BikeBiz issue42, July 2009

Issue 42 | July 2009

FOR EVERYONE IN THE BICYCLE BUSINESS ISSUE 42 | JULY 2009

BikeBiz’s Mystery Shopperheads out to cyclingmecca Cambrdge. Wereyou visited and how didyou rate?

PAGE 26

MYSTERY SHOPPERThe first installment ofBike Radar Live wentdown a treat with thetrade. Find out who’ssigned up for next year...

PAGE 30

BIKE RADAR LIVEClarks’ MD Tony Wrightdiscusses how themanufacturer ischallenging the top-endwith competitive prices...

PAGE 19

CLARKS INTERVIEW

THE UK cycling industry is to getits first live awards event inyears, thanks to a tie-up betweenthe BikeBiz Awards 2009 and TheCycle Show.

This follows the successfulintroduction of theBikeBiz Awards last year,which saw all sectors ofthe UK cycling industryrecognised and celebrated.

Taking the event to the nextlevel for 2009, the BikeBizAwards will be held on the tradeday of Cycle Show, ThursdayOctober 8th at a dedicateddrinks reception taking placeonce the exhibition closes.

All exhibitors are invited toattend the reception to toast thewinners, with a limited numberof additional invitations beingissued by BikeBiz.

This year, the list of awardshas been tweaked slightly. Theawards up for grabs in 2009include:-� Independent Retailer(less than ten stores)� Online Retailer� High Street Chain(over ten stores)� Distributor – Bikes� Distributor – Parts &Accessories� Consumer Magazine� Consumer Website

� Marketing Team� Manufacturer� Best Cycle Show Stand

With the exception of theBest Stand accolade, which willbe chosen and presented byCycle Show organiser UpperStreet Events, the BikeBiz Awards2009 will be chosen in the same

transparent fashion as last year.The industry can lobby to be

considered as a finalist for one ofthe ten categories by [email protected].

Finalists per category will thenbe announced in print and onlinein September, when a panel ofsenior industry executives and

leading retailers will be asked tovote on the ultimate winners.

“We had an incredibleresponse to the BikeBizAwards last year, with themarket telling us that itwas exactly what it hadbeen waiting for. These

awards recognise the talentwithin the trade,” said BikeBiz

publisher Stuart Dinsey.“We launched with virtual

awards last year, but it wasalways our intention toroll out a dedicatedawards event. Andwe’re delighted thatCycle Show haschosen to host theawards during theprestigious EarlsCourt exhibition.”

Andrew Brabazon,Cycle Show’s event

director, added: “We’redelighted to be working

together with BikeBiz on theawards. It cements the alreadystrong relationship we have.”

To find out more aboutwinning a BikeBiz Award, [email protected] opportunities arealso available and interestedparties should [email protected] find out more.

By Lisa Foster

Last year saw the debut ofthe BikeBiz Awards in theUK. The winners included:-

BIKEBIZ AWARDS2009: COULD ITBE YOU...?

BikeBiz BikeBiz Awards 2009head to Earls Court

Independent RetailerCondor Cycles

Online RetailerChain Reaction

Specialist ChainHalfords

Distributor – BikesHot Wheels

Distributor – Parts &AccessoriesExtra UK

Sales TeamMadison

ManufacturerHope Technology

Sales TriumphDMR

Product InnovationUSE Exposure Lights

Marketing TeamSustrans

Consumer MagazineRouleur

Consumer WebsiteBikeradar.com

Industry AchievementBob Chicken

In association withAWARDS 2009

Trade awards to be held in association with Cycle Show � Free event on first day

NORTHUMBERLAND STREET, in myhome town of Newcastle on Tyne,is the most expensive location inthe UK to rent a shop, outside ofLondon. The streets throng withpedestrians and it’s been car-freesince the 1980s. Suggest opening itto cars and there would be uproar.

Yet, from 1928 to 1975, it waspart of the A1, the main road fromLondon to the north. The street waschoked with motorised traffic. A

footbridge had to be used to span the busy street. The bridge; the tramlines; the cars; the kerbs; all were

swept away to make Northumberland Street the primeretail location it is today. Buskers and performers entertaincrowds where before most of the the room was given overto the infernal combustion engine.

Look at Britain’s streets and roads and it’s hard to imaginethem sans cars. But Northumberland Street – and manysimilar streets – show that it’s possible for a town or a cityto thrive without providing through access to cars.

To many retailers – except bike ones, of course – thisseems counterintuitive. Bikes are for poor people; cars areexpensive so motorists must be more affluent. In fact, manystudies have shown the opposite is the case.

A report for Toronto found that only 10 per cent ofpatrons at local businesses arrived by car and those arrivingby foot and bicycle spend the most money each month.

In the 1960s, Copenhagen – despite resistance – createdthe world’s longest pedestrian street. Providing better accessto cyclists and pedestrians resulted in a boom in business.

Recent studies from Bern, Switzerland, show that parkingspace devoted to bikes generates more business than anequal amount of space for cars. A study in Munster,Germany, found that cyclists buy fewer goods on each tripbut spend more overall over a greater number of trips. Amotorist that spends through the nose for the upkeep of acar – and parking – has less money to spend.

Actor Matthew Modine, founder of Bicycle for a Daywhich encourages people to use bicycles more, believescycling puts money in pockets. Bikes can be parked for free:

“Imagine how wonderful life would be if you don’t haveto [pay to] park to watch a musical; you have an extra $30.”

So, exactly what are you doing to encourage cycling toyour shop? Do you provide for bike parking? Do you lobbyyour local council for more car-free areas in your town orcity? Get on the case, you’ll benefit from increased sales.

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE EDITORIAL

JULY ISSUE 42

NEWS 6-11

REGULARS

BikeBiz talks aboutaggressive pricing withcomponent firm Clarks

EVENTS 15

19

LETTERS 68Biking brings out cyclists’ maternal instinct,while one irate retailer vents his fury...

OFF THE RECORD 69Tour de France goes to jail and BikeBiz lays thefoundations for a cycle injury competition...

SPOKESMAN 70Our regular retailer columnist talks clothing,tube strikes and getting the nation onto bikes

CYCLE HONOURS

MYSTERY SHOPPER

CHAIN REACTION 12Singletrack editor Chippendale reveals theimportance of coffee in the cycle media world

PEOPLE 38This month Raleigh and Jim Walker bring newfaces on board, while Procycling gets a new ed...

NEW PRODUCTS 57SRAM, Rockshox and Oxford all have newproducts on offer. BikeBiz takes a closer look

BikeBiz celebrates the recognition of several key members of thebike industry, including Bob Chicken MBE, in a special feature

Carlton Reid, Executive Editor

BMX

This month our undercover reporter heads to cycling-centricCambridge to see how its retailers compare...

HALFORDS AIMS HIGHBikeBiz finds out about Halford’s premium sector ambitionsfollowing the latest set of financials from the huge retailer

BOOKMARK US:MOBILE.BIKEBIZ.COM

32

26

23

45 53

14INDUSTRY OPINIONS 16OFF THE RADAR

Halfords reveals its next target in cycle retail,new BMX ranges come to the UK and more...

BRAKING NEWS

FOCUS ON…

CYCLE COMPUTERS

“To many retailers, car-free streets

seem counterintuitive. In fact, better

access to cyclists and pedestrians

results in a boom in business.”

NEWS

Halfords sets sights onpremium cycle sectorRetailer ramps up online, accessories and high-end presence

FOLLOWING the financial year-end results for the UK’s biggestbicycle retailer, Halfords has toldBikeBiz that it is planning to grabmarket share in the premium,accessories and online sectors.

Last month the firm revealedthat it had recorded a profit of£92.4 million before tax – a 2.4per cent rise compared with lastyear, despite a like-for-like salesfall of 3.3 per cent.

“I think it’s widely known thatthere are opportunities to growour cut of the premium marketand our aim is to grow profitablemarket share in the high-endsector,” Halfords commercialdirector Paul McClenaghan toldBikeBiz. “I think that’s where we’llget our growth from in thefuture.”

McClenaghan also revealedhow Halfords’ online portalswere driving business, withaccessories sales and the Reserve

and Collect services performingparticularly well for the retailer.

“What’s next for online is forus to add more variety to ouraccessories lines, which can alsomake use of the increasinglypopular Reserve and Collectoffering,” added McClenaghan.

“We currently range between2,000 and 2,500 lines on thecycle accessories side andwe’re planning to put another

2,000 on during the summer. “We want to make sure we

have a very credible offer onour website for cyclists,”McClenaghan concluded. For more on Halfords’premium ambitions, turn toour interview on page 23.

By Jonathon Harker

“It’s widely known that there areopportunities to grow our cut of thepremium market. That’s where we’llget our growth from in future.”

Paul McClenaghan, Halfords

ACCORDING TO JamesFlower, senior consultant forVerdict Research, Halfords’continuing success is anothersign that the trade is faringwell despite the recession.

But the effect onindependent bike dealers ofthe huge retailer’s withdrawalfrom the Cycle Republic andBikehut brands is less clear.

IBD IMPACT Flower told BikeBiz: “I don’tthink this will have a majorimpact on independents.However, because Halfordswill now not roll outnumerous standalone stores,the prospects forindependents going forwardare improved. As ever,independents can prosper inthe market, carving out aniche and building on serviceand specialist credentials.

“That said, Halfords isgrowing its premium cyclebusiness quickly which meansit will bump into somespecialist independents moreoften – though it will taketime for Halfords to build realcredibility in this area whereservice, knowledge andexpertise are critical.”

Flower speculated on thereasoning behind the major

rebranding: “I think the shopsjust didn’t trade as strongly asexpected.

“Perhaps the Bikehut branddidn’t have quite thecredibility that Halfordsthought – with someconsumers maybe unaware ofthe Bikehut brand in-store atHalfords. Also, tradingpatterns differ in smaller HighStreet stores to those out-of-town and this may have alsobeen a challenge for theretailer. It probably makessense to offer an editedassortment in smallerHalfords branded stores,rather than limit a store tothe sales of bikes only.”

MORE SPACE FOR CYCLING?Flower cast doubt on the firmallocating more store spaceto cycling: “Halfords alreadydedicates large areas tocycling. But there is room inmany of these to increasestock densities. The fact thatit will not open any morestandalone cycle storesmeans that if anything, newbike space will slow goingforward.

“Space growth plans andthe fact that Halfords has astrong brand in cycling meansthat it will add share.”

Retail analysis

NORCO is to bring a brand newBMX range to the UK thisautumn via exclusive distributorFisher Outdoor Leisure.

The Canadian brand has astrong reputation across theAtlantic, according to Fisher –which picked up the Norco brandin August last year and showed itto dealers at this year’s Expo.

The fresh BMX range will beavailable to UK dealers for thefirst time in October withexpected price points for themodels to range between£279.99 to £429.99. The Volt(pictured) is

anticipated to hit a price point of£299.99.

Fisher told BikeBiz that the£299.99 to £349.99 models areexpected to be particularlypopular, based on initial dealerfeedback, and that all bikeswithin that range will feature midBBs, 25/9 micro drive gearing,integrated head tubes and have astreet/park geometry. The bikeswill also includechromotubing andeye-

catching colour ways. Fisher Outdoor Leisure

product manager Martin‘Hawziee’ Hawyes told BikeBiz:“Our bikes are made by one ofthe industry’s leading BMXmanufacturers and we felt byoffering the Norco brand in thissector this further underlined ourintention to grow the brand andthe level of business available toour stockists to the strength andstature it currently receives in

Canada and America.”Hawziee added that

expectations are high forthe Norco BMX range:

“We have alreadyestablished some good

partnerships with thenew dealer network

that we havecreated. Thefeedback ondesire for thisrange of BMXesis, to be frank, alittleoverwhelming!

“Obviouslywe’re very

excited to come in

to the sector in the UK with sucha competitive deal withouthaving to convince dealers andconsumers alike of the qualityand handling of the bikes as theyare already a well-known, highlydesired BMX brand that hasreceived constantly good reviews.

“Until now they could only beread about on the internet or inAmerica and Canada,” heenthused.

Interested dealers shouldcontact their account manager atFisher Outdoor Leisure on 01727792604.

NEWS

Norco BMX unleashedon the UK this autumn

STOCK of Ison’s latest brandaddition, Renthal, is beginning toarrive with the Cambridgedistributor.

Chainrings have alreadylanded and as BikeBiz hitsdoormats the firm’s ‘FatBar’handlebar, constructed fromhigh-strength 7050 T6aluminium alloy, will be in stock.

One product Ison’s marketingmanager Matt Andrews is eagerly

anticipating is the previouslyunseen stem. He said of thecurrent prototype: "It’s a patentpending two-piece, which allowsmore un-needed material to bemachined out, cutting weightwithout sacrificing strength.”

The yet-to-be-named modelhas a 31.8 clamp, 50mm reachand a ten-degree rise. It’s best-suited to downhill, freeride andall-mountain use, but will work

for pretty much everything else.What’s more, it has a ridiculousweight of only 135 grams. Themodel should be available atretail in about two months withan expected retail price of£65.00 to £80.00."

All of Renthal’s manufacturingtakes place in Manchester andthe brand is currently offeringproduct for the 4X, MTB,downhill and BMX markets.

By Jonathon Harker

Ison rolls Renthal into retail

BikeBiz gets exclusive first look at range arriving in October

This year’s Expo showcasedthe Norco to dealers

The Volt is part ofNorco’s BMX range,heading to the UK soon

Renthal’s as-yet-unnamedlightweight stem prototype

RALEIGH IS to outsourceproduction of Diamondback’sfive top-end BMX bikes toGerman firm KHE. The UK designteam will remain in charge of theaesthetics, though top-of-the-line models will now comespecced to a greater standard,utilising KHE and Diamondback’sown aftermarket components.

Due to be debuted at theRelentless-sponsored NationalAction Sports Show, runningfrom Friday July 10th to 12th,the range tops out at £599.99for the Alt model.

Described as “a showcase ofwhat the partnership canachieve”, the Alt has a fullchromoly frame and KHE’saftermarket Astral and Asternhubs laced onto the

manufacturer’s Big O and Big Vrims. Unusually for a completeBMX, the bike’s rear hub is anine-tooth freecoaster, whichalone costs around £125.

Many of the top-end modelscome equipped with KHE’sgroundbreaking Mac2 foldingtyres, which claim to be thelightest available. Unsurprisingly,the Alt tips the scales at afeatherweight 10.2kg, placing itin the bracket some custombuilds find hard to achieve.

Raleigh’s marketing managerGeoff Giddings said of theoverhaul: “The main emphasis onour range this year is thatinstead of taking theDiamondback USA range wedecided to develop our own line-up along with KHE for our topfive bikes and then below thatwith our own factories.

“We have specced anddesigned all the graphics in-house and worked with all the

manufacturers to present a reallyexciting and dynamic range. Forthe top of the range models the

emphasis has been on gettingthe weight of the bikes rightdown, now a major sellingfeature for BMX.”

An extensive marketingschedule is in place to promotethe revamped brand too, withpromotional material available todealers from early July.

Those involved in Raleigh’sstockist programme will also belisted on a poster due to beinserted into Ride BMX mag laterthis year. Factory Media’s titlewill then carry advertisementspromoting the brand fromSeptember going forwards.

A new website is also in theworks, alongside a promotionalvideo to be created by Raleigh’sappointed in-house videoproducer. This title will star thenewly-created Diamondback‘Flow Team’.

NEWS

DB outsources BMX production to KHEGerman manufacturers KHE appointed by Raleigh UK to manufacture Diamondback’s top-end models

WHILE stocks last, Jim Walkerwill be offering its customers tenper cent off its R-Torq R and R-Torq RS ten-speed cranks.

The super-styled carboncranks have had retail prices(including VAT) slashed to£383.39 for the RS and £248.39for the standard R model. Bothcranksets are available in regularor compact and in 170, 172.5and 175mm lengths.

The R-Torq R crank is perfectfor intense and persistent use,typical of enthusiasts of highcalibre, even if they’re notnecessarily athletes. Fulcrumcranksets feature theCampagnolo Ultra Torque

system, which guaranteeslightness, rigidity, simpleassembly and easymaintenance. 34-50 or 39-53chain ring set ups are availableand the final weight comes to751 grams.

The higher-spec model,the Racing Torq RS, has

been conceived forcompetitive racing at the

maximum level and usesFulcrum hollow cranktechnology, allowing thecrankset’s arms to be made withan internal cavity and thereforeachieve weight loss whilemaintaining structural quality.

For more information on thepromotion, call 08707 528 777or visit www.i-ride.co.uk.

ZYRO IS launching its firstbusiness partner newsletter thissummer alongside its brand newconsumer website –performancecyclingaccessories.com.

The newsletter – brandedZyrogram – will be sent outquarterly and exclusively to ZyroAccount Holders, including newsof the latest and forthcomingbranded products.

The Zyrogram will also supportZyro’s ‘Orange Pages’ productguide, which will see a secondedition published this month.

Zyrospeaksto trade

8 BIKEBIZ JULY BIKEBIZ.COM

Jim Walker rolls out new promotionalFulcrum discounts

“This year wedecided to

develop our ownrange along withKHE, rather than

taking the USArange.”

Geoff Giddings, Raleigh

By Mark Sutton

The top five newDiamondback modelswill be manufacturedby German firm KHE

The Alt is at the top ofthe new Diamondback

range, hitting a£599.99 price point

"The R-Torq Rcrank is perfectfor intense andpersistent use,typical ofenthusiasts ofhigh calibre, evenif they’re notnecessarilyathletes.”

THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY gotbehind last month’s nationwideBike Week 2009, raising theprofile of their businesses locallywhile also making the most ofthe commercial opportunity.

Many big names from thecycle trade got involved in thenational programme of events,while media coverage andattention from the press hasseemingly reached a high for thecycling celebration.

Manufacturer Trek partneredwith a local charity during itscycling activites, Fisher OutdoorLeisure attended nearby bikingevents, while Halfords, Raleighand many more firms from thetrade joined in pro-cycling events.

But some voices from theindustry have reported that therewas plenty of potential in theweek-long programme of eventsthat is yet to be fully takenadvantage of.

Part-time voluntary cyclingpromotion group Crank It Up,which took part in a range of pro-cycling activities, told BikeBiz thatmany of the events taking placeattracted non-cyclists – andpotential customers:

“We attended the Bradfordevent in Lister Park on SaturdayJune 13th and it appeared to usthat non cyclists outnumberedcyclists by approximately 10 toone,” a spokesperson told BikeBiz.

“The sort of ratio of people atthe event in Bradford was a bigpotential market for retailers, andan ideal opportunity for cycleshops to get their name in frontof prospective customers.

“Hopefully next year morecycling shops will get involvedand help improve on this year’sevent.”

One Glasgow retailer, WillyBain of Bicyclerepair.co.uk tookpart in a CTC-organised event: “Itook an hour out of the day tohelp out at ‘Parks and Ride’.We’ve had a lot of very goodfeedback from it already.”

Chris Compton of ComptonCycles believed that coverage andawareness of the event was at itshighest level yet: “We had acouple of events that wesupported during Bike Week.More so than ever, it’s amazinghow aware the local authorityand schools are of it this year.

