BikeBiz September 2011, issue 68

Issue 68 | September 2011

ONE OF my formative experienceswith bicycles as a child involved apatch of nettles, a seeminglyunavoidable dustbin and a disastrouslyshaky grasp of braking.

I’ll be honest, the experience struckthe tone for my first years on a bike.Combining getting to grips withbalancing and yes, remembering tobrake every now and then, proved to

be a task beyond my young capabilities. Thankfully for me, Idid manage to get the knack eventually.

Likely most people have a story or two about learning toride and getting a few grazes and cuts along the way. It’s arite of passage when you’re growing up for many of us.

I’m in my (early, thank you very much) 30s and justsqueaked into the ‘70s. It was a time when safety wasn’tuppermost on the agenda, when – for instance – wearingrear seatbelts in cars wasn’t a legal requirement.

Many things have changed for the better since thosedays. While ‘health and safety’ is much derided, even itsmost ardent critic would have difficulty arguing that theypreferred the days when a rear passenger could have a facefull of windscreen because they weren’t wearing a seatbeltduring a car crash.

But, the flip side is a society that by and large is morefearful and risk averse. It’s probably why some feel the needto bungie off the side of tall buildings for kicks. It’s a fearthat keeps some kids off bikes, which is bad news for thebike trade... and the NHS and Government, but good newsfor Weight Watchers at least. Perhaps most importantly ofall, it’s bad news for the children themselves, missing out on‘improving their health, happiness and wellbeing’, asSustrans puts it. For it is Sustrans that has launched a ‘FreeRange Kids’ campaign (see page 5) designed to combat that.

The project, designed to free cooped-up kids from cars, isasking for the help of the trade in mind-bendingly simpleways – like putting a poster up in bike shops – to spread theword and maybe, just maybe, get a parent to think twiceabout discouraging their child from getting on a bicycle.

It’s tough being a parent, especially with awareness of allthe bad things that could happen to their child if they letthem out of their sight and on a bike. But it’s a fear that hasto be fought if we’re to see more children, families andindeed everyone else on bicycles. Cars might seem safe, butthey could choke cycling if we don’t remind everyone thatriding bikes isn’t necessarily a freakishly dangerous pastime.

EDITORIALIssue 68 | September 2011

NEWS 4-5

REGULARS

CHAIN REACTION 8Distributors need a contingency for anotherharsh winter, writes our guest columnist...

PEOPLE 52Road.cc recruits Rearden, Burgess joins MaxBikes PR and Sugoi brings Tropberger on board

NEW PRODUCTS 58Fresh product from Transition, Drift ActionCameras, Tacx, Ultra Motor and more

Jonathon Harker, Editor

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

The bike trade is hit by rioters and Schwalbe launches aclick and collect service to benefit its dealers...

KID’S AND TRAILER BIKES

61 65

Society has got increasingly riskaverse, and safety fears are keepingchildren off bikes. Which isn’t greatnews for the cycle trade.

LETTERS 71One reader argues that Mystery Shopper mayhave marked one shop too harshly

SPONSORED BY

SPOKESMAN 86Do cycle hire schemes really boost bike sales?Carlton Reid puts the sector under the spotlight

Our unidentified riding object heads toKing’s Lynn in search of a touring bike 12

CSG UK 39BikeBiz heads to CSG UK HQ for the lateston Charge, Cannondale, Xposure and more

MOORE LARGE 23BikeBiz reviews the news from Moore Large’s

bike brand launches...

INDUSTRY OPINIONS 6 FOCUS ON EUROBIKE 25 EVENTS 72

MYSTERY SHOPPER

OUTDOORSMontane hails its best OutDoor

Show ever and Esbit arrives in the

UK via Dalesman

FOCUS ON…

CYCLE SHOW PREVIEW 31The UK’s largest bike show takes place in just afew weeks. We look at what to expect this year

50

CYCLE TRADE INSURANCE firm ButterworthSpengler has encouraged all cycling shopstargeted during the recent unrest to lodge aclaim under the Riot Damages Act 1886.

Having extended the claims period from thestatutory 14 days to 42 days, the police andGovernment will look at paying compensationto victims of vandalism and theft.

Phil Coffrey of Butterworth Spengler toldBikeBiz: “There’s now a user-friendly versionof the claims form found on the ABI’s website– abi.org.uk/information/riots.”

Among those worst hit by thieves werethe chain stores, particularly Evans Cycles andHalfords, of which branches in Enfield,Camden, Brixton, Bermondsey, Croydon andother areas fell victim to the violence.

Independent businesses will perhaps barethe brunt of the hardship, with numerousstores in the Capital repairing storefronts andreplacing stock as this edition hits the printers.

One of those worst affected wasIslington’s Micycle. The attack on which was

captured on a smartphone by a worriedneighbour. Also in Islington, Mosquito Bikesfaired better much thanks to a courageousstaffer holding the door closed as youthsattempted to break their way in. Down theroad in Hackney, London Fields Cyclesdissuaded a group from attacking the shopafter hearing one member of crowdsgathering say “bikes are top of our list”.

Greg Conti of Mosquito Bikes told BikeBiz:“Late in the afternoon groups of yobs hadassembled on Islington Green and we hadnoticed they were scoping us out. Beforelong, ten or so balaclava-clad youths werebattering the door with a metal object. Ifthey had gained entry they would havecaused more damage than theft as our bikesare all locked and relatively secure. It’sinteresting that no other shops on Essex Roadwere targeted in the way that Mosquito was.”

Aside from notifying the local policeauthority, Butterworth Spengler handedBikeBiz a set of guidelines covering claims anddamages, which can be viewed by typinghttp://tinyurl.com/4x24b8g into your browser.

The riots: Insurance,damages and claims

4 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER BIKEBIZ.COM

NEWS

SCHWALBE UK has unveiled a new ‘click andcollect’ service for consumers.

Members of the public can now purchaseproducts online and pick them up at theirlocal specialist cycle dealer through theservice, which has been created with the helpof Shopatron and its retail-integratedeCommerce platform.

Schwalbe said the service combines theconvenience of shopping online with thebenefits specialist cycle retailers offer.

All Schwalbe tyres and tubes with the‘click and collect’ logo are available forpurchase through the service. Customers willbe guided through the tyre and tubeselection, checkout and pickup process.

Schwalbe said that dealers will stand togain from the arrangement, not least throughthe fact that they will see conversion of salesgenerated by Schwalbe’s website. In addition,there is the added benefit of bringingcustomers in store if they choose to pick up.

Signup is free, with no monthly costs orobligation, there is guaranteed payment forretailers (every 15 days) and trends can beeasily monitored through the service. Dealerswill also receive full margin on all productsless Shopatron’s process fee (9.5 per cent,plus 69p per order).

Cycle retailers interested should [email protected] and include ‘Shopatron’in the subject line. Schwalbe UK: 01952 602 680

by Mark Sutton

by Jonathon Harker

Cycle store insurance specialist Butterworth Spengler lent its expertise to BikeBizthroughout the duration of the rioting, which plagued many UK cities last month

BikeBiz hits onlinetraffic highDuring July BikeBiz.comreceived 62,966 uniquevisitors, according to GoogleAnalytics, a record numberfor the leading UK bicycletrade news website. To keeptrack of our news pages findus on Facebook or follow@BikeBizOnline on Twitter.

HMRC slaps VATon C2WFrom January 1st 2012 theCycle to Work scheme will besubject to 20 per cent VAT,meaning employers mustnow charge employees thetax on bike purchases. Flickto page six for industryreactions to the changes andpage 47 for a new offering.

Paligap takes onABD BMXAvanti’s off-shoot BMX brandABD will make its way toPaligap’s stable, with previewsof the range to be seen at theup-coming Cycle Show.

Cube 29er offeringgoes into doublefiguresCube is to introduce 29-inchwheeled complete bikes intoits catalogue for the firsttime this year, with theintroduction of ten models.

Evans to carryNorcoCanadian bike brand Norcowill be brought into the UKby Evans Cycles which willsell in store, online anddistribute to selectedretailers.

Halfords to carryPilgrim BMX andWhistle BikesChain store Halfords hasadded Whsitle bikes in storeand mid-to-high-end BMXbrand Pilgrim online.

Rouleur hits 25theditionTo celebrate, the publisher isupping its output from six toeight issues per year.

CYCLESHORTS

For breaking news visit:www.bikebiz.com

PRIMERA SPORTS’Dan Lovatt wonover £1,000 worthof Crankbrothers kit,courtesy of a 2purecompetition.

A competitionwas launched by thedistributor in July’s

BikeBiz, offering bike retailers the chance towin the prize.

“I couldn't believe it at first but I’mlooking forward to trying the new kit out andit will look sick on my bike,” enthused Lovatt.“Thank you to everyone at 2pure, especiallyKylie and Jon. They were a great help inensuring I have the right parts coming.”

2pure said it was pleased with theresponse to the competition.

'We ran this with the aim of informingthe trade about expansions to the range,product improvements and the widerpricing brackets,” explained 2pure marketingcoordinator Kylie Hendrie. “It is importantto us that the industry is aware of theseimprovements as it makes Crankbrothersmore accessible to a larger market.”2pure: 0844 811 2001

Schwalbe revealsClick and Collect

A snapshot of Enfield’sHigh Street post riot

Lovatt wins2pure prize

NEWS

Sustrans unveils FreeRange Kids campaign

SUSTRANS has hailed the huge responseto the launch of its Free Range Kidscampaign.

The project is aiming to get childrenout of cars and onto bikes or walking toimprove their health, happiness and wellbeing.

“We’ve had a huge response from thepublic so far,” Sustrans chief executiveMalcolm Shepherd told BikeBiz. “Thewebsite has been very popular; aroundtwenty five thousand people have askedfor the activity packs to help them keeptheir kids free range and lots of socialnetworking is helping spread the word.We’ve also had a great response fromMPs with 97 recently signing an EarlyDay Motion in Parliament supporting thecampaign.

“And this is just the beginning – it’sreally encouraging and, we hope, willreally change the reality for how childrentravel around everyday.”

Sustrans is looking to work closelywith the trade for the Free Range Kidscampaign, with pledge cards and postersthat retailers can use to help capture awider share of the potential children’scycle market that otherwise might havebeen missed out on.

Shepherd explained: “The tradealready supports our work with schoolsto get more childrendoing the schooljourney by bike andthis has provided uswith key evidence forwhy we need to investin our children beingfree range. The BikeHub sponsors ourannual competition,The Big Pedal, whichwe will be running again next March, butwe are looking to work more closely withtrade on the campaign. We are creatingpledge cards and posters that could bestocked in shops and by being morefamily and children orientated, bike

shops can capture more of the children’sbike market.”

Free Range Kids is aiming to tackle‘fear of traffic’ and how that has affectedtravel choices by parents for children

over recent decades.The chief execadded: “Sustrans hasbeen working withchildren in schoolsfor 16 years and weknow that childrenoften do want towalk and cyclemore, but there arebarriers to them

being able to do that. Fear of traffic is amajor reason why parents don’t allowchildren to play outside or go to schoolon their own, and it is an understandablefear. Since the ‘70s the number of carswe own has more than doubled and that

has had a huge impact on how ourchildren make even the shortest ofjourneys. No one wants futuregenerations of children who are inactive,cooped up and see the world through acar window.”

“That is why the campaign has twoangles. Firstly helping children andparents find ways to be active andindependent in how they travel aroundlocally by discovering traffic free routesor cycle lanes, getting better cycle skillsor just finding new ways to enjoy doingit together. Secondly, we want local andnational government to commit toimproving public space with lower trafficspeeds in residential areas and withinvestment in better local walking andcycling networks so getting around yourown streets doesn’t have to be a battle,it can be an enjoyable part of the day.”www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids

Charity asks cycle industry for help to free ‘cooped up’ children from cars

new service

by Jonathon Harker

“No one wantsgenerations of

children who see theworld through a car

window...”

“THE INTRODUCTION of the scheme wasamazing for the cycle industry, a fantasticopportunity for us all. However, there weremany unknowns, plenty of grey, and a wholeload of misunderstandings. These have beencleared up with the introduction of FMV lastSeptember and the new position on VAT.

The worries (from within the cycle industry)that the scheme would be axed has meantthat a cloud has been hanging over the schemesince the outset. These fears should now havedissipated. Our hope is that the guidelinechanges create a clearer and more coherentscheme that will last for many years to come.

The Government’s cycle scheme has been ahuge success in accomplishing its goal ofimproving health and reducing carbonemissions, since its introduction. With areas ofuncertainty now clarified by the HMRC,employees now wanting to enter a work cyclescheme will know from the outset the details,with more clarity and certainty of what isinvolved. Furthermore, the savings and paymentterms on a new bike are still very attractive.

The scheme remains a cost neutral employeebenefit for companies, and is still the mosteffective way of promoting cleaner transportand tackling adult health and fitness issues inthe UK. So despite the changes, we are happythat these guidelines are being put in place if itensures the longevity of the scheme. Perhapsthe scheme is no longer a get rich quick option,but we see it as a sustainable part of our cyclesales for the foreseeable future.”

Simon Harris, Tax Free Cycle Manager,Cycle Surgery

“In response to your request for a reaction toVAT now being charged on the service that isthe provision of Cycle to Work bikes, I wouldmake five points:

1. That HMRC has clearly decided to increasethe tax take from employers who participate inCycle to Work schemes. This money has tocome from somewhere, and it will inevitablymean that Cycle to Work schemes becomeslightly less attractive for employees.

2. That despite HMRC’s best efforts, Cycle toWork schemes can still be designed to deliververy attractive savings for employees.

3. The main effect of HMRC’s latest attack onCycle to Work schemes has not been the effecton the actual value that schemes offer. It hasbeen to spread uncertainty amongstemployers. In the current financial conditionsthere is nothing as destructive as uncertainty.

4. HMRC’s antics will result in the raising of aminiscule amount of extra tax, but also in anincrease in traffic congestion and in theincreased production of greenhouse gasses. Amarvellous victory for all concerned.

5. This move clearly indicates that thisGovernment’s environmental policy is firmly inthe hands of George Osborne. The two fake-cycling-environmentalists, David Cameron andBoris Johnson, should hang their heads in shame.”

Mike Sweatman, Edinburgh BicycleCooperative

INDUSTRY OPINIONS | C2W VAT CHANGES


It’s the second time we’ve seen cycle to work go through a substantial change in 12 months. Does thetrade expect the move to make the scheme subject to VAT will result in a reduction in C2W business?Or has it been blown out of proportion? Jonathon Harker takes notes…

C2W changesfor the better?

‘IT REMOVES UNCERTAINTY’“This is the clarification we have beenwaiting for and will now allow Employers toplan with certainty how to apply thebenefits of the Cycle to Work Scheme fortheir employees, allowing them access tosavings of up to 42 per cent.”

Daniel Gillborn, head of commercialoperation, Cyclescheme

“The new ruling removes the final elementof uncertainty about exactly howschemes should operate going forward, andin so doing, strengthens it further.”

Charles Ashwell, Halfords Cycle2workcorporate sales manager

“The new ruling on VAT does not mean ablanket reduction in benefit of 20 per cent.Some scheme participants such as financialservice companies, and partially exemptorganisations, will now get additionalbenefits as they will be able to recover theVAT in full and this enhances theattractiveness of the scheme for suchproviders. For those already fully VATregistered the impact on savings will notapply at 20 per cent of the purchase value ofthe bike as this will be offset by an increasein Income Tax and NI Contributions’ savings,which will continue to apply.”

Cycle to Work Alliance, representingCyclescheme, Cycle Solutions, Evans

Cycles and Halfords.

The new ruling hasclarified the scheme,say our panel members

a chilling illustration of the need forcontingencies in their supply chain.

After the British climate had returned tosomething approaching normality, GFSconducted in-depth research to establish theexact reasons why the UK parcel deliveryindustry was at one stage facing a backlog ofmore than four million undelivered items inthe final days before December 25th.

What we discovered was that the snowwasn’t totally to blame. Whilst no-one couldpredict the scale or persistence of the badweather, the wayssome carriers andretailers reacted to itwere instrumental inthe problems whichtranspired.

Soon after retailerscleared the first peakin parcel traffic inearly November, thefirst wave of badweather struck,coinciding with thebiggest single period for online shopping.

As parcels carriers struggled to deliver thoseitems, consumers, unable to get to the HighStreet because of inclement conditions, boughteven more on the ‘net, contributing to £6.8bnworth of online sales during December – anincrease of 25 per cent on the previous year.

In some cases, communications betweenretailers, carriers and consumers was poor.Shoppers simply weren’t given clear enoughadvice about the chances of goods arriving intime for Christmas.

In other instances, stores and parceldelivery firms didn’t have the flexibility and

continuity of resources to cope. In short, forcycling businesses and other retailers, thewheels effectively came off.

Some cycling firms discovered anothercritical element too. They began to realise thecostly effects of surcharges being added bycertain parcel carriers who they’d nominatedto take bulky frames, wheels and accessories.

They were faced with the choice of payinglarge bills or finding new logistics partners,something which proved almost impossibleduring December when four million new items

were finding their wayinto the UK’s parcelsystem every single day.

GFS works with adozen or so firms incycling retail makingsure that they havereliable carrier supportthrough the year.

Because of thatexperience, we havebeen able to advise otherretailers about trying to

‘front load’ sales, persuading consumers to shopduring October and November to make sure thatthey get goods in time for Christmas and alsogiving them as broad a range of delivery optionsas possible if they still want to shop should theweather once again take a turn for the worse.

They have seen how small changes canpotentially avoid the lost business anddamaged reputations which followed lastDecember’s difficulties. At a time when everysale is important, even minor amendments tosupply can keep retailers – and their customers– on the road.www.justshoutgfs.com

FOR MOST PEOPLE, summer is still not over.However, for those involved with Britain’s retailindustry, prep work for the pre-Christmas pushhas been underway for many months.

This year, the sector has its eyes fixed onwhat is traditionally one of the busiest parts ofits calendar with a mix of anticipation andapprehension. Continuing economic pressuresduring 2011 have in some cases had a negativeimpact on sales of new bikes, a trade whichanalysts reckoned had generated turnover ofmore than £2 billion last year.

The situation is reckoned to be due not onlyto cash-conscious consumers but the impacton prices, availability and supply caused by thetaxman paying even greater heed to what hebelieves are attempts by Far Easternmanufacturers to circumvent EU import duties.

Bicycle makers in places like Taiwan andChina are desperate to secure a bigger share ofthe UK trade because it represents one of thebiggest single chunks of sales in Europe.

Even so, while there may have been aslowdown in the volumes of new models beingshifted, we understand that sales of parts andaccessories remain buoyant and may evenincrease further ahead of next Summer’sOlympic Games in London.

Such subtle changes in the nature of thedomestic cycling industry are, of course, keenlyfelt by retailers as they prepare for Christmas.More than merely trying to predict what itemswill sell, this year they’re anxious to ensurethat customers won’t experience the sort ofdifficulties which occurred in 2010.

December last year will not only beremembered by the retail sector for one of themost severe bursts of bad weather in livingmemory but for how the snow and ice provided

CHAIN REACTION | WINTER LOGISTICS


Last winter’s bad weather hampered deliveries in the trade, so nowis the time to have a contingency plan in case it happens again,argues Daniel Ennor, director of commercial development at

Global Freight Solutions…

December last year willnot only be remembered

for one of the most severebursts of bad weather, but

for the problems in theretail supply chain.

The heavy snow lastyear caused chaos –and supplyproblems – for manyretailers, includingcycle stores.

Gearing up for

Christmas

road sections, largely between the hours of10am and 2pm. The largest group involved 60pupils but most consisted of one class-worth(30 or so pupils). Pupils from year five and sixtook part, as did some as young as eight.

Each ride was co-ledby a teacher – trained inhow to lead a ride aspart of the Bike Itprogramme.

One anticipatory‘transition’ ride wasorganised fromMarlborough Juniors toCardiff High School,giving pupils a chanceto learn the route totheir new school beforeactually going. Twentypupils took part in the ride to their new HighSchool, supported by parents and the CardiffCouncil Road Safety Team. The ride coincidedwith a PTA Barbecue ride to celebrate theopening of its new bike shelter, providing coverfor 40 bikes.

Bike It activities haven’t just been forpractical A to B reasons either – in one case aride was organised to aid pupil studies. A‘history and sculpture tour’ around the Taff Trailand Bute Park saw class groups from St FagansPrimary, St Francis Primary and GabalfaPrimary take part on separate occasions.

Anfield picks up the story: “I created a cycleroute that passed Llandaff Cathedral, a range ofbridges and park sculptures and with a lunchstop in Cardiff Castle. The route followed arange of different trails and terrains to illustratethe possibilities. For example, the group wastaken along a shared use path by a main roadwhich was then contrasted to a beautiful andpeaceful riverside cycle path – they were

invited to think which was the most pleasantexperience and were reminded that they werepart of Sustrans' work to reduce car use.”

The rides are just part of the Bike It picture,Anfield explained: “These were a culmination of

work at the schoolsover one or two years.All schools have hadseveral Dr Bike visits toensure bike quality andhave taken part in lotsof cycle trainingthrough Welsh Cyclingand Cardiff CouncilRoad Safety.”

Sustrans works witha total of 18 schools inCardiff in partnershipwith Cardiff Council.

To find out more about how industry levyBike Hub funds Bike it programmes across thecountry – and a number of other ‘get bums onsaddles’ initiatives – head towww.bikehub.co.uk.

THE WORKS OF the Bike Hub-funded andSustrans-run Bike It initiative aren’t justconfined to one corner of the British Isles.

Cardiff’s Bike It Officer, Tim Anfield, has beenworking with the schools of the city and thesurrounding area since September 2010.

Two of those schools – Oakfield PrimarySchool and Bishop Childs Primary School –took part in a ‘twinning’ ride in July,congratulating the schools’ efforts in cycling.School children and over 60 parents from bothschools took part in a ‘Pedal Picnic’ including abike ride and picnic at St Mellons’ Hendre Lake.

Before Bike It and Tim Anfield got involvedwith the two schools a paltry five childrenregularly cycled to school. Now, less than ayear later, these schools regularly see between35 and 45 children regularly eschewing the carin favour of cycling to school.

“The pedal picnic has shown how pupils andteachers have really committed themselves tocycling to school,” Anfield enthuses. “They areworking really hard to create a lasting pro-cycling culture that they wish to see in theircommunity.”

This ‘twinning’ ride is just one of manyschemes and rides that have taken place aspart of the Bike It programme to encourageand reward children and young families tosaddle up regularly.

