELS Formula Sealed bearing hubs. DB alloy rims.

FRAME Double butted alloy, reinforced BB shell, oversized tubing. FORK Forme Carbon Fibre. COMPONENTS Shimano Sora, Shimano Octalink triple chainset, FSA internal headset, Forme finish kit. WHEELS Formula Sealed bearing hubs. DB alloy rims.

FRAME Triple butted alloy, reinforced BB shell, oversized tubing. FORK Lightweight carbon straight blade. COMPONENTS Shimano Tiagra, Truvativ Elita compact chainset, external BB, FSA internal headset, Forme finish kit. WHEELS Shimano WHR500.

FRAME Double butted alloy (FE technology), reinforced BB shell, oversized tubing. FORK Forme Carbon Fibre. COMPONENTS Shimano Sora, FSA white triple chainset, FSA internal headset, Forme FE technology white finish kit. WHEELS Formula Sealed bearing hubs. DB alloy rims.

FRAME Triple butted alloy, reinforced BB shell, oversized tubing. FORK Lightweight carbon straight blade. COMPONENTS Shimano 105, Truvativ Elita compact chainset, external BB, FSA internal headset, Forme white finish kit. WHEELS Shimano WHR500.

SO, WE’RE out of the recession, butwhat does the bike trade care? We’vebeen immune to the downturn, right?

Well, not entirely. There is plenty ofnews out there of bike firms exceedingexpectations, including Continental andAbus in this edition of BikeBiz, andfrom the evidence we have to hand(and we have few agreed statistics) thetrade is succeeding where others

industries have been punished by tough conditions. It wasthe story we reported on time and again in 2009.

But now it seems there is another side to that coin. ACTresearch has revealed that bike dealer sales have dipped,with tough and prolonged weather conditions taking theirtoll – and that’s without taking into account February’stypically poor performance (not available at press).

Last month even saw the dreaded redundancy word beinguttered across the trade, apparently with some justification.But perhaps it’s not surprising that even a usually strongretail environment has taken a few knocks after a long-winded recession and frankly rubbish weather.

If I may head off on a tangent: recent stats from COLIPEDmake for sobering reading. Aside from a largely robust cycleretail market, UK manufacturing offers a stark contrast.

From 2000 to 2008 bicycle production plummeted from1,200,000 units to 28,000 in Great Britain, less than three percent of what it was at the start of the decade. We’ve not gotthe 2009 data, but it’s safe to guess the trend hasn’t reversed.

While it’s no surprise that UK bike manufacturing is a paleshadow of what it was (with a few exceptions), the figuresmake for hard reading. Just how well would bikes have had todo at retail in the 21st Century to have sustained UKmanufacturers? But that’s just the way it is for the whole ofEurope facing cheaper manufacture in the Far East, right? Well,no. GB is languishing almost at the foot of the table of bicycleproduction in Europe, never mind the world (see page 74).

So just what is the state of the UK industry? Is the biketrade still victorious over the economic climate, or not?Despite the continuing stream of positive messages andresults, it would be remiss to ignore the brutal reality thatit’s still tough out there, and that the trade has to continueto make the very most of the opportunities it is afforded –whether it’s supporting Bike Week, continued involvementwith Bike Hub, making the most of online or just continuing to beat the drum that the future of transport is two-wheeled.

EDITORIALIssue 50 | March 2010

NEWS 4-7

REGULARS

Fresh from a trip to Madison’s MiltonKeynes-set show, BikeBiz takes a look atsome of the key news...21

EXPO 2010 REVIEW

MYSTERY SHOPPER

BRAND SPOTLIGHT 24BikeBiz shines the light on Eurobike-distributedModa bikes, and the brand’s plans for 2011...

PEOPLE 48New appointments for Moore Large, Zyro, CSG,IPC and the ACT...

NEW PRODUCTS 66The latest from SRAM, MaxxRaxx, Michelin andmore over on page 66...

BikeBiz takes a look at the new brands, products and announcementsfrom Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s latest annual dealer show...

Jonathon Harker, Editor

FOLDING BIKES

This month the intrepid undercover reporter heads topicturesque Canterbury in search of fixies...

50TH ISSUENever ones to miss the opportunity for a spot of nostalgia, wetake a look back at the first issues of BikeBiz magazine...

38

32

29

INDUSTRY OPINIONS 15 OFF THE RADAR 19 EVENTS 73

Tesco reveals its plans for the cycle industry andRyanair cuts flights to Eurobike...

iceBike*REVIEW

FOCUS ON…

ELECTRIC BIKES

55 61

“So, just what is the state of the UKindustry? Is it still beating the tougheconomic climate, or not?”

LETTERS 75One reader responds to a BikeBiz.com story,

while Forum members worry about Eurobike

SPOKESMAN 78Carlton Reid says it’s time to ditch car parkingspaces and give more space to cyclists...

SPONSORED BY

FOLLOWING rumours of ‘minibike shops’ being opened withinlarger Tesco stores in the UK,the supermarket chain hasconfirmed to BikeBiz that therumours are true, and that it hasintroduced a ‘Bike Shop’ conceptto several of its stores.

Tesco revealed that sevenoutlets have seen theintroduction of ‘Bike Shops’,including Chesterfield and WestDurrington, and that the ‘shopwithin a shop’ is also offering tobuild the bikes it stocks bytrained staff – thought to be thefirst time a supermarket hasoffered the service.

A Tesco spokesperson toldBikeBiz: “We launched BikeShops in seven of our storesbefore Christmas. These storeshad a specific area for bikes andoffered the option to have thebike assembled.

“They have been very popularwith customers who have

appreciated having trainedexperts to help them pick theright bike and assemble it. Our West Durrington store isthe latest to open with a Bike Shop.”

The supermarket giant alsoconfirmed that it mightintroduce ‘Bike Shops’ to other

Tesco outlets – depending oncustomer response to them.“We will continue to monitorwhat our customers think aboutour Bike Shops and we will lookto see where else we canintroduce them.”

The cycle trade has alreadyvoiced its concerns over theinvolvement of supermarkets inthe cycle industry. Last June,Asda launched a range of BritishEagle BSOs – Bike ShapedObjects – to widespread outcryfrom the trade, concerned thatproliferation of BSOs would put

consumers off cycling. Lidl alsoentered cycle retail in Junewhen it stocked the Ultegraspecced Stratos road bikes.Following rumours, Raleighconfirmed it hasn’t worked withTesco on the ‘Bike Shop’ concept.

By Jonathon Harker

Tesco confirms it hasSupermarket giant ramps up bicycle efforts with the opening of

DESPITE Ryanair cutting flightsfrom the UK to Friedrichshafenfrom May this year, theorganising body behind Eurobikeisn’t concerned that it will affectattendance at the cycle trade’skey date in 2010.

Eurobike is set to take placefrom Wednesday September 1stto 4th at Friedrichshafen,Germany. Eurobike projectmanager Stefan Reisinger

assured BikeBiz that Ryanair’swithdrawal from flights toFriedrichshafen won’t be aproblem for show visitors.

He explained: “Ryanair hasconcentrated its network, and isusing Memmingen as one of itslarger bases, with plenty ofconnections to Britain andelsewhere. Memmingen is only80 kilometres fromFriedrichshafen, and there’ll befree shuttle buses to theexhibition site.”

Reisinger added that there willbe plenty of shuttle buses andtransport alternatives for visitorsand exhibitors from Britain.

“We’ll publicise low-cost faresto Friedrichshafen for Eurobiketrade visitors in our internationalpublications. There’ll be enoughfree shuttle buses toMemmingen airport for Britishexhibitors and visitors to reachEurobike comfortably andquickly. Furthermore, theFriedrichshafen fairground iseasily accessible from Zürichairport, which is about 100kmfrom Friedrichshafen by public

transport and free-of-chargeshuttle buses, as well as viaFriedridchshafen airport withconnection via Frankfurt toseveral UK destinations.

“The preparations for Eurobike2010 are going full steam ahead.We have exceptionally largenumbers of bookings, for theinternational bicycle trade showand the demo day on TuesdayAugust 31st. All of the world’sleading manufacturers will berepresented, and the 2010 eventwill once again feature the fullspectrum of bikes, equipment,accessories and clothing.”Eurobike: +49 7541 708-412

NEWS

By Jonathon Harker

THE deadline for entries to theBikeBiz Bible is nearing, andcompanies from the trade yet tosend in their details are beingurged to email them [email protected] the end of March.

The BikeBiz Bible, inassociation with Silverfish, is thecomprehensive A to Z listing ofthe UK bicycle trade. Theessential resource will be sent toall BikeBiz subscribers free-of-

charge with the June edition ofthe magazine.

Companies entered into theprevious edition – from 2005 –will not automatically be enteredinto the new edition, so allcompanies wishing to have a freelisting must send in their details.

To ensure your company has a free-of-charge inclusion intothe BikeBiz Bible, simply emailyour firm’s details [email protected],including: company name,address, telephone number, webaddress (if applicable) and thecategory which best suits yourbusiness (retailer, distributor,manufacturer, etc). To find out more aboutadvertising opportunitiescontact Carly Bailey on 01992535647 or at [email protected]

BikeBiz Bible:Deadline looms

Fewer flights to Friedrichshafen won’tstifle show turnout, claims Reisinger

4 BIKEBIZ MARCH BIKEBIZ.COM

‘We have exceptionally large numbersof bookings and all of the world’sleading manufacturers will be there.”

Stefan Reisinger, Eurobike

REISINGER confirmed thatthat Eurobike will bededicating more space toelectric bikes in 2010:“Pedelecs are the big newsin the cycle market, andalong with e-bikes they’llhave an even biggerpresence at Eurobike 2010than in previous years.”

Increasing the presenceof e-bikes at the show wasa natural move, accordingto Reisinger: “This is theworld’s leading bicycle fair,and LEVs are part of agrowing trend, so we’ll begiving manufacturers,retailers, consumers andthe media detailed insightinto this technology andthe synergies it offers.There’ll be more displayspace for e-bikes, pedelecsand LEV equipment, anddirect access to a large testtrack. For the first time,Eurobike 2010 will alsoprovide a proper chance totest fast pedelecs.”

Electric focus

‘The Bike Shops have been verypopular with customers...we willmonitor what our customers thinkand we will look to see where elsewe can introduce them.”

Tesco spokesperson

It’s ‘full steamahead’ forEurobike 2010

Ryanair has cutdirect flights to

show venue

designs on bike trade in-store ‘Bike Shops’

NEWS

FOLLOWING speculation overredundancies, Halfordsconfirmed to BikeBiz.com lastmonth that it has made changesto its staff structure. Bike staffacross its UK stores have beenaffected by the changes, thoughcontrary to sources that havecontacted BikeBiz, the retailchain has not confirmed thatany redundancies would bemade to cycle staff.

One source told BikeBiz: “Themajority of specialists are beingmade redundant within BikeHut,as well as other areas of the

store. The situation I’m facedwith is knowing that 17 jobs areavailable, which an existing 30staff members will be going for.”

The retailer responded toBikeBiz: “Halfords is dedicated toproviding the best possible valueand service for our customers.

“Our research showscustomers appreciate Halfords’expert advice and service, andwant more of it. So we aremaking some changes to ensurethe right level of colleagues areavailable to help at peak times.We are creating a new role of

BikeHut sales manager and willretain trained sales assistants toadvise customers on the correctchoice of bikes and accessories.They will build all new bikes andoffer a full repair service.

“We have also designed aclear career path for in-storecolleagues, providing trainingand development programmesso they can progress with us.”

Halfords said it will provideBikeBiz with further details ofthe changes to its bike staff inthe near future. Halfords: 01527 517 601

THE ATG has told BikeBiz thatretailers could be sat on a ‘potof gold’, should they takeadvantage of a scheme by theNational Apprenticeship Service(NAS). But the deadline is fast-approaching – it’s on March 31st.

The apprentice must be inemployment by this point forthe retailer to be eligible for theincentive, as the ATG’s MattGoodrich explained: “If a retailerwere to consider taking on ayoung apprentice (who must beaged 16 or 17) there is a cashincentive available to them. It’sa sizeable amount too – £2,500– and the ATG will help retailersadvertise the vacancy and evenvet and interview candidatesprior to the final interview withthe potential employer.”

The incentive comes as partof a drive by the NAS to getmore young people into careers.

The grant comes on top oftraining costs, which are met bythe NAS through ATG. An initial£1,500 is paid when theprospective employee starts anda further £1,000 after 12 weeks.

Employers will pay theapprentice at least the minimumApprenticeship wage of £95 perweek, including off the jobtraining. If the apprentice leavesearly, the employer will be askedto repay a part of the grant.

Oxford Cycle Workshop hasalready taken advantage of thescheme and said: “In the past,the trade has struggled to findtrained staff to deliver serviceand professional mechanics’ skills.Apprenticeships within the biketrade, coupled with industry-recognised Cytech qualificationsdelivered by ATG training, offerbike shops an opportunity to getthe staff in place to deliver aquality service.”ATG: 01296 737815

By Mark Sutton

Is cycle retailmissing out onapprenticeships?

Halfords announceschanges to bike staff

Retail analysisVERDICT Research’s JamesFlower told BikeBiz thatTesco’s move on the bikesector was not out ofcharacter for the chain.

He said: “I think theventure is typical of thegrocer. It is flexible and canmove in and out of any fastgrowing sector with ease.For example, a few years agolarge displays of CDs were inevery Tesco store, and nowthis sector’s growth hasslowed, Tesco has visiblyreduced the amount ofspace given to this category.

“In terms of bikes, it hasseen Halfords doing well, thesuccess of the Olympiccycling team, and thegeneral health and fitnesstrends and has moved intoit. I’m not sure it will drivesignificant footfall – reallyonly food drives footfall tomost Tesco stores – but I’m

sure the venture will yieldprofits for it.

“I think it is significant,but I can’t see it beingdeveloped much more interms of depth andspecialism. It could, however,certainly be rolled out intomore stores where spaceallows. I think the offer willcertainly stick to children’sand family leisure bikessourced from the Far East.For example I can’t see, evenin a number of years’ time,the latest offerings fromBianchi and Colnago beingoffered…”

Flower did surmise,however, that othersupermarkets could followTesco. “I believe they might,where they have space.Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’salready offer small bike andaccessory ranges in store aswell as larger ranges online.”

£2,500 being offered for retailersthat take on an apprentice �Deadline to take advantage of thecash incentive looms at end of March

Over £2k is being puton offer to retailersfrom the NationalApprenticeshipScheme

CAMBRIAN Tyres, Europeandistributor of tyre brandContinental, has recordedspectacular sales, seeing tyrefigures quadruple since 2000.

Year-on-year unit sales haveincreased 30 per cent for thefirm since 2007, with the bicycletyres market catching up withthe firm’s motorcycle business.

Cambrian bicycle brandmanager Shelley Childs toldBikeBiz: “It’s not only tyres, butour tube business has also seen adramatic rise as we’ve strived tomake the Continental brandmore attractive both in terms ofmargin and depth of range.

“Our motorcycle businessacross all seven major tyrebrands is still the mainbreadwinner at Cambrian, but weare catching them up quickly.”

The growing business has ledCambrian to move to a purpose-built distribution centre inAberystwyth, now just five milesfrom company headquarters.

Childs explained: “Beingsituated between two sites as wehave been has been taxing onour staff, transport and deadlines,especially with the growth we’vehad. So, we’ve been planning themove for some time. We’ll befaster and more efficient andthat can only be a good thing forour customers and the brand –which is fast becoming the UK’sfavourite bicycle tyre label.”

While road tyres areperforming particularly well –reflecting anecdotal data fromthe trade that the sector isperforming strongly – all areasare growing for the brand. Childscredited both its distributors fortheir work in swelling numbers:“Continental is definitely afavourite with the road marketand has been traditionally. TheMTB and City/Urban ranges arejust as strong though, and thedepth of the range in these areasmeans a dealer can stockContinental without worryingabout missing sizes or poormargins any longer.

“Our wholesale partners,Madison and Jim Walker, arehelping the brand in its growthand they must be credited fortheir efforts. Both wholesalershave fantastic B2B facilities andhave invested time andwarehouse space in the brand,meaning that we can deliverConti to the dealer far quicker

“We must havehad a sponsorshiprequest fromalmost everymajor UK roadteam to useContinental. Thatspeaks volumes.”

Shelley Childs,Cambrian Tyres

Sale figures inflating for Cambrian moves to purpose-built warehouse to cope with growing demand � Cycle

NEWS

CLARKS Cycle Systems hasstarted 2010 with a bangfollowing the release of 60 newgrips and brakes alongside abrand new website for OEM andaftermarket.

Among the ranges is the newSkeletal hydraulic brake, offeringthe function of a high-end brakeat a competitive price and thenew CMD-8 mechanical brakefor hybrid, city or mountain bikeapplications. All of the brakingsystems are supported by acomprehensive service tray thatallow customers to eitherreplace, service or upgrade thesystems.

Clarks has also introduced awide range of handle bar gripsto complement its growingbrakes ranges. Clarks hasincluded a wide variety ofcolours to take advantage ofcurrent market trends.

The firm told BikeBiz: “Lock-on grips as well as standardrubber grips are coming in a

wide range of colours which arealready being specified bynumerous OEM suppliers.

“Colour is a big thing at themoment. We have spent a greatdeal of effort to provide thelatest colours whether it is for abrake or gear cable, or colour-matching a hydraulic hose to ahandle bar grip.”

Other new products includecoloured hydraulic hoses,

coloured cables, bicycle chainsand bottle cages, even down tothe humble ‘crimp on’ wire endcover which comes in all thematching colours too.

The new product ranges arefully supported by Clarks’comprehensive service line-up,as well as podcast videos whichdemonstrate correct fittingprocedures and generalmaintenance guides.

Clarks is making increaseduse of online too with a newwebsite. The portal – which youcan find at clarkscyclesystems.com – is a growing facility forboth OEM and aftermarketcustomers to access productsand support offered by Clarks.

The firm told BikeBiz: “Ourwebsite is becomingincreasingly important as a toolto provide up-to-dateinformation on our products, aswell as a forum which allowsdiscussion and access to futurepromotions and activities Clarksis involved in.”

The new site was launched atthe start of the year and listsfull product specifications for allof Clarks’ range, as well asdownloadable imagery andrelated documentation. The sitealso includes a blog section forcustomers and a forum fordirect contact.Clarks Cycle Systems: 01827 382800

Clarks gets to grips with growing site


By Jonathon Harker

F-At hits the road Farrelly Atkinson and road.ccmoved offices at the start ofMarch. You can contact themat Bath Brewery, Toll BridgeRoad, Bath, BA1 7DE or ontheir new switchboardnumber of 01225 852554.

Manchester tohost World Cup British Cycling is set to hostthe fourth round of the UCITrack Cycling World CupClassic at ManchesterVelodrome next February. Itmarks the third successiveyear that British Cycling hashosted a round in the city,and will offer spectators thechance to see potentialBritish Olympic medallists inaction before 2012.

PressCamp goeselectricBionX, the Canadian e-bikeretro-fit specialist, willprovide electric bikes to theselect bunch of editorsheading to the Utah-setPress Camp in June later thisyear. BionX wasn’t at thedebut event last year and isthe first electric bike firm totake part in the prestigiousPress Camp gathering.

Memory Maprings the changesMemory Map has steppedinto the iPhone app marketwith a navigation app forcyclists, including maps forthe UK, France, Belgium andthe Netherlands. It links tothe iPhone’s GPS to give realtime positioning on fastscrolling maps, even whileoffline. Existing MemoryMap users can transfer theirV5 maps onto their iPhone.

Accell inascendanceProfit and turnover rose forEuropean bike giant AccellGroup in 2009. Profit rose 15per cent to €32.7 million(from €28.6 million in 2008)and Accell cited demand fore-bikes as driving 25 percent of turnover.

CYCLESHORTS

For breaking news visit:www.bikebiz.com

VELORBIS is to bring its ownvoguish style to the electric bikemarket with Elechic.

The range, first revealed onBikeBiz.com last month, is basedon an advanced electric drivingsystem – a solution that allowsall of Velorbis’ premium bicyclemodels to be transformed intoelectric bike versions. To have theelectric kit fully mounted onto aVelorbis bicycle costs £1,500, inaddition to the cost of the cycle.

The move sees Velorbis join anincreasing number of firms in thee-bike sector.

A spokesman for Velorbis toldBikeBiz: “We’ve had someamazingly positive responsesfrom customers and passers-byto our Velorbis concept store inCopenhagen where the ScrapDeluxe-Elechic is on display. Itseems to have the wow factor –people simply can’t believe that alovely classic design can also bean e-bike. We’ve also had a lot ofinterest from the media andretailers on the back of BikeBiz’steaser article online.”

The Elechic bikes are built toorder, with lead times of four tosix weeks. Branded the industry’sfirst ‘normal’ classic style bicyclewith electric motors, the bikesblend e-bike functionality withVelorbis aesthetics.

Elechic ranges go up to 85km(motor support 2) from 25km(motor support 10). CavendishCycles will be the flagship retailerin London, but Elechic will also bestocked by Velorbis’ global retailnetwork and Holloway Cycles,Hatfield Cycles and Cardiff’s RegBraddick Cycles.

The Elechic system uses aLithium-ion battery pack housedin a stylish casing and brushlessmotor for the front wheel, withan integrated controller forefficiency. A monitor with customsoftware is included, as is aunique iButton key to unlock theelectric system. The display hastwo LED bars for batterycondition and motor support, aswell as a removable multi-function computer andadjustable motor support fixednear the left handgrip. Velorbis: www.velorbis.co.uk

than in the past. If there is aproduct that is out of stock atthe wholesaler then that productwill be available at CambrianTyres, meaning 99 per cent of theentire Conti portfolio is alwayswarehoused in the UK.”

The firm has a multitude ofsponsorship deals set up topromote the brand, including

with the Athertons off-road andwith six pro teams, includingColumbia, on road. “Every teamwants them,” enthused Childs.

“During the winter of 2009/10we must have had a sponsorshiprequest from almost every majorUK road team asking to useContinental Tyres. That speaksvolumes. We can’t sponsor

everyone, but we’ve partnered upagain with some long termfriends like Rapha-Condor-Sharpand Motorpoint, along with somenew setups like Endura.

“We are looking forward, aseveryone is, to the season aheadboth from a sales perspective anda sporting one.”Continental: 01970 833902

Continental brand tyre business is catching up with sales of motorbike tyres

NEWS

IT MAY still be months away, butpreparation for the York CycleShow – taking place on the finalweekend of Bike Week 2010 – iswell underway, with plenty ofbike firms signed up already.

The show organiser has toldBikeBiz it is planning to top lastyear’s total of 53 exhibitors.Nineteen companies haveconfirmed already, six of which willbe making their York Show debut.