“The first event was apresentation at the local hospitalwhen they launched their bike towork initiative coupled with thelaunch of Cyclescheme duringBike Week. We were also involvedin a number of Dr Bike sessionsfor a couple of Governmentdepartments.”

Compton added: “We werepaid to attend, though didn’tmake much of a profit afterexpenses, but it raises the profileof our business locally –collectively the organisations weare working with employ over5,000 people in the local area –and it demonstrates that we are

involved in our local cyclingcommunity and is an ideal wayto soft sell the idea of tradingtheir current bikes up.

“For about eight hours’ effortfrom two members of staff I’msure that the payback incommercial terms will be tenfold.”

Compton said that Bike Weekprovided ample opportunitiesthat are still being missed by theindustry: “I am still amazed thatthe cycle trade as a wholedoesn’t engage more with thiscommercial opportunity that isBike Week. Sure it would be moreconvenient to have it in Februarybut to make it a success it has tobe in the main season.”

NEWS

Bike Week is riding high

THE WORKSHOP business isbooming for many independentbike dealers. But according tomany, retailers are selling theirservices too cheaply – ultimatelydamaging revenues.

The increasingly popularservice – thought to beparticularly in demand due tocyclists repairing their bikesrather than purchasing new ones– is estimated to generate asmuch as 20 per cent of revenuefor many bike dealers.

W Homer Cycles shop

manager Adam Riley told BikeBiz:“We put prices up around 15months back after realising thatwe were operating on too low amargin. The increase had noeffect on the footfall ofcustomers seeking repairs andwe’ve a steady flow since.

“As a rough estimate, I’d sayrepairs, all completed by myself,bring in 20 per cent of revenue.”

Swinnerton’s Cycles shopmanager Craig Shuff also said hebelieves some IBDs aren’tcharging enough: “From

experience, I’d say plenty of cycleshops do still undercharge,although just two years back, sodid Swinnerton’s. In fact, ourprices were 50 per cent loweracross the board, yet the increasehas done nothing to dentcustom. Quite the opposite, asour workshop is very busy.”

Steve Williams, co-owner ofHighland Cycles, said: “I think theindustry still tends to sell itself tocustomers a bit cheap. Thenagain, this all depends on theaffluence of your patch.”

By Jonathon Harker

IBDS ‘not charging enough’

More trade participation than ever, but opportunities still missed

“For about eight hours effort from twomembers of staff – at local Dr Bikesessions – I’m sure the payback incommercial terms will be ten fold.”

Chris Compton, Compton Cycles

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JULY 9

Danny MacAskillshows his skills at aBike Week eventbased in GeorgeStreet, Glasgow

HOT ON the heels of theannouncement that Madison willbe attending next year’s BikeRadarLive, Future has told BikeBiz that ithas high hopes that other bignames are on track to sign up tonext year’s event – which is set tobe bigger and better.

The debut event, which tookplace in May at Donington Park,saw 8,472 attendees visit thecycling festival, and Futureboasted that BRL will be the UK’spremier cycling event: “Weintend to develop BikeRadar Liveas a calendar event – the UK’sonly bike festival,” Futurepublishing director PeterStothard told BikeBiz. “Ourexhibitors have a fantasticopportunity to promote theirproduct launches to an audienceof passionate cyclists.”

Madison became the firstconfirmed partner for the secondBRL. While the Milton Keynes-based distributor didn’t attendthe 2009 event, Madisonmarketing director Will Frippvisited the show. He said:

“I was really impressed withBikeRadar Live; a great eventwith a fantastic atmosphere, oneI haven’t experienced at a cycleevent for some considerableyears,” Fripp enthused. “Thefantastic mix of cyclists – fromroadies and families, through tohardcore off-road riders wasbrilliant, and made the showappeal to enthusiasts and thetrade itself.

“Madison will be exhibiting atBikeRadar Live next year, with allof our brands represented.”

Madison’s move is set to bethe first of many industry namessigning up to the event,according to Future: “The successof the first BRL is fresh in manypeople’s minds and we’re nowspeaking with many of theindustry’s biggest names to make2010 even bigger. The inauguralevent was untested, so naturallysome areas of the industrywanted to see how successful

BikeRadar Live was. Madisonconfirmed their intention ofworking with us at the event, sowe now have high hopes tosecure other major names.”

Stothard confirmed thatgrowth of the trade side of thefestival was key to the eventorganisers: “Our first-year tradepartners were happy with theresults. Traders sold bikes as adirect result of visits to theirstand at the event.”For more on the festival turn topage 30 for our BRL report.

386 million tripsmade on NationalCycle Network inthe past yearSustainable transport charitySustrans has announced thatfor the first time in its 14year history, the NationalCycle Network has recordedmore than one millionjourneys everyday. Half weremade by bike.

Cycle Surgery toopen new outletthis summerCycle Surgery is moving outof Selfridges on Sunday July5th and relocating to GreatPortland Street, London.

Head of marketing KevinYoung explains: “After sevenyears of successful tradingfrom our concession inSelfridges, our new GreatPortland Street store gives usthe perfect opportunity togrow our business in thisbusy part of London.”

Re-Cycle shipsdonates bikestools and spareparts to AfricaBike charity Re-Cycle, whichmakes use of the millions ofbikes thrown away inEngland by sending them toAfrican people who areforced to walk for hours bylack of transport, iscelebrating its tenthanniversary.

The charity has alsorecently sent 30,000 bikes toZambia. For more info checkout http:/www.re-cycle.org

Fli lands eyewearbrand ElectricVisualSports brand Electric Visualhas signed a deal for FliDistribution to supply itssunglasses, goggles andclothing ranges.

Interested dealers shouldhead to the Fli Distributionhomepage or contact brandmanager Darren Bland on01457 861 849.

CYCLESHORTS

NEWS

AS REVEALED on BikeBiz.com,Giant has launched its firstconcept store in Liverpool at thestart of last month.

The first UK-based exclusivelyGiant store will be run by anindependent bicycle dealer inwhat is described as an up andcoming quarter of the city. Thestore – named Bike Beat – is

being run as a co-operative andsurplus revenues will be investedback into the shop.

Giant has gone on to confirmthat it is planning to roll theconcept out to other locationsacross the UK and potentialfuture partners are already indiscussion for more independentstores to use the Giant concept.

For breaking news visit:www.bikebiz.com


By Jonathon Harker

BikeRadar Live is set to be ‘the UK’sonly bike festival’, says Future

SmashingattendanceFUTURE is hoping to smashthe attendance seen for thefirst event. Stothard toldBikeBiz: “The resoundinglypositive feedback hascreated a real buzz amongstthose who missed it in 2009.Getting traders andenthusiasts to visualiseBikeRadar Live before theysaw it with their own eyeswas our biggest challenge.”

“We were incrediblypleased with this year’sevent, and already have adedicated team working onmaking 2010 even biggerand better,” Stothard added.

It’s just the beginning for BRL, according to Future � Madison signs up for 2010

IBD opens first Giant exclusive concept store

“Traders sold bikes as a direct result ofshow visits. All-in-all, our partnerswere very happy with the show”

Future concept storepartners are now in

negotiations with Giant

CYCLODELIC’S launch intoTopshop’s flagship store onOxford Street has seen interest inthe brand rocket, with a numberof global deals in the works.

The unprecendented move, asreported by BikeBiz in March, sawCyclodelic’s range of women’scycling clothing and accessorieslaunched into one of the world’slargest fashion stores in April.

The Cyclodelic brand wascreated by Sarah Buck and AmyFleuriot who told BikeBiz that thereaction to the range – and thehigh profile provided by theTopshop deal – has sparkedplenty of interest in the brand:

“It has been extremelypositive. We've had press andinterested retailers contact usfrom all over the world and have

secured deals with ChainReaction Cycles, Tokyo Fixed Gearand are in talks with distributorsfor Ireland, Australia and Japan.”

Fleuriot explained that theTopshop deal will soon be over:

“There were discussions aboutexpanding the range but theproducts that we want to pushwouldn't be suitable for themarket and price in Topshop.”

But despite the end of thatdeal Cyclodelic revealed that a

move into a top cycling boutiqueis forthcoming: “We are leavingTopshop to focus on distributingthe range globally and to give amore personalised service tocustomers. We’ll be moving theTopshop range into a well-knowncentral London cycling boutique,launching our site and looking formore retailers to take it on.”

It’s a great time for women incycling, according to Cleuriot:“We've got fantastic role modelsin cycling and fashion, fromShanaze Reade and Nicole Cooke,to Agnes Deane and Lily Allen.”

Fleuriot concluded: “We’refocusing on getting our rangeperfected but the Topshop dealhas been great for us and theimage of cycling. We’d definitelyconsider partnering with HighStreet stores in the future.”

NEWS

Cyclodelic to launchinto cycling boutique


Female cycle clothing firm reaps rewards from Topshop deal

“We’re moving therange to a well-known Londoncycling boutique.”

Amy Fleuriot, Cyclodelic

By Jonathon Harker

Cyclodelic’s deal withHigh Street fashion

store Topshop hasplayed its part in

fostering the women-in-cycling zeitgeist

CHAIN REACTION


Singletrack editor Chipps Chippendale reckons that a goodcoffee is worth more than better margins…

LifebloodAS A TEENAGE bike shop hanger-on, it’s the sign that you’ve‘arrived’ when the boss asks ifyou’d like to put the kettle on“…and make one for yourself”.Before that moment, you werejust someone who popped inevery Saturday to look at bikes,maybe paw some shinycomponents that you couldnever afford and get volunteeredfor cutting up some cardboard.After that moment of brewingup, you were officially ‘in thegang’. You had been shownwhere the teabags live, you hadbeen told about Brian theMechanic’s two and a half sugarsand you knew that the bossalways had the Rockshox mug.

It’s the same for customers.You can come in every week andbuy something, but it’s when themanager offers you a coffee thatyou know that you’re not onlyrecognised, but valued.

Teabags cost pennies, but theact of making a cuppa blurs theline between customer andretailer. It’s a perk and a privilegeto be offered it. There’s no goingback either – once you’ve beenoffered a coffee or tea, protocol

demands that you areforevermore offered a beverage,so it’s not an offer to give lightly.

Every now and again, you’llfind a shop or supplier wherethere’s a coffee fanatic (theyseem more common than teafanatics for some reason,probably because it’s hard tomake terrible tea, but so easy toruin coffee). The presence of acoffee fanatic is easy to spot asthere will be a shiny, steamingmachine in a corner, next to anequally shiny grinder.Occasionally it’ll be a drip-machine, but the true coffee nutwill have found a way to justifya proper espresso machine.

In the same way that a goodmechanic will hear imperceptiblesqueaks and rattles from adrivetrain and instinctively reachto fix them without thinking, sothe coffeehound will work tokeep their machine in tip-topcondition. The grind of the beanswill be adjusted one click at atime so that the coffee flowsfrom the spouts of the filter-handle in a perfect, creamybrown drizzle. The steam wand(always shiny and cleaned

between frothings) will dispensedry, clean steam to freshlypoured, cold milk. Often there’sno need for a thermometer asthe temperature will be judgedby a brief grasp of the hand and

the pitch of the steam roarthrough the milk.

The resultant coffee will beserved (in the correct cups) withapparent nonchalance, but quietpride in a coffee well made. Yourbarista won’t expect praise, butwill be listening out for the‘Mmm…’ of the first sip. That isreward enough.

I know that I’m not alone inmy enthusiasm for coffee. I’vebeen to many places where goodcoffee is served and if you wantthe best run-down, you needonly ask your nearest travellingbike rep. They’re the ones whoknow where to find the bestcoffees and will divert miles outof their way on a spuriousexcuse to secure a good coffee.Ask them nicely and they’ll letyou know where to find it too.

They’ll talk about Bike Treks inAmbleside, where the always-smart Keith will immediatelystop work and return shortlyafterwards with an Italian,perfect, small cappuccino,complete with biscotti.

A visit to Escape Route inPitlochry is always worthwhilewhen Kevin Dangerous plies youwith enough perfect espressos tomake the journey down the A9bearable. Then there’s Joe atSummit Cycles, who can bluffwith the best of them aboutFracino espresso machines, anddon’t get Michael Bonney fromOrange started. His home coffeemachine has refuelled many aflagging traveller on their way

back down from the North –again, always served in the rightcup (and he’ll remember what hemade you last time too) andwith a selection of biscuits.

Magazine staff notoriouslysurvive on nothing but coffeeand strong booze, so they’realways worth a visit. Future,previously the home of awfulNescafé by the bucket (or filtercoffee if the publisher’s in themeeting), has moved into abuilding that has a Starbucksdownstairs. Now that’sdedication.

And Singletrack? Well, ourfirst machine was quite modest,yet still turned out a fine coffee.However, once we gained morestaff it couldn’t keep up and theprogression to a full-on, plumbedin machine was inevitable. Wenow have a Wega machineworthy of a London café and anaccount with the local coffeeroasters. And strangely, weappear to attract a lot of ‘justpassing’ reps and bike industryfolk, whether they’re heading toScotland, or they just live downthe road.

The machine’s always on…

“If you want thebest coffee, youneed only ask yournearest travellingbike rep. They’lldivert miles out oftheir way for agood one.”

Chipps Chippendale

INDUSTRY OPINIONS

JAKE VOELCKER, OWNER,JAKES BIKESFull service charge:£70 labour plus parts.Drivetrain service charge: £35, including necessary brakingtweaks.Tube replacement: £4 labour plus tube cost.Bike-in-a-box build: £20

“HIGH STREET shops in Bristoltend to charge a little more thanour prices and on the whole, Iwouldn't say the industry has aproblem with undercharging inthe workshop.

Typically, I won't charge morefor a mucky bike. However if Ican see several minor tweaks tobe made – such as a alignmentof bars, saddles or mudguards –then I may look at the price ofthe job in terms of labour cost.This is all discussed with thecustomer on an appointmentbasis though.

As a workshop only business,which sells reconditioned bikeson the side, I'm now consideringdropping the sale side of thingsas the mark up is so poor. Thiswould leave our business able tofocus on the massively busyrepairs aspect. It wasn't long agowe shifted to a premises withthree times the room of theprior building and that's all onthe back of the success of therepair business.

I also now employ anadditional mechanic to assistme with the volume of repairsand reconditioning.”

CRAIG SHUFF, SHOP MANAGER,SWINNERTONS CYCLESFull service: £120, including full strip, refit

and full regrease.Drivetrain service:£60, including brake tuning,safety check and wheel true.Safety Check: £45Tube replacement: £10 for wheel removal and fitplus the tube’s cost.Bike-in-a-box build: £80

“FROM EXPERIENCE, I'd sayplenty of cycle shops do stillundercharge, although just twoyears back, so did Swinnertons.In fact, our prices were 50 percent lower across the board, yetthe increase has done nothing todent custom. Quite the opposite,our workshop is very busy.

We do carry Shimano ServiceCentre Plus status and I thinkthat gives our customers theconfidence that we'll restore abike to its former glory. We aimfor a 24-hour turnaround,meaning we're always busy, yetthe mechanics are all Cytechqualified and up to the job.We've recently taken on anothermember of staff to handle thevolume of work. An importantrole considering the workshopgenerates around 20 per cent ofour shop’s revenue.”

ADAM RILEY,SHOP MANAGER,W HOMER CYCLESFull service charge:£35 for a basic checkover, £70for a comprehensive takingapart greasing and rebuild.Drivetrain Service: £35 Tube replacement:£8.50, including price of tube.Bike-in-a-box build:£35 charge

“WE PUT prices up around 15months back realising that wewere operating on too low a

margin. This has had no effecton the footfall of customersseeking repairs and we’ve had asteady flow of traffic since.

We installed a bike cleaningbooth not too long ago byknocking down a wall in theshop, and so we now offer thisservice when a customer booksa bike in for a full checkover. Asrough estimate, I'd say repairs,all completed by myself, bring in20 per cent of our revenue.”

STEVE WILLIAMS, CO-OWNER,HIGHLAND CYCLESFull service charge:£50 plus parts.Drivetrain service:Individually priced based oncondition and work needed.Tube replacement:£5 plus the tube’s cost.Bike in a box build:£37.50, however BSOs areturned away

“SOME COMPANIES, even largeroutfits, overcharge in myopinion. But I think the industrystill tends to sell itself tocustomers a bit cheap. Thenagain, this all depends on theaffluence of your patch.

Our set-up is slightly unusualin that we have a separate storefor repair work, our old shop,which has a good 12,000 squarefoot of space to pack the workin. At present we have around 25bikes in for work.

If a bike comes in covered inmuck, we'll add a £10 charge toget it clean and workable, butfor the few unlucky enough tohave picked up dog muck, thenwe have to refuse the work.

A good 20 per cent of ourrevenue is made up from therepairs business.”


Despite it being a sector of the business that pulls highermargins than anywhere else, it is often said that many cycleretailers undercharge in the workshop. Mark Sutton talks toa few retailers about their approach to repairs…

Margindis-service?

“Two years ago our workshop chargeswere half of what they stand at today.The rise, however, has not dented thevolume of work. Quite the opposite,our workshop is very busy...”

Craig Shuff, Swinnertons Cycles

Jake Voelcker (left), Adam Riley (right) and Swinnertons Cycles(below)

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JULY15

SPOTLIGHTUPCOMING EVENTS

CYCLE VISIONFriday July 3rd – 5thTilburg, Netherlandswww.cyclevision.nl

RELENTLESS NASSFriday July 10th – 12thBath and West Showground,Shepton Mallet, Somersetwww.nassfest.com

BIKE EXPOThursday July 23rd – 26thMunich, Germany www.bike-expo.com

EUROBIKE 09Wednesday September 2nd –5thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-exhibition.de

TOUR OF BRITAIN 2009Saturday September 12th –19thNationwidewww.tourofbritain.com

R’BIKELyon, FranceSaturday September 12th –15thwww.rbike.fr

FESTIBIKE 2009Las Rozas, SpainFriday September 18th – 20thwww.festibike.com

EXPO BICIPadova, ItalySaturday September 19th –21stwww.expobici.it

INTERBIKE 2009Wednesday September 23rd –25thLas Vegas, USAwww.interbike.com

PARIS CYCLE SHOWFriday October 2nd – 5th Paris, Francemondial-deuxroues.com

ROC D’AZURFrejus, FranceWednesday October 7th –11thwww.rocazur.com

CYCLE SHOWThursday October 8th – 11th Earls Court, Londonwww.cycleshow.co.uk

BIKE MOTION BENELUXFriday October 30th –November 2nd Utrecht, Hollandwww.bikemotionbenelux.nl

BIKE BRNOThursday November 5th – 8th Brno, Czech Republicwww.bvv.c2/bikebrno-gb

EICMA BICYCLE ANDMOTORCYCLE SHOWTuesday Nov 10th – 15thMilan, Italywww.eicma.it

TAICHUNG BIKE WEEKSaturday December 5th – 13thTaichung, Taiwanwww.taichungbikeweek.com

July 2009

EVENTS

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

EUROBIKE 09Wednesday September 2nd – 5thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-exhibition.de

TO DEMONSTRATE what amighty cycling media empire weare, I asked the editors and keystaff members of Procycling,Cycling Plus, BikeRadar.com andCyclingnews.com to detail thewriters and photographers they’dbe using to cover the Tour andwhat they would personally beup to.

