BikeBiz April 2010

Issue 51 | April 2010

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EDITORIAL

Issue 51 | April 2010

NEWS 4-11

Independents outperform multiples and Madison reveals the latest on the new ExCeL show...

INDUSTRY OPINIONS 15

OFF THE RADAR 16

EVENTS 65

MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW

27

BikeBiz heads to the distributor’s Derby show room to see a wealth of new lines from its huge portfolio

FOCUS ON…

22

MYSTERY SHOPPER

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

EUROBIKE SHOW REVIEW

24

One year on from its formation, Eurobike shows off the latest from Moda, Casco and new exclusive brand Airbone

42

WELDTITE INTERVIEW BikeBiz talks to the UK manufacturer about tools, lubes and staying ahead of the pack in a competitive market

CLOTHING

SADDLES AND GRIPS

55

60

REGULARS BRAND SPOTLIGHT

20 LETTERS

Zyro’s luggage and clothing brand Altura comes under the Spotlight this month

PEOPLE

44

75

BikeBiz faces stern criticism, while the Forum has its say on Tesco ‘Bike Shops’ SPONSORED BY

New faces arrive at online retailer Wiggle and Cycling Sports Group UK

NEW PRODUCTS

66 SPOKESMAN

Motorex, Pro Energy, Nukeproof, Buff, Serfas and Dahon accessories all feature this month

78

Carlton Reid looks at electric bikes and how big retailers are jumping aboard the trend

TICKETMASTER fired its opening marketing salvo in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics by mailing its vast database last month, asking prospective attendees to register their interest for the event.

And if it’s not too early for the ticket agency to start stoking up interest for the Olympics, then maybe it’s not too far in advance for the cycle industry to start banging the drum of the forthcoming event.

Undoubtedly the Olympics is sure to have a huge impact on sales and – maybe just as crucially for the long term – on the perception of the world of cycling too.

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

“Will cycling benefit from the 2012 Olympics like football did from Euro ‘96? Fingers crossed...” some clue. So huge was Beijing’s impact on the UK in fact, that the echo from ringing tills can still be heard in some UK bike shops if you listen carefully enough. And Hoy, Pendleton, et al’s, medal tally for TeamGB didn’t hurt matters either.

Possibly the nearest comparison to the forthcoming event is the England-set European Football Championship in 1996.

It’s true enough that summer tournament was more evenly spread across the country than the next Olympics is going to be, by my understanding at least, but the effect will be, I strongly suspect, very similar indeed.

It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that Euro ‘96 was absolutely massive for football in this country, stirring up huge sales of shirts, boots, kit and assorted merchandise and that all-important public interest that lasted long beyond the end of the tournament and kept interest and cash headed to the sport for years afterwards. That tournament came six years after England getting to an advanced stage of the World Cup (but not winning, missing out to Germany on penalties in the semi-final, as if you didn’t know).

Likewise, the 2012 Olympics will be following those impressive cycle acheivements at Beijing.

While football and cycling are not the most likely bedfellows, in the eyes of some, the example stands of just how big an impact an international sports event can have when its on home turf, played out close to the homes of your customers and whipped up by the media.

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

Jonathon Harker, Editor

NEWS

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

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

“With so much cross-over in consumers between the outdoor world, sailing and cycling, this new show at ExCeL is truly exciting.”

Will Fripp Madison

By Mark Sutton VOS MEDIA, organiser of the new super show to debut at London’s ExCeL in January, believes that the combination of exhibitions could draw a footfall of more than 145,000 visitors over the four days.

One ticket gains consumers access to the Outdoors Show, the Bike Show and the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show.

This, as explained by Madison marketing manager Will Fripp, creates a huge opportunity for the cycle trade to access new customers: “Madison is really excited to be part of what promises to be the first ‘super show’ for cycling. With so much cross-over in consumers between the outdoors world, sailing and cycling, this new show at ExCeL

London is truly exciting for Madison and offers us a chance to expose our brands to a far wider audience than we have been able to in past cycling consumer expos.”

The cycle trade is heavily supported, with a diverse range of interactive activity, exhibition and training, too. Event organiser Geraldine Reeve told BikeBiz: “We’re very much in the planning stages for the show at the moment and would appreciate input from the bike industry on any features and activities that they would want to see there.

“That said, we have already planned in regular speakers on stage, including cycling celebs, bike doctor training sessions, an on and off-road race track made possible by the enormity of the location and a sports injury clinic, as well as BMX and dirt

jump demonstrations, among other instalments.”

Freshly appointed to handle the cycle trade’s enquiries, Frazer Clifford becomes the sales director for the show. As a competitive cyclist, Clifford has a firm grounding in all things bikerelated. He has been involved with events and publishing for the last 14 years and has run successful publications in various industries from gift and jewellery to catering.

VOS Media has been nominated for no less than 12 awards in the last two years, winning ‘Most Impressive Visitor Experience’ and ‘The Innovation Award’ to name but a few.

If your firm is interested in taking exhibition space at the January 13th to 16th event, contact Frazer Clifford on 07889362775, or via email at frazer@vosmedia.co.uk.

Halfords plugs into electric market HALFORDs has teamed up with Urban Mover in a bid to emulate the booming success of electric bikes in Europe.

The retail giant will stock an exclusive range of bikes from BEBA member Urban Mover, including the UM44L stepthrough and UM33X mountain bike-style electric models.

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

the UK electric market with a shot in the arm. Loveridge enthused: “Halfords’ entry into the market is certain to provide a boost to the sector. We expect demand for these bikes to be strong. This sector really has the potential to go mainstream very quickly.”

Eighty Halfords stores will stock the electric bikes. A Halfords spokesperson told BikeBiz: “Our research shows that

“Our research shows that cycling cities and holiday destinations lend themselves to the consumers keen to embrace e-bikes.”

Halfords

London, cycling cities such as Cambridge and Oxford, and holiday destinations such as Devon and Wales all lend themselves to the cycle-savvy consumer keen to try and embrace this new trend.”

Halfords’ UM44L U-Sprite Electric Bike will retail at £649.99, with a range of up to 20 miles on one battery charge.

The UM44L also features a lightweight aluminium frame,

weighing 22.4kg including the battery. The 200W rear wheel mounted motor is branded maintenance free, with puncture resistant tyres and a simple to use handlebar mounted controller.

The UM33X Motion Electric Bike, priced at £899.99, features a gel saddle and front suspension tyres, with durable tyre and mountain bike-style designed for using on tow paths or park trails.

Great expectations for e-bike sales in 2010 and beyond THE BRITISH ELECTRIC Bicycle Association has confidently predicted sales of electric bikes will reach 30,000 in 2010, and then will treble by 2012.

The UK e-bike market, which is arguably still in a fledgling state, is currently lagging behind established electric cycle territories like China, where there

4 BIKEBIZ APRIL

are reportedly 120 million electric bikes. Closer to the UK, the market for e-bikes in Germany has grown substantially, with sales reaching 100,000 and expected to reach 300,000 in the next three years.

The sector has seen greater success in cycle-centric Holland too, where eight in ten people

own a bike and there are more bicycles than people – 18 million bikes for a population of 16 million. E-bikes account for a third of bike sales, retailing at between £900 and £4,000.

Owner of Juizz Holland’s only all-electric bike shop, Juizz, Ralf Van Kempen said: “It’s a trend that is undoubtedly set to

increase. Initially, e-bikes were bought only by disabled and elderly people who had trouble getting around, but now people of all ages are catching on to how cool they are. You can commute to work or school 15km away in just 30 minutes.

“If you did that on public transport or in a car it would take you double the time.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

NEWS

Trade mourns Phil Wood and Chris Hutt Cycle industry says goodbye to major figures in hub-making and advocacy

By Mark Sutton

Will e-bikes take off in the UK with the added support of firms like Halfords?

Halfords cycles expert Sue Crawford said: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of the move to establish e-bikes in the UK. They offer a real alternative to people concerned about rising fuel prices and environmental damage caused by conventional petrol and diesel engines. We are convinced that, as in other parts of Europe, they will not be a short-term trend.”

The retailer’s electric bike range has already begun to be picked up by the mainstream media. Halfords told BikeBiz: “It’s a great social trends story and we’ve had a lot of media interest because of it.”

Halfords: 01527 517 601

DURING THE month of March, two much loved trade figures – hub maker Phil Wood and cycle advocate Chris Hutt – both passed away.

Across the Atlantic, Phil Wood, founder of Phil Wood and Co and creator of the first production sealed bearing hubs and bottom brackets, passed away peacefully at his Iowa farm, aged 84.

Phil Wood company president Peter Enright said: “I feel so lucky to have talked with him about a week before he passed away and he mentioned again that he was lucky to sell the business when he did.

“We talked off and on over the years, usually to catch up on news about his friends in the bike business.

But he was quite happy to return to the farm after selling the business to help raise his

Chis Hutt

Hutt frequently blogged on the topic at greenbristolblog .blogspot.com.

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

Phil Wood created the first production sealed bearing hubs and bottom brackets, while Chris Hutt developed Bristol’s infrastructure, always planning cyclists into the picture. granddaughter.”

On home soil, much-loved Bristol cycle advocate and route planner Chris Hutt died, aged 59. Hutt worked tirelessly to develop Bristol’s infrastructure, always planning cyclists into the bigger picture.

great friend. I worked with him for 30 years and he was always committed to Bristol and to making the traffic better. He was the most gifted route finder in Britain and surveyed much of the National Cycle Network in the nineties.”

NEWS

CYCLE Cycle Systems helps to shape SHORTS the future of City and Guilds Mirra recovering from bacterial meningitis BMX frontman and MirraCo owner Dave Mirra is currently receiving treatment for bacterial meningitis. It is believed the condition was caught early, so the 24-time X-Games medallist should make a full recovery.

IMG address update IMG Distribution has changed address and can now be found at Unit 1, Mountbatten Business Park, Ellis Square, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 0AY. The distributor’s phone number is 0845 8725446.

Cannondale OnBike set for production According to the Cannondale blog, due to massive interest in the OnBike concept, the firm will put the design into production in the near future. The OnBike sacrifices the rear triangle, utilising a chainstay/drivetrain combination, which keeps the back end rigid.

CMO calls for eight-fold increase in cycling The UK’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has called for an eight-fold increase in cycling, stating that such a take-up would vastly reduce obesity and other health disorders.

British Cycling partners with Gatorade Pepsi Cola-owned Gatorade is to sponsor both the Great British Cycling and Paracycling teams, effective immediately.

The level of funding involved has not yet been disclosed, though the contract runs through the London 2012 Olympics.

For breaking news visit:

www.bikebiz.com 6 BIKEBIZ APRIL

Training outfit lends its expertise to qualifications that are set to become industry standard and signs exclusive new partnership with publisher Magicalia

By Mark Sutton CYCLE SYSTEMS has been working alongside other City and Guilds providers to develop an industry standard in mechanical training.

To date, drafts of Level one and two are circulating among the training providers, with a Level three standard draft currently in the works.

Sean Lally, from Cycle Systems Academy, said: “As more people move into the training market, the new City and Guilds qualifications will become the first choice for them. We wanted to pass on our expertise in shaping this qualification, alongside other bike industry experts, and to help define what we foresee becoming the industry standard in mechanical training.”

In an unrelated move, Magicalia has signed an exclusive deal in which it becomes a technical partner with Cycle Systems. The move sees the publisher making good use of the Academy’s online training material, extending it to a further 400,000 viewers monthly.

The publisher’s James Hamilton said: “Magicalia is absolutely delighted to be

The Cycle Systems Academy team is expanding its reach

working with Cycle Systems Academy throughout 2010/11 and is looking forward to bringing its expertise on bike maintenance to our users.

“With the undoubted influence of the internet on our daily lives, we both believe that easy-to-find, easy-to-read, digital-based ‘how-to’ is what

“We wanted to pass on our expertise and help define what will become the standard.”

Sean Lally, Cycle Systems

cycling enthusiasts truly need when researching how to repair a bike.”

The latest upload at cyclesystems-academy.co.uk discusses bleeding and adjusting a variety of brakes and is aimed squarely at trainee mechanics.

Cycle Systems: 0207 608 2577

Jay Miron sells his BMX businesses “After spending my entire life either on a bike or working in the bike business, I’m walking away from it. It’s scary, but I’m excited.”

Jay Miron

20-INCH wheel legend and the owner of MacNeil Bikes, Ten Pack Distribution (US) and Metro Events, Jay Miron has revealed that he has sold the former two companies to his business partners Darcy Saccucci and Jamie McIntosh. The latter, Metro Events, will reportedly be closed down.

Having started the firms just over ten years ago, Miron announced that he will be passing the torch on, largely as a result of having to stop riding himself due to injuries, commenting in an interview with TheComeUP.net that it has been “difficult to stay around the sport, watching everyone else enjoy BMX so much.”

Miron added: “After spending my entire life either on a bike, or working in the bike business, I’m walking away from it. While it’s pretty scary leaving it all behind, I’m super excited for the new life that lies ahead. I haven’t yet decided what that life will be. I’m going to take a while to relax and see what comes up.

“I want to thank everyone whom I’ve ridden with, partied with and worked with over the years. I especially want to thank Darcy, Jamie and everyone else who has worked with me at MacNeil and Ten Pack. It’s been amazing.”

Seventies carries the MacNeil brand in the UK.

Jay Miron

BIKEBIZ.COM

Chiller Programme Now available through Madison.

Contact your P&A Account Manager for details.

NEWS

Santini reveals all-round appeal

Independent shops multiples with 360 More IBDs are opening than closing, despite testing High Street

By Jonathon Harker

By Jonathon Harker THE PROBLEM OF predicting the British climate and stocking the appropriate cycle clothing is set to be a thing of the past for cycle dealers, according to Fisher Outdoor Leisure.

The distributor’s Santini 365 service boasts an all year round supply of the brand’s high-end road and mountain bike product, backed up with a stock replacement scheme.

Santini’s range includes clothing appropriate for all weather conditions and any winter-specific season stock (end March 2010) can be replaced with summer stock to the same value, with the exception of fashion collections, replica kits and special orders.

The service means that the Santini range of high-end clothing can be stocked all year round while also keeping stock up to date, clean and, crucially, avoid discounting. The 365 service is available in a variety of options, from Taster to Elite 365.

Jon Sangan, product manager for the brand, explained the service: “We are delighted to offer our customers this fantastic range of Santini clothing at terms that are perfectly suited to their needs.

“We designed the scheme to help retailers manage their stock and profitability whilst providing their customers with the very best clothing perfectly suited to the British climate.”

Fisher Outdoor Leisure: 01727 798 345

INDEPENDENT RETAILERS outperformed multiples in terms of store openings in the second half of last year, a report has found.

The Local Data Company reported that the number of independent cycle shops increased by 3.9 per cent in the last six months, compared with just one per cent for multiple retailers.

Three hundred and sixty independent cycle shops (grouped with sports, toys and hobby shops in the research) opened in the second half of 2009, compared with 225 stores from multiple businesses (6.3 per cent) in the same period.

A spokesperson from the British Property Federation told BikeBiz: “Clearly the green agenda and the focus on making us a nation of cyclists has geared up our interest in bike shops.

“Given that bike retail is one area where a personal touch and good service are integral, it’s no surprise that the sector is enjoying some positive growth despite the challenging economic climate.”

Across all retail sectors, independent shop openings increased by 5.6 per cent in the second half of 2009, compared with just 1.2 per cent of multiples in the same period.

Chief exec of the British Property Federation Liz Peace, added: “Landlords’ commitment to supporting tenants and helping nurture new business has ensured that retail firms have avoided the kind of failures many predicted.”

The first six months of 2008 saw closures reach 1.9 per cent (4,707 closures out of a total of 242,824 businesses) and there were a further 5.4 per cent in the second half of the year (14,290 out of a total of 264,976), giving a total closure

“Bike retail is one area where a personal touch and good service are integral. It’s no surprise the sector is seeing positive growth.”

British Property Federation

NEWS

are beating ‘09 openings

‘Beauty’ scheme tackles low girl cyclist numbers

conditions, says Local Data Company

Regional differences The report from the Local Data Company also revealed that geographical location had a significant impact on the number of store openings.

Shops in Wales, Yorkshire and Humber saw the greatest number of openings. Conversely, London, Scotland and the West Midlands saw the least new activity in terms of store openings.

The net increase of openings across all regions and sectors was nearly four per cent. localdatacompany.com

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

In the first six months of 2009 6.3 per cent (17,661 out of 281,983 businesses), followed in the second half of the year by another 5.4 per cent (15,834 out of 290,749 businesses), which gives a closure rate for 2009 of 11.5 per cent (33,495 closures out of 290,749).

However, the report wasn’t universally positive for independent retailers. Two hundred and thirty two shops in the ‘sports, toys, cycle shops and hobbies’ category closed in the second half of 2009. In the same category and period, 190 multiples closed a business.

Compared with the first half of 2008, the last six months of 2009 saw overall shop closures up almost six times from 1.9 per cent to 11.5 per cent.

Peace added: “While closures are above ten per cent, it could have been much worse. In order to maintain healthy options for new firms, High Streets need to have a certain amount of empty space.

“However, there is no denying that our obsession with cheap supermarket deals and internet shopping is having a massive effect reshaping the look of [physical] retail.”

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

York schoolgirls at a session

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

By Jonathon Harker ONE HUNDRED and forty girls are taking part in Beauty and the Bike sessions in York in a bid to boost female cyclist numbers.

The project, run by York City Council working with Sustrans, is aiming to tackle cycling’s image problem amongst females by targeting younger girls with the message that cycling can be fashionable. The sessions emphasise the health and fitness benefits, as well as providing participants with free ethical beauty product goodie bags from Lush.

According to National Children’s Bureau research, the number of female cyclists plummets when at secondary school age.

Graham Titchener, Cycling City York’s programme manager, said he believes initiatives like Beauty and the Bike are vital to tackle the decline. He told BikeBiz:

“There needs to be an on-going effort. The commitment from the schools and parents, and the results for the current participants, will be invaluable.

We’re hopeful about the project’s ability to provide a long-term boost to girl cyclist numbers, especially given the

“We’re hopeful about the project’s ability to provide a long-term boost to the number of girl cyclists.”

Graham Titchener fantastic response we’ve had. It will help future and current generations, and hopefully we’ll begin to see the cultural shift we all hope for.

“I think having female-only

opportunities is a good way forward, including cycle maintenance, training and events, whether organised through Cycling City York or our partners, including Bike Rescue.”

There are plans to get retailers involved too, Tichener added: “As we encourage more people of all ages to cycle, retailers will naturally become involved, but we’re also running a number of initiatives involving retailers and I plan to widen this further so we can better learn from the experience that they have here.”

The project is also gathering data from participants that may prove to be vital in addressing why women cycle less than men.

Vicki Hill, Sustrans events manager, ran the sessions on behalf of Cycling City York. She told BikeBiz: “When the project ends we’ll collate feedback from the girls. The report should reveal some of the causes behind what is stopping them from cycling.”

NEWS

CSG bags a brace from Center Parcs Holiday firm awards just 23 of its 1,900 suppliers – CSG is recognised across two categories

By Mark Sutton CYCLING SPORTS GROUP has been recognised in the form of two awards by holiday and leisure firm Center Parcs.