SCHOOL’S OUTIn fact, the Pedal Picnic is one of many ridesthe schools of Cardiff have taken part in. Thisterm Bike It has opened the eyes of teachersand parents – showing how easy it is to takegroups of over 30 pupils to and above 10kilometres distance rides – something thatsounds more challenging on paper than inpractice. The programme saw rides take placeon paths and cycle routes with some quiet

BIKE HUB | BIKE IT IN WALES


It’s for their own good! Whether they’re in London, Edinburgh,Belfast or Cardiff we need to encourage kids to get on theirbikes. Jonathon Harker takes a look at how Bike Hub andSustrans are trying to do precisely that in the Welsh capital…

According to recentstats, one in tenchildren have not learnthow to ride a bike, witha third also not owninga bike.

Cardiff’s Bike ItOfficer Tim Anfieldhas been workingclosely two localschools recently

Child benefit

BATTLE OF THE BULGEThe bike trade has an obvious vestedinterest in getting kids on bikes, but forthose of us with families, the need to getchildren on two wheels – or at least outof the car every now and then – ispressing.

According to stats from a survey madeby mini-triathlete sponsor Tata Steel, onein ten children had not learnt to ride abike, with a third not owning a bike –despite three in four owning a gamesconsole (and two thirds owning a mobilephone). The poll questioned 1,500children aged between six and 15.

Pic © J B

ewley and Sustrans

MYSTERY SHOPPER | KING’S LYNN

Picturesque King’s Lynn hasplenty to see by bike, bothon and off the roads. Withthat in mind, MysteryShopper headed to thegrowing port town in searchof a touring bike. Ourincognito inspector foundthings to be not sostraightforward...

Halfords

ARRIVING DURING a busy period where shelves werebeing restocked and staff largely unavailable MysteryShopper had to question whether he’d entered beforehours when most stores would be reloading.

It was in fact mid-day and with plenty of customersbeing ignored on the main shop floor Mystery Shopperwaded through to the cycles department. The cycle areawas a little less hectic and straight away I noted acommon Halfords sight, three staff behind a tinycounter. Luckily the staffer not tinkering with workshopjobs greeted me and advised that my budget wouldmore than cover me for a tourer fully kitted out fromthe off. What’s more, Halfords’ care package wasmentioned to me should I need a mechanic to handlemy maintenance.

That’s where it stopped though. The assistant waslargely clueless on the touring sector, neglecting tomention panniers, or any other gear suited toexpeditions and lengthy spells on two wheels. I was toldthat I needn’t really be spending £500 to obtain a bikebuilt to last. It really wouldn’t hurtto upsell one though, given that’smy quoted budget, surely?

Surf 55

DISPLAYING ‘certificates of excellence’ from yoursuppliers is always an encouraging sight and one I wasgreeted with while browsing Surf 55.

Though primarily a surf and bicycle store it wasrefreshing to see a variety of stock drawing in customfrom skateboarding, the trend that won’t go away ofscootering and many more – an indication of how ‘withthe times’ the store is.

Having waited my turn during a high footfall period,the assistant neglected a break between customers andreverted from selling some kind of wet suit, switching inan instant to a strong pitch on a Marin bang on mybudget. Presumably Surf 55 receives a variety ofcustomers and plenty of them, because the assistant hada very polished routine, which resulted in a fewearmarked options in a catalogue, along with a strongrecommendation, as well as mentions of add onaccessories required for long distance cycling.

At the time it had occurred to me that the store wasperhaps slightly over-cluttered and thus a turn off forsome customers, though thiswas prior to my visit to A EWallis.[ ]2/5 [ ]4/5

SCORE SCORE


Going round the Ouses

Anglian Cycles

TOWN CENTRE-based Anglian Motor Cycles, or King’sLynn’s Cyclelife if you’re going by Google’s info, wassurely the largest in town, though appeared to split itsbusiness between cycling and motorcycles.

Met by an elderly gentleman in workshop garb soonafter entry, first impressions were strong. The assistantbegan to discuss the heritage of the Esperia brand, firingoff many reasons why a bike by this manufacturer couldbe trusted. Alternatives slightly off-key to my brief wereoffered to me, though the helper seemed to readMystery Shopper’s preferences well and began to sell theEsperia road bike, which though slightly under mybudget, would satisfy the brief if a few accessory addons were upsold.

Sadly, this is where the pitch fell down. Explaining mydesire to tour, the assistant neglected to mention thevariety of accessories within his stock, nor were themounts for such items pointed out to me.

I have to give it to the helper though, he did afantastic job otherwise in terms of sharing knowledge,delivering it in a jargon freemanner and generally being a bighelp to a ‘first time’ buyer.

MYSTERY SHOPPER | KING’S LYNN

Summary

Perhaps Mystery Shopper developed some form ofOCD for cleanliness and organisation in the pastmonth, though given the state of the mysterymachine’s tyre-marked and Lion Bar wrapperdecorated interior, I’d say that’s unlikely.

No, in fact, the levels of presentation in Kings Lynn,to quote an over-used regional pun, were nor-folkin’good! A E Wallis was perhaps the worst of the bunch,with a counter area stacked with more uselesspaperwork that a certain editor’s desk. The floor wascovered in off cuts, torn cardboard and lots of thingsto make your more sensitive customer want to leave.

Richardsons Cycles

BY FAR THE best presented store in town, Richardson’sdoor buzzer summoned an assistant from the workshopon entry who was very sharp and structured withquestioning – asking budget, intended use and howseriously I foresaw myself taking cycling.

Our conversation carried on down a very structuredpath, with price points and value for money within eachvery well covered. What’s more with an indicationdrawn from me that my budget may be flexible, theassistant began to upsell well. However, along with eachupsell came the offer of a discount, on current yearmodels, with no haggle on Mystery Shopper’s part.These were largely to the tune of £50, though thefurther I was upsold, the greater the discounts became,which seemed like wasted effort to me.

Personal use of each model was key to the assistant’spitch and as a result I was advised to avoid certainmodels within the range. Having this advice worked verywell hand-in-hand with the sales pitch, though wasperhaps a little over-cooked given that I was a ‘first timebuyer’. Jargon began to trickle inthat may very well have lost theless bike-savvy customer.[ ]3/5 [ ]4/5

SCORE SCORE

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 13

A E Wallis

I SPENT TEN minutes browsing within A E Wallis’ largescale shop, which was split between householdappliances and bicycles, before mistaking a delivery manfor a staff member. Luckily, the parcel-carryingmessenger advised that the store’s owner is often ‘outthe back’ and to shout for help. Would a customerunfamiliar with this shop be expected to hang arounduntil he help appeared, I wonder?

Once the delivery man had handed me over, I foundthe assistant to be chatty and extremely interested inhelping his customer. Moving onto bike sales, I wasadvised that though little was in stock to match mybrief, plenty could be ordered, triggering an informativeand educational chat about touring bikes and with hintsabout price points and value for money thrown in.

I have to concede that the presentation of the storewas a distraction, however. It was perhaps one of themessiest seen in Mystery Shopper’s UK tour. My inklingis that many customers would leave based on theneglect of a good hoovering alone.

Otherwise, the assistant wasknowledgeable, friendly and made agood effort to sell bang on budget. [ ]2/5

SCORE

FISHER | PRICING ESSENTIALS

What led Fisher Outdoor Leisure to changeprices on its ‘bread and butter’ service andaccessory lines? A combination of factors. Firstly we’re veryconscious that the industry in general hasundergone significant inflation in the last fouryears and we wanted to identify certain keyareas where we could provide improved valuefor money for IBDs. Secondly we saw anopportunity to take a category approach andoffer a range of really good pricing on everydaybike shop ‘essentials’. And thirdly we didn’twant to lose touch with our heritage becausealthough we sell a wide range of really excitingbrands. Fisher grew up as a wholesaler of breadand butter bike products and we wanted toremind our customers that this part of thebusiness is still very important to us.

How do prices compare with those in 2010?Very favourably indeed. The average savingover the whole Essentials range is over 16 percent, but some lines have had up to 75 percent reduced over their previous 2010 bestprice. Our aim is to continually analyse andcompare pricing to ensure IBDs can come to usfor all their P&A needs safe in the knowledgethat we take value seriously.

Tell us about the Quantity Discount system

and how it makes it easy for customers. One piece of feedback that came from ourcustomers was that our pricing structure wastoo complicated for these essential productsand that customers wanted a simple way toaccess the best deals. Now the more acustomer buys of a particular line the betterthe price will be and those same prices will beavailable to everybody. The only exception tothis is for tyres and tubes where we have aMixed Quantity Discount allowing customersto mix and match the products whilst keepingthe great savings.

Is it tougher to keep prices low at themoment given the exchange rate?Clearly there are challenges, but we’re a big,strong, financially solid business and we useour scale to make sure we maximise ourbuying efficiencies and keep ourselvescompetitive, whilst also offering our dealers thebest possible lines of credit.

Can you tell us a bit about theimprovements you’ve made to the B2B site? We get a lot of positive commentsregarding our current B2B websitebut as part of the commitmentto improve our service we arein the process of launching a

new site which will provide even greaterfunctionality with market leading searchcapabilities and account management tools.Many dealers will have had a preview at ourExpo and with this feedback we are confidentthat it will be industry leading. The site willlaunch in the next few weeks.

And the warehouse management systemhas been recently enhanced?Firstly we have been able to extend our cut-offtimes so that customers have until 4pm toplace orders (2pm on a Friday) and still getnext day delivery. Secondly our ability toassess stock levels has also been greatlyimproved, resulting in live stock information.Moving forward we will also be scanningthroughout the different functions in thewarehouse from goods in, put away, pickingand goods out which will make us moreaccurate from a picking perspective.

Any final message to bike retailers? Here at Fishers all our staff are committed toimproving our customer service to the IBDs.We regularly seek feedback from our customerbase and thank those that take the time toparticipate in our surveys. Through theirfeedback we make enhancements to ourservices, from permanent better pricing onbread and butter lines, improving our B2B andgrowing our sales team to enable all customersaccess to a dedicated account manager. Theseare just a few of the improvements we havemade and through their continued support wewill continue to assess our services and makeimprovements. We look forward to seeing youall at Cycle Show later this month and wehope you can join us at Expo in February.Fisher Outdoor Leisure: 01727 798340

One of the best-known distributorsin the trade has taken the step ofcutting prices on the ‘bread and

butter’ products it supplies. But whatled to the decision and why now?

Jonathon Harker asks Fisher’s salesand marketing director Mike Cook…

The price is

right

ON THE EXPOFisher has already revealed the dates ofits 2012 Expo house show. But will it bereturning to Sopwell House in St Albans?

“Yes, the last two Expos at Sopwellhave been resounding successes,” Cookexplains. “Many of our customers enjoythe comfortable and relaxed nature that

Sopwell houseprovides, so once againwe will be returningthere in 2012 to makethe show even better.”

2012 Expo will runfrom Monday February20th to Wednesday 22nd.


Fishers claims it iscommitted toimproving its customerservice to IBDs

AWARDS 2011

BIKEBIZ AWARDS | 2011


bike shop. One fan said: “The team are young,dynamic and offer top levels of productknowledge and service.” The shop has MTBroutes on the doorstep, over 600 bikes ondisplay in the huge 14,000 sq ft store, coveringcross-country, freeride, downhill, road racing,sportive, cyclocross, commuting, touring,leisure and children’s rides. We quote: “Theyare, and always have been, an amazing shop.”

BELL'S BICYCLESBell’s Bicycles is set in a wood panelled 18thCentury former green grocers in Hastings OldTown. Founded by Megan Williams-O’Mara in2009, the shop has a part-time mechanic andan apprentice scheme. The small shop has aconstant stock of quality cycles on display,with fine customer service on offer, we’re told.It also runs a repair and maintenance schemefor locals, as well as bike hire. The owner works with the council, Active Hastings and Hastings Urban Bikes to promote cycling and safe

accessibility to local routes.

18 BIKES18 Bikes has regularly appeared as an Awardfinalist – little wonder judging by some of thecomments we received. “They're a model ofhow a great local bike shop should work, usingfantastic service and investment in people tosidestep getting in the charge to the bottom ofthe price wars.” Based in the Peak District, itspecialises in custom builds, now offeringcustom-built steel frames too, as well as off-the-peg models. It’s also a hit with Singletrackreaders, winning several awards.

MOUNTAIN MANIA CYCLESThis retail business was founded by Jamie Lynn,21, six years ago. From one small shop in Tring,Herts, Lynn has opened a branch in Didcot,Oxfordshire, and a larger new shop in Tring. Ithas since added a road bike shop (‘The RoadRoom’) close from the Tring store. It

THE FINALISTS FOR the 2011 BikeBiz Awardshave been chosen after weeks of lobbying bythe cycle industry. Now an independent panelof judges from the trade will select thewinners. The award night itself is weeks away,on Wednesday September 28th at the HiltonMetropole, NEC, Birmingham. Electra Bicyclesis Premium Partner for the Awards, alongsideEvent Partners Koga Bicycles, Citrus-Lime andCycle SOS.

And here are the finalists, often profiled inthe words of those who nominated them…

RUTLAND CYCLING Last year’s independent retailer winner has beenbusy with a dedicated customer services team, anew Facebook store and fresh finance optionsfor consumers. The website has come on in leapsand bounds too, with improved navigation, amore targeted search, a fresh design and is moreGoogle friendly. The retailer has also picked uplocal business awards for its three-shop business.

CONDOR CYCLESThe widely known independent bike retailer is aone-stop-shop for touring equipment,commuting products, singlespeed and trackcomponents, also offering road cyclingaccessories, components and bikes. The shophas departments on separate floors, allowingstaff to specialise. One fan told us: “Anotherimpressive 12 months with great feedback andgreat sales. Good, enthusiastic staff, keen topromote their shop and cycling.”

WHEELBASECumbria-set Wheelbase is another admired

Independent Retailer

You lobbied, we fed it into our computer and now it’s over to the judges todecide which retailers, brands, distributors and media deserve a BikeBizAward in 2011. Jonathon Harker lists the challengers…

Your guide to the

finalistsRutland Cycling

>>>

THE CATEGORIES

l Independent Retailerl Online Retailerl High Street Chainl Retail Workshopl Distributor: Bikesl Distributor: P&Al Distributor of the Yearl Consumer Print Media(Specialist and National Press) l Consumer Websitel Bike Brand l P&A Brandl Rising Starl Retail Marketing Initiative

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employs nine people and estimates turnoverfor the next financial year to exceed £1m.

BIKETREKS, AMBLESIDECumbria’s Biketreks is ‘an absolutely great shopset amongst some of the best scenery in theworld’ as one punter pithily put it. It offersmaps and relevant accessories as well as hirebikes. Weekly rides operate from the shop,which recently moved to nearby Rydal Road toa more prominent spot and also more thandoubling stock capacity. It also supports theFred Whitton Challenge and is a ShimanoService Centre Plus.

CHAIN REACTION CYCLESThe story of starting with just a small bankloan is well worn, but nevertheless is animpressive measure of how CRC has gone avery long way in 25 years. The firm is goingback to its roots with the opening of a newphysical store and not even suffering cardfraud has held it back from picking up aQueen’s Award for Business, or beingshortlisted for the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

WIGGLEFrom launching its own Facebook store, toseeing its first sportives of the year sell outspeedily, Wiggle has continued to rise in theHot Shop 100. Its overseas offering has grownagain, with a website now operating in sixlanguages: French, Spanish, German, Japaneseand most recently in Dutch. The firm’simpressive record has seen it win two BikeBizAwards in the online retailer category.

JE JAMES Not even break-ins have stopped JE James fromrecording another strong 12 months. Withlarge bike stores in Sheffield, Chesterfield andRotherham, the firm’s online business hascontinued to supply road, commuter, BMX,mountain, XC, downhill, electric and foldingbikes to customers across the land. At the endof last year JE James forged closer links withlocal Football Club Chesterfield too.

UK BIKE STOREThis year marks a first appearance for UK BikeStore in this category. Staffed with cycleenthusiasts, the online store stocks the fullgamut from car racks, to energy product, lights,workshop kit and much more, across a wideselection of consumer sectors. UK Bike Store

also sidelines with offerings in the campingand outdoors sector, including sledges, tents,wetsuits and barbeque accessories.

EVANS CYCLESIf Evans Cycles scoops the High Street Chainprize it’ll be during its 90th year in the trade. itwill be first UK retail chain to carry the newBobbin bicycle range, got a new CEO (NickWilkinson) in May and exclusively stocks anumber of brands – including Fuji and Jamis.Evans is also a key member of the Cycle toWork Alliance, hosts Ride it events nationwideto grow the brand and encourage cycling, andeven found time to launch a new websiteearlier in the summer.

CYCLE SURGERYCycle Surgery’s store portfolio now numbers animpressive 24 nationwide, with 13 in thecapital. Famously, the chain also hosts women-only evenings, featuring expert advice on kit,nutrition and fitting, with a glass of champersand cupcake to boot. One lobbyist said of theHigh Street Chain: “Good staff, orderly systems,good lines of communication. Customerfeedback appears to be consistently good.”

CYCLES UKThere’s a long list of firms working closely withCycles UK, ranging from apparel firm Shutt VRto the world-famous Harrods. The firmpromises a jargon-free service for customersand a focus on quality brand, top-notchcustomer service and a contemporary retailenvironment. The retailer was founded in 1997and now has 16 stores across the South East.The revamped flagship Greenwich store has alarge dedicated women’s cycling area.

LEISURE LAKESLast year’s High Street Award winner has rootsin the windsurfing business but hasn’t lookedback since stepping into the then burgeoningmountain bike sector. The family business hasseven stores, serving the mountain bike,commuter, road and BMX sectors, amongothers. All mechanics are Cytech trained, andcustomers are encouraged to sign up to a VIP‘super saver’ club, with finance and C2Woptions available.

HALFORDSThe colossus of the UK cycle retail scene,Halfords has over 460 superstores across thenation, with its own Cycle to Work offering andstocking bike brands like Boardman, Voodooand Carrera. It has recently invested in themobile side of its business, creating a free appfor smart phones to lead customers to itsphysical or online doors. Like Evans and Wiggle,Halfords’ online site is among the 100 mostpopular retail sites in the UK.

High Street Chain

EDINBURGH CYCLE CO-OPThe six-strong chain is still headquartered inEdinburgh, with two stores based south of theborder (in Leeds and Manchester). The co-ophas over 100 members and promises to offerfriendly, informed professional advice to itscustomer base. The firm aims to promotecycling in the UK as a pastime and transport,while also making it easier and more enjoyableto own and ride a bike.

EVANS CYCLESEvans has opened a large centralised workshopin London to cater for its very busy and space-restricted central London stores. Staffed by 12mechanics, with the potential to have 35, bikesare left with a store, a network of vanstransport the bike for repair to the facilitywhere the bike is serviced and returned to theoriginal store for collection within two days –resulting in a greatly improved service.

REVOLUTION! CYCLEWORKS Mobile workshop Revolution! Cycleworks aimsto cater not just for bread and butter repairs asyou might expect, but also offers a range ofservice and bike build options comparable witha High Street bike shop. The firm has the addedbenefit of being able to fit its schedule aroundthe customer’s, rather than the other wayround. It says: “We're the local bike shop thatvisits you when and where you want.”

BIKE SCENE, GUISBOROUGHBike Scene, based on the edge of the NorthYorkshire Moors National Park, boasts fourCytech NVQ Level 3 technicians manning theworkshop – two of whom were among the firstto attain the qualification back in 2004. Theshop sends its technicians to regular factorytraining sessions to keep them up to date withthe latest tech available. One fan said: “Veryknowledgeable staff that are great at solvingcustomer problems.”

OXFORD CYCLE WORKSHOP TRAININGOver the last 12 months this communityowned co-operative training organisation hastaken the Big Society concept and run with it.It has taken on eight apprentices and nowoffers a Level 2 Certificate programme foraspiring Cycle Mechanics with a full customerservice and enterprise modules. Courses and

INDEPENDENTRETAILERJudges shouldconsider: Customerservice, Productknowledge, range andin-storemerchandising.

ONLINE RETAILERJudges shouldconsider: Reliability,Range, User Interface,Commitment to anorderly marketplace.

HIGH STREET CHAINJudges shouldconsider: Customerservice, ProductKnowledge, Range,Commitment to anorderly marketplace

RETAIL WORKSHOPJudges shouldconsider:Organisation,Customercommunication,Workshop stafftraining, popularity.

DISTRIBUTOR:BIKESJudges shouldconsider: Speed oforder, Orderfulfilment, CustomerService, Productcondition, After sales.

DISTRIBUTOR: P&AJudges shouldconsider: Speed oforder, Orderfulfilment, CustomerService, Productcondition, After sales.

DISTRIBUTOR OFTHE YEARJudges should consider:Speed of order, Orderfulfilment, CustomerService, Overallperformance in thetrade.

The judging criteria

Online Retailer

Retail Workshop



niche and bringing some exciting bikes to theUK market from Moda. The brand’s in-depthproduct range is complemented with quick andaccurate delivery, the firm says, and it is keento please retailers by filling gaps in marketswhen mainstream brands run low on stock.Custom build options are offered by Eurobikeand the bikes are all built in England.

SILVERFISHSilverfish UK continues to impress and grow itsdistribution and offering of bikes to the UK IBDnetwork. With strong brands on board in theform of legendary MTB manufacturer RockyMountain, who celebrated their 30th birthdayin 2010 and new to the UK market MondrakerBikes, there is a bike on offer for every off roadrider and at all price points. Backed up with acompetitive sales services and comprehensiveback-up further strengths Silverfish UK as aleading bicycle distributor.

RALEIGHOne of the most recognisable names insideand outside the trade, Raleigh has a widenumber of familiar P&A brands and a team ofproduct managers (with an average age ofunder 30) supporting those brands at dealerlevel. Raleigh recently picked up Trion:Z and itsperformance bracelet range.

MADISONMadison brings a wealth of P&A brands to theUK trade, including Shimano, Garmin, Giro, ownclothing brand Madison and many more. Thefirm has recently revamped its warehouse,made its second iceBike* of the year apermanent fixure, and has engaged in amultitude of events and marketing to bolsterits portfolio amongst cyclists. The firm has anenviable turnaround time on orders, as regularreaders of the BikeBiz Forum will attest to.

ZYROZyro has doubled in size in terms of turnover,labour force and office space in the past fiveyears, in addition to many other areas ofgrowth, and is on track to double in turnover inthe next five years. It has implemented 25 percent longer warehouse working days and offersnext day delivery to customers. It continues togrow its brands, including CatEye, Altura, Abus,Camelbak and many more, but it isn’t simplyon a mission to add brands, saying it is insteadcommitted to its current brands.

