Bicycle Business Journal Media Kit by Asheboro Magazine

BBJ

$10

bicycle business journal est. 1946

BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!

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BBJ PARTLY PERSONAL

Continuing the Legacy

i, this is Rix Quinn. For over 15 years I worked with my Dad Bill on the original Bicycle Business Journal. It began in 1946 - way before I was born - and we quit publishing in 1996.

I enjoyed this industry, and met some wonderful, creative people at trade shows over the years. Since then, I've produced business biographies in both print and audio formats for several industries.

BBJ bicycle business journal est. 1946

3401-A Adams Avenue, Suite 162 San Diego, CA. 92116 www.bicyclebusinessjournal.com John Barous - Publisher

Today, I'm really excited that John Barous is bringing back Bicycle Business Journal in a 21st century format! I plan to contribute some columns to BBJ, discussing two things that were very important to Dad: (1) helping retailers share great business tips with each other and (2) helping all segments of this great industry grow.

Brad Weber - Director of Marketing

Wonder how the magazine got started? Well, here's the story, in Dad's own words:

Dave Johnson - VP/Advertising

“May I tell you how I got into this business? For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a reporter and editor. I began as a weekly newspaper writer, then was promoted to an editor. Because of this newspaper background, soon after I was sent overseas in the Army I became editor-in-chief of the Beachhead News, a mobile daily newspaper, which started on Anzio in Italy, then followed the Sixth Corps through France and Germany, and ended with World War II in Austria. After returning home, I served a short stint as editor of the Mineola (TX) Monitor. Then, in 1946 my bride Lennie (a.k.a. “Lynn”) and I moved to Fort Worth. Once in the big city, I joined an uncle and another partner to purchase The Ledger Printing Company. One of our regular printing jobs was a monthly called the Southern Bicycle Journal, but the owner wanted to sell it. I didn’t want to lose that business, so I bought his bicycle store mailing list for $1,000 ($300 down, and the balance paid out in $60 segments). My first bicycle convention was in Miami Beach in 1948. First, I received a small loan from the bank to pay for the trip. Baggage included a $9.95 Montgomery Ward camera and a $2.98 flash attachment. It was harder-than-hard, but the scant 20-page book for bicycle retailers grew, in time, into a 100-page-plus magazine that was sent monthly to the nation’s independent bicycle stores that serviced what they sold. I sure hope you'll enjoy John's new magazine and its focus on dealer business ideas. We hope that the information furnished within its pages will be something you'll want to keep around your dealership…and perhaps even read again!” My best wishes to John, and to you as a member of this great, wholesome, and fun industry. Rix Quinn 4

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

john@bicyclebusinessjournal.com brad@bicyclebusinessjournal.com

dave@bicyclebusinessjournal.com

Melissa Landis Thevelius - Acct. Exec. melissa@bicyclebusinessjournal.com

Contributors:

Rix Quinn, Bob Bandhauer, Edward Benjamin, Vernon Forbes, Tony Hadland, Randy Kirk, Jayson O’Mahoney, Jay Townley

Cover Photo: Triathlete Michelle Clariond Photo By: Diego Huerta TO VIEW THE DIGITAL EDITION OF BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL VISIT: WWW.BICYCLEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM AND CLICK ON THE TAB LABELED “SUBSCRIPTIONS.” Bicycle Business Journal is published TWELVE times anually by: BJ. 3401-A Adams Avenue Suite 162 , San Diego, CA. 92116. Subscriptions are free to qualified subscribers in the U.S. who are active as owners, general managers of independent bicycle dealerships, maufacturers and/or distributors. Additional subscriptions are available at: 30/ year/US; 60/year/Canada; 90/year/ other foreign. Single issue price, 10. Send requests and/or address changes to: Bicycle Business Journal 3401-A Adams Avenue, Suite 162, San Diego CA. 92116 Reproduction or use, without express written permission of publisher, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Bicycle Business Journal. The appearance of advertisers does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured. All rights reserved.

