Issue 58 | November 2010
EDITORIAL
Issue 58 | November 2010
NEWS 4-10 CHAIN REACTION 13
The latest on new products, new deals and recent events in the bike trade...
INDUSTRY OPINIONS 43
EVENTS 74
BikeBiz AWARDS 2010 2010 AWARDS
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Cycling England has been abolished for the sake of £200,000. It’s a figure that would look nice in my bank, but small fry in, say, the road build budget.
Missed the sold out event at Sway Bar last month? Then turn to page 19...
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It’s still a powerful statistic, especially as the need for cuts are being impressed upon us at every turn. In fact, it couldn’t be more pertinent than now, when Cycling England has been abolished for the sake of £200,000. £200k is a figure that would look very nice in my bank account, for sure, but in the scheme of things – let’s say in the UK’s road build budget – it’s small fry. Or to be blunt, negligible. Let’s hope it’s not a statement of intent from Westminster. Of course, at time of print the Government hasn’t actually cut its investment in cycling (aside from the £200k on running Cycling England). But it’s the details – or lack of them – that has worried cycle lobbyists. There is a distinct lack of clarity over the new de-centralised Local Sustainable Transport Fund. How much of the Fund will end up being spent on cycling? Who will administer it? Who will manage Bikeability’s bike training? What about the future of the Cycling Demonstration Towns, where cycling has increased by 27 per cent in three years? Even when those questions are answered, who exactly is going to have the ear of Government when Cycling England disappears next year? Cycling may not be short of advocates, but just how many have a hotline to the corridors of power? It’s our job to keep repeating the mantra that investment in cycling is worthwhile – and never more so than under this Government. Spending on bikes saves the nation money and handily is good for the bicycle business too. It’s a no brainer for us, but it’s at our peril if politicians forget it. Finally, a thank you to those who lobbied, judged, attended and generally took part in the 2010 BikeBiz Awards. Well done to the winners, commiserations to those who didn’t walk away with an award – and see you next year!
One disgruntled reader rants about ‘advertorials’ on the Letters page this month...
Jonathon Harker, Editor
FOCUS ON…
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PALIGAP SHOW REPORT New brands galore – including Cipollini’s high-end bike and apparel lines – at Paligap’s dealer show
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CYCLE SHOW ROUND-UP We look at some of the highlights from Cycle Show’s last appearance at Earls Court. Mark Sutton reports...
MOORE LARGE SHOW REPORT 44
BikeBiz heads to Gatwick for Moore Large’s roadshow to check out the latest kit from the distributor...
TRAILER BIKES
STOCKING FILLERS
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REGULARS BRAND SPOTLIGHT
39 LETTERS
We take a Look at Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s high-end French bike brand...
PEOPLE
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SPONSORED BY
Three in at Hotlines, Hinton joins Upgrade, plus new faces at Fisher and CSG UK...
NEW PRODUCTS Bikebiz takes a look at the latest from SKS, Cordee, Pivot, Clarks and Giro
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SPRING MIGHT FEEL like a long time past now that the clocks have gone back, but one story from the start of the year truly strikes a chord right now: investment in cycling pays back threeto-one. For every quid forked out by the Government on improving bike infrastructure, the savings made measure three pounds, through cutting congestion, improving general health and so on. But three-to-one? Isn’t that just some convenient statistic dreamt up by someone with something to sell? Actually, no. That figure was determined by the Department for Transport’s own stringent and conservative tests, and after years of research.
SPOKESMAN
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Children are the future, so let’s hope they get into cycling fast, writes Carlton Reid...
NEWS SPECIAL: CYCLING ENGLAND
Cycling England scrapped: what d Bikeability’s survival tops industry concerns Trade fears over future of bike training Cycling will be forced to fight for funding from ‘Sustainable Travel Fund’ By Jonathon Harker AS CONFIRMED on BikeBiz.com, Cycling England has been named among the 192 nondepartmental public bodies to be abolished by the Coalition Government. Scheduled for the chop in March 2011, the widely expected cull is intended to save money – in the case of Cycling England, £200,000 – the equivalent of five metres of motorway. While some members of the cycle trade have condemned the news, the survival of cycle training scheme Bikeability, currently headed up by Cycling England, is uppermost in the concerns of the industry (see page five). Westminster has promised the scheme will survive – likely through the creation of the new
Local Sustainable Transport Fund. As BikeBiz goes to press, the Fund has been revealed to total £560 million, which cycling will share
“Discontinued funding for training would mean a new generation is lost to cycling – it’s an alarming prospect.” Phillip Darnton with bus, pedestrian and ‘road safety’ schemes. The Cycling England board includes chair Phillip Darnton, British Cycling’s Peter King, CTC chief exec Kevin Mayne and
Sustrans chief exec Malcolm Shepherd, amongst others. Darnton said: “While Cycling England’s abolition is bitterly disappointing, we are relieved by the Minister’s statement on September 27th that ‘Bikeability is safe’. However, neither the Minister nor DfT officials will discuss the level of funding or the scale of their future intentions for cycle training. “Discontinued funding would mean a new generation lost to cycling, and a risk of increased accidents through lack of proper instruction. This prospect is alarming in its implications for childhood obesity and the environmental impact of further increases in car trips to school.” Cycling England was formed in 2005 by the DfT, and was tasked with getting more people cycling, more safely, more often.
Cycling England chair Phillip Darnton
BIKEABILITY OPINION:
IBD OPINION:
Andy Tucker, BikeRight
Steve Barnett, Cycle On, Lancashire
“IT WOULD BE a crying shame if Bikeability is canned. In lots of cases it’s the only chance that young children have to get engaged with cycling. It not only teaches them how to cycle safely, but could see them becoming more active and healthier, as a result. There is concern generally that any cuts in funding for cycling will have an impact on the number of new cyclists. This in turn will hit retailers. It’s also not what the Government wants as more cycling is seen as a way of tackling many issues, from CO2 emissions to obesity.
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The Government has said that Bikeability is safe for the remainder of this Parliament, but they have not said how the funding will be managed, or at what level. It looks like it may be included in the Local Sustainable Travel Fund, which is to be controlled by DfT. £200k seems small change compared to the scale of public spending cuts needed. The spending review could see a reduction in overall Bikeability funding. And if funding for cycling is amalgamated into the Local Sustainable Travel Fund it could get crowded out by other
travel options and initiatives. Bikeability instructors are indirectly funded by Cycling England in so far as organisations such as BikeRight pay their wages through revenue generated on Bikeability contracts. Some local authorities deliver their own Bikeability using internal resource, but the grants come from Cycling England. All instructors have to be trained by an accredited Bikeability Instructor Training Provider, via a four-day course, followed by a post course assessment.”
“I KNOW I am a bit of a cynic, but one can’t help thinking that dismembering the quangos just allows Government departments to claim that they are now doing more work and therefore don’t have to reduce their staff. Most of those people will be the ones who actually did things. In general, quangos are a very good method of figuring out how best to distribute Government largesse simply because that is its only job. More than that quangos tended to be run and
populated by people who had enthusiasm for their subject and knew what they were talking about. They were in a far better place to get others to work with them than what we will see in the future. Local Government won’t have money to invest in cycling infrastructure. More worrying is that any money allocated by Government for cycling projects will get mostly absorbed in civil service costs rather than getting to where it might help change things.”
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NEWS SPECIAL: CYCLING ENGLAND
oes it mean for the trade?
Cycling England and Bikeability by numbers 300,000 plus per year:
Cycling England was among the 192 nondepartmental bodies thrown out in the ‘bonfire of the quangos’
‘Thrown on the bonfire without just cause’ MEMBERS OF the cycle trade have called on the industry to throw its weight behind Cycling England and tell the Coalition Government that axing the body is a costly mistake. Following the announced abolition of the body, prominent voices from the industry have expressed their misgivings at the news and concern over the future of Bikeability cycle training. Mark Bickerton, UK agent for Dahon and Bicycle Association vice president conveyed his disappointment to BikeBiz: “We know that Bikeability’s future has been promised as secure, but Cycling England has done so much more to encourage more cycle use: the money the Government has given cycling through Cycling England has demonstrated just how good an investment it is. Every pound spent on Cycling infrastructure, training, and safe routes has been rewarded by at least triple the amount in savings on congestion, safety, health and pollution. “We all recognise that UK Plc is in a parlous financial state, but I feel Cycling England
has been thrown on the bonfire without just cause. Cycling is growing in popularity, yes, but with Cycling England behind the movement, we have seen a far quicker growth in cycling than otherwise would have been. “Lead skilfully by Phillip Darnton, Cycling England has kick started increased cycle usage super effectively and it is was originally started with the support of seed funding from our own trade and industry through the Bike Hub Levy.
£200,000: The cost to the taxpayer to keep Cycling England running per annum.
Less than 0.1 per cent:
country needs at this time of austerity is more cycling. Cycling is good for transport, health, pollution, congestion and the country. “I urge everyone in the bike business to make their feelings
“Canning Cycling England is a retrograde step akin to madness on the part of the DfT.” Mark Bickerton, Dahon and Bicycle Assoc Canning Cycling England is a retrograde step akin to madness on the part of the DfT, and one all of us in the industry should do our best to rail against. “I call on all Conservative and Liberal coalition Parliamentarians to make their disappointment known to David Cameron, Phillip Hammond and Norman Baker: What this
known to their own MP, and also to the Government.” An Evans spokesperson mourned the passing of Cycling England, telling BikeBiz: “Evans Cycles has always advocated cycling throughout the UK and supported the initiatives of Cycling England. Getting more people out cycling safely is a great legacy it leaves behind.”
Other industry voices have been less critical of the plans to abolish the body and looked ahead to its replacement – and the newly announced Local Sustainability Travel Fund. David Wild, CEO of Halfords, told BikeBiz: “Cycling England has made a positive contribution to cycling in this country. Moving forward, Halfords believes the creation of new Local Sustainability Travel Funds will enable more locally integrated cycling planning and promotion. “The fund shows that the Government is committed to improving local conditions for cycling and the cycling environment. As one of the UK's major cycling retailers, Halfords wishes to support this focus on cycling and its associated benefits of reducing congestion, cutting emissions and helping people live healthier lifestyles.”
Backing Bikeability THE CONTINUED existence of Bikeability is top of the trade’s concerns following the news of Cycling England’s culling. Halfords CEO David Wild said: “With more cyclists on the roads than ever before, we are pleased to see that the Bikeability scheme, which teaches people to ride their bicycles safely and proficiently,
will continue to receive Government funding.” Councillor Dr Jon Rogers, executive member for Cycling City, told BikeBiz: “There is a worry that the demise of Cycling England may mean the removal of Bikeability, which provides cycle training for children and adults. Bikeability is integral to the success of
The number of children nationwide to be put through Bikeability training via schools and cycling clubs. Cycling England was tasked with including 500,000 more ten year-olds in Bikeability cycle training by 2012.
The fraction of Cycling England’s overhead costs when compared to the £60 million annual budget, paid for by the DfT, health departments and others. Cycling England had no offices.
£12 million: Bikeability’s annual funding p.a.
174%: Increase in cycling to school where Cycling England and Bikeability has been involved in training and education. 27% increase: Cycling levels in ‘demonstration towns’ have jumped by over a quarter in three years (see page six). Outside the demo towns and London, cycling levels have constantly declined over 50 years.
1,000 plus: the number of BikeAbility instructors Manchester-based BikeRight has trained to date. The knock on effect is 12,000 kids and adults trained in safe cycling per year.
300: Cycling City as it helps boost the confidence of people who may not otherwise take to the city streets on their bikes. Again this would affect any future plans to encourage more people to cycle more often.” Red Cloud Marketing’s Mark Almond also warned of the dangers of losing the training scheme: “That the future of
Bikeability is in doubt as Phillip Darnton suggests, is a major concern. This scheme has the potential to make a huge difference to the take up of cycling and is only just becoming established in some areas. By binning it now, it sends out the wrong message and also reduces the likelihood of success for any subsequent scheme.”
The number of adult cycling course places BikeRight has filled inside two months in Manchester alone.
250: The number of additional Safe Links to Schools planned by Cycling England. These were set to connect around 500 more schools to the National Cycle Network.
NEWS
BikeBiz Awards 2010: Trade hails the very best
The UK’s bicycle trade turned out in force for the first-ever standalone BikeBiz Awards last month
By Jonathon Harker OVER 200 attendees from the trade squeezed into Sway Bar, Holborn for the 2010 awards, held independently for the first time following last year’s appearance at Cycle Show.
and-coming companies that had showed exceptional growth over the last 12 months. The ecologically aware Green Oil bagged the prize. Founder Simon Nash said: “Thanks again for the award, we were really chuffed to win. I think the event itself was
“I am very proud to be the first winner of the Retail Account Manager award and very humbled by the people who voted for me...” Graham Beaumont, Reece Cycles Twelve prizes were awarded on the night, judged exclusively by members of the trade, with three new trophies added to the roster. One of the recipients of the new awards was Reece Cycles’ Graham Beaumont, winner of Retail Account Manager. He said: “I am very proud of being the first winner of this award and humbled by the people who voted for me.” Rising Star was another new BikeBiz Award, honouring up-
just right – not black tie, but not as casual as when held at Cycle Show last year – just smart and in between the two. Plus the £10 ticket price was perfect, nice work!” British firms won out over overseas firms on the night, including Brompton, Hope, Green Oil and Gocycle. Post awards, the social mediasavvy bike trade turned to Twitter to congratulate the winners and commiserate with
the Finalists who missed out. Madison’s Ellie Guttridge (@EllieGutts) said: “We AKA @UKmadison won an award at the BikeBiz Awards, but I lost dismally at Black Jack in the casino after. Great night but feeling it now.” Online Retailer winner Wiggle (@wigglebikeshop) was similarly grateful for the support: “Last night we were named ‘Best Online Retailer’ at the BikeBiz Awards! Thanks to all who support us.” Independent Retailer winner Rutland Cycling (@RutlandCycling) was quick to thank the 50 judges who voted: “We’re BikeBiz Award winners for Best Independent Retailer...... Thanks to all who voted for us. We are all very grateful.” The 2010 BikeBiz Awards were supported by Platinum Sponsor Cube Bikes, with CitrusLime, FreeGo Electric Bikes and Cycle-SOS partnering the event. For more on the 2010 Awards turn to our winners feature over on page 19.
Road.cc’s team proudly show their trade-voted award (right)
Secure fate for Cycling Towns and Cities? THE FUTURE of the Cycling City project is safe, one of its executive members has told BikeBiz. The project – an experiment to see if raising funding for cycling to European levels impacts on the level of cycling – has been found to be a major success according to DfT measurements. Government research revealed that cycling increased by 27 per cent in the Cycling Towns, bucking the downward trend in cycling levels seen outside London. The DfT also found investment in cycling was so cost effective that for every £1 spent, £3 was saved. The project is now being run across 17 towns and one city (Bristol). Despite the fact that Cycling England was heavily involved in the project – including distributing funding,
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Cycling City executive member councillor Dr. Jon Rogers told BikeBiz that the future of the project was secure. “Bristol City Council understands Cycling England is to
“The Department for Transport has assured that the ‘Cycling City’ budget is safe...” Dr. Jon Rogers, BCC close as part of a wider picture of reform by central Government,” Dr Rogers told BikeBiz. “However, the council is pleased that this will have limited affect on the planned delivery of Bristol’s programme.
“The contract and financial agreement have always been, and will continue to be, with the Department for Transport, and assurances have been given that the budget is safe. “Further, it is likely that the good results so far achieved by Cycling City – 25 cycle paths have been built or improved, and journeys by bike have increased by 44 per cent in some parts of the city – will not exclude the council from bidding for a grant from the recently announced Sustainable Transport Fund in order to further the project’s ambitions. “Bristol City Council urges careful consideration of the potential affects of a break in funding and the cessation of a training resource.” For more on Cycling England turn to pages four and five.
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NEWS
York Cycle Show keen to up trade presence By Mark Sutton THE ORGANISERS of the York Cycle Show are calling on the trade to up its presence at next year’s event, running on July 25th and 26th. Trade packages are to become available as of December and the show’s committee chair, Paul Hepworth believes the incentives are in place to give the trade a strong return on their presence. “Organised on behalf of CTC by a regional Committee, the event draws some 10,000 cyclists from across the UK and beyond. Huge trade and exhibition marquees will feature again, with a secure outdoor tryout area where visitors can put new bikes through their paces,” said Hepworth. “There is also an outdoor area within the trade site for
Pic © Jason Patient
10,000 plus cyclists expected to attend 2011 show “York Show is a great opportunity to sell bikes,” says Hepworth
It is said that over 10,000 cyclists descend on York during the show
exhibitors who prefer to use their own small marquees or gazebos. This is a tremendous opportunity to exhibit and sell new bikes, accessories and clothing. Local bargain hunters are also on the lookout for end of range items. Tourism and accommodation organisations came along in 2010, and there was also an upsurge of interest in electric assisted bikes.” Attractions to retain on-site footfall include a grass track arena for racing and demonstrations, a stunt bike show, day rides, entertainers and 1,000 camping and caravan pitches. Trade packs, including cost specifics, are downloadable at yorkcycleshow.co.uk and bookings can be made via show secretary John Taylorson on 07765 070120.
Fisher Outdoor Leisure previews B2B upgrade
IMG to carry Deluxe and OSS
FISHER OUTDOOR Leisure customers were given a guided tour of an early-build of its muchupgraded B2B website, due for official launch toward the end of the year. Alex Sperling, ecommerce manager told BikeBiz: “I’m really happy with the positive customer feedback we received at Cycle Show. We’re investing heavily in this new B2B platform, as we know how important it is to our customers’ businesses to have a highly functional site that’s easy to use. We expect to be coming back to our customers later in the year with an industry leading proposition.” Though Sperling wouldn’t go into depth about the build, “for
IMG DISTRIBUTION is soon to receive stock of both trails brand Deluxe, run by former Ride UK editor Mark Noble, as well as street brand OSS’s product. Having spent two ‘good years’ years working with Pre Distribution, Noble’s brand is now to be found alongside brands such as Odyssey, Season, Proper, Sunday, Mirraco and G-sport. “Working with these brands at this distributor means that it should be easier for UK shops to stock our developing range of frames and parts,” said Noble. “I’d like to say thanks to Sam and Steve at Profile Europe for taking care of us over the last couple of years.” Away from the woods and onto the streets, IMG is also soon set to take stock of Adam Grandmaison’s OSS brand, which
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The Cycle Show preview showed an early template of the B2B site
“We expect to be delivering to our customers and industry leading proposition later this year...”
fear of ruining the surprise”, it was revealed a new layout would vastly improve the search functions, thanks to a new intelligent product tracker, while upgraded account management options, a fresh design and clearer categorisation would greatly improve the site’s efficiency.
is designed with input from Stranger brand owner Rich Hirsch. Grandmaison confirmed to BikeBiz that his brand’s products, including new DVD ‘Football’, are to be carried by the
West Sussex distributor, stating: “The way things seem to have happened is almost too good to be true, especially with the excitement kids have already shown towards OSS, even without knowing much about it. I feel like I’ve got something really special on my hands.”
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 9
NEWS
CYCLE SHORTS ’Cardboard helmet’ exceeds EN1078 standard A helmet designed and built by London Royal College of Art student Anirudha Surabhi could be set for the mass market after passing the EN1708 helmet safety standard. Surabhi believes the cheap-to-produce helmet may be a solution to easily-dispensed hirescheme protection.
Cycle Show NEC to offer reduced exhibitor rates Exhibition space at the 2011 Cycle Show, to be held at Birmingham's NEC, will cost less than at London's Earls Court. Contact Upper Street Events on 020 7288 6443 for more details.
UK economic growth slowing The British Chamber of Commerce has described third quarter growth as “considerably slower” and warns that things could become still more sluggish when VAT rises to 20 per cent in January.
Scott Sports opens new carbon factory Scott Sports has moved production of its carbon products to a new 6,000 square metre factory in South East China.
Interbike remains in Las Vegas Plans to move Interbike to Anaheim have been shelved for now, thanks to what show director Andy Tompkins says is a "very real response, stating the industry prefers Vegas in September." Last month BikeBiz incorrectly printed that Lance Camisasca remained show director. We apologise for any confusion.