Among the bike-relatedcompanies signed up to the YorkRacecourse-set event are Dawes,Sustrans, Velo Vision, Lucozade,JD Cycles and Islabikes.

The show takes place on theweekend of June 19th and 20th,and features a number ofattractions for visitors. Theyinclude the Trade Show andExhibition, Arena Events, Cateringand Bar, and the CTC NationalRally and Camping Weekend.Organised rides ranging from 20miles to 150km will also takeplace, as will a zero gravity stuntshow, cyclists’ service at theMinster and the Grand Paradethrough the picturesque city.

The full list of exhibitorsalready signed up to York CycleShow includes: Cycle Promotions,

JE James Cycles, National ClarionCycling Club, K2 Trading, CubaCycling, Practical Cycles, ScootCycling Holidays, Bicycle Books,Company of Cyclists, Velovision,Sustrans, Silver Ray International,Fibrax, JD Cycles, Spokeshirts,North Yorks County Council,Islabikes, TJ Cycles, Dawes Cyclesand Lucozade Sport.

To join the growing list, visitthe exhibitors’ information pageat www.yorkcycleshow.co.uk.Alternatively, contact showsecretary John Taylorson [email protected] or bytelephone on 07765 070120.

CTC’s York Cycle Show ontrack to be the biggest yet

Velorbis rampsup the style forelectric bikes Electric goes chic with new offeringfrom sit-up-and-beg style manufacturerBy Jonathon Harker

The Atherton clan hassigned up to back the

Continental brand

CHAIN REACTION


“AH, I KNOW the weather isgood and the evenings are light,so I’ll get my bike serviced andmiss some riding time.”

Each spring, as sure as theWelsh hills are full of lambs,(the more daring of which canbe found running the gauntletagainst MTBs at most Welshtrail centres), our serviceworkload goes through the roof.You can always predict it by theweather; the first dry and sunnyweekend of spring signalsservice work overload.

As thousands of mountainbikers across the country starttaking stock of their tired andworn bikes for the comingseason of (occasionally) goodweather and light evenings, itseems like, for many, no bettertime to get them serviced.

For specialist service centreslike us, forget the Christmasrush; for us it’s the spring rush.At Mojo we pride ourselves onour fast turnaround of Foxservice work, so this is always achallenging period and it seemswe’re not alone.

We’ve been running aprogramme of dealer training,encouraging dealers to carry outbasic maintenance proceduresin-house to help them get bikes

through their workshops morequickly without the delay ofremoving, boxing up andposting the suspension to us.Okay, it only takes us 48-hoursto complete the job, but it’s stilla delay. However, come spring itappears that a 48-hour

turnaround is a very attractiveoption when there are so manybikes to be serviced. Our dealersseem to experience the samerush. Some dealers havereported their waiting lists to beup to six weeks long.

LOSING TRADE?If a shop tells you it’ll be sixweeks before you can get yourbike serviced, the chances areyou’ll go to another shop thatwill hopefully have a shorterlist. We understand that wesimply cannot expect people towait that long as there is littlechoice in places to get high-endsuspension products serviced.

It astonishes me every yearwhen someone pulls up at Mojowith a shock in dire need of aservice and asks if he can haveit back later that day as he’sbooked a riding holiday.

“Now then, sir, did you thinkof checking your bike over

before booking that holiday, theenjoyment of which dependsquite heavily on the conditionof your bike?”

I suppose it’s just like theperson who books a holidayabroad then realises theirpassport is out of date and thenhas a mad rush to get to thepassport office.

We survive this period eachyear by making sure we’restaffed to cope with theworkload, although striking abalance betweenautumn/winter andspring/summer staff can bevery challenging. As with mostspecialist services, it does mean

that we can’t simply employsummer technicians who arefully trained in suspensionservicing, just waiting for ourcall. We are staffed for peaktimes so that Fox customers areoff their bikes for as little timeas possible. Come December,when most retailers are at theirbusiest, our technicians sit bytheir benches like expectantpuppies waiting for service workto come through the door; suchis their desire to get stuck in.

FORWARD PLANNINGNow, if only we could getconsumers to think ahead andbe less reactive about servicingand maintenance. The generalresponse from customers whenasked why they waited untilspring for a service is that theythought they’d get winter outof the way and get everythingfreshened up for summer andthe extra riding opportunitieslight evenings bring. “Okay, butby ignoring servicing all winteryou have now worn out anexpensive part of your shock,sir.” As the riding conditionsworsen the service rate shouldreally increase, rather thanhaving customers wait until theweather improves.

I admit that in the past I’vedone this with drivetrains overthe winter, but I’ve not beenignorant to the fact that whenthe time comes I’ll need newchain rings, chain and cassette.Throw in the deterioration ofmy gear shifting performanceand I’m paying withperformance loss, not just cash.

By educating consumersabout the need for regularservicing we could spread someof the work out over the rest ofthe year a little more evenly,helping both specialist servicecentres and LBS to maintaintheir level of service andreducing some of the extraissues that busy periods bring. Aservice in the middle of winter,including suspension, will giveconsumers better performanceand most likely a cheaperservice bill in the long run.

Having come through one ofthe coldest winters on record,with snow affecting most trailcentres, you’d think that thiswould be a perfect opportunityto get your bike serviced, right?When there’s little or no chance(or desire) to ride, why not getyour bike serviced now insteadof waiting for the good weatherand light evenings?

“For specialist bike service centreslike ourselves, you can forget theChristmas rush; for us it’s all aboutthe spring rush.”

Mojo’s Tim Williams is no fan of turning customers away, but with peak servicing season round thecorner, he fears that once again the bike backlog may get more than a little overwhelming. HereWilliams preaches the worth of forward planning…

Service, please!

A great opportunity for bike dealers throughout the UK

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TIRES / SADDLES / GRIPS / WHEELS / RIMS / HUBS

www.hotlines-uk.com I Email: [email protected] I Tel: 0131 319 1444

For all dealer enquiries contact

Fantastic dealer stock-in packages available, including the Clear Up Program

exclusively from Hotlines-UK

WTB now available exclusively in the UK through Hotlines

CHAIN REACTION

SITTING between the Lakelandtowns of Kendal and Windermere,in the heart of some of the UK’sbest cycling terrain, is Wheelbase.The brand has been in existencefor 15 years and the last fouryears have seen it move up agear following an MBO.

Year-on-year turnover growth,matched with increasedprofitability, has been acheivedby the young management teamled by MD Chris Herd andbrothers Toby and James Dalton.Having previously worked forWheelbase, they know it, andthe biking world, from the inside,“plus cycle racing is my hobby,”says Toby Dalton, director.

Boom time for bikesTo cater for a growing market,Wheelbase has constructed an18,000 sq ft store, housing oneof the UK’s largest range ofcycles, accessories and clothingunder one huge roof.

“Range is our USP, refinedover the years to get the bestmix,” says Toby. “We’ve looked atcompetitors globally and we

compare impressively. Ourphilosophy is that you can comein, see a bike in your size andcolour, buy it and walk away thatday. We also have a big raceteam and run a number ofevents every year. We’re veryactive and always worth a visit.”

Investing in EPoSThe MBO saw the newmanagement team inherit abasic EPoS installation. “Our firstjob was to build on a goodinfrastructure and put newtechnology in place from thestart.” Toby and his colleagueslooked at the market andreceived a recommendation froman existing Cybertill customer inbike retailing. “We are quite aclose industry, not too cutthroat,” explains Toby. “What wefound was that Cybertill is wellproven in our sector.”

Other factors came into thepicture. “I do a lot of work fromhome, or on my travels. A web-based system, accessed fromanywhere, is ideal,” offers Toby.He admits that, for a young

company, the Cybertill ManagedService is a boon. By removingthe cost implications of havingin-house servers, it allowsWheelbase to focus ondeveloping business and not IT.

In addition to its giant store,Wheelbase has invested heavilyin its transactional websitewww.wheelbase.co.uk. “Weweren’t initially multi-channel,but this is now very importantand over the past year we’veintegrated both.” Wheelbase’schoice of Cybertill wasinfluenced by its ability tointegrate store-based and web-based trading into a singleplatform. The availability ofCybertill’s SOAP (Simple ObjectAccess Protocol) interface, usedto integrate an existingWheelbase website into the newEPoS, has been critical. “It’s nowall one seamless system.”

Wheelbase enjoys completeintegration through three tills instore and its website. Whilstaccessible from the M6, theKendal store is nevertheless ajourney for most, so the website

is the company’s shop windowand it is critical to have livestock management. When anitem is sold through in store, it isdeducted from the website stockso would-be purchasers getaccurate information.

“We’re a small business, buthave to compete with a lot oflarge, very intelligent systemsrun by mail order people – onone tenth of the budget. Thanksto Cybertill, we’ve made thiswork. It’s a challenge to run ashop and mail order, butintegrating stock and makingsure both run together definitelygives us an advantage.”

Keeping on top of stock Wheelbase has just employed astock manager who will use theCybertill system for moreanalysis, such as minimum andmaximum stock levels, makingstock management even tighter.The business also runs a secondwebsite – freeridesnowboards.com. This 80 per cent onlinebusiness also integrates with theWheelbase stock management

system and accesses stock thatis held in a single warehouse.

“We’ve been able to grow ourbusiness without growing ourworkforce,” observes Dalton.“We’ve seen increased sales andefficiency, plus we can beconfident when we sit at aterminal that the product we arechecking is in stock.”

Customer service hasimproved thanks to the system’slive performance and stockmanagement functions. Visitorsto the site can be confident ofstock being in store, or can orderproduct for delivery.

The system has a positivecontribution to make tomarketing and promotion, andWheelbase has started to domore customer segmentation tosupport targeted marketingcampaigns. “If you get the righttech in place, you can scale itwith the business,” Toby Daltonconcludes. “You only get out oftech what you put into it, andwe’re doing our best to keep ontop of what Cybertill offers.”www.wheelbase.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ MARCH 13

Wheelbase’s web-based portal links upsmoothly with its physical store

Hand on the tillNot convinced about the need for EPoS? Cybertill sales director Tony Woods presents a case study ofhow Lake District-based cycle retailer Wheelbase used technology to harness its business…

INDUSTRY OPINIONS

“Cycle To Work has made thesingle most significantcontribution to the cycleindustry. It has led to cyclesbecoming a far more acceptedmeans of transport, which isnow a more viable and fastermeans of commuting aroundcities than ever before.

“The combination of cycling becoming moreappealing in terms ofconvenience, cost-savings andhealth, coupled withincentivising the occupation,has almost certainly enabledmanufacturers to invest inadvancements in the quality ofbikes and components over thepast five years.

“C2W has aided consumersto pay more for products, whichare better than they have everbeen. In return, consumers andtheir employers are beingrewarded in value for moneyand reduced CO2 footprint.”

ANDY BUDD, SALES DIRECTOR, ZYRO

“The growth of the internet hashad a huge effect. It’s fair to saythat the UK public has adoptedshopping online quicker thanlots of other countries. For me,the rise of ‘net sales havecreated some very big onlineshops. That’s put pressure onsmaller IDBs, but we have seen

some of those expand theirbusiness with a creativeapproach. They offer greatservice, can talk to customersabout individual needs and havebeen successfully organisinggroup rides and holidays.”

DAN JONES, MARKETINGMANAGER, WINDWAVE

“The sea-change of opiniontowards cycling in central andlocal Government, which afterthe fantastic support of thetrade and industry (through theBike Hub Levy Scheme), hasbeen instrumental in generatingthe £140m three-year budgetfor Cycling England andprobably influencing Transportfor London in investing £111m incycling infrastructure in 2010.

“The introduction ofcongestion charging in Londonand the C2W scheme have beenkey influencers which illustratethe swathe of goodwill towardscycle use. This, on top of thehigh profile success of the GBcycling team at the BeijingOlympics, having hosted thestart of the Tour de France acouple of years ago, andperhaps that the leader of theopposition, current Minister forTransport, and the Mayor ofLondon are all cyclists andproud of it, helps. There hasnever been a better time for

cycling; both the sport and theurban/commuting sector.

“Folding bikes have been amajor beneficiary of thisgrowing acceptance andpromotion, so much so that in agenerally level market, thefolding bike share has grownout of all proportion.”

MARK BICKERTON, UK AGENT FOR DAHON AND

VICE-PRESIDENT BA GB

“Anti-dumping duty on Chinaand Vietnam had a significantimpact on product sourcingthroughout Europe. Those thatbenefited were manufacturers inEurope, Bangladesh, Cambodia,Sri Lanka, Indonesia and mid-to-high end product from Taiwan.

“Industry and Government-ledpro-cycling policies have made adifference too, alongside DfT,BAGB, Bike Hub, Sustrans, CTC,and TfL, in providing a qualityand safe cycling infrastructurefor commuting and leisure.

“Also, no UK major factoryexists as a volume producer andonly specialist component makerssurvive. Chinese economic growthhas had an impact on commodityconsumption, with supplies andpricing being carried intocomponents.”

DAVID MOAKES, RALEIGH PRODUCT

MARKETING DIRECTOR

"Undoubtedly the positivemedia interest that cycling hasenjoyed has done much to raisethe profile of our industry. Theterrific sporting successachieved by British Cycling'sathletes is obviouslyremarkable, however the BikeHub scheme, which wasinitiated by the BA, has alsobeen the catalyst in seed-funding many projects nowtaken up and funded largely byGovernment which, in turn,established its advisory bodyCycling England as a directresult of Bike Hub.

All contributors to the BikeHub scheme, whether retailers,of whom many are also ACTmembers, or industry suppliers,have felt the beneficial effectthat this has had upon trade.Many companies within theindustry have hardly noticedthe economic recession as aresult of the upsurge in cyclinggenerally that, in part, is aresult of increased Governmentinvestment on cycling as a sportand in cycling transportinitiatives such as Cycling Townsand Cities and the provision ofBike It officers in schools."

PHILIP TAYLOR, BICYCLEASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

"I think the introduction of theC2W scheme has had the

biggest impact. It's encouraged alot of people who already cycleto buy more expensive, betterbikes than they might havebought and it’s also encourageda lot of people thinking aboutbuying a bike to buy one."

NICK FISH, CTCCOMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

“Along with the recentlypublished CyclingDemonstration Towns’ resultsand the Government’s ActiveTravel strategy, the results fromthe DfTs Sustainable TravelTowns have just been released.They show what a difference canbe made to the way everydayjourneys are taken when giveninfo about walking and cyclingroutes and public transport.Overfive years, cycling increased bybetween 26 and 30 per centacross three towns, and therewas a drop in car use.

“The Sustainable Travel Townresults show how spendingexisting budgets more wiselycan make a huge difference.Two out of every five localjourneys (that’s journeys lessthan five miles) are made onfoot, by bike and by publictransport, but we’re calling forthis to be doubled to four out offive journeys by 2020.”

ALLAN WILLIAMS, SUSTRANS’POLICY ADVISOR

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ MARCH15

Industry changing?Dan

JonesMark

Bickerton

Pic © C

arlton Reid

Jonathon Harker and Mark Sutton ask the cycle trade for their thoughts on what the most significantdevelopments in the industry have been over the last five years...

DESPITE having notched up aformidable number of years inthe business of making locks,Abus – like most companiesabout 18 months ago – wasconcerned about just how, well,secure it was in the face of animpending recession.

Axel Rosler, area sales andmarketing manager for Abus,tells BikeBiz: “I think the wholeindustry was nervous. Thefinancial crisis was in the newseveryday, scaring consumers andat the end of 2008 nobody knewwhat would happen.

“The Abus company works ina number of sectors. We arefamily-owned in the fourthgeneration with divisions inhome security, industrial securityand the like. It was good forAbus to stand in so manysectors as some suffered underthe financial crisis more thanothers – like the motorbikebusiness. Luckily, andsurprisingly, the whole UKbicycle market, and in all othercountries, was pretty muchrecession-proof.”

In fact Abus enjoyed a hugelysuccessful year in the UK lastyear, growing 38 per cent withdistributor Zyro, due in no smallpart to a blossoming commutermarket. With theft rising duringtimes of economic hardship,demand remained high forsecurity products too.

But Abus, or August Bremickerund Sohne KG, is more than justabout locks. The company alsohas a firm footing in the helmetand bag sectors too.

Abus’ focus on the helmetsside of the business reflects therest of its product lines, as Roslerexplains: “We’ve listened to UKretailers and found good

solutions for them. We’refocusing on the kids, family andcommuter cyclists becausethose are exactly the customergroups that are buying our locks.

“Many of our competitors inthe helmet business focus onthe high-end road and MTBriders – and they are not somuch our targeted consumer.”

The introduction of bags tothe Abus business also marks ashift for the decades-old firm,and the chance to bring itsvalues to the bag sector.

“Abus is an 85 year-old firmand has moved from being avery traditional company to a

lifestyle brand. As a companythe quality of the product isvery important, so whatever wecreate – helmets, bags and locks– is of a very high quality withsafety uppermost. Safety andsecurity in German is one word– it’s called Sicherheit.

“So with helmets weintegrated a specialflashing/constant rear LED intoour kids’ helmets and also oncommuter helmets wherevisibility is so important.”

Abus has been in the bagbusiness for over 20 years. Butwhy did a firm known for locksmove into the sector? Thereason is simple, as Roslerexplains: “It started with theneed to transport a lock. Many

locks on the market at thetime were not as cyclist-

friendly as they might be – theproblem was how do youtransport a heavy lock? Cyclistshad to use pannier bags but nowwe have innovative solutions likebrackets, and bags with special

sections built specifically forlocks. We’ve grown that over thelast 20 years and now haveseven different bag ranges, fourof which are coming to the UK.”

Abus also has its eyes on thechanging needs of the markettoo. Following a boomingcommuter sector the firm hasproduced bike bags that won’tlook out of place in the city.Likewise, Abus has produced arange of women-specific bags inresponse to the market:

“If you look at the UK youdon’t see so much women-specific cycle product, especiallybags. This is where we have beensuccessful with the Lyria rangewhich features modern designs,KLICKfix brackets and rubberbuttons so they stand easily onthe ground.”

As Rosler touched on earlier,Abus has been tapping into anincreasingly lifestyle-orientatedbike market, colour matchingproducts across different ranges.

“We have just launched newchain locks in various colours. Inmarkets like Japan, America andCanada we can see a lot ofcolour trends going on. Thewhole industry is developinginto a lifestyle industry – if youthink of fixie and singlespeedfans they like very colourfulproducts. We’ve also found thatcolour matching is important tofemale consumers.”

So with a bunch of newproduct lines reaching intountapped sectors, colour-matching strategies, an eye ondeveloping markets and all offthe back of a year that saw 38per cent growth in sales, you’dprobably expect Abus to beexpecting good things over thenext 12 months. And you’d beright. “We are looking verypositive into the next year. Wehave invested further in newproducts, we have new lock andbag models and for us thehelmet market in the UK hasseen a really big increase. We arevery positive about the future.”Zyro: [email protected]. www.zyro.co.uk.

BRAND SPOTLIGHT ABUS

Abus’ area sales and marketing manager Axel Rosler speaksto Jonathon Harker about a booming commuter sector, andputting a bit of colour into the market…

“Abus is an 85year-old firm that

has moved frombeing traditionalto a very lifestyle

brand.”Axel Rosler, Abus


Get your locks on

Abus’ Axel Rosler showsoff the firm’s new ranges,including colourful chain

locks (top) and stylish bagdesigns (below)

“WORST. January. Ever.” That ishow one dealer described thestart of the year to me atMadison’s iceBike* show, addingthat February was much better,because people seemed to have become bored of notspending money.

As well as keeping customersat home, the lousy weather atthe beginning of the year was anightmare for magazines. A bitof rain doesn’t stop us testingbikes, but when the streets arepaved with black ice and thetrails are buried under a foot ofsnow, keeping up our testschedule requires dedication,merino baselayers andwaterproof everything.

In my bike shop days, wetwinter afternoons were a chanceto do those little jobs that hadbeen neglected the previousyear – like clearing out the pileof half-broken items that mightget stripped for parts (throw itaway, it never does). Or, if theboss wasn’t around, seeingwhich of us could record the

highest pedalling speed on one of those new-fangledcadence computers.

But magazines don’t haveodd housekeeping jobs to keepus occupied in the winter, andsub-editors take a dim view ofwriters goofing off. Magazineshave to be published, rain orshine, and this winter, that hasbeen a bit desperate.

As I write, Mountain BikingUK’s Andrew Dodd has justescaped the office to head up toScotland for a story that hasbeen put off several timesbecause of the weather. Snow inScotland, who’d have thought it?

Cycling Plus made life hardfor itself by bringing its Bike OfThe Year issue forward so that itwould be on sale at the end ofwinter when people are thinkingabout buying a bike. That meantthe writers had to ride fifty bikesin the worst of the winter, andphotograph them.

Somehow, they managed notto spend too much time sittingin the office in damp Lycra

waiting for the weather toimprove to merely miserable. Ablessing for everyone else’snoses, that.

Photography is the killer. Agreat shooter can light a sceneto pull the rider and bike out ofthe January gloom using modernoff-camera flashes. If it israining, flash guns tend to self-destruct and photoshootsturn into desperate scrabbles toget shots without destroying thecamera equipment.

We’re certainly notcomplaining though. Reviewsmust be written, so bikes haveto be ridden and gear has to beused. That gives us a powerfulreason to get out and ride at thetime of year when motivation ishardest to come by. Even thisJanuary, I don’t think any of ourcrew would have swapped to aregular desk job.

LANDMARK FOR CYCLING PLUSI can’t sign off withoutmentioning the biggest ray0 oflight amid the winter doom and

gloom. Our road bike magazine,Cycling Plus, recorded its twelfthconsecutive circulation increase,cracking the 40,000 mark for thefirst time, in the annual figuresproduced by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

I worked for FuturePublishing when Cycling Pluswas launched in the early 1990sand was involved in the first fewissues. At the time, fat tyresdominated sales, MountainBiking UK was forging ahead androad cycling was a little-regarded backwater dominatedby club riders and time trialists.

It is amazing how roadcycling has come back into theforefront, and Cycling Plus, underRob Spedding, has done a lotbetter than follow the market.

This is largely thanks to Roband his team’s understanding ofits readers, and its creativeapproach to crafting anentertaining and informativelifestyle magazine that justhappens to be centred aroundthe cycling world.

“Cycling Plusrecorded its twelfthconsecutivecirculationincrease, crackingthe 40,000 markfor the first time.”

John Stevenson is editor-in-chief of the Sports divisionat Future Publishing.

As the UK emerges bleary-eyed from a winter that hit the bike industry rather hard, John Stevensonlooks at the effect on the day-to-day running of the bike magazine world...