Making Your Ride The Best It Can Be Wren Inverted Suspension Forks… this is the one you’ve been reading about! ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

Hubs: 100 / 110 / 135 / 150 mm AC Lengths: 505 / 530 / 570 mm Travel: 80 to 150 mm depending on AC Keyed Stanchions and TwinAir System 43 mm Uppers and 36 mm Stanchions 3D Forged Crown Carbon Bash Guards and Travel Clips included Full Compression and Rebound adjustment Post Mount for disc brake and QR15 Axle Fits tires from 2.5” to 5” and wheels 26” to 29” Backed by our network of Wren Authorized Service Centers

Wren MTB and Road Frame Pumps ¥ Self-contained pump with no loose parts or adaptors ¥ Patented MiX Head, select Presta or Schrader valve with a simple turn of the knob ¥ Hose stays attached to pump, simply unscrew head, pull out hose and you’re ready to pump ¥ MTB High Volume pump, capacity 90 psi / 6.2 bar ¥ Road High Pressure pump, capacity 160 psi / 11 bar

Plus more Wren components and accessories at special Sea Otter ONLY pricing!

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BBJ CONTENTS

A VINTAGE ISSUE OF BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL CIRCA 1966

FEATURES

4 8 14

“The cycling industry really needs a source for in-depth, feature articles. I’m talking about content that’ll last years and can be referenced, not quick buzz articles or another ’10 tips you won’t believe.’

16 18

We need journalists who’ll do the investigation necessary to show the major, industry changing trends. This is not only critical to help manufacturers and distributors alike, but is necessary for future research on historical trends.” Devin Johnson, Director of Public Relations, Rudy Project North America 6

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

PARTLY PERSONAL Rix Quinn

FEATURE Not Just A Great Price… This Company is Different

FEATURE Who is this John Barous guy?

FEATURE The Truth about Spoke Wrenches

FEATURE A Bike Shop’s Advantage

BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL MEDIA KIT PAGES 9-12

BBJ bicycle business journal

BBJ is the most cost-efficient way to reach & sell to 100% of America’s bicycle shop managers.

MEDIA KIT

HANDCRAFTED 100% IN ITALY

FREE TEST

Sea Otter Booths 105-107

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BBJ FEATURE

Not Just A Great Price… This Company is Different BY Ed Benjamin

an unusual conclusion if one lives in South Florida) along with “they will be forced to go to an Asian OEM if they want to survive, just wait…” and many more.

am not sure how many ebike factories I have visited in the last 19 years, but the very first time I stepped into the ‘new’ Prodecotech facility in Oakland Park, Florida, my first thought was…. something is very odd here.

Then I realized that while the factory was definitely an ebike factory, with familiar assembly activities, wheel building machines, a strong smell of bicycle tires, and a back-ground din of tools and machinery …. the faces were not Asian! And I was not jet lagged! This factory was in Florida, where everyone ‘knows’ such a factory cannot survive. Located in Oakland Park, Florida (Fort Lauderdale area), one of the most popular brands of electric bikes for America, Prodecotech is an unusual story from the very beginning. Founded by Robert Provost, Daniel Del Aguila, and James Aversa in 2007, Prodecotech grew out of a retail motor sports store and electronics import business owned and operated by the founders. Having found ebikes to be very interesting and seeing a great future for the category, they spent a couple of years developing product, much of the time involved in arduous travel in China and Taiwan to find the right components, and opened the factory and announced the entry of Prodecotech at Interbike 2010. When I asked Robert…Why? His reply: “People like ebikes. We see this as the best idea for our companies to

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Stride v5 participate in. But we wanted to take it to another level. Not being a traditional bike company, but by building the right ebike, at the right price, in America.” Not being bicycle guys, they did not conform to any of the expected patterns of the bike biz in creating a new brand. They did not share the consensus of the USA bike business that product could not be successfully assembled in the USA, and ignorant of “how everyone does it” Prodecotech created a goal of providing superior product at a reasonable price, designed and assembled in the USA. Thus their years of travel and research. This was followed by some experimentation, and a few missteps. The result: Ebikes that sell for 30% less than equivalent bikes from conventional channels. Being unconventional, they have generated a truck-load of rumors in the industry. Typical comments of “their prices are too low, there is something sinister going on there…” or “they must be laundering drug money to have such bikes at those prices…” (not