As part of the first annual Center Parcs Supplier Awards, CSG was one of just 23 businesses to be recognised, out of the 1,900 UK firms making deliveries to the ‘home holidays’ firm. Having picked up certificates in the Best Supplier Service and Best Environmental Initiative categories, the Poole distributor spent a day in March touring Center Parcs, Sherwood Forest, just one of the locations making good use of a range of Mongoose bikes.

Russell Merry (joint MD of CSG) commented: “We are delighted to win these awards.

We really enjoy our relationship with Center Parcs, which is a good firm to work with. Most of the credit for these awards must go to Ian Wagman (business

“Most of the credit for the awards must go to business development manager, Ian Wagman.”

Russell Merry, CSG development manager), who runs the account on a daily basis.”

Wagman has developed and refined the specification over the

last four years of supply to the point where the bikes offer a highly reliable and maintenancefree operation.

Ian added: “We have worked with Darren Salsbury who leads the Mongoose product development team for adult bikes and built models specific to Center Parcs’ needs. We are pleased with their durability and performance. We recently changed the light spec to reduce waste and cut man-hours changing bulbs to further improve efficiency.”

CSG: 01202 732288

Russell Merry and Ian Wagman accept the awards

Fuji Roubaix series now available to dealers AS PART of Fuji’s progression into the UK market, the retail price of the Roubaix road range has been adjusted to hit the market even harder.

They start at just £649.99 for the Roubaix 3 (Sora), £775 for the Roubaix 2 (Tiagra) and £999 for the Roubaix 1 (105).

MP Cycles managing director Mark Winters told BikeBiz: "These models

Three models built to varying specs are available

will return better margins than many other niche players and we are able to offer these with massive volume commitment."

These three bike builds are now in the UK and MP Cycles is expecting increased demand as a result of the keen pricing in a competitive marketplace. The firm can be contacted on 01942 254100.

NEWS

Trade goes green for new brand

By Jonathon Harker FISHER OUTDOOR Leisure’s new saddle and grip brand Vavert has garnered a enthusiastic reaction from dealers following its unveiling at Expo 2010 in February.

Vavert – ‘goes green’ in French – is targeted at the leisure and commuter cyclist, joining a wealth of similarly focused brands at Fisher, including bspoke and folding bike brand Kansi.

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

Each Vavert saddle has a matching grip, allowing consumers to co-ordinate their bike. Fisher promises Vavert products are competitively priced, in a wide choice of colours to suit all tastes and riding styles.

Product manager Rob Handoll, part of the team that introduced the brand at Sopwell House earlier this year, said: “We are proud to offer a range of products that are functional, but look good too. The feedback we have received so far has been outstanding and we look forward to seeing the range develop further.”

“The feedback received so far has been outstanding. We’re looking forward to developing the range further...”

Press office

Cycling Plus

Rob Handoll, Fisher Outdoor Leisure

Point of sale and innovative space-saving packaging is available to those with an account, with the latter making efficient use of slat wall space.

Fisher Outdoor Leisure: 01727 798 340

This month BikeBiz takes a look at some of the products tested and rated within the cycling consumer press…

The Bicycle Buyer

Singletrack

PRODUCT: Garmin Edge 500 PRICE: £199.99

PRODUCT: Kona Cinder Cone PRICE: £750

PRODUCT: Genesis Abyss PRICE: £1,249

“The head unit is only slightly larger that a standard bike computer, and has a Li-ion rechargeable battery with a run time of up to 15 hours. The only real downside is that you occasionally lose the signal – if you’re going through a wooded area, for example – but that really is rare.”

“We’d be first in line to buy this bike. We really enjoyed riding it despite the fact that it wasn’t the ideal size for our tester. It has a great feel, fast but not twitchy, robust but not heavy, smart but not too flashy. The spec is neither extravagant nor stingy, but all the parts work as they should.”

“The Abyss is a textbook ‘out of the box, burly hardtail’. It doesn’t sacrifice so much to the downhill gods that it’s only ever fun when freewheeling back down. It makes a wonderful longer-travel trail centre and all-day basher for riders that occasionally want to see what happens if you let the brakes off and go for it.”

Publisher: Future Cost: £3.99 Pages: 170

Publisher: Factory Media Cost: £3.95 Pages: 130

Publisher: Singletrack Cost: £4.25 Pages: 114

BLACKLITE HELMET RRP: £119.99

BATTLE EVO JACKET RRP: £259.99

X-SUIT RRP: £74.99

ROOST GUARD CHEST PROTECTOR RRP: £59.99

REPLACEMENT BACK SLIDER RRP: £37.99

LANDING ZONE FOREARM RRP: £32.99

HAMMER JACKET RRP: £89.99

X-FREERIDE ELBOW/FOREARM RRP: £34.99 LANDING ZONE KNEE/SHIN RRP: £49.99

MALLET ELBOW RRP: £34.99

X-ELBOW/FOREARM RRP: £19.99 FLAK JACKET RRP: £99.99 WC KNEE/ELBOW COMBO RRP: £72.99

MKII KNEE/SHIN RRP: £34.99 HAMMER KNEE RRP: £42.99

PROTECTION FOR THE RIDER For all dealer enquiries contact www.hotlines-uk.com

|

sales@hotlines-uk.com

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tel:0131 319 1444

CHAIN REACTION

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

MUCH fun has been made of MI5’s fears during the 1930s that Germany sent bicycle reconnaissance operatives to comb the British countryside in the guise of Hitler Youth cycling parties. But there is nothing new, nor unique about the bicycle’s use in armed struggles.

In February, a bicycle was wheeled into the bazaar in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, Afghanistan. A few minutes after it had been leant up outside the government building, a remote-control device triggered the explosives that had been packed into its frame. A massive blast cut the surrounding throng of people down, leaving seven dead and 14 injured. Sadly, the insurgents who detonated the bomb were by no means original in their ghastly use of the bike.

Last August, cycling suicide bombers in Chechnya killed four policemen. The two-wheeled terrorists swooped into Grozny, searching for police cars, and then detonated them when they came to within a yard of their quarry.

BIKEBIZ.COM

Bombs unleashed on civilians are troubling, of course, whatever means are used to convey them to their intended targets. But it is the possibility that bikes can be put to such a use that really disturbs me – not least because I have tangled with this incendiary issue before.

BLAST FROM THE PAST In a previous life, over a decade ago, I travelled to work daily at the Houses of Parliament. It’s easier said than done, on a bike. Getting within sight of Big Ben was no problem, of course. An early morning charge through London’s traffic meant that I arrived at my desk with my blood up and my shirt sticky. The difficulties arose when I made to lock my bicycle.

As I started to chain up on my first day, a policeman was almost immediately at my side.

“Oh, no you don’t,” he ordered. “Why not?” I demanded.

At this, the officer adopted his gravest expression and explained that there’s a cycle-locking exclusion zone around the Palace of Westminster to prevent against ‘bicycle bombs’. At this

time, I had never even heard of such things.

After a frustrating morning making phone calls to the Metropolitan Police, I obtained a

“Like any other inanimate object, a bicycle is morally neutral. It might be ingenious, but it’s the cyclist that’s the force for good or evil.” map of this exclusion zone. At that time it did not reach quite as far as Smith Square, a block away from the seat of democracy – so I took to depositing my mount outside Conservative Central Office. (The exclusion zone still exists, but in these days of even greater fear from terrorism, the Police won’t actually disclose where you can’t chain your bicycle. “We do not disclose

specific security arrangements in operation around Westminster,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told me.)

My anger back then, was not that this added five minutes to my commute, nor the somewhat arbitrary way that I had learned of this prohibition. It sprang from a deep, unfocused feeling that bicycles were intrinsically a force for good. I suspect that I share this with a great many committed cyclists. We know that our preference for two wheels places us in a minority – but it is a righteous minority. We are efficient, non-polluting and take up little road space. The practicalities of fashioning a bomb from a bicycle struck me as daunting enough – but not nearly so improbable that a cyclist, of all people, would do such a thing.

The blasts in Helmand and Grozny are sufficient to dispel such optimistic hokum forever.

Like any other inanimate object, a bicycle is morally neutral. It might be beautiful, practical and ingenious, but it is the cyclist,

not the cycle that is the force for good or evil.

I’d still like to think that, on balance, bicycles tend to encourage good behaviour, but there is no room to be blasé. If cyclists want to inhabit the moral high ground, it is the decisions that we make about how we ride our bicycles, day-in, day-out, that matter. Whether or not we jump red lights, whether we are courteous to other road users, and whether we are respectful of pedestrians is what we will be judged upon. Indeed, every time we venture out on our bikes, we are ambassadors for our chosen form of transport.

Nothing that we do today, tomorrow, or the day after, will make any difference to the dead in Chechnya or Afghanistan, of course. The better we behave, however, the more entitled we will be to our conviction that we, at least, are on the side of the angels.

Tim Dawson is a journalist with The Sunday Times – he writes the Cycle Guy column. He is also site editor of cycling-books.com.

BIKEBIZ APRIL 13

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

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Quote “Being a Cyclelife Dealer has bought in a nice corporate image.

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INDUSTRY OPINIONS

customers will either tire of constantly returning products or just never ride them.

“Ultimately, I suspect that Tesco will roll this out into more of its superstores and I imagine that a few of the rivals, like ASDA, will follow suit. It’s not something that I see every supermarket doing, though.

“Would the kind of person who buys a supermarket bike really walk into an IBD and part with their cash? I suspect not.

However, when the BSO goes wrong and the supermarket giant can’t fix it, where does this person go? – To an IBD that can then potentially benefit.

Personally, I don’t see Tesco as a threat to IBDs. Its products, support, backup and service can’t match what a good IBD can offer.”

ANDY RAMSDALE, NOTTINGHAM/DERBY STORE MANAGER, LEISURE LAKES

Should bike dealers fear Tesco’s in-store ‘Bike Shops’?

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

“Good thing, bad thing, who can say? I think that time will tell, ultimately.

“Can a supermarket giant really manage to operate this?

Historically there has always been a spread of cycle retailers from entry level to the highend crème de la crème, and

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there has always been space for us all.

“If we look further afield into Europe and one of the biggest cycling Meccas in Europe – France – you’ve been able to buy a ‘Velo’ in a hypermarche for many years. And how strong is cycling there? Could this

actually help support the cycling industry?

“I’m sure that during certain months of the year, summer and Christmas, Tesco will do quite well selling to the market that it attracts. But at the end of the day, the bikes it is selling aren’t a fantastic product, and

“It depends very much on how Tesco approaches things. Look into any big Tesco and you will see that the non-food stuff is sold on the box shifting principal. Boxes are put on shelves where the customer can help themselves and haul it off to the checkout. There may be a body around who can give some help if needed, but you cannot bank on their presence or the quality of the advice. More subtly, if you look at the stock you will find that the small number of standard items are about the same price as anywhere else.

“It’s only the Tesco exclusive brand stuff which is cheaper and that’s because it is bottom-end quality. If it goes the same way with bikes than you can expect a few feet of shelving with basic low quality, high margin accessories on them, together with some low-end bikes in boxes. If they do provide a build service then it will be Tesco, rather than customer, oriented.

By that I mean the customer will have to wait and pick up days later and that sorting out warranty issues will be slow.

That’s because its normal method of dealing with complaints – to apologise, give you a new one off the shelf and then penalise the supplier – is not an option for bike sales. In the end it will be competing with the other supermarket model retailers like Toys R Us and JJB and its presence will be largely irrelevant to the bike retail world as a whole.

“However, just supposing Tesco doesn’t revert to type and it does something very different.

Just supposing it recruits some good, well trained staff, puts in proper workshops, allocates floor rather than shelf space, and even persuades some of the bigger manufacturers of better quality kit to supply it and create a series of real bike shops within the stores.

“That might stir things up a bit. It won’t happen, of course, because the profitability per square foot of such an operation would never meet Tesco performance targets. The fact that Halfords has struggled to make that model work won’t be lost on it.

“So, on balance, my own feeling is that the independent retail sector has little to fear from Tesco or any other supermarket. You cannot get away from the basic fact that what we do is incompatible with their business models.”

STEVE BARNETT, CYCLING ON “Back in the early ‘80s, when working for Viscount Cycles, I was responsible for the Asda account in Reading. We supplied display racks and cycles with a full specification sheet to hang on the bikes. The only ones sold were cheap Italvelo folders – £69 in those days. Customers returned them even if the gears were not working just because they needed a minor adjustment.

“The untrained staff were not interested in the non-food department, and just had them replaced. I spent most of the time ‘fortnightly’ sorting the returns out that had been buried in the rear of the store under cardboard and roll pallet trucks and other rubbish.

“Tesco will only ever sell cheap product and the return will soon be seen as nonprofitable. So, I believe it is a big mistake. Children’s bikes will probably sell at Christmas to those customers living in low employment areas, otherwise bikes will only take up floor space.

“The Asda experiment lasted less than one year. Cycle shops should not be concerned by Tesco’s move. Dealers will be able to charge to put the bikes sold by Tesco into working order, like many of us still do for the Halford sales.”

DAVID WILSHER, MISSION CYCLES

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Fitting comments

Pic © Mark Watson/Red Bull Photofiles

OFF THE RADAR

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

THERE ARE many things that separate triathletes from cyclists – other than two other sports.

Their attitude towards bikes couldn’t be more different: no room for nostalgic steel frames or thrifty home upgrading, this is a special breed of, for the most part, cash-rich, time-poor bike buyers. And they’re prepared to spend what little time and lots of money they do have on the very latest, most ‘proven’ aerodynamic bikes, components and accessories. Yes, it’s a sport that’s about training hard and challenging yourself, but it’s also a sport in which buying time is all part of the fun.

Yet for all their evident passion for expensive aero bikes and gear, it seems triathletes aren’t quite sure how best to buy and use it. A common sight at triathlons nationwide is a man riding a full tri bike, sitting upright with the point of his aero helmet pointing up comically. But even for those

16 BIKEBIZ APRIL

racing on a standard road bike – which still account for most amateur triathletes – confusion about fit and how to get aero with the equipment they have is rife, because they don’t know where to find the expertise or think they can’t afford advice.

A QUEUE FOR HELP This was illustrated clearly to me at the Triathlon, Cycling and Running (TCR) Show in February, the opening consumer event for the triathlon season in the UK. Wanting to offer our readers something genuinely useful, we took along Future Publishing’s resident bike mechanic, George Ramelkamp. George has a long history of helping people buy and set up bikes, so we offered visitors the chance to bring their bikes along and have George assess their fit and position.

Half an hour after the show had closed on Sunday night, George still had a queue of three people with their bikes,

“For triathletes, confusion about fit and their equipment is rife, because they don’t know where to find the expertise.”

Elizabeth Hufton Editor, Triathlon Plus

desperate to find out what they were doing wrong or could be doing better. From too-low saddles to high bars to bikes that were just not the right size, the problems were many, in some cases just hindering performance and in others causing long-term pain in the riders.

ONLINE CREATES CONFUSION Of course, part of the reason for George’s popularity was that he offered a service normally costing upwards of £100 at a bike fit specialist. But partly it became obvious that these people hadn’t been given any advice on bike fit and riding position when they bought the bikes in the first place, even though they were clearly hungry for knowledge about it. George noticed a pattern: almost all the people he saw with bike fit problems had bought their bikes online.

This is hardly surprising given the high-cash low-time

demographic we’re talking about, but George was right. In fact, a survey of Triathlon Plus readers last year found that specialist online retailers were the most common place to buy bikes, with 81 per cent of readers using that route.

Nothing wrong with that of course – online retailers provide brilliant service, a huge range and often lower prices. But what might be lacking is the kind of hands-on service that George offered and that is readily available in a walk-in cycling store – incidentally, the number two choice for our readers with 58 per cent using them.

There’s a clear opportunity here – perhaps for both online and High Street retailers – to offer a professional bike fit and position advice service, and more importantly, to make sure triathletes know it’s available.

After all, if you’re wanting to buy time, you need to make sure you get what you’re paying for.

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BIKEBIZ APRIL 17

CHAIN REACTION

Are helmet safeguards a step too far?

Jersey-based Arthur Lamy gives his perspective on the island’s landmark helmet legislation that passed last month, and only narrowly avoided making helmets compulsory for adults...

LAST MONTH, the States of Jersey – the island’s parliament – voted to make it compulsory for every cyclist under the age of 18 to wear a helmet. The motion had been tabled by deputy Andrew Green MBE, founder of the Jersey branch of the brain injury charity Headway, and current national chairman. Deputy Green has campaigned for greater awareness since his son, Christopher, suffered brain injuries as a child of nine, in a cycling accident 21 years ago.

Deputy Green’s proposal was underpinned by a body of evidence, taken from various countries around the world that have brought in helmet laws, and the opinions of health professionals who deal with this type of trauma on a daily basis.

But it would be fair to say that the House was moved by their personal feelings as much as any evidence.

Several members of the House brought forward the point that ultimately it was the parent’s responsibility to ensure

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that their offspring were protected rather than society.

Others felt that life was full of possible dangers, and it was more a question of how these risks were addressed.

The principle opponent to the introduction of the new law was keen cyclist and deputy Daniel Wimberley. Before becoming a politician, he owned a cycle hire business and was chairman of the Jersey Cycling Group. His main point was that there wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to back up deputy Green’s argument and that if a law came in, it would effectively discourage people from cycling, with the loss of the health and environmental benefits that went with it.

EMOTIONS RULED MOTION After an emotive two-day debate, the motion was passed in favour of a compulsory helmet law for under 18-year-olds by 33 votes to 16. A motion proposing that the law be extended to adults as well was very narrowly defeated by one vote.

Opinion among local cycle retailers was unified. Most dealers felt they would see a small increase in the sales of children’s and youths’ helmets, especially in the run-up to the law being implemented, which is still 18 months away. Going on past sales, dealers agreed that most children already had helmets, usually because their parents felt it was wise, or because their school or one of the groups that they belonged to insisted on it.

What did concern them was how the law would be implemented – could Jersey's police force spare the time to pursue such minor offences?

Who would be held responsible: the rider or their parents? It’s often the case that kids leave home with a helmet on their head only for it to be hung on their handlebars the moment that they are out of sight.

Cycle dealers all agreed that if the law had been applied to every cyclist, it would have been an unnecessary burden that would deter casual riders from using their bikes. Who would

“Who would bother with a quick dash to the shops if you’d suddenly become an outlaw by forgetting to put your helmet on?”

Arthur Lamy ran St. Helierset bike shop Boudins for almost 30 years and now works as a Blue Badge accredited freelance tourist guide and freelance writer.

He specialises in cycling and walking tours. www.cycleinjersey.com

bother with a quick dash to the shops if you’d suddenly become an outlaw by forgetting to put your helmet on?

I’ve always been keen to get as many people cycling as possible, and I feel that a law that forces everyone to wear a helmet would be detrimental. After all, cycling is sustainable, cheap, healthy and good for the environment, and people should be encouraged to enjoy these benefits.

However, in this instance I don’t think that the numbers of children who cycle at present will be unduly affected, simply because so many of them do already wear helmets. Hopefully, by the time they are old enough to choose for themselves they can make an informed judgement about whether to continue wearing one without the need for legislation to force them one way or the other.

Finally, maybe I’m oldfashioned, but shouldn’t it fall to the parents to safeguard their children, rather than the Government?