Worst. January. Ever.

OFF THE RADAR


ONE of the striking things abouticeBike*, as is the case everyyear, is that the vibe always feelsproductive. It’s all too easy toget bogged down at trade showswith the negatives of thebusiness climate at present –supermarket competition, onlinediscounting, customersmisbehaving – but not here.

Utilising an enormous double-decker tent, the show presentedenormous volumes of product tobe taken in. With Red Bull onboard, alongside Monster Energy,there was an energetic vibe tosay the least, and with Gore, DTSwiss and Nitro Circus newly onboard, customers were not shortof product to ogle.

Those new brand additionsare just the tip of the iceberg,though. As is the case with the

UK’s wholesalers, many arebeginning to focus on own-branded product and Madison isno exception. Although not newper se, Madison has placedgreater emphasis on itsrevamped saddle, pannier rack,glasses and clothing catalogue.

With up to a five-yearwarranty, the top carrier rackscan take up to 30kg in weight,making them ideal for touring.

Madison’s saddle range hasbecome quite extensive too. Allthe products carry the logo andthe saddles are available for avariety of purposes and budgets,from comfort saddles forwomen, to top-end sportssaddles for anyone.

If your store is seeking acycle-specific eyewear solution,you won’t go wrong with

stocking Madison’s simple range,which comes both CE and EUapproved and includes a carrypouch and cord.

Next door to the Madison-branded goods at the show wasurban commuter favouriteRespro, which had also broughtalong some funky new gear.Respro’s main business revolvesaround pollution masks,including some tailored for cyclesport and commuting. If yourstore is in a built-up area wherebreathing in is to take a breathof exhaust fumes, then Respro isworth a stock investment. Anitem often overlooked is thebrand’s reflective £12.99 stickerpack, which enables customersto tailor their clothing with 40wash-resistant, reflective tabs ina variety of styled cut out

shapes. With these, a pair ofgloves or standard shirt can becompletely transformed into acommuter friendly item.

Director Harry Cole tellsBikeBiz: “At present, the Humpbag cover is our biggest seller. At£25, it can turn any bag into ahigh visibility item. We’ve sold8,000 in the UK to date andexpect sales to carry on at astrong rate. We’ve alsointroduced styled Humps now,such as our lit-up Chevron covers,which are available in a popularcamo print design for £49.99.”

Blackburn put on animpressive display ofmulticoloured Flea lights, whichhas fast become its flagshipproduct. Now available, tocomplement the product, is asolar panel recharge kit, which


“At present, theHump bag cover isour biggest seller.At £25, it can turnany bag into ahigh visibilityitem. We’ve sold8,000 in the UKand expect salesto carry on at astrong rate.”

Harry Cole, Madison

ICEBIKE REVIEW

Tip of the icebergMadison kept its cool through three days of the show. The goliath-sized distributor has once againgiven dealers further reason to up their custom. Mark Sutton seeks out a few of the hidden gems…

works the same as a normalcharger, via the USB plug-in. Alittle known fact about the Fleais that the lens is shrouded,making it ideal for those whowear glasses and may get‘feedback’ from normal lights.

Increasingly becoming asignificant part of Blackburn’sbusiness, the Turbo Trainerproduct is said to be selling outon arrival. Feature wise,Blackburn has thoroughlythought through the design ofeach model, allowing eachtrainer to be adjusted to unevensurfaces, such as some patiodecking, all via a few minoradjustments to the base. Astrainers go they are incrediblywide and stable. Varying wheelsizes can be accommodated,meaning owners can move frombike to bike.

The mainstay of the businessdoes still revolve around thepump range, with the Airstick SLemphasised to BikeBiz as beingthe major breakthrough.Weighing just 60 grams for thestandard and 51 grams for thecarbon version, the SL can reachvery high PSI pressures withlittle effort, which given its tinysize is quite incredible. Retailprice is £19.99.

In terms of soft goods, therecan now be no other sourcewith as much of acomprehensive offering of cycleclothing than Madison’s. NitroCircus was the only freshaddition, though this brand sitsbetween the motorcycle andcycle business and covers onlycasual wear.

Of the more technicalgarments within the doubledecker tent, Shimano, PearlIzumi and Madison’s own line allhad additions. The latter has

introduced baselayers, whichappeared to be of particularinterest to the many dealerswho had asked thedistributor to broaden itshorizons on the stockintroduced at last year’sshow. Theseundergarments are forboth men and womenand sizes range from smallup to XL. A special Merylfabric is utilised in thebaselayers, providingconsistent thermalcontrol, high wickingand anti-bacterialproperties. AsMadison’s own line,the price is favourabletoo, with the short sleevecoming in at £17.99, whilethe long is just £20.

FOOTWEAR CATALOGUEPearl Izumi’s catalogue wasadded to Madison’s range lastyear, along with a dedicatedteam to manage the brand. PearlIzumi’s overshoe attracted a lotof attention. With a built-inlight-up logo, the overshoecomplements the extensiverange of shoes that the brandoffers. Baselayers were alsopresent in the Pearl Izumi range.

Shimano is not shy of a bit ofclothing either. In fact, iceBike*displayed perhaps the largestviewing of the technicalgarments to date. A primeexample of what Shimano cando with soft goods came in theform of the Windflex Goldjacket, which is made up of 52per cent Windflex Goldpolyamide, with the remainderpolyester and other materials.The double-layered fabricsandwiches air, while the outerrepels moisture. This results in a

real performance jacket thatkeeps the rider’s temperatureconsistent and protects themfrom the elements. Sizes smallto triple XL are covered.

Many dealers were pleased tosee Gore Ride On cables now sat

within the Madison portfolio. Forthose that think a ‘cable is just acable’, Gore’s Ride On cableshave shaved 15 to 20 gramsfrom some of its race offerings,which is a hell of a lot fromsomething so simple. Theseshavings have not come fromthe cable itself though; theyremain super tough. Expect tosee shades of blue and redjoining Madison’s B2B site inApril. These sit on top of

the black and white standard cables.

On the ground floor, DTSwiss’s debut at Milton

Keynes was causing quite a stir,mostly due to the brand’ssuspension product. Starting at acompetitive £650, the brand waskeen to demonstrate how rigid ithas managed to make its forkbodies, all the while pointing outthat the internals are some of themost intelligent on the market atpresent. All forks with super-lightmagnesium lowers now comewith a ‘Torsion Box’ bridge, whichhas made a significant differencein how rigid the ride feels upfront. At £800, the brand’s pro-level cross country fork iscurrently the lightest on themarket at just 1,250-grams. Fullstock of DT Swiss products areexpected in May, though themajority is in stock now.

While on the subject of rigidfront ends, Shimano’s off-shootPro business had MarkCavendish’s own bar stemcombination on display, as used to success in last year’sTour de France.

Pro marketing officer AloysHanekamp says: “Cavendish isvery particular about how hewants the front of the bike toride, and the bar and stem are amajor focus in this. The bar will

be of a reinforced alloy, withinternally splined construction,as opposed to carbon, which ifinvolved in a crash, can beunpredictable afterwards.”Expect to see the Cavendishseries appearing in stock atMadison in about three weeks time.

CUT ABOVE THE RESTWheels Manufacturing stoppedmany dealers in their tracks withtwo products in particular. Thefirst is a bottom bracket toutedas an alternative to, for example,a Hope BB. Available with either aceramic or stainless steel bearingand in five colours, the BBs cost£99.99 and £54.99, respectively.The second stand-out productwas a tidy bearing press kitavailable to the trade for £149and made from high-grade steel.Should customers want the sameproduct, it also retails for £300.

Of the bike brands under theMadison umbrella, Saracenproved to be the main draw,with two urban models takingpride of place, while the Arieland Myst were also beingdrooled over.

Retailers in built-up areas cantake stock of the £449 Rush and£799 Fallout now, with the maindifferences between the twocoming in the form of ahydraulic disc upgrade andShimano Alfine specification onthe latter build.

Marketing manager andiceBike* organiser Will Fripp, tellsBikeBiz that over 70 per cent ofMadison’s customers were inattendance over the show’sduration, all of which will havebeen captured on the timelapsecamera on the upper deck.

Log on to the iceBike* site tosee if you can spot yourself now.

ICEBIKE REVIEW


“Cavendish isvery particularabout how hewants the front ofthe bike to ride,and the bar andstem are a majorfocus in this.”

Aloys Hanekamp,Shimano

Numerous products under theMadison brand caught the eye ofmany onlookers at last month’siceBike* show in Milton Keynes

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

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SINCE Eurobike’s launch in Aprillast year, one of founder PaulStewart’s main ambitions was todesign, develop and market arange of UK-built bikes under hisown label. Having come tofruition just five months later,Moda is now graduallyappearing on shop floors acrossthe country.

As revealed on BikeBiz.comlast month, the sharp upwardstrajectory planned for the brandlooks set to continue in 2011.Stewart comments: “We plan tomarket complete titanium bikesas well as frames sets in 2011.To complement this, we will alsolaunch our own brand ofaftermarket components underour Barelli brand. There will besome genuinely excitingproducts in the line-up, sodealers should keep an eye out fora launch date later in the year.”

Eurobike is responsible for thedesign, manufacture and assemblyof the range, along with its frame-making partner in Taiwan. Theinspiration behind creating Modawas simply to put together arange of bicycles that theEurobike team themselves wouldbe more than happy to ride.

Stewart continues: “We havetaken good soundings fromsome of our key customers,though we’re all experiencedriders, so our thoughts and ideasare apparent in many designs.We have a number of bicyclesfrequently out on test – not onlywith magazine riders, but with

Elite athletes riding road andMTB too, and so far we have been extremely pleasedwith the response.”

Feedback is invaluable to any brand, but has become

increasingly important to Moda’sdevelopment ahead of submittinga team for competition at thehighest level in the comingseason. The finished product has,to date, inspired plenty ofconfidence in retailers.

Stewart explains: “Each Modabike is hand-assembled by onemechanic and then checkedagain before it leaves us. Bikesarrive at dealers already 99 percent built, and ready to go afterturning the handlebars and fittinggrips or tape. Our carbon framescarry a two-year guarantee, withalloy frames at five years againstnormal wear and tear.”

Asked what differentiatesModa from the market’scompetition, Stewart is keen toemphasise quality control. “Thekey strengths of the range include

full assembly in the UK. We onlyuse complete component groupsthat match and work. And alongwith this, all Modas come withAmerican Classic wheels, whichwe think adds an immeasurablequality to the overall ride andfeel of the bikes.”

Going forward, Stewartbelieves that the diversity of therange will be one of the majorperks of stocking Moda. Havingdelved into both hardtail and fullsuspension cross-country, roadand track, the brand’s expansionplans will appeal to retailers inneed of an all-round solutioncovering both women’s specificand junior models.

Stewart tells BikeBiz: “We’llsoon have two junior road bikesfor our up-and-coming stars, a24-inch and 650. Then we willcomplement these with twojunior Cyclo X bikes in the samesizes. Next, we’re looking to

provide bikes for the WXC ladiesmountain bike team – our smallersizes are ideal for competitive Elitelady riders. We’re also looking atadding some female specificmodels to the line-up, but thiswill be a 2012 development.”

If Moda appeals and there’s agap on your showroom floor,you could be in luck. Eurobike isseeking dealers in variouslocations, particularly in Scotlandand Northern Ireland. The currentten-model range is set to expandby a further 18 bikes next year,too. At present, retail prices forcomplete builds begin at £999.99.

Stewart concludes: “We’rehappy to talk to prospectivecustomers anywhere in the UKwhere we have not already gotan established dealership. Wecan also arrange to bringsamples and demo bikes so allstaff members can see and ridethe Moda range in the flesh.”

BRAND SPOTLIGHT MODA

Described by Eurobike as the ‘final link in the chain’, Moda is something the firm is particularly proud of.Mark Sutton talks to MD Paul Stewart about the brand’s British assembly, expanding the model rangeto reach new target audiences and dialling in the details…

A new Moda transport

“Each Moda bike ishand-assembledby one mechanic

and then checkedagain before it

leaves us.”Paul Stewart,

Eurobike


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PROFILE PENNINE CYCLES

WITH A heritage that spans overa century, cycling has naturallypicked up a number of dealersthat have been in the businessfor a significant chunk of time.One such dealer is PennineCycles (Whitaker andMapplebeck Cycles). Establishedover a whopping 64 years ago,Pennine was founded a yearafter the end of the SecondWorld War – making the shopolder even than Ivana Trump.

This year the shop iscelebrating another anniversary– ten years of business underthe stewardship of managingdirector Paul Corcoran anddirector Sandra Corcoran. Paultells BikeBiz: “We’ve already gotoff to a good start in Januarydespite the snow.”

The Corcorans picked up thebaton from founder of shop andbike manufacturer JohnnyMapplebeck. “He retired whenwe took over the business tenyears ago at the age of 80 andmoved across the Atlantic toCanada. He is now 90 and stillliving there,” explains Corcoran.

Paul Corcoran, a keen cyclisthimself, has roots outside thebike trade. “I found my way toPennine Cycles when I bought aPennine bicycle from mymanaging director over in Leeds

where I worked in the car trade,at Jaguar. I thought I had betterfind out who these Penninepeople were and now I own thebusiness after being asked tomanage the shop. I gave up agood job with a pension, but thisis the best job in the world,”Corcoran enthuses.

Despite being situated on thebackbone of England, worldwidetrade is an increasinglyimportant part of PennineCycles’ offering, as well ashaving local customers supportthe shop. Pennine Cycles is partof the UK Trade and InvestmentPassport to Export programme,which assists with businessabroad, providing ongoing

support as well as initial help forbudding exporters. Such is thesuccess of its global reach thatPennine attended lastSeptember’s Milan Bicycle Show.

The firm has been nominatedtwice as a finalist in the bestIndependent Retailer category ofthe BikeBiz Awards, but retail isjust a part of what PennineCycles offers, growing from theproposition it was back in the‘40s. Pennine’s hand inmanufacture sees it createsought-after custom-builtframesets in its Bradfordworkshop. The unique framescome with a raft of options,from colour scheme to choice ofsteel material.

Aside from retail andmanufacture, the busy shopcontinues to sponsor theestablished local cycling club VCBradford. Pennine jointlysupports the club with Milanfamily business Stella Azzurra.

At the start of last month, thePennine Cycles team kicked backto celebrate that decade at theCafé Corridor – with customersold and new, business colleaguesand friends. Despite the revelry,the firm says it is lookingforward to the challenges of thenext decade as an independentbicycle specialist shop inBradford, Yorkshire.

Corcoran is following up thecelebrations with a trip to ClubLa Santa for a VC Bradford CycleClub training camp.

“As a family business we offera personal service and hope thatpeople continue to recognise theexpertise available and supporttheir local bike shops. Sandraand I are both passionate aboutcycling. We aim to encourageand promote the pleasures andthe benefits of bike riding.

“We’ve got lots planned forthe year ahead, and we’relooking forward to the nextdecade and continuing to makeour Pennine frames at Bradford,”Corcoran concludes.

Old as the hills


“I found my way toPennine Cycleswhen I bought aPennine bicyclefrom mymanaging directorover in Leeds.”

Paul Corcoran,Pennine Cycles

Director Paul Corcoran tells Jonathon Harker what’s occurring in the world of BikeBiz Awardnominee Pennine Cycles, ten years after taking over the decades-old business…

Pennine Cycles directorsSandra and Paul Corcoran

The Pennine Cycles MD celebrated his 50thbirthday in style last year, meeting up withMario Cippolini at the start of the Giro d’Italia

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50TH ISSUE RETROSPECTIVE

Back in the dayIt’s 50 issues and four years since Bicycle Business became BikeBiz, the first issue arriving in February2006. Jonathon Harker takes the opportunity to leaf through the archive and look back at theheadlines and the people from the pages of the first six editions…

NEWS: Despite being viewedthrough the mists of time, thefront page of the very firstedition of BikeBiz covered atopic that’s still just as relevantto the industry today. Cycle toWork was grabbing theheadlines, with distributorFisher Outdoor Leisure lendingits weight to Cyclescheme,plugging the huge opportunity

it brings to the trade, andparticularly IBDs.

The industry was debatingthe merits of cutting VAT onbikes, while Hot Wheels stokedthe fires of the women’s cyclemarket with new female-specific brand ‘Summer’.

MBUK’s founding editor, TymManley, also lamented the lossof the Bike Show.

PEOPLE: Will Fripp becameMadison’s marketing manager,moving from his role as e-commerce manager for thedistributor, while long-termMTB racer Nick Craig joinedScott as worker and rider.

AND FINALLY: One story thatcould have come from any yearcovered the UK bike market’s

shocking lack ofstatistics. PhillipDarnton said: “It’s asource ofembarrassment toadmit to anyone thatwe do not knowanything reliable about thesize and evolution of the UKcycle market.”

Plus c’est change.

NEWS: While MPs warned ofthe possible extinction ofindependent retailers, BikeBizlooked ahead to London’s Gallicwelcome for 2007’s Tour deFrance. Bike It, the nationalcycle-to-school project seed-funded by the cycle industry viathe Bike Hub levy, extendedinto London for the first time inMarch, with two Bike It Officers

working with schools across thecapital. Sustrans researchrevealed that pedestrians andcyclists, and neutering thenumber of cars in retail centres,was positive news for retailers.

In glum news Saracen Cycleswent into administration, butnot before Saracen Bikes wasformed, purchasing stock,goodwill and intellectual

property rights of SaracenCycles, and taking on warranty.

PEOPLE: Stan Mavis, co-founderand previous boss of PearlIzumi, was snapped up by Sugoifor the role of president, whileNick Gritton – starter of UKdistribution of the Shimano-owned Pro brand – moved onto look for new opportunities.

AND FINALLY:Readers may, ormay not, wish tobe reminded ofBIkeBiz’s now executive editorCarlton Reid bravely tacklingthe eye-watering subject ofcomfort saddles that don’trestrict blood flow to the peniswhile riding. That’s dedicationfor the cause.

Phillip Darntonand (inset) TymManley

Pearl Izumico-founderStan Mavis

February 2006

March 2006

50TH ISSUE RETROSPECTIVE


NEWS: VAT relief for the cycletrade proved to be an enduringtopic for BikeBiz magazine’sdebut year, with the CTC callingfor bicycle repairs to be chargedwith VAT at five per cent.

The UK’s own Nigel Hill, ofSidcup Cycles, was elected for asecond term of office as ETRApresident – a term that onlyended last year. Elsewhere, MikePoyzer’s Nottingham bike shop,

Super Cycles, revealed that itwould become a Cyclelifeflagship store, Dahon joined theA-Team and Madison picked updistribution for Cervelo.

The cycle trade voiced theiropinions on the CENregulations and when they werefinally going to come into force.While the industry welcomedthe introduction of theregulations, many feared the

new rules would bringconfusion to the cycle industry.

PEOPLE: Ian Morris resigned asdirector of Seventies to start hisown BMX distribution company,while Ian Beasant becamemanaging director for Giant UK.

AND FINALLY: Two yearsbefore taking office as Mayor ofLondon, headline-friendly Boris

Johnson showed off hisbike friendly credentials.He was quoted (via theGuardian) as saying: “WhenCameron’s Conservatives cometo power it will be a golden agefor cyclists and an Elysium ofcycle lanes, bike racks, andSharia law for bike thieves. AndI hope that cycling in Londonwill become almost Chinese inits ubiquity.”

NEWS: May brought the newsthat Cycle Show was stickingwith East London-set ExCeLcentre as venue, and would see22 per cent more exhibitionspace than in the previous year.Cycle shared the front pagewith the birth of newdistributor 2pure, rising fromthe ashes of supplier RawExperience.

And 2pure wasn’t the onlynew name of the month, with

the ACT launching ActSmart asa package incorporating a rangeof benefits for its members.Mark Brown, who has recentlyleft the association (see page49), said: “This is a powerfulpackage, so it makes sense weinvest in making sure everyretailer understands what it cando for them. We have broughtall our benefits and servicestogether under a new brandname called ActSmart.”

PEOPLE: There was muchactivity in the recruitmentsector for Fisher OutdoorLeisure, recruiting MartinHawyes, Chris Raven and DanKidd. Elsewhere formerProcycling managing editorJeremy Whittle left to pursuenewspaper journalism and anew book.

AND FINALLY: Designer Sir PaulSmith got behind bikes when he

designed the official strip forthe Twentyfour 12 BontragerEnduro 2006. A keen cyclisthimself, Sir Paul’s Paul SmithJeans designed 100 limitededition stripe jerseys.

NEWS: The summer of ‘06brought news of a number oftakeovers in the bike world.Magicalia, publisher ofBikeMagic, RoadCycling UK andShecycles.com, was bought byExponent for £13m, whileAberdeen-based IBD chainAlpine Bikes was bought by theTiso Group – an independentoutdoor retail chain based inScotland.

The Bicycle Associationrevealed it was to sell itsStarley House HQ, while morecontroversial news saw BritishCycling and the CTC apparentlyat loggerheads over their remit– something British CyclingCEO Peter King moved swiftlyto debunk.

June’s BikeBiz also asked IBDswhat they had planned for BikeWeek 2006.

PEOPLE: Rocket scientist KuanChiun Weng left Giant-part-owned Composite technologyCorporation of Taiwan. Heowned 15 per cent of C-Techuntil the move. June also sawthe American Bicycle Groupappoint Kirk Graham asEuropean general manager.

AND FINALLY: Bike Weekstatistics revealed that the

number of events planned hadleapt from 1,406 in 2004 to2,116 in 2005. Accordingly,181,147 participants took partin Bike Week 2004, jumping to300,754 in 2005.

NEWS: Cycling was in themedia glare in the summer of’06, running the full gamutfrom anti-cycling rants tohugely positive supplementsand coverage. Madison MDDom Langan was among thetrade voices happy with theattention. He said: “Theindustry should be reallypleased with the exposure. Ithink there is more to come asthe media, celebrities and

Government all promote that itis cool to cycle. More exposurecan only be good for sales.”

In July BikeBiz also coveredthe £13.5 million FisherOutdoor Leisure managementbuy out, with Gordon andTrevor Fisher handing over thereins to (now) CEO, RichardAllmark. He said: “My desire forFisher to be the undisputedmarket leader in branded P&Adistribution is stronger than

ever. The new Fisher willachieve great things, with ourcustomers and suppliersbenefiting from future plans.”

PEOPLE: Cannondale Europebrand manager Mike Cottypedalled a huge 212 miles toset a new ‘South DownsDouble’ record, and GraemeFreestone King createdfk:marketing as UK agent for arange of road brands.

AND FINALLY: Britishmanufacturer Weldtite baggeda prize for exporter of the yearin the North LincolnshireBusiness Awards in July, beatingcompetition from heavy hitterslike steel giant Corus.