WHEN THE GOING GETSHECTIC, THE HECTIC TURN PROProcycling deputy editor EllisBacon says: “As well as topBelgian snapper Tim De Waelerecording the race through themedium of photography,Procycling will be represented bymyself, Peter Cossins and DanielFriebe in various combinationsof two across the three weeks.”

“My role will be to interviewriders in the start village whenthey can’t talk because they’retoo busy eating crepes, and tointerview riders on the finish linewhen they’re too knackered totalk and feel like crap.

“I will also be arguing withDaniel over the map as to whereour hotel is, and won’t be doingany of the driving.

“And we shall no doubt takecare of our (nearly) award-winning daily podcasts for a

third straightyear, which is always a goodexcuse for not getting magazinefeatures back to the office in atimely fashion.”

The most Tour-hardenedmember of the team, out-goingeditor Peter Cossins gets straightto priorities. “My role will be tomake sure there’s someonearound who knows the fastestway to the free press buffetevery day and knows how to getthe car back to the UK withoutreversing it into a concretebollard at high speed,” he says.“I’ll also be trying to get the freedinner and wine that Tim DeWaele has promised me.

“On a more serious level, I’llbe trying to get LanceArmstrong to speak to the worldby any means other than hisTwitter account, attempting toget Alberto Contador to saysomething controversial –anything at all, it needn’t evenbe about cycling – and hopingthat Andy Schleck rides intoParis in yellow as I’ve got a bigwedge on him at 11-1.”

I LOVE IT WHEN A PLANCOMES TOGETHERProbably no publication atFuture handles more words andpictures than Cyclingnews inJuly, with coverage includingrace reports, interviews, behind-the-scenes features, gearcoverage and blogs.

Cyclingnews managing editorDaniel Benson is clearly feelingthe pressure, and has convincedhimself he’s Col Hannibal Smith.

“In 2009 a crack commandounit of Cyclingnews journalistsand photographers will be sent

to France to cover the biggestcycling race in the calendar, theTour de France,” he says, puffingon a big cigar.

“I will lead the troops on theground, with able support fromlieutenants Gregor Brown,Hedwig Kroner and TheGuardian’s Richard Moore.

“Along with a splinter groupof mercenaries from Procyclingmagazine, Cyclingnews will begoing behind the lines (towardsthe team buses) and talking toevery rider that matters at thestart of each stage, gatheringpost-race quotes and all thenews, to bring the readers themost comprehensive andcompelling coverage on the net.

“Back at Cyclingnews HQ, ourhomeland troops will beproviding daily live coveragefrom every stage and postingresults faster than anyone else.

“If you want race coverage, ifno one else can help, and if youcan find them, you should followthe Cyclingnews team.”

SOMETHING’S ON THE RADARBikeRadar.com’s remit is tocover the whole spectrum ofcycling, but it feels like nothingelse matters in July. Editor JeffJones will be making techreports his coverage focus.

“Our ace tech editor JamesHuang will be at the Tour toscope out the bikes and gearthat the top pros use,” he says.“His eagle eye is capable ofspotting non-standard bits from400 paces.

“My role will be making surewe have enough coffee in Bath.

And chocolate. Lots ofchocolate.

“Our US editor GaryBoulanger will be responsible forkeeping the Tour news tickingover after the UK lot haveknocked off and gone to thepub.”

CYCLING PLUS SEARCH ANDREVOLUTIONSIn contrast with the glamorouslife of Peter, Ellis, the Danielsand the other writers andshooters on the road, CyclingPlus editor Rob Spedding won’tbe trekking round France forthree weeks. “I’ll be watching iton telly,” he says. Someone hasto stay home and make the tea.

In the field, though, “we callon some brilliant freelancers tocapture the excitement andstories at the Tour,” says Rob.“Photojournalist Rob Lampardhas been Cycling Plus’ man onthe spot for the past seven yearsand always delivers great shotsand brilliant stories. We’ll also beusing images from multi-award-winning agency PhotosportInternational.

“Our pre-Tour issue, on sale inearly June, also boasts thewriting talents of two mencalled Moore – Richard and Tim.

“Richard is the acclaimedcycling journalist and author ofIn Search of Robert Millar andChris Hoy biog Heroes, Villainsand Velodromes, while Tim is therenowned travel writer behindFrench Revolutions – a hilariousaccount of riding the TdF route –Nul Points, and Spanish Steps.”

It’s going to be a huge July.

OFF THE RADAR

Xx

Future’s road cyclingmagazines andwebsites shift intotop gear in July asall attention focuseson France. JohnStevenson, editor-in-chief of thesports group, goesbehind the scenes...


Whathappenson Tour...

LITTLE KNOWN to many in thetrade, Clarks Cables, as it wasformerly known, was once amain supplier of brakingequipment to the automotiveindustry. Today, under a newname – Clarks Cycle Systems –the firm has exclusivelydedicated its time to the bicyclebusiness.

The change of name came atthe turn of the millennium, yetthe firm’s history dates back to1943. The modern company isnow situated in Tamworth,Staffordshire, having movedpremises last year following there-branding.

At the reigns of the stopping-specialist now is Tony Wright,who has repositioned thecompany with the ethos ofdelivering quality, well designedproducts to market at aggressiveprice points.

Despite being one of themarket’s toughest companies tobeat on price, the brand hasn’tbeen short of innovativeachievements in recent years. In2008, Clarks released the S2hydraulic brake system, whichhas been received well at OEMand aftermarket level, with key

features such as sintered pads asstandard, braided hoses andreach adjustment at highlycompetitive prices.

For 2009, the firm is releasingthe new ‘Skeletal’ hydraulicsystem. The brake boasts whollyunique bite adjustment, reachadjustment, styling with greatcontrol and stoppingperformance, plus it’s alightweight package too, placingit firmly among the best of therest. This system will again beavailable in colour options withcoloured PTFE hoses, which arealso going to be available as anaftermarket product themselves.

It’s not just investment in itsproduct pushing the firmforward either. Two strongpersonnel appointments weremade during 2008, with thehiring of product designer PaulToon, along with the recruitment

Clarks Cycle Systems is fielding an increasingly strong components line-up, introducing kit that iskeeping up with the market’s heavy-hitters on the test rigs, but far outperforming rivals on price.Mark Sutton asks the firm’s managing director Tony Wright how…

Skid, stop and sell

“Our research, gained throughindependent testing, shows usfavourably against our competitors.”

Tony Wright, MD

CLARKS INTERVIEW


of highly experienced sales andmarketing exec Denise Huang,who operates from Taiwan.

As the world economy beganto slump, like many others, Clarkshad to work hard to keep a firmgrip on the market share it hadgained. Wright explains: “Wenoticed the periods October2008 to January 2009 were veryhard with all bicycle productionhalted as the global recession hitmanufacturers in Asia. Being aglobal company we are alwaysaware of currency fluctuations,

but we believe the opportunitiesare there for growth within theOEM markets with our strategyand by supplying a full range ofaftermarket parts we canreinforce our position within theindustry.”

So going forward how doesWright plan to further expandthe brand’s potential: “This yearClarks has begun advising dealersof promotions on a monthlybasis through magazines and thiswill be supported by our website,which is being modified to

include all product ranges,distributor sections, podcastsshowing fitting guides along witha blog and a forum.”

A range of mechanical brakesare also currently indevelopment, which will mainlybe sold to OEM customers. Likeall other Clarks product, the newgear will be tested in facilitieshere in the UK, as well as abroad.

“Independent testing both ininstitutes in England, for instanceon the ‘effects of heat’, havegiven us huge quantities of data

we use in product development,along with bench mark testing atsource to determine a product’slongevity and effectiveness. Ourresearch results show usfavourably against ourcompetitors. This solidfoundation is the basis forimprovement, innovation andsuccess at Clarks,” commentsWright. The firm is seekingfurther dealerships to carry itsever-growing portfolio too.

Wright adds: “Clarks hasalways been a reliable company

to deal with and bicycle dealersare invited to make contact withus or our distributors if they areinterested in carrying any of ourproduct ranges.

“As our range expands we arelooking to further support ourcustomers with regular product-based promotions and incentives,along with a detailed catalogueof spares and replacement partswhich will allow dealerships tofurther service their customer’sneeds through ourcomprehensive range.”

Clarks’ new Staffordshire HQhouses the product designerstasked with producing some ofthe sleekest stoppers on themarket

CLARKS INTERVIEW


BIG MOUNTAIN by LAPIERREThe freeride model from Lapierre is fi nally unveiled, designed for

hardcore riders looking for big drops and adrenaline-pumping runs.

If you’ve got the same touch of crazy as the Froggy, this bike will

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reinforced frame with 180mm of rear travel will assure you precise

handling, stability and riding sensations in the most extreme situations.

NEW FOR 2009

FRAME Alloy SL/OST - FORK Fox Van RC2 1.5 Taper 1-1/8

SHOCK Fox DHX AIR 4.0 240mm - WHEELS Rims Alex FR32 / Hubs LP

TRANSMISSION Shimano Saint (crankset and rear derailleur) - 15.7kg

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HALFORDS’ decision to call timeon two of its retail brands,announced in its April fiscalupdate, shocked many in thecycle trade. But the superstorechain promised that many ofthe lessons learnt from CycleRepublic and Bikehut would befiltered into its main stores –including the high-end rangesthe stores sold – sparkingspeculation over whether thatmeant the firm would be cuttingback on its existing ranges, or ifit meant Halfords was going todedicate more space to cyclingin its stores.

BikeBiz asks commercialdirector Paul McClenaghan whatthe decision really means forHalfords, discusses the firm’sconsiderable achievement ofdelivering a profit despite toughtrading conditions and talksabout how the firm is rampingup its efforts to target the high-end market in a big way…

Are you pleased with Halfordsrecent results considering theeconomic climate? Halfords has continued toperform well, despite theeconomic backdrop, particularlyin our core business, includingcycling and car maintenance.

We’ve seen very healthy like-for-like growth in both of thosecategories. And despite theoverall like-for-like decline in theoverall business, our activemanagement and what we’veput into place early on tomanage margins and reducecosts has allowed us to delivergrowth for the year. It also justre-emphasises how resilient ourbusiness is.

Has Halfords size helped itthrough the recession? I think our scale, particularlywith direct sourcing, has allowedus to both manage our cost baseand manage our margin. Also,

our relationship with suppliershas allowed us more flexibilitythan smaller retailers have.

Do you believe the cycle tradeis bearing up in general,despite the recession? I think it is a great time to be inthe cycle business. Thecombination of concerns overthe environment, concerns overhealth and fitness – particularlywith children, the lifestyle ofcycling and the economycausing people to want to findcheaper ways to commute –these all lead to the industryhaving a really good start to2009 and also for the end of lastyear too.

I think it’s a really good timeto be involved in the cycle trade.For us at Halfords, our continuedsuccess of Boardman along withsome growth from GT and theintroductions of the newpremium brands we’re looking

to bring out as standalones, havegiven us the opportunity forfurther growth on the back ofthe momentum of the wholecycling industry.

Halfords sold one third ofbikes purchased in the UK inthe last 12 months. Are youplanning to increase thatproportion? Our approach has always beento provide good customerservice and make sure we’ve gotthe right bike for the customer,based around choice, value formoney and exceptional servicein the store. And that, togetherwith the multi-channelconvenience we’ve developedwith our Reserve and Collectplatform, has delivered us growthand delivered our share gains.

But while market share isimportant it’s really a referenceto our performance in thecontext of the industry and it’s


HALFORDS INTERVIEW

Halfords has dedicated far greater timeand resource to expanding its cyclebusiness in the past two years. CycleRepublic might have been a nonstarter,but commercial director PaulMcClenaghan confirms to JonathonHarker that going forward the firm aimsto focus on quality as well as quantity...

high-endHalfords goes

“Our approachhas always beento provide goodservice and makesure we have theright bike for ourcustomers.”

Paul McClenaghan,Halfords


HALFORDS INTERVIEW

only desirable to grow it if wecan do that with sustainableprofitability. We’re not chasingmarket share for market sharegains, we’re trying to make surewe can sustain a profit that wecan deliver for our business.

We want to to improve ourmarket share in particular areas– I think it’s widely known thatthere are opportunities to growour cut of the premium marketand our aim is to growprofitable market share in thehigh-end market. The success ofBoardman and GT added to thestrong performance of somepremium accessory brands haveall given us the confidence thatwe can acheive that. I thinkthat’s where we’ll get ourgrowth from in the future.

Halfords has said that thewider ranges found in CycleRepublic and Bikehut storewill be incorporated intoHalfords stores. Does thatmean you’ll cut back on theexisting bike offering tosqueeze in the extra ranges?Or will more floor space bededicated to bicycles inHalfords stores? We’ve obviously done somedetailed analysis around theopportunity, and one of thethings that is clear is that wehave 130 superstores that caneasily accommodate both ourexisting core range and ourpremium range that we want tobring in from the standalonestores. We want to continue tooffer our customers the bestavailable choice across the rangeof cycling disciplines. By

introducing the premium rangeswe will only add to that. It won’tbe at the expense of our massmarket offer.

Of the 130 stores that canaccommodate the range around100 of those have got the rightdemographics of people who willdeliver a return on investmentwithin our premium market.

How many shops will therebranding exercise affect? The majority of the stores havealready been rebranded toMetro. That was completedbetween May 9th to 16th. Thereis one bike store in York which iscurrently trading as CycleRepublic and we don’t have anyfirm plans for that yet. We’llcarry on till the end of June andit may close then. But it’s theonly store that I envisage couldclose.

York in particular stands out –we’ve already got a good Metrostore there anyway, and there’s astore not that far away and it’san obvious one.

We’ve already converted fiveof the other stores and there aretwo that we’re converting now.

Halfords has recently referredto online success – especiallyin the bike accessories market.Can you reveal whatpercentage of your cyclebusiness is done online?Online represents about five percent of our total sales andgrowth has been high double-digit for the last two years. It’s amuch higher percentage forcycling actually. I think thereason why we’re enjoying such

good growth on the web forcycling is because of Reserveand Collect. We find that about90 per cent of customers online,when given the choice betweendirect delivery or reserving andcollecting in-store, choose toreserve in-store.

The reason for collecting instore is one of convenience andalso one of added value. 90 percent of the UK population livewithin an 18 minute drive timeof a Halfords store so it’sconvenient to collect on the wayto or from work or at theweekend. We also add value tothe transaction by obviouslybuilding the bike ready forcollection, making sure it’s sizedcorrectly for the customer whenthey arrive and also just givinggood service and advice for whatthey might need for activities ontheir bike.

There’s a value add reason togo and choose your bike atleisure on the internet and thengo in store to collect and getthat great Halfords experience.

What’s next for online is forus to add more variety to ouraccessories lines, which can alsomake use of the increasinglypopular Reserve and Collectoffering. We currently rangebetween 2,000 and 2,500 lineson the cycle accessories sideand we’re planning to putanother 2,000 on during thesummer. We want to make surewe have a very credible offer onour website for cyclists.

Is the cycle business becomingincreasingly important toHalfords? How does it

compare with the car side ofthe business? Our car business is primarilymade up of consumables –wiper blades, antifreeze –whatever it may be. That’s still avery vibrant growing businessand will continue to be a highdriver of footfall for our stores.The cycling business is part ofour leisure division, representinga significant chunk of thatbusiness and is important to us.I think it does give us theopportunity to bring familiesinto the Halfords environment.

We’ll continue to service abroad church of customers,particularly families and we’revery keen on getting young kidsonto bikes. We can play our partin that positive objective and it’salso a good way of improvingour business.

Our focus has tended to beprimarily on family cycling, and Ithink our emphasis on premiumbikes is actually a reflection ofwhat is happening across theconsumer market at themoment. People are looking tobuy better bikes, they’re lookingto commute more, and they’retaking their cycling much moreseriously. There’s clearly also afashion element which peoplewant to get involved in and ourranging now reflects that.

It’s an important and growingpart of our business.

“Introducingpremium rangeswill add to ouroffering. It won’tbe at the expenseof our massmarket ranges.”

Paul McClenaghan,Halfords


MYSTERY SHOPPER

Worth a punt?Cambridge is one of the UK’s foremost cycling cities, but do its retailers support the burgeoningelectric bike sector, or do they advise against it? BikeBiz’s Mystery Shopper investigates how thebike shops of the city handle customers looking for ebikes and sought-after £500 road bikes…

Cambridge

Ben Hayward CyclesTHE BUSTLING Ben Hayward Cycles is situated on abusy road at the centre of the cycling city. It has servedthe residents of Cambridge for 90 years and was takinga bike delivery when the Mystery Shopper arrived.

Inside the medium-sized shop, bike labels clearlydisplayed prices, but there was little indication of basicfeatures for each bike to guide browsing shoppers.

After approaching a sales assistant, I discovered thatthe store didn’t stock electric bikes but was helpfullytold of a local dealer which does serve the sector.

Leading the conversation, I quizzed the sales assistantover whether the shop had any road bikes in the regionof £500 in stock. He showed me a Trek bike for £570,but that was the only one offered. He discussed thelightness of the bike and, after prompting, told ourMystery Shopper that with bike purchases the shopoffered a one-year guarantee and a free first service bythe in-house workshop, located nearby.

Overall, the sales assistant offered friendly serviceand was happy to provide some advice. While notoffering a wide range of the type of bikes enquiredabout, the dealer did take the time to provide help andassistance, while also offering literature to look over.

Howes CyclesALSO SITUATED on a busy thoroughfare close to thecentre of Cambridge, Howes Cycles is another bike shopboasting a rich heritage, having been established over150 years ago. After browsing the store uninterrupted,Mystery Shopper approached the shop assistant toenquire about electric bikes. I was told that the storedidn’t offer any. I wasn’t offered any alternative nor wasI directed to a nearby dealer that did.

I also enquired after a road bike for around £500 andwas informed that the shop had no stock – except forone model left. The sales assistant didn’t take the timeto go over any of the features, or the price of the bike,just said “it’s a bit small” – for me presumably.

I was told the shop was waiting for delivery of 2010stock and I had to ask when that would be arrivingrather than be offered the information. Neither wasthere an offer to take my contact details to inform mewhen new stock would be arriving. Perhaps the salesassistant had assumed that as they didn’t have anythingI’d asked for that they were unlikely to procure a salefrom me. But it would have been nice to have seensome effort to encourage a potential customer to comeback when stock wasn’t in such short supply.

Station CyclesCAMBRIDGE STATION CYCLES impressed, and was oneof the star stores visited in the city. Unsurprisinglylocated next to the station, the retailer offers a range ofservices to customers, including cycle hire and repairs.

Bikes on special offer were displayed outside the storeclose to the entrance, while inside the vast buildingthere were plenty of bikes and staff on hand. Afterbrowsing, a staff member stood nearby, ready to offerhelp. After answering questions on the two electric bikeson offer, the assistant discussed the store’scomparatively vast array of road bikes – both cheaperand within the price range requested – £500.