BIKEBIZ APRIL19

BRAND SPOTLIGHT ZYRO-ALTURA

One-stop-shop Having been in the bicycle business for ten years, Zyro MD Simon Ellison’s luggage and technical clothing venture is now considered as one of the country’s premier brands. Mark Sutton discusses Altura’s ever-changing business with brand manager Ian Young…

IT’S HARD to believe that, given Altura’s strong reputation for its clothing lines, the brand is actually positioned as the UK’s number one luggage supplier. It’s perhaps even harder then to imagine that luggage sales make up roughly one fifth of Altura’s business.

On the back of a solid year’s growth last year, where sales rose 25 per cent, the sheer scale of Altura’s business means its competitors are increasingly looking over their shoulder as the brand settles among the market’s larger technical clothing brands.

“Clothing product is generally considered the more exciting of the two main sectors Altura operates within, so the luggage side of the business often goes unnoticed,” says brand manager Ian Young. “We do, however, have some really exciting things going on within the luggage product, including a new welding technique that completely seals areas that previously would have had to be stitched.”

Ultimately, the only reason Altura ever made moves on the

20 BIKEBIZ APRIL

clothing sector came as a result of its highly thought of product within the luggage sector. It was in response to customer feedback that the Nevis waterproof jacket came to fruition. Needless to say, since that first garment hit the market, fabric technologies have come on leaps and bounds, with the brand registering several of its own proprietary designs.

React is just one of those trademarked systems designed

by Zyro alongside Altura’s manufacturer. Garments carrying the React technology are incredibly efficient at transferring sweat from the inside, toward the surface of the material, keeping the rider dry and cool.

So, why should retailers take note of Altura’s progress?

“Zyro holds a high amount of stock for any current season, as well as some items, such as waterproof

“It really is a onestop-shop, so our customers needn’t carry anything else in their stores.

Altura has it all covered at various price points.”

Ian Young, Altura

jackets, through all seasons,” explains Young. “Altura goods are designed here in the UK for British conditions, so realistically a lot of technology features in most garments, often waterproofing. What’s interesting, is that our waterproof items exceed the UK standard of one meter by no less than ten meters on any item. Stores may also be interested that we occasionally offer incentives for forward ordering too.”

Retailers with a high clothing turnover may also have noted Altura is picking up the pace year-on-year. According to Young, last year lycra short sales rose a whopping 60 per

cent, while the number of tights sold rose 45 per cent.

Indications suggest that, while the off-road clothing market remains stable year-on-year, on road and commute garments are consistently selling through and growing in sales volume.

For those specialising in offroad, Young tells BikeBiz: “Altura’s summer range looks to have gone down well with dealers.

Given that the off-road sector is growing a little slower than onroad, pre-orders this year have been particularly strong, particularly on hot weather items like baggy shorts. The catalogue’s more comprehensive than ever this year. It really is a one-stop-shop, so our customers needn’t carry anything else in their stores. Altura has it all covered at various price points.”

As of 2011, price points will be pushing into the elite end of the market, with some prototype jackets forecast to sit at around £200 in next winter’s line. If your store is interested in carrying the Altura line, Young is contactable on Ian.Young@zyro.co.uk, or via phone at 01845 521750.

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

Did you miss out?

For advertising opportunities contact: Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535647

MYSTERY SHOPPER

Colchester

Count on Colchester Should a university student opt for a road bike, or a singlespeed rig? That is the question Mystery Shopper popped to Colchester’s many cycle stores. We suspect, based on the immaculate service of one store, we may have been recognised. Did your store provide that perfect retail experience?

22 BIKEBIZ APRIL

Cycle King

Cyclelife

ON ENTRY, Mystery Shopper waded through the sea of bikes, finding a tidy road bike on sale for £350. It was at this point that I looked for assistance.

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

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

That aside, and taking into account that the most expensive model was just £350, we can’t fault the retail experience. It would, however, have been better still had I been able to get closer to the desired model, which was hidden among the swathes of stock.

BIKEBIZ FEELS that the edge may have been taken off of our ‘mystery’ in this visit due to a badly timed store photo while the window display was being adjusted from within. Our suspicion was only increased due to the absolutely spot on, comprehensive seeing to Mystery Shopper received inside.

If, however, the store staff did not spot our undercover reporter, then this may very well have been the best retail experience in the history of our cycle trade snooping. From the outset, both staff members were friendly, offering opinions, advice, catalogues and business cards detailing the ins and outs of where to buy Raleigh. Offering honest advice, including warning me that grip shift gears are a nightmare, the experience was further bolstered with a little bit of background information on Raleigh’s reputation as a manufacturer.

Having spoken in depth about my needs, explaining that flat barred road bikes appeared to be the way forward for casual cyclists and advising me to seek further information on the Cyclelife website, Mystery Shopper genuinely felt bad about leaving without handing over some cash.

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MYSTERY SHOPPER

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

Having walked the store for ten minutes, it was clear that staff were going to be tied down with genuine customers for a while longer, so Mystery Shopper did not interfere. The experience was saved by some excellent display cards, which had brilliantly worked out finance plans for each bike, which ultimately led me to look at higher priced models.

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

Halfords

Colchester Cycle Stores

IN MYSTERY Shopper’s experience, Halfords staff are often a little shy of leaving the counter, preferring to barricade themselves behind the till, where the overheard discussions frequently revolve around bikes.

So, after walking the shop floor for five minutes, I approached the two employees. I began to discuss my needs, to which both offered advice. One of the two expressed distaste for fixed gear bikes, recommending a road bike purchase. Both remained behind the counter until I prompted a quick demo of the gear and brake combination lever on one model.

Once out on the shop floor, the staff member’s demonstrations and explanations were spot on, reassuring me that, with a little push, Halfords’ staff are mostly very good at selling bicycles. Mystery Shopper feels that add-on accessory sales would have required another prompt.

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

COLCHESTER Cycle Stores was the only shop located on a busy town centre street. On entry, Mystery Shopper was greeted by an attentive assistant.

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

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

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Summary EACH COLCHESTER store had something to match Mystery Shopper’s requests for a university workhorse, though opinions were divided over whether a road bike or a fixed gear would serve best at my up-to-£500 price point.

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

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

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

BIKEBIZ APRIL 23

EUROBIKE SHOW REVIEW

New and exclusive inflation brand Airbone was among the fresh names to appear at the Eurobike dealer show

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

The flagship brand, Moda, had its junior bikes on show

24 BIKEBIZ APRIL

AT AN INTIMATE venue just down the road from where the busy Moore Large show was reaching its conclusion, Eurobike’s dealer event was in full swing and attracting similar trade attention.

Completely unannounced prior to the show invite being sent out, Eurobike surprised many with the exclusive addition of a new inflation brand – Airbone. Coming from a specialist Taiwanese factory, the brand has a couple of fairly unique items in its catalogue, most notably a £14.99 pump, which due to its size, could almost be mistaken for a cartridge. The alloy pump is no more than 10cm long, yet according to Eurobike MD Paul Stewart, can reach 120 PSI. He says: “The model accommodates both Presta and Schrader valve types and comes with a tidy frame mount that sits out of the way where a bottle cage might otherwise go.

There’s also a carbon fibre version, selling at £25. What’s fantastic about these tiny pumps, is that they’ll pump consistently right up into the higher levels of psi. What’s more, dealers will find an array of colours, so customers can mix and match with their bike.”

Airbone offers pro floor pumps too, with the £59.99 model capable of 220 psi. The model, which at the show was demonstrated in a more expensive (£69.99) polished version, again gives no resistance as the going gets tough.

With spring just around the corner, Eurobike had plenty of Hincapie’s spring line, including plenty of women’s specific clothes. The topaz and lemon

“We’ve got dealers in place across the UK, but are keen to speak to interested retailers.”

Paul Stewart, Eurobike coloured garments are a particular highlight of the range.

Stewart let BikeBiz in on a secret during the show, revealing that Hincapie is to expand its casual wear line past t-shirts and hats into denim items, such as jeans.

Depending on how final samples are received, these could be arriving with Eurobike as early this month.

The centrepiece was the sneak peek of what’s new from Moda – Eurobike’s flagship, UKbuilt bike brand. To emphasise the diversity of the brand, Eurobike placed the junior and women’s model in focus, providing some perspective of the unique builds Moda offers.

Tucked among the range, however, was Moda’s first time trial bike, due to appear in May. A thorough spec is not available yet, though you can be sure the bike will come specced with American Classic wheels, as seen elsewhere in the line-up.

The wheel brand, carried exclusively by Eurobike in the UK, also had new builds in its portfolio. The Aero 420 has just landed in stock at £499 for the black, or £539 for the white. The Aero 420 is built with eight spokes on the non-drive side and 16 on the drive side. This is as due to a larger flange on one side, though the tension balance on either side of the rim remains equal. The result is a lightweight, super stiff, 24-spoke wheel with superb acceleration properties.

The manufacturer also now has a firm solution to the mountain biker seeking to go tubeless. Available as either a 26 or 29-inch rim, a wheel is available for £399 for the black

version. The first shipment of this system sold out, though a new batch will be in stock by the time BikeBiz hits desks.

Finally, Casco had its popular ‘E-bike’ helmet on display, ably modelled by Stewart for BikeBiz (see pic top left) all while explaining how the protection utilises the same tech as cool boxes to keep the rider comfortable. The helmet comes in three colours, ideal for those seeking something trendy. Casco also supplies Eurobike with its eyewear range, with casual items beginning at reasonable prices. The competition line, which goes to great lengths to protect eyes, begins at £59.99.

The glasses are built from a flexible polycarbonate material, and three clip-in, clip-out UV resistant lenses come with most models.

Having been trading for over a year, Eurobike certainly seems to have made a good first impression on the trade, keeping the expo busy with dealers for the duration of BikeBiz’s stay at least. Stewart said: “We’ve got dealers in place over much of the country, though we’re keen to speak with any interested retailers, particularly those in Scotland where we’ve plenty of opportunity for new stockists.”

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MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW

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

On Forme…

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

“We had a great show reception to Forme, with strong orders. The brand will only be sold to those with a bricks and mortar store too, which is important in keeping its appeal to the trade.”

Adam Biggs, Basso and Forme

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THE MOORE LARGE show was unmissable for many due to the introduction of Forme, a new road brand tackling key price points, of which the majority of the country’s specialist dealers struggled to get stock of during last summer’s sales boom.

The event, though, gave retailers plenty of reason to make the journey, with the introduction of new brands and the promise of a balance of educational seminars and one-to-one time with brand managers.

For the most part, it was Basso and Forme brand manager Adam Biggs who drew the crowds. With an introductory range of five bikes on display, all within the Cycle to Work bracket of up to £1,000, Forme’s line-up is key to those looking for a replacement or alternative to the established leaders in this sector.

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

Biggs tells BikeBiz: “We’ve had a great show reception to Forme, with strong orders. Stock arrives at the end of March. I think dealers have warmed to the brand, partly because of the stock shortages last summer of road bikes in this bracket, but also due to the intentional Cycle to Work friendly pricing. The brand will only be sold to those with a bricks and mortar store too, which is important in keeping its appeal to the trade.”

Biggs’ other brand, Basso, has gone through a major period of increased popularity as well, having grown over 1,000 per

cent in the past 12 months.

Biggs believes this is down to a strong marketing drive and competitive margins and price points, upping the brand’s appeal to both retail and consumers alike. The Astra remains the best seller, while the new Diamante is anticipated to pick up the pace this year due to its competitive pricing, said to be around £500 cheaper than other framesets on the market.

Next door to Basso and Forme, and just as popular, was the Haro and Premium Product seminar room. The focus here was a range of BMX race bikes, with one custom build revolving around the brand’s Race LT frame and a carbon Sinz fork. Instore POS is one incentive ML provides with both brands.

Premium Products now offers a range of complete bikes, with

the flagship Garret Reynolds signature model sat at the top of the range, costing £469 and built onto the rider’s Death Trap frame. The Premium line is well specced with Odyssey’s popular plastic ‘Twisted’ pedal featuring throughout, as do colour coordinated Alienation rims.

HaloGlow was one of Moore Large’s exclusive brand additions that almost went under the radar due to its compact line of four helmets. Two styles are available, sport and commuter, though it’s the unique built-in light that had many asking questions. The fully in-molded design of the £39.99 model features a built-in rear light and glowing strip covering the helmet’s diameter. A cheaper shelled version of the same helmet is also available in the two styles. All are tested to CE standards.

BIKEBIZ APRIL 27

MOORE LARGE SHOW REVIEW

A selection of products were on show including Haro’s Race LT frame and OK Baby’s BodyGuard baby carrier

For Knog’s many fans, much of the product had been seen previously at the Cycle Show in London. However, behind closed doors, BikeBiz was given a sneak peak of some of the security products soon to join the catalogue. Knog’s founder, Hugo Davidson, said: “There will be 48 new products launched before January 2011, which means we’ve got a pretty hectic schedule this year. The range goes well beyond the lighting gear that we’re best known for. With the introduction of computers, silicon-coated locks and more, the range will have real depth.”

All Knog packaging is now made from recycled materials and printed with soy-based inks.

If you were in attendance at the show, chances are that you’ll have tried Science in Sports’ new Build Bar. Aptly named, the snack is designed for use after exercise and designed to help muscle growth. With 20 grams of protein, the bar is available in a chocolate and peanut flavour only. In response to consumer demand, the brand’s popular Go Bar has also been made available in a smaller portion, and utilises a recipe change that has made the final product softer and even more appetising.

Having been introduced to the Moore Large stable just prior to the house show, folding brand Oyama was of particular interest to urban cycle retailers. Founded four years ago, the Taiwanesebuilt bikes are designed in

28 BIKEBIZ APRIL

cyclist-Mecca Holland and are now in stock at the distributor’s Derby-set headquarters.

“There will be 48 new products launched before 2011, which means we’ve got a hetic schedule this year. The range goes well beyond the lighting gear that we’re best known for.”

Hugo Davidson, Knog Beginning at £299.95, the catalogue spans four defined niches consisting of sport, pure, classic and urban.

Dealer support is already planned years ahead, with a campaign due to hit the consumer press once a firm nationwide dealer base is settled. The brand will have a presence at the London Cycle Show this year and dealers signed up as stockists will be listed on the firm’s website – www.oyama.eu.

Moore Large is seeking 100 dealers nationwide by this summer and the main bulk of the products, including the range-topping £899, 18speed Tiagra folder, will be in stock by April.

At trade shows, childrens’ products are often overlooked in favour of the latest shiny fixie (of which Onza now has one stunningly crafted model that is worth a look), though familyfriendly dealers should take note of OK Baby’s latest product addition.

Though an entry-level piece, the brand’s BodyGuard baby carrier is well suited to be a key stock item going forwards.

Offering protection more or less all over, including from side impacts, the ergonomically designed seat has a set back headrest to accommodate smaller heads. Thirteen adjustable straps hold the child firmly, while the EU/GS tested chassis is reinforced for added protection.

For the latest information and updates to Moore Large’s stock and catalogue, log on to b2b.moorelarge.co.uk.

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GEOFF APPS MTB HISTORY

An Englishman for Hollow Fame?

There’s an Apps for that Carlton Reid examines the contribution to mountain bike history of Geoff Apps and the English Gary Fisher (both are dapper, both were pioneers)...

“I’m not sure I should be in the Hall of Fame.

How much influence have I had on the mountain bike?”

Geoff Apps

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GEOFF APPS has always been ahead of his time. His cross country bicycle pre-dated the mountain bikes of Marin County and even wearing tweeds on bikes is back in vogue, thanks to London’s Tweed Run. Apps now lives in Scotland – he moved to Coldstream when Jim McGurn’s New Cyclist upped sticks there from York – but he was formerly based in Buckinghamshire, smack bang in the middle of the Chiltern Hills.

His first commercially-available bike was the Range-Rider Cross Country Cycle in 1979, although he’d been refining his design since the mid-1960s. The upright Range-Rider, later to form part of Apps’ Cleland Cycles brand, was built for riding through mud and for hacking up and down wet, slimy hillsides. It had mudguards and obscure studded tyres from Finland.

Aside from those tyres and an eclectic mish-mash of

international components, some from the world of trials motorcycling, the Range-Rider was English through and through. Apps sold a few, but from an evolutionary point of view, it was a bicycling deadend. But just because the Californian mountain bike had the right kind of off-road genes to take over the world, that doesn’t mean Apps’ Range-Rider was a flop. It turned heads and got people thinking. Apps was also in touch with the Marin County pioneers from the earliest days. His 700C tyres from pre-phone Nokia were shipped to MTB pioneers Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly. They had a frame built for the wheelsize by Tom Ritchey – if it weren’t for Nokia’s supply problems all MTBs today might have been 29ers and not the now familiar 26-inch standard.

It’s this linkage to the Californian pioneers that needs

to be recognised, and recognised by the US Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Apps has been nominated before, but there are precious few non-Americans in what pioneer MTB racer Jacquie Phelan of America calls the Hollow Fame.

With the help of BikeBiz and some famous names, perhaps Apps can stake his claim as one of the visionaries who helped transform the global market for bicycles?

RECOGNITION FOR APPS In a Skype conversation, Gary Fisher told me: “I’ll talk with Joe Breeze, Charlie Kelly and Dan Cook and the rest of the gang and do something for Geoff.”

Hopefully, 2010 will be the year Geoff Apps gets the recognition he deserves. I’m biased. I rode with Apps in the 1980s, trying out the successor machine to the Range-Rider.

Apps’ Wendover bashes were

among the earliest MTB events in the UK and helped fire up an enthusiasm for mountain biking from the early adopters, the folks like me who raved about this new form of cycling.

By the time I was writing about the Wendover bash, App’s Aventura mountain bike was already losing ground to the likes of the first Ridgeback, the Dawes Ranger and, of course, the Specialized Stumpjumper. Soon to popularise MTBing in the UK, the likes of Ari Hadjipetrou and Drew Lawson were about to introduce the Muddy Fox Courier and its game-changing print and TV adverts.

Geoff Apps faded from view.

He still has a small, but loyal following of Cleland owners.

They meet up for annual retro rides and reminisce.

The Range-Rider and Apps’ later bikes might have been practical for UK conditions but they were never likely to take

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GEOFF APPS MTB HISTORY

over the world. He rode his in wellies, not exactly zeitgeist potential. Nevertheless, Apps influenced designers who came after him. Some of his original ideas later became standard on MTBs, such as twist-grip gears and sloping top-tubes. He was using big rear blocks in the 1960s.

Mountain bike designer Brant Richards says: “Geoff Aps and his framebuilder, Dave Wrath Sharman, were a huge influence on me because of their different way of solving problems.”

Richards would like to see Apps in the US MTB Hall of Fame but Apps himself is quintessentially deprecating: “I’m not sure I should be in the Hall of Fame. After all, how much influence have I had on the mountain bike? Although many mountain bikes do now have sloping top-tubes and twistgrip shifters, they do not feature hub gears, roller-brakes, full-length mudguards, a chainguard, a skate-plate, a high centre-of-gravity, short-reach handlebars, a hub dynamo and lights, nor swing pedals.

“One difficulty for me is that, by 1986, the height of the boom, I’d been developing my ideas for twenty years, with no external influences. I’d had to think through design solutions on my own. Once millions of mountain bikes appeared, which differed significantly from what I thought to be the most logical design solution, the majority went with the majority.