For breaking news visit:
www.bikebiz.com 10 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
Pope fails to dent Tour popularity Rising attendance and growing media coverage are strong signs of an escalating interest in cycling, says organiser By Jonathon Harker OVER ONE million roadside spectators watched the Tour of Britain this year, making the event the most successful yet, according to event organiser Sweet Spot Group. The 2010 Tour, which took in Blackpool, Swansea, Colchester and London among others, saw a 32 per cent rise in TV viewers, with 401,000 tuning in to ITV4’s daily highlights. The official website also bested last year’s performance, with over 1.5 million page views during the eight day race. The improved coverage, interest and rising attendance are all signs of the public taking cycling to its heart, according to ToB PR manager Peter Hodges. He told BikeBiz: “It's a definite sign that cycling in general is growing in popularity, and in particular as a sport. The huge crowds we saw in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in particular testify that there is an appetite for professional cycle races in this country, whether from casual fans of the sport or the
The eight-day race was praised as the ‘best-ever’ by Tour organiser Sweet Spot more 'hardcore' cycling fans. It's very encouraging for us that despite poor weather conditions during certain stages we still had a great turn out at the roadside.” Media focus The event managed to gain column inches, despite going up against the Pope’s UK visit and cricket’s betting allegations. “National newspapers like The Guardian, Independent and The Daily Telegraph in particular are very loyal supporters of the race,
ACT hails Moneyway efforts to boost trade MONEYWAY has been recognised by the Association of Cycle Traders as its ‘partner of the year’ for its efforts in making the Ride It Away scheme successful. Handing over an award to Moneyway’s head of lending, David Nield at the Cycle Show, the ACT’s business development officer Tony Jones told BikeBiz: “It’s very important to acknowledge the efforts of our 20 or so partners that go to
even though we were battling against a week that had several major national stories, from the Pope's visit to the likes of Champions League football midweek, plus a couple of major cricketing stories. The sports pages of the national papers are a very competitive segment, but we feel we more than held our own there, and certainly the tough and exciting nature of the race helped.” Regional papers upped their coverage too, said Hodges.
Tony Jones presents the award to Moneyway’s David Neild and the team
great lengths to improve retailers’ lives through their services. Moneyway stood out, particularly thanks to their efforts to make Ride It Away a success. The firm has enormous flexibility and offers consumers an interest free credit solution, which greatly aids sales.” TheCyclingExperts.co.uk, the ACT’s consumer-facing website, also shared the focus on the busy ACT stand, receiving a softlaunch and preview to dealers
ahead of a fully revamped roll out due shortly. Jonathan Harrison, marketing and comms exec, told BIkeBiz: “Our shop listing data is now shared with Sustrans and the Bike Hub app makers, which adds great marketing value to a shop listed on the site. Registration of a store’s details is free of charge too, so if a store is yet to log on and post their information, that’s a missed opportunity to gain extra custom.”
“We get more and more school children and casual fans watching The Tour each year, so hopefully those spectators are then going off and watching at other cycle events and going out on their bikes, whether for fun, or commuting or maybe taking up racing. A big aim of The Tour and The Halfords Tour Series is to encourage people onto bikes, for all of the above reasons.” Next year the Tour’s Grand Depart returns to Scotland. www.tourofbritain.co.uk
RIP Rachel Hopkirk RACHEL HOPKIRK of Newcastle Cycle Centre died on Sunday October 3rd. She, along with husband Barry, had run the family-owned Tyneside shop for many years. She died at home, comforted by Barry and their family. Daughter Jill Hopkirk, who now runs the shop, said: "My mum was a unique, strong, loving and kind woman who achieved things that some women could only dream of." The funeral was held on October 8th at Whitley Bay Crematorium. A memorial service is to follow at a later date.
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CYCLELIFE ALNWICK, ADVENTURE NORTHUMBERLAND Cyclelife Alnwick celebrated their first anniversary on 16th October. This is has been a very successful initial year of trading for the store with joint owners Michael Curry and Paul Edgar feeling very positive about the future. Both partners were previously employed by the Emergency Services, Michael in the Police Force and Paul as a fireman. Having an interest in outdoor leisure and in particular cycling they made the decision to move into retailing. After discussions with Raleigh about the Cyclelife franchise it seemed too good an opportunity to miss and they moved ahead with the opening of the store. Adventure Northumberland offers the complete outdoor experience from the retail, service and repairs to bikes, cycle hire and MTB courses, to a unique and inspiring form of Corporate team building, giving the opportunity to try out a wide range of exhilarating activities including mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, cliff jumping, caving and rambling. Michael feels the first year under the Cyclelife umbrella has been successful in part due to the support from Raleigh who have been both open minded and flexible, the financial support made a great difference to the first year in retail. Michaels’s advice to anyone interested in joining the network is “speak to other Cyclelife Partners, explore your local market and have a dominant business plan, this is the key to success”. Michael & Paul’s plans for the future are to open a second shop specialising is the retail of cycles only.
Cyclelife Membership Benefits • Retain your independent identity whilst trading under the Cyclelife brand • Enjoy preferential terms • Marketing Support • Store Development including 50% contribution towards shopfit, point of sale and signage
New store opportunities We are looking for independent bike dealers in various locations throughout the UK to join the Cyclelife Partner network. Target Towns – Aylesbury, Bath, Bedford, Brighton, Catterick, Lancaster, Lincoln , Newcastle, Norwich, Oxford, Warminster, Watford, Target Locations –Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight London, North Nottinghamshire, Somerset West Midlands, Worcestershire, Scotland, Wales, For more information please contact Paul Wignall at Raleigh on 07730 666647 or email paulwignall@raleigh.co.uk
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CHAIN REACTION
Cycle Trade Expo – a new exhibition for the business Lyme Media & Events’ Adam Ginty explains the background to the trade only exhibition and what it is designed to do for the cycle trade... LAST month, Lyme Media & Events announced the launch of a new, national, trade only exhibition to be held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, on June 19th and 20th 2011. The brainchild of Lyme Media & Events’ managing director, Jerry Ramsdale, the event takes the concept of trade-only events to a national scale. The rationale behind the exhibition is to provide a profitable and productive trade forum for companies in the cycle trade wishing to engage with prospects from across the nation’s retail market. Along with a majority contingent of UK based manufacturers, the exhibition will also play host to a number of Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers and a host of other international businesses seeking UK representation for their inventory of products.
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The innovative event has been expressly developed, both in layout and operations, to deliver maximum return on investment for exhibitors and visitors alike, in the venue’s flagship Jaguar Exhibition Hall. The programme is shell scheme only, with four stand size options; our research shows this parity provides a level playing field to all exhibitors whilst encouraging visitors to engage with the products and services held within the space. The stand packages are true ‘turnkey’ solutions and inclusive in the price is lighting, power, carpeting, signage and show guide entry. A direct move away from London-centric cycle exhibitions was at the forefront in the development of this exhibition. The venue in Coventry places the event at the centre of the UK and at the heart of the motorway network; just ½ mile
from J3 of the M6 by car, with 2,000 parking spaces. It’s also less than 20 minutes from two
“Cycle Trade Expo has the capacity and structure to advance the UK’s cycle trade and fill the gap for a national, tradeonly exhibition.” major train stations and one international airport, making the Ricoh Arena the perfect venue to deliver Cycle Trade Expo to a wider regional audience, in a free-to-visit exhibition.
The comprehensive media plan and creative media activities will engage with the nation’s independent bike dealers, e-tailers and retail chains and draw highly engaged trade visitors from across the UK; all with specific purchasing and merchandising objectives. The event will also feature an exhaustive educational seminar programme. Industry thought leaders, and individuals from companies and organisations offering insight and best practice to the cycle trade will be offering free-to-attend seminars designed to collaboratively drive the cycle trade forward. From merchandising, new product development and store design, to vertical service and support providers and financial service providers the seminar theatre will provide a 360 degree view of the cycle trade, and offer educational advice and guidance
to cycle trade audiences. The Lyme Media & Events team boast over 13 years of experience in delivering successful manufacturing, trade exhibitions in locations across Europe. We believe that Cycle Trade Expo can do this for the cycle industry. It has the capacity and structure to advance the UK’s cycle trade and fill the gap for a national, trade only exhibition designed around driving the industry forward and generating direct commercial results for both exhibitors and visitors alike. There’s never been a better time than now to be in the cycle trade, however as a retail market it’s still relatively new. I see Cycle Trade Expo as a catalyst for change and progression within the industry, a forum to collaboratively drive the industry forward. To find out more, visit www.cycletrade-expo.co.uk.
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BIKEBIZ AWARD WINNER GREEN OIL
Easy going green? Hot on the heels of bagging the inaugural BikeBiz Rising Star Award, Green Oil has won praise from the press, consumers and trade for its eco-friendly products. Company founder Simon Nash tells Jonathon Harker about the challenges of going green…
“Green Oil came out of a frustration with other brands. ‘Dangerous for the environment’ labels were things I found unacceptable for products for my bike.” Simon Nash
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How do you feel about winning a BikeBiz Award? Really happy. It’s been hard work over the last few years and it’s now paying off, with Green Oil in shops nationwide and abroad. Things have really grown quickly with Upgrade distributing Green Oil. Industry recognition is important, and I feel well deserved with all the work put in and the success of Green Oil through Upgrade recently. Did the firm really start in a garden shed? It actually started in a bedroom, with some garage space used. Green Oil UK had its multimillion pound expansion into the
garden shed, or ‘Eco Cabin’ once the garage and bedroom-cumoffice got too crowded. We hired a Luton van and picked up the second-hand building which took half a day to take down. I planned good solid foundations of cement, and to make things green decided to replace a proportion of the sand in the mix with glass. However, collecting an entire road’s worth of glass on recycling day (before the bin men arrived) produced about two bags worth of sand after an hour of smashing it down. Worth a try though. I initially filled every bottle myself through a recycled beer tap and basic machinery. The labels were hand applied and
made from recycled paper. When an order came in, it would be a case of working in the EcoCabin until 1am and hand packing everything myself. Production increased with the purchase of a bottling machine, and now with a factory, capacity is no longer an issue, and I get to bed a bit earlier. Can you explain the ‘green’ aspect of the brand? The original Green Oil formula is biodegradable, along with the rest of the range, and we also list honest recycling information. This is important, especially as anything put on your bike will end up in the environment – be it your local woods, a river you
ride through or your garden. Green Oil basically came out of a frustration with other brands on the shelf at the time. ‘Contains PTFE’ and ‘Dangerous for the environment’ with the accompanying dead fish and tree logo were things I found unacceptable for products for my bike – especially riding through rivers and in rain. Moreover, none had recycling information on the label. As a typical green-minded cyclist this status quo needed fixing. Teflon/PTFE is a particular problem – it’s not biodegradable and creates a ‘likely carcinogen’ in its production, according to he US Environmental Protection Agency.
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 15
BIKEBIZ AWARD WINNER GREEN OIL
The great thing about running a company and having a strong sense of morality and knowledge of environmental issues is that you can implement things other companies would IN A LATHER: The ecologically-sound Green Oil not. For example, product range is now made in a factory in Wales the use of 100 per (right) – a far cry from the BikeBiz Rising Star cent recycled plastic. Award winner’s early days, producing product in a garage (bottom) No one else is doing it, most customers probably don’t notice, but it’s simply the right thing to do. Most companies would see a cost Turnover has doubled in increase and dismiss using the last year and is recycled plastic, and are only increasing consistently. willing to go a bit green on the Upgrade, our new UK basis of it being ‘good marketing’. distributor, has enabled us This is based possibly on the to reach a greater number mentality that business is just of shops, and a greater about making money, possibly focus on export has providing jobs and nothing else. bagged Green Oil The modern company should distributors in the have a ‘triple bottom line’ – lucrative Netherlands and financial, social and Benelux areas recently. environmental. By this mantra, Our next goal is for spending company money to expansion in Ireland. make things greener is seen as Investment in research good for part of this bottom line. and development for new Its something taken seriously by products within the Green Oil Green Oil UK. range has also helped increase revenue too. How has the range expanded? The Green Oil range started with Green Oil has recently opened the UK’s first biodegradable chain a factory in Wales. How lube, Green Oil. Following that important to the firm is it to we developed Ecogrease, Green manufacture in the UK? Clean and our award winning I heard a figure from one degreaser gel, Clean Chain which company that if you make a bike launched in late 2008. in Taiwan, you only have to ride it This year we launched the 50 miles (displacing 50 miles world’s first fair trade bike worth of car driving) to cover the product, the EcoSponge. This carbon footprint of manufacture helps farmers in the Philippines – and getting the bike to the UK. the concept of fair trade applies Therefore I don’t want to make less to factories or countries that anyone feel guilty for have a welfare state, and more at manufacturing outside the UK, as agricultural producers, so they it has its place. benefit from stable prices and However, manufacturing Green extra cash for lean years. Oil in the UK is practical, and Out of the frustration of using greener than producing abroad. a plastic claw brush that had We have expertise here in the spikes in the handle that dug into chemical and packaging sector, one’s fingers, and various plastic and it works well for us. We could brushes used before, we reduce the cost slightly developed the Green Oil Bicycle manufacturing abroad, but it Brush, the world’s first FSC would increase the carbon certified bike product. The Bicycle footprint, and risk quality. Brush, now available through Creating employment in a Upgrade, has a burly handle and former coal mining area in Wales has many uses and is at the is an important part of UK luxury end of the market. manufacturing for us too, Importantly, it feels nice to use. alongside the sense of tradition. The Bicycle Brush is designed Brookes, Brompton and other UK with longevity in mind, unlike manufactured brands do have a many things in today’s certain quality, edge and sense of increasingly disposable society. tradition over and above imported ones. And turnover has doubled for Whilst international trade does the company recently? have its place in creating peace
companies took advantage of this year. It’s a great event to back with lots of riders attending. How long have you been working with Upgrade? Since July 2010. I have personally used DMR products for years, so it’s great to work with them. We have high hopes as they take the brand to the next level. Rather than just letting go of the marketing, we’ve been working hard on the publicity side for Upgrade – from an additional Green Oil stand at the Cycle Show to the nationwide BBC TV coverage. Upgrade are selling Green Oil extremely well because of this. It has been great to learn from their experience and see their success with Green Oil.
“Most companies are only willing to go a bit green on the basis of it being ‘good marketing’. But it’s something we take seriously at Green Oil.”
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Simon Nash
through interdependence and providing work, you do hear horror stories. For example, potatoes grown in France, driven by lorry to Poland to be washed, driven by lorry to Calais and packaged in the UK, then flown to a French supermarket down the road from the original farm – this is clearly unsustainable, so it’s good to manufacture locally if possible. Do you get involved in local cycle events? We do. At a local college we help out once a year, and events like the Big Bike Bash and Brighton Big Dog that we sponsor here in the South. At the former we sponsor the Green Oil Lake Jump – our lube won’t pollute the water when people back flip their bikes into the lake. BikeRadar Live will be missed from our local patch of Brands Hatch however. The Camden Green Fair and Cycle Fest is a great event we support that not many bike
Are you looking for more dealers? What are your targets? For every 100ml bottle we sell, that’s 100ml of petrochemical, PTFE stuff not going into the environment, or on your mechanic’s hands. We aim to get into 80 per cent of the UK’s 2,000 plus bike shops by the end of the year, and take Green Oil worldwide. We would love more dealers to come on board. After all, it’s probably a good thing to stock a product that’s been featured on national TV and to make the most of an increasingly green consumer – especially as cyclists are generally ecologically minded. Shops like yours can now easily add a batch of Green Oil to their next Upgrade order. And what’s next for Green Oil? More products? We plan on expanding the Green Oil range and making further use of recycled materials. Lots more publicity for current and future stockists is on its way too. Is there anything else you’d like to add? If you don’t yet stock Green Oil you should take the opportunity. It’s easy to get Green Oil through Upgrade. It’s better for your health, and the environment. Cyclists care, so at lest give them the Green Oil, UK-made option. How should interested dealers get in contact? Green Oil is distributed in the UK by Upgrade. UpgradeBikes.co.uk 01403 711 611 www.Green-Oil.net
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It’s all about the ride
Functional, stylish & fun. The new range of kansi folding bikes is designed in the UK by people who love to ride. t No model year - easy to sell all year round t In-store only selling policy to support IBDs t Industry leading spares support programme t Simple and concise range of 6 bikes, all fitted with SRAM components
To become a stockist please contact Fisher Outdoor Leisure on 01727 798345. For further information and to see the full range please visit
The Cyclists’ National Helpline
WORKING WITH BUSINESS TO ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF CYCLING Providing informed advice and assistance upon cyclists’ rights and the obligations of other road users and highways authorities
Personal Injury Claims - Component Failure - Hit and Run or Uninsured Motorists - Responsibilities of Highway Authorities
Cycle-SOS congratulates the Bike Biz Award winners. Like us, you set standards far above the bottom bracket.
NO WIN - NO FEE - NO COST TO YOU
Cycle-S.O.S. THE CYCLISTS' NATIONAL HELPLINE
FOR ADVICE ON CLAIMS / ACCIDENTS / RECONSTRUCTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS
freephone 0808 100 999 5 cycle-sos.co.uk
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
The Judges
Everyone’s a
winner The great and the good of the UK bicycle industry descended on Sway Bar in London last month for the 2010 BikeBiz Awards. A dozen different companies took home major prizes as the event honoured the hard work of everyone in the trade. We showcase the winners, their reactions and highlights from the night… THE UK’S BICYCLE trade turned out in force to hail the best in the business at the BikeBiz Awards 2010 last month. Over 200 industry types, including distributors, retailers and manufacturers, gathered in Sway Bar, London for the second live awards to cheer on the award winners and network with the movers and shakers of the cycle industry. British manufacturers led the prizes on the night,
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which saw three new awards – for Retailer Account Manager, Product Innovation and Rising Star – sit alongside established distributor and brand prizes. The Awards were supported by Platinum Sponsor Cube Bikes, with CitrusLime, FreeGo Electric Bikes and Cycle-SOS partnering the event. Cube Bikes account manager Dan White said: “We were delighted to be
working with BikeBiz on the awards again this year. We really enjoyed the evening, bumped into some old contacts and made a few new ones all over a few beers. The atmosphere felt very relaxed and it was wonderful to reward some of the hard work done by the industry in the last year.” Missed who won? Then read on for the winners of the 2010 Awards...
Andreas Kambanis The London Cyclist, Andrew Fearn Stanley Fearn Cycles, Matlock, Andrew Nethercot Goinggoingbike, Andy Butler Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op, Andy Gowan Hotlines UK, Andy Parker Raleigh, Antony Roberts Seventies, Axel Rosler Abus, Chipps Chippendale Singletrack, Claire Beaumont Condor Cycles, Dale Smith Moore Large, Dan Marchall-Bull Cedar Cycles, Dan White Cube Bikes, Ed Ibbetson Hotlines UK, Elizabeth Barile-Page Upper Street Events, Emerson Roberts Brompton, George Bowie 2pure, Grant Hadwin Citrus-Lime, Greg Stevens Jim Walker, Jamie Horner Discount Cycles, Jane Watson Zyro, Jason Grantz Cane Creek, Katrin Engel In Motion Mar, Lauren Vanderplank Moore Large, Luke Edwards Triton Cycles, Mark Bickerton Dahon/Cyclemotion, Mark Gouldthorp Raleigh UK Mark Noble Deluxe BMX, Mark Sutton BikeBiz, Martin Lawrence FreeGo, Matt Andrews Ison Distribution, Neil Arnold Hope, Neil Holman George Halls Cycle Centre, Neil Manning Condor Cycles, Nick Brown Havebike, Oliver Laverack The Bike List, Paul Corcoran Pennine Cycles, Paul Darlington Cycle-Aid, Paul Toon Clarks UK, Pete Tomkins Crud Products, Russell Merry CSG UK, Ruth Hargreaves JD Cycles, Sam Humpheson Lookmumnohands, Sean Lalley Cycle Systems, Si Bowns 18Bikes, Sian Emmison Bobbin Bicycles, Simon Munk Magic Number Creative, Simon Nash Green Oil, Thomas Dibley Wiggle, Yannick Read Environmental Transport Association
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 19
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
Independent Retailer: Rutland Cycling
“We are delighted to have won the award of Best Independent Retailer. It is credit to our dedicated team and many years of hard work. Our thanks go to all who voted for us. We are especially grateful to our customers for helping us get this far.” Steve Gill, Sales Director, Rutland Cycling
Online Retailer: Wiggle
"We are delighted to have won the BikeBiz Award for best online retailer once again. It confirms to us, our customers and the industry that we are the best at what we do. We look forward to building on this success in the future." Martin Talbot, Director of Marketing, Wiggle
High Street Chain: Leisure Lakes
“We are especially proud to have won this award against such a tough category of competitors. Thanks for giving us such a great award and we hope we are lucky enough to be nominated again next year.” Greg Noy, Leisure Lakes
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BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
Retailer Account Manager: Graham Beaumont
“I am very proud of being the first winner of this award and humbled by the people who voted for me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody at Reece Cycles, my campaign manager and all my great customers in East Anglia. The Danish pastries are on me.” Graham Beaumont, Reece Cycles
Consumer Magazine: Singletrack
“Winning an award that has been voted for by the bike industry is a big deal and means a lot to us here at Singletrack, but what makes it sweeter is that it’s for the second year in a row. It’s a great motivator and we are all working very hard now for that hat-trick next year.” Mark Alker, Publisher, Singletrack
Consumer Site: Road.cc
"It’s fantastic to receive this award, which is special to us because it's voted for by people in the industry whom we respect a great deal. It's been a great year for road.cc and we aim to build on our success to make the website the number one resource for news and reviews in UK road cycling.” Dave Atkinson, Web Master, Road.cc
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 21
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
Product Innovation: Gocycle
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious industry award. Having developed the Gocycle in the UK as well as producing it here, this is a big recognition for UK innovation and a great motivator for our team.” Richard Thorpe, Designer and Founder, Gocycle
Rising Star: Green Oil
“We’re really happy about the award. We were chuffed to win and lots of people saw it on the Cycle Show stand. It’s been hard work over the last few years and it’s now paying off, with Green Oil in shops nationwide and abroad.” Simon Nash, Founder and Director, Green Oil
P&A Brand: Hope
“We are really pleased to receive this award, especially as a British manufacturer up against a lot of overseas companies. We’d like to thank the bike shops for the support they’ve given us and thanks to the industry for recognising that.” Alan Weatherill, Sales Manager, Hope
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BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
Bike Brand: Brompton
“Although our output isn't nearly as big as some of the other nominees, it is great to be recognised by the industry for having a great brand. We are all very happy and looking forward to the challenge of improving even more. Following two Queen's Awards, this is the icing on the cake.” Katharine Horsman, Marketing Manager, Brompton
P&A Distributor: Zyro
“It was amazing to be nominated and a genuine surprise to scoop the Award for a second year, and even better to have CatEye up for best P&A Brand. It was a real pleasure to receive the award and share the celebrations with friends and colleagues in the industry. A big thank you to everyone.” Jane Watson, Head of Marketing, Zyro
Bike Distributor: Madison
“We are delighted to receive the Bike Distributor Bike Biz Award. This industry voted award recognised the quality of the bikes that we are distributing and the commitment that we have to bringing good quality brands to the market.” Will Fripp, Marketing Director, Madison
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 23
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2010
Industry types packed out the swanky Sway Bar for the BikeBiz Awards
ine (above) Leisure Lakes’ Jonny Dev r triumphing afte ch Tou d bagged an iPo e tables lett at the Blackjack and Rou
24 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER BIKEBIZ.COM
MYSTERY SHOPPER
St Albans
Average Albans… Story has it that St. Alban – the first Christian Martyr – had his decapitated head rolled from the top of Holywell Hill in St.Albans sometime before AD324. If Mystery Shopper were doing the rounds in those days, more heads may have rolled on this quite mundane visit to Verulamian to buy an £800 bike…
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Rock and Road Bikes
Addiktion Cycles
FIRST UP, the staff at Rock and Road bikes were quick to approach Mystery Shopper and offer a few thoughts on what I could achieve for my quoted £800 budget. The brief was open to both full suspension and hardtail recommendations, though knowing full suspension doesn't come cheap Mystery Shopper wasn't surprised at all to be diverted away from all fullsuspension bikes. Of the positive aspects taken from this visit, the assistant offered some advice on which tyres roll best through the typical UK muck during winter and even explained the benefits of hydroformed frames. Further to what was otherwise a very average performance, I did leave with information on the warranty available with two brands, as well as an offered 'deal' on bikes that were currently in stock, which may well have opened some full-suspension models to my fictional wallet. The explanation of why a hardtail would carry more longevity at the £800 mark would also have been useful to a genuinely clueless customer.