MOORE LARGEMoore Large has a widespread coverage ofproduct across a huge range of sectors due toits comprehensive range of brands. Productsare supported by a useful brochure andbusiness-to-business site. Some of its keybrands include world famous names like Knog,Lake, Kenda and Jagwire, but Moore Large also

handles development of house brand ranges, aswith the latest successes of One23, as well asbringing other brands to market.

SILVERFISHSilverfish UK has a long established history ofproviding a high level of sales and service tothe UK IBD network. A far reaching marketingpresence and a portfolio of 18 highperformance brands make them a key firm inthe bike business. It is not just a strong productoffering which keeps Silverfish performing well,as a fast turnaround of orders, solid stock levelsand friendly staff make Silverfish a leadingP&A distributor.

FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE Fisher Outdoor Leisure recently became theone and only distributor of all SRAM product inthe UK, cementing its place as a key distributorfor the business. With other global brands likeTroy Lee, Santini, MET and many more, the firmoffers its customers chance to see new kit atthe annual Expo show. Crucially, the firm hashelped dealers with prices with its Essentialsscheme for bread and butter products.

MADISONWe hand over to one of the lobbying trademembers for their words on the firm: “ForDistributor Of The Year I'd go for Madison.They have been so supportive to us on thesmall OE programme, really flexible and alwaysready to help – which is astonishing for such abig operation. And obviously being a bigoperation they have been faultlessly reliablewhen almost everyone else we've dealt hasn'tbeen in one way or another.” Praise indeed.

ZYROZyro has doubled in size in terms of turnover,labour force and office space in the past fiveyears, in addition to many other areas ofgrowth and are on track to double in turnoverin the next five years. It has implemented 25per cent longer warehouse working days, offersnext day delivery to all customers. The firm iscommited to focusing on its brands, many ofwhich have voted Zyro as their best worldwidedistributor on various occasions.

SILVERFISHSilverfish UK pledges to offer the IBD network

regular events puts the workshop at the heartof a growing local cycling community.

JAKE’S BIKESProviding quality used bikes, servicing, repairsand tuition are key aims of Jake’s Bikes. Thefirm provides courtesy bikes while cycles are infor repair and also offers tuition from beginnersto advanced level in the workshop, offering achoice of watching and learning or gettingstuck in. Advice is also on hand for roadsiderepairs, on what kind of equipment should betaken on big cycling holidays and much more.

MADISON Madison is one of the best-known distributorsin the business, with a bike portfolio includingthe likes of Cervelo, Ridgeback, Saracen, Genesisand Adventure. The firm famously took thereins of Saracen brand at the end of ‘08 andsupports its customers with two regulariceBike* house shows. An exhibitor at theinaugural London Bike Show at ExCeL, it alsoshows at smaller events like the Dirt Wars UKDirt Jump Series, among others.

CSG UKThe distributor’s comprehensive range nowincorporates Cannondale, GT, Mongoose,Wethepeople and Charge, and is set to growstill further. CSG adds that Cannondale hasbeen available in more stores and has soldmore units than ever. The firm has worked tokeep the model availability of all models highby investing in more stock than ever before. Adeveloping B2B website, plus investment inareas like telesales to keep service levels high.

MOORE LARGEDerby-set distributor Moore Large has acomprehensive range of bikes, covering mostdisciplines of cycling. Two key brands, Formeand Haro, are both supported by dedicatedbrand managers, POS material, marketingsupport and technical information. Moore Largehas supplied Center Parcs with Haro bikes,bringing the brand to thousands of holidaymakers, while other brands are boostedthrough the consumer-facing ‘Todays Cyclist’.

REECE CYCLESReece’s bike brands include Schwinn, Python,Probike, Freeagent and Bottecchia. TheBirmingham-based firm has picked up plenty offans in the trade, including one bike retailerwho said: “I think Reece Cycles should get anaward or two for bikes and P&A. They don'tshout about themselves and just get on withthe job. Stocks are good, delivery is prompt andthey provide a friendly and helpful service.”

EUROBIKEEurobike is the youngest bike distributor onthis list. That hasn’t stopped it from carving a

CONSUMER PRINTMEDIA Judges shouldconsider: Compellingeditorial, Circulationdevelopment, Design,Independence andIntegrity of review.

CONSUMERWEBSITEJudges shouldconsider: Compellingeditorial, Design,Independence andIntegrity of review,User interface.

BIKE BRANDJudges shouldconsider: Commercialsuccess, Innovation,Marketing,Performance.

P&A BRANDJudges shouldconsider: Commercialsuccess, Innovation,Marketing,Performance.

RISING STARJudges shouldconsider: Growth overthe last 12 months,Performance over thelast year, Reputation.

RETAIL MARKETINGINITIATIVEJudges shouldconsider: Impact onretail sales, Directingsales to physicalretailers, Creativity,Uniqueness.

Distributor: Bikes

Distributor: P&A

Distributor of the Year



a high-end service for all their product needs.An 18-brand strong portfolio offers dealerseverything from Canadian-made frames andbikes, Spanish road clothing and brakes fromItaly to name just a few. With product on offerfrom tyres through to hydration packs and allthe components in between one call cansource it all at Silverfish UK, the firm says.

MOORE LARGE

As a distributor ML has excellent nationalcoverage and a strong portfolio due to breadthof products and ranges available.Widespreadcoverage because of a comprehensive range ofproducts supported by a great brochure andbusiness-to-business site. Key brands such asKnog, Lake, Kenda and Jagwire, plusdevelopment of house brand ranges, with thelatest success being One23.

CSG UKCSG UK has provided dealers with more choicethan ever this year. With bike brands likeCannondale, Charge, GT, Mongoose andWethepeople, CSG UK’s P&A portfolio has alsobroadened with BMX brand Xposure, saddlesand other accessories from Charge (includingMTB wheels for the first time), Surface, newfootwear brand Almond, Salt, Eclat andWethepeople. It made GT an IBD exclusive, hasgrown hugely in the past year or so and hasdriven service improvement.

SINGLETRACKSingletrack is hoping to make it three in a rowat the Awards. It says it has backed IBDs sinceit began and is a keen digital adopter, recentlymaking strides into digital delivery while stillkeeping a strong print presence. Distributionnow includes every major supermarket chain,WH Smiths and numerous independents. Onetrade reader tells BikeBiz: “Not only are theguys friendly and approachable, it's the onlybike magazine I read which doesn't feel likeworking, which says it all really.”

SHREDShred has evolved with the times, diversifyinginto events as well as launching adownloadable app on iTunes. Shred Events nowoffers MTB, road and multisport events and last

winter Shred linked with the National Trust,creating its own racing team in regional andnational events in cross country and road rides.One fan tells us: “Shred is down to earth,friendly and informative. And itdoesn’t appear to be swayed byadvertisers like some others.”

THE RIDE JOURNALReceiving plenty of supportfrom the trade during thelobbying process, the RideJournal has printed five issuesso far, but they’ve certainlymade an impact. A strongvisual style and an emphasison a bike loving philosophywhatever the discipline, themag has been a hit since dayone. The first issue was meantto have 80 pages, butbecame 148, after muchinterest. Profits go to avariety of charities.

ROULEURThe bi-monthly Rouleur launched in 2006, andnow 24 issues down the line has doubled itsprint run, tripled its subscriber base andincreased its base of independent bike retailersfrom ten to over 120. The mag has alsoinvested in higher quality paper stock, and ithas doubled issue advertising volumes, whilekeeping advertising at a 20 per cent maximumof the mag content. The mag’s top-notchphotography and production values havecontinued to be strong.

DIRTFactory Media’s mountain bike mag is now inits 13th year, combining coverage of downhilland 4X racing, dirt jumping, freeride and morein its own distinctive style. One of the firstmags in the cycle market to produce an iPhoneApp, Dirt’s popular World Cup Fantasy Leaguereturned this year, working with fantasy gamedeveloper Silent Manager for the first time.

Cycling PlusFuture’s highest circulation cycle title got aredesign earlier this year, giving Cycling Plus acycle lifestyle design with more reviews, aclean look, improved photography and a freshlayout. The redesign came in a year that saw itrecord another impressive rise in circulationand not long after the mag won a prestigiousPPA Award for Specialist Consumer Magazineof the Year in ‘10.

ROAD.CC Road.cc has grown spectacularly in a shorttime, winning the BikeBiz Consumer WebsiteAward last year. The speedily updated site hasseen traffic and page views rise impressivelyand this year’s Fantasy Cycling League hadattracted 3,500 teams by early May 2011 – upfrom 1,800 in 2010. One punter said: “Excellentdesign, easy to navigate with great content andeditorial features which I feel are alwayswritten fairly, with integrity.”

BIKERADAR.COMThe huge two-time winner of the BikeBizConsumer Website Award hasn’t rested on itslaurels, this year revealing a new offering forit’s readers. The Customer Reward Schemegives subscribers another reason to stay tunedwith ‘DailyDeal’ biking discounts in partnershipwith big name brands. Last year the site,together with Cyclingnews.com, peaked withover four million online users.

THE BIKE LISTThis year the cycle-choosing website hasexpanded to include more brands, reviews(doubled for 2011), news and race reports intheir quest to help people find their perfectbike. One punter said: “I'm impressed by thedepth, impartiality and content of theirreviews. It’s helped us raise its profile andawareness amongst its audiences. As a growingbrand, this is undoubtedly important for us.”

SINGLETRACKSingletrack’s website has partnered the magsince the beginning with editorial output morethan doubling in the last year and trafficfigures show the fruits of that labour with over600,000 unique users visiting every month. Thewebsite is Singletrack’s digital publishing portalallowing access to the entire back catalogue ina variety of digital formats. Singletrack thisyear celebrates its first decade in the trade.

CYCLIST NO 1Cyclist No1 has hardly spent a penny onputting the site together or advertising in itsfirst 18 months, but has still built up a seriousfollowing, with plenty of trade supporters. Onesaid: “Gary Lake is doing a great job with asmall site.” Another added: “It's a great newsite, they have a pro-active, open approach andhave been fantastic to work with.”

MODAThe Eurobike distributed range is fresh andkeenly priced, in the opinion of one lobbyist.The range is set to diversify further after thisyear branching into titanium, and after ashowing at Eurobike last year, overseas interesthas grown considerably, with Moda productheading to Holland and Belgium in particular.Moda now offers complete bikes in road, trackand MTB, but also supplies frame kits.

ORANGEOrange Bikes divide opinion, says one of ourlobbying trade chums, but that didn’t stopthem giving the brand their full backing, tellingus: “The loyalty of their fans and riders tells youeverything you need to know about Orange”.Some of the bikes are still made in the UK,

Zyro HQ

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Consumer Print Media

Consumer Website

Bike Brand



KNOG With eyecatching marketing and a quirkyproduct design, Knog has a worldwide fan base.There is continued growth and interest in thisbrand, arguably amongst the most innovativein the industry. A view backed with thedevelopment of products in a number of newareas most visibly with the recent line of locks.

SHIMANO One of the best known bike brands on theplanet, Shimano has forged new paths inelectronic shifting and well as pushing theenvelope in product, winning product designawards from the iF, as well as supporting UKevents like the Singletrack Classic Weekender.

SRAM SRAM acquired the US powermeter companyQuarq Technology earlier this year, furtherdeveloping its growing offering. Most recentlythe brand launched the Red Black groupset atExpo 2011 and the silver X0 at the California-set Sea Otter Classic.

SCHWALBE From backing the London Nocturne this yearto getting behind the National Cycle Museum,Schwalbe has been busy keeping the brand inthe public eye. Highlights from the last 12months include the introduction of a newgeneration of the popular Marathon tyre.

FORMEForme is designed and created in the UK and hasgrown rapidly from the first range of road bikescreated in 2010. Due to surpassing expectationin the first year, it is expanding to cover mostgenres of cycling and for 2012 the range is set todouble in size again. Forme is sold through nearly150 stockists across the UK and Ireland.

MORVELO BICYCLE APPARELMorvélo aims to be the leading lifestyle brandfor road, MTB, track, cyclocross, commuter andracers. It combines cycling culture with popculture and started with just £500 in 2009 inBrighton. Now it sells worldwide online as wellas expanding into the likes of Evans and smallIBDs, doubling turnover Y-O-Y whilst remainingself-financed and independent.

GOING GOING BIKE Going Going Bike is a dedicated online market forbikes, bike parts and bike gear. With an innovative‘Prove It’ system it is forging a legitimate secondhand bike market. It’s not just about trading –there’s also a growing community of cyclists withblogs and features like bikepedia and bike matchintended to help all get the most out of cycling.

EVOCEvoc’s CE rated spinal protection packs offerriders protection and performance out on thetrails while luggage brings design style to anoft overlooked area of travel. Bright coloursand attention to detail have helped propelEvoc to the front of the trail pack market aidedby the likes of Steve Peat and Fabien Barel whocan be seen sporting their packs on the trail.

CYCLE SYSTEMS ACADEMYThe path of Cycle Systems Academy from oneman and his trailer mobile mechanics to beinga major player nationally in the training fieldhas been pretty impressive by anyone’s

standards. It has broken into funded training,giving bike businesses and private students anew option for apprenticeship.

BM7 DISPLAYSThe firm designs and manufactures custombranded POS display systems and have carvedout a niche for high quality innovative displaysystems with a growing client base. SigmaSport, Condor Cycles, Bikelab Richmond, PureMotion Cycles, The Mellow Velo, Paligap,Silverfish, Specialized UK, Eddy Merckx Cyclesand Neil Pryde are among those using BM7.

RED OR DEAD BRANDBringing together two brands from differentsectors, Red or Dead has sought to beat a pathto the door of the potentially lucrative youngfemale market. How it has fared is yet to beseen, but credit is due for attempting to forgea foothold with that customer base with aproduct designed with them in mind.

SPECIALIZED STORE, COVENT GARDENSpecialized isn’t the only bike brand with itsown retail stores in the UK, but the newlyopened Covent Garden Concept Store, openedwith Cycle Surgery this summer, is a flagshipbike shop open in the heart of London, makingit perhaps one of the most visible of its kind tomillions of tourists and locals.

BIKE HUB SMARTPHONE APPDirecting the UK’s population to bike dealerswhile also providing them with a route from Ato B (as well as now leisure rides) is exactly thekind of thing the Bike Hub smartphone app hasbeen doing since it went live. An Androidversion was released last year, with moredevelopments in the works.

SEVENTIES VIDEOSSeventies video promotion – through the likesof free retail DVDs and YouTube – has shownoff its brand portfolio to a wide audience.Several retailers nominated the DVDs as theyuse them as in-store marketing, while onYouTube its brands have been seen by millions.

EDDY MERCKX RIDESFor obvious reasons Eddy Merckx himself isclosely involved in the brand and this yearcycle fans had chance to ride with the manhimself on a charity ride. He also spent timeriding for the brand at the Fondo Eddy Merckx,where i-ride offered dealers the chance to wina ride in a limited field with the star.

ALUTRA POS PROGRAMMETaking on the challenge to design POSappropriate to UK bike shops, the Altura POSprogramme has created 29 unique POS fixturesand fittings. Including 3D display items to bringthe clothing to life on the shop floor, there’salso pure branding items like floor mats andimage display cubes to push the brand.

specced with UK parts in many cases,contributing to local manufacturing while alsooutputting a top drawer product.

IBISDistributed by 2pure since 2009, Ibis producesthe kind of MTBs that have got cycle journosexcited (winning best full sus MTB for threeyear in a row previously). This year Ibis offeredconsumers the chance to ride with four timeMTB World Champion Brian Lopes at this year’sMTB CC World Cup, Dalby and teamed up withBike School Scotland to boost the grass roots.

EDDY MERCKX Eddy Merckx is a brand that has gone fromstrength-to-strength. Expertise from the manhimself was used in the design, with innovativenew technology (like pitch-based instead ofcheaper pan-based carbon fibres to providestiffness), a strong team in Quick-Step and UK-specific specced bikes, the brand is alsosupported with the likes of the Gran Fondo.

BROMPTONBranching out into clothing for the first time,this evergreen brand has also entered cycle hirewith the first Brompton Bike Dock installed atGuildford Station this summer. Continually heldup as an example of how bikes can still bedesigned and made in the UK, it has been partof the commuter surge and now has an officialsecond hand outlet in Going Going Bike.

MONDRAKERThe Spanish brand offers a WC-winning DHbike as well as entry-level hardtails, jump bikesand all-MTB machines. The Zero SuspensionSystem continues to win praise and distributorSilverfish says: “In two years it has become afamiliar name in magazines and on the trail. Itcontinues to grow and 2012 looks like being aneven better year as it grows through IBDs.”

CANNONDALEThrough investment in R&D, Cannondale’s2011 model year has been another milestonefor the MTB and road brand. Highlights includenew tech in the carbon model manufacture.The brand has not been shy in marketing, withcover shots, features, and bikes performing withthe high profile Liquigas pro tour team, helpingtranslate success on the road into success onthe sales floor.

XPOSURE Benefiting from the Dorel Hot Wheels takeoverin ‘09, enhanced resources has seen the brandgrow impressively. Now distributed across nineglobal territories, Xposure – under CSG’s ChrisMcArdle’s guidance – has sought to address theneeds of IBDs through creating a brand thatprovides a range of high quality, top selling,good value parts. Simple styling has helped itbecome a UK BMX scene fixture.

CATEYE CatEye has been innovating since ’46, offeringroad, commute and off-road products at everyprice point. It says it covers around 40 per centthe UK lights market and 60 per cent of the UKcyclo-computer market. It has innovative GPScamera combos, the Q-Series Sports Watches,and its light range including the likes of theRapid series and Jido.

EARLY BIRD TICKETSUntil August 31st only, tickets will beavailable for the BikeBiz Awards at a price ofonly £15. After that date tickets rise to £25.Buffet and drinks vouchers are included inthe ticket price.Contact [email protected] take advantage of the early bird deal.

P&A Brand

Rising Star

Retail Marketing Initiative

time to spare, ready to influence friends whenthey return to school. Secondly, Moore Largebrought the launch early to make surecompetitors didn’t get in there first.

The latest from Haro includes the eye-catching ZX20. Pitched at the entry level, witha £199.95 retail price and available in orangeand white, the colourful frame is indicative ofHaro’s 2012 range. Specced by Moore Large’sAdam Garner, the range is increasingly kittedout for the UK and its tendency to favourproduct in a variety of colours. One case inpoint is the range of colourful anodized rimsavailable on the UK-specced versions,contrasting with the US favoured black rims.The line this year starts at £200 (with theZX20) and rises all the way up to around £500.

Price increases are always a crucial matter,so dealers will be pleased to hear that priceshave risen by only £10 on many models. It’s amodest increase compared with competitors,

the brand tells BikeBiz. Premium Products bikes have seen a similar

price increase, of around £10. And the brand ismore popular than ever, we’re told, and interms of sales is starting to catch up with Haro– it was once one in six compared with Haroand is now one in three. The rise in popularityis due in part to the fact Premium Productsnow has a dedicated UK team working

Forme was shownexclusively at theclosing Derby show

THIS SUMMER Moore Large showed off thelatest models from Haro, Premium Productsand Onza at five locations across the UK.

Starting in Leeds and finishing at its DerbyHQ, via Croydon’s Tiger Tiger, Bristol andNorthampton, dealers got chance to see 2012product from the brands in question, plus alittle extra if they turned up for the finalDerby-set days, but more of that later.

The Tiger Tiger venue proved popular withdealers hoping to chat and discuss the tradeface-to-face, rather than just a chance to seenew product.

Haro was one of the key draws for thepreviews. This year the brand was launching itsnext year lines two months earlier than it didlast year. Why? Moore Large said there are acouple of reasons; firstly, getting the new linesunder the nose of school children during theholidays is an obvious advantage, giving themchance to see what they like when they’ve got

Moore Large’s 2012 range doesn’t just talk the talk, the distributor tells BikeBiz. Jonathon Harker headsto the firm’s Derby-set headquarters for see for himself….

Moore than wordsDealers will be pleased tohear that price increaseson Premium and Harocomplete bikes don’t gomuch above a tenpounds – a modest rise...

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MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW | DERBY


on all aspects, with improved aftermarket support. The range starts from £300and now includes four brakeless models.

Onza is another brand going from strength-to-strength. Sales were up 25 per cent in 2010compared with the previous year, we’re told,and that’s a feat that looks set to be repeatedagain this year.

One key reason behind that is the risingpopularity of the trials scene. Featured heavilyin TV talent show comp Britain’s Got Talent,and boosted by stars of YouTube like DannyMcAskill, the niche has a lot of factors drivinggrowth. To that end, Onza has four new trialsbikes available in October, bringing the numberof bikes it offers in the trials sector up to 12.

Barracuda is Moore Large’s house brand. Thewhole look of the range has been redesigned,with Lauren Smith one of the key peoplebehind that. The revamp includes new fonts forthe logo and fresh graphics to bring it up todate. New lines include a junior alloy road bikemodel and new speed, comfort and terrain bikes.The Comfort line-up includes the H700 low stepthrough for ladies, in 17-inch and 19-inch, andthe Speed range includes a unisex 700c.

Barracuda’s children-aimed spin off Cudahas, for the first time, a scooter to tap intothat burgeoning market.

While Forme wasn’t advertised on theprogramme, a sneak peak of the 2012 range,including models that had yet to be finalised,was on offer to dealers at the Moore Large HQ.Forme will be officially launching in October inopen day, with a launch in Derby, Scotland andin Ireland in the works.

The pics of 2012 models in this article arenot final versions, simply late prototypes, we’vebeen asked to stress.

The brand has come from just five roadmodels in March 2010 (which sold out withinsix weeks of launch), to 21 for the current2011 range including road, MTB and othersectors. Next year Forme will have expandedagain to 40 models, Adam Biggs tells BikeBiz.Forme will be more accessible for 2012, withentry level starting at a £300 price point(rather the previous circa £400). And whileaccess to the brand will be wider for customers,Forme is also to beef up the range at thehigher end, with carbon hard tails, superlightweight frames, a full suspension model andmuch more planned.

The dealer network currently stands ataround 200 and Forme is also breaking into thetriathlon market with a ‘super competitive’model. Full branded components – from thelikes of FSA, Easton and Schwalbe – will featuretoo.

Next year the brand will be launching‘Forme Coach’ – a coaching package availablefor different levels run by pro-cyclists. And,while not confirmed at time of press, Forme isalso hoping to have a Pro Team put together inthe near future.

