BikeBiz March, Issue 62

Issue 62 | March 2011

EDITORIAL

Issue 62 | March 2011

NEWS 4-6

The latest on new products, new deals and recent events taking place in the bicycle industry...

CHAIN REACTION 9

EVENTS 66

DEALER PROFILE 55

iceBike* Review

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Adventure, Shimano, Giro Pacific Outdoors and more from Madison...

Bikeability has been an unmitigated success. By 2012 over half a million children will have taken part in its cycle training programme.

FOCUS ON…

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EXPO REVIEW We report from Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s Expo 2011, featuring Bluegrass, Kansi and plenty more...

CEDRIC GRACIA INTERVIEW

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BikeBiz interviews the shy and retiring cycle star, quizzing him on his tyre team up with Panaracer

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EUROBIKE PROFILE Nearly two years on from the genesis of Eurobike Ltd, we speak to joint founder Russ Masters

MEDIA SPECIAL

E-BIKES

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REGULARS BRAND SPOTLIGHT

47 LETTERS

How did an IV bag and tube sock lead to the birth of CamelBak? We find out on page 47

PEOPLE

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iPhone holders, books, gearsets, seat posts and lights. It’s all in our six-product round-up

SPONSORED BY

SPOKESMAN

boosted the Treasury by stopping multinational corporations avoiding paying billions of tax, you know. Just saying.

What we do know for certain, however, is that Bikeability – launched by Cycling England in 2007 – has been a massive success. By Olympic year half a million children are expected to have taken part in Bikeability cycle training. It is a scheme treasured by the cycle trade – its survival topping the list of concerns of the industry at the time of the Cycling England announcement. Funding for Bikeability has been guaranteed, ensuring Cycling England’s legacy endures.

The soon-to-be-no-more quango also proved that investment in cycling works. The Cycling England-led Cycling City, Cycling Towns programme saw cash spent on encouraging biking in those local areas. As a result, cycling increased by 27 per cent across all the towns in the scheme, bucking the general downward trend in cycling in the UK outside London over the last three decades. Using strict DfT measures, it also found that for every pound spent on cycling, three is paid back, saving the state money.

Whether local councils – now in charge of the new Local Sustainable Transport Fund – will bear that in mind when they’re divvying up the Fund’s cash remains to be seen.

So if you’re that way inclined and have a drink handy, why not raise a glass to the outgoing Cycling England, to its achievements, measurable or otherwise, and to all who sailed in her.

Jonathon Harker, Editor

The BikeBiz editor is taken to task, and two authors stir up some electric-based debate

New faces at South Downs Bikes and i-Ride, the distributor formerly known as Jim Walker

NEW PRODUCTS

HOW DO YOU measure success? It’s a question that troubles every company, organisation and person at one time or another. It’s a question that becomes all the more pertinent when you’re staring down the metaphorical gun barrel of a boss looking for some justification for your existence.

Certainly, it seems the success that Cycling England had, within the cycle trade and throughout the country, wasn’t measurable enough to convince the Government that it was worth preserving, despite being run for only £200,000 a year. A figure that is, lest we forget, the equivalent cost of five metres of the M6 motorway.

What I’m attempting to hit on, is the point that measuring the effect Cycling England had is, in many ways, really tough to quantify. Having a hotline to Westminster and lobbying for the cause of cycling is the kind of thing that sounds woolly to naysayers looking to save (relative) peanuts on something that promotes the obesity-quashing, pollution-tackling practise of cycling. They could have just

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Got a problem? Don’t know who to call? Then maybe you should turn to the BikeBiz forum...

NEWS

CYCLE SHORTS

Sir Jimmy Savile can do frontflips?

Log on to BikeBiz.com and search 'Savile', or ‘MTBCut’ if you want to see the ex-DJ and presenter perform in a video touting Scotland as the 'Outdoor Capital' of the UK.

Mavic links with Bicester firm French wheel specialist Mavic has employed the help of UK firm Keronite, which is currently treating four rims in the 2011 line with a wearresistant surface applied via electrochemical surface conversion.

Braking performance is said to improve with the treatment. Weight shavings of ten grams have also been achieved over traditional rims.

Shimano wind breaker wins iF award The Shimano Accu3d R wind breaker has won a 'gold award' at the iF Product Design Awards. Weighing just 63 grams, the compact jersey folds into the pocket of most cycling jerseys. What's more, it's tear resistant and repels water.

Seven bikes pinched from CRC team Nigel Page, manager of the Chain Reaction/Nukeproof team has had seven bikes stolen in a garage break in.

If you're local to Liverpool, keep your eyes peeled for a raw finish Nukeproof Mega, a black Nukeproof snap, a black Intense SS2, a blue Ragley Mmmbop, a raw finish Black Market Riot and a grey Planet X hardtail with Mavic Crossmax wheels.

Buff calling for Christmas orders Four limited edition Christmas 2011 gift packs are now available from Buffera, which is calling on retail partners to order by May 13th to guarantee delivery.

Call 01707 852244 for further details.

For breaking news visit:

www.bikebiz.com 4 BIKEBIZ MARCH

2010 sees bicycle imports jump by almost 25% ...but December figures show sharp year-on-year decline as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs investigates certain sources

by Mark Sutton EIGHT HUNDRED thousand more bikes landed on UK shores in 2010 when compared with the prior year. The UK imported a total of 3,911,028 bikes, representing a 23.84 per cent jump on 2009's 3,158,095.

There were signs of a coming dip in imports from sources such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines and Bangladesh, with December totals from all of these dipping between 31.13 and 53.77 per cent, respectively.

Britain's largest supplier, Taiwan, grew its exports to the UK by 15.14 per cent, delivering 89,688 bicycles in December 2010.

The drops from those far-east countries may be down to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs taking a hard line approach to tackling duty dodgers, many of whom declare complete bicycles as components to avoid charges of up to 48.5 per cent, (China to Europe) or 34.5 per cent (Vietnam to Europe).

Having seen the figures, Cycling Sports Group UK codirector Russell Merry told

BikeBiz: "I've not seen figures like these before, it's unprecedented.

The recession caused many to place cautious orders that didn't meet demand. For 2010 it appears firms have overcorrected in a way, though sell through remains incredibly strong. A significant change over the past years has been the squeeze on a distributors margin due to currency shifts and the VAT increase. Wholesalers have

“I’ve not seen figures like these before. It’s unprecedented.”

Russell Merry, CSG UK

taken a hit and now work harder to achieve the same revenue."

There are some startling figures among the statistics – a claimed 109,815 pairs of 'bicycle forks' came in from Taiwan and 87,121 from China during 2010.

If in fact true, that means that China has recorded a 1,383 per cent rise in imports of bicycle forks in just one year. Industry critics are sceptical of such statistics.

Cyclescheme joins search for Top 20 IBDs

C2W provider pairs up with BikeBiz in quest to uncover the best dealers in the business

“We believe high standards in serving our cycling consumer are paramount to continued growth in our industry.”

Daniel Gillborn, Cyclescheme

CYCLESCHEME, the largest cycle to work provider in the UK, has teamed up with BikeBiz to profile the best independent bike retailers in the nation.

Offering top-notch service, superb product knowledge and a great range of product, the best bike retailers are invaluable to the industry. BikeBiz and Cyclescheme are looking for IBDs with all of the above, plus great customer and community relations.

Daniel Gillborn, head of commercial operations at Cyclescheme said: “We're very

pleased to support BikeBiz in this venture and believe that high standards in serving the consumer is paramount to ensuring continued growth in our industry.”

IBDs can nominate themselves, suppliers can highlight a store, specialist press journalists can have their say, even consumers can provide input. Nominated IBDs do not have to be partners with Cyclescheme to make the list.

If you’ve got a bike shop in mind email BikeBiz’s editor at Jonathon.harker@ intentmedia.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM

NEWS

‘Most consumers don’t know what an e-bike is’ E-BIKES ELIGIBLE FOR LOCAL FUNDING

Specialized first to answer CTC’s call BIKE BRAND Specialized has become a corporate sponsor of the CTC’s ‘Fill That Hole’ pothole reporting service.

Through the iPhone app and online reporting tool,

FillThatHole has reported 46,000 potholes to local councils.

Specialized will be the first company in the CTC Pothole Hall of Fame.

Still time to vote on Bike Week IBDS CAN still make their voices heard on how they can benefit Bike Week 2011 will run from June 18th-16th

from this year’s Bike Week. Find out more at www.bike-week.biz

Should e-bikes be aimed at mainstream commuters and leisure customers?

‘Time to stop trying to convert cyclists’

by Jonathon Harker THE UK’S ELECTRIC bike market is being held back by a lack of consumer awareness, and the misconception that cycle enthusiasts are their target audience, say several leading voices in the e-bike sector.

The market for electric bikes is booming in several European countries, particularly Germany where e-bikes sales grew from 100k to 150k in 2010, with prices in €1,300-plus range.

But the UK market is yet to see success even close to that level. Some brands believe problem is that the message of what e-bikes are – and who they should be aimed at – is not getting through.

“We need to shift the mindset away from trying to sell e-bikes to cycle enthusiasts,” said Paul Stanforth, EBCO MD. “Some of the better IBDs understand the opportunity for sales exists with the mainstream commuter and leisure customer, but the general awareness of what modern e-bikes offer is poor.”

Va Hua, Director, Spencer Ivy: “We certainly feel a lot of

consumers don’t understand what an electric bike is – you’d be surprised at how many think you can use it like a scooter when you turn the motor on.”

Storck Radar UK MD Ian Hughes believes more backing from the media will spur the market: “I believe consumer awareness is one large part of the e-bike sector jigsaw. At the moment there is not a consumer communication

“You’d be surprised at how many customers think e-bikes are like scooters.”

Va Hua, director, Spencer Ivy vehicle to help drive the market forward. We really need a print or online publication like Germany’s ElectroRad. I believe there are enough suppliers around to provide ad support.”

But not all e-bike firms believe consumer awareness is a

CAMPAIGNING from the British Electric Bike Association (BEBA) has resulted in the inclusion of ebikes in the DfT’s White Paper Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon: Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen.

The paper states: “With their longer range compared to normal bikes, e-bikes could make cycling more viable in hilly and sparsely populated areas.”

The paper is linked to the £560m Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which local authorities will spend on transport projects to reduce carbon emissions and improve the local economy. BEBA secretary Mark Loveridge said: “The fact that electric bikes get a mention in the White Paper has given us the leverage to write to all Local Transport Authorities with suggestions of how they could create projects that involve using electric bikes.”

BEBA president Lord Laird will be hosting a reception at the House of Lords in May to push the e-bike cause to politicians. problem. Wisper and BEBA’s David Miall said: “Awareness without doubt has become far wider. Six years ago virtually no one had heard of e-bikes and I found myself having to continually explain the concept.

Today people have an idea of the basics, but there is a long way to go before the public understand the benefits.”

Richard Forsyth, Powabyke marketing manager added: “Consumer awareness is relatively strong and growing, and this year is going to be a positive year for publicity for this sector, for press coverage for e-bikes, with ridiculously high fuel prices, problems with public transport, and the cost of living rising at pace.” For more opinions from the trade on ebikes, turn to page 11.

THE SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW | NEWS AND PREVIEW

‘Watch out

Eurobike!’

While that might be the tongue-in-cheek comment from Rowan Mackie on the potential of the new Scottish Bike Show, there is something undeniably exciting about Scotland’s very own consumer bike show. Jonathon Harker takes a closer look...

THIS YEAR the bicycle show scene is positively Needless to say when you have the likes of Sir thriving, with multiple new events cropping up Chris Hoy et al representing our fine nation in for trade and consumers alike. And for what is cycling it’s a good time right now.” probably the first time, Scotland is getting its So perhaps it’s little wonder that Mackie very own cycle event in the appropriately thinks it’s high time for a Scottish Bike Show named Scottish Bike Show, taking place on the to arrive: “Scotland has been without a show weekend of April for too long now and it’s 16th to 17th. cherry ripe to do it this Originally set to year because all forms of take place in May, cycling are becoming the debut event was more mainstream. There brought forward to needs to be April to avoid a representation from the clash with the Scottish angle because Highland Perthshire we aren’t represented Cycling Festival. At down south in the time of press there existing cycling events in Rowan Mackie is already a any great capacity. So respectable list of the event offers the ideal exhibitors signed up to the inaugural event showcase in the central belt of Scotland.” from all over the UK, including the North and The show is to take place in Glasgow’s South of England, and international exhibitors SECC, one of the top three venues in the UK, from Austria and Italy, including Continental according to Mackie. “It’s accessible, in the tyres, Tuscany Bike Tours and Tirol Austria. There central belt of Scotland and is an awardare a good number of other exhibitors too, winning venue. So it makes sense to set the including Cycling Scotland, Singletrack, Dig, precedent that this is a serious show with the IMB and many more, including Scotland-based best facilities available.” retailers and bike firms like Alpine Bikes.

It could be argued that there has never been TAKE THE HIGH ROAD a better time for such a show to launch too, While Scotland may naturally conjure up with mountain biking now on the curriculum images of mountain biking for many, the (currently being trialled in schools across seven Scottish Bike Show is taking care to appeal to Scottish councils) and the small matter of the all parts of the market, a fact exhibited not bid for the country to host the Tour de France least of all in its recent announcement of a Grand Depart in 2017. significant BMX feature.

So it’s good to be in the Scottish bike Mackie says this is a sign of the inclusive industry at the moment? Show organiser spirit of the burgeoning event: “The way the Magdala Media’s founder Rowan Mackie thinks show is now, there is a lot of diversity in terms so: “Money is being spent on all manner of new of brand representation for all sectors of the developments in road and MTB and the fact bike trade. This is going to grow right up to a that Glasgow is hosting the 2014 week or so prior to the event. All aspects are Commonwealth games doesn’t hurt either. pretty much covered in display and product

“There is no reason why the show couldn’t be a regular in everyone’s calendar. Eurobike watch out!”

6 BIKEBIZ MARCH

All disciplines of cycling will be catered for, including MTB, BMX and road

and the BMX display is going to be, I have been told, amazing.”

It’s early days for sure, but hard to resist asking how Mackie forsees the show developing over the years. He tells BikeBiz: “This has to be an annual event. This year is looking to be a great show and there is so much scope to develop it into one of the leading consumer events in the UK – why not?

We have the infrastructure, environment and talent up here in abundance, so there is no reason why TSBS couldn’t be a regular in everyone’s calendar. Eurobike watch out!”