LOCATED on the same street as Rock and Road Bikes, this visit was surprisingly similar, both in terms of bikes stocked and the sales performance from the assistant. Again, Mystery Shopper was intercepted more or less at the door and recommended a hardtail over a fullsuspension rig. It was explained that I'd be looking at a 'low performance' model if I bought into full suspension at that price point and would more than likely need to look into performance upgrades for serious riding. It was therefore decided that a hardtail would be best for me, with a Trek and Whyte highlighted as possible candidates. I did, however, notice some models from the previous year on sale that could have opened a few perhaps stronger sales opportunities. It wasn't until prompted that these were talked over. Warranty was again discussed, though with more detail than the larger store down the road. I felt that with gentle persuasion, many customers may have forked out for the bikes on sale thanks to the generous savings to be had and increased performance of the higher-priced bikes.
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MYSTERY SHOPPER
St. Albans Cycles ON ENTERING this store it was mere seconds before the staffer emerged and asked if I needed help. From the outset it was clear this would be one of the better visits of the day. The showroom's presentation was spot on and the assistant listened carefully before making a recommendation. My indecision between fullsuspension and hardtail lead to further questions about my use of the bike and explanations of why a hardtail '”makes you a better rider”, though “a full-suspension bike makes for a more forgiving ride”. The assistant also explained some points on technology, explored a few price points and offered a few models at discount thanks to a dated model year. A cut of around £300 was offered without my asking, which would no doubt be appreciated by a genuine customer who may develop a store loyalty as a result of the non-price-tagged deal. Reassuring me that the model I'd shown an interest in had been well received by the consumer magazines, I felt the sales pitch to be very strong.
Halfords
Triathlon Zone
DESPITE being in store for a whopping 20 minutes on both the upper mezzanine floor and the ground floor, Mystery Shopper was not seen. Having been given nothing to review, aside from a casual chinwag between one staff member and a customer about a fight in town, there's really not much to document. If standing in front of the counter isn’t enough of a prompt to be served, what is? I counted three staff in the cycles department. Granted one was on the phone and appeared to be giving advice on how best to approach the Cycle to Work scheme, but the other two staff gave Mystery Shopper no choice but to give up. Leaving the cycle department I wrongly thought I might have more luck on the ground floor, though staff here were slightly more limited and were attending customers for the duration of my stay. Halfords visits are a bit of a lottery; some are brilliant, such as the recent visit to Coventry. However, the service on this trip wasn’t good. A shame, as Halfords had perhaps the widest stock of bikes meeting my criteria for the day and could have scored big as a result.
OCCUPYING perhaps the smallest of the stores visited and specialising in triathlon, Mystery Shopper hadn't anticipated much aside from some advice on where to visit for a cross country rig. That's why on entry I was pleasantly surprised to find a mid-priced Felt XC bike taking pride of place. "I'm diversifying a little," said the store owner who kicked off a friendly conversation about model years and having been convinced by the Felt rep to stock a model or two. The assistant was fluent and friendly, though the sector was clearly new to the store, so descriptions and advice were limited and I was recommended to browse the brand's website for better information on what I could achieve for my quoted price. It was one of the quicker exchanges of the day and limited in terms of what could be achieved from the visited, though the assistant had a very polite and attentive manner – and that's good enough to leave customers with a good impression of a store.
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Summary OKAY, SO THE majority of performances weren't decapitation worthy, Halfords aside, but there were by no means any star performers. The pick of the bunch would be St.Albans Cycles, the last visit of the day and the only store that may well have secured a sale. Halfords wasted too much of my time on this particular visit, with 20 minutes spent shuffling among staff on both the mezannine upper level and the ground floor, to no avail. Triathlon Zone, Addiktion Cycles and Rock and Road Bikes all performed reasonably well, though none went beyond the call of duty to inspire a sale. Given the time of year and the imminent model year switch, deals galore were offered to Mystery Shopper, some agreeing to some heavy margin cuts. I didn't ask for a discount, so why sacrifice your hard-earned?
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 27
CYCLE SHOW REVIEW
Court up with Cycle? Nearly a decade has passed since the first London Cycle Show and with the recent announcement that the show is set for the Midlands in 2011, the final Earls Court show had to go out with a bang. Mark Sutton discovers more product launches and brand additions than ever before while browsing the aisles…
Cycle Europe KNOWN primarily for its distribution of Bianchi, Cycle Europe drew the crowds at Earls Court with a prime location Peugeot Cycles stand, displaying the line-up of 25 models for the first time in the UK. “We began with just five models,” says sales executive Lee Rae-Byford. “It was a bit of a taster to see how a household name such as Peugeot would be received. We’re pleased to report the early signs are promising and we’re to handle 25 models in the £300 to £1,000 price bracket, all sporting the iconic Peugeot lion badge. There are also one or
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two special full carbon models that we’ll carry which retail for a fair bit more, but pack the performance that you’d expect from a top-end roadgoing bicycle.” There’s an electric bike in the line too, weighing a very reasonable 22.3kg complete with racks as standard. However, it was an ‘urban MTB’ that Byford highlighted as something Cycle Europe see performing well. “We’ve got specially made Michelin Pilot tyres on the ‘MTB Edition
Collector’. It’s a great looking bike and versatile too. We feel it’ll be a showroom favourite within the Peugeot line,” said Byford. Bianchi has been busy too and BikeBiz was directed to a new singlespeed rig, dubbed the ‘Pista Dalmine’.
“It’s Bianchi’s first aluminium framed singlespeed, carrying the alu/carbon front fork used on Bianchi’s time trial bikes. It’s very light, well-priced at £925 and is fitted with the flat bar so popular in the scene at present.”
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 29
CYCLE SHOW REVIEW
Moore Large THE WELLPRICED One23 line has extended to include a new commuteraimed light, just in time for the onset of cold, dark nights. At £22.99, the onewatt LED light is designed in-house at Moore Large, thus packing more power than you’d expect for the price. Also shown to BikeBiz at Cycle, was Lake’s latest MTB shoe, utilising the Boa lacing so rarely found on
Jim Walker
cycle shoes, though present through the entire shoe line, bar one model. The redesigned CX170 is the brand’s £104.99 solution to a performance shoe with a combination of leather and mesh uppers. An injection moulded heel and sole provides a firm base for what Moore Large describes as a lightweight race-ready shoe at a low-price. For those interested in Lake’s shoe mould ovens, the distributor confirmed that stock-in requirement is five pairs of heatshaped 401s. Staff training on how to use the clever, shoetailoring oven is available and each pair of shoes takes around half an hour to customise.
Upgrade THOUGH MOST were visiting to check out the first UK showing of Pivot Cycles’ newly available line, the eye catcher of Upgrade’s stand came in the form of DMR’s new anodized pedal.
The 400-gram ‘Vault’ pedal is due in November and can be upgraded with a titanium axle, costing £80 a pair and shaving 50 grams off
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WITH large crowds of race-history fans drawn to the Jim Walker stand, BikeBiz managed to corner the main attraction, road cycling legend Eddy Merckx for a guided tour through the 2011 line. Taking pride of place on the stand was a limited anniversary edition EMX-7, of which only 200 have been made for distribution worldwide. It is not yet known how many will be available for the UK. The carbon monocoque build is adorned with some super-stylish custom race wheels, which bear the names and nationalities of Tour de France winners going back to the race’s early days. At £12,999, it’s not cheap, though for the money customers get a Super-Record 11speed build that weighs in at just over six kilos.
Women-specific builds take on a greater importance this year too and some new models, such as the EFX-1 have been introduced. At £1,899, the build packs a punch with Fulcrum Racing wheels, Shimano 105 spec throughout and to be stocked in three sizes – 40,43 and 46.
Paligap the overall weight. The standard pedal will set customers back £89.99, while the chrome version adds £5. Pivot’s 2011 production samples were on show, thanks to a new deal which gives Upgrade exclusive UK rights to handle the five-bike line. Taking pride-of-place was the Phoenix downhill rig, available from December. The Phoenix frameset will come in at £2,499 with an included Cane Creek Angleset. Making a big impact on the US market, Pivot’s Mach 5.7 will be available as both a frameset and a complete bike, costing £1,749.99 and £3,049.99, respectively. A topend Fox fork is standard with both packages. The Mach four is the only other complete bike in the line, while the remaining two models are available as framesets only. Each build revolves around the proven DW Link suspension platform, which provides a planted ride on climbs and bob-free progression when pedalling. Each shock should be tuned to 30 per cent sag on arrival with the dealer, though each shock has a ‘redline’ indicator that will assist tweaking the shock for best performance.
AGAIN, the main draw of the Paligap stand disguised some otherwise tucked-away gems. BikeBiz spotted a neat brand addition in the form of Portland Design Works, which we’re told was picked up only at the very recent Interbike show in Vegas. Paligap’s Blair Morgan, product manager for parts and accessories told BikeBiz: "It’s a great little brand with a lot of unique things going on. For starters, the brand is a One Percent for the Planet member, meaning a portion of all sales goes to an eco-concious cause. Product-wise we’ve got a few really well thought-out items, such as the Bar-Ista coffee cup bar clamp." The Bar-Ista is one of those ‘why has nobody done this before?’ items, bound to be a hit with morning commuters. But that’s not all. The entire range has a great selection of sustainably sourced materials, such as the cork bar caps and the bamboo handle on the brand’s Magic Flute pump.
The Magic Flute comes packaged with a single C02 canister, too, adding to the value. The pump itself has a stylish aluminium body. Elsewhere in the line you’ll find foldable goggles, a chain clean device, half and one-watt lights, lock-on bamboo grips and leather trouser clips, among other items. Mcipollini was Paligap’s main draw, having only very recently stated its claim to the super-high-end brand’s bike line and ‘form-fitting’ clothing. "The clothing covers head to toe and each garment comes packaged in ‘champagne style’ containers," said Morgan. "Next year the line will extend to cover gloves and baselayers." Mcipollini builds range from £7,185 to £11,710 retail price and all frames use the BB30 standard.
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Core Brands Core Companies Just one Corebike show “Core bike is the one show every serious bike shop should attend, the variety of product from the many distributors and the heads up on the new season’s product make the show invaluable. Core is the one show that all the shop staff want to come to (in their own time as well!!) maybe it’s the great party atmosphere in the evening or maybe it really is seeing the bike product….. either way if you are only going to one show make it Core or add it into your already heavy show schedule you will not be disappointed!” Steve Gill, Rutland Cycles
COREBIKE JAN 30TH - FEB 1ST WHITTLEBURY HALL Register online at:
www.corebike.co.uk
CYCLE SHOW REVIEW
Fisher Outdoors KANSI TREATED visitors to its stand with free ‘Kansi Floss’, though for many the main draw will have been the splashes of colour now present on much of the line.
These splashes of colour only come with Fisher’s drive to get endusers register, however. The ‘Kansi Box’ is available to customers registering their bikes with Fisher Outdoor, who then use each customer’s details to drive customers back to the retailer with, for example, email blasts about scheduled services for their bike. The Kansi Box holds bar caps, lock-on grip
Avocet clamps and matched stickers in five colours. Product manager Martin Hawyes told BikeBiz: "By registering with us customers can get hold of this customisation kit free of charge and we can keep logs for security purposes and also to assist our dealer base in making the most from each sale." BikeBiz was also told that an aftermarket programme for Kansi-branded components is on the way. Such components in development include Kansi-specific mudguards and racks, as well as saddles in various colours. Hawyes concluded: "We’ve upped the production significantly just one year on from Kansi’s release. It’s been encouraging to see so many distribution enquiries from all over the globe – the brand’s immensely popular."
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re-emergence in road cycling with the masses, partly through strong sales within our Viking portfolio. We can now offer dealers a huge stock of Whistle Bikes and Carrero's costing upto £1,899."
res Puncture-Proof Ty
Surf Sales SURF SALES have had a bit of a brand adding frenzy, with three new lines to discuss when BikeBiz arrived at the distributor's arenaside booth. Those three brands are POW Gloves, TrickX and SB3 Components. Both SB3 and TrickX hail from France and primarily cover the freeride and jump sector. With French freeride star Cristoph 'Dangerous' Momo behind the design of each brand, the mid-to-highend kit is built to put up with some abuse. Product set to arrive with Surf Sales come January includes wheelsets from SB3, a hard (£365) and soft (£135) case bikebag and a wide-ranging catalogue of components, including a variety of handlebars. The line even extends to 'bread and butter' items such as soft grips for just £5.50, as well as lock on solutions ranging up to £20. Again, TrickX has a wide scope, offering a 14-vent, carbon downhill helmet in three sizes and weighing in at
WHISTLE and Carrero made up the majority of Avocet's presence at Earls Court, with the distributor now holding a more extensive line of bikes than ever previously. Available as of January, the European-designed 2011 Whistle line begins with mountain bike models at £399 and is now topped with the Whistle Mohawk road bike, costing £2,649.99 at retail. There's even a 27speed carbon mountain bike in the line for the coming year and at £1,585 the Tonkawa is at the more affordable end of performance carbon hardtails. Comprising 32 bikes, Avocet has chosen the cream of the crop that it feels will best satisfy the UK market and BikeBiz was informed that the brand's lead times are low, meaning retailers needn't live in fear of popular models selling out. Avocet's Wayne Clark told BikeBiz: "We've noted a real
940 grams, alongside various jump lids, including one superlight inmoulded model. Each has removable padding and numerous vents to provide airflow. POW Gloves were not able to get product to the Cycle Show in time for the trade day of the event, largely because the distribution deal was struck only very recently in Las Vegas. The Seattle glove manufacturer has roots in the snow sports market and now has its sights set on making an impact in the bike world. Spanning £20 to £50, the bike line covers men's and women's gloves, with the higher-priced models offering greater padding in vulnerable areas.
THOUGH NOT an exhibitor at the show, Puncture-Proof Tyres tracked BikeBiz down and introduced us to its line of closed cell polyurethane tyres, of which it makes sizes from 12 to 28inches, as well as solutions for children's buggies and mobility scooters. The business' director, James Bowett, told BikeBiz: "We're very keen to speak to cycle stores nationwide and can offer a highly diverse stock of solid tyres, suited to everything from mountain and road bikes, trikes, buggies and more. Thanks to a 100 per cent polyurethane construction, each is environmentally friendly and recyclable and the material is also non-marking." All sizes are available direct from the firm, which has set a recommended retail price of £29.95 on all models. "Tests have shown the tyres to last two to three times longer than standard tyres, meaning customers get great value for money, though will end up back in store at some point. We have a
variety of tread patterns to assist sales too." The firm is keen for dealers to get a first hand look at its product and is able to send sales representatives to prospective stockists for demonstrations.
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...your life
Congratulations to everyone that won an award at this year’s
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CYCLE SHOW REVIEW
Seventies
SHOWING ITS complete bike lines from Hoffman, Subrosa and Kink, as well as entertaining the crowds on the ramps by bringing a handful of its sponsored talent, Seventies had a busy few days at the show. Catching many by surprise, Subrosa’s fixie stood out among the smaller steeds, much thanks to its full-chrome finish. This is something also seen on the brand’s Malum BMX, which is a ‘street-ready’ build at only £549.99. Also called the Malum, the £679.99 fixed gear is built from Japanese seamless cromoly tubing and is ovalised and butted on the downtube to boost
Extra
the frame’s strength. Subrosa and Shadow Conspiracy components are used throughout the build, which tips the scales at 22.5lbs. Though not on show at Earls Court, BikeBiz was told that by the time this magazine hits print, both the new colurway of Dan Lacey’s signature Federal and The Make’s Niki Croft signature frame will have landed in stock. Both frames are have slight tweaks to the traditional BMX geometry, notably steeper headtubes, trending thanks to the popularity of front wheel balanced tricks.
FEW COULD have passed through the Extra stand without wondering what was in Trelock's fancy wooden presentation box. The contents, BikeBiz found, was a limited edition, level four foldable lock, tucked snugly in a custom leather pouch. Cleverly, Trelock has engineered the pouch to be frame mountable and sealed magnetically for convenience. Dubbed the 'Manufaktur', the tidily presented lock even has leather inlays, more for aesthetic appeal than anything else, but also useful to prevent frame scratches. Offering level four protection, the £175 package has a sealable barrel to prevent moisture getting into the key-activated locking mechanism. BikeBiz was also treated to a first look at the firm's new LS 950 light, complete with top-display for clear readings on power, the time and output while on the move. The manufacturer has also handily placed the adjust plus and minus buttons below the display, so the light is easily programmed while on the
Green Oil
Shutt VR
BIKEBIZ AWARD winner (in the Rising Star category) Green Oil, now also available through Upgrade, had one previously unseen product on show this year at Earl’s Court. This was the firm's 'White' lube, suited to dry dusty conditions, which come and go at random in the UK. As opposed to using petrochemicals, the firm chooses to use plant-based ingredients and bee's wax to produce a formula that dries onto chains in BRITISH-MADE clothing brand Shutt VR attended Cycle Show for the first time, bringing with it both its line of winter garments and some custom apparel. The tailor made garment business is something Shutt is keen to talk to interested partners about. On show was a recent collaboration with London bicycle café Look Mum No Hands, which demonstrated what cycling clubs, stores and brands can achieve by letting Shutt VR handle the manufacture of their cycle clothing. Within the firm’s five factories, garments are tailored from the firm’s material of choice – ‘Sportswool’ – which is favoured thanks to its thermal regulation properties. Merino is also now employed on some garments,
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move. At 70 lux, the LS 950 can shine for six hours, though when dimmed down to the low setting, emitting ten lux, it can go for a whopping 45 hours straight.
around seven minutes. Adding further eco-credentials, the bottle is fully recyclable and is in fact made from waste from UK household recycling bins. The bio ethanol mixture is made from sugar beet grown in Europe and as such, biodegrades naturally. The mixture is also water-resistant when dry, meaning it will stand up to winter use. Available from late November, the easy apply bottle of 'White' will set customers back £6.99.
knitted underneath polyester outers, providing a wind and water resistant cover with comfortable, odour-resistant inner. Of its own garments, Shutt VR was keen to highlight its latest jacket utilising ‘Eschler’ fabric imported from Switzerland, which has natural reflective properties, among other perks. Shutt’s new softshell jacket is designed primarily to provide a high level of windproofing, breathability, waterproofing and thermal regulation. These are achieved largely though the use of the imported fabric, though the jacket’s cut takes plenty into account, such as a drop tail and high neck. The soft shell will retail for £149.00.