It is clear that Prodecotech has attracted substantial and loyal financial backers, and combined that with exceptional business savvy - about how to do it without doing it the way the rest of the bike business does it. (And some crazy long hours for the founders…) Along with the largest factory in the USA for electric bikes, Prodecotech has created business relationships, such as their partnership with Samsung, maker of advanced and reliable lithium batteries, that build on the existing advantages. A reverse merger (this is cost efficient way to go public -http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Reverse_takeover) with PayMeOn has transformed Prodecotech is in the process of turning prodecotech into a public company. This move has also created a lot of work for the founders, and confused many casual observers. But the simple explanation is that Prodecotech performed a well understood and often used financial maneuver to merge with an existing company that is headed by a highly capable, already a friend and supporter, that has become Prodecotech, a public company. Robert Provost, CEO of ProdecoTech said, “After years of hard work and investment developing what we believe to be the highest quality products for the best price Cont. on page 13

BBJ bicycle business journal est. 1946

BBJ is the most cost-efficient way to reach & sell to 100% of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bicycle shop managers.

MEDIA KIT

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General Information full page Bleed - 8.875” x 11.375” page (Trim size: 8.375” x 10.875”)

2/3 Page Vertical 4.75” x 9.5”

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1/3 Page Vertical 2.25” x 9.5

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• Published rates are per ad insertion • All ad rates include four-color • No additional charge for bleed ads • All ad rates are net and do not include ad agency commissions • Other non-cover special / reserved ad positions: +10% of ad space cost • All other non-reserved ad positions are at the discretion of the publisher • Ad space reservation cancellations must be received in writing on or before the published space closing date • Short rate will apply to final invoice for cancellation(s) of ad insertions or Contract upon which ad rates have been based • Supplied inserts: Contact Bicycle Business Magazine for pricing, technical specifications, timing and quantity requirements

Payment Terms : Invoices are dated as of the issue date and are due and payable upon receipt in U.S. funds drawn from a U.S. bank within 15 days after issue date. Payment in advance is required on advertiser ’s first ad. Publisher looks to the advertising agency placing the insertion order for payment: however, Publisher reserves the right to hold the advertising agency and the advertiser jointly and severally liable for the monies due and payable to the publisher and the agency warrants by submitting or signing the insertion order that it and the advertiser have accepted the responsibility. Publisher will not be bound by conditions printed on contracts, order blanks, or instructions when such conditions conflict with its policies.

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There are only 5 Sidebar Tiles available on our website. The sidebar tiles appear on every page of the website, with a few expceptions. Thus, by advertising using a sidebar tile, your message will be seen time and time again as our visitors browse our website which increases the liklihood of someone interacting with your sidebar-tile ad. 1-Time Rate

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FuLL-Page, DIGITAL VERSION ONLY

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Here we add your full-page print-ad to the digital, page-turner of the magazine. It will not appear in the printed version, but everyone that reads the page-turner version will see your ad.

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With a reach of 4000 bicycle dealers at the IBD level along with 3000 essential industry contacts BBJ will have full market penetration with the 7500 issues to be printed.

1,990

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Finished Trim size 8.375”x10.875”

CMYK separated files Resolution: minimum 300 dpi Include all fonts and graphics Prefer hi-res PDF files. Will accept tif & hi-res jpeg files. Method of delivery: Electronic files preferred. Please email your files to the publisher.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Advertorials (advertising that resembles editorial content) must include the line PAID ADVERTISEMENT across the top of the ad. Please submit advertorials to the publisher for approval prior to publication. Advertiser assumes all responsibility for ad content- including photos, logos, text, etc.- and holds the publisher harmless from any claims arising from the use of ad content.