“Now, more than 25 years have passed, and I have accepted that I am quite deluded. I’m content to stick with what I’ve got and admire the success and achievements of others.”

COMPARING TYRE SIZE On the supply of 29er tyres to Fisher and Kelly, Apps says: “I sent some of these tyres over to Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher, who had built a frame in readiness. They loved them and really appreciated the ride they gave, compared to 26-inch tyres, and also loved the success they had at the races. As far as they were concerned, these 29-inch tyres were the way to go.

“This was the only tyre of this type and size in the world, there was no other choice.

Unfortunately, getting a supply of tyres was impossible.

“Twenty-six-inch wheels were not absolutely fixed at that time, so, had the supply situation been better, it is quite possible that 700C tyres and

32 BIKEBIZ APRIL

wheels would have been the mountain bike standard now.

“When I tried to promote the 700C idea to UK mountain bikers, they just thought it was bonkers, Apps raving again, like he did about short wheel-base, steep angles, sloping top tube and twist-grip gear shifters.”

It’s important to remember that Apps swam against the tide for many years. He rode with Rough Stuff Fellowship members (it was his appearance in a RSF journal that alerted two RSF members in America, Fisher and Kelly, to Apps’ existence) but even RSF members thought his ideas were extreme and odd.

OFF-ROAD RIDING “The attitude among cyclists, and therefore the entire trade, all shops, magazines, clubs, everything cycling, was that riding off-road was, at best, a necessary evil. Even the RSF would wax lyrical about the experience of finding themselves somewhere remote, but if the ride experience was ever mentioned, it was to say how difficult or inconvenient it was.

The idea of seeking out and delighting in riding rough terrain was utterly alien to all the cyclists I met and talked to.

Rough Stuff Riders would get off

“People must have thought of Geoff and his ideas as eccentric, not realising that he was pre-empting the invention of a new sport and style of bicycle.”

Graham Wallace

and walk when I was able to keep riding.

“Cycling, as it is now, was just totally inconceivable in the 1960s and 70s, but I had my own fantasies about machines, the capabilities of those machines, and fantasies that it would be really popular. Yet I occasionally voiced these thoughts, which then made me unpopular.”

BIKE HALL OF FAME Apps’ first Cleland machines were built by Roy Davies’ Dees Cycles of Amersham. Fitting a skateplate to the bottom bracket, which helped the bike slide over logs and rocks, was seen as the height of eccentricity.

Graham Wallace helps to organise the annual Cleland reunion and is a big Apps fan. He says: “I was one of his customers in 1984 and still own and use

two of his machines. Organised off-road cycling in Britain had existed since 1955 – via the Rough Stuff Fellowship – but Geoff was the first person to develop and market purposebuilt bikes.

“People back then must have thought of Geoff and his ideas as eccentric, not realising that what he was doing was preempting the invention of a new sport and style of bicycle.

“Much of what happened back then went unreported and so its history has been overlooked,” comments Wallace.

It’s time that this long forgotten part of the British bike trade’s early MTB history is commemorated, which is why BikeBiz is throwing its weight behind the campaign to get Geoff Apps into the US Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. www.mtnbikehalloffame.com

Geoff Apps pictured with a Cleland

The Muddy Fox Courier ’s high profile print and TV ads were a hugely visible sign of the increasing popularity of MTBs in the UK

BIKEBIZ.COM

TOP TWENTY IBDS

Top 20 IBDs The thriving independent bike dealer population is something for the UK cycle trade to shout about, so we asked several top UK cycle distributors for their thoughts on the best IBDs currently operating in the industry. Jonathon Harker counts the votes and compiles the list...

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

That expansion has made the 20year-old retailer one of the largest independent cycle retailers north of the border. Not surprisingly, Alpine’s successful two decades have led it to receive praise from the trade, gaining a nomination for the BikeBiz Awards in 2008.

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AW Cycles It’s been a busy few years for Alpine, which saw the Tiso Group snap up the dealership in a management buy out in 2006. Since the buy-out, Alpine has maintained high levels of service, range and focus, and has enjoyed the fruits of its labour with a strong 2009 performance – the best in Alpine Bike’s history. Alpine is getting involved in a huge number of events in Scotland this year through sponsorship and participation. You can read more about those events and more in our profile on page 49.

READING-BASED AW Cycles has forged its reputation over 25 years of bicycle retailing. The shop specialises in a variety of sectors: mountain and downhill bikes, road bikes and accessories, and finally, commuter and town bikes. The shop is perfectly placed for that latter category, located close to the capital, and several nearby university towns.

When Mystery Shopper visited the store last year, the undercover reporter praised the retailer, saying: ”AW

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

“The shop was bustling with customers, with a vast array of bikes and accessories on offer for visitors.”

The retailer makes every effort to reproduce its high levels of customer service in its online shop.

AW Cycles also supports local cycling initiatives, from funding school cycling events to the launch of the AW Cycles Elite Cycling Team, nurturing young and talented riders.

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TOP TWENTY IBDS

Base Camp MTB COMBINING a bike shop with a café, Base Camp Mountain Bikes is set in the Lagan Wolftrax mountain bike park in the Cairngorn National Park, up in the Scottish Highlands.

Base Camp offers custom-built highend MTBs from premium brands and a wealth of other services (including a mean frothy cappuccino).

Richie Roland, Silverfish sales manager, said of the store: “Based at the foot of some of the best trails in the country, Base Camp Mountain

Beeline Cycles Bikes is run by a classic Scottish ‘man of the mountains’.

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

“Lindsay, the owner, is key in supporting trail maintenance in the area. They sponsor a team of racers, and Lindsay rides regularly himself, loving every single minute of it.”

Ben Haywards Cycles SITUATED ON the busy Trumpington Road at the centre of Cambridge, Ben Haywards Cycles has served the residents and students of the city for close to a century. The shop is in the fourth generation of two Cambridge families, with a tradition of high standards of service.

Ben Haywards Cycles has shunned the mail-order cycle market, enouraging locals to buy local and offering a delivery service instead.

The retailer’s workshop is a designated Shimano Service

Centre and its mechanics are Cytech trained. The store says its cycles have been chosen for their quality and value for money.

One of our anonymous panel said of the cycle store: “Ben Haywards’ staff are genuine, friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It’s a great shopping experience for every consumer.”

Ben Haywards has also taken part in charitable activites, including last year’s Rollapaluza event in association with Team Cambridge for hospice Arthur Rank House.

Biketreks (Ambleside) BASED IN the beating heart of the picturesque Lake District, Bike Treks is open seven days a week, offering accessories and bikes for sale and hire.

Andy Stephenson set up the business from the back of a van in the 1980s, fixing bikes and hiring out mountain bikes.

Stephenson went on to open Biketreks at Millans Park (in Ambleside) to handle the growing business.

Biketreks continued to flourish over the course of the

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next twenty years and now the retailer has recently moved to new premises on Rydal Road, doubling stock capacity and creating a modern purpose-built bike display that has led the shop to receive accolades from Richie Roland, Silverfish sales manager. Roland said of the store: “It’s hands down the best-dressed bike shop in the UK.” Now taking up a prominent position in the town centre, the success of Biketreks looks set to continue.

FOUNDED IN THE 1980s, Beeline Bicycles started out as a retailer of second-hand cycles. As the business grew, Beeline upped sticks to busy thoroughfare Cowley Road and took on stock of new bikes in addition to the second-hand models.

With nine full-time staff, Beeline has around 170 models on display and is split between the road cycle room, and the main shop – which stocks hybrid and city bikes, full suspension mountain bikes,

hardtail mountain bikes and children’s bikes.

BikeBiz’s Mystery Shopper visited Beeline Cycles last month and found its service to be top drawer: “The store earned high marks for taking time to provide advice, and for the obvious enthusiasm of the sales assistant spoken to.”

Beeline Cycles’ web offering is well developed too, with a repair update service to help customers track their workshop process and a fully fledged online store.

Bike Bristol and Ralph Colman Cycles BIKE BRISTOL and Ralph Colman Cycles were picked out by one of our anonymous panel, who lauded them with these words: “Professional staff, superb product knowledge, with a

personal touch. Total customer satisfaction is their goal.”

Bike Bristol and Ralph Colman both boast excellent workshop facilities staffed with Cytech qualified mechanics. The former saw considerable expansion two years ago that saw floor space nearly double. The expansion saw Bike Bristol add two workshops.

The stores also share a website at www.bikeuk.co.uk.

Cambridge Station Cycles BOASTING TWO outlets in the city, Cambridge Station Cycles serves the student-filled locale with bikes for sale and hire. In fact, Station Cycles says it is the largest cycle sales and hire business in the East of England.

As you might expect, it has an outlet at Cambridge’s railway station, and now also in the city centre on the Grand Arcade.

The retailer relaunched its website last summer, and shortly afterwards picked up a nomination for Best Independent

Retailer at the BikeBiz Awards 2009.

Mystery Shopper rated the shop as “One of the star stores of the city,” and added: “Overall, this shop was excellent – namely due to the staff member’s willingness to explain and take the time to provide enthusiastic, honest advice.”

Founded in 2000, Cambridge Station Cycles stocks a wide range of city, road and mountain bikes. The decadeold retailer also specialises in Dutch-style bikes, folding bikes, electric bikes and fixies as part of its diverse range.

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TOP TWENTY IBDS

Chelmer Cycles CHELMER CYCLES scored highly during BikeBiz’s visit to Chelmsford in October last year, bagging a raft of compliments from the undercover reporter. Mystery Shopper said of the retailer: “Chelmer Cycles was tidy, well arranged and stocked good kit. Most importantly, the owner listened to my needs and offered sound advice. Top marks here.”

And it seems it’s not just in the opinion of the mystery journalist that the store has been earning top marks, with a number of the

Condor Cycles aforementioned distributors singing the praises of the Essex-set store.

Aside from retail, Chelmer also has its own team, which is fully accredited to British Cycling.

Chelmer’s enthusiasm for cycling also extends to organising road rides, starting from the store.

Chelmer Cycles has been the subject of praise over the years. The Singletrack Reader Awards shortlisted the retailer in 2004, while in the same year The Independent picked out the store as one of the UK’s 50 Best Sports Shops.

Epic Cycles SET IN A CONVERTED 17th Century barn in the heart of Worcestershire, the aptly-named Epic Cycles boasts a 4,000ft showroom. In that showroom is a 70-strong demo bike fleet, providing customers with the opportunity to try out cycles before they buy on quiet nearby roads.

It’s an area that Epic Cycles, pitched as no ordinary bike shop, has worked hard on – giving customers heaps of unhurried advice before they purchase a cycle, and not pressuring consumers to buy something that doesn’t fit with their needs.

The retailer stocks rides for road racing, triathlon, cyclo-sportives, time trails and more. Epic Cycles also strives to offer everyday fair pricing, treating

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Having clocked up over 60-years in the industry Condor does, of course, manufacture custom builds, working closely with Dedacciai to get access to the very latest tubing innovation.

Commenting on the BikeBiz Independent Retailer Award win last year, MD Grant Young told BikeBiz: “It’s been an incredible year for us and for the industry as a whole.

“Condor Cycles’ refurbishment is now complete, providing us with a great space to offer a unique experience to our customers.”

Escape Route

customers equally whether they are an occasional rider or a bike nut with ten cycles in the garage.

It all adds up to Epic Cycles’ desire to offer some of the best customer service levels in the industry – and it seems our panel agreed when they nominated them as one of the UK’s top 20 independents.

Hargroves Cycles FOUR STORES make up the Hargroves Cycles retail network, all based in the South. Hargroves’ Southampton shop was the first, opening over 20 years ago in 1985. Since then, shops in Chichester, Winchester and finally Fareham have opened, with the latter being established in early 2007.

Set up by cyclo-cross rider Peter Hargroves, the retailer prides itself on offering customers impartial advice

A FAMILIAR name to the trade, Condor Cycles has not only been nominated for BikeBiz Awards, but has picked up a couple too – not bad considering the industry awards, have only been running for two years.

The well-regarded retailer brought a 42-piece Condor bike range to the Cycle Show last year and recently, the worldfamous Condor Cycles had a cheekily-named closing down sale. The clever ruse was all for a refurbishment that made Condor 25 per cent bigger.

PERTHSHIRE-BASED Escape Route opened in 1997 and following a period of growth had to look for larger premises only six years later. Later in 2003 the firm found a likely spot and by early 2004 had moved into the new larger retail space.

The move gave Escape Route the opportunity to expand into stocking outdoor clothing and equipment, giving the retailer chance to serve a wider customer base with its product and service.

One of our anonymous panel of judges said of Escape

Route: “An Aladdin’s cave of knowledge and experience. We dare you not to smile at the enthusiasm.”

It really isn’t just product that Escape Route offers either. The firm provides a range of advice on riding around the local Pitlochry area, informing riders which routes suit their requirements – and the probably rainy weather.

J E James Cycles on road, cyclo-cross, cross-country, all mountain, downhill and trial cycling.

During the course of the retailer’s evolution, Hargroves has introduced a warehouse and website, supporting the store’s mail order business.

FAMILY-RUN J E James Cycles is an industry stalwart, having clocked up half a century in the bicycle biz.

The retailer currently has large bicycle stores in three towns across Yorkshire and Derbyshire – Sheffield, Chesterfield and Rotherham.

J E James Cycles is no stranger to appearing on top lists.

The retailer also scored a place in the ACT/ActSmart’s first ever Cytech top 50 late last year, making the list for its investments in its people and service through the Cytech training and accreditation scheme.

Alongside top-notch service and quality, J E James also stocks a huge volume and wide selection of cycling goods in its stores. The Sheffield store, for example, is home to a refurbished Sports Performance Centre offering road and mountain bikes, clothing, accessories and assorted shiny parts.

BIKEBIZ APRIL 37

TOP TWENTY IBDS

J Winstanley WHILE NOT STRICTLY an IBD, Winstanley received votes from a number of our anonymous dealers, Winstanley is not just a wellestablished mail order cycle retailer, but

Phil Corley it also has over 3,000 bikes in stock available for viewing at its Wigan base.

The retailer has been set up in the business for seven years, predominantly supplying mountain bikes to consumers.

Rutland Cycles RUTLAND CYCLES is another retailer that has been honoured in a variety of ways.

The 60 staff-strong firm scooped ‘Business of the Year 2009’ at the Rutland and Stamford Mercury Business Awards. Speaking on the win, the sales director said: “Although we have grown to be one of the biggest UK cycle retailers we have still maintained our core values of good customer service and competitive prices.”

Rutland Cycling has now expanded to four sites and also went on to be nominated for best Independent Retailer at the BikeBiz Awards 2009, narrowly missing out on picking up one of the industry-nominated awards.

38 BIKEBIZ APRIL

distributor judges were concerned, with several of our anonymous panel picking the store out as a top performer.

The eponymous Phil Corley himself opened his first store thirty years ago in 1979 in Great Linford, just north of Milton Keynes. He went on to move to larger premises two years later on at Neath Hill with business partner Dick Hooper.

A further five years later and the pair opened a second store in Stacey Bushes, where the business has remained ever since.

Sigma Sport

Over a quarter of a century old, Rutland offers cycle hire alongside its retail business and has recently upped its investment in online, complementing its physical business.

That investment has paid off too, with internet sales now accounting for a third of Rutland Cycles’ business. The retailer also set up a new mail order distribution centre and office to handle the growing arm of its business.

Worcester Cycle Centre MOUNTAIN BIKE specialist Worcester Cycle Centre is a family-run business boasting one of the largest showrooms in the country, says the retailer. With over 120 bikes on display, Worcester Cycle Centre also carries over 200 bikes in stock, meaning customer have a good chance of leaving the store on the day of the visit with a bike in tow.

Like many of the other top-rated independent dealers, Worcester also prides itself on serving fine fresh ground coffee alongside its top-notch product offering. It’s seemingly a glib point, but the beverage offer for customers is indicative of the shop’s welcoming philosophy.

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

PHIL CORLEY CYCLES got the BikeBiz Mystery Shopper treatment in the summer of last year. The undercover reporter found that the popular Milton Keynes-based business excelled in a number of areas, noting: “Product signage was good at the store, with prices clearly displayed with each model’s key features. Alongside sales and servicing, the specialist store also offered various finance options and a custom bike fitting service.”

And it seems as if Mystery Shopper was on the money as far as our

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

The Twitter-savvy retailer has a workshop staffed by two full-time mechanics, boasting over 23 years of experience between them.

And such is Worcester Cycle Centre’s reputation that even Worcester’s own police bicycles are serviced by the shop, as are the cycles of the New College of Worcester.

SURREY-SET Sigma Sport specialises in the road and triathlon sectors. The Kingston-upon-Thames-based retailer grabbed the headlines at the start of this year with a high-profile team-up with Specialized. The two joined forces for Team Sigma SportSpecialized.

Sigma has long had a strong UK squad which has scored successes at the highest level. National champions, Olympians and Grand Tour Riders can all be found in the team alongside young riders

eager to earn their stripes. Also, this year,Team Sigma Sport-Specialized registered with the UCI to gain Elite Continental status with the aim to ride a number of UCI events overseas.

Wheelbase ESTABLISHED IN 1992, Wheelbase is based in the heart of the Lake District, between the picturesque towns of Kendal and Windermere.

And not only is the shop situated in good looking scenery and some of the country’s finest cycling territory, but Wheelbase also has a huge shop footprint (which the retailer says is the UK’s largest cycle shop). Over 400 bikes are on display at its 18,000 sq ft premises, as is a vast range of cycle accessories and clothing.

The retailer sees range as its unique selling point, and works to a philosophy of customers being able to come in, see a bike in his or her size and colour, and then being able to buy it and walk away with it on the

day. The firm also sponsors its own raceteam and holds Demo Days.

Wheelbase saw a management buyout four years ago, with a young management team taking the reins of the store, including MD Chris Herd and brothers Toby and James Dalton. Since the MBO turnover has grown year-onyear, and profitability has increased too.

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BIKEBIZ APRIL 39

WELDTITE INTERVIEW

Well-oiled machine…

Being the only UK manufacturer of cycle-specific tools, Weldtite has managed to keep margin fluctuations tight, which in turn has lead to increased retail interest.

Mark Sutton talks to Chris Jenkinson about progress across the firm’s lubrication, tooling and cleaning fluid divisions…

42 BIKEBIZ APRIL

Tell us a little about Weldtite’s history: Weldtite was founded in 1939 as the brand name for C.B.Baggs of London and started making puncture kits for the War Office.

All appropriate government vehicles were supplied with puncture repair kits, many of which were supplied by Weldtite and the company continued to supply the Ministry of Defence until the end of the Falklands war in 1982.

Weldtite Products has continued

with the early legacy of puncture repair kits and still supplies repair kits to the cycle trade to the present day.

In 1980, David Bennett-Baggs, the grandson of the founder of C.B.Baggs, joined the company in order to further develop the cycle side of the business. The success continued and in 1989 we had outgrown the London headquarters and a decision was made to move to new premises in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire.

Weldtite still operates from this site today and has expanded the factory to 23,000 square feet.

Now we’re back to the present day, how many staff do you employ to handle the firm’s brands?

Weldtite employs between 40 and 45 people, dependent on the season. This is due to the seasonality of cycling and where increased production hours are often required during the summer months to meet increased demand.