The enthusiastic Mackie concludes: “We are excited, our exhibitors are excited, so I hope everyone has a great time and the first show is a great experience for everyone.” info@thescottishbikeshow.com

THE SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW IS TAKING PLACE ON APRIL 16TH17TH ON GLASGOW SECC SELECTED exhibitors (correct at time of going to press) include: 2pure, Alpine Bikes, Dirt School (MTB coaching), Continental, Pedal Power, BSD BMX, Fort William MTB World Cup, Nevis Range trail centre, Tuscany Bike Tours, The Bicycle Works, The Edinburgh Cycle Company, Purple Harry, Dig BMX magazine, Unit 23 Skatepark, Walkers Cycling Bike Shop, Drumlanrig, Ironwood Bicycles, Laid Back Bikes, Prentice Events, Motion Junkies, FreeGo Electric Bikes, Tirol, Sustrans, Developing Mountain Biking, Pocket Mountain, Cycling Scotland, Renner Sport, Scottish Cycling, Prostate Cancer Charity, Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival, Singletrack, IMB mag, Glasgow Bike Shed, Scotland Outdoors mag, Duchally Country Estate.

BIKEBIZ.COM

Thank you to everybody who came and made iceBike* 2011 the best show yet!

We hope to see you in July for iceBike* winter, our mid-year showcase of 2012 products

www.icebike.co.uk

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For more information and to view the full range of CST tyres please visit www.fisherb2b.com

CHAIN REACTION | COLIN REES

Living off a prayer?

This month our guest columnist has an axe to grind with those offering discounts needlessly, among other bug bears found along his travels. Sales trainer Colin Rees asks are you going all out for business in 2011, or waiting for it to come to you...

IT’S PRETTY clear that 2011 is going to be a much harder year in retailing as the cuts bite and tax rises feed through into people’s pockets. That’s not to say that people won’t be buying new bikes, but they may well decide right now, the mortgage is more important and if interest rates rise and unemployment kicks into the mix, it means retailers will have to work harder than ever to keep their margins up, as well as their turnover.

This compendium of impending bad news begs the question, can owners carry on just waiting, hoping, praying customers will come in to their shop?

The bike trade generally seems not to be pro-active in customer encouragement. When I ask some owners: “If I buy a new bike from you, when’s the next time I will hear from you?”, the usual honest answer is never. Often, I will not even be phoned to remind me my new bike is ready for its first service. “Costs far too much and who’s going to do it?”

Most owners will agree the best situation to create is the customer, their wallet and their bike in your shop. Yet so many miss a chance at that first service point. After that, surely a bike will be better fun and last longer given regular servicing. But how many times is the rule broken to book a next service each time the bike comes in?

I had occasion to visit my local bike shop straight after New Year as the chain was slipping badly on my bicycle. Their service was

BIKEBIZ.COM

Colin Rees, sales trainer

brilliant, done the same day for £25, including replacement parts. “Well”, he says, “we’re not busy till March now.”

If only he had just told me I really should have a regular service booked and put a date in the diary, that extra maintenance cost him nothing to get. If he made it for January, or February next year and asked everyone who comes in for a repair this year, he certainly wouldn’t be reading the paper in the first two months of 2012.

How about establishing a marketing plan?

What are you going to concentrate on promoting each month? What do we need to highlight in the window this week? Someone said that those who don’t plan are, in fact, planning for failure.

Let’s start with the window. Why not select one product a week, say lights or helmets, pile it as high as possible in the window and get people (anyone) to guess how many there are.

Send a picture and details to the local press. An eye-catching display always creates excitement so more people come in. If you change the product every two weeks, get all staff to offer it to everyone as the ‘current special’ (you only have to knock 10p off to create a ‘special purchase’), you will sell more.

Stop giving discounts. These payments to customers come directly from net profit. It could be going in your pocket rather than theirs and right now is the best possible time anyone will have to say no! For ever. Using the

excuse of the difficult time everyone is going through is totally understandable and customers will not press you if you post up a sign in the shop explaining that. Saying no to discounts extends to your mates as well.

Chances are, your staff absolutely hate giving them and a policy to discontinue would make their job ten times easier, and your bank balance higher.

So far, we haven’t spent any money but allocating a promotional budget and formulating a marketing plan will bring a planned response of greater foot flow A leaflet from Domino’s Pizza dropped through my letterbox early in January offering me a two for one deal. I have lived in this isolated village (three buses a week) for 42 years and not once have I ever heard from any local bike shop. If I did eat pizza, where would I go for my next one?

Manufacturers can steal a march on competitors by providing leaflets ready for over printing by the dealer.

There are lots of ways to increase sales and customers without spending shed loads of cash. Introduce a friend scheme, open evenings until 10 pm with blue ticket reductions.

Another freebee will come from training your staff how to sell properly and that just costs your time.

Colin Rees Cycle specific sales trainer 07540 351 530

BIKEBIZ MARCH 9

INDUSTRY OPINIONS | E-BIKES

Current affairs So why exactly should the trade be talking about e-bikes? And what is getting in the way of the UK market from booming? Jonathon Harker asks the questions... just go to their local bike shop, get an electric bike and breeze up that hill.”

Why are electric bikes such an exciting market for the cycle trade?

DAVID MIALL, DIRECTOR, WISPER: “Electric bikes simply open a retailer’s shop to a far larger audience. Many people who would not consider riding a pedal power bike to the shops would certainly try an electric bike. What is little known is many customers who come back to cycling for an electric bike will become keen pedal cyclists in the future.

“Electric bikes offer IBDs the opportunity to increase sales volume and profits by supplying a new group of customers with bikes ranging between £1,000 and £2,500 each without any significantly increased investment. As electric bikes are used at least three or four times more often than standard bicycles, revenue for servicing will also increase.”

IAN HUGHES, MD, STORCK RADDAR UK: “If you open your mind and consider the potential consumer demographics for e-bikes, it’s huge. Think of the additional business it can offer; from new customers who don’t want to get sweated up, existing cyclists who want to half their journey, cyclists who have ridden for years but due to medical conditions or operation want to keep cycling and need some assistance.

Then there is a whole new generation of younger customers who can interact through smart phone apps with their latest generation e-bike. The e-bike market is also attracting

BIKEBIZ.COM

companies like Cosworth engineering who want to offer their electronics expertise in KERS, data logging smart apps etc, and help develop more efficient and lighter drive systems, batteries and switch gear. The whole electric transport thing is not just limited to ebikes. Look at the number of car companies that are starting to produce electric cars and the media activity following it. Fuel prices are rocketing and the whole market can benefit from new electronic technology.”

RICHARD FORSYTH, MARKETING MANAGER, POWABYKE: “Electric bikes are not going away as a fad or trend. They are clearly not only here to stay but they make up one of the most exciting growth industries around. I can’t help notice them on the streets now and even ignoring all the practical reasons for owning an e-bike, I think they are a really fun way to get around – they are a fun product.

“We’ve noticed that many of the dealers who decided not to stock e-bikes in years gone by are now re-entering the market with the improved, lighter and better bikes. It’s a wise choice to stock e-bikes if you are an IBD, as stocking e-bikes is now an edge or equaliser on competitors. The fact is, to omit an e-bike from your offerings if you are dealer could be costly mistake in terms of business, this year especially.”

MARK LOVERIDGE, MD, ULTRA MOTOR: “It’s an exciting market because they could significantly lift turnover of an IBDs shop.

Electric bikes have a higher average resale cost and they bring a new customer to store. The successes of the e-bike market can be seen right across Europe and the UK just hasn’t caught up yet. Our market may be smaller than Germany’s, but there’s no reason why a third of all sales can’t be electric, as they are predicted to be by 2012 in Germany.”

VA HUA, DIRECTOR, SPENCER IVY: “E-bikes open up the customer base, bringing in more turnover from a higher end product.

People that previously wouldn’t consider cycling because of the hills they have to encounter will no longer have to think twice about taking up cycling. They should be able to

Ian Hughes (above) Mark Loveridge (centre) and Lloyd Clarkson (below)

LLOYD CLARKSON, E-BIKE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, RALEIGH: “This is simply the fastest growing sector in the cycle trade. Whilst there are reports of the European market starting to level out, the UK market is definitely in it’s growth stage, and if Germany’s market growth over the past five years is anything to go by, then we are in for a very exciting future!”

>>>

BIKEBIZ MARCH 11

INDUSTRY OPINIONS | E-BIKES

MARK GOULDTHORP, MD, RALEIGH UK: “E-Bikes may be a slow burn opportunity, but it is critical that as an industry we offer the public robust product that builds their confidence.”

>>>

PAUL STANFORTH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EBCO: “The market offers incremental business. Ebikes offer a product that will appeal to a wide range of non-cycling mainstream customers.

The market for them is absolutely vast. Look at how many adults own and use cars compared to how many adults own and use bikes. It is the car owners that we should be targeting now and the numbers are huge and any ebike sales will clearly be incremental. We are not eating into any other customer group, this is a brand new customer and therefore additional money through the till.”

If consumer awareness isn’t the biggest obstacle to the market really flourishing, what is?

DAVID MIALL, DIRECTOR, WISPER: “Consumer awareness is certainly the main factor hindering sales in the UK, but there are other factors too such as legislation confusion and the public and IBD misconception that ebikes are for the lazy or infirm. Users are often keen cyclists who use their e-bikes to commute longer distances rather than use the car or public transport. At the weekends they are back in the mountains or in the country enjoying their people-powered bicycles.”

IAN HUGHES, MD, STORCK RADDAR UK: “Another part of the electric bike jigsaw is educating consumers and dealers on price and quality. If you want to spend £1,000 or less on an e-bike, that’s great, this is the quality you get. If you want better quality (drive systems, batteries components, etc) then that comes with a price. At the moment, I see dealers more resistant to price than consumers.”

MARK LOVERIDGE, MD, ULTRA MOTOR: “The IBDs acceptance is a big obstacle. Many have dealt with poor product in the past with very little back up, this is one of the reasons BEBA was created. I can only speak for Ultra Motor, but we offer six days a week technical support, technical training in store or at our Technical Centre, manuals and decent quality bikes with plug and play components. We aren’t alone with this offering and as more and more manufacturers give IBDs the confidence we hope the market will also grow.”

VA HUA, DIRECTOR, SPENCER IVY: “After awareness, I’d say education. Education about the bikes and education about the benefits. This is why we’ve published the Electric Bike Buyer’s Guide and also a simple Electric Bike Benefits Guide (http://www.scribd.com/doc/47404258/Electric -Bike-Benefits-by-Spencer-Ivy). The content has been created, it just needs to be spread in the right way.”

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RICHARD FORSYTH, MARKETING MANAGER, POWABYKE: “E-bikes started out with teething problems and dealers did not always know what to make of them. However, this is no longer experimental technology and now the quality of the bikes is at a place where dealer and consumer confidence is justified. Our latest range of X-bykes have plug and play electrics which make them tidier and easier to service.

Weight of the bikes has come down significantly, for instance, early models could be 40kg but the new range of Powabykes are a mere 21kg. The designs have matured and real thought has been put into every aspect of the bikes’ technology and handling, and so we are at a point where confidence in the product is high. Image of the bikes suffered in days of old too but this is no longer the case.

Once thought of as a bike just for the mature rider, the e-bike has now got a much wider target market and is more exciting in many ways. Obstacles in the market now as far as we are aware are, if anything, meeting demand!”

PAUL STANFORTH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EBCO: “Obviously infrastructure is a major hurdle and when you compare how the e-bike market is in certain European countries, the fact that the likes of Germany and the Netherlands have much better facilities for all cyclists obviously plays a big part in their superb ebike sales.

That said, fuel prices are going to continue to rise and alternatives to the car will have to be sought and this should force change.

Also facilities for try before you buy and general exposure are still limited. If there are people out there who still have negative preconceptions around e-bikes the only way we are going to convert them is to get them on a modern e-bike. There needs to be more stores and locations where people can experience what it’s actually like to ride a modern e-bike.”

Is the e-bike market still suffering somewhat from the dark early days of electric bike retail?

DAVID MIALL, DIRECTOR, WISPER: “Certainly, especially the many IBDs that were willing to try selling electric bikes through their shops. Unfortunately there are still many importers selling electric bikes (and this includes some of the big names) that either cannot or will not offer the level of service necessary for the introduction of such vehicles to the market.

“A well designed and built electric bike should not be very much more difficult to look after than a standard pedal powered bike, however when it goes wrong, it may not immediately be obvious what the problem is.

With the support of a decent supplier any problem can be overcome during a short telephone conversation.

If there is a faulty part to replace they should be despatched the same day. Although chain drive bikes are a little more complicated there is no job on a good hub drive electric bike that should be more difficult to undertake than changing the rear wheel.”

IAN HUGHES, MD, STORCK RADDAR UK: “Because the UK market has largely seen poor quality and cheap e-bikes with limited design from the Far East, it’s not surprising the stigma that is still around. However, there is a raft of new and much better quality bikes coming to the market from the likes of Giant, Trek, EBCO and Storck with distribution experience, dealer support, education, training and marketing.”

MARK LOVERIDGE, MD, ULTRA MOTOR: “Yes, it left a rather sour taste with most IBDs and their reluctance to try again is evident and to an extent understandable. However, things have changed dramatically and there isn’t a better time for them to invest in the market.”

Mark Gouldthorpe (above) and Paul Stanforth

VA HUA, DIRECTOR, SPENCER IVY: “Certainly. The amount of independent bike retailers that first adopted poor quality electric bikes years ago, many are still very resistant to electric bikes to this day. This obviously doesn’t serve the industry well nor the end customer for that matter. Perhaps an electric bike demo day for IBDs only, with paid travel expenses should be considered.”

RICHARD FORSYTH, MARKETING MANAGER, POWABYKE: “We are seeing very positive signs for the market. Retailers can be confident of serviceability now, and the fact that these bikes sell well. Some dealers respond to customer enquiry by taking on e-bikes which shows the e-bikes are no longer the dark horse of the bicycle world.

Our network is growing and that’s for good reasons such as the high quality of the bikes, good servicing options, and retailers wanting to be part of this profitable branch of cycling.”

LLOYD CLARKSON, E-BIKE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, RALEIGH: “Whilst most people I speak to now appreciate the false economy of poor quality bikes, there are still a high number of people who see just the negative side of poor, sub-standard product.”

PAUL STANFORTH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EBCO: “As mentioned, we need to shift a mindset away from trying to convert enthusiast cyclists who are so blinkered that they are never going to admit how good ebikes are now. It is a mainstream form of transport, not an enthusiast sport, and this is where we need to focus now. These customers do not have the emotional baggage and although a few of them may have had limited experience of the old style ebikes, the majority of them have an open mind and are just looking for a better way to get to the office or just get around.

