BikeBiz October 2016

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EXciting New Brands ••• •

www.avocetsports.co.uk

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BIKEBIZ.COM

OCTOBER 2016

ISSUE 129

Heritage Bikes

ATB Bikes

Electric Assisted Bikes

Telephone

+44 (0)161 727 8508

Children’s Bikes

Tandem Bikes

Email

sales@avocetsports.com

Avocet Sports Ltd

Website

www.avocetsports.co.uk

Units 7-9 Shield Drive, Wardley Industrial Estate, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2QB

ISSUE 129 OCTOBER 2016

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p17 The NEC Cycle Show

p29 Assos overhaul

p47 E-bikes extended

We spin our wheels at the biggest UK-based bike show of the year!

We get chatting with Assos CEO Phil Duff about roots, the changing of hands, tackling sexism, and the Olympic kit.

In our extra-long e-bike section, we interview the Electric Bike Corporation, and get the scoop on Batribike’s launch.

Eurobike, at last!

Team BikeBiz (finally) make the annual pilgrimage to Friedrichshafen on the Bodensee in Germany, where we see a whole host of weird and wonderful things…

p9-14

p41 Citrus-Lime

p54 The Lycra Virgin

p37 Mystery Shopper

p52 New Products

Grant Hadwin’s back to tell us about marketing at peak times!

One reader examines the finer points of first-time Lycra use.

Our mystery shopper takes their covert operation to St. Albans.

Kieran Howells walks us through the latest and greatest in bikes.

THE INDEPENDENT CYCLE TRADE SHOW back for our 7th year!

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NEWS

Avocet’s long-awaited IBD brands set to be unveiled at the NEC Cycle Show

EDITOR’S COMMENT TRADE SHOW SEASON IS WELL UNDERWAY

PROMINENT BICYCLE, parts, and accessories distributor Avocet is set to launch five new brands at the NEC Cycle Show, covering many aspects of the industry, from MTB and e-bikes, to tandems and heritage ladies’ bikes.

Following on from having recently had a majority stake acquired by Hero Cycles – the world’s largest bicycle maker by volume – the Avocet team have been working to rebrand since late 2015. Both companies plan to underline Avocet’s dedication to the independent channel with the new range, which will be made exclusively available to independent bike dealers, whom Avocet Chairman Steven Walsh emphasised “are the absolute lifeblood of [their] business.”

Since November of last year, there have been whispers of IBD-only signings, with MD Roger Nowell expressing the company’s excitement about “showing [its] commitment to the independent bike dealer market, improving [its] services to them, recognising their needs, and ultimately giving them the reliable, quality bikes their customers want.” The much-anticipated range of brands is part of a wider strategy that aims to “help independent bike dealers benefit from the upsurge in cycling in the UK.” As a leading distributor in the UK, Avocet supplies the IBD market with a range of branded products, whilst also stocking leading retail chains, primarily with own-label products. “We strive to be the leader in the European cycling market, with brands built on a love of cycling and a passion for the great BIKEBIZ.COM

outdoors,” remarked Walsh. “All of the brands in our new collection have pedigree, quality of build, and performance at their very heart. There is truly a bike to suit everyone from our large portfolio.”

Rapport and a high standard of merchandise are at the core of Avocet’s aim to bring an excellent product range to IBDs across the UK and the world.

“Loyalty and trust are key to developing a long-term relationship with bike dealers,” continued Walsh. “We aim to deliver the highest quality service, offer great value in our products, and operate the highest levels of support for our customer network.”

The brands, designed to deliver real value across a wide choice of bike models, include the Riddick, Ryedale, Lectro, Simmonsohn, and De-Novo ranges. Aimed at children, the De-Novo “boasts the excitement, adventure, and attractive design all children look for in their first serious bike.” For adults, Riddick – a high-end ATB brand – and Ryedale – a range of ladies’ heritage bikes – target specific audiences with their focus on aesthetics and highspecification components.

Simmonsohn’s tandems and Lectro’s e-bikes are niche makes that provide additional variety to the portfolio.

“Each brand has been carefully tailored with specific audiences in mind, getting to the heart and soul of every aspect of the cycling world, and drawing on these values in order to build strong, stylish collections.” www.avocetsports.co.uk

THERE’S BEEN an unmistakeable motif woven through the fabric of the last three issues of BikeBiz: trade shows.

Eurobike’s come and gone, but, leading up to the Cycle Show, those of us in the UK have hardly had a spare moment to recover from the whole extravaganza. I can’t say that I, personally, can think of another place that you could watch Danny MacAskill somersault over an enormous red ball whilst simultaneously having beer sprayed in your face by a throng of men in shaggy black wigs. Having (also) already seen some groundbreaking contraptions amidst the backdrop of the breathtaking Bodensee, we’re just about ready to head out to Birmingham for the Cycle Show.

And BikeBiz will also be shipping staff writer Kieran Howells off to the Vegas-based Interbike International Expo over the same week. We’ve strongly advised he remember to apply his sunscreen. After that, we can well and truly say that trade show season will have come and gone. We will all not be perpetually wandering around an infinitely large exhibition hall, squinting at a tattered show programme. If you happen to be in Birmingham – or Vegas, for that matter – at the time, keep an eye out for us.

Hayley E. Ferguson can be contacted at: hferguson@ nbmedia.com

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 5

NEWS

Michael O’Mara wins auction to publish official autobiography of Rio Olympics’ golden couple Michael O’Mara wins auction to publish official autobiography of Rio Olympics’ golden couple UK and Commonwealth rights to Laura Trott and Jason Kenny’s autobiography have been acquired by Clare Tillyer, publisher of the family-owned Michael O’Mara Books, from David Luxton Associates.

Laura Trott commented: “This feels like the perfect time to tell our story. It’s been great looking back at what we have done, and looking deep into what makes us tick, both as individual athletes, and together as a team.”

With the couple’s relationship at

“This feels like the perfect time to tell our story.”

Laura Trott

the core, the integrated narrative will detail Trott and Kenny’s journeys to Gold-medal success at Rio. The athletes will examine their career motivations and aspirations, with the discussion centring on the effects of competing in the same sport on their daily lives. Their experiences of competing at junior level will be outlined, and the autobiography will additionally explore the roles of friends and family in leading up to the achievement of professional success.

Clare Tillyer commented that she is “excited to be working with

Executive Editor: Carlton Reid carltonreid@mac.com

Sales Manager: Richard Setters rsetters@nbmedia.com

Sales Director: Mark Rankine mrankine@nbmedia.com

Editor: Hayley Ferguson hferguson@nbmedia.com

Production Executive: Warren Kelly wkelly@nbmedia.com

Managing Director: Mark Burton mburton@nbmedia.com

Staff Writer: Kieran Howells khowells@nbmedia.com

Content Director: Andrew Wooden awooden@nbmedia.com

Marketing & Circulation bike.subscriptions@c-cms.com

Design: Dan Bennett dbennett@nbmedia.com

Events Director: Caroline Hicks chicks@nbmedia.com

Laura and Jason on their autobiography, a truly unique project that will bring together the professional and personal lives of two of the country’s favourite athletes.” CEO of Rocket Sports Management, Luke Lloyd Davies, continued, “[Michael O’Mara’s] enthusiasm for the book perfectly matched Laura and Jason’s, and we can’t wait to help bring this to fruition.

They are a sporting phenomenon, a love story, and a medal machine, all rolled into one.”

The book will be published in hardback on November 10th of this year, and will retail at £20.00.

Editorial: The Emerson Building, 4th floor, 4-8 Emerson Street, London. SE1 9DU Tel: 0207 354 6002 BikeBiz is mailed FOC to 4,000+ trade addresses every month ISSN 1476-1505

© NewBay Media 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of BikeBiz are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord.

6 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

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NEWS

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Is web-rooming the CYCLE latest buying trend? SHORTS IAM RoadSmart move HQ The independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has announced it will be moving its head office from Chiswick to Welwyn Garden City at the end of the year. The move will be a gradual process over the coming months, with front-facing operations relocating to the new site first.

Boardman to open new centre and wind tunnel

WITH THE industry coming out of a summer that saw Britain triumph in Olympic cycling, and witness the relative unknown of the Brexit result looming on the horizon, ASSOS CEO Phil Duff believes a brighter future may be in store for IBDs, due to a change in buying habits. Talking to

BikeBiz, he said: “There’s a considerable retail trend we’ve seen happening recently called web-rooming, in which customers will go online to browse products and read reviews, compare items to competing retail products, and then actually go in-store to complete the decision by

physically interacting with it, seeing it, and trying it out. They then end up actually buying it in a bricks and mortar shop.” Will this new trend rejuvenate what is a turbulent time in the market?

That remains to be seen. (Read our full interview with Duff starting on page 29).

Ridgeback release info on 2017 range THE BIGGEST change in Ridgeback’s 2017 range is the redevelopment of the Flight series, which is now comprised of six models including two e-bikes that utilise Shimano STEPS. Sam Lawson, brand manager at Ridgeback, said: “For us at Ridgeback, the joy of cycling is how wonderfully accessible it is and with that in mind we have worked hard to create a complete range of bikes that cater to everybody. We’ve made some notable updates and additions to the range, including some e-bike options and tourers.

We don’t overcomplicate things and think people will be really impressed with what we have to offer this year.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

Boardman Bikes plans to develop a World Class Centre at an outletmall-cum-country-park near Evesham in Worcestershire. The Valley has been open since 1999, and is home to retailers such as Fat Face and Mountain Warehouse.

Saddleback to distribute Troy Lee Designs Following the news that Troy Lee Designs was parting ways with Zyro-Fisher, Saddleback has announced it will be the new distributor. Carryover stock will be available from 1st November, 2016 and the full 2017 range will land next February.

Cycle sales rise at Halfords Halfords has reported a rise in group sales of almost five per cent for the start of its financial year.

Cycle sales are up by 1.9 per cent.

The company’s latest trading statement said there had been “strong cycling sales during late July and August, helped by new ranges and a deeper promotion, which more than offset the slower sales earlier in the year.”

Sunday Times investigates souped-up e-bikes The transport correspondent from The Sunday Times has visited a number of e-bike retailers and has found some of them are wrongly advising customers on the legality of “speed e-bikes”, which can reach 28mph but should therefore be classified as mopeds not e-bikes.

For breaking news visit:

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EUROBIKE

Eurobike descends on the continent With over 1,300 exhibitors from 50 different countries, we reckon the Eurobike show is just about the most diverse bike event the world has ever seen. BikeBiz rounds up some of the show’s innumerable highlights...

IS THERE a cycle trade gathering in the world bigger than Eurobike?

We doubt it. The event is a pivotal linchpin in the cycling calendar, and brings us much of the initial news that will fuel the next 12 months.

Those who have attended in previous years will appreciate just how gigantic the event is: 12 halls bursting with interesting products and innovation to explore, and an estimated 65,000 visitors descending on Freidrichschafen over five days. Cycling doesn’t get much more exiting than this!

Areas of interest in 2016 were, above all, the new women-specific section – which we believe will hold an essential place in a sorely under-serviced area of the industry – and the outdoor test area, for many visitors the first opportunity to try out a wide array of e-bikes in BIKEBIZ.COM

a comfortable environment.

Interesting things are happening in the world of WTB. Some years ago, the brand inadvertently hit gold with the release of the Deva seat. Despite its overtly “girly” graphics and women-specific

directions. “A lot of riders were furious,” says Clayton Wangbichler, PR and content editor for WTB. “We were getting e-mails every day saying ‘bring it back!’ and we knew that we had to.” The updated seat, which debuted to the public for the

“The 12 halls are bursting with interesting products to explore!” marketing, the seat struck a chord with both male and female riders for its comfortable form and light profile. To the despair of dedicated WTB riders, the brand did away with the seat in a sweeping update that saw many of the brand’s ranges expand in different

first time at Eurobike, features the same comfortable fit and geometry that made it a cult classic, but the brand have acknowledged its wide appeal, and now offer it exclusively in a gender-neutral design that we believe everyone will enjoy.

Big news from SRAM is the

release of the market-dominating Eagle groupsets. The brand chose to release two versions of the Eagle, each intended to ensure the user is riding something tailored to their riding style. The cross-countryoriented XX1 is focused on delivering the strongest, quietest and lightest ride possible. The carbon composite hollow core crank arms work seamlessly with the CNC-machined chainring to deliver reliable power to a brandnew, and noticeably thinner, chain.

The set also benefits from a lighter forged aluminum and carbon fiber rear derailleur and 12-speed rear trigger shifter with and adjustable carbon pull lever.

While the XX1 is built for cross-country, the X01 is built for pure aggression on even the blackest of trails. Designed around BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 9

EUROBIKE

Clockwise, starting top left: The eye catching new golden tinged XX1 groupset from SRAM and Knog’s stylish new matching bell and light. Scott’s powerful new e-bike battery (with helpful power indicator), Brompton’s classic brazed bike frame with improved gear system, and, last but not least, the sleek graphics of the Truvativ Descendant.

the successful 1x, but with a whole host of updates and improvements such as a redesign to the chainring to increase wear life, a 10-to-50tooth, 12-speed Eagle cassette, and a myriad of small adjustments that make the X01 almost silent, users wouldn’t be mistaken in believing the X01 to be a whole new beast. Unlike its brother, the X01 features a slightly more weighty set of carbon composite, foam core cranks, and features a slightly more trail-oriented forged aluminum derailleur, yet still includes the all-new chainring technology that the brand says was designed specifically to work with the new system.