Weldtite’s business is now split into tooling, cleaning and lubrication – how much more can the company diversify within the trade?

I currently think that within the maintenance arena we have most of the bases covered.

However, there are always new opportunities and ideas being raised during production and innovation meetings and I could not say at this time what the future holds for development of further brands and products.

Are there any plans for expansion?

Weldtite monitors the market very closely both in the UK and abroad and although there are no plans for expansion at the moment, we continue to look for opportunities to give the

company stronger market penetration and brand awareness.

Tell us about Weldtite’s involvement with the WXC Mountain Bike Team UK: Weldtite has been a sponsor of the WXC Mountain bike team for three years. During the coming season the team will ride the National Enduro Series for Weldtite in the new team strip.

What’s the thinking behind the online tutorials and podcasts on Weldtite’s website?

In the cycle market, Weldtite offers a one-stop maintenance solution and as such we feel that it is important to educate both the public and the trade in how to properly use our product.

The podcasts enable people to access a visual guide to repairing their bikes and the

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WELDTITE INTERVIEW

Weldtite is proud to make UKproduced tools for the bike trade All pics © Rob Ainsley

Cyclo Tool DVDs provide instructional information for the home and professional mechanic. We see this media as a valuable communication tool and plan to expand the range of videos in the future.

fluctuations in raw material costs and the movements in currency rates it has been tough to maintain.

However, because of the hard work of our purchasing division and improvements in our manufacturing process, we have managed to limit the margin loss to an acceptable level.

In what ways have you improved the lubrication and cleaners business in the past few years?

There are always companies that are offering a new lubricant or cleaning product within their product portfolio, but only Weldtite has consistently produced a complete range of maintenance products under the one umbrella.

We are continually monitoring developments in cycle maintenance and then responding to the market demands by developing new products using in-house personnel and production within our factory at Bartonupon-Humber.

How are you advancing the Cyclo tools business in what is a highly competitive sector?

Although the competition in this field is greater than other market segments in which Weldtite operates, the advanced tool range has achieved good penetration both nationally and

How do you protect the product’s margins?

During the past two years it has been difficult to protect the margin of every product in the range. Due to the huge

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“Only Weldtite has consistently produced a complete range of maintenance products under the one umbrella.”

Chris Jenkinson, Weldtite

internationally in the first year and I believe that Cyclo now offers a complete package, which covers all aspects of bicycle repair.

Has the trade responded well to the more complex tooling Cyclo offers?

The Cyclo advanced range of tools was produced in-house by our design department and following 18 months of continued development we have created a complete range of cycle specific tools for both the consumer and the professional.

The development of this new range has made Cyclo the only British-designed tool brand on the cycle market, and as such it has quickly established a reputation for quality and value, which is helping the products to

compete against the existing brands.

Many in the cleaning and lubrication market are producing product in recycled packaging – how is Weldtite progressing here?

Weldtite is involved with a number of programmes to develop environmentally friendly packaging wherever possible.

Why should dealers choose Weldtite’s brands over market competitors? How do margins and product performance compare?

There are any number of maintenance products available in the market, but our mission at Weldtite is to ensure that when a customer is looking to improve the life and performance of their bike, they ask for Weldtite branded products by name. We hope our existing customers are safe in the knowledge that they have bought a quality product, from a UK manufacturer, at a competitive price.

Will Weldtite be at any shows or cycling events this year?

Weldtite will be attending a number of international shows during 2010 including Taipei, Eurobike and both the Japanese and Brazillian National shows.

BIKEBIZ APRIL 43

PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT Send your recruitment news to

mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

CSG bolsters team with more recruits Online retailer Wiggle brings in Jones to handle own-brand development Peter Bragg heads up Shutt Velo Rapide’s marketing and commercial business

44 BIKEBIZ APRIL

WIGGLE DAVID JONES has recently been appointed as head of own-brand product development – hard goods at online bike retailer Wiggle.co.uk.

Jones will be spearheading Wiggle’s move into own-brand bikes, working on projects including the recently launched Verenti Sportive bikes as well as MTB and road race brands in years to come.

His main duties will be overseeing and managing the design, sourcing and production of Wiggle’s bikes and accessories.

Working alongside Wiggle brand designer Marc Edwardson, Jones says it is his intention for Wiggle’s own-brand bikes “to become a recognised and dominant force in the industry”.

David Jones

Jones joins Wiggle after more than 12 years working at Cycling Sports Group (CSG, formerly Hot Wheels), the UK importer and distributor of Cannondale, GT, Mongoose and Charge Bikes.

During his time there, he helped develop the Charge brand into a market leader in urban, fixed gear and hardtail MTB. He was also responsible for international sales, which covered distribution in more than ten countries.

Paul Bolwell, Wiggle’s merchandising director, said: “We are delighted to have David on board. He has a wealth of sourcing experience and knowledge. Over the coming years, both he and Marc will be busy working on our exciting own-brand bike projects.”

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PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT

People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords

SHUTT VELO RAPIDE Specialist cycle sport clothing manufacturer Shutt Velo Rapide, has announced the appointment of PETER BRAGG to head up its marketing and commercial business. The appointment follows increased demand for Shutt VR’s garments, coupled with significant outside investment. Bragg will be responsible for Shutt VR’s business in the UK and Europe.

Bragg, a lifelong cyclist, is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with over 20 years’ experience. He started his career at IBM and more recently held senior sales and marketing roles at eGain Communications, Ovidium and Mindjet UK. “Peter came to our attention because of his strong execution skills, proven consultative sales experience and his ability to drive new business development through the retail sector,” said MD Simon Warren. “We expect 2010 will be another successful year for Shutt as we continue to grow our market share. We look forward to working with Peter.”

CSG The distributor has appointed four new recruits, including two telesales staff.

ADRIAN LEES is the first addition to the telesales team.

Lees is new to the trade having previously worked in the retail hifi industry. He also recently moved from Peterborough to the south coast and is a keen cyclist.

JAMES CRUICKSHANK also joins CSG in telesales, having moved from Bromley where he worked in a bike shop.

Cruickshank has competed previously in duathlon events.

MARK BROUGHTON joins as finance manager. Broughton is a chartered accountant and qualified with KPMG. More recently he worked as business services manager with a local accountancy practice. He is a keen badminton player and social runner and enjoys getting out at weekends in his VW camper.

Finally, CHRIS WILLS joins CSG as bike mechanic. An enthusiastic cyclist, Wills will also help out in the despatch department and with the warranty team.

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Adrian Lees

Mark Broughton

James Cruickshank

Chris Wills

BIKEBIZ APRIL 45

Electric Bikes

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

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

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

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

Douglas Lawson 01590 681553 douglas.lawson@wisperbikes.com www.WisperBikes.com

the ride of your life British Electric Bicycle Association Member

RETAIL ONLY

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

RETAIL COMMENT

IS TAIPEI THE new Interbike? The chairman of the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters Association certainly seems to think so. I can’t help but feel, though, that Taipei’s Cycle Show is ever so slightly basking in the spotlight of putting on another wellreceived exhibition, using this to knock out some subtle hints that it is becoming more important to the trade than Vegas.

Without doubt, the trade is very much warming to the FarEast’s premier industry gathering, but surely, with the majority of the industry’s business done in the region, overtaking Interbike is an inevitability anyway?

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

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

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

“Las Vegas remains very relevent to the trade, despite some notable absences. If anything, these provide fresh opportunity for one-to-one time with smaller firms...” next few years, though Las Vegas remains very relevant to the trade, despite the absence of some larger brands By the time Eurobike is over, retailers have typically roughly allocated cash to purchases, or at least have a strong idea which main lines they’ll be carrying. Thus, a large portion of the money to be invested in stock going forwards has been spent already. Interbike serves not only as a refresher just a month down the line, but also to reassure dealers that they’ve indeed made the right stock choices before signing on the dotted line.

So, does it really matter that a few larger bicycle manufacturers have shunned a plot in Vegas in favour of spending marketing budgets on roadshows? In my eyes, this should give those retailers who do travel to these shows more time to focus on other areas of their business, often overlooked in favour of securing stock of key bike lines for the year ahead.

If Interbike has become more intimate, retailers and buyers have a great opportunity to tie down smaller firm’s brand managers with a view to striking up new trade relationships.

Meanwhile, on home soil, it’ll be interesting to see how well London’s October Cycle Show stands its ground against the arrival of a January ‘super show’ at ExCeL. Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE DEALER PROFILE

49

Alpine Cycles is opening a new store in Perth, Scotland. Flip to page 49 for a little business inspiration...

BIKE SECURITY

51

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

NUMBER CRUNCHING

74

Having put on another whopper of an exhibition, Taipei’s Cycle Show has collated some impressive stats...

48 BIKEBIZ APRIL

BIKEBIZ.COM

IBD PROFILE

Alpine Bikes

Alpine fresh Telephone: 0141 548 8808 Web: www.alpinebikes.com Email: online.help@alpinebikes.co.uk

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

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

“Overall, 2009 was a very good year for us, one of the best in the firm’s history.”

Pippa Thackray, Alpine Bikes

How many shops does Alpine Bikes have at present?

We have six shops at the moment in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness, Innerleithen and two in Glasgow.

Are there any plans to add to the number?

We are opening in Perth this October in an exciting new unit, and in a great location.

And how is business? Did the snow impact on sales?

The snow had a big effect for us in late December and early January. We have seen strong sales in February coming from the fact that people could not get out on their bikes and are now taking advantage of the improved weather. Overall, 2009 was a very good year for us, one of the best in the firm’s history.

What’s going to be the biggest story from Alpine in 2010?

We will be building on a strong 2009 and looking to develop new

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opportunities in new product ranges and in different locations.

Alpine was bought by Tiso in 2006 – how have things changed since then?

The company has changed very little since becoming part of the Tiso Group in terms of service, range and focus. What has changed is that by being part of a larger group, Alpine is in a much stronger financial position to expand, either organically or through acquisition.

Do you specialise in a sector?

Alpine has always had a strong mountain bike focus. We have a core stock, but all our stores are in very different locations. In some we focus on road, in others downhill and others commuting.

What about electric bikes?

We are stocking some from Trek.

How does Alpine market its shops? Sponsorship? Radio adverts?

This year we are focusing on sponsoring events and are proud to be involved with many great events in Scotland, from the World Cup downhill at Fort William to the Pedal Scotland Edinburgh and the Glasgow bike ride. We use many forms of media to promote our sales and promotions including press, radio and online.

How much of the business revolves about the workshop?

The workshops of all the shops are important both from a customer service point of view and sales.

Is it tough to run an online portal as well as a bricks and mortar business?

When you open a new shop it takes a bit of time to get to know the customers and what works in that shop.

Online is no different from this and it has taken a bit of trial and error to start to see success in this challenging market.

Store History Alpine Bikes, one of the biggest independent cycle retailers in Scotland, was founded in Aberdeen two decades ago by Dave McKay. In 2006 Alpine was bought out by Tiso Group – an independent outdoor retail chain also based in Scotland and founded in the ‘60s. At the time of the buy out, Alpine’s turnover was reported to be £3.5 million.

The retailer only entered the online space in 2008 – at www.alpinebikes.com – with the firm telling BikeBiz at the time: “It may have taken us a while to join the online marketplace, but it was imperative to us that our online offering was synonymous with our offline core values.

“We wanted to make sure that our customers would have the same unique experience online as they do in any of our shops throughout Scotland."

BIKEBIZ APRIL 49

BIKE SECURITY

Safe and secure When it comes to bike security, cycle retailers rarely have to sell the fear – customers usually know all too well, usually from bitter experience, just how easy it is to lose your ride to bike thieves. Jonathon Harker asks the trade for their insights on the latest bike security products…

Gelert THE CANYON stainless steel joint lock (L829) features a clever double-locking barrel action and comes complete with four unique smart keys – ideal for those prone to losing the essentials.

Measuring 20mm by 900mm, the steel

Coyote Sports COYOTE Sports offers dealers a comprehensive range of locks from the famous Squire brand and also under the Ventura name.

Both of the ranges cover some of the most popular types of locks, including cable, shackle, combination and loop locks.

One of the newest products from the range to look out is the Bike Alarm (BS000). www.coyotesports.com 0161 727 8508

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joint lock includes heavy duty interlocking steel joints that come complete with a stainless steel mesh covering for still more extra strength.

A non-scratching clear cover does exactly what you’d expect, while the lock includes a fitting bracket to boot. www.gelert.com 01766 510301

Pragmasis PRAISE FOR Pragmasis’ products has not been hard to come by of late.

Recently What Mountain Bike magazine awarded the firm’s Protector Chains an eye-catching five out of five in its Mammoth Lock Test. Both the Protection 11mm and 13mm have gained the Sold Secure Bicycle Gold accreditation.

The firm also tells BikeBiz that the Torc Series II ground anchor is the highest-approved ground anchor on the market. With the Series I being showered with praise by Cycling Plus (dubbing it Security Product of the Year) Pragmasis says the Series II is stronger, easier to fit and cheaper too.

The firm also produces the Shed Shackle – an anchor designed to reinforce the wall of a wooden shed,

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

The made-in-Britain Shackle is Sold Secure approved and is easy to fit for consumers. www.torc-anchors.com sales@pragmasis.com

BIKEBIZ APRIL 51

BIKE SECURITY

Raleigh THE DISTRIBUTOR handles the RSP locks range, including Sold Secure Silver Shackle locks. The locks use ultra hardened steel shackles so they provide maximum cut resistance to, cutting implements.

It boasts a reinforced cyclinder and crossbar sleeve, plus a Quattro bolt locking mechanism. The lock has its own sliding dust cover, protective vinyl coating on the cross bar and laser cut keys.

Also up from RSP is a

Sold Secure Gold-rated Chain and padlock. Titanium reinforced steel links serve to put off cycle thieves, as does the cylinder, which provides defence against physical attacks and picking. Water and heat resistant, the chain and padlock boast a double steel ball locking mechanism.

RSP’s armoured lock is Sold Secure Bronze rated, with a twisted steel cable protected by hardened steel links and a double bolt locking mechanism. www.raleighbike.co.uk 01773 532680

Cycloc THERE’S NOTHING quite like a Eurobike award to boost awareness and respect for your latest product, which is something Cycloc can attest to, having been awarded with a design award at the Friedrichshafen show in Germany last year.

Set to be available commercially for the first time this month, the Cycloc is ideal for retailers as they can attach and secure bicycles to it, giving them peace of mind that their expensive kit isn’t about to be half-inched. Even the British Design Council has dispatched

Walkers WALKERS Cycles supplies a wealth of security related products from the Serfas range, including the Jaw Breaker key lock. This 15mm, six foot recoil braided quality lock comes with all important top notch margins, says Walkers, together with great packaging.

The Jaw Breaker Combo lock follows the same principle as the first, but – as you might have guessed – it comes with a five-digit combo lock instead of

52 BIKEBIZ APRIL

a key lock. Both models feature a dual density body and vinyl coating to avoid damaging the finish of the bicycle to which it is attached.

The locks both are flexible, lightweight and are self coiling to make transporting a breeze, as well as cutting edge ergonomic no-slip technology.

Finally, these feature-laden Jaw Breakers both boast co-moulded and fused Thermoplastic rubber and aluminium bodies. www.walkerscycles.co.uk 01162 833885

Moore Large MOORE LARGE supplies a range of locks from both the OnGuard and Magnum brands. The former has a wealth of experience specialising in security for all two-wheeled transport and the distributor assures BikeBiz that it will outclass competitors in terms of value for money, presentation, dealer support and profitability.

In fact, OnGuard products all come with a no-quibble, lifetime warranty offered to the consumer, plus an anti-theft guarantee on many of its products, helping to install some all-important confidence in prospective customers.

The suggested price for each lock has been set to reflect a minimum ten per cent time saving against a comparable competing product.

Five keys are included with each lock and a key replacement service enables access to an unlimited number of keys.

The range spans a number of locking options, whether it be maximum security chains and shackle locks, or the simpler coils and cables. This level of options means there is a lock at a price to suit any number of security requirements all

praise for the product, saying: “the Cycloc is a minimalistic triumph of form, function and social awareness.”

And frankly, it’s not that often you get to hear such words spoken about a product from the lock market.

The Cycloc itself is a simple device where retailers and cyclists can store bikes horizontally or vertically. It’s capable of suiting a wide range of frame syles and with a unique shape that, when combined with the weight of the bike, holds it instantly in place.

To find out more about the awardwinner, head over to the Cycloc site. www.cycloc.com 020 7249 8868

from within just the one brand.

Meanwhile, the mid-level Magnum brand offers a comprehensive variety of locks to cycle dealers, covering U locks, coil locks, chain locks, armoured locks and cable locks, retailing from between £4.99 and up to £46.99. www.moorelarge.co.uk sales@moorelarge.co.uk

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BIKE SECURITY

Oxford Products

Madison THE MADISON-DISTRIBUTED Kryptonite brand has introduced what it is calling a new era in portable and versatile bike security in its Modulus product.

The unique Modulus system has an adjustable length and two locking ports that enable it to adapt to virtually any situation and locking ‘anchor point’, excelling in those places that a U-Lock can’t be fitted. The double dead bolt mechanism holds the two cable ends in

place, and a spring-loaded design allows each end to be locked and removed independently.

The Kryptonite Modulus Security System’s cables have been constructed with 10mm braided steel and a handy bracket system is included which can mount to the bicycle in two ways, via the ‘no tools needed’ strap or attaching to the water bottle braze-on – an exceedingly easy transportation offering. The system has a suggested retail price of £29.99. www.madison.co.uk 0208 385 3385

OXFORD’S Magnum Ultra Strong ULock certainly sounds impressive and, happily, puts its money where its mouth is in a credential-backing move of offering a £1,000 anti-theft guarantee.

The Magnum itself features an ultra strong double locking mechanism and a 16mm shackle. A high tech pickresistant locking system provides a significant obstacle to criminals, while the carry bracket is ideal for users to transport it.

The Magnum (which we’re assuming probably has nothing to do with Tom Selleck) is Sold Secure Gold approved too.

2pure

Zyro THE LATEST from decades-old German brand Abus includes a Combination Dlock. Priced at £34.99, the D-lock comes complete with a carrying bracket for the seatpost and a dustcover for the four-digit resettable combination mechanism. Coming in a single size – 107 by 180mm – the lock benefits from a 15mm round shackle.

As we’ve detailed before in the pages of BikeBiz, Abus has also released a set of Combination Chain Locks in various colours, for £34.99, to take advantage of the increasingly lifestyle slant to the

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market. The lock boasts a resettable code with a strong seven mm square chain, which is in turn covered with a fabric sleeve to protect the allimportant bike finish.

The G51 is a Sold Secure Gold lock, priced at £69.99. A favourite in the big cities, the G51 provides top-notch protection without hitting a sky high price. It uses a virtually identical lock body to the supreme Granit X-plus 54, and uses a parabolic extra thick 13mm hardened steel round shackle for increased pulling resistance. www.zyro.co.uk neil.mountain@zyro.co.uk

2PURE SUPPLIES the Pinhead security line-up to the cycle trade, the internationally patented locking system which promises to provide bicycle owners with effective, affordable protection from the ever-growing problem of bicycle component theft.