Quality ebikes are not cheap but this reflects the level of technology and development work invested in them. The old ebikes were there to hit a price point but rather than opening up the ebike market they actually put the sector back a fair few years. However, now we have quality ebikes which retail from £1,000 - £2,000, but when you look at what they have to offer (in terms of comfort, reliability, specification and range) they still offer exceptional value.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 13

BIKEBIZ AWARD WINNER | RUTLAND CYCLING

On the waterfront BikeBiz IBD Award winner Rutland Cycling may be set in picturesque surroundings and have one of the biggest demo fleets in the country, but it’s not all plain sailing being a premier bike retailer, as sales director Steve Gill tells Jonathon Harker...

How does it feel to have a BikeBiz Award in the trophy cabinet?

Well, with BikeBiz being the Industry standard in terms of a trade publication, to be recognised as the ‘Best IBD’ for 2010 is a fantastic achievement. It doesn’t really get any better does it? We are, however, working especially hard to try and secure the award again for this year!

Rutland also bagged a local business award last year – can you tell us a bit about that?

We won Local Business of the Year, which was another nice accolade to receive. To be recognised by your local community and by the trade you work in must mean we are getting something right.

What are the advantages to working in picturesque surroundings?

For the people that work in our shops it is a real buzz to turn up to work each day on the side of a picturesque lake. Our head office is in a somewhat more industrial location however!

Both Rutland and Grafham Water are beautiful locations and we really are very lucky to have shops in such fantastic places.

Does Rutland get involved in demo days, or reach out to the local cycling community in any way?

We host three to four demo events per year with up to twenty brands attending each. This gives us some of the biggest demo events in the UK and on top of that we have a 600-bike demo fleet spread across our three shops, which is available 363 days of the year

14 BIKEBIZ MARCH

as our head office so we have quite a few staff working there.

featuring bikes from all major manufacturers.

We run monthly night rides throughout the year too, which are extremely popular.

We like to offer something more to our customers than a cash till!

What services does Rutland Cycling offer beyond bike retail?

Well as mentioned above we have one of the largest Demo/Hire fleets in the world, which is actually where this business started from. We also have a climbing centre with a rock wall and high ropes assault course.

Outdoor activities are something we feel passionately about and will continue to support regardless of the direction of the retail element of our business.

What training do your workshop staff get?

And are you finding the workshop more important at the moment during these tough economic times?

When Cytech published their list of best trained cycle shops in the UK we were number one. We train all of our mechanics to either Cytech Level 2 or 3 depending on what they specialise in. The workshops are a very important part of any shop as that is where your reputation can be made or lost. We pride ourselves in having well trained staff who are very knowledgeable within all areas of cycling.

How many employees work for Rutland?

How many sites do they cover?

We have about 100 staff overall working in three shops and at our head office. The mail order operation is run from the same location

Rutland created a new website last year – how was that received and how important is the online business to Rutland’s operation?

The new site was well received by consumers and has helped us gain some market share.

Ecommerce is a way of selling that is here to stay so our plans are to make the best we can of this very versatile platform. We embrace new technologies and selling ideas, and as such are growing in this sector.

Sales director Steve Gill picked up the BikeBiz Award for Rutland on the night

How does the Giant Store integrate with Rutland Cycling?

With having two shops located on the same lake there was always going to be a problem differentiating between them, so when the opportunity to work with Giant came along we grabbed it with both hands. The shops function better now and have their own customer base.

We have nearly been open as a Giant Brand Store for one year now and we are very excited about what the future holds. This store coincidentally is the largest Giant Brand Store in the world.

What’s the biggest challenge ahead for Rutland Cycling?

The biggest challenge will be to continue to grow the business at the rate we have done for the last few years. Everyone is working very hard and we do have plenty of goals to achieve this year. We have a few irons in the fire so watch this space... www.rutlandcycling.com

BIKEBIZ.COM

CITY TYRE RRP £18.49 700 X 28C 700 X 32C 700 X 35C 700 X 40C 700 X 47C

TRACKER TYRE RRP £19.99 26” X 1.85”

PILOT SPORT ROAD RRP £27.99 700 X 28C FOLDING 700 X 32C FOLDING 700 X 35C FOLDING

COMMUTE WITH CONFIDENCE Distributed in the UK by: www.hotlines-uk.com

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Tel: 0131 319 1444

MYSTERY SHOPPER | TONBRIDGE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Welling up…

Between figuring out which of Kent’s similar sounding boroughs he was in and peeling parking fines off the ‘mystery machine’, Mystery Shopper found a diamond in the one of the roughest incognito town tours featured to date. It sure as heck wasn’t Sports Direct, so which of the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells retailers almost made the visit worthwhile…

Halfords Tunbridge Wells

Sports Direct

THIS WAS Mystery Shopper’s first encounter with a single floor layout Halfords store, of which space was divided by 60/40 for car accessories to bikes, respectively.

With 20 per cent discounts on some Boardman builds, customers could bag themselves a very strong value for money bike deal. Problem is, a staff member is needed to make a sale and those were certainly thin on the ground in this store.

However, a redeeming quality was that all bikes had display tags on, as well as additional cards displaying offers on Halfords add-on maintenance policies. Some sale models were tagged with ‘care plan’ bundles thrown in as an extra incentive for a sale. As an impartial observer, this left me thinking that Halfords would not be out of the running for my cash, despite the fact one young staff member strutted right on by when I signalled for assistance.

Finally, this store had made good use of point of display units, elevating one bike above the rest and flagging up the need for accessories such as a helmet and lock with SCORE each purchase.

MYSTERY SHOPPER hadn’t planned to visit Sports Direct, in fact, the sports chain can, at worst, be on par with Justin Bieber movies and things like the Black Death in terms of desired avoidance.

Nonetheless, having been driving around in circles, getting lost thanks to multiple inaccurate Google listings for bike shops, I was left with little choice but to visit the store, which can be a bit of a lottery if you’re looking for a bicycle.

On this particular occasion no bikes were found in store, but rather than walking out, I thought it best to give staff a chance to sell me some gloves suitable for cycling. I tracked down a staff member and asked if such gloves were stocked. This was followed by being led to the appropriate section, which for a second, seemed like I might be about to encounter some redemption for the chain’s woeful track record in past visits. That was until the staff member handed me some goalkeeping gloves, I kid you not. Unsure whether I had lost my sense of humour, or if the assistant was serious, I simply said thank you and SCORE accepted this was going to be a bad day.

[ 3/5 ]

16 BIKEBIZ MARCH

[ 2/5 ] BIKEBIZ.COM

MYSTERY SHOPPER | TONBRIDGE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Halfords Tonbridge YET ANOTHER single-floored Halfords store, this time in neighbouring Tonbridge. The layout was again a 60/40 split, though the key difference in this visit was staff making themselves known to customers. I observed one family buying a bike for their daughter, carefully watched over by an apron-clad assistant making adjustments on the fly to best fit the bicycle to the customer. It was refreshing to see an assistant take the time to tailor the experience to the customer.

Once tweaked to the girl’s liking, a test ride around the car park was offered, which seemed like a deal clincher if the smiles on faces were anything to go by. I don’t know whether or not a sale was made in the end, though from observations the assistant certainly worked hard enough to earn one.

As with the Tunbridge Wells store, good use of display stands with add-on sale incentives were ubiquitous and the stock was diverse and well SCORE presented.

[ 4/5 ]

Brian’s Bikes

Evernden Cycles

HAVING SEEN just the one shed-based operation prior to this visit, Mystery Shopper had very little to compare Brian’s Bikes with. First impressions were that this might just be a hobbyist, repairing and selling reconditioned bikes as and when business comes along. However, venturing into the tightly packed shed I could see price tags.

The store assistant seemed almost surprised to see me and before I had made my introductions I was being offered reconditioned mountain bikes from prices as low as £50. Explaining to the assistant that I was after something more road orientated and that I would prefer the build to have some longevity, I was lead through the sea of wheels to a £200 Specialized in a fair condition. At this point I was expecting my guide to explain a bit about the bike, its working condition and what services Brian’s Bikes offers post-sale to keep me on the road.

Sadly, it was up to Mystery Shopper to drive the conversation forwards.

For a business without a website, or Google listing, it was odd to find Brian’s Bikes via SCORE the new Bike Hub phone application.

NOTING THAT four idle staff spotted me the moment I walked through the door of Everden, I wasn't expecting I'd be let down by service here. As such, I set expectations high with a view to testing the perhaps overstaffed store.

From behind the counter, the first of the four listened to my brief, considering carefully what my money could best achieve given the discounts available on some 2010 models ahead of the arrival of current season stock. The first recommendation came slightly above budget and was a model with an appealing discount tag.

My desire to buy this bike was further boosted by the assistant pointing to the 2011 prices, comparing the value of each. If I were to “place a deposit on this bike, I'd make a huge saving and end up with a top quality bike,” it was explained.

What's more, accessory add ons were strongly recommended with the purchase, as were panniers, which proved to me that the assistant had given proper thought to my desire to 'ditch the car and do everything via bicycle, if possible.'

I left with a business card and SCORE bookmarked catalogue.

[ 2/5 ]

BIKEBIZ.COM

[ 5/5 ]

Summary THANK GOODNESS for Evernden Cycles. If it wasn’t for its staff and the fantastic chippy a few doors down, I think this visit might have been enough to have spurred Mystery Shopper to keep driving South until somewhere in the English Channel.

To ensure my experience is based around a typical consumer visit, I’m unable to track stores down using the BikeBiz Bible. Therefore, with Google as my primary search aid, please, retailers of Tun...

Tonbridge, whatever your similar sounding towns are called, update your listings. I ended up on a farm looking for one store. Nightmare.

Sports Direct finally gets off rock bottom scoring this month, despite selling no bikes at all. The reason for this? A staff member didn’t run away from me for once! Have you ever tried cycling in goalie gloves? It’s not so bad, you know...

BIKEBIZ MARCH 17

BOB CHICKEN | OBITUARY

Bob Chicken MBE BikeBiz pays tribute to the cycle industry legend...

BOB CHICKEN SENIOR died peacefully on the island of Madeira on Friday February 11th at the age of 89. He had lived there for three years following his complete retirement from the industry he loved.

He inherited his interest in cycling from his father William but only after a spell in the Navy during the Second World War. Trading as a cycle agent in Goswell Road, Edwardes Cycles was one of his early customers. He had obtained the agency for Sedis chains, one of his principal brands. He became involved with the Baycliff saddle bag manufacturing company in Halifax, taking it over in the 1950s. At the same time he worked for the Humber Oil Company in Hull, becoming its sales director. In 1954 he was appointed agent for Vredestein tyres. Shortly after, EsgeMarby and Van Schothorst joined his collection of agencies.

The ownership of Baycliff made him eligible for membership of the Centenary Club in 1963.

He became president and participated in club runs well into his 70s. He formed the Industrial Chain Supply company, a distribution business based in N. London.

He took over the Weinmann brake agency, one of the best at the time, and also the distribution of Maillard hubs. The company name was changed to R J Chicken & Sons Ltd, whilst he continued his role as the bastion of the European industry, providing the ever dwindling number of home-based bike manufacturers with components from Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

He was a past president of the Pickwick Bicycle Club and the Pedal Club, joining Pickwick – the world’s oldest bicycle club – in 1954. In 2008 Bob Chicken was awarded the MBE for services to the cycle industry. Chicken BIKEBIZ.COM

Bob Chicken receiving his MBE in 2008

This most respected and legendary figure in the cycle industry will be remembered at a meeting of friends on Wednesday April 13th at the Prince of Wales, Drury Lane, London.

had worked tirelessly for a London-based exhibition, the continuity of a round Britain Bike Race and race sponsorship from outside the trade. To mark the achievement he was also awarded a BikeBiz Award for Industry Achievement in the same year.

Bob Chicken was well known for his knowledge and the encouragement he gave to others, his gentlemanly behaviour and his generosity. This most respected and legendary figure in the industry will be remembered at a meeting of friends on April 13th at the Prince of Wales, 150 Drury Lane, Holborn, London WC2B 5TB (on the corner of Gt. Queen St) from 10.00 – 12.30.

With thanks to Cedric and Robert Chicken, and the rest of his family.

Members of the cycle trade shared their memories of Bob Chicken on the BikeBiz forum “Bob will be remembered by many in the industry as one of the stalwarts that gave it character.

I remember Bob mostly as a colourful contributor to Bicycle Association members’ meetings – he was a personal member for very many years.

I am sure I am not alone in remembering his empassioned pleas for a London show, which of course eventually he helped get established.

Condolences to Robert, Cedric and families.”

Mark Bickerton VP, Bicycle Association of Great Britain

“Bob was, sadly, one of the last real fighters for the British bicycle manufacturer.

He was a true blue who hated the thought of bicycle and accessory manufacture never being done from Britain.

He often felt that he was the last man standing when fighting for British recognition and the death of Raleigh Industries was arguably the saddest moment of his professional life.

I was so pleased he was finally recognised with an MBE. It should have happened years ago.”

Phil Liggett MBE Sports commentator and journalist

BIKEBIZ MARCH 19

INTERVIEW | CYCLE SCHEME

Keep on cycling to work Rumours of Cycle to Work’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Cyclescheme’s head of commercial operations Daniel Gillborn explains why C2W is stronger than ever to Jonathon Harker...

YOU KNOW the story. Around six months ago “The best way of doing that is for them to the Cycle to Work initiative, the tax-free bike have an extended usage agreement with us buying incentive aimed at boosting numbers of and to wind down the value of the bike with employees biking to work, was subject to a rule age. So our process is based around the change from Her Majesty’s Revenue and employee keeping hold of the bike, using and Customs. enjoying the same benefits and when they take As Cycle to Work had widely been seen as a ownership of it at the four-year stage – it’ll be driver of bike sales in the period since its worth a lot less, so they’ll pay a much lower introduction back in 1999, initial reaction to end of hire payment at the period. the change was gloomy. Was the scheme now “The actual material value difference is just on the ropes? And £10 – even at the would the number £1,000 level. So for of bikes sold be the people with subsequently bikes of the value of slashed? £500 or less, they’re Rumours of the actually better off.” death of Cycle to National Work were Insurance goes up premature, says for the employee Daniel Gillborn, Cyclescheme Daniel Gillborn, and employer on head of April 1st by one per communications for the largest C2W provider cent and for people on the scheme that gets Cyclescheme. “We stood still for three weeks passed back to the employee, so the £10 – or to see what the best course of action was. I felt one per cent – difference will disappear. “It will it was better to do that and make the right be exactly the same as it was before the decision rather than make a knee jerk reaction change came into effect. On top of that, and possibly get that wrong.” employers will be saving another one per cent For those not versed in the intricacies of in national insurance – a message we have HMRC terminology, the rule change was taxing been driving home to them.” to understand, to say the least. So what did it And getting that message across has been actually mean? Gillborn explains: “There is now an area of focus for Cyclescheme. clarification from the HMRC using their table.