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For more information or to advertise, please contact: John Barous (619) 864-5805 john@bicyclebusinessjournal.com

BBJ

BBJ Cont. from page 8

in the electric bicycle industry, we are excited to take the next logical step, raise the company’s profile and create value for our shareholders.” Prodecotech is profitable, today. Having broken pretty much every “rule” for a bike brand, and despite dire predications by observers of all sorts. And poised, Robert feels, to become even more profitable. “2013 sales were more than 5 million. We expect healthy growth for 2014 and an exciting 2015 as ProdecoTech begins selling its newest models. ProdecoTech's dealer network in the United States has grown rapidly to approximately 180 locations. ProdecoTech products can also be found at Amazon.com, sportsauthority. com, West Marine, and ATG (Lowe's). ProdecoTech's international presence is also growing rapidly with current outlets in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Austria.” A recent improvement in profitability was accomplished by creating a “Foreign Trade Zone” at the Oakland Park warehouse and factory. Since almost all the parts of the bikes are imported, and since parts carry a duty averaging 4%, Prodecotech decided to create a Foreign Trade Zone

where the imported parts can be received without paying duty. Once assembled into complete bikes, they are “imported” into the USA, and since electric bikes carry no duty, the playing field is level in the sense of import costs, with the bike brands buying from Asian OEMs. Having taught LEVA Technician Training Courses at Prodecotech, I was able to observe a couple of days in the factory.

art machines accompanies hand building and checking to be sure of a steady supply of good wheels for the assemblers. A notable feature of Prodecotech is the steady flow of dealers that arrive to pick up, or in some cases, solve a service problem. All are treated as old friends, and all express satisfaction with the product and the service.

It was fun for me to see a work force that is as diverse as the population of South Florida, working together on assembly, quality control, shipping, all while working on a constant, one step at a time, increase in quality and efficiency. The mood is upbeat, “we are all in this together” and “this is a great company to work for” was the spirit expressed.

New hires are present, Minda Moticker, MBA, is now in charge of marketing. She is an example of a well educated and skilled team that is being added to the Prodecotech work force to handle the expansion of business scope and sales. And to maximize the use of PR, advertising, and social media to get the word out for Prodecotech.

Most Asian assembly lines are conveyor systems that require the workers to perform at a set pace. While this creates speed and productivity, it makes it hard for a worker to pay extra attention to a possible quality issue, or to double check on their work.

As one of the old guys in the bike business, I have observed companies get big, then complacent, then go away. Such are replaced by younger, often unconventional companies that simply do not follow the rules, but find better ways.

At Prodecotech, one worker on one stand assembles the entire bike from start to finish. The only “line” type assembly is found in the wheel building area, where state of the

Today, the dynamic for such is more intense than ever, and it appears to me that Prodecotech is becoming a powerhouse in the ebike world, deliberately and quickly.

Phantom XR Version 5 May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

BBJ FEATURE

Who is this John Barous guy? By John barous

any would ask, “Who is this John Barous guy and where did he come from?”

I share the same experience as many of you – thirty years of running retail bike shops on both US coasts. I want to tell you a little bit about why I took this job, what I would like to achieve and how I got here. Under my leadership, I want BBJ to become your voice – the voice of the bicycle dealer, the man or woman in the trenches. I’m not a former wholesaler, knowledgeable in only my own products and without a clue as to the challenges facing a retail business. As a former retailer myself, I am looking to make BBJ your resource for information that you can use, and a forum for ideas on issues of interest to the bike dealer community. I will defend the dealer and fair play and will not shy away from controversy. In the works are ideas for articles on legal issues affecting you, technology, how to better understand and meet the needs of different segments of your consumer population, environmental issues, how to grow your business and how to run your business with both greater efficiency and with higher customer satisfaction and retention. I invite you to write me; tell me how you came to love bicycles and start a shop. Bring up the issues that you think we should address and how we can better help you run your business.