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 35
CYCLE SHOW REVIEW
Windwave WINDWAVE’S talking point revolved around the Vision Metropolis and Metron lines. Metron is a new time trial-aimed groupset with a unique take on quick shifting. The trigger system upshifts through a quick flick of a lever, while downshifts are thumb activated thanks to a well-placed button on the tip of the lever. At the other end of the cable you’ll find a 100 per cent carbon fibre rear derailleur. The groupset is currently only found on team bikes, though is set to land with Windwave from February. The Vision design team has also been busy developing a new ‘transmission crankset’ for city riders – the Metropolis Patterson. Utilising a ‘planetary gearing system, the crankset provides a 1.6 to one gear ratio, meaning each pedal can take the rider further. What’s more, the brand says gear shifts are instantaneous under any load and the system will fit most conventional frames. The Metropolis Patterson weighs in at 1,672 grams, has an external bottom bracket and achieves 28 to 45 tooth
Wildoo
drive gears. Metropolis extends further than just the Patterson crankset too, with a newly developed line of stems, handlebars in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as alternative, less techfilled cranksets. Windwave’s Dan Jones also talked show attendees through the ‘ready to go’ line of Traitor Bikes. "Traitor’s only weeks away now, we’ll have a shipment containing the new Cyclocross frameset – the Crusade – by the time the November BikeBiz lands," said Jones. "We’ve run with Columbus tubing, which is internally routed for weight savings. It’s bound to be popular with the niche, especially at £499.99 for frame and fork."
Chicken Cyclekit SHARING A stand with Wildoo at Cycle Show this year, Chicken Cyclekit made good use of the space by showcasing the very best of Cinelli’s 2011 product. In fact, it was the ‘Best Of’ frame that took pride of place on the stand. The frame is what it says on the tin – a combination of the brand’s best tech and construction techniques. This year the frame has a re-tuned rear triangle providing a more aggressive ride, upping the frame’s race appeal. The revamp is constructed from wrapped carbon and manufactured in Italy,
36 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
TOKEN CONTINUES its quest to trick out the nation’s bikes with the creation of the ‘bling box’. Containing jockey wheels, chainring bolts, cable adjustment fittings, headset spacers, cassette lockrings, a headset top cover, valve caps and bottle cage bolts, the kit is a complete package of colour matched small part replacement bits in seven colours. What’s more, the jockey wheels even run on super-smooth ceramic bearings and all for under £70 for the entire kit. As an extra accessory for the chain drop fearing rider, Token also now
produces a handy ‘Chain Drop Catcher’, designed to prevent chain drop from double and triple–ringed road cranksets. Three anodized colours – red, gold and blue – are available. The brand’s brake continues to develop, now weighing in at a lighter 198 grams per pair, with pads. This is partly down to the titanium hardware used and a new shaved aluminium calliper body. At just £180 a pair, the brand undercuts competitor brakes by a fair chunk and is to offer three anodized colours form May next year, including the pictured gold shade.
BBB finished in Cinelli’s historic colours. If your customer is seeking something more budget-friendly, the brand has a new aluminium road frame, dubbed the Xperience, which offers what the brand says is a stiff, torsionally rigid and compliant ride, despite thinning the stays for weight savings. Everything demonstrated will be in stock by the end of December, with the Best Of landing with Chicken Cyclekit as early as November.
AS OF FEBRUARY, Windwave takes over BBB's distribution, with Greyville ceasing its tie-up with the brand in May. There's no shortage of new product on the way too. In fact, the stand was so full of new goods, the brand used under-floor glass panels to make use of every square inch of stand space. BikeBiz was given a number of product demonstrations while on the stand, but the standout performer has to come in the form of the new 'GrilaMid' constructed 'Impulse' glasses. Housing Photogromic lenses, the super flexible, shatterproof frame can be twisted totally out of shape and bounces right back thanks to the special plastic's memory. Sitting at the top of the eyewear line, the glasses are a pro-team favourite, not only as a result of the clever frame, but also thanks to the super-tacky silicon nosepiece and grippy rubber inserts on the temple. The nosepiece is adjustable
in all directions and will stay fixed in the desired position thanks to a small aluminium insert. This means riders can customise the way the glasses sit, especially useful if you desire a bit of airflow between your face and the lenses. BBB also has a new three-watt helmet-mountable light, capable of emitting 860 lumens on high, much thanks to clever use of Seoul LEDs. Powered from a lithium ion battery, the light system can run with an additional 'splitter cable,' meaning two of the lights can run from one battery pack should the rider want one on the handlebar and one head-mounted. From December, baselayers will also join the firm's extensive clothing line and be available in both men's and women's cuts in both sleeved and sleeveless.
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 37
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BRAND SPOTLIGHT SMART LIGHTS
Under the
spotlight With a revamped, robust and colourful range lighting up bike retail, Fisher Outdoor Leisure brand manager Rob Handoll tells Jonathon Harker why stocking Smart lights is a bright option… Can you give us a brief history of the Smart brand? Smart was established in 1993 by an Electronics Engineer called Kevin Chen. Based in Taiwan, Kevin is a man obsessed by building products of the very highest quality and this commitment to being the best has become synonymous with the Smart brand. Over the years Kevin has forged enduring relationships with some of the biggest distributors in the world that now sees Smart lights being sold into over 17 countries worldwide and manufactured out of ultra-modern Smartowned facilities in both Taiwan and China. Which sectors does Smart cater for? Smart lights primarily target the aftermarket leisure and commuter market in the UK. What is less well known perhaps is that a ‘not insignificant’ proportion of sales also come from reflectors and lights built for those European OE markets where it is mandatory to put lights on bikes at the point of assembly. What does Smart offer that other light brands don’t? The Smart range is extensive and as such there are a number of key selling points that are worth highlighting. The key USP though is that all Smart lights are built to the very highest standards and to withstand the toughest treatment and the
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most adverse weather conditions. Whether it is an £8 entry-level rear light or a £55 top-of-the-range light set, the retailer and consumer alike can have total peace of mind that they are getting the best possible value for money. Reliability wise, Smart is one of the best in class with just 0.01 per cent of Smart lights ever being returned with a fault. How large is the range? It is certainly comprehensive but you will be pleased to hear that it’s not bewilderingly large or confusing in any way. There are two main subbrands within the range called Lunar and Polaris. The Lunar range is all about performance with a choice of four front lights from ten to 35 lux, designed to both see and be seen out on the road. The rear lights are either half or one watt in power output and are super bright. The Polaris range is targeted towards urban riding where it is more important than ever to be seen by motorists and it includes four and seven Lux front lights, as well as a choice of three rears. Price points
range from £7.99 to £54.99 across the Lunar and Polaris ranges so there is a perfect light available for any budget level. How have Smart sales been over the past year? Smart light sales continue to grow year-on-year but have really taken off this last season after we completely revamped the product range with exciting new colours and graphics whilst, at the same time, adding some high performance products to the Lunar range. Our ongoing marketing and PR campaigns have also helped to fuel the sales success by creating a real desire amongst the buying public for the products. This can only be a good thing for our retailers as we help drive footfall to their shops.
How tough is it to balance light performance with battery life? It is quite difficult, to be honest. Consumers rightly want more and more powerful lights and the trade-off is often in the battery life. There are some incredibly bright LEDs on the market now that are not much larger than a pin head and these lend themselves to being put into sleek light shells, so it is important to keep the batteries small and few. With this in mind, all Smart front lights use just two AA batteries and rears just two AAA, so they don’t take up much room on the bike or in your pocket. They are all optimised to give the maximum power output with the most efficient use of battery.
Has it been difficult to keep prices down for the new season? As the lighting market grows ever more aggressive we face increasing pressure to remain price competitive. For this reason we closely scrutinise the lighting market to ensure for retailer and consumer alike Smart lights offer the best value for money for the quality of the light you get… bar none. What’s next for Smart? Any surprises up its sleeves? We have many exciting new developments coming through for next season that we can talk about nearer the time, but I’m sworn to secrecy until then… watch this space. What incentives and benefits are there for potential stockists? There are many and we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss these in person with any retailers out there who would like to experience these benefits for themselves. These include fully inclusive stockist deals to suit all retailer budgets and fantastic margins with virtually zero returns for complete peace of mind. We also offer in-store point of sale and 100 per cent supply for the whole range. www.fisherb2b.com
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 39
PALIGAP DEALER SHOW 2010
Ringing the changes While Kona remains a key brand for Paligap, the distributor has been significantly ramping up its P&A portfolio over the summer, as Jonathon Harker found out when he visited the company’s new HQ…
Paligap has upped its offering with three new brands – BREV, MCipollini and Silca – and is keen to grow its P&A range in the near future.
40 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
IN A JAM-PACKED show season, Paligap took time out between Eurobike and Cycle Show to put on its own dealer show. Unlike previous affairs, the Bristolian distributor held the event at its own HQ – something made possible by its move to new 20,000 sq ft premises last November. So, set on home turf Paligap unveiled the latest product lines from its brand portfolio, covering Kona, Torq, FFWD, Ritchey, Saris, Sobrio and the rest. Expansion is the word on Paligap’s lips this year. Keen to shake off the misapprehension that the firm only distributes Kona, Paligap has ramped up its parts and accessories offering with three new brands: MCipollini, BREV and Silca. The firm is keen to add to its line-up
too and tells BikeBiz that it is actively looking for new brands to continue to grow its parts and accessories offering. IN WITH THE NEW The MCipollini brand, featuring apparel and a bike range, is not only new for Paligap but also new in itself, teased a year ago at Eurobike. Headed up by Mario Cipollini himself, who launched the range in person in the UK at Cycle Show, the line-up includes two models – the RB1000 ‘champion’s bike’ and the RB800 racing bike. The high-end lightweight carbon monocoque rides are handcrafted and big on the small details, according to the firm. Both are Italiandesigned and manufactured in Florence. The garment side of the
brand is more extensive. Aimed at the performance market (with an appropriately high price tag) the high performance technical garments are pro-fit and designed by Cipollini himself. The range features seasonal clothing (Snugline Winter). BREV is another new brand for Paligap, tapping into the ever-growing stylish fixie sector. Sporting seemingly endless colour options, the component brand is pitched at being relatively inexpensive and provides durable (and cool) parts. The eye-catching range from the US includes handlebars, grips, saddles, chainrings, crankarms and more, virtually all available in multiple colour options. Silca completes the trio of brands new to Paligap. In fact
the firm has been around for 93 years, over the course of which Silca has kept production in Italy and has grown to include plenty of day-to-day consumables. The range includes pumps, CO2 cannisters, bottles, cages and plenty more. Paligap promises to carry spares for the products too, so items like the pumps are fully rebuildable. OLD FAVOURITES But it’s not just about the new names. MCipollini, BREV and Silca’s products sat alongside the latest from firm Paligap favourites like Fast Forward at the show. The FF range, handmade in Holland, now includes the F4R Carbon clinchers, and the new lightweight F6 rim. Paligap
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PALIGAP DEALER SHOW 2010
revealed it is looking for potential dealers to sign up to the prestigious brand. Proving that retro clothing is not, erm, a thing of the past, Solo’s latest clothing range is infused with that popular old school look. The ‘race-bred cyclewear’ range is headed up with eight short-sleeved jerseys, but also includes shorts, socks, leg warmers and bags. The ever-popular CycleOps range offers good margins and only a minimal commitment by dealers – ideal for the trainers which are lifetime products. Sporting a quiet, road-like feel the range complements Paligap’s DVD lines. The range features real rides designed for training, sprinting, climbing, mountain biking, etc. Meanwhile, Torq has added to its performance food line-up with the intriguing Rhubarb and Custard gel. Following on from that new and rather unusual flavour, the firm has also launched the Mint Chocolate Torq Recovery. Paligap’s accessory line-up has also been bolstered by new additions from the Sombrio clothing brand and from Muc-Off.
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Speaking of favourites, Paligap stalwart Kona also has a thing or two up its sleeve for the new season. Following its tent-tastic showing at Eurobike, the Kona’s bike prices are all ready for the change in VAT at the start of 2011. The range also now features head badges in various different iterations depending on the genre of product, i.e all the MTBs share the same headbadge. The Kona range has aimed to provide more bang for buck in 2011, with many models now featuring branded components and higher specs, but without a significant price rise. Significantly for the sector, Paligap will be stocking three electric Kona models this year: the Electric Ute, the Token and the Ticket. All feature 250w motors that have a 100 km power-assisted range. Beyond e-bike lines, Kona’s mountain bike cross country hardtails are pitched as being stiffer, with enhanced trackability and compliancy. The Fire Mountain (£500) remains a key model, now boasting those aforementioned branded components from Shimano, an
FSA headset and Rockshox Dart 1 forks. The Lana’I has also seen its specs go up (with a Shimano crankset), but only with a modest price rise (now £350 rather than £310). Cross country hardtail Blast now boasts a new frame with integrated headset (£700), while the Caldera (£1,000) features an FSA headset, Mavic rims and an WTB saddle among other names. In the cyclocross sector, Jake has had a major revamp. Its price has increased by £100, but the enhancements are many, including a new frame, integral head tube and tougher forks. The Major Jake is Kona’s first full carbon cyclocross race bike, featuring BB30 bottom bracket, Ultegra shifters and an FSA cockpit. Other highlights from the Kona range include the significantly revamped Kula Gold, and commuter lines like the Dew Plus (now sporting hydraulic brakes) and the Dew Deluxe. Meanwhile, the Band Wagon has dropped £70 (now £500) and sports a new shiny frame that should look pretty eye-catching under streetlights. Paligap: 01454 313116
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 41
INDUSTRY OPINIONS
The move to the Midlands Deciding which trade shows to prioritise is a tough call for retailers and distributors alike. With show news flying back and forth, Mark Sutton and Jonathon Harker ask the industry how the switch to the NEC will affect Cycle Show, its attendance and who will exhibit going forward... “I think the retail zone could perhaps be extended as it was quite limited in the range of products on offer, in my opinion. This view was shared by some of the members of the public I spoke to across the event. I think that the more central location will encourage trade visitors from further afield as, until now, it’s been very London-centric. Birmingham NEC will prove a very good and welcome move, in my opinion. It may also attract more noncommuter brands to consider attending, as the interest range of visitors may widen. Many people I spoke to complained about the catering at Earls Court, or more precisely, the lack of places for people to sit and eat. In my experience of the venue, this is likely to be much improved at the NEC. I would hope to see the live action stage held in a separate area of the NEC for next year, which of course is not possible at Earls Court. This is due to the high noise levels coming from
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the area. It makes meetings very difficult. In summary, I think that Cycle Show was a good event and in my experience of dealing with the organisers at least, very well run. However, if it is to truly be THE cycle event in 2011, and beyond, I do feel it needs to increase its appeal to a wider cycling market than it does currently and increase its relevance to the trade. With new shows on the horizon, this will be a challenge. The NEC location will definitely help and they have a strong basis on which to build. I wish them luck.” MARK ALMOND, DIRECTOR, RED CLOUD MC “I was pleased that I went to Cycle Show, though I do not think that it will fit with the Cycling Sports Group to attend a show of this nature anymore, whether that is NEC or London. I
still thought it was quite busy on the Thursday when I went, despite a few big names missing from the line-up. I had a thoroughly productive day meeting key dealers in a social setting over coffee, so the trip was worthwhile. I did wonder, after hearing of the end of BikeRadar Live, what it would take to recreate Bike 95/96, but I think the world has moved on now. Thousands turned out back then to get a glimpse of international extreme sports riders that now they can see on a website or Extreme TV channel, times have just changed.” RUSSELL MERRY, CO-DIRECTOR, CSG UK "We found the Cycle Show to be a huge improvement over last year, with more interested consumers and a definite increase in trade visitors. For next year we would like to see a dedicated ‘ebike
zone’ so consumers can visit all manufacturers in one place. We would also like to see a mini booth on the test track for each manufacturer with a bike on track. It only needs to be the size of a newspaper stand, but will enable manufacturers to communicate directly with consumers and ensure the track isn’t just a ‘go-kart track’ for kids.” MARK LOVERIDGE, SALES DIRECTOR, ULTRAMOTOR “I understand that the move to the NEC will allow for an outdoor demo area and has attracted interest from some of the bigger bike companies. It will be great if they do sign up, as ultimately more exhibitors will mean a better show for people to visit, be they dealers or consumers. I also hope that a more central location (making it easier and quicker to visit), combined with some of the bigger players exhibiting, will attract more dealers.” MATT RYLEY, MD, UPGRADE
“We are based in Kent, 40 minutes from London. The clientele of Cycle Show are mainly London and South East based, so initially, ‘not good’ was my reaction. However, Birmingham is in the middle of the UK (which is difficult to understand if you are based in the South and everywhere else is ‘up North’) and it will attract more northern-based bike shops and riders, which is probably a good thing. The new London Bike Show will be there for our southern customers, so the two shows will complement each other nicely for the different markets. I’m looking forward to the NEC test track. The old Stoneleigh Park exhibition comes to mind, which was great.” SIMON NASH, MD, GREEN OIL
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 43
MOORE LARGE ROADSHOW
Designed to sell And sell they have. The demand for Forme has surpassed Moore Large’s predictions, while Haro’s 2011 line focuses on what the firm does best. Mark Sutton swung by Moore Large’s September road show and returned with plenty to report...