One of the key reasonsbehind the trials scenesgrowth are websensations such as DannyMacAskill andappearances on Britain’sGot Talent...

BMX VS SCOOTERS:Both sectors havebeen embraced byMoore Large

MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW | DERBY


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Barracuda has largely beenrevamped with updatedgraphics and finishing touches

EUROBIKE 2011 | PREVIEW


THE WORLD’S largest trade show (see page 83)is almost upon us. Eurobike takes overFriedrichshafen from August 31st to September3rd, with the Demo Day taking place onTuesday August 30th. But let’s face it, if youhaven’t booked a flight or hotel by the timeyou read this then you better prepare for alengthy road trip and a night or two undercanvas at the nearby camp site.

Fitting thousands of square metres worth ofof new product into one article is impossible,unless you have the magazine equivalent ofthe Tardis. In lieu of that we’ve got a pick ofsome of the products you can expect to see atthis year’s Eurobike…

3T (Hall A1 – Booth 419)The innovative brand will be blendingtechnology with cycle components in the formof the Mercurio and Accelero wheels. Star ofthe stand is likely to be 3T’s Integra.

ASHIMA (Hall A6 – Booth 509)Ashima CEO Wayne Moore will explain thelatest in the world of Ashima to stand visitors,such as the upgrades to the PCB-MTB,including an insert to deliver a more definedbite point and limit modulation for those riderswho prefer more of a snappy feel. There willalso be a sneak preview of mid 2012’s totallyreworked master-cylinder, as well as sight of aroad specific version of the PCB disk, which ismore aerodynamic with reduced calipersection. Pre-production versions of Ashima’sstainless, aluminum, carbon disk, cables andnew plastic sealed ferrules will also feature onBooth 509.

CAMELBAK (Hall B5 – Booth 500)The full range of 2012 bike and multisportpacks will be on show, including the newUltralight Charge LR, the Agent, Asset and thetrans-alpine Hawg NV 30. Director ofinternational sales and marketing MassimoFregonese will be on hand to tackle questions.

CONTROLTECH (Hall B4 – booth 102)The components firm’s Eurobike line-up willinclude a new titanium monocoque stem formountain bikes as well as a Tria and Chronointegrated bar. The firm will also have a newcrank-set on show, dedicated to road racing.

CYCLEOPS (Hall A3 – Booth 102)The new G3 PowerTap and Pro hubs, with re-designed head units and wheels, willappear at Eurobike. With a smaller hub >>>

Two decades and stillgoing strong Eurobike is showing all the

signs of setting new recordsfor its twentieth show.Jonathon Harker compilesthe data for the preview ofthis essential bike show…

shell and wider hub flanges to improvewheel stiffness, the system will be the lightestPower Meter system on the market, accordingto UK distributor Paligap. The hub also featuresnew electronic developments that allow foreasier servicing.

Also redesigned, the Pro hub will appear too,offering the same new features as the G3, in amore cost effective package. Hubs start at£675 and rise up to £1,350.

The new PowerTap hubs will be available ascomplete wheelsets for 2012. They’re builtusing Enve’s 45mm and 65mm carbon rims,with the G3 hub and matching front hub.

There will also be alloy training wheelsetsavailable, starting from £865. The Carbonwheels begin from £2,400.

Finishing the range off, the new Joule GPSComputers now come with integrated GPS andhistorical reporting.

DAHON (Hall B4 – Booth 304)Dahon’s press conference takes place onTuesday September 1st from 11am in theConference room Liechtenstein. If you can’tmake it then the firm will be showing its waresin Hall B4 – Booth 304.

ISON (HALL B3 – STAND 406)Ison Distribution will be unveiling the brandnew direct mount Down Hill stem fromRenthal to Eurobike (as well as many otherbits, BikeBiz is told).

Current UCI DH World Champ, MonsterEnergy Specialized's Sam Hill has been testingthem all year and the finished product is nowready to be rolled out.

KNOG (Hall B1 – Booth 501)Last year Knog’s Eurobike stand was distinctly‘not safe for work’ with a fairly bonkers (and

inflatable) stand showcasing its latest ranges.BikeBiz has contacted Knog to get a hint atwhat to expect this year, but the firm was tightlipped, revealing that thestand is “super top secret”.We did manage to find outthat Knog will be unveiling a‘super secret light’, however.

LEZYNE (Hall B1 – Stand 414)Lezyne’s brand new light and tool ranges, ascovered in depth in August’s BikeBiz, willfeature at the show.

Eurobike will be the first time most dealersand press will be able to get up close andpersonal to both the new lines of products,which will be available via Upgrade in the UK.

LUPINE (Hall A2 – Stand 400) Visitors to the Lupine stand will be able to tryout the new ultra compact and wirefree PikoTL. Stefan Kraus will be on hand to answerdevelopment questions.

MICHELIN (Hall A1- Booth 307)Michelin will present two new mountain biketyres at Eurobike; the Wild Grip’R2 and WildRace’R Ultimate. Both are scheduled to launchto the market in early 2012 – and in autumn2011 for certain sizes of the Wild Grip’R2.

The Michelin Wild Grip’R 2 is a newmultipurpose tyre designed to deliver superiorperformance on dry and muddy terrain. Thisfresh version has a new design, tread, tubelessand tubeless-ready casings, rubber compoundsand sizes, which includes a 29-inch model.

Three sizes will be available in the autumn –the 26x2.10 Wild Grip’R Advanced, 26x2.25Wild Grip’R Advanced, and 26x2.10 Wild Grip’R– with the other sizes scheduled for marketlaunch in early 2012.

Meanwhile the Michelin Wild Race’RUltimate is available in early 2012, is pitched atthe cross-country market. The tyre’s strengthsinclude its low weight, speed, grip andpuncture-resistance. In 26x2.10, the tubeless-ready version of the tyre weighs just 415grams. This exceptionally low weight isachieved without sacrificing the tyre’s ability towithstand punctures. Top-three World Cupfinishes by riders Fabien Canal and FannyBourdon attest to the tyre’s impressiveperformance levels.

MOTOREX (Hall A3 – Stand 202)Motorex’s Fork Oil, designed and manufacturedin Switzerland, will be available in five differentviscosities and on show in Friedrichshafen. TheOil Low Friction Technology offers ultra-lowfriction coefficients, prevents foaming andcorrosion, and treats and protects seals, BikeBizis told. Developed with Motorcross teams theOil is used by motorsport teams too,benefitting the cycle industry with motorexpertise, Motorex says. All weight fork oils willbe available in 1l containers.

RATIO (Hall A3 – nr Booth 800)Ratio will be introducing a full 29er set,including dedicated frames and components.The firm will also showcase a new clip-on barand a new innovative road racing handlebarwith ‘a very special shape’.

SKS (Hall A5 – Booth 400) SKS’s Eurobike line-up will include the newAeron hand pump for mountain bikes. Offeringpressure up to 73psi (aluminium tube), theAeron retails at £22.99. The German firm willalso be showing off the AirKompressor 12.00floorpump. Aimed at a diverse market,the pump produces pressure up to

SRAM will be bringingits huge range,including the latestfrom Rockshox, Avidand the new QuarqPower Meter lines

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portability – rather than speed – and wants thebrand to integrate with mass transit systems,or public transport to you and I.

The first bikes will ship in September and attime of press the firm has yet to reveal its UKdistributor. Despite that, distribution deals havealready been put in place for more than 30countries around the world.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Cateye (Hall A1 – Stand 201)Cube (Hall B1 – Stand 200) Electra (Hall A2 – 600) Koga (Hall A4 – Stand 101)Panaracer (Hall A2 – Stand 312)Powerbar (Hall A1 – Stand 208)Saracen (Hall FG – Stand B8/4)Shimano (Hall A1 – Stands 200 & 301)Tifosi (Hall B2 – Stand 307)Ultimate Sports Engineering (Hall B4 – Stand413)

You can find the full exhibitor listing at www.eurobike-show.com

174psi (extra high steel barrel, plasticbase) and will retail at £29.99.

SRAM (Hall A3 – Booth 201)SRAM’s press conference is taking place onAugust 31st, covering Zipp and SRAM road at12, SRAM corporate at 12.45 and SRAM,Rockshox, Avid and Truvativ from 1:15 at RoomLiechtenstein, 1st Floor, Foyer West. If you can’tget into that then head over to A3-201 to seethe 2012 highlights. For road the SRAM BlackRed, White Apex and S975 Quarq Power Metercategory will be featured. The MTB category2012 highlights includes the X0 Silver, new2x10 gear ratios and X0 downhill. Rockshox’sSID 29 is unsurprisingly built for the 29ermarket, while the Dual Position Air – DualPosition Coil includes several new climbing-assist feat integrated with the Sektor,Revelation, Totem and Lyrik models for 2012.Two versions; air spring and coil spring, will beavailable. That’s just a very small taster of whatthe firm will bring to Eurobike.

SUGOI (Hall B5 – Stand 501)The spring 2012 collection will be presented,featuring the Boa Closure System for mountainbike shorts, fitted to the Gustov Short,providing one-handed adjustment on-the-fly.

Also new for 2012, Sugoi will show a wholecollection of women-specific premiummountain bike wear, blending colourful designswith high-performance fabrics. The firm hasalso upgraded its high-end RSE Jersey – nowmade with new material Revo, offering a warpknit, built for excellent stretch and recovery.

The firm promises plenty of vivid coloursand dynamic graphics for 2012.

TERNHot from its Taiwan launch mere months agoin June (as reported on BikeBiz.com) the newTern brand will debut at Eurobike this year.

Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and headedby general manager Florence Hon and vice-president Joshua Hon, the core Tern team wasresponsible for product development, sales,marketing and distribution for Dahon over thelast two decades.

Concentrating on the urban transport sector,the product line includes 21, 20-inch, 24-inchand 26-inch ‘transportation’ bikes under thenames Verge, Link, Eclipse, Castro and Joe. Intotal there will be 22 models from those fiveframes. Verge offers ‘performance to go’, Linkprovides ‘portable transport’, Eclipse is classedas a ‘Big ride, with a small fold’, Castro as‘urban transport evolved’ and finally Joe is a‘full sized ride in a portable package’.

Generally though, the firm said it is focusingon safety, comfort, convenience and


EUROBIKE: IN A NUTSHELL

Demo Day: Tuesday August 30th 2011

Eurobike: From Wednesday August 31st toSaturday September 3rd

Public Day: Saturday September 3rd

Who’s going? In addition to those featuredin these pages there are 1,100 exhibitorsfrom 42 countries heading to the show.More than 40,000 trade visitors and over1,700 media are expected too. Exhibitorspace is a total area of 100,000 sqm. Theshow opens up to the public (and gets a lotbusier) on Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

Tickets: Free for the trade, but pastexperience proves the staff are pretty strictso taking some accreditation is a must.

URL: www.eurobike-show.com


New folding bike brandTern (above) will be onshow at Eurobike,providing the firstchance for many in thetrade to see the brandfor themselves inperson; You can see thelatest from Panaracer(right) at A2 – 312

Hot from its Taiwanlaunch mere monthsearlier in June, foldingbicycle brand Tern willdebut at Eurobike,bringing its 22-strongrange to the show.

>>>

The AirKompressorfloorpump (above) willbe among SKS’ newproducts on show inFriedrichshafen

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CYCLE SHOW 2011 | PREVIEW


How has the trade responded to the switchaway from London and to the midlands?There seems to be a popular groundswell ofopinion within the trade that Birmingham, withits central UK location, is the perfect place forthe show.

We know a significant percentage of thetrade reside in the Midlands and the North, andso making it easier for them to attend appearsto be having a positive effect, particularly ontrade registrations.

Do you anticipate greater crowds from theNorth attending? Yes, absolutely. It is so much easier for visitorsfrom the North. We had a stand at the recentGadget Show, which re-enforced just howmuch interest there was in the Cycle Show. Wespoke to many people who knew of the show,and had never been, but are now definitelycoming this year.

How many exhibitors and what volume offloor space is filled in the NEC?So far we have 150 exhibitors, but the time thisgoes to print, we would expect this to bearound 175. This represents about 85 per centof our possible total exhibitor footprint.

Has the switch allowed you up-size theexhibition and attraction space? Yes. We now have outside space to run both aproper road demo track on tarmac, and build anew one kilometre off-road demo course,which looks fantastic fun to ride.

The upshot of this is that we have freed upsignificant additional exhibition andfeature space. >>>

...not that Cycle Showneeds to be worriedabout the move fromLondon to Birmingham’sNEC, with new exhibitorssigning up to the popularevent and interest at ahigh. Mark Suttonspeaks with eventdirector AndrewBrabazon about the firmsand attractions that willbe drawing the crowds…

It’s squeakyBrum time…



What ambitions do you have for theCycle Show going forwards?

Our ambition is to be the one big show thatshowcases the very best bikes, accessories,clothing and services that not only the UK, butthe world has to offer.

We want to be a catalyst to encourage andinspire more people to cycle more often. Withthe support of our exhibitors we want to holdup cycling as a viable, healthy and highlysustainable lifestyle choice, that brings immenseenjoyment. We want to open this opportunityto enjoy cycling to as large an audience fromevery genre of cycling and to people of everylevel of ability, as we possibly can.

Any thoughts on further trade days?We represent the UK cycle industry. Althoughthere has never been total consensus from thetrade that a second trade day is required, wewill take a democratic approach and if thedemand is there, then yes, there could bescope for further time.

What promotion is in place ahead of kickoff?We have increased our total marketing by 50per cent as our marketing reach needs to be so

much larger given the much expanded reach ofthe Midlands show.

We are maintaining our presence in our‘traditional’ London and South East market,and extending this with a significant campaigninto the Midlands, the West, East Anglia andthe North. Our marketing and PR teams havebeen extremely busy, and have been delightedwith the level of interest that has beengenerated to date. We are hugely encouragednot only by the number of consumer ticketssold, but also by the fact our postcode analysisshows they are being bought by people all overthe country.

Have you secured any major new exhibitorsthat until now have been elusive?Yes we have. If you look at the exhibitor’s list,(published on pages 36 and 37), you will seethat we have around 40 new exhibitors.

Rumour had it that rates for exhibitionspace were cheaper – has this affectedexhibitor sign up?It is no rumour. One of the reasons we madethe move to the NEC was to guarantee aquicker return on investment to exhibitors. Wehave been delighted to be able to offer onaverage, stand rates 20 per cent lower than lastyear.

Not only has this attracted much interestfrom new exhibitors, with Saddleback taking200 m2 and sponsoring the Castelli Café,existing exhibitors have increased their spacesuch as Windwave with 230 m2 and FisherOutdoor Leisure with 242 m2.

What sort of attendance figure are youanticipating?Upwards of 30,000 people are set to make thejourney if the current sign up rate isanything to go by.

“We are hugelyencouraged by thenumber of tickets sold todate and the fact thatthese are going topostcodes nationwide.”

Andrew Brabazon, show director

Stand prices at theNEC have come downby around 20 per cent.Meanwhile, exhibitorfigures have risen byaround 40 firms, todate.

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What facilities does the NEC offer formeetings, the media and food and drink? There seems to be a great amount of choice.We are augmenting this by building theCastelli Café, which will offer great coffee, apanini, a Peroni, or even a Chianti, if you fancy.

The NEC is also great if you need somethingbespoke for clients. We can arrange this inadvance if exhibitors wish to have a private

viewing, or product launch to shout about.These aside, there’s plenty of on site, food anddrink wise.

What demos and main stage events arescheduled this year?The BMX park/street competition will featuretop UK and US riders. There is a wholeschedule of events over four days on the mainstage. For full details of what’s on and when,take a look at the websitewww.cycleshow.co.uk

Are there any last minute spots available?How should those interested enquire aboutthese?Yes, there are still some spaces left, but you’llneed to be quick to secure the last spots in thebest positions. If you would like to take space,please contact Damian Watson on 020 72886645.

Any special events or celebrations inplace for the ten-year anniversary?

I’m sure the exhibitor party in the Castelli Caféwill be brilliant. I’m certainly planning tocelebrate. When my credit card’s behind thebar it’s amazing how many people shout me abeer.

Who will open the show this year? Howimportant have your ambassadors been inpromotion?Geraint Thomas is opening the show for us onthe first day. The ambassadors have been great.Ed Clancy has been in brilliant form this yearwith Rapha Condor and Geraint Thomas andBen Swift with Sky did brilliantly at the Tour deFrance, and still found time to blog and tweetfor us.

On the BMX side of things we've got BenHennon representing us and connecting withthe 20-inch crowd.

“Geraint Thomas is to openthe show for us. Theambassadors have beenbrilliant and tweeted aboutthe show many times...”

Andrew Brabazon, show director

>>> The retail section willreturn once again,alongside a number ofinteractive demofeatures

CYCLE SHOW 2011| PREVIEW


Exhibitor ListExhibitor Stand No.

Academy Eyewear G55

Action Leisure Gear Limited CSD30

Action Medical Research F5

Alan Soloman G62

Allpark A21

Alpine Cadence M15

Alzheimer’s Society E27

Amazing Wheels A11

Aroma-Sports H1

ACT F43

Batribike C61

Bianchi C21

BIKEBIZ P10

Bike Box J9

Bikebins.com F62

Black Sheep Sports B31

Bohle UK E1

Bradshaw Taylor L21

Breeze Blockers CSA2

Campagnolo Srl F11

Cape Town Cycle Tours Trust E22

Carradice of Nelson B42

Cicerone G53

Claremont Hospital N73

Clee Cycles K5

Condor Cycles E11

Continental Tyres G63

CTC K33

Cycle Aid F44

Cycle Works E2

Cyclescheme B52

Dawes Cycles L51

Dirty BMX M62

DJO UK M43

Dolan Bikes F21

ElliptiGO J1

Environmental Transport Agency M36

ExpertJam K13

F. Parr M45

Falco UK G54

Fibrax M35

Fine-ADC D31

Fisher Outdoor Leisure D1

Fisher Outdoor Leisure D11

Fisher Outdoor Leisure E25

FLI Distribution F31

Foffa Bikes E26

Forcefield Body Armour B1

FreeGo Electric Bikes D42

Full Beam Bike Lights J8

Future Products J4

Garmin K31

GausWheel E61

Gear Club E21

Greyville Enterprises C6

HardnutZ F61

Holders and Mounts CSG5

Hope Technology K1

IPC Media H52

JD Cycles C1

John Jordan M17

Kiddimoto B11

Kool-Stop Europe BV F1

Kovert Racing M61

Kudos Cycles C51

Lyon Equipment G61

Melrose Kids F4

Mulga Bill M57

Multisports Distribution G12

Nemesis GB CSB5

NRG4 F23

Nunn & Company G57

O’Neal Europe F31

Oxygen Bicycles E28

P&R Têxteis, SA M1

Pacific Europa D65

Paligap K11

Paligap M51

Pearson Cycle Specialists F51

Pedal Precision B21

Peugeot Bikes C21

Pioneer Partners F3

Pipedream Cycles L46

PitBitz G56

Polaris Apparel K2

Polaris Apparel CSB10

Powacycle B41

PoweredBicycles C72

Primal Wear Inc G11

Qoroz LLP L2

Quest 88 A51

Regatta (Dare 2b) L62

Regatta (Dare 2b) CSC20

Rose Versand GmbH C62

Rotor Products C41

Saddleback H61

Saddleback G71

Sales Marketing Solutions CSC10

Shiner H41

Sigma Sport L22

Singletrack L43



Spencer Ivy E29

Spice Roads J7

Split Seconds Imports M21

Storck Raddar D32

Sub-4 F8

Surrey Human Performance InstituteE41

Sustrans National Bike Network M41

Target Wheels C42

The Rainlegs Company CSG10

Thorn Cycles B51

Tiger Cycles Europe J3

Today’s Cyclist C11

Torq C5

Tour of Britain L16

Training Escapes J6

Tri247 N85

Triathlon Consultants CSF6

Ultimate Sports Engineering H12

Ultra Motor Germany C52

Ultra Sport Europe F41

Upgrade Bikes G21

USN UK A31

Viva Beverages M32

Water Off a Duck’s Back CSG11

Wattbike K22

Wheelylift B53

Wildoo K7

Windwave L1

Windwave L11

Wisper C71

World Cycling Challenges J33

WyndyMilla G22

ZipVit K32

looks’ was a new £35 handlebar, a new stemwith colour co-ordinated bolts and sprockets invarious colours – all of which will be landingduring September.

Cannondale too are diversifying deeper intocomponents and accessories and Ride theRevolution held the UK debut of a muchextended line of components, tools andaccessories.

Among these, and a particular item ofinterest to many dealers present, were the US-made SL Hollowgram crankset, retailing at£799.99 and available in two 7075 T6 doublering arrangements.

Plenty of Cannondale’s accessories debutedat the show will land with the Poole distributorin January. Among that delivery will be the IQline of cycle computers ranging from £29.99through to £59.99, a multi-tool called theKitchen Sink compiling 13 of the mostcommonly used trail tools, as well as a chainbreaker and a Mavic spoke tool, among others.

Bike wise, brand manager Mike Cottyindicated that if dealers are looking for a hottip on big sellers in the 2012 catalogue thenthey’d not go far wrong securing a fewCannondale CAD8 builds at £750 retail price.The aluminium frame is potentially the lightestaluminium-framed build found in the sub£1,000 price bracket, says Cotty.

Cannondale hassignificantly broadenedits accessories rangeand now offers helmetsand computers, amongother items

TO KICK OFF, let’s have some stats. Now anannual fixture, CSG’s house show for 2011played host to seven international brandexperts, over 200 of the distributor’scustomers, some from as far afield as Scotlandand two new brands – Muc-Off and Sugoi –joined the party, while other established labelsdiversified away from traditional offerings.

Beginning with a brand the distributor’s co-director Russell Merry describes as one of the“tremendous success stories” from theportfolio, Xposure products, while an entry levelbrand, now has sub division and second SKU,dubbed Infinity. Still based around Xposure’son-a-budget ethos, Infinity fills the gapbetween entry-level and top-end componentswith a slight increase in the ‘bling factor’popular with BMX riders, though not to theextent where simple components such asstems and sprockets end up out of reach to thepocket money budget buyer. Among the ‘first

Testimony to the strength of CSG’s portfolio, dealers from as far north as Allness in Scotland made thejourney to Poole during August for the ‘Ride the Revolution’ trade show. Mark Sutton paid the southcoast distributor a visit to report on some interesting developments…

CSG Xposed“As stronger parts andaccessories business iscertainly one of CSG’sgoals going forwards.Taking on Muc-Off is astrong start...”