and having employees quit without notice. I’ve cut many a finger on chainrings and debris inside tire casings. As a widower with a young child, I know from firsthand experience the struggle to support a family and achieve a healthy work/life balance. Who knows sales better than a former dealer, one who has dealt with thousands of individual personalities with every combination of product mix and payment methods imaginable? Having owned retail shops in New York City, two smaller cities, a few suburbs, a beach community and a tourist destination, I cannot imagine a dealer scenario that I have not personally experienced. All of us have stories as to how we came to love bicycles and experiences which made us go into the bike business. I invite you to write to me about your experiences. I thought I would tell you a little bit about mine. You could say that the New York City crime rate of the 1970s made me a racer. One summer day, forty years ago, my much loved and essential bicycle, purchased for $29 from an auto parts store, was stolen from me at knife point on the streets of a much rougher and much less bike friendly than today New York City. Although my father, a recent Greek immigrant, applauded my choice of “life versus bike”, he wasn’t in a position to buy me a replacement. I knew I needed wheels. I walked to the local bicycle shop where I met Ray, just off the boat from Cuba and asked him for a job.

wheel there was, reading anything I could find on wheels. When I returned he sat me down on a small stool, placed 4 hubs and two bags of spokes in a carton and handed me 4 rims and said, “don’t get up until you are finished.” Two hours later, wheels in hand, an astonished Ray gave me a job but only if, first, I taught his own guys how to build wheels. That summer I built 3 Peugeot UO8’s per hour, at $1.25/hour or $.75 per wheel. The most difficult thing was removing them (without a scratch) from the heavy shrinkwrap. After 180 hours that summer I earned $210. You would have had to catch me if you wanted this hard earned trophy, a bright red Zeus Criterium with glue on tires which I still have today. The bicycle came from the shop of legendary Bicycle Hall of Famers Al Toefield and Angelo Lorenzano, who were for the next 15 years my mentors and great friends. Angelo & Al also ran Kissena, the only Velodrome in the area. I started Junior level racing and loved the sport of it. In 1976 I was hit by an automobile while riding on what was supposed to be a closed race course. These events would change my cycling style forever but not my passion for the sport.

“Your store has been broken into.”

Ray laughed at this 14 year old kid and challenged, “If you can build wheels you can work here.”

During New York’s 1970s “bike boom” I earned about $3.00 per hour working after school and weekends at Stuyvesant Bicycles, near my Stuyvesant High School.

I know about working most every weekend

For two weeks I took apart every junker

The owners, feuding brothers Sal and

I have felt your pain. I know what it is to get that phone call in the middle of the night from the police:

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

BBJ

BBJ Tony Corso, were also Corso distributors’ US importers for Atala and Bottechia. In 1980, while in college at NYU, I took the American Youth Hostels’ leadership training program and lead Summer Cycling Adventures for kids, 13-15 & 15-18 year olds. With a 6/day stipend, my adventure brought me back refreshed, tanned, in great shape and renewed interest in cycling. One frigid January day, I found a store for rent in my Queens neighborhood and I decided be in control of my own destiny. I opened my first bicycle store. I signed a two-year lease and feverishly remodeled the shop to catch the beginning of the cycling season. My first brands were Dawes, Matsuri and this new emerging category BMX. BMX took off and I became the youngest non legacy Schwinn dealer ever. I understood Schwinn. I also understood the power of their marketing and the cache of their name on my storefront. I participated in all but one of their programs (that being BMX). By 1986 I owned three Schwinn shops in the metropolitan New York area. In 1992 I moved to the Tampa Bay area and took over a location that had been a Schwinn dealer. I also started another store in downtown Clearwater near the Inter Coastal Highway and the beach. In 2011 a long-held dream came true and I moved with my then 5-year-old daughter to San Diego county. After a brief run of a local shop, I was asked to and accepted the challenge of reshaping Bicycle Dealer Magazine which was done to great success. With 2016 brings the start of our newest chapter, that of relaunching Bicycle Business Journal. BBJ was founded in 1946 and today with the endorsement of the Quinn Family and Bill's son Rix who published BBJ since 1980 here we go... I encourage you to write to me, if only to say “HELLO.” Please welcome me with your questions and ideas for articles – to hear your voice. Lets look, listen, share and promote Independent Bike Dealers together.