“Unless all your customers are tall, it’s quite difficult to sell 29ers in the UK. The 26-inch wheel is where Haro’s focus will be on the MTB side.” Adam Garner, Haro Brand Manager
44 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
REPORTED ON BikeBiz.com previously, Haro dropped the 650B wheel size from its line. At the first UK showing of the 2011 line it seems “the UK doesn't really ‘get’ 29ers either,” so they’re gone too, meaning Haro is again wholly focused on its freestyle roots. “Unless your customers are all tall it’s quite difficult to sell 29ers in the UK. The concept isn’t really understood given the typical UK terrain and although the bikes did sell, the 26-inch wheel is where Haro’s focus will be on the MTB side going forwards,” explains Haro brand manager Adam Garner. Moore Large has had a direct input into the big-wheeled line-
up, with UK specific graphics on each, adding colour-coordinated saddles to each and a few subtle spec changes where braking is concerned. Hydraulic brakes now feature on the majority of mid-range Haro mountain bikes, with only one lower-priced mechanical set-up now in the range. This subtle change is something Garner believes helps the retailer ‘sell’ the bike to customers big on buzz words. Reflected in its ramp-side presence at London's Cycle Show, Haro and subsidiary brand Premium Products are very much focused on the BMX, race and jump markets this year. The six-bike Premium Products line,
topped with Garret Reynolds’ ‘Deathtrap’ at £569.95, hits the key ‘best seller’ price points well and for the first time introduces a ‘brakeless’ model, dubbed the Broadway. This build comes boxed with brakes, though given the majority of 20-inch enthusiasts’ neglect for stopping power, the model is bound to be a big seller due to its clean, lugfree tubes. The brand’s aftermarket component line has a few tidy additions too, including a super slim profile pedal with options for either a plastic or metal body, both compatible with the same axle and rolling on a bush bearing system. Also due by Christmas, the brand has a new
crank, dubbed the ‘1948’, and compatible with all 48-spline bottom brackets. On the race side of the Haro business, 15 year-old Dan Pullen has taken a place on the Olympic development team, giving the Derby distributor a new angle from which to market the line going forwards. “We’ll be heavily involved with Mpora.com’s race BMX section when it launches later this year, marketing Haro’s race bikes to the masses,” said Garner. “The bikes themselves have a wealth of added value this year with more Sinz components specced, alloy stems and pivotal seat setups, though prices remain largely
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MOORE LARGE ROADSHOW There was keen interest from retailers in the new ore Forme line-up at the Mo Large roadshows
unchanged. There’s nine models in the 2011 range and we’ve introduced some clever hydroformed frames on some models carrying built in chain tensioners.” With what was recently described to BikeBiz as a ‘huge growth sector’, it’s little surprise to see that Moore Large has expanded the budget Savage BMX product line. Offering seven different 25/9, colour co-ordinated wheel and sprocket packages, the firm has a few innovative ways to address the demand for colourmatched, custom builds. It’s not all necessarily ‘bread and butter’ stock though, there’s a few personalised touches in the line too, such as the ‘Smokey Joe’ grip, which has a swirled multicoloured design. The four colourways retail for just £5.99, to boot. ON FORME, OFF-ROAD The majority of retailers visiting Moore Large’s roadshows will have taken a keen interest in the progress of the relatively young, yet hugely successful Forme brand. Not to disappoint, brand manager Adam Biggs had laid on a spread of new builds, including a new off-road line beginning at an affordable £399 and topping out at the Cycle to Work friendly £999.99 price point, which the brand’s conception was largely based around. So with the scheme still very much unsettled, thanks to late summer’s legislation re-jig, what does this mean for Forme? “It’s not essential to sales, I feel,” said Biggs. “It seems to me
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that people are seeking to cycle regardless of incentives. That’s why the Forme range is designed to be as sellable as possible on the shop floor. The design work of the 2011 line focuses on key touch points and aesthetics in the right places, the things
“The 2011 Forme range focuses on key touch points and aesthetics in the right places.” Adam Biggs, Forme Brand Manager
customers both uneducated and in the know will appreciate when differentiating one bike from another." There’s plenty to attract retail customers to Forme – good point of sale support going forwards, healthy margins bordering on the 50 per cent mark on many models, a promise to only allow bricks and
mortar stores access to the brand, and a diverse bike range – but what’s in it for the consumer? Well aside from lifetime warranty on all Forme frames, Biggs has done plenty of research on the end-user and what turns them on in store. Women’s bikes are kitted out with what women want – a comfy saddle, ergo grips, forgiving tyres and mudguards. The customer is also buying into a link-up between the brand and Marie Curie Cancer Care, with a portion of all sales going to the charity. In fact, a sale of the competition-ready, range-topping, £3,299 Zenith road bike, of which only 100 are being made, will return £100 to the charity. Last year demand for Forme far outstripped supply, due to shortages on many other brands, though much thanks to being a 'welcome change from the big players'. Moore Large has invested heavily in higher stock levels this year and the range has vastly broadened to include everything from city and trekking bikes, through cyclocross builds, to a new track-suited build due in stock early next year. Moore Large: 01332 274200
Adam Biggs, brand manager for Forme
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 45
Electric Bikes
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Douglas Lawson 01590 681553 douglas.lawson@wisperbikes.com www.WisperBikes.com
the ride of your life British Electric Bicycle Association Member
BRAND SPOTLIGHT ACCAPI
As if by magic… Accapi’s clothing line makes some bold claims, backed by some big names to boot. Surely a simple piece of clothing can’t reduce recovery time by half? Company partner Andrew Geere talks to Mark Sutton about how Nexus technology helped him through a tough period of recovery and back to full fitness, against his doctor’s predictions… “THE CLOTHING emits infra-red via an embedded mix of titanium, platinum and aluminium ‘dust’. When placed with soft tissue damage it’s not too dissimilar from being in one of those infra-red therapy booths they have out in Japan. Recovery speeds on soft tissue damage are boosted significantly.” It’s a bizarre concept and one with its sceptics, but having experienced the healing power of Accapi’s Nexus technology, one third of the UK distribution partnership and partner in Accapi UK, Andrew Geere (main pic) is a convert. Having suffered a nasty neck injury in a mountain bike crash many years ago, Geere was recommended an Accapi neck guard. Having tried physiotherapy with only limited success, Geere had lost a portion of the movement in his neck. “I noticed a real difference in my range after sleeping in the brace for one night,” says Geere. “Over a further ten nights I gradually regained more and more movement until I was able to move my neck freely again. I’d recovered in an astonishingly quick period of time thanks to wearing the neck brace overnight. It was at the end of those weeks that I approached both Steve Roberts and George Haydon about becoming the third partner in the Accapi UK business.” So how does the Japanese technology benefit athletes? “We’ve brought the entire Nexus catalogue to the UK, from Italy where it’s manufactured, consisting of the Pro, Action and Bodyguard lines. First of all, the BodyGuard line
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covers the body’s joints, so any soft tissue damage, including ligament tears in the knees, ankle, wrists, even the neck, can be catered for, costing from £40 upwards. We even have socks, which offer the added benefit of improving circulation, thus
“Nothing this unique has hit the market since Gore Tex became available.” Andrew Geere boosting an athlete’s energy. BodyGuard’s only competitor are neoprene supports which don’t actively aid recovery, are bulky and often sweaty.” Sportspeople are encouraged to check out the Pro line, as well as the more ‘relaxed cut’ Action line. These come in the form of long and shortsleeve jerseys, shorts and legwear. “The backguard is a key product for cyclists,” explains Geere. “Back injuries and traumas are not uncommon in sports cycling. We’ve got a few prototype products in testing targeted specifically at the cycle market too. Cycling shorts and tri-suits will be on the way next
Steve Roberts (above) and George Haydon are the other two partners in Accapi UK
year and we think once the market properly awakens to what recovery clothing can offer, retailers will have far greater success with shifting performance clothing.” Matt Stephens, team leader of Sigma Sport is a firm believer in how Nexus can assist faster recovery, as is one of the world’s top mountaineers, Limoni Morrow. “We actually found out about Accapi’s
Nexus gear through Morrow. He told us how, while wearing the garments, he could train for longer and recover faster. What’s more, astonishingly the effects of delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) were not felt over the days following heavy exercise.” So how exactly does the technology work its wonders? “The mix of metal ‘dust’ is permanently weaved within the fibre and emits an infra-red of
between 4 and 14 microns, a suitable wavelength to be absorbed by the body. As the body is mostly water, the infrared oscillates the water molecules in the body and improves blood flow,” explains Geere. “We’ve endless testimonials to back the science and they’re from diverse sources too. From professional rowers, to triathletes, skiers and even athletes in boxing, we’ve had very positive feedback from all over.” Accapi UK now has exclusive rights to develop the Nexus Energy product across the globe, as well as having exclusivity of distribution in the UK and Ireland. Sales agents are available for retail visits, while the firm will be exhibiting at the Triathlon, Cycling and Running Show in February and again at the Outdoor Trade Show next September. Retailers may also notice an advertising campaign soon to run in many consumer cycling magazines. “I believe the testimonials are our most powerful form of marketing,” concludes Geere. “Dealers will see them printed on our point-of-sale and marketing material, including leaflets available to stockists. I’d urge those considering a performance clothing brand to look us up. Nothing this unique has hit the market since Gore Tex became available. This technology could well be the next big thing in sports clothing.” Accapi sales: 01203 291247 or info@accapi.co.uk
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 47
NEW FOR WINTER 2010 SPORTS GILLET (S-XL) High Spec, Waterproof, breathable anti rip fabric. Fully lined inside.
RRP £39.99 Stockist Price £19.99
SPORTS JACKET (S-XL) High Spec, Waterproof, breathable anti rip fabric. Fully lined inside.
RRP £45.99
Stockist Price £22.99
AEROTEX THERMALITE
ALSO AVAILABLE IN BLACK
Aerotex waterproof & breathable membrane. Thick padding with Thermalite Insulation. Extra long cuff with Velcro & draw string closure. Padded and super grip palm. Fleece sweat wiping panel. Starlite reflective piping.
AEROTEX REFLECTIVE GLOVES (S-XL)
RRP £19.99
Stockist Price £9.99
AEROTEX Aerotex waterproof and breathable membrane.Tough padded palm. Fleece sweatwiping panel. Elasticated cuff. Starlite reflective piping.
RRP £19.49
Stockist Price £9.29
Waterproof and breathable membrane. reflective piping and logos. double cuff layer’
RRP £19.99
Stockist Price £9.99
WINDSTER Lightweight breathable, wind and waterproof. Soft lycra cuff. Full palm and fingers rubberised griP.
RRP £14.99
Stockist Price £6.59
CONTACT uS FOR THE FULL RANGE. BAGS
CLOTHING
WATERPROOFS
GLOVES
Tel: 01332 274252 Email: sales@moorelarge.co.uk
CYCLE POINT
Evans goes
Dutch CYCLEPOINT has just one location so far, but could be rolled out at railways stations in many British cities, hopes Evans, which bagged the rights to operate the first outlet. CyclePoint is a UK version of the FietsPoint railway station cycle parking units operated by Ned Railways, the Dutch railway company. The FietsPoint in Leiden has space for parking
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3,000 bikes; CyclePoint Leeds has 300. It costs just £1 a day for secure cycle storage and there are even sockets for recharging electric bikes. The Leeds CyclePoint is not a money-spinner. Network Rail, which owns most of the retail space at UK train stations, isn't leasing its land to CyclePoint for a profit: a coffee shop would earn many multiples over what a
With an unmissable location in front of Leeds station, the new £500,000 CyclePoint bike parking facility aims to bring a little bit of the Netherlands to the UK
“The launch of the country’s first Cyclepoint puts Leeds at the heart of the cycling revolution...” Anton Valk, CEO, Abellio
cycle storage facility could ever hope to earn. Instead, CyclePoint is a statement of intent, a focus on suggesting customers hook up with a form of door-to-door sustainable transport that doesn't expand waistlines. It will be difficult for Network Rail and other land owners to roll out the concept in prime retail locations so CyclePoint units in London have yet to get the go-ahead. The Leeds CyclePoint is operated by Evans, and there's a small footprint for retail. Most of the space in the small, glassfronted rotunda building is taken up with bespoke racking. Evans secured the deal to operate the first CyclePoint after the concept was promoted in 2009 by Abellio, the Netherlands-based owner of Northern Rail, Merseyrail and Ned Railways. Ned Railways operates 25 FietsPoint bike shops at railway
stations across the Netherlands. These bike shops also provide bike parking facilities, bike rental, and same-day bike servicing. They are operated as a means of generating more bike-to-thestation journeys. MPs and Lords on a 2009 study tour of the Netherlands were told the FietsPoint bike centres were operated to breakeven but were initially heavily subsidised, in order to increase the number of train journeys. Ned Railways found that when station car parks were full, the number of off-peak train journeys were reduced. However, when money and effort was pumped into creating thousands of secure bike parking spaces, the number of passenger train journeys increased. Leeds station is owned by the Government-owned Network Rail. To create the first CyclePoint, Northern Rail worked
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 49
CYCLE POINT
Electric bikes are welcome at Cyclepoint and chargeable for the duration of a bike’s stay...
with Network Rail, Leeds City Council, CTC, the Department for Transport and the West Yorkshire PTE in a joint venture which cost the DfT £500,000. CyclePoint Leeds was opened in late September by Transport Minister, Norman Baker; Abellio CEO Anton Valk; and the Dutch Ambassador, Pim Waldeck. Baker said: “It’s vitally important we make the beginning and end of people’s journeys as simple as possible that’s the couple of miles from home to station - so that the bike and train option becomes as easy as jumping in our cars for long journeys. "More and more commuters are wanting to cycle to and from the station which is why expansion of cycling facilities, like this Government-funded project, are so important. And, of course, better cycling facilities at stations not only helps tackle congestion and promote rail travel, but will also help people develop healthier lifestyles and protect the environment.” Abellio's Valk said: “The launch of the country’s first CyclePoint has put Leeds at the heart of a revolution that is taking place across the nation. Recently, there has been an explosion in cycling throughout the UK. I have seen it myself as I cycle to work each day. “At Abellio, our aim has always been to provide transport services which improve quality of life for passengers and across the communities we serve. We believe it is part of our
50 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
responsibility to make our passengers’ door-door journeys as stress-free as possible. By providing secure storage in a new building manned by dedicated staff, CyclePoint removes the anxiety we know passengers feel when leaving bikes at stations.” Steve Butcher, Chief Operating
“It’s vitally important we make the beginning and end of people’s journeys as simple as possible...” Norman Baker, Transport Minister
Officer of Northern Rail who will be responsible to customers using CyclePoint said: “The ultimate goal is for passengers going to cities and large towns to be able to ride to their station, leave their cycle, travel to their destination and then hire a bike to complete their journey." Transport journalist Christian Wolmar - an expert on both trains and cycling - gave a speech at the opening, praising the Department for Transport: "This sort of initiative is important. It says cyclists have a right to be on roads. The cycling culture has changed immensely in the last 10 to 15 years. CyclePoint is the sort of stimulus that could move things forward even more. This morning on Radio Leeds, Norman Baker was asked if CyclePoint was a waste of money because people don't cycle in the rain. This sort of silly question won't be asked when there a lot more people cycling every day." Mike Rice, MD of Evans Cycles was also at the launch and said: “We think this is a huge step forward for cycling in the UK and we're excited to be a part of this from the first steps. We hope to see more and more of these popping up around the country.” The Leeds CyclePoint is close to a new Evans store on Station Street which opened in midOctober. Rice said customers who couldn't be helped at CyclePoint – which sells only a handful of accessories – will be directed to the new store.
Where next for CyclePoint?
THE EXPANSION of CyclePoint is now on hold indefinitely thanks to the Coalition Government's austerity measures. When Lord Adonis was in charge of transport during the last administration there had
While some Dutch people may laugh at Britain's feeble attempts at replicating a Netherlands-style cycling culture, Dutch folks who live in the UK have noticed big changes in just a short period of time. Peter Lensink, a
“There has been a change in perception, biking is becoming part of mobility. Who would have thought we’d have cycle congestion...” Peter Lensink, NED Railways been plans to create CyclePoint hubs at Waterloo, Victoria, St Pancras, Sheffield, York, Hull, Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Liverpool Lime Street, as well as Leeds. The Department for Transport had wanted to get 2.5 million more people cycling regularly. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis was converted to the bike-parking-at-stations cause during a visit to the Netherlands.
London-based executive of Ned Railways, said cycling in the capital is at a tipping point: “There’s been a change in perception, not just people in Lycra. Biking is becoming part of mobility. I pedal on a Dutch roadster and cycle everywhere in my suit. There are now lots like me. Who would ever have imagined the junction between Tavistock Square and Tavistock Place would have cycle congestion in the mornings?”
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RIDE IN STYLE
Introducing the newly extended range: Grips, Mudguards, Saddles & Pedals
t High quality products at extremely competitive price points t Mix and match over 50 accessories to co-ordinate your look t Unique space-saving, environmentally friendly packaging t Fantastic dealer margins and free point of sale for stockists
To v i e w t h e f u l l r a n g e v i s i t w w w . v a v e r t . c o m To b e c o m e a s t o c k i s t s p e a k t o y o u r F i s h e r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o r c a l l 0 1 7 2 7 7 9 8 3 4 5
New and improved Smart lights. A comprehensive range that doesn’t compromise on design or function & offers some great trade benefits, including: t 4UVOOJOH QSPEVDU QBDLBHJOH EFTJHOT t 3FMJBCMF QSPEVDU XJUI WJSUVBMMZ [FSP SFUVSOT t -JNJUFE MJGFUJNF XBSSBOUZ PO -VOBS MJHIUT SBOHF t .BSHJOT UP TVJU BMM SFUBJMFST QSJDF QPJOUT UP TVJU BMM QPDLFUT "MM UP HJWF DPNQMFUF QFBDF PG NJOE GPS SFUBJMFS DPOTVNFS
The premium Lunar range is clearly a cut above the rest. t &MFHBOU FZF DBUDIJOH EFTJHOT t )JHI QPXFSFE UP MJHIU FWFO UIF EBSLFTU PG DPVOUSZ SPBET t 'PS DZDMJTUT XIP OFFE UP TFF BOE CF TFFO
A fantastic range of front and rear lights that are both functional and affordable. t 5PVHI DPOTUSVDUJPO t *EFBM GPS UIF VSCBO DZDMJTU t /FX BOE JOOPWBUJWF GFBUVSFT t &OWJSPONFOUBMMZ GSJFOEMZ QBDLBHJOH NBEF GSPN SFDZDMFE NBUFSJBMT 'PS GVSUIFS JOGPSNBUJPO BOE UP WJFX UIF GVMM SBOHF QMFBTF WJTJU XXX öTIFSC C DPN
ACTSMART: THE CYCLING EXPERTS
Barely Covered THE CYCLE industry has witnessed numerous insurance providers roll in and out of the marketplace. The attraction is a sector they perceive to be far bigger, easier to work with and more profitable than the reality. After a few years of trying to undercut premiums using standard policies and low cost online sales solutions, they depart writing it off as ‘an unusually challenging market place’. THE CYCLE INSURANCE GRAVEYARD The cycle insurance graveyard is full of them, but unfortunately the damage caused can still be felt by the businesses they leave behind. We want insurance for protection, whether against theft, fire, personal injury or any other risks to our business that might arise in our day-to-day interaction with the world. However, as many of us have experienced, a claim tends to leave us locked in with a particular provider, making us immediately unattractive to alternative insurers. As the low premiums that initially secured interest give
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way to a significant overhead we come to realise that we are now in a much longer term and more expensive relationship than we had planned. ARE WE COVERED? All we seek is comfort that we are fully covered against any eventuality. That any claims process we might have to undertake is administratively undemanding and result in what we expected from the policy in the first place. And of course, all must be delivered at a competitive rate. In an increasingly litigious society and a changing business world, we want to know that our exposure has been considered and addressed by our insurer, so we can sleep at night. What we ultimately want is a flexible, good value insurance consultancy from real people that know our trade. CYCLE EXPERIENCE At ActSmart we know that insurance is a core provision for anyone involved in the world of cycling. The industry needs a partner who is experienced, committed, understanding and flexible to meet the needs of the
sector as a whole. Accordingly, we have extended ACT’s relationship with Butterworth Spengler to incorporate Hiscox, a quality insurer and leading name in claims management with a real hunger for servicing specialists. WHY BUTTERWORTH? Butterworth has provided a cycle shop package for over 20 years and has unrivalled experience and expertise in this arena – but it’s not simply about experience. The extensive positive feedback received from businesses which use Butterworth and enjoy the personal contact bear testimony to the quality of their consultancy and customer service. Butterworth not only provides shop insurance, but is involved in bike to work schemes, pool bike arrangements, cycle training, mobile workshops and widespread cyclist insurance offerings via the likes of CTC, LCC, BTF, Sustrans and have recently expanded into the European cycle market. Butterworth was recently awarded the insurance contract
for the London Cycle Hire scheme. No mean feat for a Liverpool-based broker. COMMITTED TO CYCLE SHOPS Butterworth’s commitment to cycle retailers has lead to a recent review and upgrade of its policy in terms cover, claims and price. Key features of the new policy have been designed to meet cycle retailer needs including free seasonal stock cover increases of up to 50 per cent to cover the three busiest months of the year, developments in public liability cover for repairs and servicing, extensions for cycle hire services and cover for cycles on display outside the shop, to name a few. CYTECH RECOGNISED Butterworth offers a ten per cent discount to ACT members and in recognition of Cytech’s status as the industry technical standard and its role in reducing risk in the cycle retail work place, a further five per cent discount is offered to shops that are Cytech Accredited. ActSmart continues to work with Butterworth to add further enhancements and increase
value for money. With between 50 per cent – 65 per cent of all new monthly quotations proving successful we suggest that every cycle business should consider Butterworth as an alternative option when your next renewal is due. ActSmart: info@acsmart.biz or 0845 6187256 Visit www.specialistretail insurance.co.uk or contact Butterworth directly on 0844 764 64 64
Testimonials “Butterworth Spengler has by far the most comprehensive policy available and a very competitive price – I cannot fault them.” Andrew Richards Big Red Bike “Butterworth Spengler has been absolutely fantastic, very, very good. You get more for your money and I saved £300 on last year’s premium.” Tina Wickham, Velocity Bikes
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 53
PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT Send your recruitment news to
mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
Hotlines establishes new marketing team, Go Elsewhere, Upgrade appoints a new senior manager, Fisher Outdoor Leisure hires a marketing executive and CSG bolsters its telesales team...
54 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
HOTLINES AND 661 MARTIN ASTLEY, WILL LONGDEN and PETE SCULLION are Hotlines’ new recruits that form the distributor’s marketing team going forwards. Astley comes from a varied background in the bike industry. He has been involved in everything from trail building in Whistler to managing the Iron Horse brand in the UK, running demos for Kona in Canada and, more recently, managing the infamous Mud Dock Cycleworks. He is also currently ranked in the top 10 in the MaxiAvalanche Europecup. Martin will be joined in the team by long-term professional cyclist Will Longden. Longden has a wealth of experience in the
Martin Astley cycling industry, having evolved from a multi discipline amateur, to professional cyclist of 15 years, winning four British MTB Championships, then taking on race team management and event management for Future Publishing, as well as a marketing
Pete Scullion role within Oakley UK. Also joining the team will be current Hotlines sales and tech advisor Pete Scullion. Scullion will be assisting the marketing team at its HQ in Edinburgh. Talking about his new role Scullion said: "After two years
working as a part of the Hotlines internal sales team, I’m relishing the challenge of assisting Will and Martin promote Hotlines Europe and our eclectic portfolio of brands through sponsorship, print and online media, demo days and products tests." Meanwhile, ANDY GOWAN, formerly of Hotlines, has rejoined 661 to look after the cycling side of the protection specialist’s business for Europe. UPGRADE With the continued growth at Upgrade Bikes, the distributor has announced the appointment of PAUL HINTON as its first senior manager. Hinton’s responsibilities will be to oversee general brand
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PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT
People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords
wan heads back to 661
Paul Hinton management, but particularly Lezyne and overall marketing strategy and implementation. “We had advertised for a replacement for one of our staff at manager level, but with Paul’s long term experience in the cycle industry, we decided to bring him in as a senior manager to help us with our continued growth and to help us realise the full potential of our established brands and to bring about strategic launches of new brands to Upgrade”, said Upgrade co-owner DAMIAN MASON. “Paul’s history of racing at Pro and National Championship level and his experience in brand management, marketing and promotional aspects, along with his high energy enthusiasm for product, attracted us into making this appointment.”
executive. Prior to this he worked as a student brand manager for Red Bull. Adam has enjoyed a life long association with bikes, having ridden his first BMX competition at just two years old. Since then he has ridden and raced 4X and downhill mountain bikes, as well as continued his love for everything BMX and anything cycle related. Fisher’s head of marketing, JULIE DOMMETT said of Fisher’s marketing team: "Fisher is committed to delivering first class marketing communications and event experiences. We want to do what we can to help our customers in their day-to-day business of selling bikes and accessories. Adam’s appointment is the latest development in this ongoing commitment. There’s a huge amount of activity planned for the next 12 months – the future is looking very bright for our brands and our customers as a result."