Knog’s approach to Eurobike 2016 is very much “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, with a small but interesting variety of new releases to perfectly compliment their existing range. For the new season however, the brand are all about 10 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

the bell, with a trio of beautifullycrafted Oi Classic, Elite and Vintage handlebar-mounted spring bells.

Each of the three new releases are available in a different aluminum, titanium or brass finish, but all feature the same simple-yeteffective technology.

Complimenting the Oi bells are the new MOB lights. The compact

Cycles aren’t disappointing with the announcement of three brand new bikes. The Vault is a diverse competition-ready cyclocross bike that the brand says will effortlessly double up as an all-season stage racer. The bike features a completely new 1:5” tapered carbon fork with increased tire clearance and Shimano’s flat disc

“Knog’s approach to Eurobike is very much ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.” handlebar, rear or V-mounted lights are available in 80 or 44 lumens, and very much look the part, despite taking up almost no room when mounted.

Eurobike is without a doubt an amazing platform for new releases, and Arizona-based bike brand Pivot

mount, attached to a full carbon frame featuring hollow core internal molding tech, making the bike extremely strong, whilst keeping the weight down. Internal cabling keeps the bike looking aesthetically pleasing, whilst also rendering it electronically compatible.

Making a comeback into the Pivot range at Eurobike 2016 is the highly-regarded Firebird. The classic name may be the same, but the bike has had a complete overhaul from the ground up, and all new improvements centre on the brand new carbon frame, which Pivot’s engineers say allowed them to “Drop weight, increase strength and stiffness, and incorporate Pivot’s signature design features such as the double wishbone rear triangle and linkage design found on the Phoenix DH, Boost spacing, the Pivot Cable Port System” The bike also features new forks with 170mm travel, 16.95” chainstays and fits 27.5” wheels (tires up to 2.5”).

Last but by no means least, the Pivot Match 429sl Carbon needs no introduction in the race world, with awards from the UCI World Cup and the Grand Junction attached to it’s name, but the bike has BIKEBIZ.COM

Numen/wWinter

Aut Catalogue out now

New 2016 Autumn / Winter range now available Autumn Winter 2016 has been developed for those days youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for an excuse not to ride. A new range of waterproof and thermal collections, inspired from hard winter training miles put in by the Madison Genesis Race Team, the darker months are there to redeďŹ ne your limits.

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EUROBIKE

Clockwise, starting top left: An attractive carbon frame Canyon bike with Zipp rims. Top right: a selection of colourful grips from accessory giants DMR, and bottom left and right, comprehensive views of the innovative new Pearl Izumi x-Project 10’s, with a reduced carbon footplate for flexibility.

undergone a healthy update including a new Boost rear triangle for increased handling and stiffness.

The bike comes with 29-inch wheels, and is ready for Shimano Di2 integration via Pivot’s Cable Port System.

Talking of Shimano, the brand’s subsidiary bikefitting.com are giving the crowds a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the system, which works in collaboration with the Shimano Dynamics Lab. The brand has recently expanded their offerings to include greater coverage of the high-end. This includes the Dynamic Fitting solution and Pedaling Analyzer. It’s obviously receiving positive feedback, as the products are currently available in a staggering 42 countries.

Innovations in cycle storage can be godsend to those with a passion for riding and limited space in which to keep their bike, and 12 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

London-based brand Cycloc are doing their part to keep bikes safely stored in efficient ways. The brand’s small but efficient range of mounted storage options range from the impressively small pedal mounted Hero model, which, as you may expect, suspends the bike from a single pedal, to the versatile fold-away vertical storage option,

2017 range features no less than nine e-bike options in a range of styles from the E-silence Evo, which features a Brose 250w system with a 508wh battery integrated into the 6061 aluminium frame and a Shimano BR-T8000, to the E-sub Sport 20, which features Suntour NEX HLO forks and a Bosch Performance CX 250w System with

“Brompton assures us that a brand new e-folding bike is on the way for the new year.” the Endo. The device is simply fitted to a wall via a four point fixing system, and features a hollow hinge in which users can store their locks.

Scott is a brand that it’s safe to say has very much embraced the e-bike market with full force. The

a 500wh Shimano battery.

We last saw Brompton whilst visiting he brand’s magnificent new London factory, and whilst we’re still waiting on a few previously promised items *Cough* luminescent frame *Cough*, the company assures us that the launch

of a brand new e-folding bike is well on the way, and will be with us in the new year. “We can’t say too much, but put it this way, we’re exactly on target .” says Nicholas Charlier, who does PR and Communications for Brompton.

Whereas the e-bike is in the pipeline, the brand does have some interesting updates for us, the biggest of which is the re-design of the Brompton bike gears. The whole unit has been flipped upside down and now sits under the new handlebars, making it far more accessible and comfortable for riders. A number of other small adjustments may not seem like much, but we’re assured they add up to a noticeable improvement in handling and comfort.

Pearl Izumi recently announced the abandonment of its running gear, which sets the spotlight firmly on cycling. Luckily, going by what we’ve seen at Eurobike, the brand BIKEBIZ.COM

EUROBIKE

Clockwise, starting top left: The packed Eurobike main indoor stage, with attendees enjoying a cycling fashion show, just one of many events that took to the stage over the week. On the right, a demonstration of brand new cycle fit technology, and finally a sleek offering from classic brand LOOK.

has the products to back the move up. The range is split into two categories depending on your riding. Pursuit, as you may guess, is tailored to those whose needs are in the performance and competition worlds, and Escape is aimed at those who are simply looking for high quality clothes to ride in. First on the agenda is a pair of Pursuit bib shorts, which feature a cleverly designed layered chamois, held together with simple stitching at each end. The brand says this design ensures comfort, whilst adding durability to the design. The other big news for the brand is the introduction of two new shoes, one of which benefits from a shortened carbon base, which the brand says gives the user greater flexibility, without losing any strength.

The cycling world may be heading toward a carbondominated market, but charitable BIKEBIZ.COM

bike brand My Boo has found a market in the opposite. The brand works with farmers in Ghana to plant and tend to bamboo plans, which My Boo then purchase and turn into striking bamboo-framed bikes. “The frames are surprisingly strong and durable, whilst maintaining flexibility.” says founder Jonas Stolzke. A range of

lights will be available in September to UK-based dealers.

The new Street Light Series includes five models with multiple configurations of high-quality lights, which offer a wide variety of functions to provide optimal usage for riders. All of the new Kryptonite models share some common features, including their compact

“Escape is aimed at those who are simply looking for high-quality clothes to ride in.” ten complete bikes is available from the brand, including a step-through city bike and a road bike.

Bike security company Kryptonite also announced the expansion into the lights category, with the new Street Light Series. This complete line of USB rechargeable bicycle

size, high lumen output, USB rechargeability, and two-year limited warranty.

“We certainly believe we have increased value to riders and to our dealers by this extension into a second must-have accessory category,” said Nick Watkin. “Our

extension into lights comes at a key time as more of our dealers look to maximize efficiencies with both ordering and inventory control process.”

Oxford Products have brought out a whole new line of helmets, but are concentrating their efforts on three-dimensional illumination this year. In the wake of the Commuter X4 personal lighting system, a range of Halo Glow slap wraps (think super-fluorescent 90s fashion statement) will be released in mid-September. The glow-in-thedark bracelet features a flat fibre-optic insert and luminous casing available in several colours.

Though the idea is simple, commercial head David Jesson assures BikeBiz that the fibre-optic slap wrap is a one-of-a-kind. This is an idea we can see taking the cycling industry – and indeed the London nightlife industry – by storm. “If drivers can see a cyclist BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 13

EUROBIKE

Clockwise, starting top left: More revelry from the main indoor stage at Eurobike ‘16 in the form of a female cycle fashion show.

On the far right, an eye catching helmet from safety specialists Bell, and bottom left, the sleek-yet-versatile Montague Allston.

as a human being, they drive more safely, so, if you’re wearing a few slap wraps, a driver can tell that that you’re a cyclist.” On the three-dimensional lighting theme, the new Halo Glow helmet incorporates a fibre-optic that wraps all the way around. “50% of all cycling accidents are a sideimpact,” Jesson tells us, “the helmet is designed precisely to counteract that.”

Weldtite also launched a carbon-fibre gripper paste, now available in tiny packaging. Once it’s available in the UK next month, the paste will be the only of its kind available in a small bottle. The maintenance company has also updated the Dirt Wash Bike Cleaner, incorporating a larger grip, and a “supersoaker” bottle that dispenses more than three times the liquid that its predecessor did.

We were also suitably impressed by golf-turned-cycling manufacturer 14 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

Hirzl’s kangaroo leather gloves.

Founded some six years ago, the company’s fourth year in cycling has reportedly been very successful. They pride themselves on the kangaroo leather’s long tanning process, finished in Australia, and on their use of “upcycled” skin. An overpopulation of the marsupials is unfortunately

stiffen or become slippery with moisture. We can verify that the gloves certainly do not get slippery when wet, a feature demonstrated at their Eurobike stand with a pair of test gloves.

Fabric manufacturer Polartec were keen to show off their Alpha fabric, a synthetic insulator that offers a combination of lightweight

“Without companies like Hirzl, the kangaroos’ skin would go to waste.” means they are culled widely – they would otherwise cause devastating impact on their natural habitat.

Without companies like Hirzl, the kangaroos’ skin would go to waste.

The manufacturer claims that the leather remains soft and supple even with wear, and does not

warmth and breathability. Polartec believes Alpha to be more stable than other synthetic insulation products, wicking sweat away from the wearer’s skin. Designed to offer lightweight warmth, Alpha was used in a range of clothing displayed at Eurobike, .

Finally, new from US-based Montague Bikes is a recently revamped folding bike line, with 11 new models featuring the patented DirectConnect folding system, which provides increased ride quality while allowing the bike to be folded in fewer than 20 seconds.

Montague was excited to demonstrate the Allston at Eurobike, which folds away neatly and quickly, but uses standard components. The 11-speed Shimano Alfine internal gear hub and Gates carbon belt drive offer a quiet ride, and hydraulic disc brakes provide what the company considers to be superb stopping power. What sets this bike apart is the integrated RackStand, a rear rack that converts into a kickstand, on which maintenance can also be performed. The RackStand, which took home the Eurobike Award in 2015, can be purchased separately from the bike line.

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THE CYCLE SHOW 2016

E-Bikes on track for success at Cycle Show As the industry prepares to make the journey down to the Birmingham NEC, Kieran Howells discusses the presence of the ever-booming e-bike market at Cycle Show ‘16…

BIKEBIZ.COM

THOSE IN the industry who are currently preparing to make the expedition over to the acclaimed Cycle Show, now in its 15th year at the NEC in Birmingham, will get to witness a brand-new installation for the 2016 event. The addition of what the show is calling the “UK’s first ever indoor e-MTB track” will no doubt be a fan favourite, and has been created in partnership with e-bike pioneers Bosch.

The track’s construction is led by mountain bike and BMX heavyweight Kye Forte, Shoretrax, using over 400 tonnes of earth, along with vast wooden sections. A corner ramp will put the climbing power of the bikes to the test, with a moguls section and tricky rock garden promising a challenging but

exciting test of ability. The demo fleet available to test at the show includes the latest eMTBs from Cube, Haibike, Trek and Stealth, and the brand experts will be on-hand with advice and information.

What’s more, riding on the track will be captured by a dedicated filming team from GoPro and shown on a big overhead screen, so friends and family can watch all the action. The new track is open every day between 9.30am to 5pm from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th September; the Cycle Show team expect the track to be very popular so visitors are urged to arrive early.

For Bosch, 2016 marks the first year of a dedicated presence at the show – visitors can reach them via their booth at K65, where they will BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 17

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CYCLE SHOW 2016

The Bosch CX, on display at booth K65

Raleigh Strada e-bike fitted with Shimano’s STEPS system

be showcasing the Performance Line CX. Bosch say that the CX is one of the most dynamic e-bike drive systems on the market, with a direct response, a significantly higher torque and maximum power assistance of up to 300 per cent.

The system has been used by leading e-bike manufacturers and is enjoying great reviews from sporting e-bikers. The robust black powder coating protects the system from knocks and blows and is also scratchproof and weatherresistant, which makes it ideal for off-road use. In addition to the new track, the show’s eMTB offering has expanded greatly this year, with bikes on display from Cannondale, KTM, Lapierre, Mondraker, Haibike and Cube, plus an expanded e-bike village with Shimano, Juicy, Wisper, Momentum, Batribike and many more showcasing their latest e-offerings.

The exiting prospect of a new e-bike track isn’t all the e-news coming out of the Cycle Show camp – it was recently revealed that Shimano is set to officially debut the highly-anticipated new STEPS groupset to the crowds in Birmingham. The brand referenced the fast-growing e-bike market (in fact, the e-bike market is now the fastest growing market in the whole cycling industry) in their decision to debut STEPS at the show, and revealed that visitors heading to the e-bike village can pick from over 100 different models to try out on the test track.