EDITORIAL GUIDELINES Hello ALL , This is an FYI as to our Guidelines. Here's a recap of our simple Editorial Guidelines: A) The article should be about 1,300 words. It should be submitted as a regular Word document. The article may not have been published in (or be scheduled for future publication in) another industry business magazine. B) The piece should deal with a type of product, service, technology, issue, dealership opportunity, industry trend, dealership hurdle, etc. The piece should focus on your company's area of expertise -- what you know best. But the article may not be company-specific or brandspecific. (Our contributors tell us that some of their best article ideas come from the questions that they hear from their IBD customers.) C) Our readers and your customers are the same people. Keep that in-mind as the article is written. D) If you have hi-res photos, charts, graphs, statistics, screen shots, etc. to accompany the written article, please send those, as well. They will help to make the article more engaging for our readers. E) Please include your photo and a 3- or 4-sentence bio. That's it.

You can e-mail me at John@BicycleBuisnessJournal.com. May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

BBJ FEATURE

The Truth about Spoke Wrenches By Vernon Forbes

very bike shop displays a gleaming collection of bikespecific specialty tools for sale. Better bike shops used to see spoke wrenches but they kept them in a drawer and customers had to know enough to ask first. This prevented customers who don’t know how to true a wheel from buying a spoke wrench on impulse, thinking they will learn and coming back with a ruined wheel. Selling spoke wrenches to people who didn’t know how to use them was a good way to generate later business selling wheels. Spoke nipple sizes There is a bit of confusion about spoke nipple sizes. Most spoke nipples have 4 sides. For 4-sided spoke nipples there are 5 different sizes of spoke wrenches for 3 different gauges of spokes; 10 12 & 14g. Both 10g and 12g spokes each have their own sizes of spoke wrench. However, there are three different sized spoke nipples for 14g spokes depending on where they come from. All 14g spokes used to use a 3.3mm sized nipple. Both Japan and Europe have introduced competing standards to replace the original, once common, standard. As manufacturers added thinner gauges they used whatever size of 14g spokes their company used. As a result, if a spoke was 14, 15, 14/15 or 15/17 butted, oval or bladed it could use one of three different sized spoke wrenches. Because the two thicker spokes used larger sized wrenches that was how we ended up with 5 sizes of spoke wrenches. At least they were all 56tpi. When Park Tools introduced their light wire-handled spoke wrenches they color-coded the handles they used for the different sizes of spoke wrenches. The colors they used for the different sizes of spoke wrenches have become how mechanics refer to each of the sizes of wrench they were originally used to indicate. The colors Park used for their three sizes of 14g spoke wrenches are: Black: 0.127" {3.23 mm}. DT/Wheelsmith nipples Green: 0.130" (3.30 mm}. An old European/American standard Red: 0.136" {3.45 mm}. For JIS, or Japan Industrial Standard Additionally there are; Blue: 0.156” {3.96 mm}. For .105” or 12g spokes, used on tandems} Yellow: Park used to make this for .120” {10g} spokes formerly used on BMX bikes and some heavy cruisers. No longer avail. In addition to jaw size, there are three additional considerations in selecting a spoke wrench; 1)how many sides of the spoke nipple it contacts, 2)how much leverage it has for turning and 3)how it fits in your hand. In addition, the weight of a spoke wrench is very important as a heavy wrench will make your arm tired if you spend much time at the truing stand so get the lightest wrench you can. Number of Sides In addition to size and weight is the number of sides it engages. Spoke nipples are generally made out of brass so they don’t rust