The firm has spent six months working with So, if you stick to the table, HMRC will not employers, employees and partners, but also investigate you as an employer. with the bike brands. “We’re much more Sounds a bit scary? Not so, says Gillborn: engaged with the brands. We’ve spent a lot of “We believe that it has helped. In the last six time with the guys at Trek, Merida, Giant and months we had to think about how we could Specialized to get closer to them and how best use the matrix and comply with it while they’re communicating with their dealers and retaining the same benefits for participants. how to get their dealers on board.”

“We’re much more engaged with the brands now, and how we can help them to get their dealers on board.”

20 BIKEBIZ MARCH

Daniel Gillborn, Cyclescheme

Cyclescheme is also working with its biggest rivals – fellow C2W providers Halfords, Evans and Cycle Solutions, in the Cycle to Work Alliance: “We’re a member and yes it is good for us – it enables us to lobby Government and directly engage with MPs. The research it has produced has been enormously positive. The Alliance gives us a single voice, while still being competitors.”

Cyclescheme itself, now 35-staff strong (five new bodies in the last year) has seen big employers like Asda and Sainsbury’s and 35,000 strong Derby Council either commit again to running the scheme or close to re-signing. The Ministry of Justice and Prisons Service has just been picked up: “They’re great adopters because the workforce tends to live close to where they work. It’s great news.”

The ever busy Cyclescheme also launched its iGo vouchers at the end of last year, an initiative gaining momentum, the firm tells BikeBiz: “To be fair it is early days and we’re not talking big numbers at the moment. Coming into the retail vouchers market you never get an instant overnight success. But the reaction we’ve had so far is very good. The people who have come in with us from the start are the ones that will benefit from it the most. 350 retailers have signed up to them and we want to have nearly 1,700 as we are with Cyclescheme. There’s some great stuff we’re working on that will give them a real platform.”

Cyclescheme has a number of other initiatives on the go for 2011 too, now easier to achieve with an expanded office space.

Gillborn adds: “We really are getting out there and talking – that’s our key message. I’m really keen to increase the level of communication.” www.cyclescheme.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM

...is now available from

As of 1st February 2011 Windwave has begun distribution of BBB parts and accessories. Distribution will be shared with the existing BBB distributor until the 1st July when Windwave will become exclusive.

BBB products are now in stock and can be ordered immediately via our sales force or on our B2B website www.windwave.co.uk.

Falcon Helmet BHE-01 • • • • • • •

In-mold shell construction.

Carbon fiber and aluminum reinforcements.

High density gray EPS. 23 air vents.

SpiderWeb inner reinforcement structure.

Rear vents for optimum air flow.

Adjustable straps for a perfect and

comfortable fit.

Easy to use DualClose adjustment system.

Washable anti-bacterial pads.

Rear reflective stickers.

Sizes: S (52-55 cm), M (52-58 cm) and L (58-62 cm).

• Colours: blue, red, white and silver.

• • • •

£99.95 SSP

Sucessor Team Sport Glasses BSG-28 • Sport glasses with interchangeable polycarbonate lenses.

• 100% UV protection.

• Grilamid frame with adjustable rubber nose piece.

• Adjustable rubber temples.

• Comes with a pouch.

• With extra lenses: yellow and clear flash mirror.

£59.95 SSP

LightFlex Shoe Covers BWS-10 • Thin Lycra shoe cover.

• Elastic fabric characteristics for a smooth, tight fit around the shoes.

• One size: fits shoe sizes 41/42, 43/44 and 45/46.

• Colours: white, black and blue.

£14.95 SSP

MicroBoard Computer BCP-32W • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wireless computer with 13 functions: Current speed Average speed Trip distance Settable odo meter Clock Low battery indicator Auto scan Auto start / stop Maximum speed Riding time Total riding time Speed pacer Backlight

• Slim computer with easy to read full-sized display.

• High-resolution 3 line LCD. • Easy operation by a single button.

• Sophisticated auto start / stop function with sleep mode after 48 hours to save battery power.

• Computers can be mounted on handlebars and stems.

• Waterproof casing.

• Wheel magnet fits round and aero spokes.

• Battery included.

• Colours: Team Vacansoleil, Team Quick-Step and Team world champion.

£46.95 SSP for more information call 02392 528912 or visit www.windwave.co.uk

MARKETING FOCUS | BOBBIN BICYCLES

Smile, you’re on Yell.com THE PRINT version of Yellow Pages couldn’t do it, but the online version can. Videos. Of small businesses. You know, like bike shops.

Yell.com has an addition to the address details for local businesses, and you could be the star. Yell’s ShopView features embeds videos to enliven business listings.

There are 50 or so UK bike shops on ShopView already, including Sidwell Cycles, Plymouth Cycle Scene, Leith Cycle Co, and E J Barnes.

Yell.com has a database of over two million UK business listings including 208,000 searchable advertisers.

Yell.com’s ShopView videos were launched last year. They are short films that let potential customers see first-hand what local businesses – and their owners and staff – look like, a stepup from plain listings.

The videos can be uploaded for free to the Yell.com website, with a 100 MB limit. The videos will also soon be available to view on Yell.com’s iPad, iPhone and Android apps.

The videos can be shop walk-arounds or feature staff as the stars. There’s no need for a bike shop to spend big money on a professional film-crew: access to video cameras has never been greater and, with many of the most

22 BIKEBIZ MARCH

The videos can feature store walk-arounds

The search directory wants small businesses to showcase themselves with videos, reports Carlton Reid...

popular videos on YouTube being short, shaky but fun, creativity often counts for more than HD cameras.

Matthew Bottomley, who heads up innovations at Yell.com, says: “If a video is clever or funny enough, it could go viral and even get a global audience.”

Bobbin Bicycles of Islington, founded in 2007, is a quirky bike shop, selling Dutch roadsters, tweedy spats and bowler hat helmets. It was chosen by Yell.com to be a featured shop on Yell.com’s ShopView, and despite what was said above about no need for HD cameras – the Bobbin Bicycles owners were shot by a professional film crew. The resulting short film oozes personality and can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/bobbinvideo “The videos can be as home-made or as polished as each company wants. You could even shoot one on your phone,” explains Bottomley.

Yell.com has about 5,500 ShopView videos, with more being added constantly.

“Use of video by small business is still tiny, but with technology now it’s pretty easy to get started,” says Bottomley.

“Most of the videos uploaded so far are pretty good quality, but we won’t judge the

videos. It’s up to businesses to make them in the way they think their customers will like.

“An accountancy firm took a spoof approach and it worked very well for them. I can imagine that seasonal videos would do well, too. Maybe what a bike shop will have in the store for Christmas, perhaps?

“People are used to text searching for businesses. Video is now the most talked about entrant into this space. Video can go viral in a way a text listing never could.

“Small businesses should push the videos through their websites and Facebook pages and so on.”

What’s in it for Yell.com?

Bottomley says: “I’m looking to distinguish our service, enforcing that Yell is the place to go to search. With rich and engaging media, searching becomes more real. Customers have a real thirst for more knowledge before buying, something the internet has really fostered.

“ShopView videos are not like television adverts, they work best when they’re explanatory. A shop’s personality needs to shine through. Customers want to see there are real people involved.” http://www.yell.com/video/

BIKEBIZ.COM

It’s all about the style

Functional, stylish & fun. kansi folding bikes are designed in the UK by people who love to ride. t No model year - easy to sell all year round t In-store only selling policy to support IBDs t Industry leading spares support programme t Simple and concise range of 6 bikes, all fitted with SRAM components

To become a stockist please contact Fisher Outdoor Leisure on 01727 798345.

For further information and to see the full range please visit

SHOW REVIEW | ICEBIKE*2011

Adventure begins here…

With over 1,200 trade members through the doors, iceBike*is plainly a must-attend for a large portion of the UK bicycle business. Mark Sutton discovers that, along with the distributor’s portfolio, the typical stock of a bike shop might be about to become a whole lot more broad…

SINCE THE turn of the year, distribution giant Madison has been introducing trade and consumers alike to the ‘Adventure’ line – a diversification into cycling gear for the outdoors enthusiast, some of whom choose to cycle on breaks in the country, but would never dream of labelling themselves cyclists.

ADVENTURE So what’s different about Adventure’s cycling product? For starters, it’s quite a streamlined range, seemingly revolving around the family day trip. There’s a small, but tailored line-up of bikes for the kids, mum and dad, with add on accessories such as child trailers. It’s the family bike excursion optimised and the bikes are simple too, designed to last and require no special servicing. As a bonus for the dealer, each bike is supplied 95 per cent assembled, by Cytech mechanics at the factory source.

Starting at £129.99 for the 16-inch wheeled kids bikes and going no higher than £259.99 for the gents 26-inch MTB, the bikes are beginner cyclist orientated, though revolve around tough

24 BIKEBIZ MARCH

Adventure bikes come 95 per cent assembled from the factory source,

by Cytech mechanics.

alloy frames. For toddlers, retailers can also take on a selection of brightly coloured Adventure Zooom scoot-along bikes at £89.99 each.

Brand manager Phil Hammill adds: “We have paid particular attention to all the contact points of the bikes such as the saddle, grips, shifter and braking system. We anticipate that Adventure will be the first experience of riding a bike in a long time for many buyers. We want them to have a good experience and not throw the bike in the shed because of a poor quality saddle.”

THULE Moving on, Thule drew BikeBiz’s attention to its G6 rear door-mounted rack, which replaces last year’s G5, as well as the new Slide Bar roof rack.

The highlight feature of the G6 is a foot-operated tilt mechanism, which makes accessing the boot with bikes on board a doddle.

It was the Slide Bar that drew the most attention. Capable of holding four bikes when equipped with ‘532’ carriers, the roof bars slide up to 60cm each way on rollers, so there’s no need to lean over the car to mount bikes.

Neil Sellers of Thule tells BikeBiz: “Three sizes of slide bar are available ranging from £190 to £220. The 532 add on retails for £50 a pop, giving dealers plenty of opportunity to upsell. If a store has space, we’ve some great point-ofsale units this year in sizes from one metre wide, to full on four metre wide units. Dealer training and a listing on Thule’s website also comes with some packages.”

MEMORY MAP Aside from hard goods, Memory Map has a money-making, risk-free opportunity that many dealers may have missed. That comes in the form of online trail finder service trailzilla.com, where dealers can become an affiliate and earn commission from weblinks. By placing a small banner on their website, retailers can earn 25 to 30 per cent of any resulting sale of mapping.

With 5,000 users having registered in the first three months, the site’s popular too, making it a great point of reference should a customer ask about local routes.

BIKEBIZ.COM

SHOW REVIEW | ICEBIKE*2011

Giro’s Supernatural Fit Kit (above) uses inserts to adjust to the contours of the foot. Thule’s Slide Bar (below) works with the ‘532’ carrier to hold up to four bikes.

Shimano now offers coloured reels of cable best suited to boosting workshop margins

The firm’s more traditional product has a new flagship item too, thanks to the introduction of the Adventurer 3500. This 3.5inch wide mapping device comes fully loaded with GB maps and comes boxed with a silicone protection sleeve and quick-release bar mount.

SHIMANO Groupsets aside, Shimano has picked up on dealer grumbles about basic workshop and shop floor extras such as cabling. There are now several colours of workshop cable reel, as well as packaged units for road bike gear and brake systems.

Road specialists should also take note of the new C35 wheel, pitched as an “all-round, do everything” road wheel. Striking a balance between weight, aerodynamics and stiffness, customers will be able to take home a wheelset

BIKEBIZ.COM

for just £1,800.

Furthermore, the RS80 C50 is new to the line and pitched as an Ultegra level wheel, but sub£1,000 a pair. In fact, a wheelset will only cost £900 and the rear wheel holds a titanium freehub body.

KRYPTONITE Kryptonite’s Don Warren had made a special trip to the UK to meet retailers and discuss the firm’s link up with Bike Revolution.

The partnership has materialised in the form of an ID tag system, which when applied to a bike, creates a permanent, scannable link to an online registration of the bike and owners

details. Thieves could attempt to remove the tag, of course, but it’d be incredibly slow work thanks to a sticker that ‘chips’, as opposed to peeling off. Even if the thief were to be successful in damaging the barcode, a ‘Pulse ID code, found below, would also have to be removed to prevent identification.

Once registered online, a customer can use social networking links to make everyone aware of their bike and its status. Bike Revolution tags are now in stock at Madison.

Another of the firm’s quirky products was the interchangeable sheaths that now allow owners of the Mini Five and Seven D locks to customise theirs to match their bike. At £4.99 a pop, dealers can offer these as an add-on purchase on all Mini locks sold.

Don Warren (above) discussed Kryptonite’s ID Tag partnership with Bike Revolution

BLACKBURN Horizons are expanding for Blackburn meaning dealers can for the first time pick up a range of Blackburn branded saddlebags, panniers and grocery bag solutions – some developed alongside specialists Rixen and Kaul.

>>>

BIKEBIZ MARCH 25

SHOW REVIEW | ICEBIKE*2011

at £12.99 RRP and rising >>> to Starting £30, the saddlebag line and ‘Strap Wallet’ are now in stock with Madison.

Blackburn’s wallet is designed for those who don’t get on with saddlebags and would prefer something to snugly fit in a jersey pocket.

What’s more, for fans of Blackburn product, the wallet is designed to accommodate the Airstick SL pump and Toolmanator multitool.

A spokesman for Blackburn also revealed to BikeBiz that the lock range currently debuting in the US may eventually find its way to the UK as the line expands.

Stockists should also be aware that the popular ‘Click’ light, debuted at last year’s iceBike*, now comes in ten colours. The Flea 2.0 USB light has also been updated to include an LED that indicates how much power remains.

told BikeBiz that next year will bring many more women’s specific goods too. “Next year the line broadens past the current one model – the Espada – which this year is the only women’s shoe.”

Visit BikeBiz.com and search Giro shoes for a detailed spotlight on the brand, that was originally run in the February issue.

Simon Fisher (left) of Giro’s soft goods division gave many the guided tour of the seven shoe line

PACIFIC OUTDOORS For the majority of iceBike* attendees, this will have been the first viewing of the Pacific Outdoors line in its entirety. For those who don’t know much about the brand, there’s a few differentiating features, such as you’ll not find any stitching within the line.