BIKEBIZ.COM

The impressive new e-bike test track.

The brand is truly maximising its presence at the event, and has taken the opportunity to show the industry just how invested it is in the future of the electric bike market by sponsoring the e-bike village. Shimano is one of 12 Madison brands that will make an appearance at the NEC along with the likes of Ridley, Genesis, Pearl Izumi, Lazer and Garmin. Proving that is hasn’t forgotten about the traditional pedal bike, the distributor will also showcase the latest road and mountain groupsets, including the new 11 speed Dura-Ace 9100.

Sticking with the e-bike theme, exhibiting for the first time at the

Cycle Show is Stealth Electric bikes.

Capable of a massive 50mph (that’s right – 50 not 15) these bikes are in another world of electric cycling.

Whereas the bikes are not technically classified as e-bikes due to the strict 15mph British laws, off-roading is very much the centre stage for the Stealth range, and with twist-and-go power you can forget having to pedal to get extra speed – all the Stealth range of bikes have independent electric power and pedal power input.

A brand who are also toeing that line between an e-bike and something completely different is E-Rider. The main appeal of the Model 15 to some will be its

striking likeness to a conventional moped, with the subtle but very present addition of a pedal system.

Regardless of the bold, eyecatching design, the brand are adamant that the bike adheres to the law, and as such is perfectly legal to ride on both roads and bike lanes. The bike features some interesting safety features such as drum brakes, wing mirrors, LED lights, a brake light and audible indicators. It also has hydraulic front suspension and sprung rear suspension for a comfortable ride.

Like many others, the fascinating bike will be available to test on the dedicated track. www.cycleshow.co.uk/trade BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 19

CYCLE SHOW 2016

20 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

BIKEBIZ.COM

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CYCLE SHOW 2016

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Cyclescheme L57 CycleWiz Ltd K14 Cycling Plus/Mountain Biking UK A25 Cycling UK L61 Cycling World D67 Cyclist Magazine F67 Cycology L53 Cytech D75 Cytronex J121 Damson Audio K6 Dare2b H35 Datatag ID Ltd D25 Deda Elementi G111 Dillglove Ltd / SMP4Bike D61 Division Sports K3 Dog’s Trust L26 E Rider Ltd K155 Eat My Dirt F1 EcoVoltz K200 Elivar (UK) Ltd. H6 EMC2 - Casada K11 Endurance Conspiracy K25 Eskuta Limited J123 Evopos UK Ltd (Barclays Business Services) M69 Exodus Travels Ltd L73 Explore Worldwide K72 Extra UK Ltd G81 Extra UK Ltd G91 Eyepod Opticians Prescription Cycling Specs K15 Fat Lad At The Back (FLAB) K13 Fibrax Limited F45 Fletcher Stewart H1 FLI Distribution H126 Four4th J31 FSA G65 Garmin A41 Garuda Sports J45 Gear Club Ltd G71 Geax-Vittoria Spa D23 GO PRO K7 Grapefruit L19 Green Jersey Cycling Tours K71 Grn Bikewear H154 Gwynedd Council L78 Haibike K149 Hangman Cycling K22 HB Designs Ltd G47 Headkayse H3 Headwater L77 Help for Heroes B71 Hengyue Technologies J139 Henty G14 High 5 B32 Holders and Mounts (PDA Hut Ltd) K5 Hope Technology G52 Hotelplan Ltd L79 Hotlines Europe Ltd A70 Huez J33 Isla Bikes A80 ISON Distribution G147 Jet2 Holidays L63 Jlaverack F38

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Rose Bikes D41 Rouleur B73 Royal Dutch Gazelle K127 Ryedale District Council K73 Salice D5 Schwalbe A21 Scimitar Sports UK Ltd J41 See.Sense J95 Selle Italia/Sportourer G115 Shand Cycles F63 Shift Retail M65 Shimano Steps J134 ShredXS F7 Simplon D47 Sorrymate.com M26 SPET - Turismo de Tenerife L71 Stealth A27 Stephen Roche Cycling Mallorca L74 Stique Ltd H27 Storck Bicycle G121 Streetstyle J145 Sugoi - The Cycling Sports Group G3 Sure Clinic J111 Surf & Turf Instant Shelters M84 Target Velo F8 The Roofbox Company M61 Tip Top M82 TMR Designs K1 Torq Ltd D11 Transition Bikes H81 Trek L41 TrueStart Coffee D87 Ultimate Sports Engineering Ltd H61 Upgrade Bikes - Kinesis / Lezyne G15 Upgrade Bikes - DMR / ISM / Reynolds / Praxis / Pivot / Vee / Effetto / TRP / X-Fusion H19 Urban Moto Limited M63 Ursus Spa H125 USN UK M75 Vaaru Cycles Elite Titanium Cycles J47 Van Nicholas Bicycles G131 Vaude (UK) Ltd M70 Velo 100 L67 Velo Vixen G21 Velodrome Publishing F5 Velosure Cycle Insurance J37 Velotech Services H13 VISIJAX® F9 Vitabri L16 Vitus Bikes H131 Weldtite Products Ltd H65 Westfalia UK Ltd H25 Whyte Bikes / Wilier Bikes J71 Witter Towbars L58 X-Bionic H31 Yellow - Giordana / Assos / Rudy Project A35 Yellow - Pinarello A11 Yeti C37 Zaini Hats F3 Zefal H15 ZipVit G45 ZyroFisher H45 BIKEBIZ.COM

CANYON

The new Canyon facility in Koblenz

DELIVERY PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO BEDEVIL CANYON Carlton Reid visits Canyon in Koblenz ahead of its ambitious – but troubled – American launch.

WITH ANNUAL sales of 100,000 mid-to-high-end bikes, Canyon is the world’s largest direct-toconsumer bicycle supplier. The Koblenz-based brand, spun out from what was once the largest Trek dealership in Germany, is not yet available in America but that’s about to change. A warehouse and technical service facility in a yet-to-be-determined US city will soon start stockpiling bikes in readiness for a US launch in the Spring of 2017.

outside the city limits. A new ERP stock-control system was installed in the fifty-thousand-square-meter assembly plant at the same time, and this had glitches that left consumers waiting many months for the bikes they had ordered.

German consumers don’t expect immediate delivery of goods bought online; consumers in many other markets most definitely do.

Throughout 2016 bike forums were aflame with blistering complaints about Canyon’s lead times and

“Demand for Canyon bikes in the US is already very high.”

Matthew Heitmann, Canyon Canyon’s bikes are substantially cheaper than equivalents from dealer-centric brands, but search online for “Canyon bikes” and despite the brand’s pricing smarts you will find many thousands of complaints. Very few are about the bikes themselves – they are designed to be best-in-test – but the company has been slammed, and continues to be slammed, because of late and missed deliveries.

The problems started in October 2015 with a move to a clinicallyclean, high-tech, new-build factory 24 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

poor customer care. A Twitter account – @Canyon_Delays – was set-up by a would-be bike buyer in the UK, and cycle media outlets which reviewed Canyon bikes were accused in the comments of being shills for a company that, it was claimed, literally couldn’t deliver.

The kvetching continued even after a corporate apology was carried on the Canyon website.

That Canyon bikes “have not always been available” is admitted

by American Matthew Heitmann, with the company since 2014. He was hired as the company’s chief BIKEBIZ.COM

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CANYON

marketing officer because of his e-commerce savvy having worked for US online retailers Competitivecyclist.com and Backcountry.com. (He joined Canyon from BMC, and, perhaps unusually for a web marketing guy, he has a PhD in in philosophy.) With a subsidised soup in front of him in the new factory’s swish staff cafe, Heitmann was at pains to point out that the company is “working night and day” to rectify the delivery problems.

“The shipping delays were because of the new factory, the new ERP system, and exceptional demand,” he explained.

“Buying a Canyon is complex, each is built to order. Switching the brake lever for a UK or Australian consumer is a custom task, and adds time.”

For the entry into the US market shipping speed will have to be improved.

“Unlike German consumers Americans are not prepared to wait months for a product bought online,” acknowledged Heitmann.

Canyon first attempted to enter the US market in 2011, forming a short-lived distribution partnership with Competitivecyclist.com of Arkansas, then owned by Brendan Quirk, who is now President of Rapha’s US division. When Quirk sold to Utah’s Backcountry.com late 26 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

in 2011, it was expected that the deal to distribute Canyon would carry over and that American consumers would finally be able to purchase the keenly-priced bikes they’d seen in the Tour de France (WorldTour teams Katusha and Movistar are equipped with Canyon bikes). It was not to be. Some Canyon bikes have trickled in to the US, mainly through online services which buy products in Europe and ship to the US, but none have been

successfully develop and navigate the American market, especially in light of its legal and economic particularities.”

He stressed that his company had “prepared exhaustively” for the US launch. “The demand for Canyon bikes in the US is already very high,” said Arnold. “But we also want to deliver an exceptional Canyon customer experience, on par with the quality of our products.”

“Buying a Canyon is complex, each is built to order.”

Matthew Heitmann, Canyon bought through official channels.

This will change in 2017 thanks to minority equity investment by TSG Consumer Partners, a San Francisco-based private-equity investor with a $5 billion portfolio of investments in retail brands.

TSG has a stake in Backcountry. com, which in turn has a stake in mobile bike-shop franchise Beeline Bikes. It’s expected that Beeline will offer a prep and fit service for Canyon’s US customers.

In a press release issued at the time of the TSG tie-up, Roman Arnold said the deal would be “invaluable in helping us

Canyon Bicycles GmbH was formed in 2001 by the current CEO, 54-year-old Roman Arnold, and was the new company name for Rad-Sport Arnold, a large bike shop in Koblenz founded in 1985 as RTI Sports, a distributor of Italian road-bike parts. (RTI Sports was co-founded by Roman’s brother Franc, who later founded Ergon, the grips-to-saddles brand, also based out of Koblenz.) Rad-Sport Arnold sold an own-label bike line called Radical, the name of which was changed to Canyon in 1996.

The company started designing its own Asia-made bikes in 1998.

Between two sites in Koblenz Canyon now employs 800 people, 73 per cent of whom own Canyon bikes thanks to a generous staff discount scheme. The company reports year-over-year sales growth of 30 per cent for the past six years, and had revenue of €160 million in 2015.

Canyon makes performanceoriented bikes, but no kids’ bikes and no e-bikes: “Sport is in our DNA, even our urban and fitness bikes are sporty,” said Heitmann, who believes that the entry of Canyon into the US market will be a “tipping point”, forcing companies such as Specialized to eventually go consumer-direct too.

Heitmann said Canyon’s entry into the US was being led by a “big internal team and two external project managers” with the goal of having a “late spring launch”. www.canyon.com BIKEBIZ.COM

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ASSOS

Phil Duff, CEO ASSOS

ASSOS USHERS IN A NEW ERA Since the 70s, Assos has been run and owned by the Maier family. But with an overhaul in upper management taking place in late 2015, Phil Duff was appointed as the Swiss-based company’s CEO. Kieran Howells gets the nuts and bolts from this American businessman...

Tell us about your history with Assos. Of course, up until very recently, it was a family-run venture. Are you trying to retain that feel?

I got into bike racing in the early 70s, largely through my family.

Dupont invented the Lycra fabric in 1958, and for the next 20 years, it wasn’t used in any athletic apparel – the thought of that is crazy these days! When Tony Maier made the first pair of Lycra cycling shorts, it had never been done before, so that was pretty novel in the cycling world. It was a big step – I started wearing the apparel straight away. I guess I was one of his earliest customers, and I’ve been riding them ever since.

We still think of Assos as a family business, we just have a bigger family!

When I got an opportunity to get inside of the company, it kind of fit my spirit. It’s an efficient, Germanic, BIKEBIZ.COM

family-owned business. Enthusiasts very often start those kinds of companies, and that leads to real innovation. I think that’s the case with ASSOS. The legacy has been built, and the products have been driven by a backbone of innovation.

London as a bit of a celebration of our anniversary, although I must admit that we’re a company that is intent on looking forward, not backward, so we haven’t done a 40th anniversary kit or anything like that.

“We’re a company that’s intent on looking forward rather than back.”

The most radical change is on the customer side of the business. We just want to make the brand a little more accessible and approachable to the average cyclist.

2016 marks 40 years of ASSOS as a company; will you be celebrating in any significant ways?

We’re using our store opening in

You mentioned the London store opening there, how did that come about?

We opened our flagship store in our hometown of Lugano in 2010.

It’s been our single biggest retail sales hub, even though the city has only 65,000 residents. So, we’ve had some experience retailing in a situation where we have our complete line, so a customer can

walk in and get a head-to-toe outfit. We love that. And we were looking for both bigger markets with strong cycling cultures – London was obviously our first choice.

We plan to continue with this concept, and are in the early stages of working on opening stores in New York and San Francisco, too.

Regent Street is a bold choice of location, in the heart of London’s fashion district. Did you set out to base yourselves in this area?