Nigel Hill and(inset) MikePoyzer

Jeremy Whittleand (inset) theExCeL Centre

Dr Weng and(inset) StarleyHouse

Graeme FreestoneKing and (inset)Weldtite

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

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MYSTERY SHOPPER

Finger on the pulse?Are fixies really in fashion?And have retailers outsideLondon got stock to offer tocapitalise on the trend? Thoseare the questions MysteryShopper asked the bikeshops of Canterbury…

Canterbury

Downland Cycles DESPITE being situated on an industrial estate andhaving a shop front tucked away, Downland cleverlydraws attention to its presence with some well-placedsignage (see above). Less than a mile outside the citycentre, it also benefited from plenty of cycle and carparking space.

Once inside the light and airy shop, Mystery Shopperwas swiftly approached by one of the two staffmembers who informed me that the store stocked threefixie-style bikes, all from the Felt brand. While none ofthe models were in store at the time of visiting, theywere all available for order. After some prompting thestaff member was happy to discuss the pros and cons ofthe fixie bike genre, including the legal requirements offixies: “one brake is statutory for road cycling.” The staffmember gave me details of the three models to takeaway with me. Overall, despite requiring someprompting the staff member discussed the genre atlength and the store could supply the product required(on order). Surely an encouraging sign for a sector thatis said to be niche and scarce outside London.

CyclelifeSET outside the Canterbury city walls on a busy bypass,Cyclelife enjoys a great location for picking up passingtrade and for keeping in the mind of passers-by. Theshop was, however, noticeably dark – almost to thepoint of appearing shut, in the opinion of MysteryShopper. Inside the large store, however, the experiencewas far more illuminating. Products were displayed wellwith clear signage indicating price, though not with agreat deal of info on bike features.

After only a short while of browsing I was asked if Ineeded any assistance by a staff member who was busyworking on a bike behind the rear counter. Sadly headvised that the store didn’t stock fixies, butencouragingly did advise me of some local shops thatdid and pointed me in the direction of one such dealer.

Despite not stocking fixies, the friendly staff assistantwas happy to chat about the sector and when I askedabout their popularity he told me that there wasn’t thatmuch call for it in Canterbury, with only a few localstores dabbling in the sector. He went on to discuss howthe fixie scene was much bigger in London.


MYSTERY SHOPPER


Cycles UKJUST over the road from Cyclelife, Cycles UK is a busystore benefiting from modern premises and a greatlocation. Placed slap-bang next to Canterbury busstation the store is sure to catch the eye of anyonewaiting for a bus and wishing they’d opted for a bikeinstead of public transport. The shop name wasemblazoned across the store too.

The store was bustling inside, with an uncramped andwell-laid out display of bikes that were easy to browse.Mystery Shopper was quickly approached by theproactive staff who sadly informed that the store hadno fixies in stock. However, the friendly shop assistantsaid that they did get them in from time-to-time, butthe infrequent appearance of the genre in store wasdown to the local market having yet to take to thesector in a big way. On the sporadic occasions thatCycles UK did have fixies in store they were usually putinto the shop window – proving they were a draw forcustomers. The staff member recommended I kept aneye out or popped into the store regularly to see ifanything came in.

Cycle StoreON A SIDE road between Canterbury High Street and akey car park for shoppers, Cycle Store had strong adviceon the fixie sector, steering me to opt for a singlespeedmodel. The staff member Mystery Shopper spoke toadvised that the singlespeed bikes are far less dangerousthan a pure brakeless fixie and went on to advise thatthey were popular with some sections of the City’sstudent population, while some shop staff also rodesinglespeed bikes.

The staff member discussed the market, and advisedthat they were often expensive. As an alternative, thestore offered a kit to adapt hybrid bikes intosinglespeeds, informing me that the store’s workshopwould be able to carry out the work. This was, headvised, a far less expensive entrance into the sector.

When asked about the popularity of the sector, thestaff member went on to list some of the key sellingpoints of bikes in the fashionable genre – they aresimple, there’s less to go wrong, and they are potentiallyless attractive to thieves. The friendly staff memberprovided plenty of advice on the burgeoning sector.

SummaryIN ADDITION to the stores listed in this article,Mystery Shopper visited Canterbury’s JJB Sports,which held no bike stock at all.

The visit revealed that there is a fixie scene inCanterbury (perhaps due to the city’s proximity toLondon), with several retailers serving the niche.

Canterbury itself has a blend of ‘olde worlde’shopping and modern retail facilities, with itscycle dealers inhabiting both of those worlds andgenerally offering good advice. All boasted staffmembers that were aware of, and informed about,the fixie scene, regardless of whether the storestocked relevant models. Downland, Cycle Storeand Halfords offered relevant product, with CycleStore providing the best in-depth advice. Overall,it was encouraging to see most of the stores offerstock (albeit intermittently) in the sector.

HalfordsLOCATED on a sprawling retail park to the East ofCanterbury – the city’s Halfords store incorporated asignificant cycle section on the first floor. The salescounter was placed at the far end, meaning customerslooking for service had to walk past the store’s entirebike display before being able to get any assistance –which clearly has both advantages and disadvantages.

Products were well labelled and info-packed displaysexplained common features on the bikes in store. Twostaff were working on a bike when Mystery Shopperapproached, one of which informed that the shop didn’thold any stock of fixies, advising there were modelsavailable at Halfords’ online shop, including at least onemodel from the Boardman brand. Despite having nofixie stock in store, the approachable staff member wasknowledgeable and happy to chat about the genre.


How can dealers benefit fromdoing business withWindwave? Windwave has always beenabout strong technical brandssuch as Marzocchi, FSA andColnago. As well as the ‘headline’brands, Windwave also offers arange of high turnover, bigmargin supporting products suchas Ice Toolz and A2Z.

Will you be attending anyfurther shows this year?As a founding member of theCore Bike group, the show andits dealer format are our toppriorities. In addition, we willagain be at the London Cycleshow, Mountain Mayhem andBike Radar Live.

How has performance fared inthe past year? What factorshave contributed to anyrises/falls in fortune?Our main threat is fromcurrency changes. For example,Colnago, FSA and Marzocchi areall bought in euros and with thepounds’ weakness it hasenforced price rises. However,with keen retail price pointingwe’ve continued in growth.

To what extent doesWindwave get involved withsponsorship and how does thisbenefit business?Windwave has always beeninvolved with up-and-comingriders and has historicallysponsored riders such as StevePeat, Jason McRoy, Rob Warnerand Chris Smith. This year wehave kept our sponsorshipchannels with our componentbrands, but we’re also on boardwith the Pendragon/ColnagoPremier Calendar team. This isan important move forWindwave as it places it at theforefront of the UK race scene.

If anti-dumping duties on FarEast imports end up beingabolished in July, how will itaffect Windwave’s business?The concern would be thatprices of bicycles would fall. Butprices do not need to fall, as inmany cases bicycles are alreadytoo cheap. From a personalperspective, my concern is thatcheap bikes mean at some point in the manufacturingprocess there may have been exploitation and poorworking conditions.

Our focus is on brands andimage and I believe we offervalue for money. The reality is,unless we buy cheaper, wecannot reduce prices. We caterfor the mid-to-upper end of themarket; in this sector the publicdo not buy on price alone – theybuy branded products forquality, proven performance andvalue for money.

How has Tenneco’s takeover ofMarzocchi improved yoursuspension business? Has thisreassured dealers thatMarzocchi’s on form again?Two years ago the automotivegiant Tenneco bought Marzocchi;the fruits of the takeover are nowbeing seen in the cycle division.It’s no secret Marzocchi had atough time in 2008. However,Tenneco’s management andquality control has seen warrantycases drop to just 16 for 2009and so far no reported cases for2010 in both AM and OEM.

Do any of our competitorshave similar figures? It washugely encouraging that thedealer reaction was so positiveat Core. We now have somegreat products that are easy to

understand and, mostimportantly, that dealers feelcomfortable with.

Tell us about your suspensionservice centre...We have been the official UKservice centre since we took onMarzocchi back in ‘95 andWindwave has a solid serviceteam with lots of experience. Wealso have trade servicing rates,so we can offer dealers thecomplete servicing solution fortheir own workshop.

Since its arrival, how has FSA’sVision components performed?Is there demand for high-end,technical components at theseprice points? FSA is a fantastic company towork with as it is veryprofessional and really getsbehind all its brands. Vision wasan acquisition and now there is alot of focus on taking this brandforwards. It is high-end, so theproduct is fantastic. We’ve seensales grow due to this brand by50 per cent in the last year.

The Pendragon/Le col/Colnagoteam will use the alloy andcarbon wheels this season.

The industry isever-changing andmore on its toesthan ever, so howis distributorWindwaveshielding itself andits customers fromprice fluctuationsand more? DanJones and PeterNisbet talk toMark Suttonabout dumpingduties, backupservice and brand additions…

Winds of change

WINDWAVE INTERVIEW

How does Windwave tackleonline discounters – are IBDsprotected against these?Working with dealers bothonline and in-store are the same– an open and friendlyrelationship is the key to a goodworking practice.

The only issues Windwave haswith discounting are generallyrelated to the grey market

which, for successful brands, isalways a problem. However, withproducts becoming moretraceable this is fast becomingless of an issue as grey sourcesfrom OEMs can be stopped.

Describe what A2Z can offerthe dealer looking for smallparts, tools and brakingcomponents backup: With A2Z Windwave can offerone of the most comprehensivedisc pad ranges with a greatmargin, to boot.

To supplement these we offera range of disc brake adaptors,olives, banjos and brake hose –these are multi brand use so nomatter what, A2Z will have the solution.

We have also expanded A2Z’srange to include anodised QRskewers, head-set spacers, chainring and bottle cage bolts. Moreor less every part is available inmany different colours, whichmakes for great additional sales as consumers look tocustomise their bikes.

What marketing plans doyou have for yourbrands in the yearahead? You seemed tobe pushing Lucozade afair bit at Core?

Lucozade is an importantnew brand for us, and Core

was an ideal opportunity fordealers to sample the completerange ahead of the early spring push and to meet staff from Lucozade.

Our main marketing push for2010 is to be direct with theconsumer via more internet viralcampaigns. We’ve also had greattake up on Colnago demo bikes,something that is supportedwith an online advertisingcampaign directing consumersdirectly to the store for demo rides.

Lucozade must have been abig scoop for Windwave – howdid this distribution deal come about?This is a long story. I had theidea that Lucozade Sport wasperfect for the cycle trade, butnot available to retailers. So, Iput a marketing plan togetherand approached the parentcompany, Glaxo Smith Kline. Thehardest part of this though, wascontacting the relevant personwithin this multi-billion poundgoliath. It took several attempts,but by the time I met up withthe right person it was soonevident that we would be ableto work together to maximise

the potential of the brand to cyclists.

Do you think the brand namewill give Lucozade a kick startin the cycle trade?Yes. Lucozade is a householdname and this counts for a lotas it is one of the strongestnames in FMCG.

There has been a long-termassociation with sport since theearly sponsorship deal withDaley Thomson, though I believethat branching deep into thecycle trade can be verysuccessful, because riders whoare not sure about which sportsnutrition brand to buy, willchoose Lucozade Sport becausethey are familiar with the nameand have confidence that theproduct will be safe and effective.

You have just hooked-up withTraitor Cycles – is this inresponse to high demand for styled fixies in the UK,

or is this for something elseentirely?Traitor came about after seeingthe brand at Eurobike last year.Although tucked away on asmall booth, its style andattention to detail really stoodout over the sea of euromachines. After all the technicalcomplexities of Corsair’ssuspension designs andColnago’s multi directionalcarbon race frames, for us it isreally nice to be involved withjust a bike company – and I saythat with the greatest respect.

Traitor has a great range ofmachines with fantasticattention to detail. It offers notonly fixie or single-speed bikes,but also three-speed hubs, STIand disc brake models.

Response from the trade atCore was tremendous and weare getting a lot of interest fromthe public. The first stock arrivesin May.

“Working withdealers bothonline and in-store are the same– an open andfriendlyrelationship is thekey to a goodworking practice.”

WINDWAVE INTERVIEW

Windwave has anabundance of stock that’sessential for dealers


PeterNisbet

CYCLE TO WORK

THE CYCLE TO WORK scheme,which allows employees topurchase a bike in a set pricebracket tax free and pay for itvia a salary sacrifice scheme, hasbeen cited as one of the majorcontributing factors behind thebooming bike market in the UK.

Various companies facilitatethe service, and the margin theytake to operate it is a stumblingblock for a significant portion ofcycle retailers, something thatMyCycle2Work.com addresses.

“The independent bike dealeris missing out on the full valueof the opportunity,” says RobHowes from MyCycle2Work.“They passively accept someoneelse’s vouchers and have to giveaway ten per cent of theirvaluable margin.”

It’s not just margin that leadsto untapped potential markets.Many small businesses find ithard to get involved in C2W.

“We have always felt therewas very little provision for thesmaller employers who make upthe vast majority of UKemployers. Other schemeproviders focus on bigger businesses.

“Even the biggest voucherprovider only has about 8,500businesses on its books andthat’s less than one per cent ofUK employers. The missing 99per cent are those 850,000businesses who are smallerenterprises. Ironically, they arethe most likely to run a schemeand be the easiest to deal with.

“There are a million UKbusinesses that haven’t run C2W

yet, most of them local to an IBDand with interest in cycling; wethink that offers IBDs the bestopportunity in 2010.”

MyCycletoWork, whichsupports brick and mortarbusinesses and those with onlinepresence, addresses both of thoseconcerns, according to Howes.

GOING DIRECT MyCycle2Work.com offers anall-singing all-dancing web

application for IBDs, includingeverything dealers need to godirect and offer Cycle to Workschemes to local employersthemselves. Covering all theregulatory advice, online formsand mechanisms, the applicationhandles the process from startto finish, and uses IBDs’ own identities.

Howes adds: “It offers individualemployer accounts, so the IBDcan be sure its business will reapthe benefits of its efforts.”

“With MyCycle2Work.com,IBDs can easily create schemes

for any business. All the admin isautomated and employeessimply go into the IBD’s shop,choose whatever they want andthe IBD inputs the order to thesystem. The employer approvesthe equipment and then paysthe shop directly. We’ve alsoincluded business leasing foremployers who want to spreadthe cost of acquiring the bikes.”

“To get the IBDs off to aflying start we include a pack

which has sample approachletters they can customise andprint onto their own letterheading. We also provide 200names and contact details oflocal businesses. All they have todo is send them.”

The firm behindMyCycle2Work is an old hand atoperating similar schemes.

“We have a huge amount ofexperience in building applicationsfor salary sacrifice-type schemes.The first we built was for thecomputer industry, which wasvery successful and later taken up

by major PC brands such as HP,Acer and Fujitsu. We also designedand built the Halfords’ Cycle toWork platform, which has runschemes for some of the biggestorganisations in the UK.

“We launchedCycle2WorkNow.com 18 monthsago. But what’s always beenobvious is that potentialcustomers like to go into theirlocal bike shop, which by andlarge provides good service. Werealised we needed a way tosimplify the admin andregulations of C2W so that thebright people at the IBDs couldoffer it to local businesses.

“To test if our idea wasviable, we’ve been runningschemes with chosen partnerbike shops and the results wereoverwhelmingly good. So wetook the radical step of turningour business model on its head.

“We’ve given upCycle2WorkNow.com andlaunched MyCycle2Work.com,which for the first time gives theIBD the chance to take control ofC2W. Instead of waiting passivelyto accept someone else’svouchers and giving up ten percent valuable margin, they canbegin actively marketing C2W.”To find out more, contact: 0207 183 1316, [email protected], www.CycletoWorkNow.com

Want to get involved in Cycle to Workbut worried about losing valuablemargin? Rob Howes tells JonathonHarker how MyCycle2Work.com is set totackle dealer’s concerns about thescheme head on…

C2W,workingfor you

Pic © C

arlton Reid


“There are a million UK businessesthat haven’t run C2W yet, most ofthem local to an IBD and with interestin cycling; we think that offers IBDsthe best opportunity in 2010.”


FISHER OUTDOORS EXPO 2010 REVIEW

EDGBASTON had a good inningsas venue for Fisher’s house show,but Sopwell House proved morethan a match for the sprawlingBirmingham-based venue. Attendees appeared bowled overby much of the new producttoo, with new lines from SRAM,Basil, Norco, Lambretta, Santini,and many more – including thetrio of newbies Kansi, Vavert andAirace, while the warehouse tourand seminars also provedpopular with show-goers.

KANSI The brand’s debut appearancerevealed the three models of therange: the 1twenty singlespeed,the 3twenty three speed and9twenty nine. Priced at £499,£699 and £849, they areavailable in two colour ranges.Notably, the Kansi line-upfeatures no model year, though itwill be updated via generationsand tweaked over the years.

As part of Fisher’scommitment to dealers, whencustomers buy a Kansi bike theyreceive an incentive to registertheir bike online with a uniquecode – extending theirguarantee – which cunningly

also reminds them when itneeds servicing, cleverly drivingtrade back to the workshop.Customers registering onlinealso receive a specialcustomisation kit.

The brand may be Fisher-owned, but it is being promotedin its own right and will berolled out around the globe,moving beyond being just a UKoffering. It features SRAMcomponents, while every part isserviceable, not rebadged.

Kansi product managerMartin Hawyes says: “We’ve hadinsane feedback, which is greatas no one has seen it before. Itticks all the boxes.” Kansi is thetip of the iceberg in terms of thenumber of bikes that Fisher hasbranched into.

VAVERTOne of the new brands on showat the event, Vavert – which asFrancophiles will already knowmeans ‘goes green’ – is anotherpitched at the leisure commutercyclist. Each saddle has amatching grip to co-ordinate,while saddles and grips are alsoavailable for the sports marketand comfort markets.

The leisure commuter range’ssaddles feature ergonomicdesign for comfort, ScuffGuardabrasion resistant sides and areflective rear badge. The gripsfrom the same range are easy toinstall and remove, areergonomically designed and areavailable in four colours.

Much thought has gone intothe packaging too, with aninnovative space-saving saddledesign. More innovative still, thegrip packaging has the gripshung on pivotal plugs so thatconsumers can hold them inriding position without removing them.

AIRACEAirace’s range of pumps andtools are exclusive to Fisher andincludes track pumps, fit minipumps, smart mini pumps andtool sets. The track pumps arehighly stable floor pumps withhigh reliability gauges and longhose. Priced at £79.99, theInfinity AS Aluminium Shock andTyre Floor Pump comescomplete with an integratedshock pump adaptor, highpressure up to 300 psi and ashielded stainless steel tube.

On the mini pump side, theFit H2 features a two-stageadjustable barrel for increasedpressure and volume, while theSmart Jet G is a compact pumpwith precise in-line gauge.

Airace’s tool sets are compactand precision-machined. TheAirace 20-in-1 Ultra ThinMetallic Folding Tool Setincludes a chain breaker, amonga wealth of other tools, plus theall-important bottle opener.

WATERLOO Waterloo is reportedly theworld’s largest supplier of toolstorage products and was thesource of perhaps slightlyunexpected buzz at Expo 2010.Seemingly one of the very fewcompanies providing toolstorage, its product range –including mobile and fixed toolsolutions – was the subject ofmuch chatter among theattendees. The firm tells BikeBizthat many dealers were buyingthe products for themselves, aswell as for their business.

The products range all theway from tool boxes, starting at£20, and move all the way up tofixed tool solutions at £10,000.

Boasting anexpanding rangeof bikes, newbrands and eventool organisers,the Fisher showserved up a feastof products fordealers and thepress. JonathonHarker takes alook at what wason the menu…

2010 EXPOsed

BASIL VAVERT MET

AIRRACEMASTERLOCK TROY LEE

FISHER OUTDOORS EXPO 2010 REVIEW


The mobile solutions are idealfor dealers that work events orhave a mobile business, while thefixed tool boxes are perfect forrefitting workshops.

The firm’s representative –Kieran MacCourt comments –that the response to the rangehad been fantastic and theywere really encouraged by it.Notably, it is a sister companyof Master Lock.

MASTER LOCKOne of its key products is theStreet Fortum D Lock, offeringtop-notch Sold Secure Goldstandard at just £34.99.

Master Lock has also soughtto fill a previously relativelyuntapped market – children’slocks. The devices support thesteady selling kids’ bikes andaccessories market and teachkids about the need to lock uptheir kit. Costing £9.99 andfeaturing a resettablecombination, the locks promiseto appeal to kids, bucking amarket that largely administersto adult needs.

Master Lock used the show tofocus on padlocks too, pointingout that bikes are often far

better secured while out andabout, yet at home they’recomparatively easy pickings.With waterproof padlocks andbolt cutter-frustrating octagonaldesigns the locks are a chancefor bike dealers to tap into awider market.

Also, its packaging has beenenhanced, enabling customers toliterally get their hands on theproduct, something the firm hasfound to be a key sales tool.

BSPOKE A year on from launching thebspoke clothing range, Fisher’sown range of commuter-targeted threads featured at theshow, and also includesaccessories from the Transportfor London-endorsed lines.

Pitched as a versatilecollection that fits intocommuter life on and off thesaddle, it includes the likes ofthe Holborn cycling jacket,which features a wealth oftechnical elements while lookinglike a non-cycling jacket.Similarly, the women-specificAngel three-quarter lengthjacket provides waterproof,windproof and breathable

functionality – as well asreflective branding to increasevisibility at night – withoutappearing like a cycling-specific garment.

BASIL Basil’s bag business has beenbooming over the past 12months, showing a mighty 39per cent growth year-on-year.

The women and commuterranges are among those thathave been targeted for growthwith a wealth of productsdesigned to hit those areas.

Basil’s Jada line-up is set tobe more colourful and includesshoppers, double panniers andmore. The Jada Mirte (pictured)shopping bag comes inBlueberry Purple or Marble Greywith a 16L capacity and water-repellent polyester.

Basil also introduced itsMemories range, created withwater-resistant recycled canvas.The Memories feature leatherdetails and rain protective flaps.

Bike baskets are staple sellers,and Basil has created a twist onthe range with the Memories-bottle basket. As the namesuggests, the baskets feature

milk bottle shapes as well aseverything else you’d expect.Basil’s kids’ range has expandedtoo, and has even stretched toincorporate dog baskets. Withsuper short 14-day lead times,stock levels of the Basil productshould never be a problem.

SRAMExpo was the first chance to seeSRAM’s well-publicised full MTBgroup set XX in the flesh,complete with revolutionaryfront shifting and hydraulicremote suspension lock out.