Waterproofing is key and as such, joins are ‘welded’ together at 170 degrees.

Three types of bag fit into Madison’s portfolio – Expedition panniers, the City range and a line of lightweight solutions utilising a thinner version of the waterproof material employed on all other product.

As you’d expect, the City line caters for the cycle commuter and as such has all the appropriate internal pockets for laptops, MP3 players and the like. The Expedition line, again does what it says on the tin, providing a durable and resistant line suited to long days in the saddle.

The majority of stock lands with Madison in mid-April, so retailers should keep a close eye on the distributor’s B2B, if interested.

SCIENCE IN SPORT There’s one new item in the diverse Science In Sport line that was tried and tested by the iceBike* faithful – the Smart 1 powder mix, designed for use in water bottles.

Having been developed alongside pro tour teams like Saxobank and Team Leopard Trek, the blend revolves around caffeine and is best used to drive the metabolism of carbohydrates in order to keep the rider alert.

Two flavours, Green Tea and Lemon, as well as Berry are now in stock with Madison, retailing at £10 for a 500-gram tub, or £1.67 in pre-mixed gel form. Point-of-sale support is available on request.

Pacific Outdoors is one of Madison’s most recent additions to the portfolio (above)

GIRO The full seven model line of Giro shoes, in all sizes, were on show to iceBike*’s crowds, giving anyone who has not yet had the chance to sample the Retul-developed ‘Supernatural Fit Kit’ a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Supplied with the Prolight SLX, Factor and Code models, a Giro footwear customer takes away the three-size footbed altering kit, (pictured top right, page 25) meaning the fit within either shoe can be tailored to the contours of the foot.

Simon Fisher from Giro’s soft goods division

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BIKEBIZ.COM

ChickenDedacciai 230x315

15/2/11

5 REASONS TO STOCK DEDACCIAI 1. The impressive new Dedacciai Strada range is now available in the UK and looking for dealers with territory available.

2. Impressive specifications.

Prices from SRP ÂŁ1769.99 for a full carbon Veloce equipped bike.

3. Impressive designs that stand out from the ordinary.

4. Impressive build quality through use of AWP, a unique advanced technology for carbon manufacturing, which makes the frames 18.5% stiffer than the traditional Monocoque process and 15g lighter in weight.

5. Impressive reputation built over many years by working side by side with top pro riders like Armstrong, Ulrich and Bettini and mechanics from the big pro teams.

See www.chickenb2b.co.uk for all the details.

CH CKENCYCLE-KIT THE PERFECT BIKE

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Page 2

SHOW REVIEW | EXPO 2011

Zipp-edy day!

There’s a lot of product coming Fisher’s way, including items from Zipp, CST and Bike Eye, SRAM, Look, Troy Lee and many more. Jonathon Harker summarises the action at last month’s Expo...

FISHER OUTDOOR Leisure’s Expo headed back to Sopwell House this year, at what Fisher’s sales and brand management director Mike Cook tells BikeBiz is “Expo’s best venue yet”.

This time round the show took more space than in its Sopwell House debut in 2010, and show attendance has ballooned, bolstering that perception that cycling is beating the crunch and VAT rise. No doubt also buoyed by its clever timing timing in the same week as Madison’s iceBike* – giving dealers two strong reasons to come to the home counties in late Feb – the show had plenty to attract dealers, not least the arrival of Zipp, bringing all of SRAM’s brands under the one room of the St Albans-set distributor.

The attendance of SRAM’s own founder and president Stan Day was a highlight of the show.

While BikeBiz missed out on meeting the company founder, retailers reportedly lapped

up the chance to hear the man speak, with Pennine Cycles’ Paul and Sandra Corcoran telling BikeBiz it was a great opportunity to meet one of the key players behind the brand.

Kansi returned to the site of it’s trade debut at Expo

ZIPP AND SRAM Zipp’s arrival was undoubtedly one of the Expo headlines, with Fisher offering the full range including the Firecrest 404 and 808, both of which are easy to handle and, naturally, fast, with Firecrest rims offering stable and predictable handing in real world conditions.

Other SRAM-based highlights include the new 2011 Avid Code and X0 brakes. The Code R is tougher and offers more power without cutting control. Rockshox’s Sektor range also drew the crowds, featuring external rebound adjustment and sporting 32mm upper tubes, the Sektor is designed to provide maximum responsiveness and control. SRAM’s

2x10 groupset remains a key product while the Reverb seatpost also attracted much attention.

Offering 125mm of height adjustment the Reverb has a weather-protecting custom sealing system.

CST CST brought a wealth of product to its inaugural Expo, including the Firenze allrounder tyres. Developed for the European market they feature a grooved-slick tread design and a reflective sidewall for improved visibility in the dark. CST also offers the Sumo and Speed, the latter a lightweight fast rolling urban tyre. CST also produces the Czar tyre, available in a multitude of colours.

SANTINI This year the prestigious Santini has incorporated a range suitable for wear on and

Airace’s Fit Tele pumps

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SHOW REVIEW | EXPO 2011

telescopic pumps truly are pocketsized and retail at £21.99. off the bike – the Downtown range, including the Paris double layer stretch jacket. Paris features an internal elasticated windbreaker zip, two zipped front pockets and one rear zip pocket. Aside from Downtown, the Smart bib shorts feature the innovative NAT chamois pad. Designed around the anatomy of the rider the NAT thoughtfully offers high levels of shock absorption and heat resistance with no stitching coming into contact with the skin, affording maximum comfort to the rider.

Santini is now also offering a new custom/team clothing facility in the UK, for the first time ever.

BASIL Appealing beyond the traditional cycle market, Basil’s bike baskets and bags have been updated with new styles. The threerange Baboushka doll print bags look the business for fashion fans while also offering water repellent material with double reflection strips. The Basil Select range is a three-bag line-up pitched at commuters or tourers looking for a spot of added style. Boasting a plethora of storage pockets, Select bags start at £29.99 and rise up to £39.99 RRP. AIRACE Launched last year, the well received Airace has seven new products, including the Speed F2 – a floor and hand pump, with integrated flex hose. Available in chrome and white, Speed F2 retails at £32.99. The Dual Jet is a hand tyre pump – ideal for those trail emergencies, retailing at £27.99. Other highlights include the new Infinity P, with a plastic sleeve and window showcasing the aluminium barrel, providing 80 psi at £49.99. Airrace’s attentiongrabbing Fit Tele comes in Road (100 psi) and MTB (80 psi) versions, in red, blue, yellow and the ubiquitous black. The

BIKEBIZ.COM

BLUEGRASS MET’s brand new Bluegrass brand aims to provide premium protection at lower prices, providing an entry into the protection market. The stand caused a stiar at the show, with a range destined to appeal to the fashion-conscious market. Fisher has high hopes for the Bluegrass brand and expects more competitive cyclists to pick up the brand as the year progresses. As detailed on BikeBiz.com, the range includes full face and BMX style helmets as well as elbow and knee pads.

BLOC Eyewear brand Bloc’s Shadow is an enhanced version of the Leopard. Bloc now sponsors triathletes who had an input in the design of the specs, including the length of the arms.

It was found that the Leopard’s long arms poked into the helmet, so the Shadow sports shorter, more rounded arms. It also includes deeper lenses to provide better eye cover and comes in white. The Stealth is now available in white too.

MASTERLOCK Masterlock has spent decades in the lock business but last year was a biggy for the firm, seeing sales double in 2010, the firm tells BikeBiz. More specifically for cycling, the firm’s Sold Secure D-Lock has been a key and Fisher asked for a smaller version, which has duly been created with the prototype available at Expo. Developing last year’s more colourful approach to the market, Masterlock has a wealth of new hues on a wider range of its products, including the quirky cufflock.

Packaging is set to change over the coming year, with ‘less is more versions letting customers get their hands on the product. The change will also reflect the logo’s change to yellow from orange. Masterlock also has a clever portable safe in the works that locks to the bike (or rider) while keeping phones, wallets and the like safe on rides.

KANSI Right from the off, Kansi has focused on individualism, offering customers stickers with which they can emblazon their rides as they choose – pink and green being particular

MET’s new Bluegrass brand caused a stir at Expo 2011

favourites, Fisher revealed to BikeBiz. Now one year on from launch, the brand is continuing in that vein by offering accessories to further indvidualise those bikes. Those accessories include a Kansi carry bag, coloured pedals, folding pedals, mudguards and more.

LOOK The phenomenally light Look 695, first revealed last year, attracted admiring glances at Expo, but newer offerings from the brand include the Keo Blades Titanium and Keo Blade Aero. Used by the yellow and green jerseys at the 2010 Tour, the Titanium is priced at £274.99 and features an INOX steel plate contact area that is 31 per cent lager and 17 per cent wider than the Keo Carbon pedal. It weighs a mere 95g per pedal, while the Aero was created to reduce drag and improve airflow while pedalling.

TROY LEE The evergreen Steve McQueen was present at Expo through a range of licenced apparel from Troy Lee, a brand celebrating its thirtieth birthday in 2011. Aside from the cooler king, Troy Lee’s new range includes redesigned GP and GP Air ranges and the new D3 Composite, launched at £399.99 RRP, follows in the footsteps of the popular D3 Carbon.

Other highlights include the new Range 2 from Norco – a MTB incorporating Advanced Ride Technology suspension, the latest step in the four-bar FSR suspension platform delivering 160mm of suspension travel at the rear wheel.

Expo also saw Fisher release the ‘Fisher Essentials’ catalogue, containing P&A everyday, well, essentials, for bike shops. To see what else you missed at Expo 2011, head over to www.fisheroutdoorleisure.co.uk.

BIKEBIZ MARCH 29

BRAND SPOTLIGHT | CAMELBAK

The Texas hydration

backpacker…

CamelBak’s origins stem from an IV bag and a tube sock combined to allow paramedic Michael Eidson to ride a100-mile bike race in the Texan heat. Mark Sutton finds out from Zyro brand manager Richard Samuels how the line has evolved over the years from that slightly bizarre creation…

What major evolutions have come about as CamelBak has developed?

CamelBak’s crown jewel remains its patented Big Bite Valve, a one-piece, medical-grade silicone valve that self seals and offers intuitive drinking. Omega reservoirs also lead the way in terms of bombproof reliability, carrying a lifetime guarantee.

Sustainability and reusability is a further cornerstone of CamelBak’s work as the firm challenges the bottled-water market. Many consumers do not like to drink tap water because of ‘taste’ issues. By introducing products such as the Fresh Reservoir filter and the Groove bottle that reduces chlorine, taste and odour, fresh potable water can be filtered on demand to taste great.

For 2011, CamelBak has introduced the Antidote reservoir, which brings new levels of customisation to the market, plus a new system for integrating the reservoir into the CamelBak pack that keeps the water more stable and closer to your centre of gravity than ever before.

Further to that, this year also sees the introduction of the ‘Got Your Bak’ guarantee, which comprehensively covers packs, reservoir or bottles with a lifetime guarantee.

CamelBak were also the first manufacturer to introduce BPA-free Tritan bottles to the market when concerns over the Bisphenol-A within polycarbonate lead to countries banning the material.

Which other markets does the firm now cater for?

There’s product for the specialist outdoor sector, including running and triathlon-suited BIKEBIZ.COM

items. Then there’s also gear that can be used in motorsport, as well as specialist product for the Governmental, military and industrial sectors.

Rucksack hydration packs aside, what other goods are manufactured by CamelBak? Bottles, wearable hydration vests and various reservoirs suitable for retrofitting to other OEM packs. Further to the core line, there are accessories including insulated and thermal control tubes, taste filters as well as digital flow meters, reservoir cleaning kits, including soluble cleaning tablets and specially designed cleaning brushes.

Richard Samuels, Zyro’s CamelBak brand manager

Can energy supplements be used with CamelBak bladders?

Yes, and with no degrading of materials.

Customers doing this should be reminded to clean and dry reservoirs after every use.

Hydroguard anti-microbial protection goes a long way to improving hygiene within a reservoir. The technology comes integrated into the Antidote and Omega reservoir films, Pureflow tube linings and the Trutaste polypropylene of the Podium bottle range. This permanent silver-ion treatment eliminates up to 99.99 per cent of bacteria and fungus.

What product is available to turn standard rucksacks into hydration backpacks?

The Antidote Reservoir is a big-seller, though requires the customer’s rucksack to have a hydration sleeve.

It is important to distinguish between hydration compatibility and CamelBak’s preferred methods of hydration integration.

Many OEM rucksacks claim to be hydration

compatible, but in reality, the reservoir simply sits within the main cargo compartment of the pack, taking up valuable space.

This is also where CamelBak’s value comes to the fore, as the combination of an OEM pack and aftermarket reservoir is frequently more expensive than buying one of CamelBak’s fully integrated hydration systems.

How can interested retailers take stock of CamelBak? Simply spend £250 or more to open an account with Zyro. This can be via our business-to-business site, found at www.zyrob2b.co.uk, or dealers can get in touch by phone at 01845 521742 for all sales and product enquiries.

What marketing plans are in place for the brand in 2011?

There are two reservoir advertising campaigns pushing out in various road, MTB and specialist outdoor titles throughout 2011; with similar campaigns also planned to support the new CamelBak bottle pushes.

Among the 52 bottles on sale right now, the Podium Big Chill and Groove Tritan BPA-free line will receive a big push.

Can Zyro offer any point-of-sale material or promotional material?

At present, all available POS is in the market in the form of wooden displays. Header boards are available through Zyro, but we will also be launching an additional bottle-specific unit in the near future. 545mm wide slat wall headerboards are available from Zyro, just drop us a line on 01845 521742.

BIKEBIZ MARCH 31

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EVENT PREVIEW | CYCLE SHOW

Cycle Show gears up for tenth year

LOWER COSTS for exhibitors, higher attendance, more extensive marketing and a more central location. Those are just some of the features and expectations for this year’s Cycle Show.

As you doubtless know by now, Cycle Show will take place over September 29th to October 2nd 2011 at a new location for the event – NEC, Birmingham. This year is also Cycle Show’s tenth as a showcase for the new season’s products and everything cycle-related.

Upper Street Events, the organising company behind the event, say the show’s move to a more central location is the perfect way to celebrate its first decade in the business. The firm said: “[The move] has received overwhelming support from the trade, who view the move as a great opportunity to deliver on even greater trade and consumer visitor numbers.”

And why so confident? The area’s strong network of national transport links are a key factor, making the NEC accessible to a large audience and – through the location of the nearby airport –

making it easy for international exhibitors and visitors to get to the show.