The Pinhead range started with locking wheel skewers, and the range has grown to include a seat collar lock, a headset/fork lock – which is ideal for mountain bikers – and finally the all-new Bubble Lock.

2pure tells BikeBiz that a key (ahem) attraction of the Pinhead components system is that one single key, with thousands of possible combinations, works with all the locks. A single key provides enough security to protect not just the bike, but also the most valuable components on the bike from attack, leaving potential thieves to walk away with frustration, rather than a cyclist’s valuables.

The tough Ultra Strong U-Lock has also stood up to Oxford Product’s own rigorous attack test, proving resistant to five minute attacks from not only saws, but also drills and bolt croppers. www.oxprod.com 01993 862 300

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

The Bubble forms the crux of a complete one-key locking system that secures the bicycle frame. It’s designed to work individually or in combo. www.2pureb2b.co.uk 0131 448 2884

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BIKEBIZ.COM

CLOTHING GUIDE

Clothe your customers!

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

2Pure THE 2010 spring/summer collection from De Marchi is shipping now. By stocking De Marchi, dealers are carrying entirely handmade clothing, but with an advanced conception that comes from decades of authentic technological innovation.

All De Marchi shorts feature Elastic Interface Technology chamois. De Marchi chose the high quality EIT because it was actively involved with the development of the first ever elastic chamois back in 2000. All of the chamois’ feature an anatomically-designed, multilayer fused structure with a four-way stretch frame for a body conforming fit. Combine these features with an exclusive bacteoriostatic microfibre fabric, which prevents the formation of

Shutt VR A YEAR SINCE its inception, Shutt Velo Rapide, a UK-based cycling clothing specialist, has now extended its product line to include a range developed specifically for women.

The women’s catalogue includes new jersey designs, shorts, tights and accessories. Of notable mention is that Shutt VR is now offering a made-to-

germs and multi-density cushioning inserts and you can see why the brand is popular.

New for 2010 is the Pure Classic range, which combines classic De Marchi styling with modern construction techniques and materials to create an affordable range of clothing – perfect for everyone from the weekend warrior to the serious racer.

0131 448 2884

Seventies FRESH OUT of the container, Seventies now has stock of Robbie Morales’ new Cult brand, including a number of t-shirt designs sure to sell well with the brand’s followers. Each is screen printed with a design and are made entirely from cotton, carrying custom printed labels. Each is available in small, medium or large.

The Shadow Conspiracy has also revealed a new line of casualwear, printed on soft cotton tees, which are cut to slim fit. Look out for the Castle Fade and Voodoo shirts, both coming in black only.

Finally, among the Seventies clothing lines, DUB’s is perhaps the most unique, utilising slogans such as “chills, not skills”, which comes screen printed on a green cotton t-shirt. And if you are looking for something standout to sit among your stock, check out the colourful ‘Blend’ shirt too.

measure bespoke service for those who require a more tailored fit.

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

The end result is that with the racetested designs, the company can improve the quality of the clothing the team uses, as well as provide its customers with the best in British-made cycling clothing.

Shutt VR: 07939 115295

Zyro

Oxford

ALTURA’S new flagship perfomance Ergofit range has been in development for several years and takes Altura clothing to a new level. Using multipanel, pre-shaped designs and the highest quality fabrics, these garments offer a fantastic fit in the riding position, total comfort and performance on long days in the saddle.

The Ergofit summer range consists of a lightweight Short Sleeve Jersey (£59.99) and Mitts (£29.99) both in black or white with red trim and two levels of bib short. Both levels of Ergofit bib short use a new 3D moulded, stretch, multidensity insert with critical gel padding and a silver thread

OXFORD’S ever-popular range of multifunctional head and neck wear continues to expand with the introduction of an Official Licensed Superman product and two children’s designs.

Three iconic Superman designs adorn the adult-sized triple pack, which continues to offer tremendous value for just £12.99 (effectively three for the price of one). Trade margins are generous and

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Unrelated to clothing, look out for the much-anticipated DUB DVD due out later this year – the hype around this title is constantly building due to some crazy teaser web edit previews already posted online at seventies.co.uk.

0845 3103670

top sheet giving each permanent antibacterial properties.

The Ergofit Comp Bib (£79.99) is available in three colour options while the Ergofit Pro Bib (£99.99) features aggressive red external leg grippers, power lycra panels and a laser cut vented bib.

Flick to page 20 for an in-depth look at Zyro and Altura’s product, business and aspirations going forwards.

01845 521700

display systems are available free of charge to any retailers stocking the full range in reasonable numbers.

Oxford’s Chillout jacket is available to cycle retailers too. Utilising ‘Chilltex’ fabric, which can be worn as either an under or overlayer, the £69.99 jacket is both waterproof and breathable, as well as entirely windproof, even at the troublesome frontal zip.

01993 862300

BIKEBIZ APRIL 55

CLOTHING GUIDE

Sugoi FOR SPRING 2010, Sugoi Performance Apparel launches the all new RSE (Racing System Equipment) series, which is designed to provide the ultimate in high end racing and training apparel in strong pro optics for men and for women.

An advancement on the multi-award winning RS series, the line features advanced chamois technology, breathable tight-knit fabrics and specially applied ‘zone construction’.

A key item for those stocking competitive gear is the men’s RSE bib short, sold for £110 at retail price.

Made from Sugoi’s latest fabric

Eurobike WITH OVER 50 years in the cycling industry, the Hincapies draw from their own experiences as they work to produce only the best in cycling clothing. Rich and George carefully examine and test every garment to make sure it follows the company mantra of ‘Style in Motion’.

From bib shorts to jerseys to accessory items, each piece is purposely designed to carry both the level of performance George needs in competition and the

innovation, ‘Ultra Profi’, this garment is an all-season, technical garment delivering strong moisture transfer, stretch and recovery and efficient muscle support. Also new and developed specifically for the RSE series is the highly evolved FXE chamois, a tridensity foam construction providing ultimate performance and comfort. FXE is seamless laminated for a friction free feel, naturally thermo-regulated, is antimicrobial and features Sugoi’s best Vcontrol dampening technology.

07734 206702

stylish look that makes the clothing distinctive among the peloton.

Having come on board with Eurobike last year, the brand’s focus is not just limited to race jerseys.

Retailers can take stock of gloves, baselayers, skinsuits, shoe covers and more. In fact, during a recent demonstration, Eurobike MD Paul Stewart told BikeBiz about a range of casual wear currently in the prototyping stages. Expect that within the next few months, Eurobike will have Hincapie branded denim jeans, as well as t-shirts.

01332 774796

Walkers NOW CARRYING a comprehensive stock of US super-brand Serfas, Walkers Cycles can offer its customers a few tidy options for glove and mitt stock.

An example is the men’s full finger Zen glove, which is available in small to extra-large sizes in a dirtresistant charcoal shade. It has a durable hem too, double stitched all over, meaning it’s not only tough in areas prone to wear, but as a unit. Partioned padding features, giving the user further comfort on the handlebar. Among all of this sits a breathable, wicking, stretchy mesh panel, as well as a reflective trim and microfiber thumb.

01162 833885

Madison THERE’S A few spring additions to the ever-growing Madison clothing line to announce this month.

First up is the Psyclone Jacket, retailing for £79.99 and arriving in stock in May. The garment is a stripped down evolution of the Evo Lite jacket. Madison has used super light, ultra breathable fabric carrying a 20k waterproof rating, too. The reflective jacket carries a dropped hem with bar-tacked draw cord, side ‘inlet’ vents with waterproof zips, as well as rear ‘exhaust’ vents which double as jersey pocket access points.

Just in time for spring, three of Madison’s popular men’s shorts are now available in a 3/4 cut. The Shield Protec 3/4 Roubaix padded bib tights are designed to be used in cooler conditions with the thermal Roubaix

Moore Large

BikePure

HAVING ONE of the more diverse clothing catalogues in the trade, Moore Large is able to supply the full range of Tifosi, Vangard, Outeredge and Lake products – that’s top to toe coverage.

Starting at the bottom, Lake has gained many followers since introducing its CX401 custom fit carbon fibre road shoe. Able to be customised using a conventional oven, the shoe can be re-moulded to perfectly fit the rider’s feet, ensuring there are no pressure points. The CX401 is made from kangaroo leather, with side-mounted Push/Pull BOA lacing system and temperature regulating heel and tongue liner.

Outeredge is the distributor’s budget friendly clothing and luggage line. The latest releases within the range come

THE 2010 Bike Pure cycling team clothing will be produced by Onimpex UK/Bio Racer, one of the country’s leading cycling garment manufacturers.

The firm will initially produce jerseys and bib shorts for the anti-doping organisation, with further items being added as the season progresses. Co-founder of Bike Pure Andy Layhe said: "The new design is in keeping with Bike Pure’s previous jersey, a clean, fresh, eye-catching garment, although we have now added the World Champions colours to represent the World Champions who form part of our organisation. We wanted a line of garments that our members and cyclists alike would be proud to wear

56 BIKEBIZ APRIL

from the luggage sector, with a line of 3M reflective waterproof bags going from just £19.99 to £44.99 in price.

New to Vangard is the Windflex range, which features four styles – zip collar, roll neck and both long sleeve and short sleeve turtlenecks. The range is made from unique four-way stretch fabric, with exceptional elasticity and high moisture transfer. The garments retail between £55.99 and £67.99.

01332 274200

fabric treated with a water-resistant coating for added protection.

The Flux and Tempest 3/4 shorts will appeal to mountain bikers and commuters alike.

The tech brief for the Tempest 3/4 was a lightweight, waterproof and high breathable short, while the Flux 3/4 uses highly technical fabrics (four-way stretch crotch) and, with its removal padded liner, has a superb fit.

0208 385 3385

and show that they support drug free sport. The clothing range will also be available in both men’s and women’s sizing to provide a spot on fit."

07990 833887

BIKEBIZ.COM

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

Team RadioShack (USA) - Top riders: Lance Armstrong, Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer

Cervélo TestTeam (SUI) - Top riders: Heinrich Haussler, Thor Hushovd, Carlos Sastre

FRAME: Trek / GRUPPO: SRAM RED www.teamradioshack.us

FRAME: Cervelo / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zipp http://testteam.cervelo.com

Team Astana (KAZ) - Top riders: Alberto Contador, Oscar Pereiro, Alexander Vinokourov

AG2R La Mondiale (FRA) - Top riders: Cyril Dessel, Rinaldo Nocentini, Nicolas Roche

FRAME: Specialized / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zipp www.astana-cyclingteam.com

FRAME: Kuota / GRUPPO: SRAM RED www.cyclisme.ag2rlamondiale.fr

Team Saxo Bank (DEN) - Top riders: Fabian Cancellara, Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck

Team Milram (GER) - Top riders: Gerald Ciolek, Linus Gerdemann, Fabian Wegmann

FRAME: Specialized / GRUPPO: SRAM RED / WHEELS: Zipp www.team-saxobank.com

FRAME: Focus / GRUPPO: SRAM RED www.team-milram.de

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

WWW.SRAM.COM

CLOTHING GUIDE

Raleigh THE COMPREHENSIVE Avenir clothing range from Raleigh features everything from summer mitts to durable waterproof shells. A top seller year round in the UK is the Performance Waterproof jacket at £49.99. This is a fully featured, cycling specific jacket made from a breathable outer fabric with mesh liner, pit zips, reflective piping and finished with an adjustable wrist, neck and waist. The garment comes in five sizes and three colours.

Raleigh also stocks Vaude’s clothing range, which is made up of several gloves, jackets and trousers. The Drop pants are a fine example of Vaude’s technical product, utilising a 2.5 layer fabric PU coating for wet weather resistance. As with most garments in

Buff EVER-DIVERSIFYING its product, Buffera has announced a new reversible Polar Headband Buff. Primarily designed to protect the user’s ears from the cold, the garment is ideal for wintersports, or just a cold British winter.

Utilising a two-layer construction, the garment is tailored from polyester microfibres sewn to a high insulation Polartec thermal fleece.

Also new and similarly reversible from Buff is the standard neckwarmer Polar.

The Polar Buff’s design combines the warmest Buff fabrics to produce the most versatile, chill-killing accessory on the market.

The Polar Buff garment’s two-layer system is made from stretchy Original Buff polyester microfibre sewn top and bottom to a cylindrical piece of Polartec fleece fabric. This dual layer construction

Greyville GREYVILLE’S BBB catalogue features a number of clothing items that sit in

58 BIKEBIZ APRIL

the Vaude portfolio, the Drop pants feature various tactically placed reflective trims and a variety of adjustable features.

01773 532600

creates an air pocket for extra protection to help maintain body temperature and prevent heat loss.

01707 852244

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

Take the Squadra shorts for example. Retailing for £44.95, these are built with a ten-panel, strong lycra and mesh construction. Features include outside seams for maximum comfort, a silicon print elasticated leg gripper and ultra stretch padded insert.

BBB’s ladies’ shorts are tailored to fit the female form and at just £34.95 are great value considering the materials and anti-bacterial properties gained via six special panel inserts. Made from Lycra, the garment keeps friction to a minimum, preventing the irritation associated with long spells in the saddle. Additional features include a silicon print elasticated leg gripper and rear pocket.

01543 251328

Fli distribution AS A SOURCE of O’Neal supply to the UK trade, Fli Distribution is able to offer the full catalogue of shorts, jerseys, hoodies and more.

One of the highlight garments worth considering for stock ahead of the warmer summer months is the Thrasher Short, now available in black/white, white/black and white/red colour combinations. The Trasher short makes an ideal trail garment due to the four zipper pockets woven in to the heavy duty denier fabrics, which are triple-stitched in areas prone to wear and tear. Despite being tough on the outside, the inner linings are soft and accommodating, with a spandex strip sewn into the crotch area, allowing a wide range of movement, as well as breathability.

0161 304 0114

Foska ADD A BIT of excitement to your clothing department this year, with a range of quirky jerseys to catch the eye of your customers.

Foska.com is best known for its offthe-wall cycle jersey designs from the classic Marmite to the recent inclusion of the London Underground Map and much loved classic Wallace and Gromit.

The firm has also recently teamed up with BikeBiz’s own executive editor Carlton Reid to produce the iPayRoadTax jersey in support of his

Skins FOLLOWING the wellreceived launch last year of its first cycle range, high-tech Australian firm Skins is introducing seven garments in a new line, ‘C400’ and five more products to its current ‘Cycle Pro’ range, all of which became available in lateMarch. C400 has only been made possible through major leaps in technology by Skins, which has brought cycle-specific compression technology to its line.

Both ranges also include the company’s first non-compression tops for use in conjunction with gradient compression baselayers. With C400, laser body mapping and motion capture were used

campaign for a better understanding of Vehicle Excise Duty and a cyclist’s entitlement to be on the roads.

Foska offers cost effective, low-risk stocking-in options to maximise the return on each sale. The range consists of road jerseys, in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes, as well as freeride jerseys and water bottles, plus a winter selection for all year round sales.

0845 310 0120

to take 800,000 individual measurements and assess 400 key body-fitting points on hundreds of athletes. The use of a state of the art, multisensor measuring device – claimed to have been used for the first time ever in the sporting goods industry – enabled compression to be calculated accurately on athletes in-motion – not just when static.

This increased level of precision has not only led to new designs, but a greatly enhanced fit in Skins cycle garments.

The upped precision also resulted in the two C400 cycle-specific compression jerseys, which means that riders now have the opportunity to wear a full Skins cyclespecific outfit – from top to bottom.

01543 420 550

BIKEBIZ.COM

In No St w oc k

The Dawn of a New Era for Electric Bikes

SRP

£1195 Inc VAT

RECRUITING DEALERS - NOW! Salisbury LPX

Lithium Polymer Battery

SRP

£765 Inc VAT

Windsor LPX

Lithium Polymer Battery

SRP

£765 Inc VAT

Lynx LPX 20”

Lithium Polymer Battery

SRP

£765 Inc VAT

01279 821243 www.

.co.uk

email: info@PowaCycle.co.uk Akhter House Perry Road Harlow Essex CM18 7PN JN-1470 15.4.09 Prices subject to change without notice. E&OE

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ APRIL 59

SADDLES, POSTS, GRIPS, BOTTLES AND CAGES

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

2pure 2PURE supplies grips from the Lizard Skins brand. The ever-popular and wellreviewed Charger Lock-on grip returns this year with some new colours, as does the Steve Peat signature grip. 2010 also sees the launch of the Aaron Chase signature grip. This super thin grip is extra long, with a mini flange and is available in four colours. Lizard Skins lock-on grips are also available, with custom-etched lock rings and a quick turnaround time (usually two

Bottlesport BOTTLESPORT’S bottles are all UK printed and manufactured using food safe material and available in a variety of colours.

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

Manufactured in the UK (in Hertfordshire and Norfolk to be precise), Bottlesport’s range features non-leak screw caps and can be printed in up to six colours with the logo and design of the customer’s choice.

60 BIKEBIZ APRIL

weeks).

Shipping now from 2pure is the Crank Brothers Joplin 4 seatpost, which promises to reinvent on-the-fly saddle adjustment for 2010. It features a full four inches (100mm) of infinitely adjustable drop and the new robust seat clamps help to keep saddles secure, while improved sealing is provided by all-new u-seals. Where the original Joplin used one guide block, the new Joplin 4 tracks along dual guide blocks, which are longer, avoiding sideto-side play. It also comes available with a handlebar remote or under-seat lever.

0131 448 2884

Axel US-MADE Esi grips are 100 per cent silicon and massively lightweight, from just 48gm a pair. The comfortable Esi comes in two styles – one for the racers priced at £14.50, and for those that like their grips a bit thicker, there’s the Chunky at £15.50.

Axel distributes King Cages – hand-made titanium bottle cages from Durango, Colorado. Made by a single man in his small workshop, the cages weigh only 28gm, and don’t mark

Charge Bottlesport has recently announced a brand new partnership with Welsh Cycling – providing a discount for all Welsh Clubs that place their orders for water bottles throughout the year.

0845 602 9267

THE CHOPSTICK seatpost is available in 27.2mm or 31.6mm, and a broad number of colours – black, blue, brown, purple, red or silver. Boasting a single bolt clamp design, the Chopstick is very easy to fit and adjust. At 350mm long the Chopstick retails for £34.99.

Charge’s original intention with the Chopstick was that it would complement the bars that the firm offers to fixed gear riders, but the firm tells BikeBiz that it found all kinds of riders are enjoying the simple style they offer.

bottles. The hugely durable cages retail at £49.99.

Axel also offers New Ultimate Bars – lightweight stems and seatposts from Denmark.

New Ultimate formed nine years ago, and its range now includes road and MTB bars, stems, skewers, seatposts in both carbon and aluminium. Seatposts weigh in at a 117gms and retail at £190, stems weigh a mere 97 gm and retail at £87. Road bars weigh 185grms for £239 and flat MTB bars weigh 106 gm, priced at £120. info@axelimports.co.uk

Also up is the Knife saddle, the shape of which is derived from the critically acclaimed Spoon saddle. The Knife is a slightly slimmer, lighter version of the Spoon and is for road or mountain bike racing – and is almost as comfortable as the Spoon too.

The Knife is available in black or white and has a retail price of £49.99.

Finally, the carbon-friendly lock on Sponge grips are slimmer than the original Sponge grips, with a half plastic inner sleeve so the rubber is in direct contact with the bars. For more details, contact the firm directly.