Following up on SRAM’scarbon wheel range last year, it isnow offering a complete wheelbuild. The new aluminium wheelsare slim, lightweight and come inthree varieties. The regular S27Comps are priced at £399 a pair,while the S30 Al Sprint costs£599 a pair and the S20 Al Racewill retail at £799 a pair.

RockShox’s forks and shockswere on show, includingRevelation, the 2010 Boxxer andthe SID World Cup, while Avid’s2010 line-up includes anexpanded Elixir range. Truvativnow includes a bar, stem andseat post family.

NORCONorco is bringing 33 frames tothe UK, with 21 being new tothe country and covering gravity,all mountain, trail, urban andBMX – the latter getting six newmodels following a huge salessuccess. Norco is on track to seea raised profile in 2010, largelythrough the new DIRT NorcoWorld Cup Downhill team.

LOOKLook is adding to Fisher’s bikeoffering, with the 986 and 996MTB-specific frames debuting atExpo, joining the new 464 trackframe. Retailing at £649, it isavailable as a fixie option.

Eye-catching Troy Lee designsabounded at Expo 2010, not leastof all with the D3 helmet, whilethe spring/summer andautumn/winter ranges of Santini’shigh-end road garments featuredthe Defend Jacket and a vintagerange sporting classic designs.

One of Met’s star helmets wasthe Camaleonte – an urban-focused product available inexecutive and standard models.Also on offer were Forte roadhelmets, Crackerjack kids’ helmetsand off-road Kaos models.

BSPOKE KANSI

SRAM

SANTINI

LOOK WATERLOO

KAABOOM

BIKE IT is the hyper successfulcycling-in-schools programmerun by Sustrans, and originallyseed-funded by Bike Hub, thebike trade’s levy scheme. Fifty-two Bike It officers across theUK now get kids excited aboutcycling, boosting the numbersof children cycling to and fromschool. This can only be ofbenefit to local bike shops andsome of them go out of theirway to help Bike It.

BikeDock of Belfast is onesuch bike shop. Owner DerekArmstrong donates sweatequity, providing valuable timefrom his staff to go into schoolswith the pro-bike message.

Many of the Belfast schoolsplugged into by recentlyappointed Bike It officer JillMcDonald are in deprived areas,and cycle ownership isn’t high.As well as the standarddiscounts to pupils, BikeDockstaff organise bike try-out andDr Bike sessions to drum up

support for cycling, andincrease cycle ownership. Theshop is also helping out with abike recycling scheme – not allbike shops are fans of suchsecondhand bike schemes.

Unlike other Bike It officers,who are funded by Sustransand a variety of trusts andsome Government money, JillMcDonald is funded wholly byBike Hub.

Her position entails workingclosely with schools, but she’salso a vocal PR voice for cyclingin the local press.

She rolls out innovative andpress-friendly schemes. InJanuary she organised ‘BrightenUp Yourself’ day withBrooklands Primary School ofDundonald, Belfast. Twohundred and thirty childrentravelled to school as brightly asthey could to highlight theimportance of wearing brightcolours whilst walking or cyclingto school in the winter months.

At the same school, McDonaldhas also created a three-monthreward scheme. Children whowalk or cycle to school get givena raffle ticket. At the end of thethree months the raffle ticketswill go into a hat and prizewinners will go on to get goodiesdonated by local bike shops.

McDonald also does schoolassemblies, runs postercompetitions, letter writingcampaigns and has created an ‘ILove My Bike Day’ at eachschool she works with, teamingup with bike shops to deliverthe technical aspects.

Pupils are encouraged tolook after their bikes, beingshown how to wash and lubethem properly. With the help ofbike shops, children areencouraged to join a schoolBike Crew, driving home thepro-cycling message.

“It’s essential to get thesupport of local bike shops,”says McDonald. “The

commercial benefits aren’tdirect or overt, but thosedealers who get it, can see thebigger picture. It’s great to seethe bike shop staff reallygetting stuck in. The kidsappreciate it too.”

For McDonald’s ‘I Love MyBike Days’, BikeDock has loanedtwo staff members, a mechanicand a try-out supervisor. “Thisadds a lot to my games andbike wash,” says McDonald.

Three thousand, threehundred children have so farbeen involved in Bike Itactivities in Belfast. And that’sjust in a single school term.With more bike shop support,Bike It in Belfast could have ahuge impact on the levels ofyouth cycling in the city.

The same is true in yourarea. Do you know who yourlocal Bike It officer is? Get intouch! (In Scotland, Bike It isknown as ‘I Bike.’)www.sustrans.org.uk/bikeit

BIKE IT


“It’s essential toget the support oflocal bike shops.The commercialbenefits aren’tdirect or overt,but those dealerswho get it can seethe biggerpicture.”

Jill McDonald, Bike It

The levy-supported Bike It scheme is funding Jill McDonald to get moreBelfast children on bicycles. She tells Carlton Reid that local bike shops arepulling their weight...

Bike Hub’sBelfast boost

RISE OF THE SPORTIF

Sportivescould gomainstream


PAUL VINCENT, tech editor onCycling Plus and BikeRadar.com,says: “Specialized virtuallyinvented the Sportive bike withthe Roubaix range.” TheSpecialized Roubaix is noted forbeing a perfect bike for ‘sportif’riders: cyclists who want to dolong challenge rides, but wantcomfort, too. They sport slackerangles than pro bikes, with a bitmore padding in the maincontact areas.

Capitalising on thisspecialisation on sportives, itmakes sound commercial sensefor Specialized to sponsor itsown event. The SpecializedSilverstone Sportive is to takeplace at the Porsche ExperienceCentre, Silverstone,Northamptonshire on July 4th.

Specialized MD RichardHemington says: “Sportives areincreasingly popular and wewanted to give riders a greatlandmark for a new endurancechallenge.”

But what are sportives?Some are rebadged existingrides, often with a charityelement. The earliest – and stillthe quickest to sell out – is theFred Whitton Challenge in theLake District. Started in 1999 itis still the most challenging ofthe nation’s sportives, costing£40 to enter. Sportives such asthe Etape Caledonia cost £56.

This event made mainstreamnews last year when it sufferedfrom tack attacks. It’s on closedroads, hence the steep fee.

The features of a sportivenow include a signposted route,

often with GPX files fordownloading to navigationdevices; feedstations; broomwaggon and other tech support;timing chips; and, of course, achallenging route – usually hilly– in a scenic location.

Some have more tradesupport than others. The FredWhitton used to be sponsoredby Biketreks of Ambleside and isnow supported by Saddleback,distributor of Felt bicycles, Zippwheels, SRAM and Castelliclothing. The Northern RockCyclone in Northumberland isorganised by Peter‘Shimanoman’ Harrison, ownerof Cyclelogical Cycles.

TRADE VALUEAlso known as Gran Fondos onthe continent (and now in theUS, too), cycle sportives areostensibly group challenge rides,but a lead group is often out to‘win’ the event. Winning theEtape du Tour of the Tour deFrance gains an amateur rider a year’s worth of braggingrights (and possibly even a life-time’s worth).

Sportive riders often getvirtual – or sometimes real –medals for fast times, but notevery rider is interested inspeed. Maurice Burton, Britain’sfirst black cycling champion(1973) and owner of De VerCycles of London, comments:“The guys in the shop thought Iwas mad ordering compactchainsets, instead of 53/39. Butthere are more sportive ridersthan racers.”

This is a view echoed byMartin Harrison of holidaycompany Trail Break. He ishelping to organise the GreatWestern Sportive in Swindon onJune 20th. He believes that,handled correctly, sportives coulddo wonders for the bike trade.

“The Great Western Sportiveis one of the headline events ofa full weekend called the GreatSwindon Bike Ride, which weare organising with supportfrom the Nationwide BuildingSociety and Swindon BoroughCouncil. It’s a new project and avery conscious direction for us,not to move away from thetraditional enthusiast markets incycling, but to bring themtogether with grass roots andcommunity cycling.

“We have long thought that,however strong cycling isbecoming, it is still far toofragmented. Road biking,mountain biking, family andleisure cycling, touring and BMXstill very much pigeon-holethemselves away into their ownstructures and considerthemselves quite separate fromother cycling disciplines.

“While the sportive markethas undoubtedly boomed andcreated a huge new activity incycling, we’re spotting somedisturbing trends in the format.It’s being claimed andcontrolled by enthusiasts whowant to see it grow, but in away that suits themselves andas such, are unwittingly limitingits potential. Too many sportiveshave concentrated on appearing

bigger, harder and more race-like year-on-year, to appeal tothe tastes of those who stagethem, and to grab the easy andidentifiable market.

“In the process, they riskmoving their appeal out ofreach of the grass roots leisuremarket and, we believe, missingout on a boom that could dwarfwhat is happening at themoment. The parallel we draw iswith marathon running in the‘80s and ‘90s. Prior to thisperiod, running a marathon wasa byword for a superhumanactivity, out of reach of meremortals. With the launch of theLondon Marathon and therunning craze that followed, amarathon become aninspirational but achievable goalfor anyone who wanted to putin the training, whether theyhad run before or not.

“Sportives are the best shotthat cycling has had in givingitself an equivalent appeal sincethe MTB boom of the ‘90s failedto keep going. We think there isa great risk of sportives settlinginto an elitist form and thecycle industry will find itselflooking back on a big missedopportunity. The challengesportives face is to present thatmuch more accessible appealwithout losing their ‘bigchallenge’ inspirational value.”

Cyclo-sportives are the in-thing, selling out in seconds. No longer just forthe hard-core, they’re reaching out to the masses. Carlton Reid askswhether sportives could do for cycling what marathons did for jogging?

“Sportives arethe best shot

that cycling hashad in giving

itself amarathon-like

appeal since theMTB boom of the

‘90s failed tokeep going.”

Martin Harrison,Trail Break


ABC FEATURE

Who said print was dead? According to the cycle trade it’s alive, well and prosperous. Mark Suttonlooks at the various avenues publishers are exploring in a new age of media...

Hold the front page…

LAUNCHED in January 2009,Fastlane is fast becoming oneof the race scene’s premieremagazines. With backing fromathletes like Shanaze Reade andhaving the Olympics justaround the corner, Fastlane hasset the trajectory for growth ona steep path.

David Lane, editor ofFastlane, tells BikeBiz: “In 2010 Iplan to bring in newdistribution to boost ourreadership through Europe andthe rest of the world, all whilekeeping a strong hold on ourUK presence. We have alsolaunched a team to representus in the UK and Europe whenwe attend race events. I’m

going to be genuine here – wesell a bit over 2,000 copies anissue. Although saying that, alot of new readers buy allissues to date in one hit,bumping up back edition sales.”

With long-term plans to seethe magazine in WHSmith,Asda and the like, Lane’s

main focus is print expansion,although online will not be neglected.

“The internet is of courseanother area the magazine ismarketed very successfully in. Itpops up on page one of Googleunder BMX magazine. Ourteam plans to bring lots ofexciting stuff to the website.”

Lane concludes: “Our readerslove what we do. The riderspicking up the mag range fromkids to grown ups. I neverimagined as a child that themagazines I would spend mydays with my head in, I wouldthen go on to make. To behonest if it all stoppedtomorrow it wouldn’t matter; I have achieved something I’m very proud of. And so Ishould be.”

THE HIGHLIGHT for FactoryMedia over the last year hasbeen watching Mpora.com growinto an absolute Goliath of awebsite. It’s Europe’s largestaction sports website, attracting3.8 million monthly users. TheMPORA network includesmagazine brand news andfeature platforms for Dirt,RideUK BMX and Dig.

MPORA, in conjunction withDirt’s coverage of the 2009

Downhill and 4X World Cup, seta new high for up-to-dateonline event reporting withdaily highlight videos thatreached 60,000 views. Buildingon this success, MPORA and Dirtbroke new ground in 2010 withthe introduction of a free, six-part World Cup retrospective,entitled ‘Finally’ – that went livein January.

MPORA will continue to growin 2010, with new functionality

geared around community, amove into mobile with itsinnovative iPhone App, andfurther expansion into France and Germany withdedicated resources to coverthese territories.

With 2,000 new memberssigning up each month, andtraffic growing threefold overthe previous year, the networkhas become a key source foraction sports news.

In print, Factory’s bi-monthlyBicycle Buyer has grown itscirculation 45 per cent since itsautumn launch and expects thisto increase. Also, 2010 will see itacquire full listings at WHSmith,Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

According to Factory, in2009, Dirt Mountainbike was theonly UK mountainbikemagazine to increasecirculation, with sales up fiveper cent year-on-year.

Fastlane

Factory Media

FOR A MAGAZINE that hasbeen built on the back of ahugely popular mountain bikewebsite, it was a shock for theSingletrack team to start theyear without one at all.

Singletrack publisher MarkAlker tells BikeBiz: “Havingrapidly built and published a newwebsite in the space of a fewweeks, it’s been a huge pleasurewatching its monthly site trafficnot just rebuild itself fromscratch, but exceed all previous records.

“This January we doubled ourwebsite traffic of December2008. Singletrackworld.com nowreaches 300,000 mountain bikersmonthly and delivers sevenmillion pages, making it one ofthe most popular mountain bikewebsites in the world.”

Singletrack

ABC FEATURE


VELO VISION now sells 2,500copies for an estimated 5,000-plus readership, across 47countries. It also attractsadvertising from manufacturers,distributors and dealers as farafield as Australia, the USA andfrom many European countries.An extra 500 subscribers accessthe magazine via the full digitaledition, which is now accessibleon the go via the likes ofiPhones and iPads.

During 2009, the publisheralso managed to knock out abicycle buyer’s guide viaSnowBooks of London. ThePractical Bike Buyer’s Guideprovides beginner-friendlybuying advice across all utility

cycling genres from urbancommuting to folding bikes, tospecial needs cycling.

In a move that drew interestfrom all over the industry, VeloVision baggedworld first reviewsof both the highlyanticipated GoCycleand Taga’sbike/child stroller.

In partnershipwith Germany’sSpezi show, VeloVision now hasdistribution to theshow’s crowds, whichtotal over 10,000visitors from allacross Europe.

The publisher alsoruns a coach trip tothe show, taking

readers there in a ‘rock band’tour bus driven by one of itssubscribers. Sadly though, the2010 trip to the show isalready fully booked.

This year Rouleur has gone bi-monthly for the first time in itshistory, with a larger issueplanned around the Giro andTour de France. The publisherhas also introduced a standardfour-issue subscription chargeworldwide, so no longer doreaders have to pay postageand packaging surcharges. Thisis particularly beneficial to themagazine’s large following inthe USA and Japan.

Editor Guy Andrews tellsBikeBiz: “Subscriptions aredefinitely our future, especiallyas we are a global publicationand we are investing a lot oftime and effort into developingthe infrastructure behind this.It’s a tough job when you are asmall publisher, but thesubscription base is growingvery rapidly and we have tokeep up. This growth hasmeant that we could switch to a new distribution supplier andpotentially toa better price too.”

Retailstockists arefairly select,with thosewho supportthe magfinanciallybeing themainstockists, aswell as aselect few

who continually expressinterest over the years.An additional two books are

due to be launched from thepublisher this year, as well asthe annual photographyedition. The first of the twotitles is a biographical account by Michael Barry,called Le Métier – the namethat professionals give to their trade.

Andrews explains that thesecond book has taken years tocome to fruition, but issomething that he feels is amust see. “We’re publishing aphotography book by TimmKolln called Le Peloton. It is acollection of some of hisportraits that have taken fiveyears to assemble. It is adocumentary on a generationof riders, from classicspecialists to Tour winners.”

Andres concludes: “It’s anexceptional body of work andwill feature interviews with theriders too.”

Rouleur magazine

The popularity of the webdoesn’t mean that Singletrack isabout to cut its print effortsthough. Alker adds: “The newdigital publishing revolution istaking shape, but instead ofditching paper for web pages,we are combining the best ofboth worlds. Subscribers cannow access pages of extrafeatures from audio and videoclips to galleries and extendedarticles, to enhance the contentof each issue. Our mag archivealso gives subscribers access toour entire back catalogue ofissues. It seems to be working –since the launch of our premiersubscriptions in November2009, our numbers haveincreased by 20 per cent.”

Singletrack now has adistribution that includes

WHSmith, Sainsbury’s andTesco and is available in over3,500 outlets in the UK. “OurPremier Club scheme isencouraging more readers tospend their cash at our biketrade stockists by offering themexclusive discounts and dealsaccessed by their SingletrackPremier Club Card (yes, we canthank Tesco for that brainchild).

“Our first iPhone App is dueout in the next month and thenew iPad has caught ourattention too. Our readers stillappreciate the quality of print,but they don’t want to berestricted by it. Electronicdelivery of our traditionalmagazine content throughvideo, audio, web and mobilephone is a potentially huge areafor continued growth.”

HAVING held its circulationsteady across its cyclingportfolio, despite ageneral downturn inthe publishingworld, Future’scycling magazinesare in a strongposition to grow,especially withbacking fromBikeRadar.com and aventure into events.

Publishing director,Pete Stothard tellsBikeBiz: “Future is anentrepreneurial business,so where we identify viableopportunities, we will go forthem. This could be with newprint propositions such as ourRide to Work bookazines aimedat the commuting market,events like BikeRadar Live, demodays, online initiatives, videodevelopments and mobile apps.In terms of plans anddevelopments, we’recommitted to an ongoingprogramme of investment inproducts and marketing. Inprint we have already addedour dedicated 37-page Buyer’sGuide to What Mountain Bike,and will soon be introducing acomplete road cycling buyer’sguide with Cycling Plus. We’realso redesigning Procycling,which launches in April.”

Interestingly, the ABC figuressuggest road cycling titles aregrowing in popularity, withFuture’s Cycling Plus clocking a15.8 per cent increase in net

circulation year-on-year. Stothardattributed the growth to acouple of factors, one being therecruitment drive, which hasgiven the portfolio far moreresource worldwide. “Oursuccess is underpinned by ourconstant product reviewprocess, and our global 24/7editorial team, hence ourrecent internationalappointments. The internet hasbroken down traditionalbarriers, so we have respondedto this by creating a distributedteam all contributing to ourwebsites to create constantlyrelevant and fresh content.”

BikeRadar Live has furtherbolstered the way the tradeviews Future’s presence anddedication to the cycle market.

Of the event, Stothard says:“We’re continuing to invest inthe show. It gives us a fantasticopportunity to meet our readers,as well as allowing them to

engagedirectly withour brandsand fellowenthusiasts.We’d like tosee it growconsiderably,but alwaysmaintainingthat festivalfeel, withsomething to

do for every type ofrider. In five years’time, perhaps we’llhave versions all overthe world.”

The trade itself is akey resource forfeedback on Future’s

portfolio and following BikeRadarLive, Stothard took on boardsome suggestions. “We listenedto what both the trade andconsumers said and as a result ofsome changes, the show willnow be bigger and better. Wehave an extensive marketingcampaign and working withorganisations like the BritishHeart Foundation will ensure wereach a broader audience. Thesevisitors come to BikeRadar Liveexpecting to be able to test bikesand equipment, and to buy topproducts. The event is a realopportunity for the trade toengage directly with consumersin an environment that excitespeople about cycling. We’llsupport those working with us atBikeRadar Live with promotionsin our magazine portfolio andonline for months around theevent, giving unrivalled supportto our partners.”

Velo Vision

Future Publishing


ABC FEATURE

TOWARD the end of 2009 IPClaunched Cycling Active, placing40,000 copies (unaudited) onUK newsstands. Starting out asa bi-monthly title, CyclingActive quickly picked up salesand is now a monthly.

Cycling Active caters for allcyclists, from completebeginner to expert, with aninformative and entertainingcontent mix of bike and techreviews, health and fitnessadvice, how-to guides, routesto ride and what’s on info.

The publisher also has beenhaving increasing success withits summer Tour magazine.Available only during June, thistitle is Cycling Weekly’s hugely

popular unofficial andindependent guide to theworld’s biggest bike race – theTour de France. Now in itseighth year, Tour magazineprovides readers with a greatvalue package of Tour DeFrance info, history, starinterviews, stats, facts andfigures about the most eagerlyanticipated event of the year.

Flagship title Cycling Weeklyrecorded a positive outcome inthe ABC figures, clocking arise in net circulation of 6.7per cent. Released everyThursday, the title is thelongest running cycling titlein the UK, now selling over1.5 million copies perannum, which equates toaround 4,100 copies sold per day.

Like every other auditedmountain bike title, IPC’sMountain Bike Rider held itscirculation fairly steady,recording only a four per centfall, which is far fromsignificant given the economicconditions. Now published 13times a year, the mag istargeted at the older off-roadcyclist, containing mainly rideguides, workshop advice andproduct tests.

IPC L

LONDON CYCLIST is themembers’ magazine of theLondon Cycling Campaign – thecharity that fights for cyclists’interests in the capital. It has acirculation of 12,000 and hasundergone substantial changesover the past 12 months, withmajor improvements to design,organisation, content andprinting. It is also expanding insize due to increased interestfrom advertisers.

Content is a lively mix ofcampaign and local groupnews, London interest andtravel features, along withproduct and culture reviews.

Recent campaign featureshave included strong analysis ofcycling issues in GreaterLondon such as road safety,HGVs, theft, the cycle hirescheme, Superhighways, andlocal and national elections.

Under the guidance offormer Mountain Bike Rider(MBR) magazine editor JohnKitchiner, the product pages

have been expandedand feature in-depth grouptests of bikes, accessories andclothing. There are alsointerviews with prominentLondon cyclists andinformation about LCC eventsand community projects.

LCC will continue todevelop London Cyclistmagazine, alongside itscompanion website(www.lcc.org.uk), believing thatthe organisation is in a uniqueposition to offer cyclistscontent that is region-specificand addresses their needs ascyclists, not just as consumers.

LCC magazine

xx

CASE arrived in the summer of2009, aiming to create a freshand exciting BMX magazine forriders who have been in thegame for a while.

“That’s not to say that Caseisn’t for everyone, though,”editor Mike Netley informsBikeBiz. “To sum up theproduct, it’s a large format ofpaper, with nicely printed (andlarge) photographs, easy toread and nicely spaced text,along with interesting designsand articles. From theunknowns, to the up-and-comers, the professionals inthe spotlight and the veterans,it’s all covered.”

Case is quarterly, with issuetwo ready to drop in lateFebruary. The third edition ofthe magazine is set to arrive inJune with the fourth showingup in late September. Case

readers can expect tosee coverage fromaround the globe,from deep in thewoods, to thecompetitions, localjams anduncharteredscenes around the world.

Case is UK-based, withambitions toreach intoEurope and theUSA in largernumbers in thecomingmonths. Netley says

that ad revenue is vital for thetitle: “Case is free of charge,which means it is heavilyreliant on advertising. I hopefor the magazine to stay this way for as long ashumanly possibly.