Cycle Show 2011 will blend new products with cycle displays and much more

BIKEBIZ.COM

One of the most noticeable changes in the 2011 event calendar is Cycle Show’s move to Birmingham. BikeBiz quizzes Upper Street Events on the move...

EXHIBITOR COSTS Another key element in the appeal of an NECbased Cycle Show is a reduction in the cost of exhibiting at the event. Space-only costs have decreased by £25 per m2 compared with last year, and decreases still further over 100 m2 and 200 m2.

The Cycle Show has up-weighted its marketing spend to comprehensively cover the larger catchment area too, and to target the ABC1 demographic. With the new visitors added to the already very loyal visitor base, a total audience of 35,000 visitors is forecast.

Considering the show, when set in London, hit nearer 25,000 visitors, that’s a significant predicted uplift.

The Cycle Show has already signed up ambassadors for 2011, including Olympic and World Team champion Ed Clancy and BMX rider Ben Hennon.

The show itself will feature brand new road and mountain bike outdoor demo tracks, which will offer visitors an authentic ride experience and on the off-road track, a chance to get muddy (see inset).

Cycle Show event director Andrew Brabazon said: “It was very sad to hear of the passing of Bob Chicken. It was Bob’s original vision for ‘One Big Show’ for the industry; we will always be grateful for his enthusiasm, drive and tenacity, without which the Cycle Show may never have happened.

“We are really excited by the move to our new home at the NEC. It gives us the opportunity to deliver features that will take our visitor experience to a whole new level.

“With the support of the industry, we have come a long way in ten years and what better way to celebrate than to invite the whole country to the show.”

Trade and press day for the Cycle Show 2011 will be September 29th, with the show then open to the public until October 2nd.

Exhibitor enquiries please contact Damian Watson on 020 7288 6645 or email damianw@upperstreetevents.co.uk

2011 CYCLE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: New outdoor ‘try out’ tracks where visitors test road and mountain bikes through forest and on tarmac for a real demo experience.

2012 bicycle launches from the world’s leading brands BMX street course and competitions with the world’s top BMX riders 1,000 seat arena and interviews with the worlds biggest cycling celebrities Bigger cycle store with the very latest clothing and accessories Kids’ test track Indoor triathlon Demonstrations and expert advice sessions Cycling for disabled people

BIKEBIZ MARCH 33

34 BIKEBIZ MARCH

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BRAND SPOTLIGHT | EUROBIKE

British Classic…

Nearly two years on from forming a small distribution outfit focused on unique and exotic product, Eurobike’s Russ Masters tells Mark Sutton that it’s time to consolidate the firm’s rapid growth and introduce its portfolio to a wider audience…

Eurobike, though still young, is a growing name. How do you feel the first two years’ business have gone?

Eurobike Ltd is about to complete its second year and we feel that we have ‘turned a corner’ in terms of recognition. We are extremely happy with how the business is growing. When myself and Paul set out we had a clear goal in mind and I would like to think that we are totally on that target still.

We had a booth at Eurobike last year and the interest from the UK dealers was extremely positive. Overseas dealers from as far as Australia and New Zealand, came on the booth and went through the range with much interest, as a result of that show we have sent product to Holland and Belgium.

We took good forward orders at our UK shows for 2011 stock and our dealer base has increased accordingly.

What’s next for Eurobike – any predictions for the next two years of business?

For the next two years we really need to build on the initial success and response to the brands. We have always set out to have a fiveyear growth plan for Moda Bicycles in particular and this is on track.

What was the thinking behind branching out into titanium?

Our recent launch of titanium models has had pleasing success. We were careful to choose the right manufacturing partner to supply our frames and we are delighted with the results.

The attention to detail is outstanding and we not only supply complete bikes in road, track and MTB, but can also supply frame kits, something that gives us an edge.

There have been a few brand additions that some may not have heard as yet – can you fill us in on Bebop and Ultimate Ceramic?

Our most recent addition to the brand portfolio was the acquisition of Be-Bop pedals, which we spied at Eurobike (Germany) a year ago. We were taken by several aspects of the brand, notably the weight, and ease of use. This combined with a neat and concise model range fitted the existing brands well. Ultimate Ceramic Bearings was a product that was introduced to us and had instant appeal, anybody seeing this product for the first time remembers it. Again, much like Be-Bop, the fit with our business was instant, as we are always interested in brands that have an exclusive and exotic side to them.

Tell us about the feedback you’ve had to the Moda line through recent shows: Feedback for the Moda brand has been superb.

BIKEBIZ.COM

Now the bike line covers a variety of categories – how do you progress?

The Moda range, in the future, will start to diversify into a longer-travel freeride bike, as well as a women’s specific range.

Is the Cycle to Work price bracket as important to the Moda line as it was in the early days?

The Cycle to Work scheme, although very important, has not been our range driver. Our bikes start at £999 and building a bike around this price point is crucial. Our ‘Rubato’ and ‘Bolero’ models hit this price squarely and we believe them to be the best value for money road bikes shoehorned into the sub £1,000 bracket. We simply like to build great value for money bikes that perform.

How much of making a Moda come to life is done in the UK? We use the tag line ‘UK Born Bikes’ and this is the philosophy behind the brand. Each model is solely designed by us, with input from all over.

This is then translated to our frame supplier.

Once we have received the frame in the building we then go into the build process here in Derby. Everything from here on in is done inhouse. We spec the bikes carefully, catering to our customer’s needs. If a dealer has a preference on a build with chain set, or stem length, this is adjusted and sent out accordingly. This flexibility is something that we really want to shout about as no other brands can offer this level of service.

Russ Masters Are you still recruiting dealers to carry the bike line?

We are still pursuing dealers in areas not yet covered and welcome trade enquiries. Eurobike maintains its stance on dealing with dedicated independent bike shops, as we strongly believe this is where the future of the trade lies.

American Classic now has its own production, can you tell us more about the benefits of this?

American Classic does indeed have its own production facility and because of this they can offer complete control over not only the design, but as importantly the quality control.

American Classic continues to grow and gain positive feedback. Comments such as ‘lightest’ and ‘fastest spinning’ have been common from journalists recently. As far as the consumer comments, they repeatedly report on the value for money package. 29ers particularly are flying out the door at present as the consumer looks for an upgrade to the bikes for 2011.

BIKEBIZ MARCH 35

MEDIA SPECIAL | THE DIGITAL AGE OF PUBLISHING

The iPrint age…

Many expected print would have met its demise by now, yet somehow it battles on. Mark Sutton talks to ten publishers, large and small, old and new to find out how each is performing and what evolution is required to keep the media business alive…

Future Publishing As one of the few publishers to take part in the Audit Bureau of Circulation’s annual gathering of statistics, Future Publishing’s magazines have made both measurable gains and losses.

The big news is that Mountain Biking UK, the flagship title in terms of figures to date, has been leapfrogged by roadie bible Cycling Plus.

Group publisher for the sports division Katherine Raderecht tells BikeBiz: “This is down to the road side of the business growing each and every year. Cycling Plus has, in fact, grown its circulation for 11 straight years and that’s largely down to the middle-aged man taking up cycling.”

Over half of the 44,683 copies sold on an average issue are via the newsstand, though subscriptions are heading on for 17,000, showing a growing commitment to the sector from Future’s readers.

So what’s happening to the former mountain biking stronghold MBUK? Last year, total average net circulation per issue stood at 41,772 and this year that figure has dipped below 40k to 38,482.

Raderecht added: “The UK mountain bike market is changing. Recent research by Future shows that the number of riders under 16 is declining, while the 25 to 44 age group is growing. Mountain Biking UK’s heritage as the only magazine for all mountain bikers means we have to work harder than ever to ensure we remain relevant in this changing environment.

A major redesign of the magazine will go on

BIKEBIZ.COM

Cycling Plus is now Future’s highest circulating cycle title per issue

sale in May, designed to engage all mountain bikers through four key editorial pillars: news; reviews; routes and riding; and tech knowhow, all served up in MBUK’s own inimitable style.”

Digital is recognised as a crucial pillar in the framework of the publisher’s stable going forwards. In the year to 2010 the number of global unique visits to Future’s online sites increased by 32 per cent to 19.6 million, while UK uniques grew by 45 per cent to 4.8 million.

Pro Cycling is the first of many cycling phone and tablet compatible applications, something which Future editor in chief for iPad and tablet editions, Mike Goldsmith, says is “the perfect showcase for the diverse line of photography and video content” generated through the publisher’s action sports titles.

Factory Media Encompassing Factory Media’s online portfolio, Mpora.com remains Europe’s largest action sports website, drawing around 3.8 million unique visitors users monthly and streaming around two million bike related videos per month, according to the publisher.

With a tech-savvy, well-travelled readership, Factory Media has early to create iPhone apps for its print titles. Initially the apps were just page-turning replicas of the magazine, however the second generation app allows the editorial staff to create alternative pages for the app, with live links, video content and even an automatically updated news

>>>

BIKEBIZ MARCH 37

MEDIA SPECIAL | THE DIGITAL AGE OF PUBLISHING

>>>

feed, or social media feed, so each time the issue is revisited it has changed. During 2010, total app sales grew by 26 per cent, with subscription sales up 343 per cent, Factory tells BikeBiz. The Bicycle Buyer is described as a ‘priority title’ for Factory Media in 2011, having secured strong newsstand listings in 2010, including in WH Smith stores, as well as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. Newstand sales grew three per cent through 2010 and should continue to grow given the publisher’s plan to extend each copies shelf life with more content per issue. A digital version of each edition is now available free-of-charge for iPhone and iPad users.

Further to this, each issue is distributed to over 2,000 independent retailers.

Following a rollercoaster year across its BMX titles, the publisher intends to move on from losing a few key staff, including ex-Ride UK editor Steve Bancroft. Despite setbacks, newsstand sales are reported to be up five per cent, while subscriptions top a rise of ten per cent. Continued cover promotion investment in stickers, posters and DVD gifts saw average sales uplifts of 39 per cent. On top of this, the Ride to Glory 2010 DVD issue had an incredible year, with the highest sales ever achieved since its inception three years ago, and the highest issue sale in nine years.

Road.cc publishers Farrelly Atkinson also handle Cyclescheme’s bi-annual magazine – Cycle Commuter

CTC magazine “AS CTC membership grows, CTC’s awardwinning magazine ‘Cycle’ maintains it’s position as the UK’s highest circulation cycling title – landing on doorsteps of over 63,000 members,” CTC commercial director Nick Fish tells BikeBiz. “With the most diverse readership in cycling and substantial growth in commuter and sportive members in 2010, Cycle magazine directly reflects the interests of cyclists visiting UK bike shops. To further cater for ‘special interests’, Cycle magazine has added unique editorial to each issue in the form of special features focussing in on one specific cycling ‘tribe’ activity. Rolling across the six issues each year ‘Cycle’ magazine focuses on – new season bikes and equipment, Touring, Sportive, MTB, Commuter and Family/Leisure in addition to content for all. Cycle magazine is posted directly to members of the CTC and therefore has a guaranteed circulation.”

Road.cc YEAR-ON-YEAR figures for Road.cc are very impressive, even for a still relatively young website. Having seen the Google Analytics report, BikeBiz can confirm in the past 12 months Road.cc has generated over eight million page views, a 144 per cent year-on-year growth. There have been 1,477,358 unique users over the past 12 months, too, which is 158 per cent more than the prior year’s statistic.

During the website’s 2010 Autumn peak, over one million page views per month, combined with 210,000 unique visitors were being recorded. The site’s editors now tell BikeBiz it is anticipated that these records could soon become normal as part of the site’s continued steep growth trajectory.

Farrelly Atkinson, the publishers of Road.cc and Cyclescheme’s Cycle Commuter magazine, told BikeBiz: “It’s been a bumper year as the figures show and we still continue to nurture and grow the Road.cc community of users by continuing with comprehensive news coverage and in-depth product reviews. In March, the site is to receive additional fitness and travel sections. Further to this, we’re the media partner to the Sunday Munch sportive at Mountain Mayhem, as well as partnering with Evans Cycles for a Fantasy Cycling competition.”

Cycle Commuter is this year to circulate more than 35,000 copies per issue of its biannual look at the commuter market. The magazines are distributed via dealers, distributors, manufacturers, supporting organisations, human resource departments of the thousands of employers that are signed up to Cyclescheme and through the 500-plus road shows for employers that Cyclescheme arrange each year.

38 BIKEBIZ MARCH

Case BMX UP UNTIL the recent announcement that Albion BMX was to launch, Case was the only BMX-dedicated title to sit on counter tops and go out to customers free-of-charge.

Editor Mike Netley tells BikeBiz despite the new competition he’s confident Case

Case and The Albion are both distributed free of charge in bike shops

can continue to progress. “It’s been slow progress, but steady. We’ve grown a lot, we are growing constantly, and will continue to regardless of the position of other titles new and old on the market. That I’m sure of,” assures Netley.

“Over the next couple of issues we will be working really hard on creating original and artistic cover ideas, like the screen printed issue five, and as far as behind the scenes business goes, we are looking into production of the magazine in the USA and also to make the magazine bi-monthly.”

January of this year saw Case put on it’s first BMX jam at The Works skatepark in Leeds. “The turn out was amazing,” said Netley. Look out for a Case magazine trails jam to come to fruition over the next few months, too.”

Netley concludes with a message of thanks: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has picked up a copy of Case, bought a shirt, ran an advert, distributed the magazine, or simply said a kind word to us about all the hard work that goes into this project each issue. An extra special thanks to my friends and family and most importantly Louis Smith and Ollie Reeve.”

The Albion LAUNCHING April 1st, The Albion is the brainchild of photographer and pro rider Daniel Benson, ex-editor of Ride UK Steve Bancroft, George Marshall and Tim March.

Confirming that the launch is definitely not an April fools, March tells BikeBiz: “The Albion was started by four of us with our own money. We have no backer, but our own credit cards and piggy banks. I, the old man on the mountain, am older than old school and will be publishing the mag. Steve Bancroft has been on the scene since he was a kid. George

BIKEBIZ.COM

MEDIA SPECIAL | THE DIGITAL AGE OF PUBLISHING

The South West is also to benefit from a further diversification in the business model.

Shred Events is now to offer mountain bike, road and multisport events including the Shred Classic, Deer Hunter Duathlon and RaceFacesponsored Circus of Dirt.

During the winter of 2010, the publisher also linked with the National Trust, creating its own racing team, which will tackle both regional and national events. Again, this team officially launches in March, taking part in cross country and road rides.

A to B

Marshall and Daniel Benson have been itinerant wanderers after a good time that involves BMX bikes.”