The sales assistant discussed brands and features withme at length and explained the differences betweenbikes in different price categories – primarily in thequality of components. I was told that if you get aShimano 105 groupset on a £500 bike, “then you’relaughing”. I was informed that road bikes had beenparticularly popular this year and stocks were lowerthan usual, but the store still had a good range available.

Overall, this shop was excellent – namely due to thestaff member’s willingness to explain and take the timeto provide enthusiastic, honest advice.

MYSTERY SHOPPER


Cycle KingTHE CYCLE KING is another generously sized store inCambridge. Situated on a busy road heading into thecity, and appearing to take up the space of two retailunits, Cycle King was extremely busy during MysteryShopper’s visit.

With competitive pricing at the value end of themarket, Cycle King has a huge children’s section at thefront of the store, with bikes clearly labelled with pricesand key features.

The store was so busy that I had to intercept a salesassistant on the way to another task. “Road bikes above£250 are a bit out of our market,” he admitted, but thestore did stock some electric bikes. The sales assistantpointed me in the direction of the relevant stock ratherthan taking me over and talking me through thefeatures. Before the sales assistant left to deal withanother customer I asked whether the store had aworkshop and was informed that it did and was warnedthat the store “only services bikes that we’ve sold” whenasked about electric servicing.

Overall Mystery Shopper’s visit to Cycle King wasbrief during a very busy period for the store. Obviouslythe store is doing lots of things right.

HalfordsPLACED ON a retail park just outside Cambridge citycentre, Halfords sits alongside other outlets includingMFI, Pizza Hut and Burtons.

The bike offering is located upstairs in the store, inthe ‘Bikehut’ area. A selection of road bikes wasdominated by Halfords’ exclusive Chris Boardman bikes,which were placed in the area near to the stairs, close towhere the customer enters the section.

After spending some time looking at the displays Imade my way to the counter to speak to a staffmember. The sales assistant was happy to provide someadvice, but remained behind the counter without takingme to the relevant bikes he mentioned or going intospecific details to explain the bike features.

The store’s selection didn’t include any electric bikes,but encouragingly, the sales assistant did go on torecommend and provide directions to a local dealer thatdid stock ebikes.

When asked about bike servicing at the store, thesales assistant recommended that Mystery Shoppershould opt for the cheaper of the two services on offerto customers – which was a surprisingly honest piece ofadvice to be offered.

SummaryIN A CITY this well served with bike shops, MysteryShopper was only able to visit a limited selection ofCambridge’s cycle retailers. Of those visited, theshops impressed in the main while also confirmingthe truism that bike shops are staffed withknowledgeable and enthusiastic sales personnel.

The student market undoubtedly dominatesCambridge’s cycling scene, but it was encouraging tosee that the pro cycling city, often held up as anexample to others, is supporting the burgeoningelectric bike sector, with three out of the sevenshops stocking ebikes.

In the opinion of Mystery Shopper, CambridgeStation Cycles and electric-specialist Discount Cycleswere by far the best of the shops surveyed on theday, with their staff prepared to take the time toexplain features and guide potential customers.

Discount CyclesON THE SAME road as Cycle King, Discount Cycles is asmaller shop claiming to be an electric bike specialist –a promise the store lived up to. Greeted as soon as Ientered the shop, the sales assistant came over despitebeing in the middle of another task.

He explained the differences and key features of thestrong selection of ebikes. The store’s inventory includedelectric folders, electric BMX-style bikes and electricroad bikes. The sales assistant explained several featuresof the bikes, including the fact that the battery can betaken out of each bike so that it can be used as a‘normal’ bike. I asked about servicing and was told thatthe retailer handles that in-store, except for electricmaintenance – for which bikes have to be returned tothe manufacturer. The sales assistant went on to assureMystery Shopper that electric bikes rarely go wrong,with anecdotes of satisfied customers: “I saw someoneon it today and they are very happy.”

Visiting Discount Cycles was an impressiveexperience. Again the sales assistant took the time toexplain, discuss and advise, while also assuring that theelectric bikes are reliable machines. The small-sized shopitself was well laid out, with good labelling and bikesdisplayed in a way that allowed close examination.

CAM CyclesCLOSER TO the town on the same busy thoroughfare asDiscount Cycles and Cycle King, CAM Cycles is anothersmaller-sized shop where Mystery Shopper was greetedon entry.

The friendly staff member worked on a repair front-of-store as he chatted to me. I was told that the retailerdidn’t stock electric bikes, but was soon given details ofa nearby shop that did sell them.

When asked about circa £500 road bikes, the salesassistant recommended Bronx, telling me that the brandoffered a good range in a number of sectors. He handedme a Bronx ‘09 catalogue to help me make a decisionon my potential purchase without going through anyfeatures of the road bike on offer from CAM.

HAUTE COUTURE cyclingapparel is a slow-burn trendthat’s influencing themainstream. Earlier this year,items from the Cyclodelic rangeof women’s cycle clothingaccessories were introduced inTopshop’s flagship store onOxford Street in London.

Designed and handmade bytwo female cyclists in their EastLondon studio, Cyclodelicproducts are for “girls who cyclebut who don’t have to forfeitfashion over function,” saysCyclodelic co-founder AmyFleuriot, a London College ofFashion student.

In 2005, there was the Armanirange of bikes; Sir Paul Smithfamously loves bikes and bikeclobber; and, in 2008, Londonbike shop Velorution staged afashion show called Prêt à Rouler.Prada even had a range of ‘Bicycle’shoes (sadly, not SPD-compatible)and fashionista Cynthia Rowley’sSpring 2008 collection includedgold bicycle pendants on modelsriding cruisers.

Cycling togs can be highfashion, they can be low fashion(hopefully, there will be nomainstream return for Lycra skinshorts, momentarily fashionablein the 1980s) and much of thecross-over is bubbling up, asalways, from the ‘street’. Tight

jeans, with a u-lock sticking outof the back pocket, is one iconicitem from what could be called‘messenger style’ and itinfluences the bike commuterclothes produced by TylerClements and Abe Burmeister,who founded Outlier Tailored ofNew York. This young brand’scycle clothing is almost alwayssold out on the website atwww.outlier.cc, even though the4Season OG Pant costs amouth-watering $180.

Another urban commuting lineof clothing is Bspoke, produced byFisher Outdoor Leisure underlicence from Transport for London.Bspoke is a ‘clothing collection formen and women who lovecycling, but not traditional cyclingclothing. The range performswithin an urban environment andyet has a timeless fashion forday/work wear.’

David Ellis, TfL’s head ofintellectual development, says:“There are a number of barriersto encouraging people to cycle,including what to wear. Manypeople are put off by the Lycraimage and want clothes theyfeel comfortable in.”

Richard Allmark, CEO of FisherOutdoor, agrees: “We have longbelieved that this customersegment of the cycling markethas been overlooked. There is

clearly huge potential to explorein this market.”

Sold from the TfL website, aswell as growing number of bikeshops across the UK, Bspoke issmart cycle clothing, yet it’s notas exclusive nor as expensive asthe tailored garments sold bycustom cycle clothing specialists.

Dashing Tweeds of London isone such specialist – a favouriteof MTB pioneer Gary Fisher, whosays: “It’s impressive to peoplewhen you arrive on a bicyclelooking elegant”. It was foundedby style photographer Guy Hillsand RCA-trained weaver KirstyMcDougall. They produce ‘classictweeds with a twist’ – tweedswith retroreflective yarns, forinstance. The Dashing Tweedscycle suit is tailored by RussellHowarth of London.

In Lancaster, Zaynan Lythgoeopened Practical Cycles, a shopspecialising in cargo bikes. He’sabout to start producingPractical Cyclewear – cycleclothing that doesn’t look likecycle clothing. And this was alsothe theme of a cycling fashionshow held in New York in earlyJune. Fashion house LVMH MoetHennessy Louis Vuitton askedstudents at the New YorkFashion Institute of Technologyto create chic yet affordablecycling gear.

Janette Sadik-Khan,commissioner of the New YorkCity Department ofTransportation, said at thelaunch: “Having functioning,attractive gear so you can arriveat work looking stylish should beencouraged. No one wants toshow up at work looking likebike messengers.”

They don’t?Rich Kelly, marketing manager

for the Interbike trade show inthe US, says the new bike cultureis largely operating outside of themainstream bike industry: “Fixies,bike polo, fashion, models onbikes, and custom bike shows allexist outside of the typical bikecompany-to-retailer-to-cyclistecosystem. Few traditional bikecompanies are successfullytapping into it in a legitimateway. It relies on Craigslist,dumpsters, the fashion industry,new boutique urban bike shops,and other mysterious outlets tospread the word and the style,and reap the benefits.”

Of course fashion, bydefinition, is fickle and tappinginto bicycle haute couture couldbe an easy way for an IBD to burnlots of money. But, as Bspoke isshowing, it’s possible to cater forcyclists – especially new cyclists –who don’t want to flag up thefact they’ve travelled by bike.

CYCLE FASHION


Cycle clothing goes chic. Can and should the bike trade latchon? Carlton Reid dons his tweed cycling suit to find out...

Suits you!“Many people areput off by theLycra image andwant clothes thatthey can feelcomfortable in.”

David Ellis, TfL

A specialist tweed cycle suit – not quite mainstream yet


BIKE RADAR LIVE

FUTURE PUBLISHING’S uniquebike festival, which took placeover the weekend of May 30th –31st got off to a strong start,attracting 8,472 attendees for itsdebut showing. Even morecrucially though, the event thatsought to attract cyclists fromall disciplines while remainingfamily-friendly showed plenty ofpotential for the future.

The Donington Park setting,widely expected to play host tothe British F1 Grand Prix nextyear, certainly ticked the boxesfor further growth with theinfrastructure, services and roadsystems more than adequate forthe festivals requirements.

BACK TO THE FUTUREBikeRadar Live wasn’t Future’sfirst foray into bike shows – thelast was at Stoneleigh Park in2004 (and prior to that at theNEC). The show’s absence fromthe scene had arguably left aspace for a consumer eventcalendar that has not been filledsince. Fast-forward five years andthere were mutterings of a veryBritish ‘Sea Otter’ arriving in theMidlands. And there werecertainly similarities betweenBikeRadar Live and the US event;a hilly and undulating race track,both Laguna Seca andDonington offering such achallenge, a vibe of its own,serious international racing starsacross several disciplines, dusty

trails and wall-to-wall sunshine.Certainly, having amazingweather drove the crowds in,significantly boosting the pre-booked figure.

BikeRadar Live’s debut saw animpressive trade attendance too,with several big bikemanufacturers pushing the boatout, including Scott and Giant.There were plenty of smallermanufacturers and tradedistributors there too, showingoff their wares and giving peoplethe chance to touch, feel andride their products.

An impressive cocktail of old,new and bizarre from the cyclingworld appeared at the festival.Celebrities, talks and filmscreening with MBUK darlingSteve Peat the ‘Royal Star of theShow’ along with Mark Webber,Graham Obree and StephenRoache actively participating inthe varied events. Even Hans Reymade an appearance late on theSunday.

Just like Sea Otter, BikeRadarLive saw some product launches,notably ‘The Steve Peat Fender’and a soft launch for ExposureLights innovative ‘WhiteEye’which powered the 12 HourEnduro winner to victory (seebox-out).

COME ONE, COME ALLSurely though, the greatestachievement of the weekendwas BikeRadar Live’s ability to

amalgamate and include muchof cycling at one venue, andunder one umbrella. Serious ProDirt Jumpers and heavilyarmoured InternationalDownhillers mixed freely withFolder riders, ‘Bents, Time Trialistsand Sportive Riders. This wasinclusive, very family friendly,non-threatening and at times,awe-inspiring. You could stay allweekend, borrow a bike, get tospeak with one of your favouriteriders and have a good mealfollowed by DJ sessions thatlasted into the small hours.

BikeRadar staff writers andtesters were on hand allweekend to answer questions,along with commentators andsenior figures within Future.From Future CEO Simon Wear tomagazine staff, every figurecamped on-site all weekend.Staff immersed themselves inthe event, making themselvesaccessible, helping to understandhow the public perceived theshow, catering and facilities.

It seemed that Future pulled itoff, and for those who attended(traders and the public) therewere smiles all round. The UKresponded to the eclectic cyclingshow, with its central locationaccessible and flexible, and giventhe adverse economic climate inconsumer-land, this could onlyhave been seen as the successfulbuilding blocks for 2010 and abigger and better event.

The first ever BikeRadar Live was touted as Britain’s biggestbike bash. Jonathon Harker and Chris Keller Jacksonheaded over to Castle Donington witness the festival first-hand and see if it delivered on its promise…

The Futureof biking events

Are you happy with how theevent went? Do you have anyparticular highlights?We are incredibly happy. Thereaction from visitors,exhibitors, riders and sponsorshas been overwhelminglypositive. For me, the weatherwas a highlight and seeinghundreds starting the CyclingPlus Sportive and Gee and Briangoing head-to-head in theMBUK Dual Slalom Final willtake a long-time to forget.

For Future, the weekend willbe remembered as a fantastic

The view from the Future But how was it for them? BikeBiz didthe gentlemenly thing and askedFuture how it thought the debut bikebonanza fared. BikeBiz spoke topublishing director Peter Stothard toget his verdict, and to find out what’snext for the fledgling festival…

The crowds got thechance to see DannyMacAskil and SamPilgrim (r) in action


BIKE RADAR LIVE

first year – we wanted peopleof all ages and disciplines to beunited by their love of bikesand BRL did not disappoint.

Did BikeRadar Live exceedyour expectations?We learnt a great deal fromyear one. It has established asolid base for our events teamto build on. We felt the timewas right to launch a bike eventand the response from thetrade and attendance backedour hunch. There is an appetitefor BRL that we’ll build on.

How successful was BRL inattracting different sectors ofbiking to the same event?This was a proper cyclingfestival – roadies and mountainbikers, families and youngmales mixing together. Witheveryone complementing theatmosphere, we would seek tokeep the relaxed vibe as wegrow the size and scope of theevent. Getting kids on bikes was

important to Future – andhundreds of kids left Doningtoninspired – wanting to be thenext Gee Atherton, GrahamObree or Danny MacAskill.

What elements do you hopeare improved on next year?Over the coming weeks we'll beclosely evaluating all elementsof the event. We're activelyasking exhibitors and attendeesfor their feedback, and we'llmake sure this is incorporatedin our plans for next year.

Were you happy with tradesupport for the event?We would like to thankexhibiting partners forsupporting us. Response hasbeen so positive that we'vealready had requests for moreretailer space and biggersponsorship opportunities fornext year. We've proven theBikeRadar Live concept worksand we look forward to 2010with increased trade support.

BIKERADAR LIVE wasn’t lackingin trade support despite beingan unproven concept in itsdebut year. Many big namesfrom the industry gave theirbacking to the event includingDahon, Fisher Outdoor Leisure,Moore Large, Extra, LeisureLakes, Raleigh, Ison, Giant andGarmin, to name a few.

The festival also showcaseda selection of new products,including the launch ofExposure Lights’ WhiteEye. Theproduction version of theWhiteEye showcased at thefestival builds on ‘Smart PortTechnology’ introduced lastyear, where the charging portcan be used as a power devicefor peripheral devices. Earlyport devices included a RedEyerear light and Micro version fortheir popular Joystick, along

with a remote bar mountswitch.

The WhiteEye has beendesigned to double up theoutput of the Joystick, offering480 Lumens for just over 40grams weight. Powered fromthe Joystick Smart Port itprovides the same level ofoutput as the next product upin the range (The Race), with ashorter burn time, but noweight penalty (the race is nothelmet mountable).

At its first outing, theWhiteEye powered to victory inthe Whyte Bikes / ExposureLights sponsored 12 hourenduro. Exposure Lights had agreat response from the publicflowing round the stands andgenerated a lot of interest inthe unveiling of the newWhiteEye.

Steve Peat was also inattendance at BikeRadar Live,both to race and to show offhis latest product – Fast Fender.Long a collaborator with ‘MrCrud’, Pete Tompkins, asignature front mudguard hasbeen created to suit downhilland freeride duties, along withfashion-conscious riders.

Crud has always taken aninnovative stance to guardingagainst being covered in mud,having pioneered effectivedown tube mounting.

This new product simplifiesthe mounting of a forwardfacing motocross style guard, inthat the fender is clamped tothe handlebars rather than themore traditional steerer tube orfork brace. There are also stablemounting points on theproduct for number boards.

Industry matters

Steve Peat shows off the brand new Fast Fender at BikeRadar Live(left) while one brave biker takes on the Dirt Jump (above),just oneof the many areas that the general public could participate

BUILD IT AND THEY WILLCOME: BikeRadar Live naturallyshowcased Future’s cyclingportfolio in the big top, as wellas bicycle-based activities

BOB CHICKENPAST PRESIDENT of the PedalClub and Pickwick Bicycle Club,Bob Chicken set out in thebicycle trade in 1949, taking ona role within his father's bicyclebusiness established in 1919.

Now living in Madeira, Bobhas spent his life working withinthe bike trade and promotingcycling to the masses, becominga key industry spokesman ascycling enjoyed the heydey thatwas the 1950s. Having livedthrough the Second World War,Chicken strongly believed inEuropean unity and becameinvolved with European markets,bringing a number of admiredforeign brands to the UK.

Last year, the trade alsonominated and chose Chicken asthe winner of BikeBiz's ownIndustry Achievement award,cementing his place as anindustry icon.

Author Greame Fife hasdocumented Chicken's life in abiography titled A Passion for theBike, which is available viaChicken Cyclekit, as well as anumber of book storesnationwide.

Cedric Chicken, the director ofChicken Cyclekit, commented onthe MBE awarded to his father,stating it was a "very special dayfor Bob and for the family."

CHRIS HOYNOW A household name, ChrisHoy has achieved a remarkableamount in a short space of time,even beating F1's LewisHamilton to the Sports

Personality of the Year award.Hoy is only the second cyclist towin the prestigious award.

The three Olympic Golds Hoyearned in Beijing instantly madehim a cycling icon and placedhim in the record books as thefirst Brit to do the triple for 100 years.

Little known to many, Hoybegan his cycling career racingBMX between the ages of sevenand 14, ranking second in Britainat one stage.

The instant fame has alsobrought about a number ofopportunities for Hoy to

promote cycling, notably apartnership with cerealmanufacturer Kelloggs.

Hoy was presented with hisKnighthood by Prince Charles,while his mother was alsoawarded an MBE for her servicesto healthcare at the sameceremony.

BRADLEY WIGGINS Sharing the Beijing limelight,Bradley Wiggins was alsorecognised at BuckinghamPalace for his two Golds – one inthe team pursuit and the otherin the pursuit. Lance Armstrongis reported to have hailed

Wiggins as “the best pursuiter ofall time”.

Wiggins, who has a longhistory of track Golds in theWorld Track Championships,picked up his CBE.

DAVID BRAILSFORDAS THE man of the momentimmediately after the close ofthe Beijing Olympics, the presswas frantically trying to pinpointexactly where Brailsford wouldbe coaching in the run up to the2012 Olympics.