Russell Merry, CSG

EVENT REPORT | CYCLING SPORTS GROUP HOUSE SHOW


>>>

What’s more, it makes for use of asuper stiff BB30, revamped vibrationdampening chainstays and if your customer isseeking upgrades there’s always a Tiagra specbuild at £949.99 or a 105 option at £1,049.99.

For the most part, however, dealers werefondling the brand’s helmets – first spotted atPressCamp earlier in Summer. These in-moldeddesigns span £29.99 through £69.99 in £20jumps between models.

“A stronger parts and accessories business iscertainly on the horizons for Cycling SportsGroup,” confirms Merry. “Bringing on Muc-Off,the leader in their territory, is the first steptoward this. Aside from these developments,there’s plenty more to shout about, includingMongoose’s strongest ever orders, topping28,000 units arriving in the country this year.

“Then there’s Xposure, which this time lastyear was solely a UK brand. Today it’sdistributed in more than ten countries withmajor territories such as the US and Australiadoing good business. I’d imagine this is largelydown to the majority of the BMX market nothaving endless budgets for top-endcomponents. Xposure fills this gap well, withno compromises on product.”

Touting the newly developed trade-exclusiveweb domain – csgb2b.co.uk – as a driving forcein keeping the turnover fluid, Merry tellsBikeBiz that year-on-year, this avenue topurchasing product has increased five-fold.

Not too much to report from the Mongooseline, despite massively increased numbersarriving on UK shores. That is unless you’relooking for a 120mm trail bike to fill a gap inyour stock. If that sounds of interest, grab theMongoose Slaten when it arrives later this year.Two builds, the £1,600 Comp and £2,300Expert will be available, comprising a taperedheadtubed frame and fork set up, SRAM 2x10gearing and Rock Shox rear shock among otherfeatures. Downhill and freeride is also bolsteredwith refinements to the freeride-suited £3,999Pinner and downhill ready Booter.

The new frame designs have dropped someweight over last year’s builds throughimproved tube profiling and CSG UK’sinfluence on design has made the build muchmore UK trailcentre friendly.

GT has redeveloped its popular Avalanche,dropping between two and three pounds from

the overall bike weight, all while building inforged dropouts and a host of other tidyfeatures into the bike.

It was the brand’s expanded 29er platformthat turned many heads, however, with theZaskar leading the charge with a carbon build,due October and retailing for £3,299. Finishingkit here is all good stuff, with brands such asFox, Shimano XT, DT Swiss and Formula allcontributing.

A full suspension build, retailing at both£3,299 and £3,999 depending on spec will alsoland shortly, bringing with it 100mm travel,thru axles front and rear and much more.

Back to BMX and sticking with top-end kit,Eclat had a number of hidden gems which in-house BMX expert Chris McCardle says: “Seemsto be drawing increased interest from themainstream retailers, who have been until nowunfamiliar with BMX.”

Among these you’ll find a new Jason Phelanapproved, slim-profile plastic pedal, called theSlash. Spotted Specced on WeThePeople’s newEnvy build at £899.99 was Eclat’s newlydesigned Berzerk deep section rim, said to beone of the toughest available at present.

Finally, the brand’s worst kept secret, thetwo-piece Onix crank with investment castingat both ends, was debuted.

For a further look at Cycling Sports Group’slatest products, visit the firm’s trade portalwww.csgb2b.co.uk.

“Mongoose has beatenprior records for thenumber of units enteringthe country. This yearwe’ve broken through the28,000 mark.”

Russell Merry, CSG

Eclat has a new plasticpedal due shortly,alongside new cranksand Berzerk deepsection rims

EVENT REPORT | CYCLING SPORTS GROUP HOUSE SHOW


>>>

ELECTRONIC POINT of sale software has comeon leaps and bounds in recent years,transforming from the old school transactionregister to a fully equipped piece of softwarecapable of synching with suppliers,automatically updating stock levels andgenerally making life a heck of a lot easier forequipped retailers.

Tailored to the cycle market, Citrus Lime’sproduct has quickly established a presence onshop floors up and down the country. Havingdesigned its software aroundthe retailer’s shop floor andworkshop it even holdsclaim to being flexibleenough to adapt modules tohire businesses and muchmore.

However, it’s the firm’snew marketing modulethat’s being touted as thenext big thing from theEPOS supplier. Availablefrom September 1st, theMarketing Desk creation allows the retailer tobuild a campaign based around a buyer’shistory, targeting only those for which aretailer has specified a matching criteria. Forexample, a list of those who have purchased aroad bike, who have not purchased for sixmonths, in the Manchester postal areas, whohave spent more than £2,000, would be easilyidentified with the software’s analytical searchengine.

Citrus Lime’s marketing executive AndrewThomas told BikeBiz: “With these campaigncriteria in mind we can filter our database to

generate a mailing list that targets potentialsales opportunities with customers who havealready made purchases in line with our newpromotion.

A change in a brand’s seasonal productscould mean we expect to stock a certainnumber of their £2,000 plus road bikes that wewould ideally like to establish interest in, so wecan pinpoint the strongest opportunities andkey audience for a sales promotion.”

Retailers can streamline their marketingplans and make moreeffective choices aboutthe direction of theiradvertising, savingmoney by allowingthem to directly targetthe consumers mostlikely to respond to aspecific promotion,delivering a morepersonalised approachto marketing.

RMS maintains adatabase of all customer purchases andspending habits too. Using this data to powerMarketing Desk will allow a user to approachcustomers that the promotion will most likelyaffect and convert, saving money over aconventional mass mailing, the majority ofwhich would end up in someone’s recycle bin.

Thomas continued: “Marketing Desk is aguided, user-friendly solution that canbreakdown your full customer’s accounthistory to find the best candidates. The abilityto specify a range of conditions and filtersallows you to refine a mailing list to match any

CITRUS LIME | EPOS AND MARKETING


MARKETING DESK KEY FEATURES

l Utilises accumulated customer purchasehistories directly from your RMS database.

l Wide range of sales promotions aresupported by Citrus-LIme’s integrated EPOSand Ecommerce solutions.

l Guided ‘step by step’ process withversatile campaign conditions to generate atargeted marketing strategy.

l Geo-targeting enables geographicmarketing campaigns by selected postaldistricts.

l Profile sales between a specified timeframe, set campaign parameters for Itemdepartments, categories or brand.

l Profile customer allows dealers to targetlapsed customers, minimum or maximumspending and review your refined customermailing list.

l Generate mail merge for word labels andletter templates and/or email mailing list.

“Marketing Desk is aguided, user-friendly

solution enabling a fullbreakdown of a

customer’s accounthistory...”

Citrus Lime has implemented a number ofsoftware updates over the past fewmonths, but the firm is most excited abouta new marketing tool developed to halvethe time dealers spend on marketing,while boosting how effective mail outs canbe. Mark Sutton finds out more…

Marketingmade easy

initiative and Citrus-Lime has integrated EPOSand Ecommerce platforms support a versatilerange of sales and promotional functionality.”

For more on Citrus Lime’s electronic point ofsale system, its modules and the perks ofchoosing a unit tailored to the bicycle businesscall the firm on 01229 588628, or visitwww.citrus-retail.com.

Geo-targeting enables postcode specific campaigns in Marketing Desk

CYCLING TO WORK has made an importanteconomic contribution to the cycle industry,with annual retail sales via the programestimated at £120m, delivered through morethan 2,250 retail outlets.

However, the number of employees buyinginto cycling to work has slowed down, a trendlargely attributed to the clarification of FMV(fair market valuation) that must be applied toeach C2W customer at the end of their hireperiod. The recent announcement that VAT willbe chargeable on cycling to work purchasesfrom 2012 has lead to further negativespeculation, fuelling the confusion surroundingthe scheme.

The ACT’s confidence in the growth ofcycling to work can be summarised in‘WorkRiders’, a new cycle to work facilitator,dedicated to the independent sector andfocused on the original intention of the 1999legislation.

WorkRiders MD Martin Pickering and TonyJones, on behalf of ACT, explain how WorkRiderswill be influential in increasing the numbers ofemployees cycling to work.

How does WorkRiders differ from othercycle to work facilitators?MP: WorkRiders is similar to all other programsin that we conform strictly to the guidanceprovided by HMRC, DfT andOFT. Our USP is in theprocess and business model.

WorkRiders will delivercycling to work as wasoriginally intended; we willprovide employers andemployees with an easy, tax efficient route tostart cycling to work with the help of theirlocal independent retailer.

How will you improve upon the schemesalready in the C2W market? MP: Simplification and cost reduction. It wasnever intended that retailers should fundcycling to work and we will change thatperception.

WorkRiders will remove any burden from theretailer and they will be able to completecycling to work sales like any other transaction,at a total cost of 16 pence.

No more speculative quotations or sales, theneed to take refundable deposits, or theuncertainty about receiving final payments.

Employees will benefit from an immediatepurchase and collection ofgoods with no additionalcosts to the retailer.

Employees will have thechoice of any goods in store,irrespective of price and retailpromotions. WorkRiders will

be the cheapest route for employees to startcycling to work, providing additional benefitsfor employers, saving them money and astreamlined process, to happier, healthieremployees.

So how does WorkRiders deliver thesebenefits?MP: WorkRiders and Eemployers contract into aprogram which will supply the employee with aWorkriders Payment card. The card will be validto a value agreed between the employer andemployee and may be used in any WorkRiderAuthorised Retailer in the same way


The National Association of Cycle Traders forecasts that asmany as 200,000 employees will purchase a bicycle and safetyequipment to cycle to work using the Government’s tax-exempt benefit in 2011and ACT is confident that the numbers cycling to work will increase in 2012...

>>>

“WorkRiders willremove any burdenfrom the retailer.”

ACT | CYCLE TO WORK

Cycle to Workborn again

ACT | CYCLE TO WORK

as any Visa or Mastercard. Theysimply select the bike and safety

goods they want and pay on site. The retailerwill receive payment confirmation as part of astandard debit card type transaction andpayment receipt into the retailer’s bank can beas quick as the next working day.

What’s ACT’s role in the WorkRidersprogram?MP: The ACT’s endorsement and support iscritical. The ACT has been concerned about theconfusion surrounding FMV and the VATclarification, plus the ongoing viability ofretailers funding schemes.

WorkRiders partnership with ACT will engageup to 2,500 specialist cycle shops, empoweringthem to develop cycling to work and their owncustomer base, with free national promotionfor all.

ActSmart will be our interface with thetrade, and through a special pricingarrangement, we will remove the costs incurredby retailers under existing schemes, to ACTmembers.

Why is the ACT partnering WorkRiders?TJ: The ACT has received numerous requests toinitiate a cycle to work program, the primaryaim being to reduce costs to the retailer, butwe are a small business support organisation,not an employer facing business. Our skill is inengaging the best partner to deliver for ourmembers and WorkRiders ticks every box forretailers and employees and is the obviouschoice for employers.

Will WorkRiders increase the IBD’s share ofthe cycling to work market?TJ: Without a doubt. National retailers arealready operating in this space, promoting thesize of their network as a leading benefit to wintenders.

In reality a network of 2,000 specialistretailers, supplying the widest possible productchoice, staffed by caring owner operators andtechnically qualified mechanics, with the bestworkshops and after sales service you could askfor, is the obvious choice for every employerand employee.

Large national retailers recognise thestrength of IBDs, that’s why they are recruitingindependents to supplement their cycle towork network in an effort to win employertenders. This of course is at a cost to the IBD,which significantly impacts on their tradingmargins.

Is there still capacity for cycling to work togrow 12 years on from legislation?TJ: There is enormous capacity. Cycle usageremains very low in the UK and cycle saleshave been depressed throughout 2011, in linewith other big ticket, considered purchases.

Price is a bigger barrier than ever to entry.Recent growth in cycling has been dependentupon a small, gradually growing group ofcommitted cyclists investing in cycling as alifestyle and cycling to work provides the bestincentive for the UK population to adoptcycling on a much wider scale.

Research over the past year identified afrightening lack of awareness andunderstanding of the cycle to work schemes,

>>>

ACT retailmembers benefit

from noadministration

fees

there is huge potential to get more employeescycling to work.

So what part can retailers play here?MP: The recruitment and education of localbusinesses is a crucial role for independentretailers and suppliers, who have for too longbeen left on the sidelines.

WorkRiders will deliver an easy-to-use, lowcost process for everybody to be a part of. Theretailers are the local champions and need toengage their regional businesses. Our aim is toget every community in the UK cycling to workwith their local independent retailer at the hubof activity.

TJ: Any independent retailer with internetaccess in store can enrol as a WorkRidersAuthorised Retailer. I recommend that allindependent retailers sign up today atwww.workriders.co.uk. You can join ACT atwww.actsmart.biz and negate administrationcosts of five per cent for non ACT members. All retailers should update their promotionallistings at www.thecyclingexperts.co.uk to fullyreflect their individual offering. The future ofcycling to work is bright for independentsthanks to WorkRiders.

MEETWORKRIDERSAT THE CYCLESHOWSept 29th – Oct 2nd 2011, Stand F43, Halls 9-11, NEC Birmingham

KEY POINTS

l WorkRiders will be the best cycle to work solution for employers, employees, retailers and suppliers

l All UK independent retailers with internet access in store can join the WorkRiders network for free

l WorkRiders sales carry no additional costs to the retailer and can be applied to any goods in store

l ACT retail members pay no administration fees on WorkRiders sales (non-members pay five per cent)

l A WorkRiders transaction can cost the retailer just 16p in total to process

lRetailers receive payment assurance at time of sale and full payment in as little as 24 hours

lACT Supplier Members can fully participate in WorkRiders programs to develop brand sales

lAll WorkRiders Authorised Retailers benefit from free national consumer promotion

lACT membership and all benefits are available to UK based independent retailers and cycle suppliers

l WorkRiders employer programs will launch in late 2011 fulfilling Government’s 2012 guidelines

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

l Join the WorkRiders Authorised Retailer network today at www.workriders.co.uk

lUpdate your retail listing at www.thecyclingexperts.co.uk - your free promotion is live now

lTo benefit from no administration fees and 25 + business services join the ACT at www.actsmart.biz

lRefer all of your local employers, employees and business contacts to www.workriders.co.uk

lBicycle suppliers who wish to participatein the program contact Tony Jones atActSmart for details

To find out more about WorkRiders visitwww.workriders.co.uk or contactActSmart on 0845 618 7256


MARTINPICKERING, MDOF WORKRIDERS Martin Pickeringhas held seniormanagement rolesin IT companiesover the last 20years, includingmanaging director

of Logitech, European Head of Corel andVice President of TrustMarque. He iscurrently Vice Chairman of I-neda asoftware solutions business in thepayments and Pari Mutual market.

For more information callActSmart on

0845 618 7256www.actsmart.biz

“It was never intendedthat retailers shouldfund cycling to work.”

EIGHTEEN YEAR-OLD British companyMontane called this summer’sFriedrichshafen, Germany-set OutDoorshow its best to date.

The show saw visitor numbers increasefive per cent on 2010 – up to 21,520 –with 1,012 international journalists.

Montane was one of 890 exhibitorsfrom 91 countries at the show. The firm,which produces goods in a number ofdisciplines including climbing, trail runningand mountain biking, told BikeBiz that it iscurrently growing significantly acrossalmost 30 territories overseas and willonly get bigger.

Montane’s marketing director PaulCosgrove told BikeBiz: “We had the bestshow on record by a long way. I know thissounds like the classic answer but it reallywas the case.

“Our new SS12 range has beenexceptionally well received and we areexperiencing excellent growth in the 28markets around the world that weoperate in.”

The firm recently revealed it waswidening its product line-up, as Cosgroveexplained to BikeBiz: “The big news is thatwe are producing rucksacks for SS12. It isthe first time we have produced anythingother than clothing and we are so excitedabout bringing them to market.

WEATHERING THE STORM“It felt like a natural move for Montane toget into producing rucksacks. Theextensive fabric and design knowledgethat we have accrued and built up overthe years has allowed us to produce fourgenuinely innovative and functional packs.

“We have been blown away by howwell they were received and the orderbooks already look fantastic. Furthermore,our clothing development continuesunabated and we have again extendedour ranges in eVent, Pertex Shield, PertexGL and new leg wear styles amongvarious other product lines.”

The success of the show in attractingmore visitor numbers illustrated the fact

that the outdoors market was continuingto stand up the economic storm,according to Cosgrove: “I think the realpositive general trend is just how strongthe outdoor sector continues to beconsidering the current economic climate.

“The positivity of buyers andmanufacturers alike is so encouraging andwe always come away from OutDoor sofull of new ideas, inspiration andmotivation. It’s great to be part of thisspecial trade community.”

Next year’s instalment of the OutDoorShow will take place from July 12ththrough to 15th, once again inFriedrichsahfen, Germany.Montane: 01670 522 300

Dipping a toe into sectorsbeyond cycling? BikeBizprovides the month’s newsfrom related markets...

OUT AND ABOUT BEYOND CYCLING

Montane hails its ‘bestOutDoor Show ever’


By: Jonathon Harker

Germany-based OutDoor Showgrows visitor numbers by five percent; Montane reveals first everbackpack product in the works

Manufacturer of barbeques, stovesystems, vacuum flasks and outdoors gearEsbit is to be represented in the UK byDalesman International.

The German company has developedmany best-selling pieces of outdoorcooking kit using precision engineering

and no-compromise materials, includinglightweight titanium. Technologicalinnovations include the development ofsolid fuel tablets used in pocket stovesthat provide hot food for a number ofNATO field-based military forces.

The 300 (SRP £60) is Esbit's flagshipportable BBQ and is made fromlightweight aluminium with an in-built

stand to avoid 'scorched earth' (ideal forcity park BBQs). It also features threeheight/heat settings for the grill and canbe folded away into it's nylon carry case,which incorporates enough storage spacefor one charcoal portion.

Esbit also manufactures flasks,cookware, solid fuels and more.Dalesman: 01772 453918

By: Mark Sutton

Esbit arrives in the UK via Dalesman

NEWS IN BRIEF

A WHOPPING 16 million people visitedthe Lake District last year, according tothe National Park Authority’s 2010/2011report.

While income reached £1.3 millionthrough grants and sponsorship, the parkmissed out on its £2.6 million target,which it admitted was ‘too ambitious in adifficult climate’, also noting a cut inpublic sector support.

During the period the Lakes saw anacceleration of its ‘Paths for People’programme, restoring rights of way thatwere flooded in the November 2009floods and also saw the refurbishment ofthe Lake District Visitor Centre atBrockhole completed.

The 2010/2011 period saw theintroduction of the first commercialintegrated travel card outside London –the ‘GoNowLakes’ travel car – boostingpublic transport in the area.

Half a million visitors were advised atthe three information centres and over500 events were held, attended by over10,000 people – including volunteer-ledand staff-led guided walks, family eventsand special interest events.

Puma beats rivalsNike and Adidas ongreen pledgePuma, the world’s third largestsportswear brand, has takenGreenpeace’s ‘detox’ challenge tonew heights. The challenge requiresthe elimination of all releases ofhazardous chemicals from productlifestyles and across global supplychains by 2020. Puma has won‘round one’ of the challenge, beatingcompetitors Nike and Adidas to cleanup its act, including cutting therelease of hazardous and hormone-disrupting chemicals into Chineserivers. Read more athttp://tinyurl.com/5s2exbd.

Youth drive at LeisureIndustry WeekLeisure Industry Week is a UK showfor the active leisure market, takingplace from September 20th to 22ndat the NEC in Birmingham.

Craig Jones at Fit for Sport is set tolaunch the brand new ‘YouthEngagement Zone’ at the event,which aims to encourage children andyoung people to take part in physicalactivity and a healthy lifestyle. theinitiative aims to take a joined upapproach to the problem, combiningthe Government, agencies, familiesand the leisure industry.

Adidas on track forrecord earningsAdidas has announced its first halfresults for 2011, revealing that groupsales have increased 14 per cent.Currency-neutral revenues inWestern Europe increased five percent. The increases came fromAdidas’ wholesale, retail and otherbusinesses, which all recordeddouble-digit growth. The companysaid the positive results have put iton track to achieve record sales andearnings in 2011.

Timberland revenueclimbsApparel firm Timberland saw revenueincrease 27.1 per cent in its first halffinancials, reflecting strong growthacross Europe, North America andAsia, the company said. Specifically,European revenue increased awhopping 37.4 per cent to $91.7million.

Correction: OrdnanceSurvey not movingAn article appearing in this columnlast month incorrectly suggestedOrdnance Survey was to physicallymove into the Department ofBusiness. This was incorrect. BikeBizapologises for any confusion caused.

OUT AND ABOUT BEYOND CYCLING

THE NORWAY-FOUNDED firm hassought to combine luxury with style andperformance in its Norwegianmythology-inspired Ask and Embla Skijacket and pant. Aimed squarely in thehigh-end resort fashion market, the Askand Embla use advanced waterproof andbreathable technology, as well asprofessional three-layer, four-way fabrics.

The Embla Jacket features Pittardspremium leather on the shoulders,cashmere wrist gaiters and balaclavawith a silm, feminine fit.

The men’s Ask Jacket is insulatedwith expedition grade white goosedown, is fully seam sealed and is builtusing the brand’s own self-styledProfessional Weather Protection.

SRP is £1,000 for the Jacket. Co-ordinating Ask and Embla ski pants areavailable too, in a slim-fit, four-waystretch design. They’re fully insulatedwith 100g PrimaLoft Infinity insulation,and are detailed with articulated knees,boot gaiters and zipped vents too. SRPis £500.

FOR THOSE THAT suffer from sorefeet, help is at hand in the form ofIncredisocks. Working on the basis thatsore feet are too often caused bysomething as simple as wearing socksduring exercise that are too tight ortoo thin, Incredisocks increasescirculation quickly, increasing bloodflow and therefore supplying moreoxygen to the tissues – helping toreduce inflammation and give skintone a healthier colour. With a 200-

thread count and thermo regulatingfeatures, the unique 3D weave designprovides cushioning and keeps the feetdry. Naturally anti-microbial, the sockskill odour causing bacteria. They’re alsomade of the increasingly popular supersilky bamboo fabric.