Carl Brooker
Adam Dayson FISHER OUTDOORS has appointed ADAM DAYSON to the role of marketing executive. Based at the St. Albans headquarters, Dayson brings with him years of experience working with Britvic where he held the role of business development
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CSG CARL BROOKER has joined CSG on its busy telesales team. Brooker is 23 years old and formerly worked in his local Halfords store. As a keen road cyclist, CSG’s latest recruit has taken part in a number of charity rides and raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support Fund. Brooker is a bit of a train buff, likes diesel/electric engines and travels all over the UK, but he tells his colleagues that a ‘track basher’ is a lot different to a train spotter because he doesn’t keep a record of the numbers. ALBERT STEWARD Madison’s press officer ALBERT STEWARD, or ‘Bert’, as he is known to many in the trade, has decided to move on from the Milton Keynes distributor. Madison is now seeking to appoint a replacement.
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 55
56 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
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RETAIL ONLY
The trade’s guide to sourcing stock, up-and-coming IBDs and the very latest products
RETAIL COMMENT
HERE AT BikeBiz we spend a lot of time with a variety of brand managers and marketing heads, particularly at shows. As you can imagine, having access to so many 'in the know' representatives in one place is a fantastic aid to helping us generate information to be relayed back to our readers. The flipside is spending hours on end having very similar bicycles presented to you, which can get a little… mundane. That's why it's always refreshing when a demonstration begins with a little bit of background, perhaps a bit about why certain design features are in place. On the frontline, retailers are tasked with capturing a customer’s enthusiasm, often brief and fleeting, each and every day. Unequipped with the information relating to a bike’s unique selling points, sales pitches can be wholly ineffective. Of course, much of it is common sense, it will be argued. But from my point of view at least, it makes a hell of a difference to leave a stand with a few notes that differentiate one brand’s product from another. He's already had his praises sung for growing the Forme
“He’s already had his praises sung for growing the Forme brand, but I’m going to make an example of Moore Large’s Adam Biggs and I hope many readers and account holders will agree.” brand, but I'm going to make an example of Moore Large's Adam Biggs and I hope many readers and account holders with the Derby distributor will agree. On a recent visit to the firm's house show (see page 44) Biggs skirted around my own perhaps mundane ‘what's new’ journalist routine, instead highlighting the points he felt important. "Each and every bike here is designed to sell," he explained. Believe it or not, I think that's the first time I'd heard those words, yet from a retail perspective, sellable product is far more important than something that looks great, but will gather dust. Biggs fired out information on his time spent researching an end-user’s mindset when buying a bike. He told of a link up with Marie Curie, whereby a portion of sales is donated to the charity and also shared his thoughts on how the mostly sub-£1,000 brand will be affected by recent changes in C2W legislation. Finally, as opposed to simply stating the brand's margins are competitive, it was explained how this has been achieved. It all differentiated the product from rivals’ and without a mention of gadgets or gimmicks. Can you and your staff convey what separates your firm from the competition? Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE NEW PRODUCTS
61
BikeBiz looks at the first bikes through in the Pivot line, a new race history book from Cordee and much more...
STOCKING FILLERS
67
Need some inspiration ahead of the frantic festive season? Check out our gift guide starting on page 67...
LETTERS
72
ATG Training’s Nicholas Lumb spits his toast out and reminds us that dumbing down cycle training isn’t the way forwards...
GOLD RUSH GOLD RUSH! SRAM RED takes four gold medals at the World Championships to make history in Australia. Time Trial: three gold medals with Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Emma Pooley (GBR), and Taylor Phinney (USA). Elite Men Road Race: SRAM/Zipp podium clean sweep with Thor Hushovd (NOR), Matti Breschel (DEN) and Allan Davis (AUS).
IBD PROFILE
Woodrup Cycles
A Leeding retailer Telephone: 0113 263 6212 Email: sales@woodrupcycles.com
Opening times Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, closed Sunday Address: 345-347 Kirkstall Rd, Leeds, LS4 2HD
Established in the 1940s in Leeds and performing stronger than ever, Woodrup Cycles’ Stephen Woodrup tells Jonathon Harker about retail, custom frame building and moving with the times… Can you tell us a bit about Woodrup's history? We go back a long way. My father started the business in Leeds in 1949, so we’ve been going for over sixty years. The business was built on hand building custom race frames – and retail, obviously – and I started in the trade fortyodd years ago. I was partner with my father for a number of years and now my son Stephen Woodrup has come into the business. He’s been a partner with me for a while now, so we’re a family business. Both my mum and dad were in the industry and we’ve always been interested in cycling and members of cycling clubs. We rebuilt the shop three years ago and tripled in size. How's business? We’re very busy. This last year was our biggest ever – it was absolutely manic and this year is shaping up to be equally good, if not our best ever. We’re extremely lucky that the bike business seems to do well in times of recession.
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Are any particular sectors performing well? In Leeds, the commuter area has grown massively. There’s a lot more people using bikes to go to and from work. Road is strong too – we’ve always had a lot to do with the cycling clubs and I still compete, myself. But the growth area has really been in the workshop. That has gone absolutely mental over the last few years. Our shop is a double unit. We used to lease out the shop next door, but when the chap retired we enlarged the main shop, taking over the previously leased space, which is now our workshop. We have five full-time staff in the workshop now. Do you do much business online? We haven’t done much up to now. It’s something that we’re contemplating going into and that’s one of the reasons why we made contact with Cybertill, as a first step into developing our online presence. It’s not a big part of our business, as yet.
“The growth area over the past few years is,without a doubt, the workshop. It’s gone mental!” Stephen Woodrup
So you’ve installed Cybertill EPoS? We have indeed. I’m a bit old school, but my son is looking to move the business forward and as I say we’re looking at online. The system also looks after things like stock management. I’m getting my head round it. The business has to move forwards and Anthony is in the driving seat for that. Do you get involved with local events? Myself and Anthony are members of the Yorkshire Road Club, which is an old established club and probably the biggest in Leeds. I’m more into road cycling, but Anthony is into mountain biking, so we cover everything between us. What are your aims for the business? Possibly to sell more online in the future, but generally just to see the business grow. We’ll probably enlarge the frame building side of the business. We already send frames
to Germany and the US and all over the place – it’s what the business was originally based on. We re-employed a chap who used to work with us years ago who has expertise in frame building. We build in steel and we’ve seen the material make a big come back over the past few years. We do a lot with the University of Leeds too. They lease bikes to the students and we supply and service all the bikes. We also go on campus on an advisory basis once a week and do small maintenance jobs there. It’s almost growing into a business on its own. It’s done very well. Generally, I can’t remember having a bad year, luckily we’ve always done quite well. We’ve been around for sixty years and the market changes very rapidly. You’ve got to keep on top of it and keep driving onwards. How many staff do you have overall? There are eight of us here in total.
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NEW PRODUCTS
New gear
Featuring some of the latest brand spanking new product available to dealers, BikeBiz details fresh goods Upgrade, Fisher, Walkers and Madison...
Spring Classics Cordee 01455 611185
Pivot Bikes Upgrade 01403 711611
SKS Chicken Cyclekit, Madison, Raleigh 01525 381347, 0208 385 3385, 01773 532600
VELOPRESS has published a new book dedicated to cycling’s ‘Spring Classics’ and available via Cordee. With input from L’Equip’s top writers, combined with hundreds of rare and restored photographs, the book delivers a rich and diverse selection of stories from cycling’s history. Documenting Europe’s greatest one-day events, the book recounts the heydey of the Paris-Tours, the Clasica San Sebastian and the Tour of Lombardy, among others. Retailing for £29.95, the 226-page hardcover book makes an ideal gift for anyone who raced through cycling’s first heydey, along with other enthusiasts.
ANNOUNCED on BikeBiz.com in August, Upgrade has taken on the distribution of Pivot Cycles, with much of the wide range now coming into stock. Founded in 2007 by bike designer Chris Cocalis, previously of Titus, the brand has established itself in the enduro, cross-county and downhill markets. All Pivot bikes and frames use the multi-world championship winning DW-Link patented suspension. Women-specific builds are available on some models, including the pictured Mach 5, which utilises 5.5-inch of rear travel and a DW technology to achieve a ‘bobless’ ride, even at speed.
SKS’s three UK distributors are now holding stock of the Diago pump, the Dashboard and Dashblade mudguards, as well as a new tool-free mounting system for bottle cages. The £24.99 Diago mini pump is designed to slot securely into a supplied frame mount and is capable of putting out up to 144 psi, meaning there’s no tyre on the market that it can’t fill to the brim with air. At 109 grams, the pump is ideal for even performance cyclists looking for minimal weight product. At just £13.99, SKS’s Dashboard front guard may be the cheapest mudguard to be compatible with Cannondale’s Headshock fork.
Look 996 frame Fisher Outdoor Leisure 01727 798345
Clarks Limited Edition Skeletal Walkers Cycles 01162 833885
Giro Shoes Madison 0208 385 3385
NOW IN stock at Fisher, Look’s newest instalment to the full-suspension line comes in the form of the 996 frameset, retailing at £2,799. Comprising a monocoque carbon front triangle and an aluminium /carbon rear end, linked with a Rock Shox Monarch 4.2 rear shock, the frame has a weight of just 2.5kg. The suspension linkage is unique to Look’s design department, meeting DW-Link and a VPP style platform halfway and offering 100mm of travel. The geometry makes the 996 an ideal workhorse for cross-country use, offering 69.7 and 72.2 head and seat angles, respectively, when kitted out with a 100mm fork.
PACKING great value at £139.99 for a box holding both front and rear brakes, Clarks’ latest product is a limited edition box-set revolving around the Skeletal brakes. The UK-designed package doesn’t just hold Clarks’ award-winning stoppers, the firm’s new lockon grips are included and colour-coded to match the selected brake package. What’s more, replacement brake pads are included for when the customer eventually wears through the pre-installed set. The limited edition lightweight dual-piston hydraulic disc brake system is exclusive to Walkers Cycles and comes in a one-off red shade.
AT EUROBIKE Giro revealed a range of footwear developed over the past two years. The result is a line of seven models set for shipping in early February. Each model has drawn on the world-class composite knowledge of Easton to design and engineer shoes that are proven to provide the highest performance available. Of the unique features in the line, Giro’s SuperNatural footbed fit kit allows for a custom fit out of the box via three different modular arch supports. Combine this with input from pro-team bike-fitter Todd Carver and you have a line of footwear that boasts professional fit experience too.
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TRAILERS AND TRAILER BIKES Weehoo THE IGO provides something a little different to many of its competitors – namely pedals, according to Weehoo. Through its cunning design the child on the trailer really does contribute to pedalling, all while riding hands-free, safely secured to the seat, leaving them free to eat, drink, play or catnap. Engineered to last, the iGo features storage in seat and rear pannier bags. In terms of safety, the trailer is designed to improve handling with engineered fail-safes like the bash guard – featuring structural reinforcement, and the hitch – featuring bilateral halves of eight mm steel, free of welds. The child is secure in the trailer, with a three point harness holding the little blighter in. The iGo also comes with pedal straps, reflective fabric and reflectors, with the rear pannier covers the spokes, handle grips and the obligatory flag. Weehoo: www.weehoo.co.uk
Hit the
trail Whether carrying your laptop, shopping, children or kitchen sink, there’s a bike trailer ready to do the business for you. Jonathon Harker gets on the trail of the latest on the market…
Moore Large PACKED WITH features for top notch safety, practical use and child fun, the Bumper range has two models in duo and solo. Both are built with strong steel frames with easy front-to-back folding and wheels that unclip at speed. Also sporting sunroofs, internal pockets, seatbelts and a high vis safety flag, the Adventure duo retails at £129.99 and £119.99 for the solo. The Explorer model has all the features of the Adventure but with added external storage pockets, push handle, rear opening vent panel and space saving central stead wheel. The duo costs £179.99 while the solo hits £169.99. Also up from Moore Large is the Trail-Gator trailer bike range. The bicycle tow bar converts an ordinary child’s bike into a safe towable trailer bike. Children can coast or pedal while they’re being towed and the tow bar fits 14-inch, 18-inch and 20-inch wheel bikes with
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Extra
a 70ib weight limit. It retails at £74.99. Trail-Gator accessories are also available, including flip up training wheels, extra receiver kits and an extra seatpost kit. Moore Large: 01332 274252
CARRY Freedom’s City (£349.99) is pitched as the ultimate luggage for urban cyclists. The award-winning product is stable and light on the road and promises that riders using it will hardly know it’s there. The City’s tough nylon bag is the primary load carrier, but larger, awkward loads can be strapped to the upper frame over the low-slung wheels. Three bike brackets are supplied with each trailer. Carry Freedom’s Y Frame is a light, strong and versatile trailer designed for strapped on bags or carrying boxes. Sporting wheels and an arm that can detach in seconds, this nifty trailer can
be flatpack stored in seconds. The Y Frame is available in small (£179.99) and large (£189.99). Extra also supplies Burley to the trade, including the Travoy and the Burley Bee (pictured). The Travoy can be folded down to fit inside a briefcase-sized tote bag and boasts a patent pending design that provides enhanced stability and manoueverability. The Bee, meanwhile, seats one to two children with a 100lb capacity. Weighing less than 20lbs it features padded mesh seating, wheel guards and a recessed helmet pocket. The Travoy costs £279.99 while the Bee retails at £249.99. Extra: 01933 672170
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TRAILERS AND TRAILER BIKES
Burley
Raleigh
BURLEY managed to bag one of the few Gold Eurobike awards this year for its Travoy urban bike trailer (pictured). Pitched at filling a void for the bike commuter, the Travoy is convenient and secure – hitching to the seat post of any bike and riding at a 45-degree angle – redistributing the load’s weight for easier riding. The clever design sees it convert to a rolling cart with a mere twist of the wrist – allowing it to be taken with the cyclist. And weighing under 4.5kg, the Travoy stands on its own when loaded or folds down to a briefcase size, even with optional bags attached. In addition, the
RALEIGH supplies the Avenir range of trailers and trailer bikes to the trade. Three trailer bike models have been updated for autumn 2010, starting at £149.99 for the single speed steel TRA230 and going up to £229.99 for a six-speed alloy TRA232. All the trailer bikes are full of features and come supplied with mudguards, bottle and flag, plus they fold in half for easy storage. The best seller in the trailer range is the Skye 2 seat kids trailer, retailing for £129.99. It features 16-inch quick release wheels, cargo space, internal toy pockets, folds flat for easy storage, roll back rain and bug shield, safety belts for two and safety flag.
Avocet THE REFLEX Folding Tag-a-long comes in three colours: silver, pink and blue. Suitable for children from around three and upwards, the maximum weight limit is 85lbs or 38kgs in new money. The Reflex features quick release mountings so that it can be attached or removed to most adult bikes – notably without tools – in mere seconds. The folding trailer bike uses
Madison MADISON’S trailer bike range includes the Adventure Ditto One, pitched at combining great value with simplicity of use. Sporting a single-speed drivetrain the Adventure Ditto One features a steel frame that is not only highly durable but also folds to make storage and transport even easier. The robust lightweight hitch system has been improved with a zero play design for added stability and to minimise flex. The Ditto One includes
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Travoy comes with a basic cargo bag (also used to store the folded trailer) and tie-down straps for bulkier cargo. The Travoy is just the tip of the Burley product range which includes child, cargo and even pet trailers. Burley: www.burley.com
hi-tensile steel and 20-inch wheels. Meanwhile, the Reflex Folding Tag-a-long is designed to help families share cycling experiences, particularly for those with little ‘uns who wouldn’t normally be able to keep up. It retails at £119.99. Avocet: 0161 727 8508
an alloy handlebar, stem and quick release seat pin and comes supplied with mudguards and chain guard to protect the rider's clothing. With alloy rims and hubs plus a semi-slick tyre to suit both road and light off-road use, the trailer bike has an SRP of £129.99. A safety flag is included for added visibility when out on the road. Madison: 01908 326000
Fisher Outdoor Leisure AS EXCLUSIVE Adams distributor, Fisher brings the brand’s trailer bikes and accessories to the trade, featuring the proven steel hitch which allows for enhanced movement and fits almost any seat post. Adams products include an impressive lifetime warranty, with a range that covers the three to ten year old age groups. The Adams Folder Compact covers the three to five year-old age bracket and boasts a low centre of gravity to aid stability. Finished in high gloss white it retails at £144.99. Four to six year olds are catered for with the Original Folder 1 (£144.99 RRP), the
Pendle PENDLE HAS updated its six bike trailer so that it can be packed onto a shipping pallet. This change means that shipping costs are now much lower than before and it’s much easier for retailers to stock. The six bike trailer itself is fitted with individual bike slots or wheel mounts, which are adjustable to allow for various sizes of bicycles. The bikes are separated by tilting vertical supports, which the frames rest against. They are then held securely by straps, so maintaining the bicycles in an upright position to ensure safe transport. A lighting unit and relevant strap kit is supplied with the trailer. Tandem enthusiasts are catered
The five-model range also includes children’s hard base and cargo trailers. Stroller kits are available to fit three of the kids’ trailers. Raleigh: 01773 532600
Original Alloy Folder 1 (£209.99 RRP) and the Original Shifter 7 (£184.99 RRP). All come in a selection of colours, while the Original Shifter 7 also features seven speed gearing to help skills development. The seven to ten year-old range is served by the Original Folder 24. This 7-speed has a 24-inch wheel and a larger frame for taller riders. Priced at £189.99 it is finished in silver. Fisher Outdoor Leisure: www.fisherb2b.com
for by the trailer too, with special fittings available for the option. Pendle has also added the option of fitting tricycles to the 12-bike trailer. Though the capacity may vary depending on the size of the trike, it is possible to carry up to four trikes, or six bikes and two trikes. Pendle: 01282 699555
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STOCKING FILLERS
Stocking up? Need some last-minute impulse-buy items for the counter ahead of the Christmas rush? Mark Sutton empties a sackful of budget-friendly goods onto the following pages for your consideration…
Muc Off GRIME-BUSTING specialist Muc-Off has released the first pressurised bike cleaning spray device with its new twolitre ‘Bike Cleaner’. The £19.99 pump-action bottle is a favourite of World Champion downhill rider Steve Peat, who jumped at the chance to pose for some action shots with the new squirty bottle. Muc-Off’s general manager James Cramp says of the system: “As with all of our new products we aim to tick all boxes. The new two-litre sprayer pretty much hits the spot on all of the MucOff cleaning angles. It’s green, in that you can refill less often, but reuse and reuse – thus adhering to our ‘refill, not landfill’ plan. It also delivers more power to the spray action, after the
Coyote Sports COYOTE offers a range of stocking fillers for under £20. One example is the diverse line of cleaning product sets from Weldtite, including its new ‘bike care kits with wet or dry lube’, the 'cleaning bucket' and the 'cleaning kit'. The stand-out item from the Coyote
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Buffera BUFF has come up with something a little different for the dark nights this year with the creation of a 3M Scotchlite detailed neck warmer. Being seam-free, highly breathable and wind resistant when worn around the neck or even under a helmet, Reflective Buff will keep the cyclist warm, comfortable and, in this case, protected too. The £14.00 item can be bought in at a price of just £6.75 per unit, giving the retailer the chance to double their investment with each sale. Though not sunglasses weather for another few months, the firm's Hides product also weighs in at a budget friendly £6.99. 01707 852244
pumpup has been engaged, and finally is very durable it’s what we call a ‘bottle for life’.” For those customers really into cleaning every nook and crannie on a bike, retailers should check out the firm’s new sub-£20 brush set, too. 01202 307790
catalogue has to be the Tranz x bar ends with tool kit built, retailing for just £19.99. Housing popular allen key sizes from four to eight millimetres, a t25 torx tool, 14G spoke wrench, screwdrivers, two tyre levers and a selection of wenches, the tiny package has the power to get cyclists out of some very sticky situations.