“To be honest, I believe thatthere would be no future forCase if it had a cover price.That’s not to say the currentmagazines on the market aredoing it wrong by charging,because they’re not. They areall great and do what they dovery well – I’m just tryingsomething new.”

Netley adds: “I really didn’twant to help flood the BMXmarket by offering just anotheralternative BMX publication. Inmy view, Case is different.”

Potential Case stockistsshould contact Profile RacingEurope of 4Down Distributionto get store copies.

Case

Market overview according to the ABC

Market sector name Ranking December 2009 average net circulation/distribution per issue

Sports: Cycle Sports – Mountain Bike 63 106,914 Sports: Cycle Sports – Cycling 76 69,813

Total average net circulation/distribution by title within cycling

Title and publisher December 2009

Cycle Sports, Cycling 69,813

Cycling Plus, Future Publishing 40,784

Cycling Weekly, IPC Media 29,029

220 Triathlon, Origin Publishing Average net circulation 21,210

(11,988 subscribers)

Total average net circulation/distribution by title within mountain

Title and publisher December 2009

Cycle Sports, Mountain Biking 106,914

Mountain Biking UK, Future Publishing 41,772

Mountain Bike Rider, IPC Media 32,424

What Mountain Bike, Future Publishing 16,847

Cycle Sport, IPC Media 15,871

ABC: statistic breakdownIn terms of circulation, the MTB magazine market suffered ais still in excess of 100k for the four ABC’d titles. Road cycling,

ABC FEATURE


xx

NOW in its 125th year ofpublication, the CTC’smagazine is today sent out to46,000 members six timesannually. Dubbed Cycle, themagazine has receivednumerous awards and iscurrently the highestcirculation specialist cycling title.

Technically informativewith a fun slant, Cycle isconsistently rated as one ofthe most important benefitsfor new members and thesecond most importantreason (after CTC’scampaigning work) formembers to renew theirmemberships.

Having undergone arebranding and redesign in2005, the magazine hasexpanded its editorial contentto include surveys. One suchpiece of editorial researchfound that of the magazine’saudience, CTC members own36,661 touring, 33,656

commuting, 27,045 mountain,20,454 performance road and15,025 hybrid bikes.

Combined with the CTC’swebsite and weekly e-newsletter, ‘Newsnet’, the

magazine delivers a uniquecommunications strategy whichadds value to membership andprovides a vibrant and engagingshop window to CTC for new recruits.

CTC magazine

AFTER launching this time lastyear, Triathlete’s World claims tobe snapping at the heels of themarket leader [Origin Publishing’s220 Triathlon] and even outsellingit on the newsstand.

Editor Alison Hamlett tellsBikeBiz: “In the long term, ourgoal is for Triathlete’s World tobecome the number onetriathlon magazine. We areconfident we can build on thesuccess of our first year bygrowing our subscriptions baseand boosting newsstand sales in 2010.

“We’re also encouraged bythe positive feedback we’vereceived from those within thetriathlon community. Bytargeting new triathletes andimprovers, we feel we’regenuinely growing the market,”Hamlett concludes.

THE RIDE JOURNAL hascontinued to grow itsreadership, with each issue todate selling out.

Editor Philip Diprose tellsBikeBiz: “If we had plans for

world domination this wouldbe the time to keep reprinting, but we’re happy to keep it manageable andslightly exclusive.

“Our distribution network iscontinuing to grow at a perfectspeed, with shops and smalldistribution companies from

across the globe getting intouch with us.

“As always, we are nothingwithout our contributors andthankfully we are still finding,and being offered, fascinatingstories that cover subjects not usually found in cycling magazines.”

Issue four is currently in theworks. Diprose adds: “It lookslike number four will be thebest Journal yet, but when itisn’t our best issue it will betime to stop. Issue four will alsobe bigger than previous issues.”

All profits generated fromThe Ride Journal go to charityand with the increasinginterest in the Journal, eachissue to date has raised morethan the prior copy.

The Ride Journal

December 2008 average net % Changecirculation/distribution per issue

114,325 -6.5% 62,435 11.8%

December 2008 % Change

62,435 + 11.8%

35,223 + 15.8%

27,212 + 6.7%

biking

December 2008 % Change

114,325 -6.5%

45,983 -9.2%

33,918 -4.4%

17,351 -2.9%

17,073 -7.0%

LAUNCHED to plenty of praisefrom the bike trade in August2009, IMB magazine is a free-to-read bi-monthly online MTBmagazine that uses Flash ‘pageflip’ technology integrated withvideo and audio on the pages.The tech achieves a ‘magazinefeel’ in an online environment.It is produced by NextElement, which has over fouryears’ publishing experience inthe field of online publishing.

Launched in August 2009,the magazine has quicklyestablished itself as one of thepublications to watch out for inthe future. The content is aimedat all riders and there is no biastowards a particular style ofriding. Instead, the journalism isbroadly spread and themagazine aims to engage ridersof all levels. The most popularfeature is the technique section.Headed up by Richard Kelly, itincludes in-depth videos,photos and text to help ridersprogress and improve.

IMB also tests bikes andcomponents, featuring fullvideo tests of all the bikes itreceives. The rest of thecontent is made up ofinterviews and features from

within the sport and aroundthe world.

Being an online magazine,the business model is a littledifferent to traditional printmedia. The firm allows readersto access the magazine withjust one click, with no need topay, subscribe or give an emailaddress. IMB magazine reliessolely on advertising revenuerather than charging a coverprice. This ensures a maximumnumber of readers and hits forthe advertisers.

IMB has gained over 22,000readers per issue in just sixmonths. The goal for the nextyear is to get that figure over60,000 and beyond. With animpressive marketing campaign,utilising the team’s socialnetwork expertise, and of coursea budget, the team is confidentit will achieve that goal.

IMB web magazine

Triathlete’s World

slight drop. Nevertheless, circulationmeanwhile, gained impressively...

� ZYRO BikeBiz Award winnerZyro has recruited a trio of newstaff members, ROBIN PUPLETT,IAN PHILLIPS and MIKEHARPER.

Joining as Altura brandmarketing manager, Puplett hasfive years’ retail experience insales, mechanics and marketingand created the corporateidentity, bike and clothing designsfor the London-based Questbrand. Puplett also worked asEuropean marketing coordinatorfor the Analog Street wear brand,Gravis Footwear and mostrecently was retail marketingmanager for Burton Snowboards.

A keen cyclist, Puplett hasridden bikes including BMX,mountain, road, track and crossand raced full time for four yearsin UK and on the continent. Hesaid: “My primary aim withinZyro is to develop an all-encompassing marketingstrategy to take the Altura brandto the next level. Altura alreadydesigns and manufacturesinnovative product, and has aproud pedigree of deliveringpremium service and now it’stime to develop and build itsbrand awareness further.”

Ian Phillips has become brandmanager for incoming brandDahon, with over ten years’specialist industry experiencecovering High Street and onlineretail, brand management import

and distribution. He said: “I amundertaking the re-launch ofDahon in the UK by rebuildingretailer and consumer confidencein the brand.

“It’s my objective tosuccessfully manage the growthof the brand as consumers reallybegin to understand the benefits

of owning a bicycle that folds,and not just another folder.

“I am relishing this excitingnew challenge within such areally fast moving, forwardthinking company.”

Finally at Zyro, new juniorbrand manager Mike Harperpreviously worked in geology fora multi-national consultancy.However, 20 years of road,mountain biking and worldwidecycle touring as well asSaturdays helping out in local

bike shops have equipped himwith a sound knowledge of allthings biking.

“My aim at Zyro is to establishmyself as a successful brandmanager and continue toimprove upon Zyro’s alreadyexcellent reputation within thecycle industry.

“I’m excited to now be part ofsuch a successful, forwardthinking and award winningcompany.”

� IPC MATTHEW HAMPTONhas been appointed as the neweditor of Mountain Bike Rider(MBR), with effect from mid-February. A journalist with morethan ten years’ experience,Matthew started his career withthe Daily Mail Group and spentthe past two years freelancingfor a broad range of media,including news and featurewriting for mainstream consumermagazines, national newspapers,websites and the trade press.Regular outlets included TimeOut and The Sun.

He has also written for theDaily Mail, The Daily Express,Metro, The Observer, The DallasMorning News and TheWashington Post. Prior tofreelancing, Hampton wasfeatures and supplements editorfor three years at Travel Weekly,published by RBI, and he is also akeen and committed mountain

biking enthusiast. Keith Foster,publishing director of IPC’scycling titles, said: “I’m delightedthat Matthew has agreed to joinus and look forward to workingwith him to drive MBR on toeven greater success.”

Matthew added: “This is agreat opportunity for me and I’mthrilled to be joining MBR andIPC at such a busy time. We’vealready talked through someexciting ideas and I’m justlooking forward to getting towork and out on the trail withthe best team in the mountainbike business.”

� CYCLING SPORTS GROUPUK The newly formed firm hasrecruited two new faces to boostits UK presence: JEFF LOADERand ALASTAIR GRAHAM. Loaderjoins as B2B coordinator and hisfirst task has been to launchCannondale bikes on the existingCSG B2B site, which beganrunning from midway throughlast month. ‘Jethro’ rides alldisciplines of mountain biking aswell as a little trials and even aunicycle. His last role was in theIT industry.

Alastair Graham has joinedCSG’s accounts department asaccounts assistant. Grahammoved back to Poole fromLondon for the CSG job and usedto shop at the old Hot Wheelsshop in his younger days when a

keen roller skater and rollerhockey player.

� MOORE LARGEThe distributor has three newstaff announcements forLAUREN SMITH, TOM LITTLEand JEANETTE SUTER.

Smith joins Moore Large in therole of brand manager for theBarracuda, Freespirit and Bumperbrands in a newly created role.

The firm tells BikeBiz that theposition was created to facilitatethe long-term growth of itshouse bicycle brands,strengthening their image,awareness and profitability.

Smith’s role encompasses allareas of product development,sales and marketing. Lauren’sprevious position, held for twoyears was cycle coach for CycleDerby, where her main focus wasto get more kids cycling toschool, more often. Lauren hasalso been racing BMX for 14years, competing at national andworld level, whilst managingDerby BMX club on a voluntarybasis. Smith can be contacted on07971 991644 [email protected]

Little, meanwhile, joins ascycle area sales manager, workingthroughout the Midlands, wherehe will be responsible for thesales of cycles to IBDs. Little isfrom a family of road and trackcyclists and started road racing

Trio of new recruits for distributors � New editor for MBR � CSG ups UK staff � Mark Brown leaves the ACT

Three is magic number for distributors


PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT

Send your recruitment news [email protected]

Ian Phillips Robin Puplett Jeff LoaderMike Harper

“This is a greatopportunity for

me and I’mthrilled to be

joining MBR andIPC media at such

a busy time.”Matthew Hampton,

MBR

aged 14 and is still a keen cyclist,currently racing 2nd category forLutterworth Cycle Centre. Hestarted work in the leisureindustry ten years ago, aftergaining a degree in LeisureManagement. He then moved toNext where he was the 2003winner of its Exceptional ServiceAward, judged out of all Nextstaff nationwide. Between Nextand his new role he held twosales positions, one of which wasin the leisure industry.

Little can be contacted on07971 991639 [email protected].

Finally, after two decades withMoore Large Jeanette Suter hasbecome cycle sales manager.

Suter’s previous roles haveseen her work in the customerservices department, and later in

the telesales team. Her hardwork led to promotion astelesales team leader from whichshe received a further promotionto sales office manager. Suter’snew role sees her take onresponsibility for managing allcycle sales business through IBDsand co-ordinating of internal andfield-based cycle sales teams.

Suter can be contacted on01332 274221/07971 549184 [email protected]

� ACT/ACTSMART Theorganisation has been at thecentre of a flurry of activity, withMARK BROWN leaving the ACTafter six years of service and theappointment of four new staff:JONATHAN HARRISON, TONYJONES, KATIE REED andDONNA NORMAN.

PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT


We go the extra mile

Sales Manager – BikehutNationwide £competitiveAs a business, Halfords is continuing to grow...having been the leading provider of travel and leisure solutions for the past 100 years, we know that our business is only as good as the people within it.

To continue to build our platform for growth, we have now created new opportunities by redefining our store managementstructures to enable us to maintain and exceed the customer experience we are famous for…

As a Halfords Sales Manager, you are fundamental to the success of your store. You will have a specific accountability fordriving sales, leading your team and will assume overall responsibility for the store on a regular basis.

Our Sales Managers are energetic, positive, customer-focused, sales driven and passionate about what they do. Theyhave the ability to lead and inspire their team to deliver great customer service.

If you are as excited about the future as we are, join us by visiting; www.halfordscareers.com

We are an equal opportunities employer.

People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords

Al Graham Mark Brown

RETAIL ONLY

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUEDEALER PROFILE 53Cyclelife retailer Skinnergate Cycles talks to BikeBiz aboutachieving 60 per cent growth in two years...

FOLDING BIKES 55For urban retailers, the folding bike is an essential stockitem. BikeBiz documents some of the latest on offer...

ELECTRIC BIKES 61Predicted to be one of the markets to take off in the UK thisyear, can you afford to neglect having e-bikes in stock?

RETAILCOMMENT

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

CALL ME old fashioned, but what’s with all these ‘futuristic’concept bikes that keep appearing all over the web? I can’tgrasp, in an age where we’re striving to make the bicycle amainstream transport choice, why there’s a need to maketwo wheels and a frame any more complicated or, worst ofall, plain bizarre.

Many are never intended for production, though a fewwacky ideas have slipped through the net. I may well endup eating my words here, but will hubless bikes ever reallywork? If a bike were to be driven by a mechanism on therim, how would it be sealed against dust and road grime?There’s no dodging the fact that the traditional bicycle isprone to wear and tear, perhaps even more so in thequagmire that is the UK. I feel the trade should be focusingon improving the quality of budget bikes, as opposed todesigning bikes reminiscent of spacecraft from The Jetsons.

Progression is fantastic, provided it actually isprogression. Who would dare define an advance in today’sworld though? The weight issue, for me, has reached and in

many instances surpassed its peak. There comes a pointwhere you have to draw a line and conclude that the onlyway to make a bike go faster or air higher, is to have therider work harder on their technique. A gram shaved hereand there is generally negligible in a bike’s overallperformance, no matter how much the manufacturers tryto convince otherwise.

So, where is progression needed for cycling to be takenseriously by the masses? In terms of design, bikes need tobe aesthetically pleasing, but to prevent a return they mustalso be robust, even at the very bottom of the range.

Supermarkets are the industry’s biggest rival here. Whileintroducing many to cycling, I’ve heard rumours of 80 percent return rates on some cheaply sold models. That doesirreparable damage to the future of pedal power in thiscountry, with many associating their shortlived andnegative experiences with cycling in general.

What can retail do about this then? The answer has tolie in quality stock and upselling the advantages ofinvesting a little more in a bike purchase to ensurelongevity. Your service, of course, has to be a direct parallelto that offered in supermarkets. Go the extra mile, offer aservice after a few weeks and follow up on purchases toensure all is well.

As for concept bikes, it would be nice just to see somethingtraditional with a modern twist. Is that so much to ask?

[email protected]

“I’ve heard rumours of 80 per cent returnrates on some supermarket bikes. Thesedo irreparable and unnecessary damageto the future of pedal power...”

How’s business generally atthe moment? We had a very good summer lastyear, but we were disappointedwhen things came to a grindinghalt during the bad weather. Weare back on track again now.

How many employees does theshop have? We’ve got four full-time and fourpart-time staff at the store.

Does the store specialise in acertain sector? No. We have around over 170bikes on display and that allowsus to cover most sectors.

You took on the Skinnergatename – what was behind thatand how has it been? Skinnergate has been a well-established name on Teesside forover 30 years and was actuallyone of the original Raleigh ‘FiveStar Dealers’.

The reputation and customerloyalty in the area gave me solidfoundations to build upon even

though we were opening in anew location.

And did the previouscustomers come with you tothe new store? Yes – from day one they came tothe new shop. Some actuallyheld off buying until we opened.

How long has the shop been apart of Cyclelife? We opened under the Cyclelifebanner in March 2008.

What was behind the decisionto jump into the Cyclelifefranchise?Having access to largeadvertising campaigns and awide product range.

Do you get involved in localevents or initiatives? We will always try to supportlocal initiatives run by LocalAuthorities and Sustrans.

How much of the businessrevolves around the workshop?

The workshop probably accountsfor 25 per cent of our business.

What sector do you tip forsuccess in 2010? I think this year is going to begood for road bikes.

What forms of marketing doyou use to entice customers? In the past year we have done alot of radio advertising and somelocal press adverts in addition tothe Cyclelife national campaigns.

And what are your short andlong-term ambitions? Since taking over the businesstwo years ago we have grownalmost 60 per cent – which hascreated some growing pains.

In the short term we need tofinish off some of the changeswe’ve been making to the shoplayout and also to thepresentation of stock and thewebsite. For the long-term wemay possibly look at acquiringanother similar business whichwe can go on to build up.

Skinnergate Cycles

Telephone: 01642 606520Web: www.skinnergate.co.uk Owner: Grant MacIver

Address: Brunswick Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1DUOpening times: Monday to Saturday 9.00 to 5.30, Sunday10.00 to 4.00pm

Proudly bearing a name that has been in the business for over three decades,Skinnergate Cycles’ owner Grant MacIver tells Jonathon Harker how customerloyalty and being part of Cyclelife has affected business…

“Since taking overthe business twoyears ago we havegrown almost 60per cent – whichhas created somegrowing pains.”

Grant MacIver,Skinnergate Cycles

IBD PROFILE


What’s in a name?Skinnergate Cycles ownerGrant MacIver started out inthe bicycle retail business asa Saturday lad atSkinnergate in Bridge Road,Stockton. Working therewhile at school and collegefor four years, MacIverbenefited from tuition fromproprietor Tim Stephenson.

Despite leaving the tradefor a short spell afterfinishing college, MacIverremained passionate aboutcycling – participating in theCoast-to-Coast charity bikeride with a group of friends.One of his responsibilitieswas to purchase kit for thecharity ride and, fortuitously,MacIver headed toSkinnergate Cycles toacquire those spares.

While at the shopMacIver’s old boss TimStephenson revealed that hewas looking to retire andmove abroad. MacIvergrabbed the opportunity tocreate a business of his ownand, after numerousdiscussions, it was agreedthat on Stephenson’sretirement Grant wouldopen his store in Stockton-on-Tees and take onSkinnergate Cycles as part ofhis store name.

Under the skin

2X2 Worldwide2X2 WORLDWIDE is to handleMontague’s distribution with stockbecoming available from early spring.

No tools are required to fold andunfold Montague bicycles. Customeerssimply remove the front wheel and unlockone frame for quick release. This can bedone in a matter of seconds, allowing thebike to be stored with ease in your carboot, closet, or anywhere else.

As well as beingthe official mountainbike of the summerOlympic Games inAtlanta, the foldingspecialist has workedwith none other thanthe US Marines onfurther developingproduct. In short, the bikes and thefolding (FIT) systemare proven.

With four 700cmodels, including asingle speed (withflip flop hub),

commute models and a top-end Tiagraspecified model, the urban customer isfully catered for.

The brand also offers the four 26-inchSwissBike models, which top out with anXO specified folding hardtail.

Any prospective retailer who would likefurther information should [email protected] or contact thesales office directly.2x2 Worldwide: 01827 331099

Urban retailers will no doubt have little choice but to carry a folding bike ortwo. With that in mind, Mark Sutton documents what’s available to the UK’sshops and from which distributors…iFold

ZyroSELLING over half a million folding bikeseach year, Dahon is the global leader infolding bicycles. It was founded in 1982,to provide and convince people to useeco-friendly, sustainable transport. In2010 Dahon takes its revolution to thenext stage with the Ios XL.

The disc-equipped bike made waveswithin the media due to its BioLogicReeCharge, which stores energy fromthe dynamo hub to power an iPhoneor iPod. Dahon has also introducedthe Boost – claimed to be the world’slightest and most compact electricbicycle. To top off therange’s diversity, the MµEX is Dahon’s no-

compromise speed machine, equippedwith select top-end components,meaning it weighs in at just 8.8kg.

Next up, the Boost is the hybrid ofthe range and, though an electricfolder, doesn’t weigh in on the scalesas expected. At just 19.6kg the bike isthe perfect solution for urban mobility.It folds to the same dimensions as 20-inch wheel folders and comesequipped with SRAM’s iMotion 3x3gearing system, allowing the user tochoose from nine different ridingmodes. What’s more, the sophisticated250W motor and torque sensors addpower in proportion to the force therider applies to the pedals.

For customers seeking a largerwheel sized bike, capable of tacklingsmooth singletrack, then the DahonCadenza XL is worth a mention.Equipped with Big Apple tyres andShimano Alfine rapidfire shifters linkedto an eight-speed internal gearhub, the

bike is capable of much more thanjust urban expeditions. The buildis stacked with additionalbenefits too, including aBioLogic PostPump.Zyro: 01845 521700

FOLDING BIKES


ExtraEXTRA has entered the folding arena withthe addition of the Jango catalogue fromTopeak. The Flik from Jango is designed toride like a full size bike, with the threecontact points – the grips, saddle andwheelbase – found in roughly the sameplace as those on a standard bike.

For those with a taste for off-road andthat need an all-round bicycle, Jangomakes a full-suspension model thatcomes with the brand’s own LSD designair sprung damper with 70mm travel.

Jangos go from fully rideable, to aconveniently carried ‘shuttle’ mode in just two seconds, while the build can be folded into ‘storage’ size in just four seconds.

The bikes come with a complete rangeof Jango and Topeak branded accessoriesto accompany and complete the designand look of the bicycles. All accessorieshave dedicated mounting points withinthe frame.

If you’re interested in taking stock, getin touch with Extra’s Chris Walker on01933 672170.

Moore LargeANNOUNCED in January, Moore Largehas taken on the Oyama brand, whichconsists of 11 models over four ranges –urban, classics, pure and sports.

Prices start at £299.95 and top out at£899.95, with a build at virtually everykey price point.

Haro Bikes and Premium Productsbrand manager Adam Garner takes onfull responsibility of the Oyama range.

Garner explained: “Growth in thefolding bike sector in particular isreinforced by commuters forced toconsider using folding bikes incombination with various forms of publictransport to overcome the last few milesto work. Rising fuel costs, growing traffic

problems and ever increasing congestioncharging policies are beginning to shapecommuting patterns in the UK’s major cities.”

For the maximum £899.95investment, customers are getting adurable 6061 alloy 20-inch folder thatcomes equipped with mudguards, racks,chain guards Alex rims and a Tektro V-brake among other things.