Slapping down the presumption that the magazine will be solely for the older, discerning rider, March added: “We haven’t singled out one group of riders to focus on. The Albion will be full of quality content cover-to-cover that will be enjoyed all riders regardless of age, from the ten year getting their first bike, to the 40 year old rider who can’t bare to throw away his old VHS riding videos. We have all agreed that we didn’t want to worry about running full pages of text if the article requires it. I’d hate to think BMXers couldn’t tackle a full page of writing.”

The Albion will be distributed by a number of wholesalers and retail stores. All, account holding BMX shops will be supplied by 4Down, Seventies, CSG UK and Mint Distribution, as well as by the mail order shops like Alans, Edwardes, Volt, The Source, Crucial, Alpha and Evans among others. If a shop advertises they’ll be sent a stack of mags and POS to display them in.

The only detail March dare tell BikeBiz about the first issue was simply “we have an exclusive interview with a superhero.” Intriguing stuff.

Triathlete’s World Since launch in February 2009, Triathlete’s World has become a favoured source for information on training, events and kit reviews within the sector among new and improving triathletes up and down the UK. The publisher’s subscriptions are up more than 100 per cent year-on-year and its Audit Bureau of Circulation figure, published on February 17th 2011, saw average monthly circulation rise to 13,160.

The firm also launched www.triathletesworld.co.uk in December 2009 to complement the magazine and the website now boasts 35,000 unique users a month.

Alison Hamlett, editor of the magazine tells BikeBiz: “We’re proud of this growth in a tough market and plan to build on it throughout 2011 and beyond.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

Hamlett was also awarded ‘Editor of the Year 2010’ in the Sport, Leisure and Health category by the British Society of Magazine Editors.

Singletrack Having just broken through 5,000 subscribers, BikeBiz Award winner Singletrack’s fortunes are on the up. This time two years ago the publisher was rebuilding its website after an invasion by hackers.

This time around the online portal is recording around 450,000 unique users per month, which publisher Mark Alker says is up over 50 per cent compared to the same period 12 months ago.

“In the same period we delivered 7.2 million page views and delivered 48 million ad impressions,” said Alker. “In addition, just short of 2,500 current subscribers regularly access our exclusive premier content on our website.”

The publisher sells on average 14,000 copies per issue, though Alker confirms that digital viewing is the fastest growing format as the internet age has well and truly set in.

Editor Chipps Chippendale adds: “We have plans to ride bigger and further, and then write about it all. Features are now getting so multimedia that journalists have become filmmakers and riders have become stuntmen.

Also, as it’s our tenth anniversary year, so we intend to push that to the limit with reader rides, trade drinks and special merchandise to commemorate the fact.”

Shred has branched into events and now has its own cycling team

2010 was a bit of a rollercoaster, according to A to B publisher David Henshaw, who has also recently published a book dubbed Electric Bicycles, available now through Cordee.

“We’ve been producing ‘A to B’ and its predecessor ‘The Folder’ since 1993 and never seen anything like this. At first the recession did nothing to us, then it hit hard and we lost a lot of subscribers. But things recovered a fair bit in the last months of 2010, so we’re pretty optimistic again,” says Henshaw.

“On top of this has been the change to digital media and digital shopping. We thought the digital version of A to B would take over, but it’s settled at around 15 per cent of the paper numbers. On the other hand, about a third of the paper subscribers now pay a little more to get digital as well, and that seems to be the trend.”

Having decided to take advertising on its website, as many firms moved away from print, Henshaw tells BikeBiz that web revenues now represent 50 per cent of the print figure, a change that occured in very little time.

“With over 1,000 hits a day it reaches a big audience, and they are mainly people looking to buy bikes,” explains Henshaw. “It now looks as though web advertising may overtake print revenues in the next few months. The other big change is in the shear breadth of places your words get to through digital media of various kinds. Ten years ago, we printed a magazine for 2,000 people and by and large that was our readership. Five years later, we grudgingly released an article or two onto the net after six months. Today, anything and everything goes straight out and is openly available to anyone, through dozens of sources.”

Shred Now on the brink of its 55th issue, Shred is still going strong in bike shops around the country.

As is increasingly the case in the media world, Steve Toze’s business is quickly diversifying into events market, as well as moving rapidly with the digital age.

Coming soon, Shred magazine will be available in a downloadable application to be available free-of-charge on iTunes. The application is scheduled to launch during March.

BIKEBIZ MARCH 39

BIKE HUB | UPDATE

From Shetland to

Cornwall

APP HAPPY

Schools from all four corners of the UK are taking part in a bike-boosting initiative. Are you supporting it? Jonathon Harker and Carlton Reid saddle up for The Big Pedal...

AT TIME of print, support for The Big Pedal is already snowballing in schools up and down the land, with over 1,200 planning to take part in the cycling boosting scheme.

With over 230,000 pupils within those schools, the potential number of children that could be taking to their bikes this month to participate in the biking initiative could – and probably will be – huge.

The Big Pedal was born following a Sustransled organised project held last year, the Virtual Bike Race. Originally open to Bike It schools only, 373 schools took and pupils made a mind boggling 288,201 journeys during it – over 461,121 miles made by bike. Those miles were pedalled in aid of becoming the first school to complete 5,224 miles by bicycle.

This year Sustrans is running the scheme again, only this time with the backing of Bike Hub – the cycle industry levy scheme designed to support the future of cycling.

Crucially, this year the initiative has been extended to all schools in the UK, not just those benefiting from a Bike It officer. And the effect has been marked as the figures above show. Over 1,280 schools have signed up, with over 816 registered to take part – well over double that of last year’s Virtual Bike Ride. And those are just the figures at time of going to press, weeks ahead of the deadline. By the time you’re reading this, The Big Pedal will already have begun, with inestimable numbers of bike miles pedalled.

40 BIKEBIZ MARCH

And this isn’t an initiative confined to one part of the country – all corners of the UK have taken up the challenge. Schools from the Shetland Isles, Northern Ireland, Cornwall and Wales have all signed up.

Big Pedal Project Manager Vincent Goodwin said: “With more schools than ever taking part, many more pupils will be inspired to cycle the school journey, perhaps even for the first time.

“This is an exciting opportunity to get more children cycling to school everyday, helping them to lead a much more active – and fun – lifestyle.”

The Big Pedal will run over three weeks and will already by running by the time you are reading this, finishing Friday March 25th.

Children, parents and teachers will be encouraged to get on their bikes to help hit that target.

In a neat piece of dovetailing, 507 of those schools have received Bikeability cycle training, and 179 are Bike It and/or I Bike schools. The Big Pedal also coincides with Bike to School Week (from March 21st to 25th) and schools that are unable to take part in the whole three weeks of the Big Pedal are being invited to take part in the daily stages in the final week. Extra prizes will be available for the winning school in the final week.

So if you see an influx of kids, parents and teachers in your shop over the next couple of weeks, you’ll know why. Download your Big Pedal poster here: http://tinyurl.com/66njhyc

This is an exciting chance to get more children cycling to school everyday.”

Vincent Goodwin, Big Pedal project manager

THE GOOD works of Bike Hub are not just confined to getting thousands of school kids onto their bikes via The Big Pedal. The Bike Hub-funded Bike Hub app for iPhones and Android phones is a cycle journey planner with a difference. Routing via CycleStreets.net and including the Sustrans National Cycle Network, the Bike Hub app also locates the nearest independent bicycle dealers in a six mile radius from wherever the user is.

Now the app is going into an exciting new phase, reaching out to leisure riders as well as those on the urban commute.

Right now, the app routes A to B. The new version will route A to A so people can get suggested tours.

Routes can also be made ‘sticky’ to points of interest, such as churches, National Trust, stately homes, museums and the like.

This will all be exclusive to Bike Hub. Newcastle Cycle Centre owner Jill Hopkirk is an iPhone owner and recently downloaded the app. She said: “It’s really positive to see the industry take the initiative. This is a project that can get new people to start cycling.

“Showing would-be cyclists that it is possible to find quiet routes, without lots of cars, is something done by paper maps produced by cycle campaigns and this app is taking that knowledge and putting it on to mobile devices.

“I love the fact I can be out cycling somewhere new with my little boy, and we’ll always be able to find a quieter way home.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

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INTERVIEW | RAY KEENER

Selling cycling Ray Keener’s Growth Cycle retail training has been followed by 1,600 bike retailers in the US. Now the programme is being opened up to UK IBDs, as BikeBiz finds out...

BIKE RETAILERS visiting Madison’s iceBike* last month got the chance to benefit from a number of seminars led by retail gurus.

One such expert is Ray Keener, president of Growth Cycles, founded by Keener in 1996. A regular writer for US-based Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), Keener created the retail staff training programme following the close of the Bicycle Industry Organisation, of which he was executive director.

Growth Cycles runs a selling cycling training shop programme, run via a DVD – and online, giving retailers the chance to take part in the training in-store.

Keener has produced customised programmes for the likes of Trek, Specialized, Giant, Camelbak, Thule and Mongoose.

So what does the Growth Cycles programme cover? A multitude of points, tactics and skills designed to help bike retailers and staff develop their skills in selling product. Covering a range of bases, the programme features ways of helping distinguishing between casual and expert customers, and covers core competences vital for retailing.

Keener’s H.A.N.D acronym is one of the devices he employs in the training programme as an, erm, handy way for retailers to remember some essential sales techniques. H stands for customer welcome, such as “Hello, how are you?” The A for ask questions, like “what brings you in the store today?”

When the sales man or woman has heard the reply they can then (N) narrow the choices available to the customer, likely through further questions, if necessary. Finally the D is for ‘direct the sale’ – “would you like to buy

BIKEBIZ.COM

included a recommended training strategy for today?” Straightforward, yet to the point and saving no end of wasted time. dealers. Over 70 people filled the room in two It sounds simple, but it’s all designed to look seminars at iceBike*. Attendees were able to after potential purchasers. “If a customer is benefit from a show special on signing up to the Selling Cycling training programme. happy then they’ll buy more,” Keener tells While the seminars would have been the BikeBiz. “And if you can’t sell in 15 minutes first time many UK bike you’re probably not retailers would have doing it right.”

The knowledge gap come across Ray Keener, between staff and the Growth Cycle boss is consumers is just one of a distinctly more familiar the key points of the face in the United States. training driven home by He estimates: “40 per the training. Keener cent of shops in North says: “You have to go America use my down to a customer’s programme.” level as opposed to In fact there are about bringing them up to 1,600 US bike retailers Ray Keener, Growth Cycle registered on the Growth your level of knowledge.”

Cycles programme. The The skills training also includes areas still stores have used the DVD, online videos and relatively new to the industry, such as how to their three components of general sales compete online, and even how to make the techniques, category-specific training and SKUbest use of telephone calls into the shop. specific training – all wrapped up in a snappy “Store branding is key – it’s what sets you easy-to-digest-format. apart,” stresses Keener.

There are samplers of what the training In his seminar Keener addressed the programme has to offer on YouTube on the questions of why bike retailers should bother Growth Cycle channel. to train their staff in sales techniques. He also http://growthcycle.net

“H - Hello, how are you?

A - Ask why the customer visits today N - Narrow choices D - Direct a sale”

Keener has produced custom programmes for the likes of Trek, Specialized, Giant, CamelBak, Thule and Mongoose

BIKEBIZ MARCH 43

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INTERVIEW | CEDRIC GRACIA

Burning rubber Following his deal with Panaracer to produce a signature line of tyres, cycling star Cedric Gracia tells Jonathon Harker what went into the range, and also about his first-hand experience of running his own bike shop...

WHEN TYRE brand Panaracer first announced it was teaming up with former mountain bike World Champion Cedric Gracia at the end of 2008, the resulting line of tyres could have been produced with the minimal involvement from the French mountain biker.

But if anything, the partnership has seen Gracia do the oppostie and work incredibly closely with the Japanese-made brand. Two years after the relationship was formed the firm launched its first tyres and this year the team up will produce another three SKUs to the signature tyre range including the Soft Condition and the CG 29er.

Gracia does, of course, have the kind of unique first-hand experience of cycling in all kinds of conditions across the world that is invaluable in the development of the tyres. But, it turns out, Gracia also has first-hand knowledge of being at the sharp end of bike retail.

Gracia’s racing experience has been utilised in his signature tyre range

“The bike shop I own is in Andorra, but I’m going to have to shut it down. It’s too bad. It was a lot of fun.”

Cedric Gracia “The shop I own is in Andorra, but I’m going to shut it down,” Gracia confesses.

“It’s just so much work and I’m never home. I carried the brands that sponsored me in the shop, but it’s too bad that I have to close it. It was a coffee place as well – you could drink beers and just hang out as well.

Coffee and biking go really well together.”

But this might not be the end of Gracia’s bike shop running days, he

>>>

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 45

RIGHT HEIGHT. The all-new RockShox Reverb gives you 125mm of infinite seat-height adjustment and control of your return speed in a hydraulically actuated remote package giving you the right height, right now.

• • • •

125mm adjustment range Adjustable height-reduction and post speed Quad-lipped energized sealing system Available in 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters

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© 2011 SRAM LLC Distribution UK: www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

INTERVIEW | CEDRIC GRACIA

“I think we are arrogant.

We want to do great stuff and kick ass. The relationship works pretty good and after just two years look at the range we have.”

Cedric Gracia

>>>

reveals to BikeBiz. “If I wasn’t racing then I would definitely do it because it is a lot of fun. I used to make €50k in four months. It was crazy. I sold everything I had. I sold Santa Cruz bikes and had crazy rentals. I had 12 bikes to rent and every bike was gone every day. And it was €100 for a full day – I think that’s ridiculous, but people would pay it. I felt bad, but the price was fixed and we had to do that.”

But future bike retailing aside, we’re here to talk to the shy and retiring cycle star about his partnership with Panaracer.

He takes us through some of the tyre features: “The soft condition is a perfect tyre for here [the UK]. It’s muddy all the time, but it is really good rolling though. Typical mud tyres have knobs that are way too high and you lose so much energy pedalling and they will actually make you slide. A lot of people have problems with them.

“Then we came up with this idea to make the perfect tyre for wet conditions, but not 100 per cent wet condition – just soft condition when it has just been raining and tacky.”

The composition of the tyres has also been an area of focus on the CG range: “All these tyres come with the dual compound – but a progressive layer rather than the old way of doing dual compound, where’s it’s just two compounds side-by-side.

“We can progressively change the consistency of the material in the knob, starting right at the root. It allows for grippyness and flex, giving people control when they need it.

“Tyres are not just about the softness of the rubber – sidewalls are important. If you have shitty side walls you need huge amounts of air and it doesn’t matter how good the design of the tyre is.