Working on the theory thatlots of small gains equates to

one large progression, theperformance director'stransformation of Team GB intoa medal winning machine drewattention globally with somereports suggesting he wasapproached by other nations totrain their cyclists.

At the last meet of the AllParty Parliamentary CyclingGroup in Westminster, Brailsforddid however hint that he may bein charge of a an expanded TeamGB, including a possible'freestyle BMX team'.

Brailsford's contract withBritish Cycling runs until 2012.However, it has been confirmed

by the man himself that there isa 'get out' clause should hechoose to pursue other interests.Brailsford, pictured above, isshown with his OBE.

PETER KING AND TONY YORKEBritish Cycling's executivedirector, Peter King, was awardeda CBE on the back of his 12years service to the organisation.King took over at BC whenmembership was hitting newlows, yet as sports governingbodies go, it’s now one of themost successful around underhis stewardship.

King is also a tirelessfundraiser for a prostate cancercharity, having been diagnosedhimself back in 2004.

Former national manager ofthe Paralympic Team, Tony Yorkealso received an OBE for his rolein bringing Paralympic cyclinggovernance to the UCI.

ELLEN HUNTEREllen Hunter, the Welshparalympian who won both theindividual pursuit and the kilotime trail at the Beijing Games,also collected her MBE.

Previously, Hunter hasscooped Golds at the 2004Paralympics and both the 2006and 2007 World DisabilityChampionships.

Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas,Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, PaulManning, Nicole Cooke, VictoriaPendleton and Rebecca Romeroalso become MBEs for each oftheir individual Gold medalachievements.

CYCLING HONOURS


Cycling’sSirs and Dames

On Friday June12th atBuckinghamPalace, theQueen’s BirthdayHonours werehanded to anumber of cycleindustry and sportfigures. MarkSutton documentsa proud day forcycling…

“Bob was presented with the MBE byPrince Charles at Buckingham Palace.It was a very special day for him and forthe family.”

Cedric Chicken, Chicken Cyclekit

Bob Chicken; far left,Chris Hoy, middle and

David Brailsford

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BRAND SPOTLIGHT HARO


WHO WOULD believe thatperhaps the biggest BMX brandin existence emerged from asimple garage-based productionof race plates? Well that’s howBMX icon Bob Haro set out anda decade later freestyle wasborn with the launch of theHaro Freestyler frame and fork.

Since then, freestyle BMX hasdipped in and out of fashion inturn with the skateboardingworld. But today, the sector isonce again thriving and MooreLarge sure is glad it bagged therights to the legendary brand inthe UK, especially considering itsexpansion into the MTB world.

BMX AND BEYONDBrand manager Adam Garnertells BikeBiz: “Dealers certainlyare recognising Haro as morethan just a BMX brand now.Since we re-launched it at theend of 2007 into areas otherthan BMX, it’s fair to say thebrand has gone from strength-to-strength.

“Dealers that have supportedus with our BMX bikes havebeen prepared to take on theATB lines too and are sellingthem with great success. Withincreased marketing activity we

have been able to put Haro intothe public eye. Haro ATB lineswere certainly a huge successover two weekends at BikeRadarLive and the Mountain BikeWorld Cup up at Fort William.Haro Bikes also now coversmountain, freeride, dirt jump,urban, comfort, commute andbeach cruiser.”

Although yet to make a firmimpression in Europe, Haro hasalso dabbled with the 29-inchwheel concept, although Garnerpoints to the half-way mark asthe real success.

“When we launched the two29ers last year (the Mary XC andthe Mary SS) we were in theboom for this market. Sales andinterest were fantastic, althoughit has levelled off in the last 12months. And it’s just thebeginning for big wheeled bikes.

“We have had tremendoussuccess with the launch of the650B wheeled bikes, the ideabeing that the wheel measures27.5” and therefore sits half waybetween the standard 26 andthe 29er. In theory you get thesame big wheel feel of the 29er,rolling smoothly over everythingthey encounter on a trail whileoffering the rider an amazing

amount of traction on theclimbs.”

BMX is as in focus as everthough, and Moore Large hasplaced a large commitment byadopting Haro’s sister brandPremium Products. The brandoffers both complete bikes

ranging from mid-to-high-end,as well as a number of in-demand components.

Garner said of the brand:“Premium Products has beencreated by Haro and is aimed atthe cooler, less commercial rider.Premium has performed verywell and not only do we offer acomplete range of componentsbut seven different completebikes too, with RRP prices from£299.95 to £649.95.

“Premium Products is worthconsidering as it is designed byworld-class riders, the dealermargin is very attractive andmost importantly it is made byHaro so RRPs are sensible.”

RIDER REPRESENTATIONWith a number of pro riders onthe brand’s books, it’s no wondersponsorship plays a big part inthe marketing of both Haro andPremium. After all Haro beganwith one rider designing partsfor other riders.

“What is a brand withoutrider representation?” asksGarner. “Moore Large hasrecognised that it is importantto support riders on the Harobrand to firstly keep the brand inthe public eye and secondly to

get the riders’ input on the bikesthemselves. After all it’s a well-known fact the people buy bikesthat are ridden by top pro riders.Our investment in BMX race thisseason has paid off and we nowhave one full factory BMX raceteam and one dealer BMX raceteam. Both are doing amazinglywell and sales for Haro BMXrace bikes have gone throughthe roof this year.”

ML has confirmed the brand isalready up 20 per cent year-on-year in terms of bike sales. That’ssomething many will attribute tothe modernisation of the brandand the appointment of new SanDiego-based designers, withhigh-profile ad campaignsfeaturing competition-winningriders such as veteran RyanNyquist and Dennis Enarson.

“Exclusivity is very importanton this branded product,”concludes Garner. “So existingdealers are dealt with as apriority.” However, stockists aresought across the UK and Garnerfrequently visits prospectivepartners. To learn more aboutHaro Bikes and PremiumProducts, [email protected],or call 07971 991630.

Created by Bob Haro in the 1970s, HaroBicycles is a household BMX brand, which inrecent years has cleverly diversified itsoffering. Mark Sutton talks to UK brandmanager Adam Garner about 29ers, racingteams and Haro’s sister brand…

Sizing up themarket…

“At launch the29ers sales werefantastic. It’s justthe beginning for

big wheeledbikes.”

SERVICE: GOING THE EXTRA MILE


From Bike It to Bike FitThere’s only one ‘f’ difference, but while Bike Fit is a money spinner for bicycle retailers, Bike It iscommunity payback for Corridorri Cycle Sport of Surrey, reports Carlton Reid...

CORRIDORRI CYCLE Sport isn’t afull Specialized Concept Storebut, if you pardon the pun, itspecialises in the brand. It wasalso the first IBD in the UK tobecome a Specialized ‘BodyGeometry Bike Fit center’.

Owner Guy Rowland knows athing or two about going fasteron bikes with dialled in fit: he’sbeen a national champion onthe track and in 1986 was amedalist at the CommonwealthGames staged in Edinburgh. Herode in the four-man teampursuit – which also included1992 Olympic Pursuit ChampionChris Boardman.

Along with Paul Smith,formerly of Pearson Cycles inSutton, and GB Cycles ofCroydon (at which he managedthe CTC mail order shop),Rowland trained as a BodyGeometry Bike Fitter. He’sowned the shop for 17 years,which two years ago expandedinto its current premises, fivetimes bigger than the old. Spacewas set aside for bike fitting.

“We wanted to offer a littlebit more than putting acustomer’s heel on a pedal andsaying ‘yeah, that’s about right’,”says Rowland.

“I’ve had a few bike fits in mytime and I like the Body

Geometry one best. Otherswanted to change my existingposition, but without giving mesensible reasons for doing so.

“We’ve now done a couple ofhundred bike fits. Unless a riderhas a severe issue – such asdifferent limb lengths – we don’tfind we’re radically changingriders’ positions. It’s fine tuning,but fine tuning that can make ahuge difference in comfort andpower.”

Rowland and Smith restrictthe bike fits to one a day andcharge £120 per fitting.

“We could do more fits eachday but it’s very time intensive.In the beginning we did a lotmore fits per day because wewere the first accredited shop.People were travelling from allover the UK.”

The shop’s biggest sell-onafter a bike fit is orthopaedics.“We sell a lot of shoe inserts,”says Rowlands. He doesn’t feelthe need to recommend manyoversize or undersize accessories.“A brand like Specialized isgetting component and framesizes right. We’re not in thebusiness of bike fit to sell newstems. Most bikes have enoughadjustability.

“A bike fit, for us, is a chanceto win over customers, it’s not a

one-time thing. It’s a goodchance to set up a personalservice. If we do the job right,and don’t just flog one stem forthe sake of it, we’ve got a greatchance of retaining them.

“We get a lot of referral workfrom customers who’ve had abike fit from us, referrals for theshop not just the bike fitting.Some customers travel pastmany other shops to get to us.Bike fitting leads to wonderfulword-of-mouth referrals.”

Most of Corridorri’s bike fitcustomers are roadies, mainlyolder, sportive-type riders, withlarger-than-average expendableincomes, and with a taste for£1,500 road bikes.

A lot unlike the average BikeIt customer. Bike It is the tradeseed-funded scheme to getmore school children ridingbikes. The Bike It officer forEpsom is Gayle Rowson. Sheapproached Rowlands andCorridorri is now one ofRowson’s most enthusiastic bikeshops. Not because Bike It is amoney spinner, but because it’saltruistic – and it’s creatingcustomers of the future.

“We run Dr Bike sessions inlocal schools,” explainsRowlands. “We check over thebikes. We don’t work on them.

We leave a note if a particularbike isn’t up to scratchmechanically, listing what needsdoing. We’ll do a discountedrepair for Bike It children but, ofcourse, every school is differentand there can be a hugevariation in parental incomes.We tell teachers which are theones that shouldn’t be ridden.Some are unfixable because theywere bought for fifty quid froma corner motor accessories shop.

“We don’t make money fromBike It but I feel it’s essential tostay involved at the grass roots.When we started the shop wedidn’t have much money, andworked a lot more back then onbikes we’d not think are worthrepairing today. We lost a bit ofthat and it’s good to go back tosee what the real world is like,not just the world of theenthusiast. It also brings back alot of the community feel. Kidsused to come into us and welooked after them. I run a bikeshop to make a living but it’s myhobby, I enjoy doing it, I likeseeing people on bikes.

“If a kid came in and had nomoney but was really motivatedabout cycling, I’d do whatever Icould do to help. Not everythinghas to be for profit. Bike It isdoing brilliant work.”

“We don’t makemoney from BikeIt but it’s essentialto stay involved atgrass roots. Noteverything has tobe for profit. ”

Guy Rowland,Corridorri Cycle Sport

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DAVID MOAKES � RALEIGHUK has appointed David Moakesas its product marketing director.

This appointment comesabout following the resignationof Neal Holdsworth who hasdecided to further his careerelsewhere. Raleigh would like totake this opportunity to thankHoldsworth for all his hard workin helping to re-establish Raleighand wish him every success inthe future.

For Moakes, this appointmentreturns him to his roots atRaleigh which he left some 15years ago. He returns with acomplete knowledge of the cycleand accessory market, which hehas gained from a number ofappointments in the industry,latterly with Tandem Group.

UK MD Mark Gouldthorpcommented on the appointment:“David joins Raleigh UK as it is

poised to further its business inwhat is a developing marketplacefor its cycle, accessory andCyclelife retail franchise brands.”

JACO EHLERS � DISTRIBUTORJim Walker has promoted JacoEhlers to the role of productmanager, handing himresponsibility for the firm’s latestbrand additions, including theEddy Merckx brand.

Of his business background,Ehlers told BikeBiz: “After school Istarted my apprenticeship with aVauxhall dealer in 1997 and Iqualified as a petrol/dieseltechnician in 2002.

“I left South Africa during June2002 and started working at JimWalker by March 2003 as awarehouse assistant.

“I race for the I-ride cyclingteam and managed to win theSerrl three-day stage race about

Ehlers in at Jim Walker � Dorel adds to global team � Winstanley replaces Cossins at Procycling magazine

Moakes makes return to Raleigh roots


PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT

Send your recruitment news [email protected]

David Moakes Jaco Ehlers

a month back. I also competed inthe South-East Division Champsand finished 6th.”

LILA CAMPBELL � DORELhas appointed Lila Campbell tothe role of chief humanresources officer for its globalrecreational and leisure segment.

Campbell takes onresponsibility for growing talentand resource within the division,also taking a key role in thefurther development of ‘projectone’ – the relocation of cyclingsports group and building thenew innovation and call centres.

“I am honoured to join Dorel’srecreational and leisuresegment,” Campbell said. “I amlooking forward to working withan impressive group of talentand helping to expand anddevelop this talent baseinternationally.”

Campbell, who was born inIreland, has competedcompetitively in cycle races inAustralia.

CAM WINSTANLEY �FUTURE Publishing hasappointed Cam Winstanley aseditor of Procycling magazine.The move follows former editorPeter Cossins’ decision to launchhis own bike-touring company.Cossins, who has served themagazine for ten years, willcontinue to contribute on afreelance basis.

Winstanley first joined Futurein 1993 for games magazineAmiga Power, was on the launchteam for Total Film and spentmany years as a freelance editor.Prior to returning, he worked ona magazine for UGC Cinema,launched a puzzle magazine forthe BBC and also worked for

Rhythm, Future Music and OfficialXbox Magazine.

Winstanley said: “I’m reallylooking forward to takingProcycling on to even moresuccess and building on thebrilliant work done by the team.”

Group publisher of the cyclingportfolio Katherine Raderechtadded: “I am very pleased towelcome Cam back to Futureand would like to thank Pete forhis hard work and dedicationover the past ten years. Cam’sappointment aims to combinecore Future magcraft principleswith Procycling’s undisputedexpertise about the world ofcompetitive cycling. His passionand magazine-craft are second-to-none and I am lookingforward to working with him andthe Procycling team as theycontinue to develop an alreadyfantastic magazine.”

PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT


People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords

Cam Winstanley

RETAIL ONLY

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUEDEALER PROFILE 42Prolific BikeBiz.com forum poster – DocB – shares his uniqueangle on business below the VAT registration limit...

BICYCLE MOTOCROSS 45Proving once again to be far more than a fad, BMX is back andwith the right mix of stock, is proving a real sales winner...

CYCLE COMPUTERS 53BikeBiz looks at a variety of cycle computers - whether acustomer wants in-depth performance reports or just to seehow fast they can go, there’s a bit of everything on page 53.

RETAILCOMMENT

The trade’s guide to the best customer service, up-and-coming IBDs and the hottest products

IF THE MET Office figures are anything to go by,summer is already underway and the UK’s cycle retailerswill be making the most of the increased footfall.There’s a downside of course; we’re all stuck insidewhile there’s a cycling revolution going on outdoors.Time to book one of those ‘day off’ things?

The word ‘revolution’ has, however, been tossedabout a lot, especially in press releases coming fromLondon’s cycle-fanatical Mayor’s office. But it’shappening, or at least it is at weekends. Check out anygreen space or towpatch and see if you can spot afamily cycling, a group of enthusiasts heading out to atrail or a cyclist ‘walking’ the dog.

So while there’s an abundance of customers, it’s safeto assume you’ll complete another year in business.Well, you might, but with flying colours?

Are your staff trained on basic sales skills? Will anysales slip because shop floor staff cannot quickly,politely and concisely respond to a question withoutseeming overly patronising? BikeBiz now sends aMystery Shopper out each month to delve deeper intothe trade’s good and bad habits. Perhaps as a storeowner you could experiment by introducing anunknown informant on a monthly basis. With luck, thefeedback will be positive, but introducing an impartialthird party could also pinpoint a lack-lustre sales loser.

Is your shop looking as vibrant and inviting as theweather outside? Assuming the forecasts are accurate,this is a peak time to link sun and cycles. So, how canyou brighten up your store? One thing that often strikesme in bike shops is the scuffs and dents on door frames,walls and carpets. It’s unavoidable, of course, but asyou’d wipe a dusty bike down, maybe it’s about timeyou gave your store some TLC? Perhaps one morningper week before the store opens?� When you’re passionate about something it’s oftenfar harder to let imperfections slip, that’s why as a bothjournalist and BMX enthusiast, this month’s sector guidewas far harder to write than any other.

This is a sector where the BSO is perhaps closer tobeing eliminated than any other. Why? Because theprimary audience – 12 to 20 somethings – are suckersfor trends and will avoid shoddy quality like the plague.With the bill often being footed by the parent, there’sno need to fear mid-to-high-end commitments here.

[email protected]

“As you’d wipe a dusty bikedown before opening, couldthat time be spent touching upyour store’s appearance?

Tell us a bit about yourbusiness model:My model is a bit unusual bothas regards retail in general andbike shops in particular. Wantingsomething to do to keep themind active after retirement,taking on the bike shop seemeda natural thing to do.

I had a vision of a businessthat was viable, providing incomesufficient to top up a pension,but above all, one that ran withzero hassle.

I set some boundaries earlyon. The business would berestricted to a turnover belowthe VAT registration limit,because I felt that I could copewith that level of business on myown without too much hassle. Tomake a sensible profit from thatturnover meant that I had toconcentrate on profitability andminimising overheads.

The shop would succeed orfail on its reputation as spread byword of mouth and so I headedfor the middle ground. I wouldnot oversell anything, inparticular I would not stockrubbish claiming it was goodvalue. I would not make promisesI could not keep, would havetime for customers and always

be open and honest with them.The repair side would be animportant part of the businessbecause it would bring peopleinto the shop and is highlyprofitable.

Fiscal control would be verytight. I do not spend money on

the business unless it isabsolutely necessary or isobviously going to return aprofit. For example, one of myrules is never to buy anything onthe shop floor. A second isalways to be in a position wherethe bank owes me rather than Iowe them.

How have you prepared for ageneral decline in affluence? Done nothing! There's more thanenough business to keep meoccupied. Component priceincreases have meant that mycharges have increased but my

model stays the same and anydecline in affluence has passedme by. It helps that I am in anarea that is fairly wealthy andhave access to a customer basethat is relatively insensitive thegeneral financial situation. Wouldbe different if I was a volume

shifter of 'competitively' pricesbikes and kit.

What forms of marketing doyou practice to attract newcustomers?Marketing? What’s that? Mytotal advertising budget is £15 ayear for a quarter page in thecarnival programme and I do thatto support the community ratherthan attract customers.

How’s business at present?Business is meeting my needsand expectations. If anything Iam seeing more people who like

to be treated as individualsrather than punters, people whoare tired of the big shedapproach to retailing and enjoytalking to somebody who willgive them time.

How do you think Bike Hub’savailable £100,000 could bebest spent?The big block to increasingcycling uptake is that bikes haveto share roads where motorvehicles take precedence in thethinking of both road designersand road users. What we need isa lot of cycle roads – dedicatedroutes for bikes betweeneveryday destinations. They needto be two-way, wide enough toaccommodate bikes travelling atdifferent speeds and bepedestrian free. Bike Hub moneycannot provide this, but if someof it could be used to influencethinking in this direction thenmaybe it would be used usefully.

Do you in any way getinvolved with furtheringcycling in the localcommunity?I work with the ScoutAssociation and make sure thatall the local schools know that

parents can drop into the shopto have bikes checked over whencycling proficiency comes round.