Mid-range, Oyama offers a modelcalled the Greenville, which features astylish Brooks saddle and khaki tyres. Aneasily released clamp allows the frame tobe folded in half, while the stem is alsoable to be folded in half, bringing thehandlebar into a convenient position forcarrying the bike on the move. Moore Large: 01332 274200

RaleighRALEIGH will offer a range of fivefolding models for 2010, with theBoardwalk Lite sitting at the top endand retailing for just £399.99.

The Boardwalk Lite features alightweight Dahon patented FusionTechnology sport frame with Dahonpatented InSide handle bar system togive a weight of just 11.4Kg. Thecomponent package is designed todeliver performance levels to matchmore traditional larger wheeled bikes.

Slightly lower in the range and for£100 less, the Boardwalk also usesDahon Licensed Technology providing a

light alloy frame and easy-to-usefolding mechanism. Shimano six-speedgearing offers the rider a fair range toget up and down steeper inclines withease. For the slightly lower investment,the bike isn’t much heavier, coming inat 12kg, while still carrying alloywheels, hubs and a folding pedal.

For the minimum investment, yourcustomer could take away the RaleighKompact at just £219.99. This model ismore or less the same as the RaleighShopper, though does not come withthe stylish basket as seen on theShopper. Expect to see Shimano six-speed gearing, folding pedals and alloyv-brakes on both models.Raleigh: 01773 532600

Fisher OutdoorLeisureKANSI is a new folding bike branddistributed by Fisher Outdoor Leisure.The distributor identified the foldingbike category’s rise in popularity earlyon and having spent many yearsworking with Dahon, is well versed inall things folding.

Kansi offers a big catalogue of bikesthat are appropriately priced and incontinuous supply. Builds are ofdependable quality and a readilyavailable ongoing spares supportprogramme for retailer and consumersupport is available to all stockists.

The brand is not available onlineand offers dealers a healthy margin asa result. There is no model year, sothere’s no need to reduce the stocknervously in the autumn, either.

The end user is encouraged to goonline and extend their warranty byregistering on the consumer site. Inreturn for this, the end user receives theirKansi box, which is essentially somecolour-coded components and stickersheets enabling the customisationprocess and thus giving the consumerfurther value within the purchase price.

With three models, each in twocolours, it is a tidy range with a just asrational spec story. The SRAM equippedbikes range in price from £499 to £849.Fisher Outdoors: 01727 798345


FOLDING BIKES

StridaALL Strida models are well backed up witha comprehensive range of aftermarketaccessories and tools. Designed specificallyfor Strida’s models, you’ll find kickstands,saddle bags, pumps, travel bags toaccommodate a folded bike and lights.

Though not utilising the geometry of atraditional design, the Strida range actuallyplaces the rider in a fast and ergonomicposition - sitting straight up with thedistance between the pedals, knees andhips in perfectly harmony.

Within ten seconds you coulddemonstrate a full fold to the customer,tucking the bike into a small package thatneed not be carried. After folding yousimply push Strida like a stroller. There’s noneed to worry about dirty clothes either.The grease-free belt drive system keepseverything clean.

The MAS is the firm’s newest model,named after Strida founder Mark Sanders.This model is standard equipped with the

Schlumpf two-speed system, an ingeniousSwiss system that allows the rider toswitch seamlessly between the gears byjust a touch of the heel. The MAS goes upto 25km an hour and is therefore thefastest Strida in the world. The black MAShas a sport saddle, special tyres andstriking green coloured brake callipers.Mark Sanders’ signature features on thebottom tube.

Trade orders can be placed via www.strida-europe.com.

MadisonRIDGEBACK is the only brand withinMadison’s extensive stable to offer afolder, with a model that is ideally suitedto urban riders with travel plans.

The Ridgeback Envoy is a tough yetcomfortable Cro-Moly framed foldingbike at a price that’ll soon be recoupedon saved bus/underground tickets. For£379.99, the customer rolls away on abicycle ideal for combining with a longertrain journey and inter-city dashes. Theseven-speed freehub will serve well formost urban riding and the suppliedlightweight alloy luggage rack takes care

of any shopping or work luggage. As anadd-on sale, a tough nylon carry bag can be bought for added convenience.When folded, via releases at the stemand frame, the bike measures just 28 x 56 x 81cm.

For a slightly lower investment,customers could take home Ridgeback’sRendezvous. This is a great value urbanrunaround bike with a sturdy steel frameand 20-inch wheels, equipped with six-speed Shimano gears and sold with ahandy nylon carry bag which makes itmuch easier to carry around and board atrain with. Madison: 0208 385 3385

AvocetAVOCET’S folding bike offering beginswith two budget friendly £149.99 16-inch wheeled builds – one singlespeedand one geared. The range then hits keyprice points right up to £239.99, whichbuys the customer a Shimano six-speedalloy frame with quick release fold.

At the top of the range, the Safari SSEfolder shaves a bit of weight and beginsto introduce performance components,such as Shimano’s Revoshift gear leversand six-speed freewheel. The fold issimple, with quick release levers at the

stem and on the frame. Additionalfeatures include a kickstand,chromoplastic mudguards, a rear carrierand right-hand-side folding pedal.

For customers familiar with SturmeyArcher’s gearhubs, the £199.99 Vossfolder offers the firm’s three-speedgearhub with Rotary shifter. Again,within the price, customers are gettinga kickstand and mudguards.

To become a stockist of Avocet’scomprehensive, yet affordable range offolders, cycle dealers should contactAvocet’s national sales manager on0161 727 8508.

BromptonA KEY feature of the Brompton is thecompactness and practicality of itsfold. With a little practice, this isachieved without any difficulty in tento 20 seconds. The dimensions of thefolded bike are: 585mm high x 545mmlong x 270mm wide.

Made up of hundreds of little pieces,the Brompton bike is full built inLondon with each batch leaving thefactory strictly quality tested, witheach main part traceable back to thehighly skilled welders. Minor revisionsare made to the Brompton design eachyear to meet with feedback andtrends, though for the most part theiconic bike hasn’t changed muchin its entire history, which hasmore than helped its reputation asa reliable bike with plentiful backupshould anything go wrong.

When folded, a Brompton stayslocked together, making anextremely compact packagelittle larger than its wheels.The folded package may bepicked up without any riskthat the bike will unfold -reassuring when running for a train.

There are no projections orloose parts with the folded package

and, using the frame or saddle as ahandle, it carries like a small suitcase,lightweight and easy to manage. Thefold is designed to keep vulnerableparts, like lights and cable-runs, out ofharm’s way and, by folding them in, tokeep the greasy chain and gears awayfrom clothing and luggage. Smallrollers allow the bike to be pushed intoinaccessible corners.

If you’re interested in becoming aBrompton dealer, it’s well worth callingthe manufacturer, as although fairlyevenly spread in its UK coverage, thereare still stockist positions open.Brompton: 020 8232 8484


FOLDING BIKES

With a service record unrivaled in the electric bicycle world, Wisper offer the fi nest and most complete range of high quality electric bikes in the UK.

Next day delivery on both bicycles and parts with full technical on line and telephone backup.

For further information on trade discounts and area availability please contact;

Douglas Lawson 01590 [email protected] www.WisperBikes.com

905eco, 905se Sport, 905se City S, 906xc Tourer Long or Medium ranges from £999.00 to £2,499.00

705se Long range 50 - 70 miles £1,399.00 Medium range 30 - 45 miles £1,199.00

805fe Long range 30 - 45 miles £1,219.00 Medium range 20 - 30 miles £1,019.00

706 Alpino Long range 50 - 70 miles £1,799.00 Medium range 30 - 45 miles £1,599.00

906 Alpino Long range 50 - 70 miles £1,899.00 Medium range 30 - 45 miles £1,699.00

Electric Bikes

the ride of your life

The Range.....

British Electric Bicycle Association

Member

BatribikeTHE FIRM’S new lightweightfolding electric bike – the Micro– was launched at the latter halfof February in the NEC’s Boatand Caravan Show. A morecompact version of theBatribike’s popular Lite model,the Micro is an incredible 9.5kgand comes supplied with aspecially designed holdall idealfor the commuter market andperfect for a variety of nichesectors, including boat-basedhobbyists. James Turner ofSailing Today praised the Microas the best electric bike for thesailing enthusiast.

The Micro boasts a range ofup to 15 miles on pedal assistusing the 14.4V lithium batteryand the two-speed 120W high torquemagnetic motor. The Micro travels up to12mph and provides a smooth ridethrough a suspension bush and comfortsaddle. Coming complete with colouredmudguards, the Micro also features anintegrated front LED light, operated by

the same magnetic chip key that startsthe motor.

Charge times run from three to fourhours, and front and back wheels measure12-inches and 14-inches respectively. Batribike: 01427 787774 [email protected]

There is an ever increasing roster of bikenames jumping aboard the good shipelectric, but how do you know which tostock? Jonathon Harker plugs into thee-bike trend and looks at some of thelatest available to UK bike dealers…

Moore LargeMOORE LARGE has been distributingIZIP, the American bike brand, for overfour years now and has an establishednetwork of stockists over the UK. IZIPis a subsidiary of Currie Technologies,which was a pioneer of electric bikeslong before they were fashionable.IZIP now has an impressive line-up oftruly effective transportation.

It will shortly be receiving anexciting new series of 2010 IZIPelectric bikes which retail from £599upwards. The new range features200W, maximum speed 15mph, pedalassisted models and will be shown off at this month’s Moore Largeproduct seminar.

Interested dealers should contactIZIP brand manager Dave Kiddy. Moore Large: 07968547805 [email protected].

ELECTRIC BIKES


What’s allthe buzzabout?

Parklife THE CULMINATION of two years ofintensive research into electric bikes,FreeGo bikes all run on a 250W motor anda 36V battery with a motor control unitthat limits the power output of the bike,giving the rider control over the ride, witha simple handlebar and stem adjustmentfor rider comfort. FreeGo says that the 24Vand 26V batteries used by somecompetitors don’t have the range forsubstantial distance – unlike its 36V bikes.

The electric range is available intraditional cross bar, step through and MTBall-terrain derivatives, with FreeGo alsosupporting the anti-tip/easy steer bikesand the folding electric bike.

The FreeGo electric bike line-up starts at£800 and goes up to £1,299 for theflagship Eagle Sport – the only bike in theUK with the long-range 16A battery,according to the firm.

Distributed by Parklife, the FreeGofeatures a rechargeable battery and a handthrottle control – or mix of pedal andmotor power for pedal assisted cycling.

Parklife’s Roger Adams enthuses on thebrand: “We believe the FreeGo range offersa great alternative form of transport – theyare cheap to run, incur no road fundlicence cost, no inner city congestioncharges, no petrol costs, and very, very lowmaintenance costs. These e-bikes runsilently, causing no noise pollution at all.” Parklife: 02392 475 [email protected]

RaleighRALEIGH has big ambitions for themarket – aiming to change the wayelectric bikes are sold in the UK. Andwhen Raleigh Germany is selling 40kunits of the Dover model per year, whocan blame it? Only a select number ofshops will become Raleigh e-bikeauthorised dealers, who will be able tostock Raleigh Dover Deluxe Premiummodels, and later in the year the Vélo-Cité and Vélo-Trail models.

Authorised e-bike dealers get free stafftraining, a free stand to carry two bikesand inclusion on a dealer database.Raleigh is launching an e-bike specific

website in March too, directing buyers totheir nearest Raleigh dealer.

The Dover Deluxe is available in eithera low-step unisex frame or a crossbarversion, for £1,799, and comes equippedwith the Panasonic Crank drive system. Itdiffers to others as it drives through thebike’s own gears, as opposed to throughthe hub. Raleigh says this makes themotor far more efficient, able to climbup steep gradients and helps the batterylast longer (therefore going muchfurther), with a range of 50 miles on eco-power. Lower priced Vélo-Cité and Vélo-Trail, both built specifically for Raleigh,will be available later in the year.Raleigh: 01773 532680www.raleighebike.co.uk

PowacycleA NEW version of the Infineum is inthe works from Powacycle, and set toappear in the UK by the summer. Themodel is already proving a hit in the e-bike hotbed that is Europe, withsubstantial orders placed in Benelux.

The new Infineum uses the sameconcept as the current version,including stackable batteries and highbranded components, only this timethe Infineum has been designed with astep through frame for ladies.

Some of the key Infineum sellingpoints include that clever stackablebattery system – potentially giving thebike unlimited range. Each battery

weighs 1.82Kg and is situated in therear rack carrier and locked in place.Multiple batteries can then be added,with each providing between 25 and 33miles of pedal-assisted travel.

The Infineum features top-notchcomponents, including Shimano Aliviogears and Rock Shox shock absorbers,enhancing peformance. The epicycleFriction drive motor is placed in thefront heel hub, and so is easier toremove than a motor in the rear, wheregears could get in the way.

The motor itself is small anddiscreet, while the Infineum weighsaround 18kg including battery and theelectrics are easily serviceable.Powacycle: 01279 821 243www.powacycle.co.uk

PowabykePOWABYKE’S X-byke range comprisesof the X6, X6LS and the top-of-the-range 24 speed X24, all of which workwith a Lithium-Ion power pack andhigh-output 250W electric hub motor,quickly boosting rides up to 15mph,making hills and headwinds a, erm,breeze for riders. In fact, so handy isthe X-byke range that Powabykesupplies police patrols and pizza-delivery companies.

Aimed at commuting and gettingaround town, the mid-range X6 isavailable in 18 and 21-inch frames. Itfeatures six-speed Shimano gears with

EZ fire shifters, plus a lightweightaluminium frame. Charge time is amere three to five hours and on theflat, with no pedalling, the X6 can hit arange of ten to 15 miles. With pedalassist the X6 can reach up to 20 miles.The unisex X6LS has a low step-through and comes in 15 and 18-inchframe sizes.

The X24 Powabyke is the highestspecc’d of the X-byke range. Comingcomplete with 24-speed Shimano gearsand with mountain bike forks as anoption, the X24 sports a 21-inch frameand a range that touches 25 miles. Powabyke: 01225 443737www.powabyke.com


ELECTRIC BIKES

ELECTRIC BIKES


ReeceTOSHIBA’S Super Charge ion Battery(SCiB) technology charges batteries inless than 30 minutes, making it ideal forthe electric bike market. Happily theSchwinn Tailwind takes full advantage ofthe technology and those winninglyshort charge times. The Toshiba SCiB5Ah 24V battery is linked up to aSchwinn Tailwind 24V 180W nominal,250W max front hub, meaning thatpedalling has rarely been so easy.

Aside from the electrics, the Tailwinditself is constructed from a lightweight

aluminium frame and has a frontsuspension fork to provide an all-important comfortable ride. TheShimano Nexus eight-speed rear hub isclean and maintenance-free, and despitethat it gives riders the gears to tackleany terrain.

The Tailwind comes supplied withmudguards, skirt guard, movementsensitive lights, rear-wheel lock asstandard and is available in both men’sand women’s frames. The Tailwind ispriced at £1,599. Reece: 0121 622 0180www.reececycles.co.uk

Ultra MotorULTRA MOTOR’S A2B Hybrid is oneof the only bikes in the UK that usesthe advanced TMM4 torque sensorfrom ID bike.

The Hybrid is a pedal-assist e-bike,providing a boost for riders. With amaximum power assisted speed of15.5mph, the Hybrid has a range ofup to 30 miles, using a 36V/9.4 Ahlithium ion battery.

Comfort comes via an Ultra Motorcomfort saddle and suspension seatpost and fork, with high qualitycomponents like a seven-speed

SRAM 3.0 derailleur and Avid BB5disc brakes.

Sporting a TIG welded 6061aluminium frame, the Hybrid weighs29.1kg with battery (which aloneweighs 54kg). The display includesthree modes (including speed) withauto backlight and a ‘state-of-charge’battery icon. Speaking of charge, theA2B Hybrid gets loaded with juice byplugging into any 230 volt outlet. TheA2B Hybrid battery charges up fullywithin four to six hours and hold itscharge more efficiently than a lead-based battery to boot. Ultra Motor: www.ultramotor.com

Zyro DAHON’S Boost is touted as thelightest, most compact electric bikeon the market and avoids thecomplaint sometimes posed to e-bikes – that they’re built like tanks:heavy and cumbersome. The Boostcombines electric power with theportable convenience of Dahonfolding bikes, folding to the samedimensions as 20-inch wheel foldersand weighing a 19.6kg.

Kitted out with SRAM iMotionthree rear hub and shifters, the Boostcomes with Dahon’s Biologic brandedcomponents like the cleverPostPump+ – a high capacity pumpintegrated into the seatpost, and theBiologic Arxhandlebar gripswith reflective endplugs. The Japaneseengineered bikeuses a lithiumion battery,brushlessmotor andsmart chargerfordependability,with the torquesensors addingpower from the

250w motor in proportion to the forceapplied to the pedals.

The Boost frame is constructedfrom 7005 butted aluminium alloy,custom-drawn tubing and the latticeforged hinge boasts patented Fusionand V-Clamp technologies. The 20-inch Schwalbe Big Apple Tyres featureKevlar RaceGuard puncture protection.

The Boost retails at £1,999.99.Dahon even has a range of its ownaccessories ideal for the Boost,including the Stow Bag, the LuggageTruss and HoldAll Basket.Zyro: 01845 521 [email protected]

Wisper THE FIRST stock of Wisper’s Europeanflavoured Alpino range are set to arrive inthe UK shortly, with a few featuressetting them apart from the competition.

Wisper’s David Miall tells BikeBiz: “TheAlpino bikes were originally designed forthe Dutch, German, Swiss and Danishmarkets, having 28-inch wheels, largerframes than the standard Wisper modelsand Shimano Alfine gears.

“The demand has been such, however,that we have decided to start selling

these high specification bikes into the UK.”

The Alpino comes complete with anLED back-lit computer providing riderswith a speedometer, trip, batterycondition, instant power use, anddiagnostics. A 250W, power-packing,high-efficiency brushless motor powers itto reach from 50 to 80 assisted miles,driven by a 36V 14A Lithium Polymerbattery. A 6061 hardened frame is joinedby Shimano Alfine disc brakes andmagnesium suspension with lock out. Wisper: 01590 [email protected]

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

www. .co.uk

Lithium PolymerBattery

£765Inc VAT

SRP

Salisbury LPX

Windsor LPXLithium PolymerBattery

£765Inc VAT

SRP

Lynx LPX 20” Lithium PolymerBattery

£765Inc VAT

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ELECTRIC BIKES


Sram nine speed cassetteSaddleback and Fisher Outdoors01454 299965 and 01727 798345

DETAILS of Sram’s new nine-speed cassette has nowbeen released. Weighing in at a superlight 175 grams,the XG999 cassette employs Sram’s X-Glide and X-done technologies. Sram’s nearest competition,Shimano’s XTR cassette weighs 224 grams.

Seven of the nine cogs are CNC-machinedtogether out of a single block of billet steel, creatingan incredibly lightweight, precise and strongcassette. The open design aids in mud clearance,giving you cleaner shifting performance and longercomponent life. Availability in the UK has beenscheduled for mid-March. Pricing is to be confirmed.

The London Cycling GuideNew Holland Publishing0207 724 7773

LONDON cycling campaigner Tom Bogdanowicz hasteamed up with New Holland publishing to createThe London Cycling Guide.

Having provided technical advice to the LondonCycling Campaign for years, Bogdanowicz providesan illustrated and mapped guide to cycling the city.

The guide includes information on choosing abike, urban cycling techniques, cycling with children,commuting accessories and tips on repairs.

It retails at £10.99 and covers 30 leisurely routesover inner and outer London. Each route guide containsrecommendations, places to eat and iconic landmarks.

Ventoux clothingDirect0208 500 3893

VENTOUX clothing is inspired by the heroes of roadcycling, for what is considered a fairly un-tappedmarket of casual clothing for roadies.

It was thought up during stage 20 of the 2009 TourDe France, which passes through the legendary MontVentoux. This was where Bradley Wiggins secured afourth spot, highlighting him as a future contender.

One hooded top and a polo neck are also available.The ten t-shirt line carries a variety of designs andeach one retails at £25, as does the polo, while thehoody retails at £35. Visit the online store atwww.ventoux-wear.com or contact 0208 500 3898.

Cane Creek Aheadset revampExtra UK01933 672170

CANE CREEK has given its Aheadset offering a majorrevamp. With just 18 unique parts in the system, 11different headset configurations can be assembled, fromtraditional models through to a ZeroStack for threadedor threadless 1-inch or 1-1/8-inch.

Landing with distributors in April, the kit willinclude multiples of all 18 parts, allowing mechanicsto configure any of the 11 different headsets. The sixstandard models will include threadless 1”, threadless1-1/8”, threaded 1”, threaded 1-1/8”, integrated 1-1/8”and ZeroStack 1-1/8”. For threadless configurations,both the cone and crown race are the same part.

Ventoux taps into the roadies market with clothingdesigns, MaxxRaxx launches home storage devicewhile Michelin goes wild with tyres...New gear


LATEST PRODUCTS

MaxxRaxx wall storageDirect0845 230 2799

MAXXRAXX has branched into home storage withthe launch of its wall cycle storage rack. Holding twobikes, it locks tubes in place via its built-in steel cableand padlock, giving the added benefit of security.

Another benefit is that it doubles as a workstation, holding the bike firmly in place as users tendto the necessary repairs, service and cleaning tasks.

MaxxRaxx’s wall cycle storage rack retails at £59and is supplied with a wall mounting bracket, a475mm support beam with ratchet, webbing strapand two cycle cradles. A built-in security cable andpadlock are also supplied.

Michelin Wild tyresReece Cycles0121 622 0180

MICHELIN has launched its new series of tyres,dubbed ‘Wild’, covering a diverse range of terrain.

For hardpacked ground the WildRace’R carries aneffective tread block sequence that delivers highperformance and puncture-resistance.

The WildRock’R has thick tread blocks spanningthe width of the tyre, enabling it to withstand theharshest conditions on rocky and muddy surfaces.The WildRun’R 1.40 contains a large volume of airensuring maximum comfort, while the 1.10 featuresa high density puncture-resistant layer under thetread band and weighs a record-low 200 grams.


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

COMPONENTS

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

Pace cycles Ltd 01723 867 919 www.pacecycles.com

USE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com

EPOS

Evopos 0845 644 9424 www.evopos.com

Citrus Lime 0845 603 9254 www.citrus-retail.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

SALES TRAINING

Colin Rees 07540 351 530. [email protected]

TRAINING SERVICES

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

SimpleEshop 0116 267 5145 www.simpleeshop.com

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


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

BIKES AND ACCESSORIES BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

www.paligapltd.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Call Paligap: 01454 313 116Quintana Roo Triathlon Bikes in stock

Contact Paligap to become a Quintana Roo Dealer

paligap on->line ordering

www.paligapdealer.co.uk

What advances in lighting technologyhave appeared over the past few years?I think we are all used to the LEDrevolution now, so really the big step uphas been greater efficiency of theemitters. When we built our lights withthe P4 LEDs in 2008, just about everyarea improved – brightness, burn timeand cost. The customer at this point reallygot a big leap in technology.