We spent a lot of time analysing the London cycling retail market.

Generally, we found that London is different from almost any other city with respect to this. What’s unusual about it, in contrast to almost every other city, is that the top bike shops are often located where customers work, not where they live. Realising that completely changed the way we looked at finding a location.

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 29

ASSOS

Take Bespoke: they have three shops at Canary Wharf, The City, and Germaine Street. You don’t see that dynamic in most other large cities. But in addition to the research into location, it was also a building that had been renovated

by The Crown, which was pretty appealing once we’d decided on this general area. The building has been completely refurbished, with a ground floor that has six retail outlets in it. They chose a leading brand in six different consumer sectors, so we’ll be in some interesting company.

The design of the new shop is very much bold and modern – what processes do you go through when kitting out a shop?

There are several dimensions to that, obviously the aesthetics and merchandising. But a big part of it for us – and where most of the time and energy went into – is thinking about how the shop’s flow for the 30 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

customer.

For us, there’s a big educational element. Our whole company is about integrating technology into performance-enhancing apparel.

This means maintaining a consistent body temperature regardless of what you’re riding and what the

We’re really excited about it! We wanted to open the shop before the Tour de France, but building management has been a bit late in finishing all of their construction, so they haven’t given us access yet.

We won’t be open until the end of September, but that’s really not the

“We’re all about integrating technology into performanceenhancing apparel.” conditions are. There’s obviously a brand-building component to it in addition to the shop being a place of sale. So designing the layout in a way that it can be modified in the future, so as to change the flow as the brand grows, was a challenging process.

How well is the launch working out, practically?

end of the world.

What prompted the decision to part ways with distributor Yellow?

Yellow have been a fabulous partner to us since 1980, but we’re trying to get a lot closer to our end customer, and to have direct relationships with bike dealers.

Think about it this way: even in

Switzerland, the brand had employed an independent third party distributor. If you consider those layers of contact, the dialogue between ASSOS and the dealers was really pretty remote. So having a middleman and an independent third party distributor was a bit of a buffer.

Where do you see the brand’s future heading?

The overall drive and demand in cycling is still really good. This is very much true in England, where commuters ride to work. Cycling has become the easiest way to get around London these days. Even in New York City, it’s taking off like never before. Property developers are targeting their buildings at cyclists with inbuilt bike storage, and bike shops are even being built into the buildings.

So I’m adamant that we’re going to stay in the business of cycling apparel, and that we’re not going BIKEBIZ.COM

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ASSOS

to be a mass-market brand. We can grow enormously within our current market.

We have to address Assos’s controversial marketing campaigns for women’s apparel, which were widely regarded as sexist. What stance are you currently taking on that?

This wasn’t a hard discussion to have. To me, it wasn’t an issue that we had to debate at great length – the natural thing to do was to portray women and men equally as athletes, going forward.

Thinking about female athletes any differently than male athletes seems absurd to me. We have a contingent of strong female riders, in a variety of positions from sales, to finance and HR, to production.

They’ve all been involved with the testing of the women’s products, so for them in particular, it was liberating to take that stance.

BIKEBIZ.COM

Big news from ASSOS is the partnership with the USA Olympic Cycling team, how did this come about?

To put it in context, ASSOS has always been about racing. If you look back through the 70s and 80s, all the Pro-Peloton teams were

the US, considering how important that market is for us. Derek Bouchard-Hall came in a little over a year ago as the new president of US cycling, and his aim was to reshape the culture and the operating practices of the federation. That combination just

“The natural thing to do was to portray women and men equally as athletes.” wearing ASSOS apparel. In those days, the teams came to the brand and actually bought the apparel themselves. It’s funny because now it’s obviously flipped and brands pay the teams to wear their gear.

So, through that whole history, ASSOS has supplied the clothing to Swiss Cycling for more than 30 years.

We thought it just made sense in

struck a chord with us, and Derek’s personal objectives to make it a leading sports federation fit really well with ASSOS. From his standpoint, partnering with a brand like us really fit that image of lifting it up and making it significantly better. We launched in the spring and it didn’t leave us an enormous time to develop the products especially the skin-suits for the Rio

games, but we worked very hard to develop a fast suit, and I feel like we very much pulled it off.

The design harks back to the golden era of US cycling, can you tell us more about that?

That was a very conscious move.

The discussion we had with Derek was really about how we could make something that harks back to the glory days, when the US was emerging on the cycling scene. It had to be something that was linked to those roots but has a bit of a modern feel to it.

Is that relationship something you’re planning on maintaining indefinitely?

From the outset we committed to a five-year partnership, so not only on the Rio Olympics, but actually onto the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

I’m hopeful that it will last well beyond that as well. www.assos.com BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 33

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BIKE EXPO

Bike Expo revisited Manchester’s very own Bike Expo will be back in 2017, with a new emphasis that spans all aspects of cycling...

MANCHESTER’S BIKE EXPO is reportedly broadening, with the aim of truly echoing the diverse nature the sport in Manchester, and ultimately transforming the city into the UK’s cycling capital over the next year. According to Hamerville Media Group’s Rebecca Geekie, the show has been structured to “reflect the diverse, ‘cycling-mad’ nature of the city.” The organisers hope to capitalise on the UK’s growing enthusiasm for cycling, following the success of Britain’s Olympic cyclists.

As well as hosting an array of exhibitors from across the industry, the Expo will also include a number of feature areas, with one geared toward each discipline. In line with the event’s road and TT heritage, they are working toward mirroring the “cross-pollination of cyclists” – who are now actively switching BIKEBIZ.COM

between road and MTB – as well as the popularity of other forms of cycling across the northwest of the country. There will now be more weight placed on areas of cycling such as mountain biking, downhill, enduro, BMX, flatland, racing,

Expo’s history of top-quality ambassadors will continue into the next year. Previous esteemed speakers have included Chris Hoy, Chris Boardman, Dani King, Dame Sarah Storey, and David Millar. This year, the Expo will play host to a

“Hamerville confirms that the history of top-quality speakers will continue in 2017.” commuters, and e-bikes.

Leading up to the event, Hamerville will be working with a number of media partners, such as Manchester Evening News, British Cycling, Immediate Media, and Kelsey Media.

With big plans for the next show, Hamerville confirms that the Bike

number of large-name ambassadors, amongst them Joe Skipper – the fastest UK Ironman triathlete – and Matti Hemmings, who is set to manage the UK BMX Championships stage.

Due to popular consumer demand, the event will feature the return of the fashion show to allow

brands the opportunity to demonstrate ranges of clothing and gear. Like years past, the Expo will also incorporate a large central stage, where household-name interviews, coaching seminars, stunt shows, and bike maintenance workshops will be available for audience viewing.

Now featuring a floorplan extended by 800m2, exhibitor space is filling quickly. The show’s organisers continue to actively recruit for speakers and ambassadors to reflect the wide variety of activities available to those involved in the industry, and urge manufacturers to send their brand ambassadors to the event.

They are particularly keen to encourage e-bike manufacturers to be in attendance, having recently updated the floorplan to include a large e-bike test track.

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 35

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MYSTERY SHOPPER

St Albans This month our Mystery Shopper heads straight to the historic city of St. Albans, to discover just what it has in store for its cycling masses.

ST ALBANS CYCLES OUR FIRST drop-in of the day is hidden in the depths of a substantial housing estate, and proved quite hard to find. Regardless, we were greeted warmly by the owner and offered assistance straight away. We asked for recommendations for a daily 40-minute commuter, and were directed to a modest range of hybrid bikes, which the clerk stated suited us due to their versatility. Despite the awkward placement, the shop was wellstocked, and the staff extremely friendly.

BIKEBIZ.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The service we received at Addiktion Cycles was almost regimental in its efficiency from the moment we stepped through the doors.â&#x20AC;?

ROCK & ROAD CLOSER TO the centre of the city, we found the deceptively spacious and extremely well-stocked Rock & Road Cycling shop. The shop deals largely in Specialized, and is almost overflowing with an extensive range of both road and mountain bikes. We were once again recommended a modest hybrid, but told explicitly that as we were new to cycling, disc breaks were an essential safety feature for a 40-minute commute. The shop suffered from a lack of staff with only two people manning the entire floor, but both employees were extremely helpful and informative.

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 37

MYSTERY SHOPPER

STAR STORE

ADDIKTION CYCLES ADDIKTION CYCLES is mere doors down from Rock & Road Cycling and deals in a far more diverse range of brands, but lacks the efficient layout of its neighbour. Regardless, the service we received was almost regimental in its efficiency from the moment we stepped through the doors. Unlike a lot of other shops, the clerk was keen to explain the changeover of the ’16 and ’17 ranges without us having to ask, and upon questioning, was more than happy to discuss the benefits of suspension forks, disc breaks and tyre width. Like both previous shops, we were recommended a mid-range hybrid bike.

SUMMARY

BC CYCLES ALTHOUGH THE address says St Albans, BC Cycles almost appears to reside in a neighbouring community and is somewhat of a trek from the city centre. This journey however is well worth undertaking, as the service we received upon entering was extremely good. The clerk welcomed us cordially, and abandoned a task to help us with our search. The shop stocks a reasonable range of bikes, but was awaiting the range of hybrids that the assistant suggested. He did, however, walk us through all of the most appropriate bikes in a series of catalogues, and was happy to order in upon request.

38 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

HALFORDS OUR PREVIOUS mystery shopping experiences with other branches of Halfords have been less than encouraging. This, however, is in no way represented in today’s visit, in which we were approached on the vast upper level dedicated solely to cycling by a friendly and knowledgeable young man who, like all the others in today’s shopping, recommended a versatile mid-range hybrid with disc breaks and a reasonable gear range. The young man was happy to discuss the benefits of dics, explain the positives and negatives of hydraulic breaks, and the differences between a hard-tail mountain bike and a hybrid. We left with a renewed likeness for the brand.

ST ALBANS poses an interesting prospect for cyclists. The city is relatively vast, with steep hilly lanes and ancient meandering backstreets, and close proximity to central London also qualifies it as prime Commuterville. So, what bikes cut the mustard on both hilly cobbled streets, and will get you to work in good time?

Every stop on our cycle tour of the city left us with the same answer, a hybrid. Regardless of the reasonably on-point advice from all five of our shops, Addiktion Cycles delivered a powerhouse of useful information for first time cyclists, earning our star store.

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CITRUS-LIME

Are you ready for

CHRISTMAS? Most people don’t want to think about Christmas at the end of summer, but all good retail starts with good planning, and peak times are the ideal moment to harness the upsurge in purchases.

Marketing can be overlooked amid the stress of the holiday season; Citrus-Lime’s Grant Hadwin tells us how to get on top of the extra organisation required so as to reap greater rewards...

A marketing campaign must be coherent across all communications – particularly online – if you wish to make an impression. This would typically include email marketing, your website’s look and feel, and your use of social media, Google Shopping, and Remarketing. Citrus Lime’s team believe that Google Shopping is potentially the most lucrative, and important, form of online marketing available to businesses in this day and age. If the tool is utilised correctly, it is a quick and easy way to drive traffic and direct sales, and can make the difference between online success and failure. It’s that important.

According to Citrus-Lime’s Google-certified professional Connor McPherson, Google Shopping Campaigns are the “quickest and easiest way for a business to increase traffic online.”

He does, however, explain that a certain degree of expertise is necessary in order to see optimal results. Despite that, McPherson recommends the product to BIKEBIZ.COM

“Companies absolutely have to stay on-point and in touch with what’s happening in the world in order to market their products to the best of their abilities.”

independent dealers, commenting that it “puts [them] on a level playing field with larger online competitors.” Users can even go international with Google Shopping, and extend their market offerings worldwide.

Once the campaigns have been set up, they should be customised throughout the year, depending on the season. For example, dealers should be hand picking dates like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the January sales during the Christmas season. After relevant dates have been selected, the company should inject a large proportion of their budget and time into promotions and compelling commercial offerings.

Newsletters can also be key players in building a brand, engaging with customers, and promoting products and success stories. They provide a costeffective way of communicating with a customer-base and ensuring connection with them – this is precisely why they are so popular

and widely used in retail.

Newsletters offer highly focused messages to generate interest and potentially increase sales.

As with Google Campaigns, an annual strategy should be planned around key themes and times of the year. Summer, January sales, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas are all important dates to focus on; the messages and products in the newsletters must reflect this. Companies absolutely have to stay on-point and in touch with what is happening in the world in order to market their products to the best of their abilities.

There are many other online tools that can be employed to build brand recognition and create subtle imprints that influence the customer journey. Google Remarketing and Display Network are powerful ways to stay engaged with the target audience, presenting past visitors with relevant banner ads. There is, however, an art to remarketing; without correct implementation you BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 41

CITRUS-LIME

“Dealers should be hand picking dates like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the January sales during the Christmas season”

risk targeting the wrong customers, displaying the wrong products to the people you want to attract, and ultimately wasting time, effort and money.

Deciding on which campaigns and messages to implement depends on multiple factors. These are the components of your business that only you know. Now is the time to review how last year’s marketing went!