Coyote also stocks lights from Sigma, Smart and a full range of Skullys with red, blue, white and green LEDs that all retail for under £20. The distributor also stocks hardshell saddle bags with tool kits in both pink and olive shades. 01473 652768
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STOCKING FILLERS
Rough Ride Guide
Moore Large
SOLD IN boxes of ten units, containing a selection of the retailer’s choice, the Rough Ride Guide series documents the best routes and rides of many of the UK’s best known riding spots. Regions covered are the North and South Downs, Wiltshire and Dorset, the Chilterns and Exmoor and Dartmoor. Expansion packs are now also available to complement all of these publications. Customers needn’t worry about destroying the books while out and about either. The ring-binder design allows each water resistant, A5 page to be removed, meaning the rider need only take the route they plan to
MOORE LARGE has product suited to quick impulse sales from Knog, Jagwire, house-brand One23, Outeredge, Savage and more. Savage has loads of desirable BMX parts, which fall under £20, perfect for the kids’ Christmas stockings. The colourful range includes alloy chain adjusters, chainrings and wheel nuts all available in seven anodised colours. Alloy seat clamps and seat posts are available in five colours, and steel handlebars and stems in six colours. Other great stocking fillers include brake pads and pedals in an array of colours.
2pure CRANK BROTHERS has received much praise for its multi tool line and that’s partly down to its value for money. Retailing at £17.99, the Multi-Ten is compact, lightweight and houses ten tough T6 aluminium tools. Hex wrenches are covered comprehensively, with size two to eight millimetres covered. A torx t-25 wrench also features, as do both Philips and flathead screwdrivers. What’s more, the whole package comes with a lifetime warranty against breakages.
Shutt VR ALREADY known as the ‘Shutt Stripes’, the clothing manufacturer’s widely used banner of colour now adorns a Buff. As the design is printed onto Buff’s own garments, you can expect all the same benefits of a typical Buff neckscarf, including great heat-retention, as well as a highly versatile garment that can be worn as a bandana, neckscarf, hat and much more. At just £12.99 a pop, it’s hardly
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conquer. All routes are Ordinance Survey drawn and information on local rest stops is provided. 0118 901 0371
Clif Shot is the allnew, natural electrolyte replacement drink from Clif Bar. For use during activity, the mix is packed with sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Designed to counteract both electrolyte and fluid loss, the water-blended solution helps to prevent a race day meltdown. Each 910-gram tub contains around 45 servings. For the long-distance cyclist, retailers can now pick up Paceline’s Chamois Butt’r, sold for £12.99 per tub at retail. Combining Witch hazel and pickings from Brazilian Peppertrees, the formula provides a cooling effect on sore spots common with cyclists. 0844 811 2001
surprising these were a big seller at the recent Cycle Show. For this reason Shutt VR feels that this could be a great counter-top item ahead of the Christmas rush and colder weather. 01943 601031
TrionZ TRIONZ, from Colantotte, is one product in a new wave of magnetic devices designed to protect the body from the harmful energies of modern technology. Claiming to be between 50 and 100 times more effective than competitor products, the firm says that its designs can release the negative ions needed to counter the harmful positive ions that are abundant in built up areas.
Knog’s 2011 line won’t have escaped many retailers’ attention ahead of Christmas. The eagerly awaited lock range features the Party Frank, a budgetfriendly, silicon overmoulded steel cable lock. It retails at £16.99 and is available in 11 colours. Jagwire now offers cable kits for road, mountain bikes and BMX bikes. The new coloured cables don’t just look good; they are estimated to be 30 per cent lighter than standard models, incorporate some very clever detailing and their performance is up there with the best. It comes with enough cable to fit most bikes and all the necessary connectors. They’re also easy to install. 01332 274200
Made with ion-releasing capsules, or with a textile known as 'Mineon Health' woven into the fabric, the products can release plenty of negative ions for the body to absorb. Magnetic therapy is widely used and is said to improve blood and oxygen flow to areas of injury to speed up cell regeneration. In turn, the increased blood flow can provide an athlete with an 'energetic' feeling. TrionZ's product line begins at £18.99 for a bracelet. 0844 561 6694
BikeBag BIKEBAG helps you ‘wrap up a sale’ in style. If your customers purchase a bike to be given as a present this Christmas, save them some time with wrapping paper and cellotape and sell them a ‘BikeBag’. The 100 per cent recyclable, reusable bag simply slips over the top of any bike with wheel sizes up to 26inch. Various designs are available too, including festive themes. For more on the Bike Bag, visit www.bigpaperbag.net. 01753 655748
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STOCKING FILLERS
Raleigh MOUNTAIN Biking Tricks and Techniques is the definitive guide to riding a mountain bike, published through Cordee and available from Raleigh. Within its pages readers will find everything from the basics of how to balance on a bike right through to how to back flip one. The book's tour guide is Martyn Ashton, a man who’s spent nearly 20 years at the top of the UK scene. The book is illustrated throughout by photographer Robin Kitchin. Martyn’s guide to mountain biking skills takes you from first principles to professional moves in ten chapters,
Fisher Outdoors ASK ANY winter cyclist what would make their life easier and they will probably say less dirt and grime on their bikes. The Kaaboom Dirt Busting Bag includes the most popular Kaaboom cleaning products from its range: cleaner, refill and degreaser, as well as a sponge and detailing brush, making it the perfect seasonal gift for only £19.99. Being seen in the winter darkness is
Jim Walker IT WOULDN’T be Christmas without socks and the guys over at De Feet in California, legendary for its nonsponsored supply of clothing to many of the world’s top racers, make various sets of snug wool socks. With a six-inch cuff and made of ribbed-for-fit snug Merino wool they’ll keep your feet warm all winter long whether by the fire, or thrashing the training miles. Each design comes available in three sizes, all retailing for £9.99 and with either scarlet or grey banding. Everyone’s bar tape gets
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with each trick described in detail and illustrated with images that are both inspirational and educational. Originally a crosscountry racer, Ashton came from a motorbike trials background. Martyn is currently riding for the Ashton Diamondback trials team and touring the UK. He’s a multiple-time trials champion and four time British champion, as well as holding the Bike High Jump world record. He was inducted into the Mountain Biking UK Hall of Fame in 2008. 01773 532600
also a prime concern for cyclists, young and old. The Smart Mini LED light sets are both highly visible and well designed. Strap them to a bag, helmet or anywhere on board a bike and rotate to the optimum position to be seen by other motorists. The package costs £15.99 for a set of two. For kids, Fisher believes it can help solve children's neglect to look after their bikes with the stylish Masterlock Kids Combi lock. Priced at just £10.99, the lightweight lock comes in a variety of colours to appeal to kids and hopefully deter would-be bike-thieving Scrooges. For the serious cyclist or racer in the family, Fisher offers a range of must have Christmas gift ideas from Santini’s luxurious winter socks for £14.99 to the new H2 Zero jacket for the ultimate winter protection at £179.99. 01727 798345
a little dirty over the winter, so a fresh set of ribbons is always nice to smarten the bike up for spring. The £8.99 3T Team bar tape, as you would expect, is effective at damping road shock, non-slip and tear resistant, but also includes special locking bar end plugs that hold fast even when unlocked. If it's a little bit of bling, or a performance enhancer your customer is after, Token's new 'Transmission Catchers' are well worth a look. At £10.99 retail, the tiny pieces of 6061 alloy are designed to prevent chains coming off the bike over rough ground, or rough shifts. 01323 445155
Upgrade LEZYNE produces some of the shinier stocking fillers in our guide and so are perfect impulse buys for gift buyers. The Smart Wallet is one example of how the brand has turned mundane items like wallets into a desired item for cyclists who need all the kit. Priced at £17.99, or £29.99 fully loaded with tools, (even better value for
Extra ONE OF the most versatile commuter lights on the market, the FibreFlare is available exclusively through Extra UK. Using super-bright fibre-optic technology, the bendable light can be mounted more or less on to any tube on a bike and with the added perk of emitting omni-directional light, visible for over 1,000 feet. What’s more, the FibreFlare achieves a 75-hour burn time off just two AAA batteries. Though not sub-£20, or a stocking filler, Extra stocks what it says is the world’s lightest waterproof cycling jacket and it costs just £69.99 at retail.
money) the purpose-built wallet fits snugly in typical cycling jerseys and is organised internally to hold money, cards and identification, tyre levers, patch kits and a multi tool. If it’s a smaller gift your customer is seeking, recommend them Lezyne’s stylish puncture repair kit, which comes housed in a waterproof aluminium container that is available in gold, blue, grey and red. For £4.99, customers take home a kit comprising six glue-free tyre patches and a stainless steel tube ‘scruffer’. 01403 711611
The Veho H20 weighs in at under 125 grams, despite carrying a vented back panel, 360-degree 3M Scotchlite reflectives and waterproofing. Now under the Extra umbrella, NeoGuard’s mudguard product is available as a sub-£15 stocking filler. The new neoprene NeoGuard is specifically designed to prevent mud and spray from getting in a rider’s face and eyes. Traditional mudguards are fragile and can hold on to pounds of unwanted mud affecting riding performance. The NeoGuard throws the mud off every time the fork compresses, keeping the front end light and agile. 01933 672170
Viewranger CYCLE RETAILERS can buy ViewRanger’s mapping equipment through Lyon Equipment for resale to Symbian and Android smartphone owners. Pre-defined area packages sell from £30 at retail, while self-selection top up OTA (Over-The-Air) cards retail for £25. ViewRanger can, however, be trialled for free for 16 days and bought by consumers without any premium map area for £4.99. Once the consumer has ViewRanger on their mobile phone, they can add any pre-defined area, or top up
products subsequently bought through the retail network. The company has also just announced compatibility of its software with the iPad for those wishing to pre-plan rides on large scrollable Ordinance Survey maps. 01223 421355
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Eurobike AT JUST 9.9 cm long, weighing only 59 grams and with a capacity of more than 100 psi, the innovative Airbone Supernova Pump is an extremely small and compact unit packing a punch. Alongside a choice of several colours in modern metallic tones, the key features of this high-performance and easy-to-use pump are the new operating method, which gives greater
Oxford Products OXFORD’S diverse catalogue of product satisfies most accessory needs in store, whether it be helmets, tool kits, or reflective commuter gear. Geared toward the wannabe stuntman, Oxford now offers a BMX/skate style lid in both medium (54 to 58cm) and large (58 to 62cm). The helmet is smallhands friendly with an anti-pinch chin strap and clip and comes well ventilated too, thanks to a number of vents on the top and sides of the lid. Muck can easily
output for less effort. Complete with Presta valve adaptor (woods not supplied) and a mounting bracket for bottle-cage mounts, this is one of the few pumps that when installed to the bike don't detract from its looks. The unit retails for £14.99 and is available in a range of colours, including black, silver, red, green, orange, blue, pink and gold. 01332 774796
be wiped away after rides thanks to its shock-absorbing EPS construction. Retail price is £24.99. If your customer is looking to help a cyclist be seen this Christmas, then you could recommend the Oxford ‘Bright Cover’ at £8.99. Fitting over most backpacks on the market, the bright cover is made from waterproof material, which is elasticated to ensure it stays tight to the rucksack. Packing huge value for money, retailers should also check out the £11.99, 28piece Tool Kit. Manufactured from stainless steel, the tool kit packs a number of cycle essentials such as sockets and allen keys and even includes pliers. What’s more, the package fits snugly under most saddles. 01993 862300
Cycling Sports Group UK CYCLING SPORTS Group handles a number of brands capable of providing some great stocking filler goods. For the BMXer, retailers could look at recommending Xposure's line of lowprice components. Everyone loves socks at Christmas, so stores will not go wrong in taking some stock of Surface's new £7.99 offering. They're fairly thick too, so should keep the cyclist's feet warm and last a lot longer than most. Fitting and protecting most chainstays, the £4.50 Charge Chipper Chainstay Protector is a tough synthetic leather chip-preventing chainstay protector with shock absorbing neoprene. The design includes tough contrast stitching and white Charge logo. 01202 732288
Zyro Madison WITH BOTH bottle openers and pizza cutters in its tool line, Park has Christmas covered. The mark two Pizza Tool, at £16.99 retail, has been upgraded since the first version to include a sharper, larger diameter stainless steel cutting wheel and retains the grippy ‘Park Tool Blue’ grippy handle. Also sub-£20, Blackburn’s new ‘Click Voyager lights come packaged as a pair, each using super-bright LEDs. With the click of the lens, the lights come to life, offering 125 hours of high visibility on constant mode and
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250 hours on flash. All of this is backed up by Blackburn’s ‘no-quibble’ lifetime warranty. Ogio has also introduced a sub-£20 stocking filler to the line in the form of the £12.99 Doppler Washbag. The Doppler is without doubt the baby of the Ogio group of products, but that’s not to say it lacks any of the style or functionality that Ogio product is renowned for. Designed to be small, simple and functional, yet oozing with style and character, it allows you to carry everything you need to remove the daily grime and get back to looking your best. 0208 385 3385
GENUINE Innovations has been busy. Not only did the firm get a Eurobike product award nomination, but there’s a variety of new goods now landing with Zyro in time for dealers to display some cool counter-top product. The Inflation Wallet, at £19.99, is a handy kit containing all you’ll need for a puncture while out and about. Housing two Co2 refill cartridges, two tyre levers, a number of puncture repair patches (self-adhesive) and a small piece of sandpaper for tube preparation, the handy zip-up satchel is pocket-sized for convenience. Altura’s Night Vision line offers a number of reflective items that’ll go down well with anyone travelling by bike. At £14.99 and £19.99, respectively, The Vision Helmet Cover
and Rucksack Cover both provide a protective layer, which repels rain. Both feature reflective trim to make cyclists stand out in a car’s headlight beams too. Pannier covers are also carried by Zyro. For athlete’s, customers can pick up Powerbar’s new recovery drink formula ‘Protein Plus’ for £19.99 a tub. Utilising an 80 per cent protein formula, the mix is ideal for overnight recovery use. What’s more, a number of flavours including ‘ Caramel Lion Bar’ are on sale via Zyro. 01845 521700
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 71
LETTERS PAGE
BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether they’re from letters, emails or via BikeBiz.com... Mail to: Saxon House, 6A St. Andrews Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA
Email: Jonathon.Harker@ intentmedia.co.uk
STAR LETTER
The letters page is open to anyone with something to say about the industry (or BikeBiz), whether they’ re writing about the wider industry, their own business, or both. Everyone is always welcome to respond and address any of the points made in any of the letters, and we’re grateful to those who participate. The Editor
A toast-spitting moment… I’VE JUST read October’s BikeBiz and nearly spat my toast out when I read the egomassaging letters from Alf Webb and Sean Lally. Talk about ‘advertorial’; they have just used the page to promote their (new curriculum) product and pat each other on the back. It’s difficult to believe the editor published the letters. In the interests of neutrality BikeBiz should allow others to use the letters page to reply and advertise themselves for free. As an employee of a different training provider I wish to counter these letters and question some points. Alf Webb said that he and his wife started training in ‘91. They deserve recognition but they’re not the only company that trains cycle mechanics.
ATG Training also runs a cycle training course and has over forty years experience of training engineers. We’re also experts in sourcing funds to subsidise training costs. What is more concerning in Webb’s letter is the admission C&G dumbed their award down ‘to give everyone a chance’. How does that benefit the individual, the employer or the industry? Awards should benefit the customer with confidence in the workshop, and aid employers when recruiting. Making it easier undermines that concept. At ATG we offer Cytech/ NVQ awards based on recognised engineering modules and our successful candidates will have satisfied stringent standards to achieve an award that carries real
credibility and value. To provide the best possible training we have two training centres; one in Aylesbury and one in Manchester, and a nationwide team of experienced trainers/assessors. We want our graduates to possess recognised awards and to be able to progress to the higher level awards, namely Cytech/NVQ3. This develops the individual and improves the skill level in the trade with the intention that everybody – employer and employee alike – benefit. To this end it’s important the industry recognises the difference in quality and standards between awards and maintains standards rather than dumbing down and taking the easy option. Nicholas Lumb ATG Training – Senior Cycle
Star Letter Whether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-post 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 Ultra Torch 9. Part of Oxford’s top selling range of LEDs and lights, the front light has nine ultra bright diodes, a quick release mounting bracket and comes complete with batteries. The sturdy aluminium body makes it ideal for general purpose use as a compact torch. The rear LED has 3 modes, 7 diodes and a universal mounting bracket.
72 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
From the Forum... CYCLE TRADE WORTH OVER TWO BILLION? “Is the industry really worth over two billion [according to the Project Velo research]? I find that very hard to believe. At the risk of starting a major whinge session on the BikeBiz Forum... I wonder what per centage is IBD?” timax “£2 billion is absolute nonsense. The numbers simply don’t add up. Where is this £2 billion going and coming from? The supermarkets would need to have a bike turnover of nearly £1 billion for it all to add up. I am pretty sure that they are not doing that much. £1 billion is a stretch – £2 billion is so far wide of the mark that it is ridiculous.” Pareto
“It certainly sounds on the high side but, the market (and so called market leaders) have been understating the overall market size (bikes, cycling goods and repairs) for a long time now (helps make them look and feel big?). ActSmart has reported it as being in excess of £1 billion for a few years, based upon IBD research and Halfords/other major corporates data. This summer we valued the total market at c.£1.5 billion at retail (net VAT) and the stats have been endorsed by suppliers. It’s not supermarket promos swelling it either. There are over 2,500 specialist retail shops, which our research has proven are growing faster than the rest of the market.” maw
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2pure 0844 811 2001 www.2pure.co.uk
Eurobike Ltd 01332 774796 www.eurobike.uk.com
DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR
Otagocyclesport 07939 543016 www.otagocyclesport. co.uk
Seventies 0845 3103670 www.seventies.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR
Abacus Online Ltd 0151 342 9799 www.abacusonline.net EPOS
Ascend Retail Management System 01908 280667 www.ascendrms.com EPOS
Fat Spanner 07966401165 www.fatspannerworld. com
Pacific Cycles Inc +886 34861231 www.pacific-cycles.com
DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER
MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR
Fisher Outdoor Leisure 01727 798345 www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk
Paligap Ltd 01454 313116 www.paligapltd.co.uk
DISTRIBUTOR/IMPORTER
Hotlines Europe Ltd 0131 3191444 www.hotlines-uk.com DISTRIBUTOR
Cube Bikes Uk Ltd www.cube.eu 0031 180441350 DISTRIBUTOR
Custom Sports Clothing Ltd 07580 495881 www.customsports clothing.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR
Cybertill Ltd 0800 0304432 www.cybertill.co.uk EPOS
Cycle Division Ltd 0845 0508500 www.thecycledivision. com WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR
The Cycle Show 0207 2886733 www.cycleshow.co.uk EVENT/EXHIBITION ORGANISER
Digital Retail Solutions Inc 001 8003229471 www.digitalretailer.com EPOS
Hykeham Wholesale Limited 01522 801550 www.hykehamwholesale. co.uk DISTRIBUTOR/WHOLESALER
Jungle Products Ltd 01423 780088 www.jungleproducts.co.uk www.santacruzbikes.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
Lyon Equipment 01539 625493 www.lyon.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
Monterey Industries Ltd 0117 9509499 www.masibikes.com www.brevm.com DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER
Mojo suspension Hoodoo ltd 01633 615815 www.mojo.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
Moore Large and Co Ltd 01332 274252 www.moorelarge.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR
SKS +49 2333831246 www.sks-germany.com MANUFACTURER
DISTRIBUTOR
Parklife (Havant) Ltd 02392 475895
Sonic Cycles 0207 2432848 www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b
IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR
IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR
Pashley Cycles 01789 292263 www.pashley.co.uk
Sport Direct Ltd 0845 2693060 www.sport-direct.co.uk
MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER
Peter Dobbs Design and Print Services 01482 224007
Stormfront Technology Ltd 0800 6121044 www.stormfront.co.uk
MANUFACTURER/DESIGN & PRINT SERVICES
EPOS
DISTRIBUTOR
Bohle UK Ltd 01952 602680 www.schwalbe.co.uk
Silverfish UK Ltd 01752 843882 www.silverfish-uk.com
Qoroz 01453 889204 www.qoroz.co.uk MANUFACTURER
Raleigh UK Ltd 01773 532600 www.raleigh.co.uk www.cyclelife.com DISTRIBUTOR
Red Cloud MC 01767 692831 www.redcloudmc.com MARKETING, PR & EVENTS
Reece Cycles PLC 0121 6220180 www.reececycles.co.uk
Trek Bicycle Corporation 01908 282626 MANUFACTURER
USE Ltd 01798 344477 www.exposurelights.com www.use1.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR
Vigour Corporation 0092 524269920 www.vigourcorporation.com MANUFACTURER/EXPORTER
Walkers Cycle Components Ltd 0116 2833885 www.walkerscycles.co.uk WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR
Saddleback Ltd 01454 299965 www.saddleback.co.uk
Zyro Ltd 01845 521700 www.zyro.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR
To order copies of BikeBiz Bible or ensure inclusion in the 2011 edition please contact Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk
EVENTS AND EDITORIAL PLANNER
Editorial Planner
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPOTLIGHT
TAICHUNG BIKE WEEK Saturday December 4th – 8th Taichung, Taiwan taichung-bike-week.com
December 2010 REVIEW OF THE YEAR CORE BIKE PREVIEW P&A: WHEELS, TYRES, INNER TUBES AND PUMPS Editorial Deadline: November 5th
Advertising Deadline: November 10th
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
JANUARY 2011 Workshop: Cleaning, Tools and Training Core Bike Special Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
FEBRUARY 2011 Commuting: Folding Bikes, Helmets, Reflective Clothing and Accessories IceBike* Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
MARCH 2011 Cycle Media Analysis: Mags and Websites Electric Bikes Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
Bike Security Cycle Fashion: Clothing, Sunglasses, Watches and Accessories UK’s Top 20 IBDs Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
MAY 2011 Energy and Nutrition, Bottles and Cages Women: Bikes, Clothing and Accessories Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
JUNE 2011 EPoS Cycle Computers Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
74 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
EICMA, BICYCLE AND MOTORCYCLE EXHIBITION Thursday November 4th – 7th Milan www.eicma.it
December 2010 TAICHUNG BIKE WEEK 2010 Saturday December 4th – 8th Taichung, Taiwan taichung-bike-week.com
January 2011 LONDON BIKE SHOW Thursday January 13th – 16th ExCeL Centre www.outdoorsshowextra.co. uk/the-london-bike-show CORE BIKE 2011 Sunday January 30th – Feb 1st Whittlebury Hall, Northants www.corebike.co.uk
February 2011
APRIL 2011
THE BIBLE IS BACK!