Incredisocks are available in black,white and grey in a variety of designs.For more details contact the firm on0207 7201441 or email [email protected]

INCREDISOCKS

HELLY HANSON ASK AND EMBIA SKIWEAR

NEW

PRO

DU

CTS


Public makes tracks toLake District By: Jonathon Harker

PEOPLE | RECRUITMENT

Send your recruitment news [email protected]


Rearden now full time at Road.ccraises the tone of the road.cc office. HavingNick on the team adds to our ability to coverproduct news and frees up Mat Brett, ourtechnical editor, to do what he does best -reviewing more bikes and getting out to moreproduct launches."

Rearden is now contactable [email protected].

n MAX BIKES PR CHRIS BURGESS hasjoined Max Bikes PR on a part-time basis,bolstering the firm’s strength to handle anincreased number of client accounts, as well aslending a hand to its marketing.

Burgess comes from a press backgroundhaving previously worked on the cyclingmagazines at Future Publishing, though hecurrently works in marketing at Bath

n ROAD.CC Cycling journalist NICKREARDEN has been appointed to Road.cc’s fulltime editorial team – tasked with expandingthe popular website’s coverage, with particularfocus on product reviews.

Rearden is a well established and highlyregarded cycling journalist with a track recordthat includes editing the ground-breakingBicycle Magazine, a previous stint as one ofRoad.cc’s news editors, and more recentlyworking for Cycling Weekly publisher IPC.

Road.cc editor and co-founder Tony Farrellysaid: "Nick has vast experience on the technicalside of bicycle journalism and that rare abilityto communicate complex technical issues ineveryday language. It’s great to have him backon the team flying the flag for the gentlemancyclist. His well polished brogues certainly

Nick Rearden

Chris Burgess

PEOPLE | RECRUITMENT

l Brant Richards rejoins ‘first love’ On One, citing need to be ‘daft with design’ l Sugoi brings in JanTropberger to handle Euro sales and marketing l Max Bikes PR team expands with Chris Burgess hire


Tropberger has spent the past six years inthe sales and marketing field. Most recently, hewas international sales director for EuropeMideast and Africa (EMEA) at Cycling SportsGroup, also a division of Dorel Industries. Basedin Basel, Switzerland, in this role Tropbergertravelled to more than 25 countries and focusedon business development and expansion,managing multiple brands and key accounts

n ON-ONE AND TITUS Brant Richards hasre-joined the company he co-founded manyyears ago - On One. Working alongside his oldbusiness partner Dave Lughran, Richards willresume his role as lead designer. He said:“Working with CRC has been brilliant, but I’vemissed the aspect of just being as daft as Ifancy with design. On One is my first love.”

University. Aside from being a keen cyclist,Burgess is also a qualified personal trainer andstrength and conditioning coach.

He said of the role: "I am delighted to bejoining the team at Max Bikes PR. I considerthis to be a great opportunity to work withsome of the best brands in the cycling industry,and also a chance for me to play a pivotal rolein helping new brands establish themselves."

n SUGOI Dorel-owned clothing brand Sugoihas appointed JAN TROPBERGER to theposition of European director of sales andmarketing.

Strengthening its presence across Europe,the brand appointed former competitive cyclistTropberger to boost sales in key territories,including the UK.

Jan Tropberger

RETAILCOMMENT

[email protected]

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUEPEARSONS CYCLES 57Arguably the UK’s oldest bike shop at 150 years of age,Pearsons shares the secrets of the business’s longevity...

NEW PRODUCTS 58Another double dose of products finding their way to marketin the coming weeks...

CHILDREN’S BIKES 64What can you do to compete within the hotly contestedchildren’s bikes market? BikeBiz explores the options...

WHAT A MONTH. Could the piece that filled this space justweeks ago, discussing shop security, have been anymore aptgiven the coming storm?

Having spoken to victims of looting and violence thismonth, I’ve heard first hand some incredible tales, very fewwith any trace of a silver lining, which has perhaps beensolely provided by London’s Mosquito Bikes. The mechanic ofthis Islington independent held a group of balaclava-cladyouths at bay, preventing their entry, until predictably theysimply got bored and moved on to continue on a path ofmindless destruction.

A quote sourced from that very mechanic stands out inmy mind and I can’t fathom what to make of it. Theoverheard words uttered by a hooded youth were “bikes aretop of our list, innit”.

Why bikes? Why not the latest Playstation, or iPhone?Without wanting to become bogged down in the hows andwhys surrounding the unrest, it does seem that the youthinvolved would rather have something pro-active to do. As

inexcusable as the actions of those involved are, I supposeI’m wading into the debate with the ‘boredom’ excuse. Givethem a bike, cut the hours sat in front of the TV and we’d beon the right track, surely?

What purpose each would use said stolen bike for isanother issue altogether and being not too far above theaverage age of the troublemakers myself, I’m not naiveenough to think obtaining a new form of transport wouldreform troubled young minds into outstanding contributorsto society. It does however paint an interesting picture ofwhat those opportunistic types would be doing were theyable to afford certain luxuries. Not the scenes of anarchymany would predict, I’d imagine.

What to do if your store sufferedWith thanks to the ACT and Butterworth Spengler, a series ofarticles relating to how to claim against riot damage andinsurance guidelines were published on BikeBiz.com duringAugust. Search ‘riot’ for more on those.

Further to these, BikeBiz can reveal that the timescale forlodging claims under the Riot Damages Act 1886 has beenextended from 14 to 42 days. Among information andguidelines, you’ll find a downloadable claims forms issued bythe Association of British Insurers’ website atwww.abi.org.uk/information/riots.

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

“Theft from bike shops does paint apicture of what youth may be doingcould they afford certain luxuries...”

...in with the new? Yes and no, says Pearson Cycles co-owner Will Pearson. Claiming to be the UK’s, ifnot the world’s, oldest bike shop you’d think this store might be set in its ways and comfortable. Not achance, as Mark Sutton finds out…What’s Pearson’s Cycles speciality?The Pearson speciality is about managingrelationships with customers. We try to divideour business into commercial and culturalactivity for customers and staff alike. Our aim isto provide a culture of exemplary service sothat our customers want to come back for theright reasons.

You’re one of, if not the oldest, bike retailer inthe UK – what’s the secret of your longevity?Having five generations of interested Pearson’sto succeed the next helps. Guy (older brother)and I see ourselves as the present custodians ofthe business and it is only as good as thegeneration in control. I think it boils down tomaintaining the service you provide to yourcommunity. It is interesting that for the first135 years this was all very local. Now, another16 years down the line, we reach worldwide.

Got any old antique bike bits knocking aboutfrom the early days of the business?We have a genuine Penny Farthing each andsome beautiful old oil bike lamps. Guy recentlyrode his from Richmond to and fromSmithfields to take part in the Nocturn race.Not an everyday sight, by Embankment apeleton had formed around him andaccompanied him to the start.

The relics of our great, great grandfather’sblacksmith business are still around in theshape of an anvil and some tools used at thefurnace to make and fit horseshoes. The anvilstill gets dragged out for occasional stubbornworkshop jobs or customers.

What portion of the business’ profit doesthe workshop represent?As the business becomes much more serviceled, the workshop is becoming increasinglyimportant as a highly profitable, internet-proofdepartment. We have concentrated on keepingstock of more aspirational replacementequipment, which is instantly at hand to sell tocustomers seeking more durable and betterquality parts.

How do you market your business? We traditionally advertised our mail orderregularly in the cycling press. With the adventof the large discount internet retailers, findingclose out lines and scoop purchases soaks upcash and is often high risk.

Most of our marketing is done throughpushing our internet site to promote the onlineand bricks and mortar business. Direct emailingis also a cost effective way to reach yourcustomer, although in moderation.

Facebook has been a great way to enhancethe community aspect of the business andhelped link our growing numbers of Pearson CC.Word of mouth remains one of the best formsof marketing, there is nothing more satisfyingto have a pre-sold customer walk in.

Had any luck with electric bikes, 29ers, orany other niche areas? Electric and 29ers, although interesting, seem tobe slow movers still. What often succeeds inone country doesn’t always translate in the UK.

Our Pearson Touche single speed addressedthe market as a custom built, mudguard-ready

Telephone: 020 8642 2095Email: [email protected]: www.pearsoncycles.co.uk

Address: 126 High StreetSutton, Surrey SM1 1LU

commuter well before the general market sawthe ‘fixee’ potential. Sales have slowed now, butthis was a great example of spotting a potentialgap and capitalising on it. We sold Touchesfrom Orkney to New Zealand and it has beenour fastest selling bike of all time.

We recently designed and supplied threecustom scooters to Harrods who sold them at£1,000 each, too.

Do anything ‘beyond the call of duty’? In celebration of our 150th anniversary weorganised The Pearson 150 sportive in aid of theRoyal Marsden Hospital. This was a sharplearning curve and we spent weeks organisingand preparing for it. We raised a load of cashand awareness for the charity. By populardemand we now repeat the event annually. It’sgreat to encourage cycling and be able to returna benefit from people enjoying themselves.

What are the long-term aspirations for thePearson Cycles business?This year we would like to have the oldest andnewest bike shop in the world, even if it is onlyfor a day! We are just working on another, moreboutique style premises nearer London inSheen, aimed at performance cycling.

We are undergoing a rebrand for all parts ofthe business and are looking for distributorswho would like to sell the Pearson bike range inthe UK and worldwide. We aspire to developour brand, grounded through it’s uniqueunfabricated heritage, but remaining everforward looking. We will launch our new bikemodels at the NEC Cycle Show this year.

Pearson Cycles hastaken the brand name

into manufacturingwith the builds shown

above

Pearson Cycles

Out with the old…

IBD | PROFILE


PRODUCTS | NEW RELEASES


Drift HD cameras Action Cameras, 0208 965 7679

This month BikeBiz takes a look at the Ultra Motor bikesnow available for hire at the Marble Arch branch ofHertz, a new brand of helmet camera and more...New gear

DRIFT CAMERAS have announced their first HDmodels, available in the UK via Action Camerasfor £329.99 at retail. Trade accounts areavailable.

The Drift HD is the latest in the Drift actioncamera range and follows the popular X170,HD170 and HD170 Stealth – used by athleteslike Steve Peat, Josh Bryceland, JohnMcGuinness, and Sam Cullum.

Shooting at full 1080p HD, the remotecontrolled unit features a colour viewfinder andplayback screen, as well as a rotatable lens.

The unit also works as a nine megapixel stillscamera should your customer want to shootstatic pictures on the move. In addition, the unitcomes supplied with a newly designed gogglestrap, flat adhesive mounts and a universal clipfor unlimited mounting options.

John Rounds, drift global sales and marketingdirector, said: “We’re really excited about theDrift HD. Thanks to all the feedback fromathletes, customers and enthusiasts we’re proudto have created a high quality, easy-to-usecamera with action sports at its heart.”

Transition 26" Bandit Surf Sales, 01303 850553

THE BANDIT is a true to form lightweight trailbike designed to rip up and down the mountain,with 130mm travel and custom Hydroformaluminum tubes.

The Transition brand has pushed the envelopeof tube design and machining of frame parts tocreate a bike that is said to ‘float’ throughsingletrack.

Careful attention to pivot placement andleverage curves make the Bandit feel like a longtravel bike on the descents and a Cross Countryrace bike when climbing the ascents.

Surf Sales can offer retailers both a frame andcomplete build option at £1,399 and £2,999retail price, respectively.

A 29-inch wheel version of the Bandit willalso be available as of January next year –Transition’s first foray into the big-wheel market.Small, medium and large frame sizes will beavailable, each carrying a two-year frame defectwarranty and lifetime crash replacement.

Based around 140mm travel forks; it features130mm rear wheel travel, a tapered headtubeand 142mm x 12mm thru-axle dropouts.

Tacx Booster trainer Fisher Outdoor Leisure, 01727 798345

HOME TURBO trainer brand Tacx has released anew Booster trainer for the UK market. Designedto boost cyclists’ power, and more powerful thanthe Tacx Satori, the Booster’s magnetic brakegenerates very high resistance at both low andhigh speeds.

Reportedly already popular with a number ofpros for warm-up and training sessions, theBooster was the trainer of choice at this year’sTour de France for Rabobank, Vacansoleil-DCM,Omega Pharma-Lotto, Quick Step, Leopard- Trek,Saxo Bank-Sungard, RadioShack and Astana.

It’s also the official warm-up trainer for theOlympic Games and UCI World Championships.

The unit is simple to assemble and has beendesigned so that the flywheel can no longer betouched, not that you’d want to. What’s more,the rider can adjust the trainer through tenlevels of resistance, up to 1,150 watts worth. Astorage bag and training DVD is included witheach purchase.

Stock is available from Fisher Outdoor Leisurenow and the unit will retail at £289.99www.fisherb2b.com

A2B Metro and hybrid e-bikes Ultra Motor, 01242 252334

ULTRA MOTOR has added two new models toits range of electric bikes. Engineered inGermany, they combine the power andefficiency of past models with new innovationsbrought in specifically for the new line.

The first is Ultra Motor’s A2B MetroGeneration 2, the latest version of the popularA2B Metro. It offers smoother power delivery, anintegrated LCD display as well as front and rearLED lights that have been specifically developedto consume as little energy from the battery asis possible.

The second, Ultra Motor’s A2B Hybrid 24 isthe most advanced pedelec in the range.Equipped with an integrated control cockpit,wireless security key and a smooth digitalcontroller, the A2B Hybrid 24 is the ideal light-weight choice for people who have never triede-biking.

The A2B Hybrid 24 retails at £1,999 and theA2B Metro Generation 2 retails at £2,499.

Test rides of the new rig are now available viathe Marble Arch branch of Hertz hire, which nowexclusively hires out Ultra Motor in London.

PRODUCTS | NEW RELEASES


Boost electric bikes Dawes Cycles, 0121 748 8050

DAWES HAS made its first move into the worldof electric bikes with the introduction of theBoost line.

The brand will introduce two new models tobe available in both men’s and women’s builds.First is the Boost Suburbia at £999.99, which hasa 250-watt brushless motor and a 36V/10AhLithium-Iron phosphate battery. The motor hasthree different modes, Eco, Leisure and Sport, allcontrolled using the LCD display on thehandlebars. The opening price model in the rangeis the Boost City at £799.99; this has the same

250-watt brushless motor, but has a slightlylighter 24V/10Ah Lithium-Manganese battery.This battery will provide pedal assistance forapproximately 25 miles off a full charge and hasan LED display that indicates battery level.

Expect to see subtle, yet stylish detailingincluding internal cable routing and a cleverhandlebar-mounted computer with all thereadings your customer will need on batterylevels and output.

More can be seen at the brand’s official site –www.dawescycles.com

CLiQ race components Moore Large, 01332 274200

MOORE LARGE has introduced the CLiQ BMXrace brand at its string of recent house shows.

CLiQ is brand of race specific componentsthat has been designed by BMX Race Pro DerekBetcher and tested by the Haro race team.

To start off with, the range consists of threecomponents; CLiQ’s streamlined Finisher Fork,the CLiQ Turnbar handlebar and the CLiQWeaponz Cranks. This crank is similar in design tothe Shimano DXR only lighter and less expensiveand comes in three lengths – 175mm, 177.5mmand 180mm.

The arms are manufactured from 7000 seriesCNC’d aluminum to increase stiffness with largerecession on the backside to reduce weight.Chromoly pedal inserts feature. The four bolt104mm spider gear comes bolted to the drive-side crank arm and then pressed onto the heat-treated 24mm hollow chromoly spindle forincreased rigidity.

The package includes a sealed outboard styleEuro bottom bracket and is reported to weigh inat 32.4 oz. For more on Cliq, seewww.harobikes.com/bmx/cliq

Zipp Vukasprint bars and SL stem Fisher Outdoors, 01727 798345

ACCORDING TO Zipp, its new VukaBull bar wasso fast in testing the manufacturer decided tocombine it with a drop bar to create a handlebarthat would work in the angles most (+5°)commonly seen in drop bars. The bar’s 3:1aerodynamic profile comes with an addedbenefit: it’s comfortable, too. Even with its thinaero section this 210-gram bar is stiff enough tostand up to race-winning sprints

Next up among the new launches, the 102-gram SL Speed stem (100mm), built from ultra-strong unidirectional carbon fibre is ideal for the

weight weenie. Zipp created a titanium faceplate that used rearfacing bolts to eliminate theneed for a threaded insert in the stem. TheSLSpeed stem clamps the steerer with a single,selfaligning bolt which, like the others, isnaturally titanium.

Federal Bikes Renegade frame Seventies, 0845 3103670

IN RESPONSE to the BMX market graduallyoutpricing the majority of its younger customers,Federal has come up with a new entry levelframe, dubbed the Renegade.

Named after a rebellious Hastings sandwichdelivery man infiltrating the territory of othervendors, the Renegade has removable brakemounts for the rider who hasn’t quite madetheir mind up about stopping methods.

Federal Bikes product designer Aggie toldBikeBiz: “This comes in under the prior low-endframe and is geared at the rider who wants to

buy a frame that will last and last, but hasn’t gotan endless budget.”

At 4.8 pounds, it’s not super-light, but it’s builttough with classic geometry, 13.6-inch stays andcomes in three lengths – 20, 20.5, 21-inch toptubes. Top and down gussets reinforce vulnerableareas. The standover height measures 8.5-inch.

As covered in last month’s edition of BikeBiz,both a chrome and ‘star blue’ version of thebest-selling Dan Lacey signature frame are alsodue shortly, alongside investment cast forks,fresh components.

BuffBROADENING ITS horizons beyond anextensive range of neck warmers, Buffnow covers the cyclist head to toe withthe introduction of an apparel line.

The firm’s lightweight, performanceapparel collection exploits the use offabrics and fibres such as CoolmaxExtreme, DCS and Tactel and in somepieces Eco-Active, a fabric made fromrecycled plastic bottles.

Within much of the apparel lineyou’ll find bonded seams with reflectiveproperties. Ventilation is also key, asmuch of the gear has been designedwith athletes who spend a largeamount of time in the saddle, or in thewater. As such, retailers will be able tobuy in a padded triathlon short, amongother items designed specifically for thegrowing triathlon market. Buffera: 01707 852244

ChickenCyclekitTHE NALINI Pike jacket is one of thehighlights of the PRO winter line. Thejacket is windproof, waterrepellent and breathable.It also has Teflon workedinto the membrane,which has high resistanceto dirt and grime. Thesehave just landed with exclusivedistributor Chicken Cyclekit inshades of black, blue and red. Sizesrange from small to triple extralarge and all versions will cost£109.99 at retail.

If your customer is looking forslightly more casual cycle wear,Cinelli has a wide range of t-shirtsand even a hoodie or two withinits catalogue. A variety of Cinelli

emblazoned tees are available at £21.99a pop, retail price.

For stockist prices phone the salesteam on 01525 381347, or see therange in full at www.chickenb2b.co.uk

Celebrating its 10th year, the UK’s leadingCycle Show heads to NEC, Birminghamon 29 Sep - 2 October 2011.

Register for your FREE trade pass atwww.cycleshow.co.uk/register for more information’

>>>

SECTOR GUIDE | CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES


Put some clothes on…

ExtraAS DISTRIBUTORS for outdoors andcycling clothing brand Montane, Extraare able to supply a vartiety of goodsfor all seasons, from waterproofwindbreakers, through baselayers, andinsulating trousers, to smaller goodssuch as gloves and caps.

A highlight from this year's wintercatalogue is the Minimus jacket,weighing in at 215 grams and packing inplenty of clever technology.

The Minimus is an ultra lightweightrain shell making use of protective fabricPertex, which delivers exceptionalbreathability levels and performancecharacteristics that you would normallyfind at the high end of extrememountain shells. While designed to workhard during fast paced enduranceactivities in wet conditions, the Minimusis equally at home as a highperformance rain shell, and with a packsize the shape of an apple, it will hardlybe noticed when not in use.

For the lower half of the body, Extracan supply the Atomic DT Pants, aclassic lightweight, multipurposegarment, which much like the Minimusjacket is easily packed down to a smallsize making it ideal for backpack storageshould the storm clouds threaten.

From the Atomic DTs, customers gaina trouser that carries reflective trim, hasboot compatible side zips, an elasticatedwaist and boasts a high level of waterrepellency.Extra: 01933 672 170

ZyroTHE CONTINUALLY expanding Altura

range is stronger than ever forautumn/winter 2011, with cycle

clothing to cater for all types ofrider, offering value for money ata wide range of price points.

The popular Night Visionrange features updated designsand new trim details, along withdistinctive new colourways,including Hi-Vis Orange for menand Aubergine for women onthe best selling £70 waterproof

Jacket. Night Vision is not only aimed atthe traditional city commuter, but nowalso features a selection of productsdesigned for the fast, more performanceoriented commuter and the club riderlooking for added night time visibilitywhen riding on the road.

Camelbak is investing in women’stargeted product, such as the newraspberry coloured RaceBak, coming inat £84.99 at retail. With a two-litrecapacity and a chafe-free compressionfabric that adjusts to the body’scontours, the customer takes home ahigh-performance pack for the money.Zyro: 01845 521700

…your customers with this handy guide covering a variety of distributors able to supply thetrendiest and often most technology-packed clothing brands available to cycle retail. Mark Suttondoes the rounds and brings you some of that latest on offer…

SECTOR GUIDE | CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES


>>>

Moore LargeAS DISTRIBUTORS for Limar, Vangard,Outeredge and Proviz, Moore Large hasplenty to offer the cycle retailer seekinga one-stop shop for clothing andaccessories.

Proviz was one of the most innovativebrands to appear in Moore Large‘sproduct catalogue last year, dedicated tocreating self illuminating and high

visibility cycling kit for safety consciouscyclists.

The popular light-emitting,electroluminescent jacket is nowavailable in black for those customerswho don’t like high-viz yellow and stillwant to be seen and safe on the roads.The clothing offering also now includesgloves and light-emitting Sam Brownestyle belts.

Outeredge caters for a more budget-orientated audience seeking a strong

level of performance, but are largelylooking for value for money gear. Thisyear the brand has introduced full ziptights and leg warmers to their range.The full length zips make the tights andleg warmers easy to take on and off,meaning you don’t need to stretch overor remove shoes. This makes them greatfor pre-race Cyclo-cross and MTB.

The tights retail at £35.99 and the legwarmers retail at £20.99.Moore Large: 01332 274200

Fisher OutdoorsSANTINI’S COMPREHENSIVE 365 stockservice and Winter Fashion range coverssuper lightweight jackets towindstopper Fuga soft shells.

With retail prices from £24.99 forarm warmers, to windstopper jackets at£199.99, Santini can provideperformance clothing for all budgets.Key items include the Kines windproofand packable jacket, which comes in atonly 150-grams. Feel jackets and jerseysfeature Santini’s water resistant andbreathable Aquazero soft shell fabric,which keep the rider dry and warm.