You refuse to discount – tell usthe reasons behind this stance:Being competitive on price is notpart of my business model. It’s alltoo easy to get sucked into aposition where you cut marginsto get business and then finishup working harder and harder tostand still.

My route is not to stockthings that are routinelydiscounted and when people askme for such things I am quitehappy to direct them to thediscounters. When I do that, it isamazing how often I get asked tosupply at the full retail price.

Is anything selling particularlywell at present? The store only really carrieshybrids and they are selling atthe level I would expect. Speclevels of bikes being sold areslowly creeping up, which ispleasing because generally, thehigher the spec the happier thecustomer. Add to that thedeclining risk of post sale hassleand the business looks like awell-oiled machine.

IBD PROFILE

Cycling On

“Those competing onprice soon get suckedinto a position where itgets harder and harderto stand still.”

No frills retailingOwner: Steve Barnett

Location: Lancashire

Telephone: 01772 782828

Web: No web address

Opening Times: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, excludingWednesday afternoon. 9pm to 4pm on Saturdays.


Owner of Cycling On Steve Barnett, happily confesses to being far from involved with the stresses of’modern retail methodology’. But utilising an entirely unique business model, the biz is doing just fine...

SECTOR GUIDE BMX

4Down4DOWN gave BikeBiz the first look atthe latest Fit Chase Dehart Signature'Tech' Series bike, the first of many 2010completes to land with 4Down.

The SRP on this model is £629.99and it is based on the styleand builds of pro ridersEddie Cleveland and ChaseDehart. Both are highlyprogressive street riders, who runquite unique set-upsconsisting

of fatter tyres and larger bars, thus Fithas worked these into the 2010 design.

4down also handles a numberof components brands includingpopular street inspired brand ABike Co (known as Animal in the

USA). The brand is one of a number ofbrands to develop skate park

friendly plastic pedals, butwith the added twist ofmaking a translucentmodel. Visit4downdistribution.comfor more information.

ZealZEAL has recently joined theranks of BMX distributors offering afixie with the signing of Focale 44.

The company’s portfolio is made up ofcult Scottish brand BSD, Sputnic,Superstar Components, Mankind,Standard, Alone and Focale 44.

Superstar has a number of stylishproducts on the market, including thepopular Overdrive front hub, available inblack or dark green. The 6061 T6 alloy, bi-conic design carries a stylish die-cut star

logo and is carried by 3/8" /24tpi flush bolts. The hub comes in

36-hole only and has a heat-treatedfemale axle, which is perfectly

comfortable with carrying stunt pegs.From Sputnic, the Skyline bars have

taken note of the trend towards widerbars and provided two heights to caterfor those looking to fine tune their frontend. The Tony Neyer signature model isbuilt from 13-butted chromoly and isheat-treated after welding for strength.

Zeal is contactable on 0208 428 6107.www.zealbmx.com

BMX has taken off in a big way overthe past few years. Councils are nowwilling to invest in tracks, skate parksand facilities for the freestyler. In turn,that’s made the 20-inch bikeubiquitous. Mark Sutton looks at theproducts retail should not miss out on…

20-20vision

Fisher OutdoorLeisureALREADY holding a firm presence in theUSA and Canada, Norco now has plansto bring its BMX range to the UK to sitalongside its MTB offerings.

Fisher Outdoor is already makingstrong progress in dealer recruitment forthe range, so interested dealers areadvised to make contact.

This year, the distributor will offer arange beginning at £279.99 and endingat £429.99. Dealer feedback hassuggested that the £299.99 to £429.99

price points are expected to do well.Each model comes with a mid BB,

25/9 gearing and integrated headset.Product manager, Martin ‘Hawziee’

commented: “We’re very excited tocome in to the sector in the UK withsuch a competitive story withouthaving to convince dealers andconsumers alike of the quality andhandling of the bikes.”

The bikes will be avaialble fordelivery in October of this year.


SECTOR GUIDE BMX

ScoopTHE LATEST product to be announcedfrom Letchworth-based Scoop comesin the form of DK's component line-upfor 2010.

Among the swathes of shiny newproduct comes the 'golf bag', a cheeky24-inch bike compatible, paddedstorage bag designed for getting bikesthrough airport check in without thecharges. The bag comes with rollerwheels and straps to hold the bikefirmly in place during transportation.Sturdy carrying straps and pockets alsofeature. The bag, which depending onan airline’s charges, has potential topay for itself on the first flight, weighsin at 4,800 and has stitched on thefront a clever clue to the content – The4130 flight series. All airlines allowgolf clubs to be checked as astandard bag completely free

of charge (or standardbag regulation fee).

Additionally fromDK, the Alphasprocket is CNCmachined from 6mmthick 7075 T6 aluminiumand comes with a 22mm spindlebore and 19mm adapter. This meansthe sprocket will be compatible withthe two standard axle sizes for BMXbikes. The sprocket is available in black,green, coffee or 'weird blue', new blueand gold.

For dealers committed to offering avariety of add-on accessories to theBMX enthusiast, DK has also addedsome new alloy pegs, sold as singles in10mm and 14mm fitments.

SourceTHE SOURCE bike shop inHastings handles distributionfor race brand Intense and itssister components brand Sinz.

The brand has diversified thisseason, introducing a dirt andstreet suited model dubbed theFelix. Its key features include tiny 25-9gearing, a pivotal seat and accompanyingsaddle, a Mid BB, Intense Micro knobblytyres, a chrome rear wheel and colourmatched forks, bars and front wheel.

Sticking to its roots, one of the brand'shigher end models – the Model Factory

Series – carries a Sinz carbon fork forweight reduction. The bike carries aPodium frame, Intense's super smoothMicro Knobbly tyres, a Sinz Pro Lite stemand a slick MTN-X saddle suited to racing.

French brand Twenty is also distributedby Source.

PCM GroupPCM caters for a variety ofmarkets, from adult trikes,electric toy bikes for kids, aswell as a range of other pedalbikes for kids. BMX is also abig focus for the firm too,offering plenty of choicetailored to the entry-levelmarket.

The UFO Freestyler model,available in black and gold, is just oneof the models on offer. The frameutilises oversize tubing and unicrownforks, while one-piece cranks powerthe 48-spoke alloy rims. Front and rear

stunt pegs are included in the package,as well as a chain guard. BMX stylingfeatures in the saddle and handlebars,while V-brakes are in place front andrear for a quick stop.

ShinerDistributionIN ANOTHER first preview, Shiner hashanded BikeBiz shots of its 2010 range,which is due to land with thedistributor on June 25th.

The first two models arriving will bethe 2010 entry-level bikes. These willboth retail below£400. The firstmodel will be the

EON, which will replace Verde's 2009Vex and is easily comparable. The 2009Verde Vex has been one of the bestselling bikes on the market, with thefastest selling colours being theblack/purple and black/bluecolourways. As a result, the 2010 VerdeEon bikes will be available in the samecolour schemes.

The second bike on this drop will bethe 2010 Vex. The model has jumpedup a notch, however, the price is stillextremely competitive. The Vex is nowsporting a slim Pivotal saddle and postcombo, slightly larger bars, as well assome chromoly frame/fork upgrades.Again, Verde has introduced two neweye catching colourways.

At present, Shiner only has one dropscheduled for these models beforeChristmas 2009, so getting stock earlyis recommended.

IsonKHE BIKES hasbecome established asone of the most innovativeBMX companies in the market due tothe amount of new technology thebrand puts through prototyping.

The superlight folding BMX tyrescaused a stir when they were launchedas they are the lightest available andare still many BMXers choice as a cost-effective way to shave weight.

For 2010 KHE has a diverse range ofcomplete bikes to suit all riders and allprice points. Having signed Daniel Dhers tothe team, a signature range of bikes,dubbed the Machete, will soon be available.

The Machete range is made up ofthree models – the Machete AM, LT andPro with prices starting at £329.99 forthe AM version.

The AM offers fantastic value formoney as it is loaded with top-qualitypro-level parts such as the Exhibseat/post combo and Affix stem.

KHE’s 2010range should beavailable in

dealers from August.Dia Compe has been busy too,

claiming to have notched up top spotin the aftermarket braking sectorwith its Hombre callipers. Alsoincluded in the Dia Compe BMXrange are proven levers, headsets andbrake cables. The brand’s brake leversare becoming notably popular amongfixed gear riders.

Gusset is widely known amongboth BMX riders and mountain bikers

alike and is perhaps responsible for thesurge in interest in coloured tyres. The20-inch 'Pimp' tyre led the way whenpink and green tyres were launched.

New products that are being releasedin the next few months include theIntegral seat/post combo, which isavailable in two versions: Kevlar paddedand Vinyl padded. This is a lighter andcheaper alternative to having a separatesaddle and seatpost and will be a big hitwith the weight-conscious customer.


IMG DistributionIMG IS THE UK supplier for Fly Bikes,Odyssey, G-sport, Simple, Sunday,Ilegal and its house-brandProper BikeCo, all ofwhich are mid-to-high-endcomponent brands.

Particularlypopular among theIMG portfolio is theProper BikeCo brand,which just as the trend forcolours kicked off, began to offerthe rainbow on each of its components.And the latest release is no exception.The Microlite front load stem comes ingold, black, chrome, purple, red, green,blue, orange and white and has theadded advantage of being a real weightsaver due to the sleek design.

Also from IMG and proving a popularconcept nationwide, Fly's

Ruben grip, sold insingles, is

the answer tothe commonproblem of BMX

riders tearinggrips to shreds in no

time at all. Two lengthsare available too, 135mm and

155mm, meaning a shorter grip can beselected for bars running one or twobrake levers.

Sunday Bikes, run by industry veteranJim Cielinski, sponsors one of themarket's most-followed riders, AaronRoss, and as a result the brand now offersa signature model – the Funday frame.This model utilises the proven 41-thermal process and as such offers alifetime warranty against breakage. Theframe features a number of fairly uniquefeatures, including built-in chaintensioners, extra cable guides and comeswith a customisable sticker kit. www.imgdistribution.blogspot.com

RaleighBIG NEWS from Diamondback: Germany'sKHE has taken on the manufacturing forthe brand's top five models. The result, anumber of super stylish, highly upgradedmodels specced with some of the BMXmarket's best thought-out product.

Until this year, Raleigh brought inDiamondback's USA range, but due todisappointing sales, decided to outsourcethe advanced models to Thomas andWolfgang of KHE and the respectedmanufacturer's touch shines through.

The bikes have been individuallyspecced down to bar widths andheights and with great mix of topname parts and features at great pricepoints, the graphics have also taken amassive step forward thanks toRaleigh's designer SophieBroadley.

Top of the line is the ALT,Diamondback's and KHE'sfirst striking attempt to see

what the partnership is capable of andwith a price tag of £599.99 and a top-of-the-line spec sheet, it's more than capableof becoming a big seller.

The BMX features a full chromolyframe with integrated headset and acomponent list boasting an Affix MidBush BB set, KHE's Astral and Asternfreecoaster hub, both laced to Big V andBig O rims. Then there's the inclusion ofthe market's lightest tyre – the Mac 2.

The model is available in20.5 only and weighs10.2kg.

The new range will be launchedto the public at NASS. Shops can

take stock now.

Coyote SportsCOYOTE Sport's latest Rooster

catalogue, available to dealers now,contains a number of models forstores looking to cater for the low tomid end of the market.

Coyote's Big Daddy will go down atreat with old schoolers looking tooffer their kids a taste of BMX. Itfeatures classic Skyway Mag wheelsadorned upon a tig welded Hi-tensilepark-suited frame. The gearing ratio of18/44 is powered by a one-piececrank. Four stunt pegs are includedwith this model, as with many otherwithin the Coyote catalogue. The mag-wheeled Big Daddy costs £175 atretail, while a spoked version isavailable at just £135.55.

Coyote also offers the Piranha range

of BMX bikes, including 22 and 24-inch wheeled models. Featuring classicMag wheels, the Piranha 300 carriesthree-piece cranks, two stunt pegs anda padded saddle.

To discuss what Coyote can do foryour store, contact 0161 727 8508.


SECTOR GUIDE BMX

Reece CyclesTHE STEED that took Kyle Bennettto the Beijing Olympic games, theFree Agent Team Limo is nowavailable from Reece Cycles. Thebike is constructed to meet UCIrace regulations and is built arounda 6061 aluminium frame.

A hydroformed down tube, CNCmachined dropouts and squarechainstays add to the styled looksand streamlined design, as doesthe Free Agent bladed fork.The wheels are made up of SunRhyno Lite doublewall rims builtonto sealed bearing hubs, ofwhich the rear carries a 16 toothcassette.

Of the brand's dirt jump-suitedofferings, the Devil 24-inch is aslightly larger version of thebrand's BMX bikes. This buildfeatures a full CrMo frame (mid bb) andfork, Weinmann black alloy doublewallrims, Free Agent's own 14mm flip flop

alloy hubs and a three-piece crank. Reece Cycles is contactable on 0121 6220180.

Faction Bike CoTHE ZEITGEIST 22-inch wheelcomplete bike is now beginning toperform sales-wise in both the UK andin the US, according to Stylus, the UKdistributor.

The model claims to be the world'sfirst high performance freestyle bikewith 22-inch wheels and was designedto be an all-rounder as it had to provethe 22-inch wheel concept could workin all aspects of BMX riding.

Stylus also has a whole range of new22-inch wheels, tyres, frames andcomplete bikes in development thisyear, each designed to focus more oneither street, park, trails or BMX racing.Dealer enquires should be directed towww.factionbikeco.com [email protected].

SeventiesOFFERING dealers a wealth of perks suchas high stock levels, competitive pricing,high margins, catalogue support andflexible payment terms, Seventies isseeing a big uplift in store sign up.

Carrying well-known brand namessuch as Federal, Kink,Hoffman bikes, Subrosa,Macneil and Primoto name justa few,the

distributor offers components, completes,clothing and spares for most items.

Of the very latest product to beannounced, house brand Federal haslaunched a new frame dubbed theTwilight. Quick and low, the Twilight has

everything the technical street ridercould ask for. A super steep headtubeangle of 75.5 and short rear end makethis frame both responsive and agile.With all the features and quality you’vecome to expect from a Federal frame,this is perfect for the new

schoolrider looking to

switch things up a bit.Weighing in at 4 ½ lb and

available in black and 'flat gold', it's justone of the stylish frames within thedistributor's portfolio.

The brand has also announced a newTwilight fork, which has again shavedweight with no compromise, utilising anew manufacturing technique to producehollow dropouts.

Nemesis GBTHE CATLIKE 360° helmet fromNemesis GB is an all round helmet

designed for BMX, skate and freerideenthusiasts. The 360°, with its newurban design, is ideal for street, dirt orriding ramps. With a rounded andcompact shape, coupled with its lightweight, this is an ideal stock choice for

those looking for a reliable, yetstyled helmet.

14 vents feature formaximum cooling, while theinternal padding can bepersonalised by the buyer. Onesize is available, catering forhead sizes ranging from 54 to58cm. The 360° costs £29.99at retail and comes in sand,white and black.

SECTOR GUIDE BMX


MadisonTHE VERSATILE Bell Faction helmetoffers style, fit and comfort fora pocket-money friendly£24.99. Old school stylingand dual certification,make the Faction perfectfor bicycle or skate use,while the dual-densityEPS foam makes for alow-profile fit.

And for those juniorriders who don’t want tomiss out on theprotection and style theFaction has to offer Bell now alsooffer the ‘Fraction’... you guessed it asmaller sized version of the Faction.

DawesLAUNCHED just last year, Dirty Bikestargets the competively priced freestylemarket.

All models are kitted out with tough6mm dropouts, machined head tubes,detangler headsets and stunt pegs, alongwith all the key features for anyone

looking to start out in the world of BMX.The range opens up with the Ripper,

which uses a shorter 19.5-inch top tubesuitable for younger riders and retails at£199.99. The Grease Monkey (£239.99)has a full length 20.5-inch top tube,chromoly down tube, three-piecechromoly cranks, 14mm axles, 36T x 14Tdrivetrain with K-Rad tyres.

Hot WheelsHOT WHEELS carries a number of BMXbrands including complete bikes from GTand Mongoose, said to be the UK's bestselling complete BMX brands. Thenthere's WeThePeople, the distributor'spopular mid-to-high-end brand, whichlast year launched a sister componentsbrand dubbed Eclat, also distributed viaHot Wheels.

Four BMX-specific component brandsare available from the Poole-baseddistributor – Exposure, Snafu, Eclat andSalt (also a division of WeThePeople)

GT Bikes has progressed its models for2010, with designers focusing on theaesthetic appeal, as well as the specsheets. The GT Fly comes in two colour

combinations – white/blue/pink orpurple/yellow/green. This model comesspecced with tubular three-piece crankswith a sealed mid BB, running 25T/9Tgearing. The wheels are 36 hole, whilethe drivetrain runs via a nine-tooth builtonto a 14mm rear cassette wheel and a10mm 32-hole front wheel with KendaK-Rad and Konoxsion Tyres.

Mongoose's high-end offering for2010 is the Chamber, a 25/9 geared, fullcromoly frame with an integratedheadset and sealed mid BB. Mongoose'sown aftermarket pivotal saddle andUltralight stem feature too, as do tyresfrom Snafu and a sealed three-piececrank.

WeThePeople's 2010 line-up has takenplenty of notes on the trends emergingacross BMX street, park and dirt. Larger

tyres, integrated headsets, seatclamps,wider bars and frames offering removablebrake mounts feature among the range.

The top-selling Envy returns alongsidethe Justice and Versus models and eachboasts weights of 25lb or below, with theEnvy hitting a top-end 22.4lb. Themodel's super-low weight is attributed tothe range of aftermarket items chosen togive the rider a customised feel. Top-endEclat components such as the two-pieceTibia crank and Bondi rims feature, asdoes the brand's newsaddle, U-brake andlever.

ChickenCyclekitIF YOUR customer is seeking a colouredchain to match their custom build, thenChicken Cyclekit can supply KMC'sK710SL and Z410 1/8 chains.

The £29.99 retail, 100 link K710SLfeatures an extra stretchproofmushroomed pin design whichenhances durability. What's more it'ssuperlight and has an anti-drop design,slotted plates and hollow pins.

Alternatively, for £7.99 the KMCZ410 1/8 provides a snap-on connectorfor ease of installation and has a tensilestrength of 920kgf. The model is alsocompatible with three-speed set ups.

Alans BMXPREDOMINANTLY a Wigan-based BMXspecialist and mail order outlet, AlansBMX also exclusively distributes anumber of brands. These includeAustralian brand Colony, for which Alansbrings in the entire components range.

Business owner Alan Woods said: "Wehave been importing Colony since lastJuly and it has grown month onmonth since then. We havemore dealers coming onboard all the time and doplan to expand ourdistribution side of thebusiness in future."

The storealso handlesa number ofrace brandsavailable tothe trade.These includeSupercrossBMX, Avent andBombshell and

Tangent Racing's line up, which consistsof number plates, grips, bars and more.