It’s important to research how your customers shopped, what they bought, and whether they purchased new products. Attention to detail is important on matters such as whether your clientele paid for product because it was on sale, and whether they were primarily buying stocking fillers for their friends and family. Nobody knows your customer-base better than you.

You should consider what your brand or store represents to your customers, and use this to your advantage. For example, are you a specialist retailer or a discount 42 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

store? If you chose to offer straightforward discounts last year, the message is simple. However, if you didn’t want your message to get lost in competitors’ “sales noise”, did you have any original ideas that got you noticed more than “Flash Sale – Super Reductions on Top Brands” headlines?

This year, do you have the finance and resources necessary to implement an effective campaign?

Email marketing, website banners and remarketing tools are all tools that should be carefully planned and budgeted for, in order to get the most out of your spend. Poor quality design or incorrect execution may result in wasted money or portraying the wrong image. If you don’t have in-house professionals who can competently manage a marketing project, it may be worth outsourcing the work.

It’s vital to be mindful of all the ins and outs of your product and sales data. There will be certain merchandise worth pushing more

“If you don’t have in-house professionals who can competently manage a marketing project, it may be worth outsourcing the work.”

than others. You’ll make better profit margins on some products, which can therefore afford to take a hit at certain times, like Black Friday. On the other hand, if you’re low on some stock, it’s no good pushing those items.

Reflect on whether your website was able to handle the large hit of traffic last year, and how well your operations team coped. Was there enough staff on-site? Did you offer an efficient, organised delivery process?

Citrus-Lime has worked with independent retailers since 2002, implementing retail systems and Ecommerce sites. Having generated many millions of pounds in direct sales, and helped businesses promote their brands to existing customers, the company maintains that its team has a superb understanding of digital marketing, and what each kind of advertising can achieve. Citrus-Lime encourages businesses looking to strengthen their marketing campaign to get in contact.

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NATIONAL GRAPHENE INSTITUTE

National Graphene Institute, Manchester

Graphene: born in Manchester and taking on the world It’s well-known that Manchester is home to Britain’s oval-shaped “medal factory”, but it’s also where graphene was discovered. Carlton Reid visits the city’s National Graphene Institute.

THERE ARE plenty of strong claims being made for the use of graphene in the bike industry but, to date, only Vittoria, Catlike and Dassi have graphene-linked products on the market.

Catlike uses graphene in its high-end Mixino helmet. Vittoria’s 2017 tyre range is again majoring on the inclusion of graphene in its list of ingredients. Vittoria claims that adding a one-atom-thick layer of graphene allows its tyres to remain hard on the straights but soften during braking or cornering.

The Graphene+ tyres are also longer-lasting and more puncture resistant, says the Italian company, and they dissipate heat more efficiently. Other companies are not so convinced: the head of development at Continental, Christian Wurmbäck, told Cycling Weekly that Carbon Black is better than graphene in tyre manufacturing. And plenty of trade folks scoffed when Dassi of the UK said it was making a composite frame with graphene. Not the whole thing, of course, just one per cent, but it’s an important one 44 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

percent, believes Dassi.

Launched at Dassi’s HQ in Hartley Wintney in Hampshire, the graphene-enriched frame weighs 750g, but Dassi claims that this could be nearly halved by increased use of the wonder material. (The frame has an outside layer of carbon fibre, and six layers of graphene composite within.)

Dassi CEO and founder Stuart Abbot (a former Rolls Royce

of Manchester aims to capitalise on its connection with the National Graphene Institute which is based in a futuristic new building just off Oxford Road, one of Manchester’s key thoroughfares, and which is currently being dug up for the installation of protected cycleways.

The material was isolated – using Sellotape, really – by two Manchester University physicists, Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov:

“Graphene+ tyres are longer-lasting and more puncture resistant.” aerospace design engineer) said that a frame made with graphene could be reduced by a further 200 grams. He also plans to make graphene-enriched stems, seatposts, and seatclamps.

Likewise, Vittoria adds graphene to the carbon fibre in its wheel rims.

It’s not very well known that graphene was first isolated at Manchester University, and the city

winning them the 2010 Nobel prize for physics (and knighthoods).

“Usually when you make materials thinner and thinner, their properties deteriorate,” said Sir Andre. “But with graphene we found things only got better.”

Graphene been hailed as the strongest and most conductive material in the world, with a huge range of electronic and medical

appplications.

The university’s National Graphene Institute was opened last year, and it researches how the super-thin substance, popularly isolated from a smudge of pencil lead, can be commercialised. The building was funded by the UK Government with £38m, and received £23m from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (don’t mention Brexit to a graphene scientist in Manchester; the university gets £1m from the EU for its graphene research). The institute operates on the ‘hub and spoke’ model, working with other UK institutions involved in graphene research.

The building houses state-of-theart cleanrooms, plus laser, optical, metrology and chemical labs and equipment.

Sporting goods companies were among the first to make grapheneenhanced products – aside from bike frames and tyres, there are graphene-enriched tennis rackets from Head.

Graphene has a tensile strength of 130 gigapascals (Gpa), and, on a BIKEBIZ.COM

NATIONAL GRAPHENE INSTITUTE

Sir Kostya Novoselov, Professor of Condensed Matter Physics at Manchester University

molecular level, is claimed to be the strongest known material in the world, 2000 percent stronger the toughest carbon fibre (Toray T1000 has a tensile strength of 6.3 GPa) and nearly percent stronger than diamond.

While we’ll never see a full frame made from graphene, it’s likely we’ll see more wheels and wheel brake tracks using the material, specifically because of its heatdissipation properties.

Graphene is also a superlative electrical conductor and could be used to in electronic drivetrains, power meters, computers, and lights.

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute has used 3D printing to produce straight graphene oxide nanowires and woven structures, Shinshu University in Japan and Penn State in the USA have developed a way to produce a graphene oxide yarns.

Vittoria has been working with graphene for nearly six years, in association with Directa Plus, a graphene factory. Directa Plus supplies graphene to Vittoria as BIKEBIZ.COM

three-to-seven-atoms thick “nano-platelets”.

A Qurano wheel made with graphene, says Vittoria, has 50 percent more lateral stiffness, 10 percent better heat dissipation, 18 percent more impact strength and yet is 15 percent lighter. Vittoria is an investor in Directa Plu, which was founded in 2005 and is based in Italy.

“Graphene can improve the

China has invested £3m in the National Graphene Institute via a five-year research partnership with the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials. When President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China visited the UK last year he made sure to visit the National Graphene Institute.

For 2017 Vittoria is expanding its line of G+ graphene-enriched products, including a new triathlon

“We’ll never see a full frame made from graphene.”

mechanical properties of a composite, as it can share the strain when added to the epoxy resin matrix and make it stiffer,” said Paul Wiper, a National Graphene Institute research associate. “But you have to get the balance right.

A lot of graphene, say 10 or 20 percent of the matrix, would make it really stiff but it would also be brittle.”

tire and the new Pista series of track tyres. A new all-round Rubino Pro tubular version will also be available, and Vittoria is also producing a graphene-enhanced tyre for e-bikes.

Vittoria claims its new Triathlon Speed with has 10.9 percent improved improved rolling resistance over the previous version. Available in 23-28” sizes,

retailing for €94.95. The new Pista Speed track tyre with G+ Isotech has 20.7 percent less rolling resistance than the Pista Evo CL, claims Vittoria.

The new Adventure Tech, Trail Tech, Randonneur Tech and Revolution Tech e-bike tyres all feature G+ Isotech compounds as well as ]puncture protection technology, and offer regulatory compliance for use with e-bikes.

They retail for €29.95.

Vittoria is also introducing two new products in its Downhill product range. The Martello and Mota feature an a dual-ply reinforced casing with a rigid tubeless-ready bead and APF (Anti Pinch-Flat) insert. Both feature 4C and Graphene technology.

Available in 26×2.5 and 27.5×2.5, with RTNT G+ technology, from 1380g, and with a retail of €59.95.

The Gato G+ MTB tyre has been redesigned for MY 2017. Gato G+ is now a fast-rolling wet conditions XC race tyre. The G+ Isotech compound and the round profile are said to ensure even cornering transitions.

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 45

ELECTRIC BIKES

Ride the lightning!

Hayley E. Ferguson catches up with Paul and Rick Stanforth of the Electric Bike Corporation…

YOU CONSIDER yourselves to be a leading distributor of e-bikes in the UK – what do you believe sets you apart from your competitors?

RS: EBCO have been trading since 2009, and we have established ourselves as a leading specialist e-bike distributor. However, we also design and manufacture our own e-bike brands, EBCO and PULSE, which gives us unique access to the market, leading tech brands in the e-bike market, dealers, and ultimately the end consumer.

PS: We often have consumers, dealers, and press contact us for information about what’s new in the market. Our in-house technical support for Shimano Steps, Bosch Global and TranzX, is just one of the reasons that we believe we have become the UK’s e-bike experts.

RS: With the huge growth in the e-bike market, massive potential future expansion, and greater variety in products and BIKEBIZ.COM

“The 30 years that we’ve had in experience have helped hugely in the new e-bike market when it comes to working with factories and dealers, and sourcing the best components.”

Rick Stanforth, EBCO

their pricing, the e-bike market is now developing with conventional stores and brands, and not just specialist stores. As the original creators of Saracen Bikes in the UK, we have been on the scene since 1986. The 30 years that we’ve had in experience have helped hugely in the new e-bike market when it comes to working with factories, sourcing the best components, and working with dealers.

Do you guys have anything exciting in the pipeline for 2017?

PS: We’ve just launched PULSE, our new e-bike brand, with prices starting from just £799. The brand features an excellent Alu frame, TranzX e-bike motor system, quality components, and tech features that we believe will both raise the bar in pricing, and help grow the market further. The price point-sensitive bikes do not compromise, and are intended to bring new customers into the market.

We believe e-bikes are an

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amazing solution for many contemporary issues, from health matters, to traffic, to pollution problems.

RS: New for 2017, our EBCO range, now in its seventh year, is offering full diagnostic functions on all bikes, including Shimano Steps, Bosch and TranzX. This provides the dealer with more tools and greater options for after sales care and servicing, giving them greater confidence in the product. The newfound confidence is filtering down to the consumer, especially riders who are not necessarily core enthusiasts, and are trying e-biking for the first time.

How do you select the brands that you choose to distribute?

RS: We currently distribute Corratec e-bikes in the UK, which are an established and respected brand in the market.

These German-designed and manufactured bikes cover all aspects of riding, from trekking BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 47

ELECTRIC BIKES

to leisure to MTB, and are hugely respected in the industry. When we work with a brand, it’s important for us to believe in the product, and to see the quality of construction and ride experience that the bikes offer. It’s also important to work with a brand that compliments our own brands, so we have a balanced range that both the consumer and dealer understand covers every type of riding, and at every price point. Additionally, as service is such an important area of our business, we have to be sure we can back up the products we sell to our retail partners.

Where do you see the e-bike industry heading?

PS: Wow...the potential is huge!

Leading cycling brands are investing in technology, and the tech has hugely improved in the last three years. Bikes are lighter, battery life is longer, performance is better, reliability has been proven, aesthetics are vastly improved upon, and value has increased.

This can only continue in our opinion, as consumers wish to make different lifestyle choices and become more aware of green and health issues. The e-bike is a modern solution to contemporary issues. It’s true to say that the infrastructure and cycling ethos is probably five years ahead of the UK on the continent, but we are catching up fast with more bike lanes, provision for cyclists in the work space, and a better attitude to non-drivers. Concealed batteries – not for racing obviously – are going to grow, as they are aesthetically pleasing. To a certain extent cycling is a fashion-driven industry, but manufacturers are also improving the weight and size of the battery when concealing it in the frame. This can only ultimately advance both performance and appearance. If it can be done without breaking the bank, we are going to have the perfect environment for increased e-bike use.

How rapidly are you seeing the bikes that you distribute developing?

RS: Bikes are always in development, and our team of ambassadors and testers give us constant feedback on the product. We ride our own bikes, 48 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

“Concealed batteries are going to grow, as they are aesthetically pleasing. To a certain extent, cycling is a fashion-driven industry.”

Paul Stanforth, EBCO

and certainly, with our own brand, have complete control. Factories are not bound to the traditional model year process anymore; they are more flexible, so it’s easier to bring a product to the market at any stage in the year. The only question is, can the battery and motor manufacturers keep up with the demand? Their technological advances are happening so quickly, and we attempt to bring those products to the customer as soon as we can.

PS: The timeframe in which the original twist-and-go bikes’ evolved into the quality pedal-assist bikes we see today, which look and ride exactly as they should, is really not as long as some might think.

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The next stage of development will be even quicker! From EBCO’s point of view, in the seven short years we have been producing, we have seen major changes in global players investing heavily in technology to ensure the continued growth of e-bikes. The computer diagnostics across the whole 2017 range – which will be a valuable service tool for our dealers – are light-years ahead of where they were when we started.

We believe that electric bikes will change the bike market in a positive way, just as mountain bikes did in the late 80s, when we first came into the bike industry – remember, they said mountain bikes wouldn’t last!

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Inviting new trade partners for premium bike brands.