Fisher Outdoors also stocks the entireTroy Lee Designs catalogue, a big playerin the downhill and slopestyle markets.D3 helmets remain the most desirablehelmet within the line, especially withthe Signature Steve Peat and goldchromed Palmer. Fisher Outdoors: 01727 798345

OxfordProducts A WIDE AND diverserange of clothing isavailable fromOxford catering forthe cyclist in all weather.

Ready for when theweather turns for theworse, retailers wouldn’tgo wrong with stock ofOxford’s own ‘Chill Out’ gloves, retailingfor just £15.99 and gently elasticated onthe cuff.

Also tailored for colder weather,the Chill Out Multi Sports jacket,

costing £69.99, has a high neck forwind protection and a scalloped backto avoid drafts blowing in from therear. Aside from having stronginsulating properties, the jacket hastwo storage pockets.

Comfy, Oxford’s neck warmerproduct, comes in a packet of three forjust £14.99, meaning your customer

can keep the family warm on a budget.These breathable garments are windresistant and made entirely form seam-free material. Single units cost £6.99.Oxford Products: 01993 862 300

EnduraONE OF SCOTLAND’S favoured tried and testedperformance clothing brands, Endura, has this yearbrought a new line of jackets to market with detachablesleeves. Dubbed the Convert, the £99.99 softshellconverts into a gilet in seconds with a simple unzipping.The garment comes in sizes extra small through large inwomen’s and small to double XL in men’s.

SilverfishSPANISH CLOTHING and footwearbrand Spuik is soon to deliver its newlydesigned autumn to winter catalogue toUK distributor Silverfish.

Joining the extensive range ofhelmets, shoes, eyewear, creams andaccessories, which is constantly offeredthroughout the season, is an exclusiverange of winter softgoods designed andconstructed to help keep the elementsat bay and riders pushing on the pedals.

The extensive range of winterproducts offered to stores haseverything from winter jackets and

training tops through to SuperRoubaixfabric bib tights and shorts, all of whichare perfect for winter riding. Silverfish: 01752 843882

2pureHAVING RECENTLY joined 2pure’sstable, POC brings with it a line ofcasual and performance cyclingclothing, largely targeted at the off-roadenthusiast.

Catering for both men and women,the line is diverse, extending toaccessories such as eyewear, thoughfocusing on a core product of heavyduty, yet breathable garments.

The eyewear is interesting, as thebrand has used state of the art smudge-free NXT lenses. These come completewith an ‘unbreakable warranty’.

All orders placed before September16th will be delivered in March 2012.Contact the internal sales team on0844 811 2001 for more information.

MadisonTHOUGH THE DISTRIBUTOR offers thelikes of Pearl Izumi, Giro footwear andoff-shoot brands such as Nitro Circusclothing, it’s Madison’s own clothingbrand that has impressed many in thetrade in a big way, offering technicalclothing with a strong margin and, ofcourse, Madison’s well regarded aftersales service.

Flagged up as a highlight of the 2012line, the Stellar commuter jacketcombines light weight with strongbreathability credentials, waterproofingand a technical cut to keep bums drywhen the ground’s wet.

The sleeves are extended andarticulated for added comfort on thebike and the collar is high and fleecelined to keep the wind and rain at bay.

Features include a waterproof mainzip and chest pocket zip, baffled pit zips,

rear vent panelling, a large map pocketwith storm flap, one hand draw cords atthe hem and collar and Velcro adjusterson the cuffs. A mesh lining helps keeptemperature under control too.

The jacket offers plenty of reflectivedetailing from six large reflective panels,side panel reflective print, dual reflectivezips, reflective piping and multiplereflective logo's and print on the chest,arms and back.Madison: 0208 385 3385

FoskaFOUNDED IN 2003 with the release of the now famousMarmite shirt, Foska makes clothing for cyclists, runnersand triathletes. Made from technically advanced fabricsincluding Coolmax and Respira, all designs are printedwith a fade-free ink, ensuring a long life.

The firm is constantly adding new designs to itsalready vast range, seen at www.foska.com.

SugoiSUGOI’S tech-packed clothing line prioritises moisturewicking and breathability in many higher-end garments.

The Majik Shell jacket, for example, is a tenaciouswaterproof jacket that is able to stretch to extremes, allwhile keeping the rider warm and secure below a two-way waterproof zipper, complete with guard material.

Find out more at www.sugoi.com.

SECTOR GUIDE | CHILDREN AND TRAILER BIKES


>>>Celebrating its 10th year, the UK’s leadingCycle Show heads to NEC, Birminghamon 29 Sep - 2 October 2011.

Register for your FREE trade pass atwww.cycleshow.co.uk/register for more information’

ChickenCyclekitNALINI OFFERS a range ofchildren’s clothing including,short and long sleeve jersey,bib tights and bib shorts. Therange is available all yearround with very attractivestocking in deals, Chicken tells BikeBiz.

The Antracite jersey retailsfor £35.99 has three backpockets, short zip and is styledto look like an authentic proteam jersey.

The Napo kids shorts retailfor £25.99 are made fromlightweight Lycra and have a very well designed children’s pad.

For stockist prices phone thesales team on 01525 381347or see the range in full atwww.chickenb2b.co.uk

Dawes Cycles DAWES HAS revealed its kid’s bikeswill not be subject to a price rise forthe remainder of 2011, despite importprices continuing to rise. This, coupledwith the addition of a new alloy kidsbikes, means its dealers can offerlightweight 20 and 24-inch wheelproduct at an affordable price. The newalloy Lightning and Venus cost £159.99and the Sapphire and Zombie £169.99.

For the budding racer the ever-popular Espoir junior road bike is nowavailable patriotic red white and blue,retailing at £399.99.

Promising a range that keeps up todate with the latest fashions, Dawessaid it is also dedicated to offeringyoung riders the same quality andcharacteristics offered to adults. Moreinformation is available [email protected] or on 0121748 8050

Child’s playNot only is selling kids bikes good for the balance sheet, it’s also helping the little blighters becomelifelong fans of cycling. Jonathon Harker look at childrens bikes, gear and trailer bikes…

ExtraTHE BIOFLEX Sprint GT is a comfortableand tough saddle designed foryoung’uns, with the same high specs asused in the adult range. With scuff-resistant bumper panels and a reflectiverear panel, the Sprint GT is £14.99 atretail price.

Extra also brings the Burley Bee tothe trade. This economical model stillfeatures the Burley standard of quality

and safety features and seats one to twochildren with 100lb capacity. It weighsless than 20lbs and features paddedmesh seating, wheel guards and arecessed helmet pocket. Retail price is£249.99.

The Burley D’Lite is ideal for the aviduser. Again it seats one to two kids witha100lb capacity, but it also featuressuspension, UV protected windows,deluxe padded seating and a stow-awaysun shade – all for £569.99. Extra: 01933 672170

CoyoteCOYOTE SPORTS exclusively suppliesthe cycle trade with the Weeride rangeof trailers and trailer bikes. The Pro-pilot (alloy version) and the Co-Pilot(steel version) both have a uniqueSwivel Hinge System that allow therider a safe and smooth ride, as well asfor the child too. Both units are

supplied with safety flags and the levelof quality you’d expect from theWeeride label. All products are suppliedin full colour boxes.

The Weeride Stagecoach, suitable foreither one or two passengers, is alsoavailable. For further informationcontact Coyote Sport sales team on0161 727 8508, email [email protected] or visit www.coyote-sports.com.

OxfordProductsOXFORD OFFERS a numberof children’s cycle helmetsto the trade that featurebug net for insect-freeventilation and adjustablequick release chin strapswith soft anti-abrasivechin padding. Oxford’srange is made from shockabsorbing EPS with a tough,easy-to-clean Micro shell. It’savailable in four designs including LittleRocket, Little Angel, Little Madam and lastbut not least, the Little Devil. Oxford Products: [email protected]



Fisher OutdoorLeisureFISHER OUTDOOR exclusivelydistributes Adams Trail-a-bikes. Theextensive range includes models suitablefor children from three to ten years oldin a variety of colours and designs. Allthe bikes include the proven steel hitch,

which allows 360-degree movement ofthe bike and shims to fit almost anyseatpost. The bikes also incorporates afolding mechanism for easytransportation and storage, a bash guardto protect the chainring and a colourfulsafety flag for maximum visibility whenout and about.

The frames on each also come with alimited lifetime warranty. Fisher: 01727 798 340

IsonTSG HAS produced a kid’s helmet rangeboasting high safety standards and goodlooks, giving youngsters chance to looklike their riding heroes as the Nipperhelmets are scaled down adult versions.The Nipper weighs in at a featherweight195g and fits snugly and low around thewearer’s head. Since release this yearthe Panda and Spooky Castle designshave proved popular.

2012 will see Nipper include a widerrange of sizes with the new Nipper Miniand Nipper Maxi featuring fresh designssuch as Bumblebee, Ladybird, Seal andLion.

A brand new helmet, the EvolutionYouth will bridge the gap between the

Nipper and Adult Evolution ranges. It isavailable in plain colours and graphicdesigns.

TSG also has a range of kid-specificpadsets for riding and skating. The JuniorBike set consists of Knee/Shin andElbow pads designed specifically forcycling. For more info contact Ison.Ison: 01353 662662

MadisonMADISON HAS a diverse range of goodsfor the kids, from miniature Ridgebacksand Saracen Bikes, through accessoriesand trailers from Adventure, right downto helmets, clothing and protective gear.

If your store specialises in bikes for allthe family, Ridgeback’s line would be aperfect fit, offering a particularly strongchildren’s bikes catalogue.

An example is the Ridgeback Honey14-inch wheeled girl’s bike. With a

robust, light aluminium frame thatallows the child to lift and handle theirbike with ease, a Ridgeback Kids bike isengineered to take the knocks and builtto last, offering long term reliability andvalue for money.

Every Ridgeback kid's bike isconstructed to the same exactingstandards as an adult bike andundergoes professional assembly andsafety checking by qualified bicyclemechanics.0208 385 3385

Moore Large CUDA IS THE junior side of Barracuda,providing lightweight bikes for children.From your everyday bike to the latestBMX or Jump styles Cuda from £105 -£220. Built with 6061 Aluminium theyrange from 14 up to 24-inch wheels.

Bumper is ML’s premium pavementbike brand for boys and girls. Offering 12to 20-inch with plenty of accessoriesthe bikes retail from £89 to £139.

Bumper trailers are packed withfeatures for top-level safety, practicaluse and child friendly fun. Two modelsare available in both duo and solo, bothbuilt from a strong steel frame with

easy front to back folding and wheelsthat unclip in seconds. The Adventureduo retails at £132.99 and £121.99 forthe solo.

The Explorer model has more featureswith the duo retailing at £182.99 andthe solo at £172.99.

Limar has a range of superlightweight kid’s helmets offering maximumcomfort and total protection. In twomodels the 124 and 149 come in atleast four different designs, for £24.99.

The firm also offers the Trail-Gatorbicycle tow bar and a number ofaccessories. Contact Moore Large formore on those. Moore Large: [email protected]

>>>

>>>

SKS SKS’ BOTTLE cage SlideCage is ideal forthe kids’ market, the German brand tellsBikeBiz. It is a bottle cage for smallframes (or frames with little space)making use of a clever and simpleconcept – the bottle is inserted fromthe side rather than only from the top,though that is also an option.

Here comes the science: the premiumpolyamide material is strengthened byfibreglass particles, which basicallymeans SKS’ bottle cages are lightweightbut also offer high impact resistance.RRP is £8.99. SKS is distributed byChicken ([email protected]),Madison ([email protected]) andRaleigh ([email protected]).

FalconTOTALLING 50 models,Falcon has three distinctjunior ranges, plus a BMXrange.

The entry level Falcon-branded juniors includespavement bikes and steelframed rides, includingpavement bikes starting at £94.99and 24-inch wheel product topping outat £149.99 there is bound to be a hugedemand for this product.

In the middle is the Claud Butler-branded steel range, with Shimanorevoshift gears, alloy brakes, alloy levers,lazer cables – ranging from £129.99 to£174.99.

The junior range is topped out with aClaud Butler branded alloy line-upstarting at £149.99for 16-inch wheeland capping outat £199.99 for24-inch wheel.

The brand newrange of ScorpionBMX has justbeen launched,with demand

outstrippingexpectation BikeBiz is told. Starting at£139.99, going to £179.99 for magwheel and finishing at £209.99 for a25/9 with a proper three-piece crank.There is even a youths hardtail thrownin for good measure.Falcon: 01652656000.


>>>


Zyro THE SMILEY (SRP£24.99) is available in a range ofcolours and sizes. The lightweighthelmet was specifically designed forchildren, offering top-notch value formoney, a robust shell, shock absorbingEPS and much more. The Smiley WinterKit (SRP £14.99) in medium or large isa fleece cap for use with the Smiley,while the Chaox (SRP £29.99) is ascaled down version of the Aduro andArica, ideal for younger riders. TheScraper kid (SRP £29.99) is ideal forskating or cycling.

It’s never too early to teach a cyclistabout security, which is where the childfriendly My First Abus (1505) comes in,with a £12.99 SRP.

Altura provides a full range of cyclespecific clothing for the budding youngcyclist, including a junior version of thebest selling high vis Night Visionjacket.

Summer clothing itemsinclude the padded shorts,jerseys, sprint mitts andgloves suitable for 5 to12 year olds.

The Mini M.U.L.E(SRP £39.99) is apack for kids thatcan store a 1.5Ldrink with spacefor a phone /

MP3,snacks, suncream

and little toys. The CamelBak Skeeter (SRP

£21.99) helps keep little oneshydrated while the Scout (SRP£39.99) is ideal for theyoung explorer whowants to head out onthe trail, or even for school use.

The intuitive children’s Tritan BetterBottle (SRP £14.99) is ideal for schoolbags, on the hill or in the car. Thespillproof Big Bite Valve can only BEremoved through the underside of thecap, eliminating a choking hazard andmaking it easier to clean. Also available is the Alpe (for girls, SRP£34.99), the Forza FC (for boys, SRP£24.99) and the 350ml Spookychildren’s bottle (SRP £4.50). Zyro: [email protected]

ToddlebikeTODDLEBIKE IS A pre-balance bike that allows toddlerswho are confidently walking to get on the road towardscycling long before they are ready for balance or pedalbikes. Toddlebike has four in-line wheels so there is animportant balance element that the rider must master,but not that it will not tip over at standstill. In addition tobalance, riders also learn turning using handles, movementat speed, self propulsion and co-ordination and because itis suitable for indoor or outdoor use on almost anyterrain, this can be done initially in the safety of the homebefore venturing out. The superlight Toddlebike isconvenient to carry when the little ‘un gets tired too.

Guaranteed for three years, CE and TUV certified, theyare intended for Toddlers aged 18-36 months or whenconfidently walking. Toddlebike: [email protected]

John CraneTHE TIDLO COLLECTION by John Crane features a hostof balance bike styled toys for active play, including MyFirst Scooter in red and even My First Motorbike. Eachleg-powered bike comes in high gloss paint withexcellent detailing, whilst the easy grip handlebars andpneumatic tyres provide a safe and comfortable ride.

Retailers can merchandise Tidlo product with POS. Anat-a-glance age range symbol and category ensureretailers can show the toys to their best advantage inlearning related sections and consumers can make aninformed purchase. The launch of the Tidlo Collection isto be backed by a weighty PR and marketing campaign,including consumer advertising and promos via socialmarketing. Find out more at [email protected] oron the number below. John Crane Ltd: 01604 774949

RaleighPOPULAR BRANDS of Disney and Pixar, including Cars, ToyStory, Mickey Mouse and Princesses are featured in Raleigh’srange. Along with the classic products such as SpokeyDokeys, handlebar streamers and Doll Seats, Raleigh has agreat range targeted at the younger generation.

The firm also brings Finnish grip expert Herrmans’product to the UK, with grips targeted at very youngcyclists. Made from allergy-free TPE sourced withinEurope and specifically formulated for offering higher thanexpected Grip, the intriguingly named 82L model isarguably one of the most advanced child’s grips available.

At an retail price of £4.50, and with packaging tomatch the more advanced adult range, the Herrmans82L will be the obvious choice for any knowledgeableadult purchasing for their child.Raleigh: 0800 096 9060

To order copies of BikeBiz Bible or ensure inclusion in the 2011 edition please [email protected]

2pure0844 811 2001www.2pure.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Abacus Online Ltd0151 334 8303www.abacusonline.netEPOS

Ascend RetailManagement System01908 280667www.ascendrms.com EPOS

Bohle UK Ltd01952 602680www.schwalbe.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR/IMPORTER

Cube Bikes Uk Ltdwww.cube.eu0031 180441350 DISTRIBUTOR

Custom SportsClothing Ltd07580 495881www.customsportsclothing.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Cybertill Ltd0800 0304432www.cybertill.co.uk EPOS

Cycle Division Ltd0845 0508500www.thecycledivision.com WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR

The Cycle Show0207 2886733www.cycleshow.co.ukEVENT/EXHIBITION ORGANISER

Digital RetailSolutions Inc001 8003229471www.digitalretailer.comEPOS

Eurobike Ltd01332 774796www.eurobike.uk.comDISTRIBUTOR

Fat Spanner07966401165www.fatspannerworld.com DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

Fisher OutdoorLeisure01727 798345www.fisheroutdoor.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Hotlines Europe Ltd0131 3191444www.hotlines-uk.comDISTRIBUTOR

Hykeham WholesaleLimited01522 801550www.hykehamwholesale.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR/WHOLESALER

Jungle Products Ltd01423 780088www.jungleproducts.co.uk www.santacruzbikes.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Lyon Equipment01539 625493www.lyon.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Monterey Industries Ltd0117 9509499www.masibikes.comwww.brevm.com DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

Mojo suspensionHoodoo ltd01633 615815www.mojo.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Moore Large and Co Ltd01332 274252www.moorelarge.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Otagocyclesport07939 543016www.otagocyclesport.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Pacific Cycles Inc+886 34861231www.pacific-cycles.comMANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Paligap Ltd01454 313116www.paligapltd.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Parklife (Havant) Ltd02392 475895IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR

Pashley Cycles01789 292263www.pashley.co.ukMANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Peter DobbsDesign andPrint Services01482 224007MANUFACTURER/DESIGN & PRINTSERVICES

Qoroz01453 889204www.qoroz.co.uk MANUFACTURER

Raleigh UK Ltd01773 532600www.raleigh.co.uk www.cyclelife.comDISTRIBUTOR

Red Cloud MC01767 692831www.redcloudmc.comMARKETING, PR & EVENTS

Reece Cycles PLC0121 6220180www.reececycles.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Saddleback Ltd01454 285285www.saddleback.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Seventies0845 3103670www.seventies.co.ukDISTRIBUTOR

Silverfish UK Ltd01752 843882www.silverfish-uk.comDISTRIBUTOR

SKS+49 2333831246www.sks-germany.comMANUFACTURER

Sonic Cycles0207 2432848www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR

Sport Direct Ltd0845 2693060www.sport-direct.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

StormfrontTechnology Ltd0800 6121044www.stormfront.co.uk EPOS

Trek Bicycle Corporation01908 282626MANUFACTURER

USE Ltd01798 344477www.exposurelights.com www.use1.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Vigour Corporation0092 524269920www.vigourcorporation.comMANUFACTURER/EXPORTER

Walkers CycleComponents Ltd0116 2833885www.walkerscycles.co.ukWHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR

Zyro Ltd01845 521700www.zyro.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

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

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

Email:[email protected]

LETTERS | YOUR SAY

SPONSORED BY

the services offered at Baker Street, which iswhy I always return. Evans may have a greatervariety of products and lots of staff on handto help you, but they certainly don’t give youthe same quality of service I’ve received here.

I feel the personal approach is veryimportant when buying a bike – unlike someother bike shops in the area Baker Street staffare all keen cyclists and therefore verypassionate about their work and know whatthey’re talking about.

I would always give Baker Street five out offive.

Mark, Brighton

RESPONSE

Star LetterWhether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-post letter, email or acomment made on the BikeBiz forum,the best letter of the month wins a

prize from OxfordProducts.

This month the luckywinner will receivethe Ultra Torch 9.

Info:l Waterproof Frontheadlightl Anti-shock switch non-slip structurel Quick release Jubilee clipsuits 31.6mm handle barsl Batteries included

STA

R L

ETTE

R Mystery Shopperwas too harsh?

I RECENTLY READ the Mystery Shopper forBrighton (April 2011).

I’m aware the article was based uponfinding ‘a bike suitable for the beach’, but I feltthe review of Baker Street bikes wassurprisingly critical.

I’ve been a keen cyclist for 25 years andhave always struggled to find a bike shopthat’s as friendly and approachable as BakerStreet. They are always ready to take the timeto offer practical advice, no matter how busythey are.

I’ve been using Baker Street Bikes sincemoving to Brighton five years ago and frompast experience of living in other towns andcities, I know I’d find it difficult to findsomewhere that offers such a good, honestand reliable service.

Three years ago they fixed my Trekmountain bike, which had looked almost un-

repairable after a car ran it (and almost me!)over. They also made my 1983 Condor trackbike a joy to ride again and suggested that Iwait before having it completely re-sprayedand upgraded, which would have been a farmore financially beneficial option for them.

If their service is based upon someonebuying a bike, as in the review, I know of a fewlocals who always buy their bikes from thisshop and have done so for years – as I’m sureI will in the future. My friends also agree howhelpful the staff and the amount of knowledgethey share at Baker Street Bikes.

I felt it was important to write to you asthe review you wrote could be harmful to asmall business and it’s so important wesupport our local shops and particularly onesthat are as top quality as Baker Street Bikes.

I’ve been to a few other bike shops inBrighton and they don’t even come close to

WE WELCOME feedback on Mystery Shopper,which is a feature based on the experiences ofone person visiting shops on a particular day.As such, the piece is just an opinion, but weensure our undercover reporter strives to befair and constructive in his assessments.

In the case of Baker Street Bikes, MysteryShopper scored the shop a very respectablethree out of five. Mystery Shopper said ‘BakerStreet’s staff can’t be faulted for adding a bitof personality to the pitch’ and gave him whathe said were ‘sensible suggestions aboutsecurity’, as well about ‘the store’s verycomprehensive stock’. Our undercoverreporter did question whether the salesassistant on the day could have tried to upsellto him, and noted that he found movingfreely in the aisles was an issue. But overall itwas a positive assessment.