Specialist-made Knight BMXcomponents are also available for ordervia Alans at trade price. The USA-madebrand manufactures bars, bar ends, grips,chain tensioners, braking equipment, hubguards, stems, sprockets and a numberof collectable retro BMX items.


SECTOR GUIDE BMX

Dawes 0121-7488050www.dirty-bikes.com

IMG 01243 268075www.imgdistribution.blogspot.com

Zeal 0208 428 6107www.zealbmx.com

Source BMX 01424 460943www.sourcebmx.co.uk

Scoop 01462 650741www.scoopbmx.com

Shiner 01179 556035www.shiner-distribution.co.uk

Seventies 0845 3103670www.seventies.co.uk

Raleigh 01773 532600www.raleigh.co.uk

Reece Cycles 0121 622 0180 www.reececycles.co.uk

Madison 0208 385 3385 www.madisonb2b.co.uk

Ison 01223 213800 www.ison-distribution.com

Hot Wheels 01202 732288www.hot-wheels.co.uk

Fisher Outdoor 01727 798345www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

Chicken Cyclekit 01525 381 347www.chickencycles.co.uk

Avocet Sports 0161 727 8608www.avocetsports.com

4Down 01424 433 074www.4downdistribution.com

Split Second Imports 01934 [email protected]

Dawes 0121 748 8050www.dawescycles.com

Alans BMX 01942 826598www.alansbmx.com

Faction 07794 144651www.factionbikeco.com

Nemesis 0870 777 5530www.nemesisgb.com

PCM 01268 574040www.professionalcycles.co.uk

Contacts:Split SecondImports

BLANK IS a BMX brand owned anddeveloped by Rob Hill and the team atSplit Second Imports in Cheddar,Somerset. Featuring complete bikes anda vast array of mid-priced parts andaccessories, the brand’s philosophy is toprovide quality products at affordableprices, particularly in the after-marketparts and accessories market.

20-inch riders buy parts for severalreasons: replacement for an existingdamaged part, change of colour, lessenthe weight, improved spec and quality,or just because they prefer the look ofsomething. In each case, Blank can offer

high-quality choices at reasonable prices. One of the most popular after-market

items in the world of BMX is thechainwheel, as the trend is for people tolower their gearing (the most popularnow being a 25/9 ratio). As such, thesprocket is often the first part to beupgraded after the purchase of acomplete bike. Blank chainwheels areavailable in black, white, red, blue and alimited edition lime, in 25/28/30-toothsizes. More importantly, they feature23.8mm centre-holes, which means theycan be used on bikes with one-piececranks, unlike most chainwheels, whichhave a 22mm hole. They come with anadaptor depending on the size of crankaxle, and at £27.99, is one of the market'sbest value offerings.

The world’s leading trade fair and business platform for bicycles, equipment, clothing, travel and more.

Friedrichshafen, Germany

September 2 – 5, 2009

We-Fr 8.30 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.Sa 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

www.eurobike-show.com

LEADING THE TRENDS 09

SECTOR GUIDE CYCLE COMPUTERS

For fitness fanatics and serious cyclists, cycle computers have long been essential kit, and with evermore clever technology these smart products are capable of a lot more than just keeping track of howfast you’re travelling. Jonathon Harker plugs in to take a look at the latest the sector has to offer UKretail and consumers from the key distributors and manufacturers in the field…

Speed check

Zyro ZYRO OFFERS a huge range of cyclecomputers from the CatEye brand,including the Micro Mini – a computerboasting 10 functions, 12features and a backlight, all for£39.99. One of the best all-rounders is the Strada WirelessCadence. At £69.99 it featuresa Click-Tec one touch screen,single speed/cadence and acompact head unit.

At the premium end of therange is the V3 sports 2.4 GHzdigital technology, coveringspeed, cadence and heart ratewith zero interference.

Boasting fast precise data and multi-lapfunctions, the V3 retails at £124.99. At theother end of the market, the Velo-5 issimple-to-use and easy-to-set-up, makingit a perfect starter product at £14.99.

Elsewhere the Micro WirelessBlack features a big easyread screen with no wires toget caught in forks, retailingat £39.99.

Other products includethe Strada Wireless Red – alimited edition, 8-functiondevice retailing at £44.99,while the wired Velo-8 is asophisticated eight-functioncomputer with simple set-upand easy touch buttonoperation, priced at £19.99.

Moore LargeKNOG’S N.E.R.D. computers come intwo models – featuring nine and 12functions respectively – and threecolours – black, white and red. Bothtypes easily wrap around the bar andfork, and include a range of features,including trip distance, total ridingtime, current speed, maximum speedand much more. The higher endproduct also includes scanning,measures distance per day, a displaybacklight and more. N.E.R.D. retails at£53.99 for the nine-function and£59.99 for the 12-function versions.

Aside from Knog’s offerings, MooreLarge also stocks its ETC brand range –

all boasting automatic start/stop andpower on/off, resin protected sensorand bracket, and two rows of LCDdisplay, amongst other handy features.The range includes the Alfa wirelesseight-function, (£27.99 RRP), theMach-1, 2 and 3 (RRPs ranging from£9.99 to £13.99), and the 22-functionNine-0, retailing at£17.99 andavailable inblack, redand white.

MooreLarge alsostocks theSigma CycleComputer range.

Fisher OutdoorLeisureFISHER OFFERS the VDO range,including the new X series, featuringbigger displays, larger numbers with thecadence permanently displayed. Fivemodels make up the series includingthe X1, boasting 11 functions (wiredRRP £24.99, wireless RRP £44.99) and16 function X2, priced at £29.99 for thewired version and £49.99 for thewireless version. Both the X1 and X2include average, actual and maximum

speed, odometer, comparison to actualspeed, trip distance and much more.Finally, the wireless X3, (RRP £54.99)features a whopping 22 functions.

Also from VDO the high-end Z3 is aserious piece of kit priced at £279.99. Itincludes plenty of bang for your buck,including a wireless PC link, analtimeter and100 hoursstoragecapacity.For moredetailscontactFisher.

MadisonAS WELL as supplying the sector’smost famous products fromGarmin, including the Edge705 (from £369.99 SRP),Madison also suppliesthe Blackburn Neuro4.0. This robust andreliable wireless 2.4Ghz data transmissionsystem providesinterference-freespeed and cadencewith good battery life.Squeezed full of serioustraining tools and boasting

a large, easy to read (and back-lit)display, the Neuro 4.0 has an SRP of

£109.99 and comes completewith the Blackburn ‘noquibble’ lifetime warranty.

Madison also offers thePro SX-4X seven-functioncomputer, priced at £44.99(SRP). Featuring all theessential basics, the SX-4X

includes a sleek low profilebracket that can be stemor handlebar mounted.Sporting simple one-button operation, itcomes in black/silver, orwhite/silver.


SECTOR GUIDE CYCLE COMPUTERS

Chicken CyclekitCHICKEN STOCKS a range of Velomanncycle computers, all of which come with athree-year warranty. First up is the seven-

function computer. Priced at £22.99, itmeasures current speed, average speed,comparisons, trip time and distance,features an odometer and carries a12/24hr clock function. Crucially, thedevice is wireless and boasts a handyautostart facility.

For a more sophisticated range offeatures, Chicken also suppliesVelomann’s 31-function computer.Including all of the features of theseven-function, it also measures heartrate (average and maximum), altitude(current, maximum and average),cadency (average and maximum),temperature and carries plenty ofadditional features. The 31-function

computer, which also includes PC link up,retails at £149.99.

GarminONE OF the biggest names in thesector, Garmin naturallyhas a huge range ofcycle computers onoffer for retailers.Amongst the latest onoffer is the Edge 705which allows users todesign workouts basedon time, distance,calories or heart rate. Italso allows users toexchange trackswirelessly with otherGarmin Edge users andeven to overlay multipletracks on the Edge map,with each track colour-

coded to provide easy on-screenidentification.

The firm also offers the Oregon 300and Garmin GB Discoverer

bundle. When combined witha bike mount the packageprovides a GPS systemwith the ease oftouchscreen – ideal forroad, off-road andadventure cyclists. Thattouchscreen boasts aresilient waterproof designthat is still highlyresponsive to the touch.The GB Discoverer 1:50National Parks microSDcard comes included in thebundle, providing highlydetailed mapping from theOrdnance Survey.

CannondaleOFFERING simple set-up and easy-to-readscreens Cannondale supplies a variety ofcomputers for cycling, ranging from thewireless IQ 118 (priced at £30) to theIG108 (priced at £17). The 118 hosts 18-functions, including speed indicator, tripdistance and time, backlighting, bar andstem mounting and heavy-duty wirefeatures. The 118 is easy to calibrate, isprogrammable and includes autostart/shut off.

The IQ108 carries many of the samefeatures, including speed measuringfacilities, trip distance and time meters, aswell as being multi-language and featuringthe all important easy-to-read screen. The

firm also stocks the Lefty Computer Mountwhich, as the name suggests, can be usedto quickly and easily mount a computersensor to a Lefty fork, and comes priced ata modest £8.

GiantGIANT IS to add to its cycle computerline-up with five new models formingthe new Axact line. The PRO+ is therange topping wireless model boastingan array of features, while other modelsinclude the Axact Pro, the Axact 13Wavailable in two colours, Axact 11 andAxact 9. They will be available inaddition to Giant's Continuum models.

View Ranger VIEW RANGER offers a location toolthat can be used directly with mobilephones. Providing mapping, navigation,tracking and information, Nokia orSymbian S60 smartphones can becometrail navigation systems with theproduct.

The packages are available on CD ormemory card and include clear anddetailed maps, determine velocity anddirection via the use of GPS, and provideunique panoramic viewpoint maps toassist with navigation. Waypoints andpoints of interest can be set, and‘Tripview’ can be customised to monitor

key information while on the move. Areview function allows users to look overrecords of trips – an especially handyfeature for cyclists and runnersinterested in training or simply trackingtheir latest journeys.

Naturally ViewRanger is ideal for avariety of outdoorpursuits includingcycling, walking andeven horse ridingand for thosetravelling by boat. Tofind out more aboutthe range visitviewranger.com.

RaleighRALEIGH offers the RSPComputers range,catering for novices andthe experienced, featuringwireless and advancedfeatures in the range. Thesuper-slim SL-18C boasts18 functions and is pricedat £27.99 RRP.

The robust and powerful HRM-22boasts 22 functions and a heart rate

monitor. Priced at £39.99 RRP,the HRM-12 packs cleverfeatures, including an auto savefunction, into the package.

Aside from RSP, Raleigh hasits own range of high quality,waterproof, sturdy and reliableARC computers, ranging from£9.99 to £27.99 RRP.

CardiosportCARDIOSPORTS’ newly launched UniqueCombi range of heart rate monitors areideal for cyclists and non-cyclists alike,fitting the consumer in a watch-style.

The heart monitors feature safe 122kHz low frequency digital transmissionwith coding so exercise can take place inclose proximity to other monitors. Thewhole range also features the patentedCardio Zone alarm system which allowsthe user to set a target zone duringexercising while also coming completewith a memory to review session data.The C2 and C3 have additional featuresthat help users concentrate on fat

burning and automaticheart recovery.

Other featuresshared across therange includean ECGaccurateheart rate,waterresistance upto 30 meters(or 60 feet) anda userchangeablebattery in the chesttransmitter – saving cash and theenvironment simultaneously.

Zyro: 01845 521700www.zyro.co.uk

Fisher: 01727 798345www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

Moore Large: 01332 274200www.moorelarge.co.uk

Madison: 0208 385 3385www.madisonb2b.co.uk

Chicken Cyclekit: 01525 381347www.chickencycle.co.uk

Giant: 0115 9775900www.giant-bicycles.com

View Ranger: [email protected]

Cardiosport: 023 9225 7388 www.cardiosport.com

Cannondale : 02380 391 9267www.cannondale.com

Raleigh: 01773 532600www.raleigh.co.uk

Garmin(Via Madison and SM Group): 0208 385 3385 (Madison)01752 241010 (SM Group)

Contacts:


BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ APRIL 39

NEW PRODUCTS


This month BIkeBiz gets Comfybefore taking a look at the latesteagerly awaited kit from SRAM...

SRAM XXFisher Outdoor01727 798345

THE MUCH-HYPED XX groupset is special because it’s the first time the SRAM Group has brought together itscomponent arms – RockShox, Truvativ, Avid and SRAM – to create an entire mountain bike groupset.

The groupset targets cross-country enthusiasts, utilising a two-ring crankset linked with a ten-speed cassette.Both a press fit GXP and BB30 bottom bracket will be available to buyers.

The entire package will set a customer back around £1,525 and weighs in below 2,300 grams, a full 300 gramslighter than Shimano's equivalent offering, the XTR M970.

The ten-speed cassette is perhaps the biggest highlight of the new group, weighing in at an astonishing 208grams, mostly due to the heavy milling on each cog.

The Avid XX brakes carry a new magnesium calliper and stainless steel rotor, although they share many featureswith the existing Elixer brakeset. The weights and prices do not include the RockShox XX fork, however, as this isan optional extra. An XLoc remote lockout features on the race inspired 80/100mm fork.

And the groupset has already got off to a flying start; Julien Absalon won the Madrid World Cup using XX at theend of May, marking the first World Cup victory for the new package.

Sugoi ‘[email protected]

THE FALL '09 Sugoi collection is designed to betterservice athletes’ needs by moving excess heat andmoisture away from the body and balancing thecore temperature. For this reason, the brand hasannounced a new layering system, the SUGOIComfort System (SCS), as well as the new first layerfabric FinoCarbon.

Sugoi’s back-to-basics approach has seen a newintegrated layering system – the Sugoi ComfortSystem – that provides an optimal body climate.FinoCarbon combines moisture management andthermal insulation with an outstanding soft touch.

Wildoo Drinking Straw BottleWildoo0870 977 1550

EU-BOTTLE now offers a new drinking straw pullingspout for its sports bottles range. Most traditionaldrinking straw bottles are based on a plastic beakerwith a snap-on cap, which must be kept upright sothat they do not leak. In the closed position the newstraw is sealed and the bottle will not leak.

The straw is made from the same soft, flexiblethermoplastic rubber as the existing standard pullingspout, which for many years has been a major sellingfeature of the bottles. The new straw fits the existingcaps so that it can be supplied with any of thecurrent range of bottles.

RockShoxFisher Outdoor01727 798345

THE LONG-established SID World Cup fork is backwith significant upgrades this season and claims tohave shed 110 grams. The crown and steerer hasevolved to a hollow one-piece carbon fibrecomposition and the fork lowers are now fullmagnesium compared to the magnesium andcarbon fibre combo found in the 2009 version.

The changes cut the overall weight, bringing thefork with full steerer in at 1,400 grams, maintainingthe incredible steering precision it’s famous for. Theupdated carbon crown and steerer add strength andstiffness and more than meet tough CEN standards.

Latest gear

Magnum Locks and Kids’ ComfyOxford Products01993 862300

Oxford Products latest 'Magnum' U locks are testedto Gold Sold Secure standards and the internallocking mechanism offers two secure mechanisms.

The locks are pick resistant too, so thieves willneed access to either of the two keys supplied. Thekeyhole is also grime resistant with a dust cover. A£1,000 anti-theft guarantee is included with theOF173.

Also new from Oxford this month, the Comfyrange of neck warmers – which can double up aspretty much any form of headgear – has expanded,offering kids sizes. For boys, there's the Little DevilComfy and for girls, the Little Madam.

NUMBER CRUNCHING

Vitalstatistics

This month BikeBiz finds how many millions havebeen dedicated to cycling in London and looks at thecontrasting fortunes of bike retail, while alsouncovering the level of financial backing Taiwan isgiving to boost electric bikes and the worryingattitudes of the public to texting while driving...


� 50th: Issue of Singletrackhas just hit shelves nationwide� 15: Years Chipps Chippendalehas been a full time bike journo� £10,000: The totalcombined wage bill for thethree staff for the first year ofSingletrack.� 9: Number of staffers atSingletrack now� 48: Number of single, oddbike industry socks Chippsfound when pairing up his 200pairs.� 3: Different front covers thatSingletrack prints - one for bikeshops and subscribers, one forthe newstrade and one forWHSmiths.� 2001 - Year Singletrack Magand website launched

8,472

19

30.8%Figure by which bicycle imports to

the USA have declined year-on-year, equating to 1.1 million fewer

bikes arriving. For the past fewyears, America has averaged about

$6 billion worth of bicycles,clothing and accessories sales.

(Source: Bike-eu.com and bikesbelong.org)

NT $3,000The figure the Environmental Protection Agency,under the Taiwan Cabinet, will subsidise electric bikepurchases until November 30th 2010.(Source: CENS.com)

53%of people rate talking on the phone while drivingas socially unacceptable as drink driving, accordingto surveys by the AA. Yet 55 per cent say they aretempted to answer the phone while driving,despite acknowledging the risk it presents to otherroad users. (Source: The AA)

The number of people the first instalment ofBikeRadar Live drew across the two-day event. (Source: Future Publishing)

HAPPY GOLDENANNIVERSARYSINGLETRACK

The age at which Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl admitted to beginning blooddoping. He has now retired following the revelation, aged 27.(Source: Various)

545,000trips are made daily bybicycle in London andto cope with this, arecord £111 millionhas been set aside tofund infrastructure andparking improvementsin the capital.(Source: TfL)

£7millionThe operating loss JJB Sportsposted for the 52 weeks toJanuary 25th 2009. The firmstated that it came 'dangerouslyclose’ to insolvency, despiteracking up £34.3 million in theprevious year. (Source: TheRetailBulletin.com)

4.4%The increase in retail footfallin April 2009, compared withApril 2008.(Source: The Retail Bulletin)

Can you give us somebackground to Pedalite?Pedalite International is a UKcompany that designs,manufactures and distributesunique, award-winning, battery-free safety lighting for cyclists,hikers, runners, equestrians andpeople involved in a variety ofoutdoor activities.

Can you tell us aboutyour product range?Pedalite’s products are alldesigned to improve cyclingsafety because they providevital side lighting, ensuringcyclists can be seen bymotorists any time, day ornight. According to the RoyalSociety for the Prevention ofAccidents three quarters ofcycling accidents happen atroad junctions where cyclistsneed to be seen from the side.

Pedalite’s award-winning,battery-free lighting includes its360 degree pedal lights, solarpowered Baglite, which fits any

size or shape of backpack andthe ultra lightweight Anklelite. Itilluminates ankles or arms,provides 360 degree lighting socyclists can be seen from everyangle, including the side andfrom up to one km away.

The pedal lights are uniquelypowered using kinetic energy(un-noticeable to the cyclist)and the lights come on as soonas the cyclist starts pedalling.The pedals harvest and store asmall amount of energy fromthe bicycle which allow thelights to flash for up to fiveminutes when the cyclist isfreewheeling or has stopped ata road junction.

Anklelite also doubles as atrouser clip replacement forcyclists and provides 360 degreelighting for cyclists riding withclipless and other pedal types.

Can you explain howyour products are green?All our products areenvironmentally friendly

through the efficient use ofrenewable energy sources andthe elimination of batteries orthe need to ‘recharge’ from themains. Even the packaging isrecycled cardboard and notplastic ‘clamshells’ or similar.