ELECTRIC BIKES

Lindsey-West has a Samsung battery and an e-Silentio system

Quintessentially contemporary Hayley E. Ferguson chats with e-bike experts Sue and Steve Coulson about Batribike’s exciting new range, which is set to be launched at the upcoming NEC Cycle Show 2016…

ELECTRIC BIKE supplier Batribike has revealed that a whole new range of bikes, which will be on display at the NEC Cycle Show, will be released for 2017. This will be the trade and public’s first opportunity to see, and test ride, the up-to-date collection of pedelecs.

Produced by Baltik Vairas, the bikes will incorporate a Danishdesigned electrical system by ProMovec, which has been used extensively in the German market.

Batribike has chosen to partner with Lithuania-based Baltik Vairas due to their long history in the cycle market, having worked in bike manufacturing for almost 70 years.

“We’re delighted with the high quality of European manufacture,” commented Batribike managing director Steve Coulson. “We are all excited about the new 2017 range, and the future for electric bikes in the UK.” The new range is accompanied by a “great dealer, and customer benefits”, with “guaranteed dealer peace-of-mind and a factory 50 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

promise of spares being available for at least five years from the date of any model change.” Additionally, a 24-month warranty from the date of retail sale is offered, and batteries can be stored for up to 12 months without charging, prior to activation.

The company have taken great care with the choice in style, providing a wide variety

director. “The Quintessential’s battery is hidden in a little leather saddle bag – it’s quite a traditionallooking bike, and even comes complete with a basket on the front.”

Additionally, the step-through range is fitted with seven-speed Shimano Nexus hub gears, and the Omega is offered in three colour choices with colour-matched

“It’s important to reiterate that Batribike is family-owned.”

Sue Coulson, Batribike of appearances from which the customer can choose. They are set apart from many e-bikes available on the market by their concealed batteries, giving them the appearance of traditionallystyled, “analogue” cycles. “We are so excited about these new bikes, their styling, and especially the fact that three have hidden batteries,” said Sue Coulson, Batribike

forks and mudguards. The Perdu (directly translated from the French “hidden”) has a concealed 10.3Ah battery in its chaincase. The folding Sigma features colour-matched forks and mudguards, and an ultralow step-through frame.

The crossbar bikes all incorporate Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, with the Alpha, a commuter hybrid, available in three colour choices,

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and the MTB-style Delta featuring a removable 10.4Ah battery contained within the frame. Both the crossbar and step-through ranges have 36V lithium batteries from either Sanyo or Panasonic.

Complementing the range is the Lindsey-West, with a Samsung battery and almost-noiseless e-Silentio system, and the Falcon folder, whose centre-motor electrics are fitted by Batribike.

“It’s important to reiterate that Batribike is a family-owned business,” Sue Coulson told BikeBiz. “Because we started with retailing, we know what it’s like for the dealers. We want to provide them with the bike that is right for the market, and that’s what we’re always working towards. In the past, we’ve worked with China, and have had great production from them. We were really pleased with what was being done over there, but this new European bike steps it up a level. The quality and the service that backs up the range is crucial.” www.batribike.com BIKEBIZ.COM

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RETAIL ONLY

NEW PRODUCTS As we enter a new month and summer becomes a distant memory, Kieran Howells consoles us with the news of some interesting new products, from nutrition and literature, to helmets and socks, we have it all right here…

SEALSKINZ NORFOLK-BASED cyclewear specialist Sealskinz has been producing high-quality apparel for over 30 years, with socks, gloves and hats taking centre stage in the range. Today we’re talking about the former, with the release of the Road Aero Ankle socks, which the brand says utilise water-repellent technology called BeDry (Eurobike attendees

OXFORD PRODUCTS NEW FROM the good people of Oxford Products comes the Pro Metro V cycle helmet, which features a large removable integrated rear LED light.

The light is operated via a rubberised pressure point in the middle of the LEDs, and features three modes: consistent beam, regulated flashing, and a third sequence in which the 52 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

www.sealskinz.com/UK may have seen a very unique demonstration of this at the show), integrated into the cotton material. This not only keeps riders’ feet dry in the winter, but also speeds up drying time whilst remaining breathable and thin.

The socks also feature a padded heel, toe and footbed to reduce friction whilst riding. The socks retail at £10.00.

www.oxfordproducts.com LEDs flash in sequence up and down the length of the light to alert other road users. On top of the featured light, the helmet features 19 air vents, a dial fit retention system, and an adjustable sun visor for summer riding. The lightweight helmet is available in two sizes, and four matte colourways: green, black and blue. RRP: £34.99

MADISON LAST MONTH, Mars caused a stir in the nutrition industry by announcing the release of a whole myriad of proteinoptimised treats, which include, but aren’t limited to, Snickers bars, Bounty chocolate mixed with pineapple, raisins and sultanas, Galaxy chocolate with cranberries and cashew nuts, and a modified version of the

IMM LIFESTYLE BOOKS LIFESTYLE BOOKS recently released the updated edition of the London Cycling Guide, complete with new routes and photos, in association with the London Cycling Campaign. The book covers everything one may need to safely and effectively navigate our fair capital, including chapters on choosing the correct bike for the journey,

www.madison.co.uk original bar itself, the Mars Bar. Each product varies in protein and calorie content, with a full 19 grams in the Mars Bar, 18 in the Snickers, and 99 calories in the Galaxy mix. The brandnew products range in price, but average at around £2.50 for the larger bars. All of the new products are available via distributor Madison.

www.immlifestylebooks.com urban cycling techniques, and how to transport your bike around the city. These sections compliment a vast 32 sections on cycle-centric areas, such as the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, the banks of the river Thames and Greenwich, and a handy section on iconic landmarks. The book retails at £9.99 and is available now.

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LETTER

DEAR BIKEBIZ Is something grinding your gears?

IT’S THE scourge of new cyclists.

A topic nobody wants to talk about: Lycra. A word that sends shivers down the spines of most men entering the sport.

With Lycra there’s literally nowhere to hide.

Unflattering love handles and embarrassing bulges are there for all the world to see, which, for a big lad like me, was terrifying. I got into cycling to lose weight – at my heaviest I was close to 23 stone. I worried Lycra hadn’t stretched that far since the World of Sport wrestlers of the 70s – not a flattering look.

I remember my first trip into a cycling shop to buy some bib-tights. The whole thing felt embarrassing and illicit. A bell jangled and everyone turned in my direction.

“I’m here to buy some tights…” I whispered.

“Sorry?” said a man, who might have been Chris Froome’s twin.

“Tights, do you have any?”

“For cycling?” he asked.

I bit my lip and avoided a sarcastic remark about planning to join the ballet.

“Yes.” After some surprised grunting I was shown into a changing room and handed a pair of bib-tights to try. Never before has someone so large and stressed tried to do something so complicated in such a small space. I kept falling over trying to squeeze myself into the "extralarge" tights, which were clearly nowhere near large enough to fit me.

“Are you OK in there?” I heard someone snigger.

“Fine.”

I wasn’t. But I was so embarrassed that I bought the tiny tights and left the shop as soon as I could.

Several further unsuccessful trips to bike shops later resulting in a whole pile of Lycra tights that didn’t fit me, my bike stayed in the shed, gathering dust. Finally, I decided to go online instead.

“Parcel for you,” said my postman.

“Yeah, it’s tights. For cycling…”

The postman barely concealed a smirk.

54 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

“I do cycle!” I replied as he walked down the path, chuckling.

Unfortunately, these tights the largest the online shop did were nowhere near my size – so my bike stayed in the shed, again.

It was a long time before I discovered Fat Lad At The Back, a brand that makes cycling gear for big lads like me. The relief was immense.

“Parcel for you,” said my postman. “More tights?”

“Might be,” I replied.

I rushed upstairs and tried them on. They fitted like a glove, if a glove had two fingers not five.

Soon I was out on my bike wearing Lycra with pride. It takes a bit of confidence to don Lycra in public, but wearing something that fits you is a good start! As I sped down the street I saw my postman.

“What website did you get them from again?”

he called.

Being a kind person, I told him. These days I often see him out on his bike, Lycra’d to the max.

My introduction to Lycra was some five years ago now, and to be fair, things have changed a bit since then. Bike shops aren’t quite as scary for cycling newbies as they once were. But if you work in one and see a large man requesting bib tights, please be nice to him – he might just be a terrified Lycra virgin.

Chris McGuire is a writer who lost five stone by cycling. He still whispers the word “tights”. @McGuireski

BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether you send them via email, Facebook, Twitter, BikeBiz.com or post…

BIKEBIZ.COM

RIDE FASTER RIDE FURTHER RECOVER QUICKER

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www.flaer.com

ROAD BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

Road bikes and accessories Summer may nearly be behind us, but road riding will keep you warm in any season. From gloves and lights, to glasses and wrenches, Hayley E. Ferguson walks us through some of the best new bikes and accessories on the market…

CYCLEOPS MAGNUS SMART TRAINER www.paligap.cc The Magnus is CycleOps’ brand new smart trainer, designed with compatibility, value for money and performance in mind. Integrated dual ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth Smart technologies provide a quick connection to an array of virtual training software and a fast electromagnetic response system puts the user in control of everything.

CATEYE RAPID X2 KINETIC

www.zyrofisherb2b.co.uk

Rapid X2 Kinetic is a 50-lumen, movement-sensitive, day-andnight, USB rechargeable safety light that mounts easily on a seat post. A built-in accelerometer automatically switches into a constant burst mode when it senses a sudden change in speed.

With up to 30 hours of runtime, 180 degrees of visibility, and a battery auto-save feature, the light automatically switches to a flashing mode should the battery run low.

BIKEBIZ.COM

PANARACER RACE D EVO 3 www.zyrofisherb2b. co.uk The all-purpose Race Evo 3 Series’ updates include better rolling resistance, 24 per cent more puncture resistance, increased durability, new proprietary Protite puncture material, and improved cornering performance. With an allweather tread, the tyres are available in 700X23C, 700X25C, 700X28C, in both black and brown.

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 57

ROAD BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

FORME LONGCLIFFE 1 www.moorelarge.co.uk The Forme Longcliffe 1 features a higher quality complete Shimano 105 11-speed groupset for smooth and accurate shifting, hand-built wheelset consisting of sealed bearing polished hubs, and Mavic CXP22 rims. Forme fit full groupsets to their Longcliffe models.

KOO GLASSES

www.velobrands.co.uk

The KOO branded sunglasses are designed specifically to work seamlessly with KASK road helmets; they are available in 12 different colours, and are made in Italy. Lenses are manufactured by the renowned lens maker Zeiss, and unique features include an innovative folding pivot, adjustable folding nose piece and easily removable interchangeable lenses. They will be available from Velobrands in Q3 of 2016.

LOOK 765HM www.zyrofisherb2b. co.uk Based on the 765, the HM version uses the same award-winning comfort geometry but the use of High Modulus Carbon has allowed LOOK to increase the frame’s stiffness-toweight ratio. Flax is carefully layered between the HM carbon ply, dampening vibrations.

58 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

BIKEBIZ.COM

ROAD BIKES AND ACCESSORIES

THERMOSTRETCH 2 GLOVES zyrofisherb2b.co.uk This high-stretch insulating neoprene glove provides an adaptive close fit for performance cyclists seeking warmth on fast rides.

RALEIGH TARGETS GRAVEL ADVENTURE www.raleigh.co.uk These “pothole-hungry” endurance road bikes have the flexibility to fit wide, fast-rolling tyres, and normally come equipped with disc brakes and new SRAM 1 x gearing and 10/42t cassette.

TOPEAK NANO TORQBAR

www.extrauk.co.uk

This slim, compact pre-set torque wrench is a precision-crafted, high-quality tool for the home mechanic, bike shop professional, or your own jersey pocket. Available in three pre-set values, 4Nm, 5Nm and 6Nm, the wrench includes the five most popular tool bits, two of which can be carried in the handle of the Nano TorqBar.

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 59

63(&,$/ 35202 R໤ SOXV IRU RUGHU RI SDLUV A compact selection of overshoes offering suitable protection for all seasons and situations.

YKK zippers, reflective edging and re-enforced heel & toe are standard.

IC28 WATERPROOF

IC29 COLD WEATHER

Warm fleece lined inner with water repellent polyurethane outer for wet weather use.

Thick 4mm Neoprene for A technically advanced radical new excellent protection in serious three layer fabric that is both wind winter weather. Features sealed and waterproof. A modern very seams & additional toe protection. functional overshoe.

IC33 ULTRATECH

IC34 NEOPRENE

Long known as the classic material for overshoes neoprene still offers comfortable warm protection for all seasons.

ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE BRAND FROM GREYVILLE ENTERPRISES

0845 1661983

www.greyville.com

sales@greyville.com

A Retail shop just off Clapham road on Claylands road within a parade of shops serving the local residential population. The property is suitably located to suit a variety of businesses and has a large internal area with further access to a good sized storage area.

LOCATION: Situated in a buzzing location off Clapham road SW9, London. This unit is 5 minutes walk from the oval tube station and is ideally situated to offer extensive business opportunities. The location offers a diverse mixture of residential and commercial properties including high street multiple retailers and eateries. The area is currently experiencing growth so this is an opportunity to get in the midst of a city growing with the nine elms & the embassy garden projects!