One reader questions BikeBiz’s undercoverreporter’s marking, who gave Brighton’s Baker StreetBikes three marks earlier this year…

Editorial Planner | October 2011

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]

NOVEMBER 2011l Stocking Fillers: Gifts under £20 l Cycle Show Review Editorial Deadline: Oct 7th Advertising Deadline: Oct 12th

DECEMBER 2011l P&A: Wheels, Tyres, Tubes, Pumps l Retail SurveyEditorial Deadline: Nov 4th Advertising Deadline: Nov 9th

JANUARY 2012l Workshop: Cleaning and Toolsl Workshop: Training l Core Bike Editorial Deadline: Nov 30th Advertising Deadline: Dec 5th

FEBRUARY 2012l Commuting: Folding Bikes, Helmets, Reflectivesl IceBike Guide l Fisher Outdoor Leisure ExpoEditorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC

MARCH 2012l Media analysis l Electric Bikes l Madison iceBike* review l Fisher Outdoor Leisure Expo reviewEditorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC

APRIL 2012l Bike Securityl Cycle Fashion: Clothing, Sunglasses, Watches andAccessories l The UK’s Top 20 IBDsEditorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC

Editorial Deadline: September 2nd

Advertising Deadline: September 7th

UPCOMING EVENTS

EDITORIAL PLANNER | EVENTS


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

For additional copies please contact:[email protected]

THE BIBLEIS BACK!

EUROBIKE 2011Thursday September 1st toSaturday September 3rdFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.com

EXPOCYCLE 2011Sunday Sept 11th to 13thMontreal, Canadawww.expocycle.ca

INTERBIKE DEMO DAY 2011Monday September 12th toTuesday September 13thBoulder City, Nevada, USAwww.interbike.com

INTERBIKE 2011Wednesday September 14th toFriday September 16thLas Vegas, Nevada, USAwww.interbike.com

PARIS CYCLE SHOWFriday September 16th to 19thParis, Francewww.lesalonducycle.com

PALIGAP 2012 LAUNCHSunday Sept 18th to 21stThe Paintworks, Bristolwww.paligapltd.co.uk

LOOK LAUNCHThursday September 22ndMallory Park, Leicestershirewww.fisherb2b.com

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2011Wednesday September 28thHilton Metropole, NEC,Birminghamwww.bikebiz.com

CYCLE SHOW 2011Thursday September 29th toSunday October 2ndNEC Birmingham, UKwww.cycleshow.co.uk

BIKE MOTIONFriday October 14th to 16thBenelux, Netherlandswww.bikemotionbenelux.nl

BIKE BRNOThursday Nov 10th to 13th Brno, Czech Republicwww.bike-brno.cz

TAICHUNG BIKE WEEKTuesday November 29th to Friday December 2nd Taichung, Taiwanwww.taichung-bike-week.com

E-MOBILITY CONGRESSMonday December 12th Ede, Netherlandswww.emobilitycongres.nl

September 2011

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2011Wednesday, September 28th

Hilton Metropole, NEC, Birminghamwww.bikebiz.com

SPOTLIGHTl Road Cycling, Bike, Gear and Accessoriesl Cycle Show Guide l Eurobike 2011 show review

November 2011

October 2011

December 2011

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

Its associated online version, has beendesigned to offer readers a directory of allproducts and services in the bike trade.

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

BIKES & ACCESSORIESBob Elliot & Co Ltd 01772 459 887 www.bob-elliot.co.ukKinesis Bikes 01403 711 611 www.kinesisbikes.co.ukMadison 01908 326 000 www.madisonb2b.co.ukPaligap 01454 313 116 www.paligapltd.co.ukRoofbox 015396 21884 www.roofbox.co.ukSeventies 0845 310 3670 www.seventies.co.ukThe Cycle Division 0845 0508 500 www.thecycledivision.comUpgrade Bikes 01403 711 611 www.upgradebikes.co.uk

BIKE MAINTENANCEWeldtite 01652 660 000 www.weldtite.co.ukxx

COMPONENTSindependent 01299 400008 www.independent100.comPace cycles Ltd 01723 867 919 www.pacecycles.comUpgrade Bikes 01403 711 611 www.upgradebikes.co.ukUSE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com

CUSTOM CLOTHINGWildoo Ltd 01908 374 555 www.wildoo.co.uk

EPOSCitrus Lime 0845 603 9254 www.citrus-retail.comEvopos 0845 644 9424 www.evopos.com

LIGHTINGExposure Lights 01798 344 477 www.exposurelights.com

NUTRITIONZipvit 01444 243 000 www.zipvitsport.com

RACKSMaxx Raxx 0845 230 3799 www.maxxraxx.co.ukPendle 01282 699 555 www.pendle-bike.co.ukRoofbox

RESPRAYS & REPAIRSArgos 0117 972 4730 www.argoscycles.com

SALES TRAININGQuest 07540 351 530 [email protected]

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

WATER BOTTLESBotlesport 0845 602 9267 www.bottlesport.comWildoo Ltd 01908 374 555 www.wildoo.co.uk

WEBSITE SERVICESSimpleEshop 0116 267 5145 www.simpleeshop.comSiWis Limited 01709 511766 www.siwis.co.uk

MARKETPLACE CONTACTS

Marketplace Rates:Quarter Page

£175(minimum six months)

THE STANDARD PACKAGE INCLUDES:

l A quarter page advert in each issuel Regular editorial coverage in the dedicated columnl Company details listed in the online directory

with web linkl Company details listed in the BikeBiz

Marketplace Contacts

To get your company featured here contact:

Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or

[email protected]

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

What's new for Cycle Systems Academy?The Level 3 VRQ is now up and running, as isthe Level 3 advanced apprenticeship, inassociation with Havering College.

Our Level 3 course is a globally recognised,full VRQ Level 3 diploma in Engineering. Thequalification for this and the NVQ in theapprenticeship framework are awarded byEmta Awards who ensures the qualification isgovernment accredited within theQualifications Credit Framework (QCF). Theten-day intensive course covers expert MTBand road tech. As with Level 2 we’ve developeda course that goes beyond the written syllabusto provide the most complete and up-to-datecycle mechanical training available in Europe.

Is there any help with funding available?Yes, a full apprenticeship Level 2 can begovernment subsidised for current or new staffunder 25. Under 19s receive 100 per centsubsidy and for 19-15 yr olds there is a smallemployer contribution. The apprentice can goon to a modern advanced apprenticeship atLevel 3 which also has similar subsidies. We’reproviding apprenticeships to Brompton andSpecialized stores amongst others.

Engineering funding is secure so it’s a greattime for dealers to train or recruit staff throughour framework – we can advertise vacancieson the National Apprenticeship and Havering

College systems – bothreceive large amountsof traffic. We offer£100 of free Birzmantools to manystudents. Birzman isa new high qualitytool sponsor whohas supplied us withits ‘Studio Cycle’range for training.

Do you havemany female trainees?While the bike trade, especially the workshop,has been largely male dominated we do havefemale applicants for apprenticeships, and havea new female apprentice starting soon. Wealso have a hugely experienced female tutoron the team in Therese Kilpatrick.

What's next for Cycle Systems Academy?The most important area is to inform the tradethere’s now an option in funded cyclemechanic training. Other brands claiming to bethe ‘industry standard’ are simply one possibleoption. Our training and qualifications arerecognised just as any other by awardingbodies, government standards, the NationalApprenticeship Service, OFSTED and our manysponsors from the industry itself.

We believe the most important aspect isthe awarding body and if the qualification isrecognised within the QCF. If a training facilityis approved it has undergone strict qualitymeasures and ongoing quality control.

We think healthy competition is a goodthing and as all funded training is providedthrough EAL, it has the standardisation thetrade requires.

T: 020 7608 2577

W: www.cycle-systems-

academy.co.uk

COMPANY PROFILESEAN LALLY, CYCLE [email protected] for technical [email protected] for booking detailsTwitter @CycleSystemsAc


BIKES & ACCESSORIES

BIKES & ACCESSORIES BIKES & ACCESSORIES


BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE


BIKES & ACCESSORIES

BIKES & ACCESSORIES


BIKES & ACCESSORIES

BIKES & ACCESSORIES

BIKE MAINTENANCE

COMPONENTS COMPONENTS



BIKES & ACCESSORIES

COMPONENTS


COMPONENTS


COMPONENTS

COMPONENTS

EPOS

EPOS LIGHTING



CUSTOM CLOTHING


RACKSRACKS


NURTITIONNUTRITION

WATER BOTTLES

RACKS

TRAINING SERVICES



RESPRAYS AND REPAIRS

WEBSITE SERVICES

WEBSITE SERVICES



To get your companyfeatured here contact:

Carly Bailey on01992 535647

or [email protected]

WATER BOTTLES

OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING

Mark Almond, Director of Red Cloud MC

What bikes do you own and where is your favourite placeto ride?How long have you got? I’ve a garage full, much to theannoyance of my fiancée, I’m afraid. A collection of Yetimountain bikes, a Charge Duster Titanium and two Trek roadbikes. Then there’s my 1.5 training bike and a Madone 5.5 formore serious rides. I love taking the Yeti ASR5 to Afan, orGlentress or, if time is more limited, nearer to home atChicksands Bike Park for a quick blast.

Tell us a bit about Red Cloud and its services:Red Cloud was born in 2007 and is a marketing, PR andevents company that specialises in the national andinternational cycle industry, from retailers to manufacturers.

We offer everything you need to get your businessnoticed, from tailored marketing and PR strategies, to one-offprojects and copy writing services. We are also Business Linkaccredited small business advisors and are experienced inworking with companies of all sizes from sole traders tomultinationals. We tailor costs and all activities to yourindividual budget and requirement – there’s no such thing asone size fits all in this day and age.

Who’s on your client list?Current clients include Fisher Outdoor Leisure, The Steve PeatSyndicate, HardnutZ, Whackjob Clothing, Bike-Eye, BritishMountain Bike Series, Bontrager TwentyFour12, OrangeMonkey-Cannondale and many others including a number ofcycle retailers, local authorities and race teams.

What are your plans for the business going forwards?To continue its development and to ensure Red Cloud alwaysoffers outstanding value for money for all our clients. I’malso looking at some new services, but if I told you aboutthem, I’d have to pull out a super injunction on you. What Ican say is that events will become a much bigger part of RedCloud’s service provision and I’m also looking to furtherdevelop our rider and team management profile.

If you could give one tip to retailers on marketing abusiness well, what would it be?Know how your brand should sound in all communicationsand make sure everything you do reinforces this message.Know your market and your audience. Once you know whatyou’re saying, how you’re saying it and who you’re saying itto, it’s all downhill from there.

How can firms get in touch with Red Cloud? You can email me directly at [email protected], followme on Twitter @Yeticharge, or visit our Facebook page. Youcan also do it the good old-fashioned way, by phone. You cancatch me Monday to Saturday on 07739 302698.

IN THE SADDLE

Which international show is punching above its weight? Andwho’s biggest out of Interbike, Eurobike, Expo and Taipei?There’s only one way to find out – let’s look at the stats…

Let’s getstatistical

301The increasinglyinternationally-

focused Bike Expo,renamed ISPO Bikefor 2012, saw 301exhibitors from 22

countries take part in2011, up 17 per cent.

10 million The number of cycling visits being made

every year to Forestry Commissionwoodlands. The CTC has recently forged anofficial partnership with the Commission.

750

Interbike has 750 exhibitors

lined up for its 30th show, taking

place from September 12th to 16th.

This exhibitor number could rise

further yet.



OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON

1. Bicycles beat commercial airlinerhttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/bike-v-jet-los-angeles-or-bust/011522

2. Barbed wire car/bike TdF smash is laughingmatter, tweets US TV anchor/news/read/barbed-wire-car-bike-tdf-smash-is-laughing-matter-tweets-us-tv-anchor/011508

3. Light composite bikes made in China slammedby UCI execshttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/light-composite-bikes-made-in-china-slammed-by-uci-execs/011462

4. ITV4 and Halfords win big with Tour de Francecoveragehttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/itv4-and-halfords-win-big-with-tour-de-france-coverage/011573

5. Dahon v Tern: it’s now a lawsuithttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/dahon-v-tern-it-s-now-a-lawsuit/011550

6. Chain Reaction leaks new store detailshttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/chain-reaction-leaks-new-store-details/011504

7. Parking mag plugs bikes/news/read/parking-mag-plugs-bikes/011444

8. UCI may allow lighter race bikeshttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/parking-mag-plugs-bikes/011444

9. Guildford Station sees UK’s first ever Bromptonbike dockhttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/guildford-station-sees-uks-first-ever-brompton-bike-dock/011485

10. Focus leaves Wigglehttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/focus-leaves-wiggle/011552

11. Cycle to work scheme will be made subject toVAThttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/bike-to-work-is-now-subject-to-vat/011601

12. One of a kind racing bikes stolen from Trek andMadisonhttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/one-of-a-kind-racing-bike-stolen-from-trek-uk-hq/011464

13. Finalists revealed for the 2011 BikeBiz Awardshttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/finalists-revealed-for-the-2011-bikebiz-awards/011595

14. Future UK to cut 100 jobshttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/future-uk-to-cut-100-jobs/011531

15. Rapha gets physicalhttp://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/rapha-gets-physical/011569

1,100Eurobike tops the bike show

bill with 1,100 exhibitorsfrom 42 countries currently

lined up to attend fromAugust 31st 2011 to

September 3rd.

50%

Half of all mobile activity is on Facebook. With social networking having

eclipsed surfing for porn as the most popular online activity, it’s proving

more tempting than ever for bike companies to get social.

2,000 The estimated number of cyclists who took partin the Blackfriars Bridge ‘flashride’ protest at the

end of July in London. The activists took partafter spreading the word on blogs like

iBikeLondon and, yes, social networking sites likeTwitter.

948 Despite the devastating earthquake in

neighbouring Japan, Taipei Cycle Show in

March saw 948 exhibiting companies and a

nine per cent increase in international

visitors on 2010.

Pic©iBikeLondon.blogspot.com

OUR BIGGEST 15 STORIES ONLINE IN JULY

THE UNIQUE lure of Lance Armstrongshows no signs of slipping when over 500bike riding fans grasped the chance to ridewith the cycle star last month. Armstrongalerted fans to the impromptu ride viaTwitter, repeating a stunt he’s performedacross the world, this time for a 30-minuteride in Dornoch in the Highlands. The seven-time Tour de France winner had taken timeout from holidaying in the Highlands, basedat the (very) swanky Skibo Castle.

Thanks to Gordon Gillespie for the pics.

OFF THE RECORD

IN A CHARITY-tastic Off the Record we also bring you news of ten lucky cyclenuts who got the chance to ride the Tour de France courtesy of the NationalAutistic Society. The event, called ‘Live the Dream’ has helped to raise over£20,000 for the charity so far. The Ward Consultancy-backed event saw the NAScycling team ride stage five of the Tour – from Carhaix to Cap Frehel – whichthey completed in just over six hours.

There are more details at www.autism.org.uk

Living the Dream

STARS OF TV soap Emmerdale are to ride a 224-mile cycle challenge to raise £100,000 forMacmillan Cancer Support.

The motley crew will be riding from one of TV’s most famous pubs – Emmerdale’sWoolpack – for a ride to another equally famous watering hole – EastEnder’s Queen Vic –to raise the cash for the worth cause. The Emmerdale team will complete the ride inAugust in memory of their producer, the late Gavin Blyth, who died aged 41 from cancer.Olympic pro cyclist Ben Swift will join the riders on their tour, set to complete before lastorders on August 20th. Find out more at: Justgiving.com/Emmerdale-EastEndersCharityCycle or make a £5 donation by texting ‘RIDE66 £5’ to 70070.

Stars tackle soapyride to Walford viaEmmerdale

Send your pictures [email protected]

• lance can’t escape stalkers

OFFTrack

Tweeters flock to Lance’s call


The ride takes place in memory of the late producer Gavin Blyth

SOMETIMES it just takes a picture to stoke the interestof the world’s media, and never more so than with thispic taken on Lake Buttermere, Cumbria of a cyclistriding on water. The lake in question is 75 foot deepwhile the rider is one teenager Matt Whitehurst. Hecarried out the stunt to raise awareness of the JenningsRiver Ride, which follows the path of the effects of the2009 floods in the area, raising cash to help residentswho fell victim to the highest level of rainfall everrecorded in England.

And how was the stunt carried out? They’rerevealing nothing, but maybe a donation viawww.cumbriafoundation.org will help loosen their lips...

OFF THE RECORD


Sponsored by the brands ofMoore Large 01332 274252

“We were given no warning – I wasserving a customer and he was juststanding there. It was great to see himoffering his support.”

Evans Cycles , Chalk Farm branchmanager David Cheek discusses and

impromptu visit by Labour leaderDavid Miliband, post riot.

“The IAM supports the selective use of20mph speed limits where there is clearevidence that the risk of casualties willbe reduced. But blanket 20mph speedlimits or limits at inappropriate sites riskwidespread disregard by drivers who donot recognise a necessity for them.

Consultation with, and buy-in from,local people here is essential.”

IAM head of road safety KevinDelaney

“It’s interesting that no other shops onEssex Road were targeted in the waythat Mosquito was. Nearby a looter washeard to say ‘bikes are top of our list,innit.”

Greg Conti of Mosquito Bikesrecounts the day rioters targeted the

Islington store.

“Bikes have always been a huge part ofChicago, from Schwinn to the current

fixed gear craze. It’s an easy city to ridea bike, and cycling has impacted theculture in Chicago significantly. As aproject, the most noteworthy aspectwas the collaborative local effort put into building the bike. Several talentedChicagoans contributed in amazingways.”

Chicago bike builder Todd Simeonediscusses building alternative rock

group Wilco’s bike for a competitionto promote their new album

“A top-end electric bike in the UK is justabout mid-range in European territories.”

Wazz Mughal, Powacycle

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

Water hazard

THREE THOUSAND miles is a longway, which anyone who has cycled inthe Race Across America race willconfirm. The non-stop event runsaround the clock, but somehow eventhat didn’t manage to put off TeamSportscover Strategic Altura, aYorkshire-based team of regional

riders, from taking part in the epicrace. The team was put togetherfollowing the drive of MD of StrategicTeam Group Andy Watson, and MD ofKnottingley-set BBM Bikes, AshleyBrown.

You can see how they got on atwww.bbmbikes.com

quoteunquote

• riding on water • emmerdale stars to tackle 224-mile cycling challenge

From Miami to Canada

I’M A HUGE fan of folding bikes. I have a Brompton; at atrade show yonks ago I bought the first ever Birdy in theUK; and I’m looking forward to trialling a Tern. But when Itravel – by train – to London, I don’t always schlepp oneof my folding bikes. I often jump on a Boris Bike instead(of course Boris Bike should be a Ken Bike, as it was MrLivingstone who first floated the idea). It’s convenient,cost just pennies per year and – touch wood – it’sreliable.

I’m white, fit, and know how to ride in traffic. I’mtherefore the typical customer for a Boris Bike. Or perhapsnot. At a recent bash I was talking to a guy whose doctorwife is doing a postgraduate research project on who isusing London’s cycle hire bikes, and whether it could behaving a public health benefit for people who may notnormally exercise.

The first raft of Transport for London data she wasgiven access to was from the period when the schemewas sign-up only, not the current walk-up-anybody-can-hire system. Results will therefore be skewed to keenies –like me – who signed up on a whim and prayer, and who,in all likelihood, were existing cyclists.

Looking around at the people using Boris Bikes nowand the demographic has changed – but not radically. Idon’t have access to raw data but, anecdotally, I still seethe system being used mostly by white blokes who areslimmer than the average fat Brit.

Boris Bikes are being used by people like, well, Boris.Maybe not all in suits with messy blonde hair butcertainly it’s mainly blokes. Only 25 per cent of the first92,000 registered users were women. No doubt this is

down to the ‘nanas and nippers’ problem of two issuesago: without dedicated, protective cycle infrastructure,newbies – especially newbie women – won’t take upcycling.

Young male professionals – who might have otherwisetaken taxis – seem to love Boris Bikes and are not soworried about London’s traffic, especially as it’s so slow.

Lots of tourists are also now using the bikes (mainlymale tourists) and if they’re from countries where cyclingis held in more esteem they must get an awful shock atthe conditions for cyclists in London.

Perhaps surprisingly, there hasn’t been an epidemic ofBoris Bike deaths or injuries. Long may this continue.

Will the spread of Boris Bikes bring new people intocycling? It is happening. I did an unscientific survey onTwitter and talked to a number of people who said theywouldn’t have taken up cycling without having access tothe ‘trial’ option first.

But the scheme’s biggest benefit to the bicycle trade isthe visibility it gives to cycling as a whole. Just ashappened in Paris, with the city’s Velib scheme, drivers arehaving to get used to more bikes on the streets. At 23kg,a Boris Bike is a tank. And when ridden erratically – asmany are – these are tanks with attitude. Andpermanently on LED lights. Bit by bit, ride by ride, BorisBikes are making cycling in London a little bit safer eachday; for all cyclists not just those on tanks.

Executive Editor: Carlton Reid [email protected]

Editor: Jonathon [email protected]

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton [email protected]

Advertising Manager: Carly Bailey [email protected]

Production Executive: Kelly [email protected]

Design: Kelly [email protected]

Business Development: Dave Roberts [email protected]

Managing Editor: Lisa [email protected]

Publisher/MD: Stuart [email protected]

Marketing & Circulation: Lindsay [email protected]

Finance Director: Hilary Cole

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86 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

SPOKES

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

And are they leading to a resurgence in bike sales as newbiesdiscover cycling or not? Carlton Reid hops on board a Boris Bike tofind the answers...

LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE | BOOKMARK US: MOBILE.BIKEBIZ.COM

short and

Cycle to Work scheme subjectto VAT. Money grabbing

government strikes again.@CordeeBooks

Cycle to Work scheme will bemade subject to VAT. What ever

happened to green Government?@kim_harding

Are the governmentdetermined to kill off the

cycle to work scheme? @get_mtb

Some sort of Olympic test doingwhat the rioters couldn't do last

week – close the flamin roads! Ucouldn't make it up.

@EamonnHolmes

OFF TRACK | SPOKESMAN

Getting my act in gear for@interbike. Love it or hate it,

it’s always good to see my fellowbike geeks in the desert.

@Cyclefilm

Wondering what the Twitterati have been upto this month? Look no further...

TWEETCity bikes: who’s using them?

“Only 25 per cent of the first92,000 registered users for

London Cycle Hire werewomen.”

Does bike hire boost bike sales?

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