01202 732288

BIKEBIZ.COM

SADDLES, POSTS, GRIPS, BOTTLES AND CAGES

Coyote Sports

Clarks

COYOTE SPORTS offers saddles to the bicycle retailer community from a number of brands by SMP, Selle Royal and Velo. As you would expect, the broad portfolio offers a wide range of saddles covering the junior, BMX, road, MTB and comfort sectors. A full range of sizes of seatposts are also offered from Promax and Kalloy.

Coyote’s own branded bottles and cages are still as popular as ever, the firm tells BikeBiz, and new models have been planned to arrive later in the season. The firm also supplies a broad and comprehensive

FOR 2010 Clarks has launched a comprehensive range of bicycle handlebar grips, ranging from children’s moulded rubber grips all the way through to ergonomically designed city grips.

Clarks’ range also includes ‘lock on’ grips. They come in a variety of colours with anodised ends that will match cables kits and other products available from the range. Available at highly competitive prices and in a variety of popular colours, it’s detailed on the firm’s website, www.clarkscyclesystems.com 01827 382 800

Gelert THE CANYON brand provides both saddles and grips to cycle retailers.

The Canyon Super gel saddle is an anatomically shaped saddle with super gel and extra thick padding. It’s not just about comfort though – the Super gel also boosts visibility with a rear reflector sticker.

Ison ODI’S GRIPS are dominant on the MTB scene, featuring Lock-On grip tech. ODI has regular grips too – including the best-selling BMX grip Longneck ST, now available in new colours.

Ison also stocks Renthal, the BMX grips, in four advanced synthetic rubber compounds for optimum strength, tackiness and shock absortion. Grips from Gusset, Genetic, Salsa, All-City, Dimension and Passport are also on offer.

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

Madison IS INTRODUCING its own Sport range of saddles this spring, with offerings for road and MTB in men’s and women’s fits. The former’s Prime Road has already scored nine out of ten in a recent Cycling Plus test; the range starts from £24.99.

The distributor also stocks the Selle San Marco RegalE, an evolved version of the popular original Regal.

For 2010, Selle San Marco has combined the classic

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Other features of the Super gel saddle include a fitted seat clamp and side protection with twin bag loops and childproof elastomer cushion buffers.

Moving beyond saddles, Canyon’s Comfort Grips boast soft profiled TPR material grips that are suitable for most styles of bikes with regular type gear shifters. The Comfort Grips are ergonomically shaped for both ladies and gents, and the grips also boast air venting and embossed grip surfaces.

0208 459 9970

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

For seatposts, the Dia Compe Grand Compe has a super lightweight Carbon Karyotype. Ison also stocks posts from KHE, Gusset, Identiti and Salsa.

01353 662662

shape with modern cutting edge materials and the saddle itself is available in a range of different options, including a Racing Team replica.

On the bottle side of things, Madison has the Elite Jossa – a lockable bottle that uses a silicone membrane valve combined with a lock/unlock bottle top that is sure to stand up to vigorous bashing and squeezing. Finally, the Elite Sior Carbon Fibre and titanium bottle cage (priced at £59.99 SRP) is a superlight from Elite Italy for increased durability.

0208 385 3385

Greyville GREYVILLE CARRIES the BBB range, with the Anatomic design saddle available in three colours (black, silver and white). Priced at £37.95 and weighing 225gm, it is suited to road or MTB with a glass fibre reinforced shell and super light foam padding.

BBB’s Skyscraper alloy seatpost is available in a wide variety of sizes with an in-line dual bolt adjustable seatclamp – making it a universal choice at just £19.99 retail.

Hope THE LONG-AWAITED Eternity post has arrived from Hope after a three year continual process of design, test and retests.

The post, CNCmachined in Barnoldswick, is made from custom Altium T6 aluminium, with superior mechanical strength, fatigue and corrosion resistance. The cunning design of the post

Moore Large THE ETC range includes Solar Comfort, Sport, Cruiser and Junior saddles – the comfort lines use Royalgel padding materials. ETC’s sports saddles are Velo manufactured and feature D2 bases. The centre panels on the bases are made of pliable material which flexes to reduce pressure.

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

grip range, including Velo and Coyote grips, again for a variety of sectors – BMX, comfort, MTB and cork ribbon for road bikes. For more details on any of the ranges contact Coyote directly at the number below.

0161 727 8508

In terms of grips, BBB offers real leather versions in black or brown at £15.95 a pair.

Internal foam prevents shock or vibration and high quality stitching promises to stay in place after intensive use.

Also up from the firm, the Hydratank Bottle is an elegantly designed 600 ml polypropolene bottle, retailing at £3.45. The Flexcage (£12.95) is a lightweight offering, with stainless steel bolts that provide a tight fit due to the unique auto-adjust flex system.

01543 251328

allows for free and fine adjustment of angle and fore/aft positioning of the saddle, yet offers the security of the more fiddly cradle style designs.

The Eternity is anodised and laseretched, with a silver head clamp and coloured fixings as an aftermarket option (matching the other five standard colours in the range).

01282 851200

suspension, micro-adjust, standard and BMX variables in alloy and steel. The One23 range includes carbon-fibre and alloy seatposts. New posts – with brightly coloured pivotal products – are available from Savage.

ETC, Savage and Premium Products have a range of grips, with the same firms producing bottles alongside Polisport, Zefal, Outeredge and One23. sales@moorelarge.co.uk

BIKEBIZ APRIL 61

SADDLES, POSTS, GRIPS, BOTTLES AND CAGES

Octagocyclesport OCTAGO imports the Selle An-Atomica line of saddles. The hand-made line is produced in Wisconsin USA, using its patented ‘Watershed’ leather saddle. The hero product is the Titanico. It features an anatomic cut-out for women and men, and comes in two rider weight categories.

Octago also supplies PMP seatposts in titanium and carbon, with post lengths of 250mm or 350mm, and a range of shims available for internal seat tube sizes.

OURY grips have gained a following in the fixed wheel sector. OURY’s original MTB model, available in a wide range of

Raleigh OUTLAND’S saddles, covering the basic service replacement to high-end MTB and road offerings, have been treated to a new look, shape, or both.

The Outland El Rey is available in two colours, with an improved platform shaped for support, offering comfort and performance. The El Rey VC, with a slightly lower spec, is aimed at the everyday rider.

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

Seventies THE FEDERAL SL Pivotal seat features a bolt to reduce weight and has an extremely thin amount of padding, giving it a super slim look and feel.

Finished with a black kevlar cover, the SL is available in black, gold, blue and white for £29.99 The Shadow Plastic SL Pivotal seat, however, is designed for riders who want a stripped down no-frills seat. It only weighs 6.1oz and is available for £21.99.

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

Wildoo WILDOO specialises in printing custom bottles and this year the firm has broadened its services by offering new translucent colours from stock on Wildoo’s 750ml BigMouth bottle. Unlike promotional merchandising companies, Wildoo sources product directly from factory, with no middle men.

Wildoo has over ten years of experience in the field and handles the entire order process from artwork preparation, right the way through to delivery. The bottles themselves offer top-notch quality and available sizes

62 BIKEBIZ APRIL

colours, is popular with fixie fanatics. The firm also offers a model utilising the ODI lock-on system, and there are two BMX models and a further MTB model – a hybrid of a MTB and BMX version.

07939 543016 scott@otagocyclesport.co.uk

market, while Diamondback BMX has recruited BMX designer Sophie Broadley to develop its saddle graphics. The Spectrum, Vector and Graffito demonstrate the colours available.

Avenir has a line of comfort saddles for leisure and commuting. Gel suspension saddles and seatpost complete the range.

Diamondback grips are available in 12 colours, while RSP’s bottles include a high flow trail model with dust cover (£12.99).

01773 532600

Pivotal, the Subrosa Lay back Pivotal post, to the Macneil Nub Pivotal post and the Kink Super Stamp Pivotal post.

Grips come in a range of styles. The Duo Van Homan grips by Duo feature a soft mushroom style patter with plastic bar ends and a price of £7.99.

Also new, the Shadow Thirteen grip is available in a wide range of colours – from black to blue, red, white, purple and more – for £7.99. The Federal Glow grips that light in the dark are available in a choice of Thin, Thick, Battle or Conquest’ styles.

0845 3103670

range from 550ml to one litre, all featuring leak proof screw on caps with Wildoo’s special soft thermoplastic pulling spout. The firm can custom print from just 150 identical pieces.

08709 771550

USE TWENTY-YEAR-OLD USE specialises in a full range of lightweight and suspension seat posts, recently adding a 31.6 diameter titanium post – the only UK company to offer such a post, it tells BikeBiz. The post range numbers 42, in aluminium, carbon or the aforementioned titanium. The Shokpost line is a suspension seatpost range, while the Alien is a rigid lightweight range targeted at road cycling and ‘weight weenies’. The Sumo line is aimed

Selle Royal SELLE ROYAL Ergogel brand is a range of anatomical saddles with Royalgel – the firm’s own patented twinflex base. With designs specific to both genders, Ergogel has certainly done its homework.

The men’s saddles feature a 35mm wide central depression, relieving pressure from the prostate, reducing compression of pudendal arteries and nerves, optimising blood flow to the penis and cutting feelings of numbness.

more at the MTB market, with a rigid post with burly looks. The Aero is a carbon seat post range for time trial and triathlon bikes, fitted with an Alien-style clamp. USE also offers a full range of shims that fit either USE seatposts or others to frames of different sizes.

The firm also offers a custom carbon bottle cage, featuring full carbon construction, custom cutout logo and bottle fin grips.

Available in one style, it comes supplied with stainless steel bolts for a retail price of £40. info@use1.co.uk 01798 344477

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

Another saddle brand from Selle Royal is the Lookin – ideal for comfortseeking cyclists.

They incorporate two new comfort-based features. Firstly, the innovative cool cover which helps the saddle cover up to 25°C in the sun. Secondly, the saddle also uses Royalgel – reducing pressure on the prostate and pubis.

01933 672170

Walkers US BRAND Serfas US has new hot road saddles such as the Vistoso road saddle, available in black or white. Weighing in at a mere 260gm, the Vistoso features a patented dual density base, cromo rails, and the standard Serfas saddle 90-day satisfaction money back guarantee. Trade price for the saddle is £15.95, with a suggested retail price of £34.95.

01162 833885

Zyro CAMELBAK’S bottle range, including the Podium and Podium Chill, has been improved, with a more squeezable version of the Trustate polypropylene.

Zyro also has bottles from Zefal, with a personalised service to promote shops, events and so on. Bottle cages come by way of Tortec (Competition Bottle Cage) and Minoura (Dura Cage).

The latest from Prologo includes the Team Sky replica saddles. Three models

will be available and come with Prologo Sky bar tape.

Bodyfit has comfort saddles for men, women and children from the Tortec firm, from £12.99 to £29.99. They are waterproof, soft shelled and durable.

Post Moderne’s Cushy SL and Gilde seatposts are available, as is Dahon’s innovative BioLogic PostPump seatpost – an ingenious combo of a seatpost and floor pump.

Dahon’s BioLogic brand also manufactures grips (Biologic Arx Grips), designed to support the palm of the rider and minimise numbness.

01845 521700

BIKEBIZ.COM

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BIKEBIZ APRIL 63

EVENTS AND EDITORIAL PLANNER

Editorial Planner

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPOTLIGHT

2010 MTB WORLD CUP Saturday April 24th-25th Dalby Forest, Yorkshire

May 2010

www.britishcycling.org.uk

ENERGY AND NUTRITION WOMEN’S PRODUCTS 30 UNDER 30: RISING STARS Editorial Deadline: April 9th

Advertising Deadline: April 14th

To advertise call Carly Bailey on +44 (0) 1992 535647, or email her at carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk For editorial contact Jonathon Harker on +44 (0) 1992 535646, or email him at jonathon.harker@intentmedia.co.uk

EPoS focus Cycle Luggage Gears, Brakes & Chains Editorial Deadline: May 7th Advertising Deadline: May 12th

JULY 2010 BMX: Bikes & Accessories Cycle Computers: Heart Rate Monitors, Navigation and more Editorial Deadline: June 4th Advertising Deadline: June 9th

AUGUST 2010 Bicycle Lighting Complete Bikes Editorial Deadline: July 9th Advertising Deadline: July 14th

SEPTEMBER 2010 Children’s Bikes and Accessories Carrier Racks Editorial Deadline: Aug 6th Advertising Deadline: Aug 11th

OCTOBER 2010 Clothing and Accessories Cycle Show Special Editorial Deadline: Sept 3rd Advertising Deadline: Sept 8th

NOVEMBER 2010 Stocking FIllers Trailers and Trailer Bikes Cycle Review Editorial Deadline: Oct 8th Advertising Deadline: Oct 13th

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SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2010 Thursday April 15th – 18th Monterey, USA www.seaotterclassic.com 2010 MTB WORLD CUP Saturday April 24th – 25th Dalby Forest, Yorkshire www.britishcycling.org.uk

May 2010

JUNE 2010

THE BIBLE IS BACK!

April 2010

BIKEASIA 2010: THE GREEN PLANET Friday May 21st – 23rd Singapore Expo Hall www.bikeasia.org

June 2010 BIKE WEEK 2010 Saturday June 12th – 20th Nationwide www.bikeweek.org.uk MOUNTAIN MAYHEM 2010 Friday June 18th – 20th Eastnor Castle, Ledbury osmountainmayhem.co.uk CTC YORK CYCLE SHOW Saturday June 19th – 20th York Racecourse www.yorkcycleshow.co.uk PRESS CAMP 2010 Tuesday June 22nd – 25th Deer Valley, Utah lance@lifeboatsolutions.com

July 2010 TOUR DE FRANCE Saturday July 3rd – 25th Holland, Belgium, France www.letour.fr BIKERADAR LIVE 2010 Saturday July 10th – 11th Brands Hatch, Kent live2010.bikeradar.com BIKE DEALER CAMP Thursday July 29th – 31st Deer Valley, Utah lance@lifeboatsolutions.com

August 2010 AUSBIKE CYCLE TRADE EXPO Saturday August 21st – 23rd Melbourne www.ausbike.com.au

September 2010 EUROBIKE 2010 Wednesday Sept 1st – 4th Friedrichshafen, Germany www.eurobike-show.de INTERBIKE 2010 Wednesday Sept 22nd – 24th Holland, Belgium, France www.letour.fr

October 2010 CYCLE SHOW 2010 Thursday October 7th – 10th Earls Court, London www.cycleshow.co.uk

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

For advertising opportunities contact Carly Bailey: Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk | 01992 535647 BIKEBIZ APRIL 65

LATEST PRODUCTS

New gear

Motorex greases up carbon, CNP re-energises cyclists with cola gel and Nukeproof lives up to its name with tough, high performance pads...

Motorex carbon specific grease Raleigh 01773 532600

Pro Energy Max gel CNP Professional 0161 368 3850

Nukeproof Science Pads Hotlines 0131 319 1444

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

Motorex also has a new all-purpose chain lubricant, retailing at a wallet-friendly (£5.99) to sit below its popular ‘Wet and Dry’ lubes, in an attempt to get people to use bike specific products rather than general lubes found in DIY stores.

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

HAVING worked with British Cycling to develop an energy gel solution for use by Team GB and the Sky Pro Cycling team, CNP Professional is now marketing its cola-flavoured booster to retailers.

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

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

MADE IN Japan, Nukeproof Science Pads all feature a semi-metallic compound, tailored for different riding conditions. Trail pads utilise these materials to great effect, offering solid weatherproof braking. Endurospecific pads offer higher performance for riders that like to use their brakes hard and need more durability.

Downhill riders are taken care of too, with pads tailored for high-speed racers scrubbing off speed on a run needing power, consistency and control.

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

Buff 2010 Christmas gift packs Buffera 01707 852244

Serfas tyres Walkers Cycles 01162 833885

Dahon bike bags Zyro 01845 521700

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

Shipping in October, those who take stock will receive a point of sale unit 18 light metal cans containing 18 Buffs – eleven in a chocolate shade and seven in red. With the £112.50 package, retailers will receive one sample of each original Buff, which can be positioned on the POS to show the contents of the tins.

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

THIS MAY, Walkers Cycles takes its first stock of Serfas foldable tyres, which offer a stunningly cheap initial stock-in price.

Coming in eight different colours, the 23c Seca RS tyres are inflatable to 130psi and hold 120 TPI. Retail price for the road tyre has been set at £24.95 – customers receive a tyre with high puncture resistance, long-wearing tread life and super quick feel on the road. The rubber holds a 60 Durometer Center Ridge for extended life and 56 Durometer sides for enhanced cornering. A wire bead version is also available at a lower cost, but comes in fewer colours.

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

Retailers can place orders for the CarryOn, Stow and Body Bags, each of which serves a different purpose. For commuters, the CarryOn is designed to get you aboard a bus or train with little fuss over your luggage. Next up, the Stow is aimed at people looking for a rugged option and designed with protection of the contents in mind.

Last of all, the Body Bag is designed around home storage and as such can be accommodated into smaller spaces, or hung from a hook.

66 BIKEBIZ APRIL

BIKEBIZ.COM

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

The BikeBiz Marketplace offers a complete marketing package of print, online and editorial visibility, allowing companies the opportunity to maintain contact with readers each month without the associated cost of full display advertising.

The BikeBiz Marketplace, and its associated online version, has been designed to offer readers a directory of all products and services in the bike trade.

The standard package includes: A quarter page advert in each issue Regular editorial coverage in the dedicated column Company details listed in the online directory with web link Company details listed in the BikeBiz Marketplace Contacts To get your company featured here contact: Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or

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

carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk Marketplace Rates: Quarter Page £175 (minimum six months)

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE CONTACTS BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

LIGHTING

Madison

01908 326000

www.madisonb2b.co.uk

Paligap

01454 313 116

www.paligapltd.co.uk

Exposure Lights

01798 344 477

www.exposurelights.com

RACKS BIKE MAINTENANCE Weldtite

01652 660000

www.weldtite.co.uk/

BMX PARTS & ACCESSORIES Seventies

0845 310 3670

0845 230 3799

www.maxxraxx.co.uk

Pendle

01282 699 555

www.pendle-bike.co.uk

0117 972 4730

www.argoscycles.com

ATG

01296 737 815

www.atg-training.co.uk

Cycle Systems Academy

0207 6082577

www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk

RESPRAYS & REPAIRS www.seventies.co.uk

COMPONENTS Bob Elliot & Co Ltd

Maxx Raxx Trading Ltd

Argos

TRAINING SERVICES 01772 459 887

www.bob-elliot.co.uk

Otago Cycle Sport

07939 543 016

www.otagocyclesport.co.uk

Pace cycles Ltd

01723 867 919

www.pacecycles.com

The Cycle Division

0845 0508 500

www.thecycledivision.com

USE Ltd

01798 344 477

www.use1.com

WATER BOTTLES Bottle Sport

08456 602 9267

www.bottlesport.com

Wildoo Ltd

08709 771 550

www.wildoo.co.uk

I-Bikeshop.com

01709 511766

www.I-bikeshop.com

SimpleEshop

0116 267 5145

www.simpleeshop.com

EPOS Citrus Lime

0845 603 9254

www.citrus-retail.com

Evopos

0845 644 9424

www.evopos.com

BIKEBIZ.COM

WEBSITE SERVICES

BIKEBIZ APRIL 67

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE

COMPANY PROFILE ANDY EASTERBROOK, WILDOO How many years has Wildoo been in the business, and what is the company’s background?