Fresh Retail Solutions

LET YOUR CUSTOMERS SHOP THE WAY THEY WANT

With a fully responsive online store from Citrus-Lime Responsive Design | Click & Collect Integrated | Live Stock Enabled

www.citruslime.com | 01229 588 628 | hello@citruslime.com

AMENITIES: include â&#x20AC;˘ Shop with storage area â&#x20AC;˘ Wooden floors â&#x20AC;˘ WC to rear of unit â&#x20AC;˘ Fitted Kitchen â&#x20AC;˘ Security Shutter spanning the front of the unit â&#x20AC;˘ Office area LEASE: Term to be agreed Restriction applies : There is restriction against Estate Agency and Property related services, although Legal services are permitted RENT: Price on Application PREMIUM: Premium on request CONTACT: Sarah Roberts 01905 678580 sarahr@ludlowthompson.com

BIKE TRAILERS, CAR RACKS & BIKE BOXES

Bike trailers, car racks & bike boxes Transporting heavy loads by bike can seem like a logistical nightmare to the uninformed cyclist, but fear not as Hayley E. Ferguson has the answer, as she walks us through a range of carry bags, strollers and bike racks…

BIKE TRAILERS: CARRY FREEDOM Y FRAME www.extrauk.co.uk Light yet very strong, this versatile trailer is designed for use with strapped-on bags or carrying boxes. It can be adapted to carry different loads, from groceries to expedition equipment. The wheels and arm detach in seconds to allow for compact flat-pack storage; the 6064 T6 aluminium frame has a 12mm thick plywood load bed. The trailer features aluminium rims and hubs with stainless steel spokes and sealed cartridge bearings.

SARIS SUPER BONES 3-BIKE RACK

www.paligap.cc

Saris racks come with a lifetime warranty and are made in the USA; the Super Bones is the latest and greatest from Saris holding up to three bikes. Built with 100 per cent recyclable material, the rack is available in eight colours to match (or clash!) with your car.

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 61

BIKE TRAILERS, CAR RACKS & BIKE BOXES

LOTUS EXPLORER FRAME BAG www.bob-elliot.co.uk This large frame bag comes with two side pockets, Velcro fastening, and its adjustable straps allow for easy access.

With a capacity of 2800ml, and weighing in at 175g, the bag can fit frames of different lengths, and allows easy access to belongings.

It is made from 1680D Nylon and tarpaulin, and features a YKK zipper and reflective strips for safety riding at night or in poor weather.

OUTEREDGE PATROL STROLLER TRAILER www.moorelarge.co.uk The Patrol kids trailer from Outeredge is available in both Duo and Solo versions. The alloy-framed trailer with speedy folding mechanism conforms to EN15918 standards and can be converted to a jogger by adding the wheel kit (sold separately).

Other accessories available are a removable sunshade and baby shell insert for transporting infants, although the trailer comes packed with features including quick release wheels, foldable handle for compact storage, rain cover, sun roof, park brake, stroller wheel and fly screen.

BIKND www.extrauk.co.uk Like the Helium, the Jetpack utilises inflatable air bags to provide protection for bikes by absorbing shock from all angles and redirecting energy away from potential damage areas. Additional padding for bars, stem and cranks protect components. With its fullycustomisable interior, Jetpack can fit almost any road, XC, Enduro, FR or DH bike with ease. The lightweight and ultra-strong aluminium retaining frame helps to keep the overall weight to a minimum. With rugged roller wheels and an easy-to-grip ergonomic handle, navigating travel should be hassle free.

62 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

BIKEBIZ.COM

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FORWARD FEATURES NOVEMBER 2016 Cycling Media Awards 2016

2017

DECEMBER 2016 Retail Survey 2016 Includes the BikeBiz Directory 2017

Regional Spotlight: Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland JANUARY 2017 Core Bike Show issue: Extra distribution Bike Place Show Issue: Extra Distribution FEBRUARY 2017 London Bike Show issue: Extra distribution Made in Britain: Manufacturing Special BikeBiz Awards at The London Bike Show

Want to advertise in any of these issues?

Contact Richard Setters 0207 354 6028 or email rsetters@nbmedia.com

MARCH 2017 Innovation Lab special Cycle Media Focus: Magazines & Websites

AUGUST 2017 Eurobike issue Regional Spotlight: North England & Scotland Includes Eurobike Supplement

APRIL 2017 Regional Spotlight: Wales & South West MAY 2017 The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 20 IBDs Energy & Nutrition

SEPTEMBER 2017 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bikes, Trailer Bikes, Helmets & Accessories Indoor Training Clothing & Accessories: Winter & Reï¬&#x201A;ective

JUNE 2017 Cyclocross Bikes & Accessories Regional Spotlight: London & South East

OCTOBER 2017 Regional Spotlight: The Midlands Cycle Show issue: Extra distribution

Includes Brit List supplement

JULY 2017 Women of the Year issue: Extra distribution Cycle Lights Drive Train: Chains, Gears & Cranks

Want your company or product to be involved with any of these features?

Contact Hayley Ferguson hferguson@nbmedia.com or call 0207 354 6002

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

DOING MORE TO SUPPORT UK IBDS B2B SERVICES

HOME DELIVERY

EPOS FEED

ONLINE PAYMENTS

GROUPSET BUILDER

YOU SELL IT, WE’LL DELIVER IT.

GUARANTEED MARGINS

WITH OUR UNIQUE MARGIN SUPPORT SERVICES

In association with

HASSLE FREE WARRANTY SERVICES GENERAL WARRANTY

TECHNICAL WARRANTY

PRICE MATCHING & FREE DELIVERY b2b.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

2PURE 46c Bavelaw Road, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH147AE Tel: 0844 811 2001 | Web: www.2pure.co.uk

ANSMANN UK e-BIKE centre, Unit 12, RO24, Harlow Business Park, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QB Tel: 0870 609 2233 | Web: www.ansmann.co.uk

BOB ELLIOT AND CO LTD Unit C4 Binary Court, Matrix Park, Western Avenue, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, PR7 7NB Tel: 01772 459 887 | Web: www.bob-elliot.co.uk

PITBITZ LTD Unit 6 Thorpe Drive, Thorpe Way Industrial Estate, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 4UZ Tel: 01295 269333 | www.gazeboshop.co.uk www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk

I-RIDE 7-8B Mid Sussex Business Park, Ditchling Common Industrial Estate, Folders Lane East, Ditchling, Sussex, BN6 8SE Tel: 01444 243000 | Web: www.i-ride.co.uk

JUNGLE PRODUCTS LTD Unit 3, The Cedar, New York Mills, Summerbridge, HG3 4LA Tel: 01423 780088 | Web: www.jungleproducts.co.uk www.santacruzbikes.co.uk

CONTINENTAL North Parade, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 2JR Tel: 01970 626777 | Web: www.conti-tyres.co.uk M & J DISTRIBUTORS LTD Unit A, Hanix Buildings, Windmill Lane, Denton, Manchester, M34 3SP Tel: 0161 337 9600 | Web: www.mjdist.co.uk CYCLEMILES 9 Queen Anne’s Drive, Havant, PO93PG Tel: 02392 455 355 | Web: www.cyclemiles.co.uk MAXXIS TYRES Unit 3 Cobalt Centre, Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry, CV34PE Tel: 024 7688 9775 | Web: www.maxxis.com DYNAMO COVER Drake House, Plymouth Road, Penarth, CF64 3TP Tel: 0333 358 33 20 | Web: www.dynamocover.com

EBCO 5 Pegasus House, Olympus Ave, Warwick, CV34 6LW Tel: +01926 437700 | Web: www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk

EDCO COMPONENTS North Parade, Aberystwyth, Wales, SY23 2JR Tel: 01970 626777 | Web: www.edco-wheels.co.uk

MDI LIMITED Unit 4, Wellington Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool Business Park, Blackpool, FY42RG Tel: 01253 343090 | Web: www.mdib2b.co.uk

MEALOR-CLARKE CYCLE SPARES LTD Unit 1, Eastlands Road, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4LL Tel: 01728830055/01728605970 Web: www.mealorclarkecyclespares.com

MERIDA BICYCLES LTD Unit 13, Nottingham South and Wilford Industrial Estate, Ruddington Lane, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7EP Tel: 0115 981 7788 | Web: www.merida.com

If you’d like to find out more or require additional copies please contact rsetters@nbmedia.com or call him on 020 7354 6000

MOORE LARGE AND CO LTD Sinfin Lane Industrial Estate, Sinfin Lane, Derby, DE24 9GL Tel: 01332 274252 | Web: www.moorelarge.co.uk

NORTH SPORTS 38 Kingston Avenue, Neilston, Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, G783JG Tel: 07746 933795 | Web: www.northsports.co.uk

PALIGAP LTD Unit 2 Danbury House, Great Western Park, Armstrong Way, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5NG Tel: 01454 313 116 | Web: www.paligapltd.co.uk

RALEIGH UK LTD Church Street, Eastwood, Nottingham, NG16 3HT Tel: 01773 532600 Web: www.raleigh.co.uk | www.cyclelife.com www.diamondback.co.uk

REECE CYCLES PLC 100 Alcester Street, Birmingham, B12 0QB Tel: 0121 622 0180 | Web: www.reececycles.co.uk

RUBENA Unit N & M, Tyburn Trading Estate, Ashfold Farm Raod, Birmingham, West Midlands, B24 9QG Tel: 0800 281413 | Web: www.rubenacycle.co.uk

SCHWALBE TYRES UK LTD Schwalbe Centre, Hortonwood 30, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 7ET Tel: 01952602680 | Web: www.schwalbe.co.uk

SILVERFISH UK LTD Unit 3C and 3B Woodacre Court, Saltash Parkway Industrial Estate, Burraton Road, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6LY Tel: 01752 843882 | Web: www.silverfish-uk.com

The BikeBiz Directory 2016 is out now, providing the industry with a must-have guide to the UK’s retailers, distributors, manufacturers and related businesses.

DISTRIBUTION AND WHOLESALE

E-COMMERCE AND EPOS

EVENT ORGANISERS, HOSTING, HOLIDAY AND HIRE

MANUFACTURERS

MARKETING, PR AND CONSULTANCY

MEDIA AND PUBLISHING

ORGANISATIONS, CHARITIES AND ASSOCIATIONS

RETAILERS, WORKSHOPS AND MAIL ORDER

SERVICES AND TRAINING

THE CYCLE DIVISION Unit 27 Gatehouse Enterprise Centre, Albert Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3QD Tel: 01484 456137 | Web: www.thecycledivision.com

HARDNUTZ Unit 8 Rocheview off Millhead Way, Purdeys Industrial Estate, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1LB Tel: 01702 530090 | Web: www.hardnutz.com

VELOTECH SERVICES LTD 26-27 Western Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 0AH Tel: 0845 475 5339 | Web: www.velotechservices.co.uk

WINDWAVE Unit D2 and D3 Heritage Business Park, Heritage Way, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4BG Tel: 02392 521912 | Web: www.windwave.co.uk

MAVIC Theta Building, Lyon Way, Frimley, Surrey, GU16 7ER Tel: 01276 404870 | Web: www.mavic.com

WELDTITE PRODUCTS LTD Unit 9 Harrier Road, Humber Bridge Industrial Estate, Barton-on-Humber, Lincs, DN18 5RP Tel: 01652 660000 | Web: www.weldtite.co.uk

ZYROFISHER Until 4 Roundhouse Road, Faverdale Industrial Estate, Darlington, Co Durham, DL3 0UR Tel: 01325 741 200 | Web: www.zyrofisherb2b.co.uk

BIKE SOUP 55a North Wharf Road, London, W2 1LA Tel: 020 7298278 | Web: www.bikesoup.com

MAXXIS TYRES Unit 3 Cobalt Centre, Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry, CV34PE Tel: 024 7688 9775 | Web: www.maxxis.com

MET HELMETS / BLUEGRASS 22-24 Ely Place, London, EC1N6TE Tel: 0207 1937 496 | Web: www.met-helmets.com

THE CYCLE SHOW 58 White Lion Street, Islington, London, N1 9PP Tel: 020 7288 6733 | Web: www.cycleshow.co.uk

MITAS Tyburn Trading Estate, Ashold Farm Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 9QG Tel: 0800 281 413 | Web: www.mitascycle.com

ASSOS 57 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JB Tel: 0203 2862225 | Web: www.assos.com

ONE WAY DISTRIBUTION Tel: 0031 10345 3510 | Web: shop.o-w-d.nl

BUFFERA LIMITED Cranbourne House, Cranbourne Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 3JN Tel: +01920 460754 | Web: www.buffwear.co.uk

QUELLA Unit 1 & 2 Breckenwood Road, Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, CB21 5DQ Tel: 01223 782 039 | Web: www.quellabicycle.com

X-BIONIC Trerè Innovation s.r.l. Unipersonale Via Parma, 70 C. 46041 Asola (MN). Italy Tel: +39 0376 718623 | Web: www.x-bionic.com

CYCLING SCOTLAND 24 Blythswood Square, Glasgow, G2 4BG Tel: 0141 229 5350 | Web: www.cyclingscotland.org

insuring the UK’s cycle retailers

CYCLEGUARD INSURANCE Southgate house, Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1UB Tel: 0844 826 2297 | Web: www.cycleguard.co.uk

BikeBiz Directory 2016 is available to view online at

www.bikebiz.com DARE2B Unit 8-9 Mercury Park, Mercury Way, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7LY Tel: 0844 811 2939 | Web: www.dare2b.com

DISTRIBUTION AND WHOLESALE

ROZONE LIMITED Queen Street, Darlaston, Wednesbury, West Midlands.