November 2010
FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE EXPO 2011 Sunday February 20th – 22nd Sopwell House, St Albans www.fisherexpo.co.uk ICEBIKE SUMMER 2011 Tuesday February 22nd – 24th Milton Keynes www.icebike.co.uk
NORTH AMERICAN HANDMADE BICYCLE SHOW 2011 Friday February 25th – 27th Austin Convention Centre, Texas handmadebicycleshow.com
March 2011 TAIPEI CYCLE SHOW 2011 Wednesday March 16th – 19th TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei www.taipeicycle.com.tw
April 2011 SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2011 Thursday April 14th – 17th Monterey, California www.seaotterclassic.com THE SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW 2011 Saturday April 16th – 17th Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow thescottishbikeshow.com
May 2011 UCI CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP Saturday May 21st – 22nd Dalby Forest, Yorkshire britishcycling.org.uk/ mtbworld-2010
For more cycle trade dates: www.bikebiz.com/events
For additional copies please contact: Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL CARLY BAILEY ON 01992 535647
MARKETPLACE CONTACTS BIKES & ACCESSORIES Madison
01908 326 000
www.madisonb2b.co.uk
Paligap
01454 313 116
www.paligapltd.co.uk
01652 660 000
www.weldtite.co.uk
BIKE MAINTENANCE Weldtite BMX PARTS & ACCESSORIES Seventies
0845 310 3670
www.seventies.co.uk
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.
COMPONENTS Bob Elliot & Co Ltd
01772 459 887
www.bob-elliot.co.uk
Pace cycles Ltd
01723 867 919
www.pacecycles.com
USE Ltd
01798 344 477
www.use1.com
0151 342 9799
www.abacusonline.net
Citrus Lime
0845 603 9254
www.citrus-retail.com
Evopos
0845 644 9424
www.evopos.com
01798 344 477
www.exposurelights.com
Pendle
01282 699 555
www.pendle-bike.co.uk
Maxx Raxx Trading Ltd
0845 230 3799
maxxraxx.co.uk
0117 972 4730
www.argoscycles.com
Your presence in this section ensures that your company’s details are easily found, keeping you one step ahead of your competitors.
EPOS Abacus
LIGHTING Exposure Lights RACKS
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
RESPRAYS & REPAIRS Argos
To get your company featured here contact: REPAIRS & STORAGE 2pure
0844 811 2001
www.2pure.co.uk
07540 351 530
colinrees@live.co.uk
Cycle Systems Academy
0207 6082577
www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk
ATG
01296 737 800
www.atg-training.co.uk
Bottle Sport
0845 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
Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
SALES TRAINING Colin Rees TRAINING SERVICES
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Marketplace Rates: Quarter Page
£175
(minimum six months)
WEBSITE SERVICES
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 75
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
COMPANY PROFILE JON HANDLEY LUMICYCLE
Give us a brief history of the Lumicycle brand: Back in 1997, Lumicycle shook up the bike light market with the introduction of its simple, effective halogen lights that matched the performance of the various US imports around at the time, but were lots cheaper. Times move on, though, and with the advent of highpower LED technology Lumicycle decided to make its new product range available through retail. Following last year’s successful introduction into local shops Lumicycle is now looking to gain some more retail outlets. Any highlights in the current line? 2010 sees two new products, which are already winning magazine tests and awards. The LED3Si is a light that features powerful side illumination to make riders more visible in town. It is specially designed for road riders and commuters who travel in and out of town and need a powerful light to see in dark country lanes, but who also need to be seen from the side in town. The LED3 XPG ATL (All Terrain Lamp) is an off-road lamp that takes
TEL: 01202 545642 WEB: www.lumicycle.com
performance in a single lamp head to new levels. Using the latest CREE XPG LEDs and innovative driver technology, Lumicycle has produced its best light to date. What is the key selling point of the Lumicycle product range? The key selling points for Lumicycle have always been performance, reliability, upgradability and service. We always use the best quality batteries, chargers and electronic components because nothing else will do the job. Hard experience has taught that trying to scrimp, or cut corners, doesn't work. What people want most in a bike light is reliability. Where is the product designed and tested? The Lumicycle product is designed, tested and manufactured in Dorset and South Wales. Lumicycle has a sponsored team. How has it performed at night-ride events this year? John and Stu Prentice are the Lumicycle
BIKES AND ACCESSORIES
76 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
EMAIL: Sales@lumicycle.co.uk
Team riders and they recorded their first pairs win at this year's Bontrager twentyfour12. Why should dealers choose Lumicycle over the competition? The quality of Lumicycle products means there is little online discounting, so retailers can be confident of getting a good return on their investment. Again, the quality of product will minimise dealer returns and establish customer confidence. Because products are modular and upgradeable, repeat business will be gained by customers returning for the latest lamp head or battery. Lumicycle will also seek to actively market their retailers. How do you plan to grow the business going forwards? By producing innovative products and selling more units. How can trade accounts get in touch? Drop myself, Jon Handley, a line on either my email address: jon.handley@lumicycle.co.uk, or ring up for a chat on 01202 545642.
“The quality of Lumicycle products means there is little online discounting, so retailers get a good return on their investment.”
BIKES AND ACCESSORIES
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BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
COMPONENTS
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 77
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
78 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
COMPONENTS
EPOS
EPOS
EPOS
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RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 79
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE REPAIRS & STORAGE
SALES TRAINING Extra profits, immediate results... Sales training can easily double your business. If every customer who comes in to buy an accessory goes out with two, you just doubled your accessory sales. If every customer who comes in to buy a £500 bike goes out with say an £1000 bike, you did it again! If you have trouble getting the simplest techniques over to your staff so they sell well consistently, we will come to your shop and help you. Four hours later, every staff member will be confident in closing sales every time. Full literature is provided plus a handy guide “How to keep your staff selling” is FREE to every owner/ manager who books a course. Basic, intermediate, advanced sales courses, managerial sessions all cycle specific.
“I am amazed. All the staff got really turned on by Colin's ideas, they keep coming up and asking me why I'm not closing sales!” “I reckon I covered the cost of the training in the first afternoon. Everyone tried so hard. Totally recommendable.” “I really am impressed with this training. I have seen a marked improvement in confidence from the younger members and everyone is selling more. Don't know why every dealer in England isn't knocking on your door.” “The training was so easy to follow even I could understand it. I really like the way the techniques are explained so simply, anyone can do it.” One fee, no extras, progress guaranteed: Email colinrees@live.co.uk now, or call 07540 351 530 for full details. Colin Rees: specialist cycle sales training in the bike trade for 14 years.
TRAINING SERVICES
80 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 81
OFF THE RECORD
I N THE SADDLE
Let’s get Statistical How many from the bike business exhibited at Cycle Show this year? And just how popular are Boris’ bikes in London? BikeBiz provides its random round-up of facts and figures from the world of cycling, including the value of the UK’s bicycle market, the amount of viewers who watched the Tour of Britain and the value of a haul made by bike thieves...
Simon Warren Founder and MD of Shutt VR What bikes do you own and where’s your favourite place to ride? My bike stable holds a High Modulous Planet X Nanolight, a Ribble Nero Corsa, Orbea Starship, Richley Break Away, Graham Weigh build and a Coyote. Of all the places I could choose to ride, a tear across the Yorkshire Dales offers it all. I’m so lucky to be able to ride them every day. What’s the biggest rush achievable on a bike? After doing 50-plus mph downhill before hitting a stone wall with a catastrophic outcome, it’s as simple as just being able to ride full stop. The damage was two broken ribs, collarbone, a punctured lung and two nights in intensive care.
170 The number of exhibitors that took part in Cycle Show 2010. The event is the last to be set at Earls Court, with the expo moving up to the Birmingham NEC in 2011.
Tell us about your position at Shutt VR: I’m the founder and MD, tasked with building and driving the team to greater achievements going into 2011. Anything exciting in the pipeline that you can reveal product wise? More stylish designs, improved detailing and performance products are the focus. We are very excited about our new autumn/winter products and can’t wait to show them off. We will be expanding into other cycling spheres too, in the New Year. Will you be at any exhibitions or road shows with the brand this year? We have just been at the Cycle Show and various Sportives around the UK, plus we’re constantly following our teams Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! and Squadra Donne. What garments can Shutt offer the retailer? From head to toe, it’s covered. Jerseys and jackets, bibs of all types, tights, shorts, three quarter-lengths, right through to socks, caps and bottles. How can interested customers get in touch? They can call the office 01943 601031, email kate@shuttvr.com or make contact via the website www.shuttvr.com. What are your long-term ambitions for the brand? Easy: to take our unique range of stylish and affordable cycle wear to a global audience, via key retail partners.
82 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
100,000,000 The number of journeys made on Barclays Cycle Hire bikes by October 8th. Over 90,000 people have signed up as members of the scheme. BIKEBIZ.COM
OFF THE RECORD ActSmart September retail shop sales analysis
12 The number of prizes awarded at the BikeBiz Awards 2010, held at Sway Bar, London. Who won the awards? Turn to page 19 for more.
Retail sales go into reverse in September ActSmart’s monthly market research for September, produced exclusively for ACT and BikeBiz, highlighted the first decline in specialist retail sector sales versus 2009 since snow killed January trading. Despite that reduction the independent bicycle dealer sector market share continues to grow in 2010... Specialist cycle retailer core sales growth vs. previous year
30
401,000 The average number of viewers per night who tuned into the ITV4 highlights of the 2010 Tour of Britain. The number represents a 32 per cent increase on last year’s numbers.
£2 billion The value of the UK bicycle market, according to a new study (Project Velo) from Allegra. The firm estimates bicycle sales will reach four million units for the first time in 2010.
£30k The approximate value of the six bikes stolen from Hotlines’ London Dealer Show on Friday October 8th. If you have any information that might help trace the bikes, contact the firm on info@hotlinesuk.com. BIKEBIZ.COM
‘% turnover growth vs. previous year'
25 20 15 10 5 0 -5
2009 Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
2010 Jun
July
Aug
Sep
-10 -15 -20
October 2009 – September 2010
SPECIALIST CYCLE retailer core sales declined by -4.6 per cent in September vs. 2009 and overall sales volumes dropped by a significant -16 per cent on August’s school holiday buoyed-performance. To date the cycle sector has proven more resilient than other similar markets, but September’s performance sends out warning signs for Q4. Only 39 per cent of retailers reported growth in the month, but they delivered a combined increase of 28 per cent – the second best monthly performance year to date. Conversely, the 61 per cent of under performers reported the second worst combined decrease year to date, -21 per cent vs. September 2009. 23 per cent of retailers reported growth in excess of 20 per cent in September, achieving a combined like-for-like growth of 49 per cent.
Thirty two per cent of contributors reported a sales reversal of over -20 per cent with a combined sales reduction of -34 per cent, the same level of reverse reported in August. However threefold more found themselves in this category in September. Those retailers that have reported continual growth throughout 2010 are almost certain to continue to perform. Committed cyclists are becoming ever more committed and valuable customers, but the rest of the sector is likely to be challenged in the run up to Christmas. Encouragingly for the IBD sector, April – September core sales grew by six per cent compared with Halfords’ one per cent shortfall in total sales volumes. With more independent retail outlets opening every month Halfords has lost market share throughout 2010 to IBDs.
For more info visit: http://cycles.actsmart.biz/news/ ActSmart: 0845 6187256 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 83
OFF THE RECORD
OFF
k c a r T Oh Sugar
THE APPEARANCE of The Apprentice star and keen cyclist Lord Sugar at the Pinarello stand at Cycle Show in October saw a swathe of celeb spotters rush to see the ex-Spurs chairman look over the stand’s bikes. Naturally BikeBiz was there to muscle to the front of the throng and pitch our latest entrepreneurial scheme to the Lord. While our pitch didn’t pass muster with the Amstrad boss, he did take pity on us and grabbed a copy of the latest edition of BikeBiz, which he was pictured carrying out of the show, no doubt ready to peruse while being chauffeured around in his Rolls Royce.
Rock and rolling MORE FAMOUS for packing out the likes and Chris are closely allied to Teenage of Wembley and making appearances at Cancer Trust. Mixing cycling with great festivals, Kasabian bass player Chris British music has brought Altura Edwards took to his bike earlier this year especially closer to the masses this to raise cash for the Teenage Cancer summer once again and Chris and Jay Trust. Edwards rode the 1,000 miles from are really great guys to work with.” Land’s End to John O’Groats with his You can get involved here: http:// brother Jay. BikeBiz Award winner Zyro jaychrislejog.com/site/welcome.html supported the journey by officially supplying Kasabian’s Chris Edwards the duo’s kit – including rode LeJoG like he was Altura clothing, Abua on Fire helmets, CamelBak Packs and Chill bottles, and PowerBar food. Zyro marketing manager Jane Watson said: “We are really proud to support another national charities cause. Jay
84 BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER
• sugar in sweet bikebiz photo
East meets West for cycle training contract CYCLE TRAINING organisation BikeRight! has just been awarded a substantial Bikeability contract by Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council to deliver cycle training to around 60 schools in the City. The work, which is due to start in October and could run for up to four years, is one of the latest in a number of business wins for the award winning company. Andy Tucker, marketing manager at BikeRight! commented: “Talk about perfect timing - I was mountain biking in the Lake District when the news came through via text from the office – it was a fantastic late summer afternoon without a cloud in the sky, so to get the message about Newcastle at that point just made my day.” The good news comes on top of BikeRight! winning the Bikeability contract for Bolton earlier in the year, the award of a three-year bicycle maintenance programme with Cheshire Police and ‘Freewheeling’ – an adult focused national standard cycle training initiative for people who live and work in Manchester.
Scots schoolkids go for a Guinness… WORLD RECORD, of course… On European Car Free Day, schools in East Renfrewshire, Bishopbriggs, Moray, Aberdeen and Edinburgh halted lessons to take part in simultaneous bicycle bell ringing to attempt a new world record. Schools in each area were supplied bells by Dillglove, with kids encouraged to fix them to their bikes and ride. Students had their bicycle-transmitted rendition of Blue Danube transmitted by radio and over the internet. Councillor Una Walker, East Dunbartonshire Education Committee Convenor said: “I am delighted the schools in Bishopbriggs are once again at the forefront of cycling initiatives. Exercise is a great brain stimulus and teachers tell me that pupils seem to be more focused after their cycle. The Record attempt will raise the profile and show that there is an
alternative to cars. I am particularly pleased that each pupil has been provided a bell to ring.” At time of print Guinness had yet to confirm a Record had been set.
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OFF THE RECORD
Send your pictures to mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
• kids ring the changes for a guinness (world record) • kasabian on (cycle) tour
New Look for Fisher AHEAD of Cycle Show, Fisher Outdoor Leisure launched its new Look range to the trade at Redbridge Cycling Centre giving dealers chance to erm, look at the new bikes, pedals and apparel from the brand, and try them out at the Essex cycling centre. The Look 695 road bike and 996 full-sus MTB were among the highlights on the day from the premium French brand. Look brand manager Tim Bayley said: ‘’It is always good to spend time chatting with our customers and getting their feedback and ideas. However today was that little bit extra special. “It was our first chance to share Look’s new bikes, pedals and apparel with dealers and to show them how proud we are to be associated with such a premium brand. The feedback has certainly shown that everyone both enjoyed the day and learnt some new things about Look as a brand. Riding the bikes just topped it off for them, with both road and mountain bikes proving equally popular.”
quote
unquote
Scott Montgomery
BIKEBIZ.COM
“A million thank yous go to Londoners for the warmth in which they have embraced our beautiful blue bikes. The zest in which people have taken to two wheels and joined the cycling revolution we are engendering in the Capital has gladdened my heart. Plus the doom-mongers and naysayers who darkened my days with pre-launch predictions of woe have been vanquished.” Boris Johnson on the millionth journey made on the Cycle Hire bikes, October 7th
Sponsored by the brands of Moore Large 01332 274252 “I have really enjoyed my time with this very strong company and I believe the heavy lifting has been done to ensure that Scott becomes a top brand in the US." Scott Montgomery, speaking on his move to leave his role at general manager for Scott in the US, October 7th “We'll take this on the chin and bounce back in London. There is no chance that the Australians will be beating us in our velodrome. Not a chance.”
Chris Newton, speaking to the BBC during the Dehli-set Commonwealth Games that saw many Team GB cycling stars – including Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton – missing due to scheduling
Victoria Pendleton
clashes and health concerns, October 8th “Helmet laws produced modest but statistically significant reductions in youth bicycling participation of four to five per cent… [But] it is likely that overall bicycling miles travelled fell even more." Christopher S Carpenter and Mark F Stehr, writing in their study on helmet legislation and the effect that it has upon the number of cyclists, October 10th
BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 85
OFF THE RECORD
TWEET short and
SPOKES
Wondering what the Twitterati have been up to this month? Look no further...
Rain doesn’t stop play (adults do) Kids have an insatiable appetite for cycling. If they’re given free rein. Carlton Reid discovers this… in the rain... IN ALL THE years I've been running a school cycling club we've never been rained off. The weather has always lifted just in time. But on one Friday in early October I received a call from school asking whether I was likely to cancel that afternoon's session. It was heaving it down and it seemed like a rhetorical question. Of course I would be cancelling cycling club, nobody would want to cycle in this weather. I had no choice, I always cycle to school to pick up my daughters. I cycled through road flooding to get to school and joined the parents huddled inside school reception (we would normally be outside in the playground). I formally cancelled the club and was chatting with the school secretary, who was half way through retrieving parents' phone numbers to tell them of the cancellation, when my foot was run over by a muddy front wheel. One of the club's youngest members had cheekily cycled into school and was wondering why I wasn't out in the playground. I turned and looked outside. Half of the cycling club was outside, riding around. The other half had been taken home already, parents deducing there couldn't possibly be any cycling club held in such foul weather. Turning to the school secretary I cancelled the cancelling and went out into the pouring rain. The
kids I mentor on Friday afternoons are all under ten. None of these wee 'uns were bothered by the rain in the slightest. In fact, they loved it. At first I suggested they not ride through puddles but this quickly turned into part of the session. Parents took home some seriously soggy kids that night. But all of them went home smiling (the kids, not the parents). NEVER UNDERESTIMATE CHILDRENS' LOVE FOR CYCLING – BUT THEY SHOULD BE TAUGHT EARLY This bodes well for the bike trade you might think, but talking to one of the (bike-mad) parents afterwards brought me down to earth with a bump. She said her son was only one of a very few in his class who could cycle unaided. Many of the others were still on stabilisers, but the great majority don't have bikes at all. I blame the parents. Cycling, like swimming, is a lifeskill that really ought to be taught early. But this can't be forced. If the parents don't cycle, they might not see cycling as a lifeskill at all. It's well known we've lost a generation to cycling and the bike trade's future is heavily reliant on getting today's kids hooked on cycling. There are lots of schemes out there making this happen. Bike It, Bike Club, Bikeability, Go Ride and others. Does your shop support any of them? No? Maybe it should. Think of it as saving up for a rainy day.
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Working on my prototype ‘polecam’, comprising alloy DMR bar and grip with GoPro clamped to end for pivot filming action... DecadeBikes % of nice cyclists on lunchtime walk was 100%. Nice Joggers only 5%. Cyclists pinged and thanked, joggers ignored... Urban Cyclist
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