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

onto the spoke. Because brass is soft and spoke tensions are typically around 220lb, brass spoke nipples are likely to round-out. Trying to keep the spinning weight to a minimum making spoke nipples out of aluminum spoke nipples have been tried. While 36 brass spoke nipples weigh 36g of spinning weight, 36 aluminum spoke nipples weigh only 16.5g. Not only does aluminum have a higher coefficient of friction than brass and will tend to stick to the rim ferrule but is more likely to corrode and get stuck to the rim and spoke. Aluminum is softer than brass. This puts a premium on spoke wrench designs that will prevent rounding out the spoke nipple. Different spoke wrench designs will grip the spoke nipple on 2, 3 or 4 sides. Because most spoke nipples have 4 sides, spoke wrenches with a 4-sided jaw are preferred. Because a 2-sided spoke wrench grips the spoke nipple on half as many sides as one that grips on 4 sides it will be twice as likely to round out spoke nipples as a 4-sided spoke wrench. There are 2 different designs of 4-sided spoke wrenches.

Asked Permission from Ric Hjertberg on 5/7. The first two on the left are two different styles of 4-sided jaws, the one on the right is a 3-sided jaw.

Park still makes the familiar wire-handle spoke wrenches that are extremely light and grip the spoke on 3 sides. Because they engage 25% fewer sides of the spoke nipple than a spoke wrench with a 4-sided jaw they are 25% more likely to round out spoke nipples. However, when any of the above spoke wrench designs get stretched out from use they can be pressed back in a vise. Park makes wire-handle spoke wrenches that have a 4-sided jaw but it only is available in red and black sizes. Triple and Adjustable Wrenches While red-size spoke nipples are used on all new bicycles spokes with red-size spoke nipples are not available separately. When a spoke needs to be replaced bike shops use the only size available: black. As a result it is not uncommon for wheels to come in for truing that have two sizes of spoke nipples and mechanics need to switch spoke wrenches to true a wheel. The obvious solution is to get a triple spoke wrench. Both Park and VAR make a triple spoke wrenches but the VAR is not only inexpensive but is 14g lighter than the old Park Triple spoke wrench. If you have only one VAR tool in your tool-box this is the one to get. All of the triple spoke wrenches have a 3 sided jaw like C, above. Park makes an adjustable spoke wrench but it does not open wide enough

BBJ

BBJ Table I to fit the larger yellow or blue sizes and is very heavy {90g}. It only grips the spoke on 2 sides and uses a 1/8” Allen wrench size to lock the adjustment. Butterfly Spoke Wrenches Butterfly spoke wrenches look like a large wing-nut for increased leverage to turn seized spoke nipples. DT makes a butterfly spoke wrench for square nipples. It has a 4-sided diamond jaw that is designed to fit DT black-size spoke nipples, though it is bright red. It will accommodate 2 sizes of 14g spokes in the same jaw: black and green. Park is currently making Master Mechanic butterfly spoke wrenches in two different weights. These butterfly spoke wrenches grip the spoke on 4 sides, using the square-sided jaw and come in both red and black sizes. Bdop Cycling in Taiwan makes a butterfly spoke wrench with a 4-sided diamond jaw that only fits black spoke nipple sizes. Special Sizes Shimano makes over-sized 4-sided spoke nipples that require a special spoke wrench to fit. Shimano makes 3.75mm spoke nipples that fit at the rim and both 4.3 and 4.4mm spoke nipples that fit at the hub. If you sell or service these highend Shimano wheels you will need a couple of additional tools. Park Tool makes a couple of open-ended combination wrenches with a 3-sided jaw. The SW-14 fits the 4.3 and 4.4mm size. The SW-14.5 fits 4.4 and the 3.75mm size. Having more sides support a load means it is less likely you are going to round-out a spoke nipple. Realizing that all bolts heads have 6 sides, Odyssey bicycles in California makes 6 sided aluminum spoke nipples that are tapered for a tight fit and will be less likely to round-out during truing. Odyssey includes the special spoke wrench that comes with bags of 50 spoke nipples they sell. No description of spoke nipples is complete without mentioning the now-defunct Spline-Drive™ aluminum spoke nipples. While conventional 4-sided spoke nipples tended to round out more easily when they were made out of aluminum, SplineDrive™ aluminum spoke nipples had 6 splines to bear the load and were impossible to round out.