WS10 8JB Tel: 0121 526 8181 | Web: www.rozone.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION AND WHOLESALE

IMPORTERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND WHOLESALERS

IMPORTERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND WHOLESALERS

2WT Ltd 63 Baddow Hall Crescent, Chelmsford, CM2 7BX Tel: 07885 788203 Web: www.2wtuk.com

All-City 6400 West 105TH Street, Bloomington, USA, MN 55438 Tel: 1-888-4AC-BIKE Web: www.allcitycycles.com

2x2 Worldwide Unit 6, Hall End Business Park, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffs, B78 1SX Tel: 01827 331099 Web: www.2x2worldwide.com

Always Riding Ltd Riverside Business Centre, Haldone Place, London, SW18 4UQ Web: www.alwaysriding.co.uk

4 Down Distribution Unit 6 North Ridge Business Park, Haywood Way, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4PP Tel: 01424 433 074 Web: www.4downdistribution.com

Amba Marketing (UK) Ltd 5 Budlake Units, Budlake Road, Marsh Barton, EX2 8PY Tel: 01392 829903 Web: www.amba-marketing.com

50cycles Unit M, Little Moor Lane, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 1SF Tel: 01509 217775 Web: www.50cycles.com

Andy BrayAgencies T/A Gearmechhanger.com 36 Middlecroft Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 3DJ Tel: 07896 124968 Web: www.gearmechhanger.com

Assos 57 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JB Tel: 0203 2862225 Web: www.assos.com ATB Sales Ltd Whitworth Road, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN37 7PZ Tel: 01424 753566 Web: www.atb-sales.co.uk

A Action Cameras The Light Box, PC127, 112 Power Road, London, W4 5PY Tel: 02089657680 Web: www.actioncameras.co.uk

# 2 Wheel Distribution GmbH & Co. KG Erich Blum Str. 33, D 71665 Vaihingen an der Enz, Germany Tel: +49(0)7042289000 Web: www.2wheel-distribution.com

Action Cameras Limited Unit 36 Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, London, NW10 7LQ Tel: 020 89657679 Web: www.actioncameras.co.uk

2 Wheel Electric Haskins Garden Centre, Mansbridge Road, West End, Southampton, Hampshire, SO18 3HW Tel: 02380476929 Web: www.2wheelelectric.co.uk

FREEGO ELECTRIC BIKES 3 St Denys Rd, Southampton SO17 2GN Tel :0800 077 8711

SEE.SENSE (LIMEFORGE LTD) Sketrick House, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, BT23 4YH Tel: 02891 800536 | Web: www.seesense.cc

Active Life Logistics The Barn, Structons Heath Farm, Great Witley, Worcestershire, WR6 6JA Tel: 01299 890101 Web: www.activelifelogistics.co.uk

2pure 46c Bavelaw Road, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH147AE Tel: 0844 811 2001 Web: www.2pure.co.uk

BIKEBIZ DIRECTORY

All Round Wheels (Wholesale) Ltd Unit 020 Gracechurch Centre, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1PH Tel: 0121 354 5451

8

BIKEBIZ.COM

Ansmann UK e-BIKE centre, Unit 12, RO24, Harlow Business Park, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QB Tel: 0870 609 2233 Web: www.ansmann.co.uk

Atom Cycles Unit 2, Kirkburn Industrial Estate, Lockerbie, DG11 2SE Tel: 01576 203611 Web: www.atomcycles.com

AOB Distribution 57 Exeter Road, Kingsteighton, Newton Abbot, Devon Tel: 07596 100615 Web: www.aobdistribution.com

Autostrada Engineering Forge Farm, Forge Lane, Footherley, Staffs, WS14 0HU Tel: 01543 483155/483225

Assess Todociclismo S.A Mitre 972, San Jose, Guillen Tel: 054-261-4456639

Avocet Sports Ltd Unit 7 and 8 Shield Drive, Wardley Industrial Estate, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2QB Tel: 0161 727 8508 Web: www.coyote-sports.com (B2B) and www.avocetsports.co.uk (Consumer)

Assist Creative Resources Ltd Unit 7 Ash Road South, Wrexham Ind Est, Wrexham, LL13 9UG Tel: 01978 664743 Web: www.assist.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM

Axel Imports Ltd 4 Wimborne Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2BU Tel: 01202 785864 Web: www.axelimports.co.uk

9

BIKEBIZ DIRECTORY

MARKETPLACE BIKES & ACCESSORIES

TO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CONTACT rsetters@nbmedia.com or call 0207 354 6028

BIKES & ACCESSORIES

NEW!

Single lock-on clamp 29mm Tapered, 30mm centre diameter

135mm in length, 5mm longer than a standard grip

TURN BY TURN NAVIGATION. In a tiny unit. £94.99

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OFF TRACK

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THE TRADE’S ROUND-UP OF STATS, VIEWS AND RANDOMS

NUMBER CRUNCHING Ever wondered how often your manager rides? Or the percentage of riders who suffer head injuries? Or how many Brits cycle to work? It’s all here...

9%

ts working Bri Just 9% of rk o w cycle to each year

580,000 from 2000-2012 the number of daily cyclists in greater London doubled to 580,000.

40% of cyclists suffer head injuries as a result of regular cycling

5 0%

17%

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FUN AND ACTION AROUND EVERY CORNER

MACASKILL WOWS THE CROWDS AT EUROBIKE 2016

More cycling revelry in pictures from the 2016 Eurobike show, where events included demos on the gigantic custom-built ramp park, which wowed crowds over the week. We also witnessed a distinguised gentleman riding on an attractive retro penny farthing.

Pictured: BikeBiz’s very own Richard Setters holding an issue of the magazine with the one and only trials champion and star of the modern cult classic The Ridge, Danny MacAskill. The young icon wowed the crowds at Eurobike with a show packed with gravity-defying stunts. MacAskill is currently out on the road, so we don’t want to give too much of the show away, but we can reveal that it involves a certain giant red ball…

BIKEBIZ IS HEADING TO INTERBIKE!

FROM SEPTEMBER 19th to 23rd, BikeBiz will be soaking up the action at Interbike 2016. The event, which takes place in Nevada, USA, is a pivotal landmark on the American cycling calendar, and much like Eurobike on our side of the pond, the level of cycling innovation is expected to be through the roof. The giant show floor will feature hundreds of stands from brands such as Visijax, Koolstop and Maxxis, and will also include three main featured show areas including Made in America, EU @ Interbike and Kickstands. As with previous years, the show is set to take advantage of the blistering desert heat, with a gigantic outdoor demo space, in which attendees will be encouraged to try out the latest products in the cycling and e-bike markets. For our readers who are planning on heading to the show, we’d love to hear what you thought of it, so send us any fun or interesting pictures and tweet us at @BikeBizOnline.

72 BIKEBIZ OCTOBER

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OFF TRACK

YORKSHIRE WOMAN RAISES THOUSANDS THROUGH CYCLING IN MEMORY OF TWO FRIENDS

Stephen Holt, Commercial Director

OCTOBER MEANS HIBERNATION NATION!

A YORKSHIRE mum has raised thousands of pounds after a gruelling 1,000-mile cycle trek in memory of two special friends. Gemma Towell of Cowling has so far generated more than £2,500 and clocked up exactly 1,534km in aid of Beefy’s Charity Foundation, which supports those with chronic illnesses. She decided to take on the challenge after seeing three of her friends and work colleagues, David Durkin, 60, Phil Tunney, 38 and Tina Leake, 33, struck by cancer.

Inspired by their bravery throughout the illness, the 37-year-old battled July’s tempestuous weather to travel solo on her bike from John O’Groats to Land’s End to do her pals proud. The unassisted ride was sponsored by cycling-wear brand Fat Lad At The Back (FLAB). Mum-of-one Gemma said: “Well I did it. It was such an amazing experience, the weather was typically British and I got lost, of course.

“Looking back I was a little quiet at the start as I contemplated the journey

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ahead, and what a beautiful journey it was, full of every emotion you can imagine, which all came to a head as I reached Land’s End. Arriving at Land’s End was very surreal, my husband Peter and daughter Ashleigh were there and made a massive fuss, but it kind of felt like midnight on New Year’s Eve – it was such a big buildup and nothing actually happens at the end.

“However, I have to admit, I could have definitely carried on by the end of the ride – I felt physically great. I would encourage anybody to saddle up, especially if it’s for a good cause, as it’s one of my greatest achievements.”

In a bid to reach £10,000, a target set by her employer, Whitaker’s Chocolates, Gemma will continue to take on various excruciating bike rides this next year with the support of FLAB, for whom she has become a brand ambassador.

To sponsor Gemma on her journey visit www.justgiving.com/ JustGemma-Towell3

23RD OCTOBER: it’s just weeks away now, but it’s the date our recent research for Cycle to Work Day showed that UK employees begin to hibernate. Over twothirds of employees become lazier and less active, and spend less time outdoors.

Everyone knows that an active commute like cycling to work can have many benefits for both employees and customers. These range from energy and mood levels to better performance at work. But it can also be good news for your sales. Many people only have a chance to opt into their cycle-to-work scheme in the run-up to Christmas – your Cyclescheme B2B contains this information. Make sure your store profile is bang up to date as employees will be looking at it.

It’s an ideal time for you to get back in touch with customers, so ensure that Cyclescheme is a part of your website, and get active on social media. Some cyclists may be thinking about hibernating, but Cycleschemers aren’t!

Stephen Holt is commercial director of Cyclescheme, the UK’s leading provider of tax-free bikes for work.

You can reach him on Twitter @cycleschemeltd

BIKEBIZ OCTOBER 73

SPOKESMAN

You’re sitting on a gold mine but you’re not digging, says Mr. Copenhagenize Carlton Reid hears Mikael Colville-Andersen telling industry execs to make and sell more upright bikes.

MIKAEL COLVILLE-Andersen, founder of the Cycle Chic and Copenhagenize blogs, was at Eurobike this year, his first visit to the 25-year-old Friedrichsafenbased show.

He was at the show to give a talk, one of three experts shipped in by Shimano. The Japanese company’s “urbanisation and cycling” seminar was attended by nearly 60 CEOs and product managers. If they thought they could kick back and relax, they were wrong. Mikael told them that the bikes they are currently making are not what the mainstream market wants.

Instead of focusing on sporty bikes they should be making upright machines. This was what millennials want, said Colville-Andersen, and he pointed to the success of bikeshare schemes around the world.

“My company has been doing market surveys for the past seven years, and the kind of bike that most people say they want is a Dutch bike with a basket,” he said.

One of the slides from his presentation said: “You’re sitting on a gold mine but you’re not digging.”

Colville-Andersen added: “The vintage bike market has exploded. Why? Because the bike industry hasn’t responded to the needs and wants of the majority.

The industry is missing out on money by focusing on tech and geek.”

A similar message was delivered by two architects flown in from the other side of the world.

Tokyo-based Andrea Held-Hikone of A.H. Architects explained how the cities in the future will

“The kind of bike most people say they want is a Dutch bike with a basket.”

Mikael Colville-Andersen

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be designed around the use of bicycles, and the industry should wake up to this “trend towards intelligent urbanisation, and what I call “feeling life”.” She pointed to the high use of “mamachari” bicycles in Japan, Dutch-style bikes, famous for being ridden on Tokyo’s sidewalks. Tokyo has very few bike

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paths but it still manages to have a cycling modal share of 14 percent, she said.

Steven Fleming, an academic and author of the Behooving Moving cycle blog, splits his time between Amsterdam and his home in Newcastle, Australia. Dr. Fleming is one of the partners of CycleSpace, the new Dutch NGO behind Amsterdam’s Bicycle Mayor program.

Fleming is also a fan of Dutch bikes but he’s mostly fascinated about where to ride them, and it’s not just on bike paths. He designs bike-friendly buildings or, as he calls them, “start-of-trip facilities”. He told the bike execs that the “bicycle industry has an opportunity to steer narratives that we have as a society where we’re heading with city planning.”

Upright bikes were widely available prior to the 1970s, but then consumer tastes changed, and the industry started making what consumers wanted. Many people want upright bikes, others don’t.

One of my daughters has a road bike and cycles everywhere on it. I have suggested she rides a Dutch bike instead (it would be very much “her”) but she prefers the road bike. She doesn’t ride in Lycra, just her civvies. She likes the gears and speed (we live at the base of a very steep set of hills).

It’s not the industry alone that is at fault for the relative unavailability of upright bikes. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the CEOs and product managers invited to attend Shimano’s seminar will make any changes to their product line-ups.

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