Why should retailersstock your products?Our products are innovative,unique and have proved a hitwith consumers worldwide.Pedalite’s best selling range ofproducts appeal to people on apractical level, are consideredgood value because theyeliminate the cost of batteries,improve safety, are reliable,stylish and of course green.

Pedalite has also timed amajor PR campaign in the UKfor the July to Octobertimeframe to help drivecustomers into bike shops tolook for Pedalite products.

Will you be creating anymore green products?

Pedalite is continually adding toour range of battery-free safetyproducts. Although the Ankleliteis already used by manycustomers as an Armlite, aspecial version will be availablelater in the year for useprimarily on the arm. The rangeis then being planned for furtherextension thereafter.

“Our products arereliable, popular,

stylish and ofcourse, green.”

FEATURES PLANNER


August 2009

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]

� BICYCLE LIGHTING

� BICYCLE CARRIER RACKS

SEPTEMBER 2009� Children’s Bikes and Accessories � Cycle Show Preview

Editorial Deadline: Aug 10th Advertising Deadline: Aug 12th

OCTOBER 2009� Clothing and Accessories � Cycle Show (extra circulation)

Editorial Deadline: Sept 8th Advertising Deadline: Sept 10th

NOVEMBER 2009� Stocking Fillers � Trailers and Trailer Bikes � Cycle Show Review

Editorial Deadline: Oct 19th Advertising Deadline: Oct 21st

DECEMBER 2009� Core Bike Preview � Tyres, Wheels and Pumps

Editorial Deadline: Nov 16th Advertising Deadline: Nov 18th

JANUARY 2010� Core Bike � Customisation � Oils, Cleaners and Tools

Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC

FEBRUARY 2010� IceBike � Helmets � Frames, Forks and Gears � Core Bike Review


MARCH 2010� Media and Magazine Analysis � Electric Bikes � Folding Bikes


APRIL 2010� Bike Security � Parts and Accessories � Ice Bike Review


Editorial Deadline: July 13th 2009

Advertising Deadline: July 15th 2009

Editorial Planner

GREEN PROFILE: Pedalite

Contact: Pedalite International,Hamilton House, 111 MarlowesHemel HempsteadHERTS, HP1 1BBt: 01442 450 483 f: 01442 450 335email: www.pedalite.com


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 & ACCESSORIES

Paligap 01179 823 673 www.paligapltd.co.uk

Madison 01908 326000 www.madisonb2b.co.uk

BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

Seventies 0845 310 3670 www.seventies.co.uk

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Buff 01707 852 244 www.buffwear.co.uk

COMPONENTS

USE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com

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

Pace Cycles Limited 01723 867919 www.pacecycles.com

Centristore 07789 075 818 www.in2dust.co.uk

The Cycle Division 0845 0508 500 www.thecycledivision.com

EPOS

Abacus 0870 442 8240 www.abacusonline.net

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

FOLDING BIKES

Montague 01730 711 140 www.montague-uk.com

INSURANCE

Cycleguard Insurance 02476 851027 www.cycleguard.co.uk/bikebiz

LIGHTING

Exposure Lights 01798 344 477 www.exposurelights.com

RACKS

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

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

RESPRAYS & REPAIRS

Argos 0117 972 4730 www.argoscycles.com

TRAINING SERVICES

The Bike Doctor 07786 636771 www.the-bike-doctor.co.uk

WATER BOTTLES

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

Bottlestore 0845 602 9267 www.bottlesport.com

WEBSITE SERVICES

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

Simple eshop 0116 267 5145 www.simpleeshop.com

Call our sales team today and start making more money!

0845 310 3670w w w. s e v e n t i e s . c o . u k

Your one stop for everything BMX

UK’s largest selection of core BMX at the highest dealer margins.

BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

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INSURANCE LIGHTING


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TRAINING SERVICESRESPRAYS AND REPAIRS

Tell us what in2dust can offer retailers: In2dust is me, Terri Osborne with someoutsourced warehousing and the teamthat provides. I guess that makes meunusual to be a female in what is a maledriven industry. Currently I import SquirtChainlube from South Africa into the UK.

You’ve got backing from two MTB bignames – how did this come about? Ned Overend and Travis Brown weregiven samples to try and they loved theproduct.

We don't pay them to endorse theproduct, they decide to use it and ofcourse Squirt sends them chainlube.

How is your product performing inother territories? In South Africa, the home of Squirt, it’sbeen around since 2003 and is hugelypopular. In America and Australia salesare enormous and growing each year. InEurope there are a number ofdistributors and in the UK it's been reallyimpossible to find until now.

Now we’re here, our aim is to supportretail outlets countrywide withattractive margins, free next day delivery,no minimum orders and terms.

Do you have any plans for expansion?There have been offers, but It'simportant for in2dust to establish itselfin the UK marketplace with SquirtChainlube. Once dealers become familiarwith us and our service we aim toincrease our portfolio.

Was Squirt developed exclusively forbikes, or does it have other uses? Only bicycles and although there's anumber of applications it can be usedfor, chains are where it's happiest.

What events does Squirt plan toattend this year? We are a sponsor of the MeridaMarathon series where we have a lubingstation under our gazebo offering freelube, jelly babies, trail mix and, if theweather is anything like round two lasttime around, shelter from the rain.

We are the vets solo category sponsorfor the Trans Wales, so again attending allseven days as a lubing station. By thetime this edition hits doormats we wouldhave been to SSUK09 handing out prizesand are hugely looking forward to theBrighton Big Dog in August, where we arealso giving away prizes.

I ride and I think it's hugely importantto support these events. We will also beat the Earl's Court Cycle Show. We assista number of UK athletes and will turnup from time to time at events offeringsupport.

What environmental credentialsdoes the product carry?Being a wax/water emulsion, Squirt isthe only dry lube that does notcontain a solvent, and as a result ismore environmentally friendly thanothers. Squirt has also been proven toexceed maximum biodegradablilitycriteria and breaks down 80 per cent in28 days, 25 per cent better than therequired limit. Squirt is 100 per centbiodegraded in 58 days.

How can dealers get in touch? Via phone or via the email form on oursite. Interested dealers may requestsamples and we will happily dispatchthese. Read our reviews section on thesite, in particular the piece with the Hubin Glentress which runs its entire hirefleet of 120 plus bikes exclusively onSquirt because they are saving money bydoing so.

TERRI OSBORNE, OWNER Squirt

TEL: 07789 075818WEB: www.in2dust.co.uk

COMPANY PROFILE

“The Hub in Glentressruns an 120 strongfleet on Squirt becausethey are saving moneydoing so...”

Terri Osborne

WEBSITE SERVICES WEBSITE SERVICES


BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

STA

R L

ETTE

R

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

From the Forum...

LETTERS PAGE


MATERNITY Worldwide is aBrighton-based charity thataims to help improveconditions for mothers andchildren in Africa. For the lastfour years we have raisedfunds through a sponsoredannual bike ride in Ethiopia,where we do much of ourwork. We are now looking forenthusiastic cyclists to be apart of this year’s ride, heldfrom Friday October 30th toFriday November 13th.

The bike ride is an amazingexperience, cycling throughEthiopia’s beautiful landscapeof farmland, forest andmountains. We will travel 320kilometres ( just under 200miles) from the capital, AddisAbaba, to Gimbie where ourmain projects are based. Oncein Gimbie, participants willhave the unique opportunityto visit an important maternalhealth clinic and see first handhow the money they’ve raisedwill save lives.

Maternal health is a criticalissue in the developing world.In England childbirth isnormally controlled and safe,but in Ethiopia it’s lifethreatening. In some parts,one in seven women dieduring childbirth, andcomplications that aren’t fatalcan result in serious injuries tomother and child. Byparticipating in our bike rideyour readers will be making agenuine difference by helpingbring stability to Africanfamilies.

The bike ride will be fullysupported by experienced staffto ensure safety, and it won’tbe fast paced so you don’thave to be super-fit to takepart. For more informationplease call us on 01273682241, email us [email protected], or visit our website atwww.maternityworldwide.orgJames Watson,Maternity Worldwide

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

Email:[email protected]

JUST READ about Saracenbeing an ’IBD’ only brand.

I think the term IBD cameabout long before ’supermultiple’ IBDs and before IBDsstarted significant online sales.

So is it time we came upwith some new names? Iconsider myself an IBD as I’m astand-alone store with littleonline presence, but I wouldnot put myself in the samecategory of retailer as a chainof IBDs, for example.

So how about adding a newname into the mix, the MIBD(pro: mibdy)?IBD (me and some of you)MIBD (multiple outlet IBD)Multiple or Mass (Halfords, ToysR US)Online (Wiggle)Clive0

I HATE the term IBD andgenerally believe it is one

created by suppliers tocategorise their channels ofdistribution. Personally I thinkgood cycle shops are a lot morethan simply ‘dealers’.

About two years ago Iproposed ‘Specialist CycleRetailer’ – and here at ACT wehave been using that term eversince. We actually polled ourmembers on various options andSCR came out on top. See below.

As for the other names I thinkmultiples / mass market andonline covers it.Poll: Is the term ‘IBD’ outdatedand is there a better way todescribe our retail channel?Yes = 88 per centNo = 12 per cent

Top three alternative terms:1. Specialist Cycle Retailer = 43per cent2. Local Bike Shop = 13 per cent3. Independent Cycle Retailer =

8 per centMark Brown, ACT

LBS IS MUCH better. It’s whatthe punters call us, so why notadopt it for ourselves?gearfreak

HOW about ‘Bicycle shop’?604xt

I KINDA like IBD as it’s beenaround so long, I just think I’mso different from somebusinesses that we still refer toas IBDs that the Mibdy tag wasa good one.

If IBDs are all banded togetherfor a common cause then we doneed a new name for some ofthe bigger multiples whose salesstrategies on premium productsare more a threat to theeveryday business of IBDs thanHalfords ever was...Clive0

Maternal instinct

PLEASE FIND herewithin(pictured) one of two recentitems I have seen in the DailyExpress epitomising the deceitand misleading ways in whichthe ‘Big Boys’ distort prices, inorder to convince theunsuspecting customer thatthe prices of bikes have been“slashed by 50 per cent”.

This really is misleading, asthe children’s bikes portrayedare probably only worth the‘reduced’ price anyway!

Plus the fact that bicyclesare still being shown as beingamongst the ‘Toys and Games’category just shows howserious cycling is portrayed in

Britain does it not? Mick Brown, Mick Brown Cycles,Nottingham

IBD or not IBD? That’s the question...

Star LetterWhether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-post letter, email or a comment madeon the BikeBiz forum, the best letter of themonth wins a prize from Oxford Products.

This month the lucky winner will bag a fullset of luggage from Oxford Products,including front and rear panniers, bar andwedge bags.

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“Even though I love workingat Howies, the best part ofmy day is usually the ridehome. Especially so on dayswhen the sun is out, but theair is cool enough so youdon’t start sweating straightaway.

“The banks along theroads are growing out withcow parsley, willow herband buttercups. The onlydownside are the flies thatsometimes smack you inthe face. It was so nice thisevening that I took a longroute home – 15 milesrather than the usual seven.Hoping the weather holdsfor more long rides home.”Howies Brainfood blog,May 29th

“The fact that Governmentremains so hostile speaksvolumes about our realattitudes to greentechnology. What chancereversing climate change ifyou can’t park your bloodybike anywhere near the seatof the Government chargedwith trying to fix it?”

Jon Snow, Channel 4 blog,May 29th

“The technology used tomake BMX frames todaywas around several yearsago. It’s not rocket science;it’s just getting themanufacturers to do it orgetting them to buy theright tooling and equipment.

The firm’s attitude is byfar the largest obstacle. Wepresented the cut out GrimReaper concept tomanufacturers over sevenyears ago and they just didnot want to make it. Youneed the support of themanufacturer to worktogether and get new ideasaccomplished.”

Jon Byers of Eastern Bikes,ESPN blog, June 1st

“For urban cycling,intersections are likewatering holes for animalson the Serengeti. They arethe place where variousspecies who might nototherwise interact areforced to come together.” BikeSnobnyc blog, June 5th

“Mavic’s R-SYS wheels,which use compositespokes and which, you mayrecall (bad pun intended),were recalled back inJanuary, can’t seem to get abreak. Errrr, wait, can’t seemnot to break. Yikes….” BikeRumor.com newsfeed,June 15th

“To the business man whois shut up in an office orstore most of the day, thebicycle is a God-send. Itgives him the exercise he somuch needs that he wouldnot get in any other way.” ‘How to bicycle’ from1892, by L. F. Korns,reviewed atQuickrelease.tv, June 9th


OFF THE RECORD

BIKEBIZ'S sister title,Mobile Entertainment, hassuffered a staff casualty.Executive editor Tim Greentook a fall in Regents Parkwhen his Saracen Hybridtook a dive down apothole. Pictured is theresulting damage. BikeBizis now asking (perhapsinadvisably) whether youcan show up Green’sbattle scar?

The crash resulted in askinned palm, elbow and aman-sized stomach bruise,as well as a bent fork.

A sore Greencommented: “Amazingly itwas a busy road, but Ididn’t get run over, norbreak anything. Kindly, awhite van man stopped,lent me his first aid kit andeven offered to take me tohospital.”

When asked how heintends to dodge potholesin future, Greencommented: “44-year-oldsshouldn’t bunny hop, so Ihave no idea. I’ll have tohug the pavement at5mph from now on.”

Battered and bruisedTour de PrisonFRENCH inmates from LillePrison have taken part in thefirst ever ‘Penal Tour deFrance’. Nearly 200 prisonerswere escorted by 124 prisonguards and officials on thetrip, covering over 1,500miles from Lille to thecapital, Paris.

Strict guidelines were inplace ahead of the race andprisoners were warned thatbreakaway sprints would beaggressively chased down bysupervisors. Only thoseserving between five and tenyears toured the 17 towns,all of which feature prisons.

“It’s a kind of escape forus, a chance to break awayfrom the daily reality ofprison life,” said a prisoneridentified only as Daniel.

According to Reuters, prisonofficial Sylvie Marion said theproject aims to “help inmatesfoster values like teamworkand self-esteem.

“We want to show themthat with some training youcan start a new life.”

KNOG is up to itsentertaining shenanigansagain, this time targetingthe ‘bored-at-work’ cycleenthusiast with a series ofKnogumentaries.

The downloadable seriesfollows a number offictional characters as they

fall in love with variousKnog related items, andeach other…

Each promotional videohighlights a product andconcludes with a quick specrun down. The series can beviewed at knog.com.au/knogumentary.

Knogumentariestake web by storm

Send your pictures to [email protected] THE RECORD

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Editor: Jonathon [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton [email protected]

Contributor: Phoebe Oldham

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Production Executive: Abby [email protected]

Design: Kelly [email protected]

Circulation:[email protected]

Business Development:Dave Roberts [email protected]

Managing Editor: Lisa [email protected]

Publisher/MD: Stuart [email protected]

Finance Director: Hilary Cole

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STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

SOCKS. An item of clothing that defies all logic. Ipurchase those multi-packs because so many seem toget lost en route to the washing basket. The last countwas 17 single socks that would not match up.

I can therefore understand when a carton is openedto build a bike to find some parts missing, a scratch onthe frame, or a nick on the saddle. We all know thattouch-up paint does not travel well. It usually iscellulose that comes out the phial in a gel and is totallyuseless. Most Cytech trained mechanics will have anarray of small 'Humbrol' paint tins to touch up thoselittle scratches that are in places other than the toptube. The alternative to returning the product to the

supplier, which is not cost effective, is to give areduction at the point of sale. It is common sense.

The supplier does not want to go to the cost ofpicking the bike up for return, then having to sell it offcheap to those shops that will purchase end-of-lines. Iam told that knocking off £20 will satisfy mostcustomers, especially on bikes under £350. It is thephone calls that are made to the suppliers asking for£50-plus off which are laughable. When asked to take aphoto of the damage, the large scratch and dentbecome small nicks on the bottom of the fork. I oftenwonder what happens to those little nicks in saddles,that only have a piece of material which has comeunstuck, and a little glue would put right. Do they getthrown in the bin or are they actually repaired and re-sold? It’s so easy to phone the supplier for a replacement.

The Tube strike in London this month did actually seeall types of riders out on the city’s streets. Maybe somegood will come of these wildcat strikes. London dealershave to be rubbing their hands together with chainsbreaking down under the strain, perished tyres causingflats and comfortable saddles being purchased.

With the strikes and the milder weather, can we everhave it better in this industry? Sales figures are way upon 2008, workshops should be overwhelmed withrepairs and best of all, many consumers are realisingthat there’s cycling clothing available that does notmake one look like a Tour De France rider.

How many shops ever mention clothing when sellinga cycle? Forget the bell, the lights and pump. Clothing isthe item with higher margins. A shower-proof jacket forboth ladies and the guys is an item that should beoffered with every sale. Why lose the sale to theoutdoor retailer? The average newcomer is totallyunaware that cycle shops actually have a clothing area.The industry has been looking for a second fiddle tocycles, yet it stares us in the face. Time for thosesuppliers within this lucrative market to produce decentbrochures explaining the benefits of various materials.

When I sold 'AGU' Clothing into the London shopsmany years before 'Carrati' (remember that company?)jumped on the band wagon, I made more commissionthan the selling of cycles. The brochure they producedwas way ahead of those of other suppliers.

I never understood why AGU did not wrap up thislucrative business. Instead the likes of suppliers withpoor buyers missed the opportunity to take on theentire range. Ah well, that’s the cycle Industry.

Mark Lee Sing

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What bikes do you own?They’re pretty much all steel and I’ve a fair few. Of themountain bikes, I own a Tomac 98 Special Pro, GenesisAltitude 853, Genesis Alptitude 853 (set up for 4x), 96Kona Explosif 853 and a Revell 450R single speed. Thenthere’s the road bikes. I own a Pinarello Sestriere and aFausto Coppi Thron.

What services do you offer the bike trade?I mainly offer my services as a freelance photographerfor articles and adverts, but I’m also involved withsome of the up-and-coming 4X, dirt jump and BMXriders helping to raise their profiles within the industry.

Tell us who you have shot photos for:I’ve been commissioned to take photographs byMadison, 661, Fisher Outdoor Leisure, Flow Bikes,TwentyfourSeven, Scoop Distribution, Hotlines andSanta Cruz Syndicate. Then there are the magazines.Photos of mine have been published in Shred, Dirt,BikeBiz and Singletrack, as well as on DescentWorld andWideopen.

How can interested businesses get in touch?You can reach me at [email protected] or drop mea bell on 07973 560 338.

What’s the wildest photo you’ve ever shot?Not sure about the wildest shots, but I’ve definitely hadsome wild times shooting, like being punted off thetrack, falling down mountains and throwing my cameraas a discus in the process. I haven’t even started on thecrazy times I’ve had with dirt jumpers yet!

OFF THE RECORD

Spokesman talks about an often overlooked sector of the cycle store– clothing. Margins here are high, so why are so few clued up...?

70 BIKEBIZ JULY

SPOKES IN THE SADDLE

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648

Freelance Photographer, Evol Images

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BikeBiz issue42, July 2009

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Transcript of BikeBiz issue42, July 2009