Asked Permission from Ric Hjertberg on 5/7. The first two on the left are two different styles of 4-sided jaws, the one on the right is a 3-sided jaw.

For a while Park even made a spoke wrench for them with a purple handle. Mavic makes a couple of splined spoke nipples. They make a 5.65mm O.D. nipple with 6 splines, a 6.4mm nipple with 7 splines and a 9mm OD nipple. If you sell or service these high-end Mavic wheels you will need to get wrenches to fit. Park Tool makes a couple of different open-ended combination wrenches to fit them. The SW-12 fits the 6.4mm and 9mm splined Mavic nipples. The SW-13 fits the 5.65mm and 9mm splined Mavic nipple. DT is making splined spoke nipples and they make a butterfly spoke wrench to fit that has black handles. Park makes a wire-handled spoke wrench to fit DT splined nipples with a grey handle. "Vernon Forbes is a former editor of Human Power, a journal published by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association. He holds an advanced degree from the University of Missouri and has taught at Central Methodist University. After years of being a bike mechanic and subsequently a bike shop owner, he has turned his focus to the history of bicycle design and engineering. He conducts independent bicycle wheel efficiency tests and is working on a manuscript focusing on the evolution of bicycle wheel design."

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

BBJ FEATURE

A Bike Shop’s Advantage By Vernon Forbes

ou’ve heard the Big Fish Eat the Small Fish; Big distributors can buy in quantity and get better prices than smaller shops. The Internet changed all that. In a history of changes that includes the steam engine, telegraph, light bulb, airplanes and cars, we learn that in a changing environment those who can adapt will survive. The smart money looks for opportunities and is flexible. Looking for places to sell goods, a lot of shops are eagerly setting up websites to carve out their piece of the developing new market. Storefronts and shops are derided as “brick and mortar” dinosaurs of an Internet of things. Recent trends in manufacturing have encouraged retailers to reduce the amount of repairs they provide and the additional expense of keeping repair parts on hand. In competing with the Internet for sales, most shops are happy to reduce the less profitable service that ties up both capital and shop space. Shops see more profit in selling equipment and want to get away from the hassle of service. Unfortunately, shops find themselves competing with both manufacturers selling direct and large Internet distributors where customers don’t pay taxes. It wouldn’t seem like the Internet is creating as many opportunities for the little guy as it is giving the big fish another chance to eat more of the smaller fish. While many shops see the Internet as only increasing the competition of an already crowded market-- it also provides opportunity. The Internet isn’t the only thing changing. The World economy is changing from manufacturing to service. Though Internet sales have

the advantage of not charging taxes they cannot compete with a shop for bike repairs. If you need a spoke replaced or your brakes squeal, you have to take it to a shop. A repair is a captive market that the Internet is unable to help the customer with. The brick and mortar bike shop has a monopoly on bike repairs that the Internet cannot touch because it can only sell things, not services. In spite of many manufacturers saying that the best way for a customer to solve a problem is to buy some new equipment, another solution that is more profitable for the shop is to have their existing equipment fine-tuned to a customer’s specific purpose. When I used to officiate The International Human-Powered Speed Championships in Battle Mountain, NV, I saw that the difference in speed between competitors using the same equipment was how they set it up. Setting up to do the sometimes involved repairs on bikes for a captive market of customers needing repairs is something of a turn-around for many shops, involving specialized tools as well as building a stock of repair parts. I will review the tools and supplies a shop needs to repair bikes. I will also tell you how to use them to make money—a repair shop helps people go faster and for less energy. A shop that builds its own wheels allows them to offer different spoke patterns for reducing dish, increasing strength and improving efficiency. I will be describing different techniques of wheel building from my years of experience. Perhaps most importantly, a shop that builds the wheels it sells give customers the respect and confidence in a shop.

May 2016 BICYCLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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