Currently, the trend is increasing theoutput from a single emitter, like the P7in our Diablo and Toro models, howeverthey do require more battery.

Any plans to break past 1,000 lumensper light?Previously we said the MaXx-D wasenough, but we’d all love a bit morereally. It’s still too early to give any soliddetails, but I think it would be rude notto explore this area.

How have you managed to doubleturnover winter-on-winter? With both marketing and a strong showpresence – plus increased capacity andbetter delivery to our dealers. Our lightingrange is second to none this year andwith a third factory unit just for lights

assembly here at USE, we’ve been able todeliver exactly what the dealers need.

What’s your best seller and what’s thedemand for high-end lighting?Exposure Joystick is still the top seller inunits. It’s such a great all-round productwith a multitude of awards behind it. Init’s third year now, even the wordJoystick has become common languagein the trade and out on the trail. Despitebeing our most expensive, dealers loveselling MaXx-D for its simplicity and all-round performance at a price that is stillwell within reach for all cyclists needinga proper tool for the job.

Is anything affecting business atpresent, or likely to in future?Yes. Costs sometimes go up from fareastern parts suppliers and the dollar ratehas to be watched. We try to counterthese rises with increased production.

Manufacturing in the UK is not cheap,but we do have total control on qualityand the level of service we can give tothe customer is much better that way. Itmakes no sense for dealers to be temptedinto cheap imports that offer lowermargin and little, or no, after sales service.

Why should dealers choose USE? USE offers competitive margins and aimsto give all its products a good marketingpush. Exposure Lights have very much soldthrough for dealers, due to the consumerdemand created in our marketing.

We spend a lot of time face-to-facewith potential customers throughout thesummer at events and this converts tosales for the dealers come winter. Thereare staff purchase and demo light pricesavailable. Customers often respond wellto the opportunity to try before they buywith high-end lights. Group rides fromshops are also encouraged in the winter– helping to sell bikes and other kit, too.

The time trial product from USE issecuring podiums all over. What is thisdown to?Aerodynamics. Weight is important, butnowhere near as much as the ability to cutthrough the wind at speeds up to 30mph.

Kristen Armstrong, Olympic and WorldChampion, is a great example of how theappliance of science can win races against(on paper) very strong competition. She’slike Julia Shaw, who chose to race withTula aero bars for their speed advantage(these riders are not paid by USE).

RORY HITCHENS, ULTIMATE

SPORTS ENGINEERINGTEL: 01798 344477 EMAIL: [email protected]

WEB: www.use1.com

COMPANY PROFILE

“USE offers competitivemargins and aims to giveall its products a goodmarketing push.”

Rory Hitchens,Ultimate Sports Engineering

COMPONENTS

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

COMPONENTS

The ultimate range of mechanicapproved total bike cleaners• Dirtwash Bike Cleaner Cleans safely with minimum scrubbing

1 Ltr Spray 03028 5 Ltr Refill Tub 03031

• Citrus Degreaser Specially formulated to degrease oily parts400ml Aerosol 03002 75ml Liquid 03017 1 Ltr Refill Tub 03022250ml Spray 03023

• Metal Polish Unique formula polish suitable for all metals75g Tube 02007

• Disc Brake Cleaner A heavy duty disc brake cleaning spray 250ml Aerosol 03029

• Chain Degreaser Machine Chain driven four sided brush action Machine and 75ml bottle of Citrus Degreaser 06017

CLEANERS:WE’VE GOT ITCOVERED

www.weldtite.co.uk

BRANDS BY

WE ARE BIKE MAINTENANCE

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COMPONENTS

EPOS EPOS

LIGHTING RACKS


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

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Extra profits, immediate results...

Sales training can easily double your business. If every customerwho comes in to buy an accessory goes out with two, you justdoubled your accessory sales. If every customer who comes in tobuy a £500 bike goes out with say an £1000 bike, you did it again!

If you have trouble getting the simplest techniques over to yourstaff so they sell well consistently, we will come to your shop andhelp you. Four hours later, every staff member will be confident inclosing sales every time. Full literature is provided plus a handyguide “How to keep your staff selling” is FREE to every owner/manager who books a course. Basic, advanced and managerialcourses are available.

“I am amazed. All the staff got really turned on by Colin's ideas,they keep coming up and asking me why I'm not closing sales!”

“I reckon I covered the cost of the training in the firstafternoon. Everyone tried so hard. Totally recommendable.”

“I really am impressed with this training. I have seen a markedimprovement in confidence from the younger members and

everyone is selling more. Don't know why every dealer inEngland isn't knocking on your door.”

“The training was so easy to follow even I could understand it. Ireally like the way the techniques are explained so simply,

anyone can do it.”

One fee, no extras, progress guaranteed:Email [email protected] now, or call 07540 351 530for full details.Colin Rees: specialist cycle sales training in the bike tradefor 14 years.

SALES TRAINING

The Cycle Systems Academy is very proud to be sponsored by:

· City & Guilds accreditation

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For information please contact:Telephone: 0207 6082577Mobile: 07786 636771E-mail: [email protected]: www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk

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TRAINING SERVICES

RESPRAYS & REPAIRS


RACKS

WEBSITE SERVICES

WATER BOTTLES WATER BOTTLES

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

WEBSITE SERVICES


April 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]

� BIKE SECURITY � SADDLES, POSTS, GRIPS &

BOTTLES � CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

MAY 2010Energy and Nutrition � Women’s Products � 30 Under 30:

The Cycle Industry’s Rising Stars

Editorial Deadline: April 9th Advertising Deadline: April 14th

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

Editorial Deadline: March 12th

Advertising Deadline: March 17th

Editorial Planner SPOTLIGHTUPCOMING EVENTS

MOORE LARGE 2010PRODUCT SEMINARSTuesday March 2nd – 5th Moore Large HQ, Derby www.moorelarge.co.uk

TAIPEI INTERNATIONALCYCLE SHOWWednesday March 17th – 20thTaipei, Taiwan www.taipeicycle.com.tw

ALTURA WHINLATTER MTBCHALLENGE 2010Sunday March 21stWhinlatter Forest, Kewickwhinlatterchallenge.co.uk

THE OUTDOORS SHOW2010Friday March 26th – 28thNEC, Birminghamoutdoorsshowextra.co.uk

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

ACTIVE BIKE ANDTRIATHLON SHOW 2010Wednesday April 21st – 24thExCeL, London www.activebike.co.uk

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

ORIGINAL SOURCEMOUNTAIN 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

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

MOORE LARGE SEMINARSTuesday March 2nd – 5thMoore Large HQ, Derbywww.moorelarge.co.uk

To be included in the 2010 BikeBiz Bible please email your business details to:[email protected] or check for more details on Twitter: @BikeBizMag

For advertising opportunities contact Carly Bailey: 01992 535647THE BIBLEIS BACK!

EVENTS AND EDITORIAL PLANNER


July 2010

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

Let’s getstatistical…


NUMBER CRUNCHINGPic ©

Mark Lee Sing

£2.5 millionThe figure the 2009 instalment of

Nissan’s UCI Mountain Bike World Cupgenerated for the local economy

around Fort William. 18,519 peopleattended the three day event, the

largest number to date.

5%The amount of Wales’ Road

Maintenance Grant that will now bededicated to maintaining on-road

cycle paths.(source Sustrans)

YEAR

Bikesales

YOY %change

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

2,300 2,400 2,300 3,727 3,905 3,800 3,920 3,771 3,605

4.35 -4.17 62.04 4.78 -2.69 3.16 -3.80 -4.40

YEAR

Bicycleproduction

YOY %change

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

1,200 1,000 350 325 250 135 97 27 28

-16.67 -65 -7.14 -23.08 -46 -30.37 -71.28 3.70

The UK cycle market value Bicycle Sales (x1,000 units)

Great Britain’s bicycle production (x1,000 units)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500Italy: 2,380Germany: 2,370The Netherlands: 1,129Poland: 1,116France: 1,110Portugal: 1,100Slovakia: 600Bulgaria: 562Hungary: 500Romania: 500Czech Republic: 400Lithuania: 400Spain: 300Belgium: 150Greece: 150Austria: 144Sweden: 125Denmark: 105Finland: 30Great Britain: 28Ireland: 10Slovenia: 5

Thanks to COLIPED and COLIBI for the above market information

This months’ plethora of statistics reveal that Great Britain islanguishing in 20th place as a European bicycle producer,manufacturing 28,000 bikes (yet buying over 3.5m) in 2008...

60 The number of jobs set to be createdby the new 40,000 sq ft-Decathlon

store opening in Northern Ireland laterthis year.

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 commentmade on the BikeBiz forum, the best letter of themonth wins a prize fromOxford Products.

This month the luckywinner will receive aselection of designs fromOxford’s now expandedrange of Comfy (three pack)micro-fibre neckwarmers.

Friedrichshafen flight fright

Hi guys. I know it’s a long wayoff, but from May 2010 Ryanairis no longer flying toFriedrichshafen.

Coolman

Eek. That’ll make the journeyless pleasant, if it’s possible tobe less pleasant than Ryanair.

A_Gent

There are plenty of flights toZurich plus free bus transfers,and even a pleasant train orferry trip to choose from. Also,Eurotunnel has great deals rightnow if you want to drive.

Wildoo

Nightmare. Ryanair sent outcancellation emails at the endof last week so our flights wentup in dust. The via Frankfurtroute is still there but it’s a one-

stop option and looking at thestop-over time you have to gofor a safe four and a half hoursor try your luck with 50 minutesand hope you see your bag atthe other end. I have had mybag not make it when exhibitingin Taipei and it’s no joke.

There are lots of peoplebooking this one though, andthe price went up considerablyover the weekend.

I decided on a route toZurich from Heathrow with BA– nice flight times and only£112 return – you can theneither get the free Eurobikeshuttle or train and ferry.

Sadly, now Ryanair hascancelled the route and noneof the remaining options aregreat, so it’s pick your best of abad bunch.

Scott_2x2

BIKE TRADE to pay foraudience with Boris? Whatnonsense. Also, how short-sighted can you be?

I’m not so naive to thinkthat politicians aren’t going toget whatever deal they can,but we’re so lucky to havetransport moversand shakersbehind cycling.You’ve only gotto talk to them.Ben Plowdenwas probablypart of the‘slick’approach towhich the article referred. He’sbeen cycling for ages andwaxes lyrical about his localbike shop and what it meansfor him. All the key peoplebehind this event are regularcyclists – what on earth arewe doing slapping them in theface for promoting ourindustry?

As for Boris, we expectedfive minutes but got anentertaining 20-minute speechfrom someone who has beenpassionate about cycling formany years, and is now in a position to help the industry.

Gift horse, teeth and lookingare phrases that come to mind.

Let’s encourage, notexasperate, them.

John Simnett, Wizzbike

STA

R L

ETTE

R

Show some support...

Mayor of LondonBoris Johnsonappeared at theCycling RevolutionForum

...in responseI THOUGHT the piece wasfairly rounded, with commentsfrom both sides, including thefact it was a great promotionalopportunity for the bike trade.

However, the sales pitchemail from Chris

Mather isas baldand boldas it gets.TfL wasout towoo tradeexecs,which was

perhaps why it excluded tradepress from the meeting. TheMather email was forwardedby a trade exec shocked by thebrazenness of the cap-in-hand.

Yes, working with TfLpresents a great opportunityand yes, TfL is doing someamazing things for cycling, butit wasn’t very clever in the wayit followed up after themeeting. Sell by all means, butbe a bit more subtle about it.

It was a classic bait-and-switch tactic from TfL but a lotof the execs told me they sawit coming. It won’t stop themsupporting TfL’s initiatives butit’s good to recognise that withTfL there’s always going to bea commercial aspect to suchmeetings. Sincerity: once youcan fake that you’ve got it made.

Carlton Reid,executive editor, BikeBiz

LAST MONTH BikeBiz.com ran a story – ‘Biketrade to pay for audience with Boris’ – coveringthe Mayor of London’s brief appearance at thefirst Cycling Revolution Forum and highlightingthat some in the industry were calling it ‘achance to butter up the bike trade in order toflog them stuff’. This is one of the responses to the article:

For more on this story turn to page four

SPORT RELIEF takes place later thismonth (March 19th to 21st), but cyclinghas already got a look in with a celebrity-laden cycle ride across the country.

David Walliams (above), Fearne Cotton(right), Davina McCall, Jimmy Carr,Miranda Hart, Russell Howard and PatrickKielty were all kitted out in Zyro andAltura brands, for training and the rideitself. Product from Altura, Abus, Minoura,

Cateye, Tortec, and Lupine were usedby the eight riders.

The cycling celebrities set out at thestart of this month, and all being wellwill have finished their 1,000 mile rideby the time this issue hits desks, withcoverage of the event set to beemblazoned across our TV screens inthe lead up to the big event.www.sportrelief.com

Phew, what a relief

OFF TRACK

Expo raises over £17k

VICTORIA Pendleton and Sir Chris Hoytook to their pedals for the finalRevolution of the series (28) at the endof last month.

Both represented GB in the face of ahost of international talent ahead of theWorld Track Championships inCopenhagen, Denmark. The appearance

was Sir Chris’ first race in the UK sincethe Manchester World Cup. This latestRevolution series, which attracts over15,000 fans every season and is now inits sixth year, proved so popular thisseason that an extra afternoon eventwas created based around the NationalMadison Championships.

The Revolution is over

FISHER Outdoor Leisure’s Expo 2010event in February raised a bucket load ofcash for the Stephen Murray Family Fundthrough the generosity – and pedallingpower – of attendees.

Not only did the Expo see an auctionat the Gala Dinner, where a range ofsigned cycling memorabilia was on offer,but Expo attendees and Fisher staff alsotook part in a Sunday morningcharity

ride for the cause. The plucky ridersstarted at Sopwell House and covered27 miles to raise funds. They were joinedby Jamie Staff, Steve Peat and Tony Gibb.

Also cycling were riders from Fisher’snewly announced sponsored teams –Endura Racing’s Davie ‘Wavy’ Lines andSandy King, Team Dirt Norco’s DanStanbridge and Ben Reid, and Rob Barker,

Lee Craigie and Ben Thomasrepresenting Team Torq.

Fisher sales manager, andbrother of Stephen, MartinMurray, said: “The ride wasenjoyed by everyone Ispoke with and it’s reallytouching to see such agreat turnout in support ofStephen.”

The combined charitywork raised a mighty£17,500 for the cause. Attime of press there arestill Stay Strong customSantini jerseys availablefor those wishing tocontribute to theworthy fund.

To find out morecontact Neil Batt on01727 792618.

CREDIT: Larry Hickmott,

British Cycling


· expo boosts cash for charity

OFFTrack


Send your pictures [email protected]

OFF TRACK

AS EVERYONE over the age of 25knows, there’s nothing like a goodnight’s kip – sage words that doubleOlympic medallist Rob Hayes and thenew Endura Racing team have taken toheart, as you can see (above).

The Endura team will usesleepathlete’s range of sleep recoveryproducts for sport this year, but theteam has gone one step further andenlisted the services of leadingprofessional sports sleeping coach (andsleepathlete MD) Nick Littlehales tohelp with their performance on theroad. Littlehales has over 25 years’

experience in the field, working withplenty of pros, including the Englandfootball team.

In between catching up on his Zs,rider/manager of Endura Racing Haylessaid: “I’m really looking forward togetting hold of the sleeping productsdown at the camp in Nice. Sleep is amassive part of cycling. This is a bigpart of my strategy and hopefully itwill be a big leap forward for the teamas a whole.” We at BikeBiz have longchampioned the benefits of sleepbreaks, often ‘recharging our batteries’in motorway service stations.

Sleeping on the job

Sponsored by thebrands of Moore Large

01332 274252

“ATB gave us a great bike and itwas just what we needed. Bikecrime over the past six monthshas fallen by 50 per cent as aresult of these initiatives.”

Sean Burridge, Guildford-based neighbourhood policeofficer, speaking on a police

sting operation targeting cyclethieves, Feb 17th

“Cycling is growing at astaggering rate and we want tomake sure women are part ofthis trend by creating cyclingopportunities that fit aroundtheir lifestyles and needs.

"We need to understandwhat is preventing womenfrom taking up our sport, so wewould like to encourage themto share their views andexperiences via our website.”

Ian Drake, British Cycling chief exec, Feb 19th

"Active travel means atransport system where walkingand cycling become the norm.

“Instead of automaticallyreaching for their car keys, Iwant to see people feelingconfident enough to jump ontheir bike or pull on a pair of

trainers. I am confident thatthis strategy will achieve this,making active travel a genuineoption for everybody."

Sadiq Khan, TransportMinister, speaking on the

publication of the Active TravelStrategy, Feb 22nd

“I've had a few troubles withinjury, but hopefully I thinkthey're under control which isdefinitely pleasing. I'm lookingforward to going intoCopenhagen and hope to regainmy jersey for another year."

Victoria Pendleton, Feb 23rdVictoria Pendleton

· celebs gear up with zyro for sport relief · endura racing snoozes to win

quoteunquote

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

A BIKE-shop-cum-cafe in San Francisco has pulled off acoup. It has successfully persuaded the municipality tomake a permanent no-parking zone in front of thestore. Mojo Bicycle Cafe is to install decking, bambooplanters, tables and chairs in a spot that was previouslytwo car parking spaces.

To many retailers this seems the height of lunacy:everybody drives, even to bike shops, so it’s essential tohave convenient places for customers to park. But is it?Retailers and cafe-owners of all types are finding out allaround the world that getting rid of cars doesn’tnecessarily mean you lose customers.

In fact, the opposite usually happens. When localitiesbecome pedestrian and bike-friendly, they become nicerplaces to live, work, play... and shop. Bike shops reallyought to be at the front of the queue when it comes tolobbying councils to make more room for people, andless for cars. Take baby steps if permanent pedestrian-friendly infrastructure seems too radical. Once a year oronce a month, reclaim the car parking spaces outsideyour shop, and seek to rope in other retailers too.

Sure, there will be retailers who view the world onlythrough a windscreen, but spell out the economic benefitsof less cars and you may convert them. There are manyschemes to be inspired by. Reclaim The Streets might betoo anarchist for some folks so check out Parking Day, aninternational campaign developed by Rebar, a SanFrancisco art collective. This is an annual day to reclaimparking spaces by filling them with turf, pot plants, deckchairs – there’s even a pedal-powered mini-park, completewith park bench, a tree and lush grass.

It was a temporary Parking Day that inspired MojoBicycle Cafe co-owner Remy Nelson to ask the SanFranciso planning department for a permanent ‘pocketpark’. Nelson is vice president of his district merchant’sassociation and said other retailers will soon clamourfor what he’s got.

“My shop is in the middle of a block and when I lookout my front window, I’m usually looking at parkedcars,” said Nelson. “The public is going to see the newscheme and they’re going to forget there ever was aparking lot there.”

The space outside his shop will be covered in adecking platform, with planters and bike parking stands.The platforms are modular and could be installed inother locations, said San Francisco’s planningdepartment. The city gave a grant for the platform.Perhaps your locality might too?

That’s not just a hope of mine; it’s happening. Cityplanners are waking up to the fact that storing people’sone-ton boxes, often for no charge, is becomingunacceptable. For a start, it’s expensive.

The goal for a shopping area should be to attract thelargest possible number of people, not the largestnumber of cars as they waste an incredible amount ofspace. Making life hard for motorists may seem stupidto many retailers, but making streets more friendly tohumans, and less friendly to cars, can do wonders for tillreceipts. Lobby your council for permission to turf andhumanise any parking spot in front of your shop – Iwager you’ll not want to go back to having cars outside.

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 own a Pinarello Paris road bike and aBMC hardtail mountain bike.

Tell us about your business background:I’ve been involved in the trade for years, but have runmy own firm for four. I also have an equity stake in alock manufacturer, which has been a great learningbase for Chocolate. And I’ve had the pleasure to workwith leading brands like Crank Bros, Lizard Skins, BMC,Yeti, Pearl Izumi, Pronghorn, Pinhead and NiteRider.

Where’s your favourite place to ride? My favourite place to ride is the Chilterns, but the bestmountain biking centre would have to be Glentress.

What spurred you on to start your own venture? As someone who has raced and worked in the cyclingmarket I feel passionately about everything to do withtwo wheels. Branching out on my own and setting upChocolate has been a life-long dream. The cyclingmarket is a great place to work and the challenge forme is to make sure Chocolate becomes synonymouswith great brands, products and services.

What ambitions do you have for the business?In 2010 Chocolate Distribution is focusing on deliveringvalue and market share for industry leading brands –Rolf Prima wheels and Nema International. Our prioritywill always be to ensure we are meeting and ideallyexceeding our customers expectations.

OFF THE RECORD

Think you need car-parking spaces to cater for customers? Maybenot. Build a ‘pocket park’ outside your store for a day and see whathappens. Carlton Reid investigates this new craze...

78 BIKEBIZ MARCH

SPOKES IN THE SADDLE

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648

Reclaim YOUR streets Jeremy Crook, MD, Chocolate Distributionwww.chocolatedistribution.com

for your future...

We are looking for Cycle gurus in London to inspire Cycle technicians. Cycling is more popular than ever in the city and looks set to grow and grow. ATG Training has been at the forefront of delivering professional cycle maintenance training and qualifications for many years and demand for Cytech courses has become sky high. As a result we are looking to expand our successful team within London.

There has never been a better time to be involved in cycling; with the successes of the Cycle to Work Scheme, hosting the 2012 Olympics and Boris’ cycle hire scheme now well underway the industry will continue to go from strength to strength.

Delivering the world renowned Cytech training for the biggest Cycle training company in the UK you will need passion, dedication and a well developed sense of fun. Your customers will be highly discerning Cycle maintenance professionals, keen to learn from you.

To succeed in this role you will need skills including business development, coaching, mentoring and a passion for all things cycle related!

You will be rewarded for your skills with a competitive remuneration package, including a range of valuable benefits.

This is a very exciting opportunity to take on a new and challenging role. So if you believe you have what it takes, send a CV and covering letter outlining why to: [email protected]

or call 01296 737800

Cycle Stars Wanted

atg trainingcycle academy

Choose a new path...

and see your career race ahead.

The Cycle Systems Academy is very proud to be sponsored by:

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Website: www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk

Become part of a global growth industry.

Promotional code: BB22F

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