Wildoo has been trading for seven years.

Before Wildoo I notched up many years experience in the bike industry at all levels, from independent bike dealers and Halfords to distributor Moore Large.

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

Custom printed sports bottles are a speciality for Wildoo, so how did the firm come to distribute for Token, XPACE and Pletscher?

Wildoo is focused in two areas: as a manufacturers’ agent and as a sourcing specialist.

As an agent we represent brands including Token (distributed exclusively

by Jim Walker) and Pletscher, tasked with developing sales in the UK. As a sourcing expert we supply frames, wheels, components and accessories (including the bottles) with private label branding. For this we source out of Taiwan through Token Products and in addition offer XPACE carbon

TEL: 01908 374555

frames to dealers looking to develop their own brand range as well. The bottles themselves are from Hungary.

Are there any plans to add to the Wildoo portfolio?

During 2009 we added Jet Black Products to the portfolio, which we have placed exclusively with Chicken Cyclekit.

Customers have been asking us for more own-brand products so for 2010 we are now starting to co-operate with a number of new suppliers across Asia to offer gloves, bandanas, clothing and much more.

We carefully select the suppliers we work with for quality, in terms of both product and service. We always ensure that we start slowly with new suppliers to ensure that they can meet our high standards.

Can you tell us more about the printed sports bottles service?

Printed sports bottles are our core product. We have a minimum order quantity of just 150 bottles and the sizes we supply range from 500ml to one litre.

BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

68 BIKEBIZ APRIL

EMAIL: info@wildoo.co.uk WEB: www.wildoo.co.uk Our bottles are of a very high quality and are a firm favourite with cyclists.

You will often see our bottles in use by professional cyclists, sportive riders and leisure bikers.

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

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

Do you distribute your product range overseas?

We have a growing demand for bottles from Ireland and a few bottle customers in Scandinavia and Spain, but our main focus is the UK. Tell us about your work with British Cycling and the Go Ride bottles British Cycling approached us two years ago to design a bespoke bottle. We developed a special bottle for it with the web address moulded into the bottles and printed up with the British Cycling and Go Ride logos.

For 2010 we have developed other Go Ride branded products to complement the bottles.

“Our bottles are a firm favourite with cyclists.

You’ll see them in use by professionals, sportive and leisure riders.”

Andy Easterbrook, Wildoo

BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

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COMPONENTS

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BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

COMPONENTS

BIKEBIZ APRIL 69

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70 BIKEBIZ APRIL

COMPONENTS

COMPONENTS

COMPONENTS

EPOS

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EPOS

LIGHTING

RACKS

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BIKEBIZ APRIL 71

BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE RESPRAYS AND REPAIRS

TRAINING SERVICES

TRAINING SERVICES

WATER BOTTLES

72 BIKEBIZ APRIL

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BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE WATER BOTTLES

WEBSITE SERVICES

WEBSITE SERVICES

To advertise in this section please call Carly Bailey on:

01992 535647 or email:

Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ APRIL 73

NUMBER CRUNCHING

Let’s get statistical…

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

10 to 14% The amount by which Sustrans believes its TravelSmart programme has helped reduce car use among the 250,000 UK households it has worked with.

Taipei Cycle Show

86

894

4,913

The number of nations from which visitors came to attend the Taipei Cycle Show – 22 more than in 2009.

Exhibitors occupied 3,018 booths at the show, representing a 4.5 per cent increase in firms taking space at the event.

The figure by which attendance figures jumped in the first three days of the show – a 7.6 per cent increase.

692,028

12.29%

The number of complete bicycles said to have been exported from Taiwan to the UK in 2009. That’s a 27.69 per cent decline on the prior year’s trade when 956,995 units were shipped.

(Source: BOFT International Trade Information System)

The increase in the average value of bikes shipped in 2009, compared to those in 2008. The value rose year-onyear from an average of $165.97 to $186.36.

(Source: BOFT International Trade Information System)

29er Giant announced what is believed to be the first women’s-specific 29er during March. Dubbed the Rainier, the bike is of a lower spec and cost price than the equivalent men’s model.

74 BIKEBIZ APRIL

BIKEBIZ.COM

LETTERS PAGE

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

Email: Jonathon.Harker@ intentmedia.co.uk

STAR LETTER

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

Green space outside shops?

I don’t think so...

Never let it be said that the BikeBiz letters page isn’t a hotbed of opinion, debate and criticism. This month one reader complains about a Spokesman column that advocated keeping space outside shops car free…

I READ with great interest Carlton’s article, re: green area outside shops. I have to guess that Carlton is finding it hard to fill the Spokesman page, which is now considerably bland.

Having called on 85 per cent of cycle shops in the country outside Wales, I have yet to find such a site where a green area would benefit from a makeover of a bench and continental style table and chairs. If there are such areas outside shops then they have to be in Wales, a country I never had a passport to enter when I was on the road.

Precinct areas are very cheerful, but how many cycle

shops have prime sites? Most are in secondary positions. And we may be in Europe, but the UK is not Spain and certainly not California, where I believe the sun does shine considerably more.

The continental table and chairs would last only one day as the local kids would nick them as soon as dusk came along. I doubt the local council would allow the extra space without giving a rateable value to the use of the land.

We do not have any cycle tracks around us for kids to be engaged in friendly contributions to society, so Bike Hub get your finger out in

the Kent area – we need more encouragement to get kids riding cycles.

The back page used to be a good read and a chuckle once upon a time.

David Wilsher, Mission Cycles Everyone’s got an opinion, and we here at BikeBiz think the article made plenty of valid points about the worth of making streets more friendly for humans, and less friendly for cars, potentially boosting customer numbers in store. If you disagree let us know your thoughts at Jonathon.Harker @intentmedia.co.uk.

Star Letter Whether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-thepost letter, email or a comment made on the BikeBiz forum, the best letter of the month wins a prize from Oxford Products.

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

BIKEBIZ.COM

Think of the children I AM WRITING for some advice and assistance regarding an upcoming cycling event.

On July 26th I am undertaking a bike ride for Tiny Lives, a charity that helps the neo-natal ward at the RVI hospital, Newcastle. I recently became a father and after a traumatic birth, the extraordinary care provided by the staff at the RVI resulted in my son being with us today.

The event is aptly named Lifecycle. This is no ordinary bike ride.

I am cycling to work and back again for five consecutive days.

This might not sound a lot, but I will be biking a distance of 61.8 miles (per journey), which equates to 618 miles in five days.

To complete the ride I need a road bike that will be up to the challenge. I’d like to raise as much money as I can and my target is £10,000. Hiring a suitable road bike would take money away from this target, so I’d like to ask if any of your readers would be interested in being part of this event by lending me a suitable bike, or helping me find someone who can, for the event and the training. Any advertising or sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in helping, please email me.

Andrew Wake, justgiving.com/AndyWake Andrew.Wake@ homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

From the Forum...

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

So it’s here: Tesco ‘Bike Shops’.

Or is it just a small area instore with a selection of usual bikes you would expect in a supermarket, with the option to be built up by a mechanic using a dumbell spanner? What surprises me is that people still carry on buying from suppliers who supply these stores.

Elvis I thought I’d just share my next week’s shopping list with you all: one loaf of bread, four tins of beans, half dozen eggs, a tin of GT85 and two, 26x175 tubes, four Mars Bars and a gear wire.

Not sure of the calories of this little lot or whether the girl at the checkout will ask if I have chosen the right valve on my inner tubes. best Just think of all those Clubcard points. It’s got to be worth sacrificing buying a bike from someone who knows which pedal goes in which crank.

It’s bad enough trying to talk to their ‘trained staff’ in the electrics department, all of whom speed past when you ask them for help.

Mr-C

BIKEBIZ APRIL 75

OFF TRACK

OFF

k c a r T

• schoolkids saddle up for lejog

Chitech team takes on the United States A FIVE-MAN team from Chitech Industries Europe is set to take on all 3,132 miles of the length of America by bike this September.

The gargantuan task is all in aid of raising £100,000 for life limited children, young people and their families at Claire House Children’s Hospice. With a goal of completing the ride in just 30 days, this

tough challenge is the equivalent of running 115 marathons back-to-back through difficult terrain. It will test fitness and stamina, motivation and mental determination.

Bike suppliers M&J Distributors of Denton, Manchester, run by Steve and Mark Henshaw, will be heavily supporting the charity effort.

a-wide charity ride Intrepid cyclists from Chitech are planning to tackle a Americ

Cycling to school notches up virtual miles in a new head-tohead competition

York schoolkids take on LEJOG… SCHOOLS ACROSS York have gone head-to-head in the city’s first ever virtual cycle race.

The race has been organised by Cycling City York and sustainable transport charity Sustrans to encourage more children to make the journey to and from school by bike.

The virtual race works by awarding each team ‘miles’ towards a virtual journey between opposite ends of the country. In the artificial ride from Lands End to John O’Groats, miles are notched up in return for each journey to school that pupils make by bike.

The cunning ploy means that the more children cycle to school, the

76 BIKEBIZ APRIL

more miles their school will cover in the biking battle.

Throughout the pedal-powered faceoff, the results will be recorded on a dedicated website and can be viewed by those taking part, so competitors can see how rivals are doing.

The first school to reach that northernmost point of John O’Groats will be the winner. In good news for smaller schools, each has an equal chance of winning regardless of size, because the number of miles awarded for each journey is weighted according to the total number of pupils at the school.

You can find out more about the race at www.sustrans.org.uk.

TF Tuned reveals ‘future of suspension’ TF TUNED SHOX, appointed last year as official service centre for Cannondale suspension forks, hosted the annual HeadShok dealer seminar on March 9th at its HQ in Westbury.

Cannondale retailers were treated to a day of hands-on training, covering the Retailers got their mits dirty at the seminar

routine service steps per product, as well as being given an exclusive demo of the ‘Simon’ electronic suspension fork. This futuristic model has been described by MBR as the “future of suspension”. There’s only one working prototype in the world.

“Having recently partnered with TF Tuned Shox it made perfect sense to run our service seminar there, not only because of the exceptional resources, but because it’s also such an impressive setup that it has in place,” said Michael Cotty, CSG UK marketing manager.

Jules Tandacharry, head of workshop services at Evans, added: “It’s not only good to refresh some of the key service points, but also to see how the whole HeadShok range is developing, not to mention the Simon prototype. That’s a whole new level altogether.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

OFF TRACK

Send your pictures to mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

• mountain bikers wheel into demo day • tf tuned hosts shocking seminar at hq

Leicestershire schools benefit from £80,000 in cycle parking NINE COUNTY schools in Leicestershire are set to benefit from new cycle parking to encourage more children to choose the healthy option and cycle to school.

Leicestershire County Council has been working with the schools on the £80,000 project, which has been partly funded by Sustrans, to install secure cycle parking.

The areas chosen for the new cycle parking are in central Leicestershire and Loughborough – areas where transport studies show congestion is heaviest.

Lesley Pendleton, cabinet member for environment and transport at the County Council, said: “By installing secure cycle parking we hope that many more pupils will be encouraged to ride their bikes to school. Cycling is a healthy way to get from a to b and is a great way to keep fit for both school children and their parents. School

children will help us with monitoring the success of the cycle parking after the installation.”

quote

Sponsored by the brands of Moore Large 01332 274252

“BMX riders are like strippers, as both love grinding on poles.

BIKEBIZ.COM

So, removing all the metal parts from a BMX bike is like replacing the pole in a strip club with a gigantic Hacky Sack.”

BikeSnobNYC, March 8th

“One of the posts on that thread paints a pretty entertaining gallery of late 19th Century hubless monocycles. Of course, BSNYC’s ‘save the hubs’ campaign gets a mention too.

All in all, it seems that everyone is kind of tired of seeing new hubless wheel concepts on the web each and every week.” bicycledesign.net, March 16th

“Ironic, iconic and probably iconoclastic.”

Edmund King, president of the AA, delivers his verdict on the iPayRoadTax cycle jersey “On the Core77 discussion boards ‘Slippyfish’ recently started ‘The Official Hubless Wheel Hater Thread’.

OVER 200 mountain bike enthusiasts rides and had technical representatives gathered at Wheelbase Cycle on hand, including Kona, Trek, Superstore, Staveley last month for the Cannondale, Marin, Yeti, Turner, Kona, third annual Big Demo Weekend.

Mondraler, Whyte, Wilier and Intense.

Said to be among the largest events Penrith-based Cycle Active provided of its kind, the Big Demo offers the guided tours, with the routes mountain designed to show visiting riders bikers the the best the area has to offer. chance to The event was also a bonus for select one of the guesthouses, pubs and cafes 140 of Staveley, which were bustling demonstration with happy mountain bikers. bikes for a Wheelbase has a number of guided test races and events packed into the ride in and coming months including around the challenges for road cyclists and stunning more MTB-based events.

Kentmere Riders get to grips with MTBs Valley – home and more at the Wheelbase Big to some of the Demo Weekend UK’s best natural riding.

Potential customers seriously considering purchasing a new mountain bike in the spring had the chance to try out bikes at the free event. An impressive roster of names from Pic © Dave Macfarlane. the biz provided the

™

unquote “Madison is really excited to be part of what promises to be the first ‘Super Show’ for cycling.

“With so much cross-over in consumers between the outdoors world, sailing and cycling this new show at ExCeL London is truly exciting for us and offers us a chance to expose our brands to a far wider audience than we have been able to in past cycling consumer expos.”

Will Fripp, Madison, March 15th

Wheel good time

Edmund King

“I’ve been looking at marketing budgets for bike companies for

about 25 years now, and I haven’t found a more costeffective way for most companies to accomplish the mission-critical business of putting brands and products in front of retailers than at trade shows.”

Rick Vosper, March 10th “Sticking to the kerb where drivers are not necessarily looking means they are less likely to see you.”

Duncan Pickering of the IAM encourages cyclists to ‘claim their lane’, March 18th

BIKEBIZ APRIL 77

OFF THE RECORD

SPOKES

IN THE SADDLE

Electric goes big box

Ian Young, Altura Brand Manager ian.young@zyro.co.uk

E-bikes – coming to a box near you soon?

What bikes do you own?

At the moment I’ve got a Yeti 575, Klein Attitude, Gary Fisher Sugar, Single Speed Rigid hack, Ridley Excalibur, Lemond Tourmalet and a few other bits.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest rush achievable on a bike?

Fast flowing descents, off or on road.

How long have you been cycling?

For about 25 years, ish.

Can you afford to let Best Buy and Halfords own the e-bike market?

RALEIGH has a new electric bike. I still have one of the first the company produced, back in the days when Mark Todd was MD, and Yvonne Rix was Britain’s highest placed female exec.

In fact, the Raleigh electric bike was her project. It was heavy and had a lead acid battery that petered out prematurely, but it was ahead of its time. This was the early 1990s – Todd and Rix left the firm in 2002.

The e-bike was lauded as the machine for the future.

And it was: it didn’t sell in huge numbers at the time.

Raleigh got its fingers burned, and shelved the project.

The new bike is a huge improvement on Raleigh’s first effort. It has been sourced from Raleigh Germany, where sales of e-bikes are strong.

What might hinder it is the retail channel. You lot also got your fingers burned by the first few electric bikes on the market. Naturally, you will be wary of getting back into the sector in any big way.

We’ve not yet experienced a Netherlands-style e-bike boom. Perhaps we never will. E-bikes, in the main, sell to older, more affluent consumers. E-bikes in

the Netherlands are high quality and, consequently, expensive. The demographic which buys e-bikes in the Netherlands and Germany doesn’t tend to buy expensive bikes in the UK. It’s an (electrified) chicken-and-egg thing. Sales of e-bikes in the UK are therefore concentrated in a few specialist ‘urban transport’ retailers.

In the US, e-bikes are appearing in Walmart and Best Buy. You might not be afraid of a cheap Chinese e-bike in Asda, but Best Buy is a different animal. The electronics chain is a big box retailer with service at its core. It’s famous for demystifying tech and could transform the US e-bike market.

So? Best Buy is opening stores in the UK. It’s just a handful for now but, if Best Buy can bloody the noses of Comet and the like, it’ll expand. Consumers may come to expect e-bikes in Best Buy – and Halfords, which is now electrifying apace – and not expect them in IBDs. This may suit you fine, but remember that much of the buoyancy in the Dutch bike market is due to sales of expensive, profitable electric bikes.

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648 Executive Editor: Carlton Reid Carlton.Reid@intentmedia.co.uk

Sub-Editor: Gemma Messina Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk

Editor: Jonathon Harker Jonathon.Harker@intentmedia.co.uk

Production Executive: Abby Fanger Abigail.Fanger@intentmedia.co.uk

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

Design: Kelly Styles Kelly.Styles@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Manager: Carly Bailey Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk

Business Development: Dave Roberts Dave.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial Production Manager: Helen French Helen.French@intentmedia.co.uk

78 BIKEBIZ APRIL

Managing Editor: Lisa Foster Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk

Publisher/MD: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

Why should retailers choose Altura over other brands?

Altura is a UK brand designed for UK riders. We offer great quality and value products for all types of rider. The brand makes big steps forward in product design and quality year-on-year, striving to supply the perfect clothing and luggage ranges. We’ve grown marketing activity over the past two years and this is set to increase further with the appointment of brand marketing manager Robin Puplett.

What’s your business background?

I worked for Alpine Bikes (Scottish IBD chain) as shop manager, then area manager for five years, which gave me a great insight into the industry from both sides.

Tell us something we didn’t know about Altura...

How about these three things: Altura means ‘height/ altitude’ in Spanish, and Altura started producing panniers before clothing. Finally, the Altura design and development team has trebled in the past three years.

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Bike gold...

...Career highs

With so many people getting their treasured bikes out from winter hibernation, now is the peak of the service year for the bike industry.

So you need to get yourself equipped with the very latest cycle qualifications and this has has never been easier. At the Cycle Academy we offer a range of both NVQ and Cytech accredited courses. We are proud to be the only organisation that the government have chosen to deliver both nationally and industry recognised qualifications.

Our presence is national, so wherever you live in the UK you can benefit from a course with us, and more often than not secure funding for your qualification.

Whether you are looking to improve your own skills or to train your staff we can help.

We offer levels of training to suit all abilities and can tailor courses to meet your needs.

We’re a not for profit charity who have become the leader in cycle maintenance training throughout the UK. Details of courses plus resources that may be of use to your workshop can be found on our website.

Contact us today for further information.

Please quote promotion BB1 Contact us on:

01296 737815 cycles@atg-training.co.uk www.atg-training.co.uk

for your future...

atg training cycle academy

· City and Guilds Professional Cycle Mechanic Training · Short courses in Wheel Building · One Day Basic Maintenance Courses We are very proud to be sponsored by:

You realise that the instructors here don't just work

here. They love bikes and cycling. That makes a

difference and creates a good craic. Studying at

Cycle Systems Academy has given me the ability

to open my own shop - Cycle Ops - in Dublin.

Chaz Farrell

Checkout our new website at www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk Or call 0207 608 2577 for a chat about what we can offer you or to arrange a visit to our state of the art workshop in London, N1.

Photo: Em Fitzgerald