“We have to make a good balance. We don’t want to piss people off. People want everything. They don’t realise there’s a compromise.”

The tyres are growing in distribution and reputation, Gracia says: “We’re in places as varied as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand,

BIKEBIZ.COM

Gracia led the annual night ride at Zyro’s Open House this year

Russia. I think we’re getting known now. The name [Panaracer] has been known for a long time now but I think with younger people maybe not as much.

“Now with the aggressive marketing we’re doing, with an aggressive design we’re basically answering all those questions from people; ‘What about if it’s muddy?’ ‘we have the tyre for that’, or ‘what about if it’s between two conditions?’ ‘we have it’… we have it all.”

The pairing won’t stop here, Panaracer’s international go-to-guy Jeff Zell tells BikeBiz: “We envisage having 20 different tyres over the course of the next five years. And that’s not including the different SKUs we have within each tyre type – like 29 is getting popular. But if people want to take it bigger – we can already answer to those guys. If it’s going that way. We worked a lot to get these tyres right. “ Now an Andorra resident, Gracia has ridden for the likes of Cannondale and Commencal, and spent time as a professional skier. His first love was BMX: “I knew nothing about mountain biking. I had no MTB culture. I had BMX culture. After that I kind of liked it and especially after I started to hang around with a couple of American guys.”

Gracia also now finds time to run a marketing agency to promote cyclists: “It’s always hard to talk about yourself and sell yourself to a new sponsor and I started to do it and it was so much work for so little money... we started to do some events too.”

“I work with many companies, but I spend most of my time with Panaracer.

“I think we are arrogant. We want to do great stuff and we don’t care who is against us.

We just want to do it and show everyone.

Some of the people in mountain biking are so arrogant and I just want to kick their ass.

“I think [the relationship] works pretty good and after just two years, look at all the range we have. We are going somewhere. It is important. It’s exciting to me.”

BIKEBIZ MARCH 47

ACT | UTILITY COSTS

Beat the energy price rises After the phenomenal response to ActSmart’s free business banking offer in February’s BikeBiz, they now unveil how to cut utility costs...

THE RECENT BikeBiz survey identified that over a third of retailers are concerned about the impact of rising utility bills – not a surprise when you consider the constant oil and gas price rise stories in the media.

Money saving expert Martin Lewis often uses the example of “how would you feel

Due to the tough winter draining reserve energy stocks to the lowest level on record, pricing is only likely to get worse and this is the best time to take action. taking six £50 notes and setting light to them… because that’s exactly what you’re doing by not keeping on top of your energy contract”.

On a standard tariff you will typically pay £1,200 a year for energy supplies, compared to the £900 annual rate available on one of the best online deals. But be warned, even if you have taken advantage of an online deal, these often expire after a year and the prices return to the higher standard tariffs. This highlights another key problem – the time involved in

48 BIKEBIZ MARCH

picking your way through the myriad of provider prices and varying formats available to you. At no point is it explained why prices keep going up and how to combat the dramatic impact upon business users. So, when you’re locked into a contract for a fixed period, how can you save money?

ActSmart’s partnership with GET Solutions means they will assess your needs, compare the market and negotiate for you. GET will also monitor your energy contract to ensure that you don’t roll over onto expensive out of contract rates at the end of your agreed term.

Due to the tough winter draining reserve energy stocks to the lowest level on record, pricing is only likely to get worse and this is the best time to take action.

For full details of how the scheme works visit www.actsmart.biz and see ‘Electricity & Gas’ or contact ActSmart on 0845 618 7256 or info@actsmart.biz.

ACTSMART MEMBERS CAN SAVE MONEY ON TELECOMS AND BROADBAND TOO… Award winning Telecoms provider Chess are ActSmart’s preferred partner and with their ‘Never beaten on price’ guarantee you can rest assured that they will match or beat any alternative offer. They currently deliver exceptional communication solutions to more than 60,000 businesses in the UK. 18 Bikes switched their phone calls to Chess in 2010 and saved over £400 p.a.

HOW MUCH YOU COULD SAVE? How shocked would you be to find that the difference between the best and worse contract prices available for the average ActSmart member today is a staggering £980 per annum? This represents a potential 70 per cent saving available to businesses by securing the best available deal.

Ben Hayward Cycles moved their energy contracts to GET Solutions in 2010 and have saved over £400 by doing so.

One leading Leicestershire retailer saved a massive £2,411 on a rolled over electricity contract via GET.

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 49

PEOPLE | RECRUITMENT Send your recruitment news to

mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

Andy Cook heads up UCI’s ‘Cycling for Farrow joins Cycleurope to relaunch Peugeot Cycles in the UK Opperman takes on i-Ride role SRAM’s aftermarket division enlists West Scorpati joins Trans X team South Downs Bikes recruits Macnamara UCI The UCI’s Cycling For All Commission is to be fronted by ANDY COOK, founder of Andy Cook Cycling.

As president of the foundation, Cook is tasked with encouraging as many people as possible to take up non-competitive cycling; whether that is using a bicycle as a means of transport, as a leisure activity, or taking part in cyclo sportives. The commission is also responsible for all masters racing and the new UWCT events. Cook held a similar role with British Cycling in 2005, where he assisted in establishing the ‘Everyday Cycling’ initiative.

UCI president Pat McQuaid said: “We’re very pleased that Andy is joining us. We look forward to using his experience and expertise in progressing our ‘Cycling For All programme.”

Bill Farrow, (above) and Darran Stephens

CYCLEUROPE UK BILL FARROW, a cycle industry stalwart, has joined Cycleurope to help re-launch the Peugeot Cycles brand to the UK after an absence of nearly ten years. His role will be to bring new customers to Cycleurope, developing a UK specific range and generally shouting about Peugeot Cycles as loudly as he can.

After having run his own shop for 25 years and then switching sides to act as Northern Area Manager for Massi for nearly three years, DARRAN STEPHENS also joins Cycleurope as Bianchi’s northern sales executive. His role revolves around promoting the Bianchi brand around Northern England, Wales, Ireland and the whole of Scotland. Both can be contacted through Cycleurope’s HQ on 01234 245929.

I-RIDE Greg Stevens has decided to move on from i-Ride, formerly Jim Walker and Co, after five years’ service.

Stevens told BikeBiz: “Working with you all has been a real pleasure and although I have met some absolute bastards along the way, most of you are pretty good. I am staying in the bike business, so unless you’re one of the bastards, hopefully our paths will cross soon.”

JORS OPPERMAN now takes over Stevens’ role. For any Jim Walker/i-Ride related issue please contact him at jors@i-ride.co.uk SRAM As part of the creation of a formal aftermarket product division, JASON WEST has been promoted to vice president of retail sales and aftermarket product, and will be part of

Trek Bicycle Store Milton Keynes is opening this spring; and we need great people to work for the business. ●

Store Manager Assistant Store Manager ● Sales Assistant ● Head Mechanic ● Part-time Sales Staff ●

All applicants must have bicycle retail experience with a history of success in sales and it is preferred that you have that retail experience and knowledge with Trek products.

Your role will be to maximise sales of bikes and accessories and facilitate display and promotions advantages in conjunction with other members of staff.

This is a great and exciting new opportunity and we want you to join us...

Email your cv with a covering letter stating why you would be a good fit for the business to gary@eaststcycles.com.

Closing date: Friday 11th March

Further details can be found at : www.eaststcycles.com or www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/company/careers

50 BIKEBIZ MARCH

BIKEBIZ.COM

PEOPLE | RECRUITMENT

All’ programme the SRAM senior management team. West began his career with SRAM in 1996 as quality manager of the Chicago factory. He has worked in many capacities since then, including factory manager, product team leader, leading the RockShox integration and was most recently category manager of suspension. He will switch to the new role over the coming months.

ALTINO LOURENCO has joined the SRAM MarCom team as marketing coordinator for France. He is 35 years old and speaks fluent French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Lourenco will become the main contact for MTB magazines in France, Spain and Portugal.

He will also be the technical contact person for road magazines in France.

TRANS X The JD Group has extended its TransX team with the appointment of Tanguy Scorpati to the role of European sales manager, as well as David Reichenbach to the position of European technical support.

Scorpati will be responsible for client maintenance, as well as new customers, with a focus in the Benelux and French markets.

Scorpati speaks Dutch, English, German and French. With over ten years of work experience with Melexis, a specialist of semiconductors for transmission and sensor technology, he also has background in automotive electronics and technical mobility products.

David Reichenbach will head the European client services at the Technical Service Centre of TranzX PST. His passion for bicycles began in 2003 when he placed second at the German Dirt Jump Championship. His skills in bicycle mechanics, specifically in electrical engineering and informatics, are what qualify Reichenbach for the e-bike branch.

His responsibilities include the repair of system components and e-bikes, technical client consulting, and OEM and dealer training seminars.

SOUTH DOWNS BIKES has appointed Simon Macnamara as Stores and Development Manager. Macnamara took up the position at the start of the month.

Commenting on Macnamara’s appointment, South Downs Bikes director Martin Richardson said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Simon to work with the directors and staff to further develop the South Downs Bikes brand.

“Simon is already a member of our successful bike team and we look forward to his enthusiasm for all things bike moving us to the next stage of our continuing development.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

Altino Lourenco

Jason West

Tanguy Scorpati

David Reichenbach

BIKEBIZ MARCH 51

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RETAIL ONLY

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

RETAIL COMMENT THIS MONTH’S comment is once again based around my time on the road, both visiting bike shops and the February iceBike* show, held by distributor Madison.

Each and every year, brand managers and guest speakers are invited to fly into Milton Keynes to meet the UK’s retailers – something done at the expense of the wholesaler to add value to dealers visit.

This year I was fortunate enough to catch guest speaker and president of sales training firm Growth Cycle, Ray Keener (also profiled on page 43) – who also writes for the US equivalent of BikeBiz, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

Given the unconfirmed rumour that I may, or may not, occasionally mystery shop among the great and good of the bike trade, Keener and I had plenty to discuss on the topic of shop floor behaviour. Not just that of hired help either...

I could bore you with a transcript of our conversation, but would rather thrash out a few points we found common both here and on the other side of the Atlantic.

Passion for bikes, though essential if you’re to stay sane, is almost irrelevant day-to-day. A passion for business is what’s

“Passion for bikes, though essential if you’re to stay sane, is almost irrelevant. A passion for business is what’s needed...” needed. Technical jargon and information about carbon fibre is only necessary if your store caters solely to the experienced gear freak. The newbie hasn’t the faintest idea what a chainset is, nor do they really want to know. Your average customer simply wants to understand why this bike best fits their needs, how to work the gears and what accessories are available to help them carry their shopping.

“Are you looking to buy today” is a key phrase in Keener’s presentation. It sorts the time wasters from the genuinely interested, for starters. A simple request such as “would you like to place a deposit so we hold this bike for you” has always hit a chord with me. I’m put on the spot. If I genuinely had been thinking of taking up cycling, that question alone would be enough to help me take that first step.

The UK’s counterpart to Keener, Colin Rees writes on page nine of this issue about his main pet peeve, stemming from his years as a sales trainer. Again, Rees’ rant rings true with my own experiences in more stores than you might expect.

Discounts are offered, regardless of whether price is mentioned, or if I had outlined upper or lower spend limits.

“I’ll do you a deal” may well seem friendly and a good way to get custom, but friend or not, I’m your customer and you run a business. After all, if I wanted a cheaper bike, I’d be Googling from the comfort of my sofa.

Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE NEW PRODUCTS

57

This month brings together the latest shiny bits from Hope, Gravity Dropper, Biologic, SRAM and more.

ELECTRIC BIKES

59

They’re everywhere. Well, in the press and on distributor’s shelves... Could any of the e-bikes on 59 sway your interest?

LETTERS The bike trade, sexist? Never. Well one of our readers believes different. Flip to 64 to find out why.

64

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CARBON POWER: highly supportive, elastic fabric with Lycra Power® and Resistex® carbon fibers for improved muscle performance and moisture management.

www.mavic.com

IBD | PROFILE

Cedar Cycles

Cedar changes Telephone: 01502 675473 Email: sales@cedarcycles.com Website: www.cedarcycles.com

Opening times: Mon Wed Fri Sat: 9-5, Thursday: 9-7, Sun and Bank Hol: 10-4, Closed all day Tuesday Address: Wrentham, North Suffolk, UK

Suffolk-set Cedar Cycles’ owner Dan Marshall-Bull has some strong views and pulls no punches about the future of cycle retail, as Jonathon Harker finds out...

How did the shop get its name?

It was our first real building, the barn behind Cedar House (my Aunt’s then home) in Cottenham, Cambridge, from which my father gave the company its name. Before that he had worked from his mother’s garden shed.

How many staff are at Cedar?

Two full-time and three part-time, plus a growing address book of independent specialists (including a qualified cycling trainer, a tow bar fitter, and a pole dancing instructor) who we call on when needed.

How many shops are part of Cedar Cycles?

Currently just one physical and one online, although we have had branches all over East Anglia in our 43-year history. The current site was never intended as a retail store and was purchased in 1977 to act as a wholesale distribution depot. But the change in people’s shopping styles saw more members of the public arriving year after year until the whole store became more retail focused in the 1980s.

What sort of customers do you get in-store?

Are you catering to a specific market?

We pride ourselves on finding the right solution for any person who contacts us. Our location is very much on the border of a very poor area to the North (Lowestoft and Gt. Yarmouth) and a much more affluent region to the South (Southwold and Walbeswick) so we find it easier to try to display an example of each type of cycle, and focus on the client rather than the bikes. Obviously being a large retail warehouse does make this much easier than if we still had High Street-sized shops. If I were to categorise

BIKEBIZ.COM

our typical customer I would have to say ‘bike riders’ who would pay more for the reassurance of dealing with experts, rather than cyclists who think they know what they want and will research prices on the net.

Is the workshop more important during these times of financial hardship?

Definitely. Cycles of various types are now available from many different retail sectors so we now focus much more on the workshop services we provide. People will price check shop items but cannot easily price check services like correct assembly, inspection and eight-week checks. We have plans to focus more on these ‘subjective products’ in the future for this reason, and have recently moved our workshop from an out-building into the back of our main warehouse so we can focus our internal marketing on those customers.

What are your plans for the store, and what are the biggest challenges ahead?

We only bought shelving to properly display P&A when the local Woolworth closed, so the last five years since my father and company founder retired and I took full control have seen massive improvements (not all of which were popular with staff) to try to change what was still a trade warehouse into something recognisable as a shop. Over the last five years these changes have seen turnover remain steady while cycle sales have been declining, and now we are in a position to market a ‘New Cedar Cycles’ to increase turnover back to the position it was in the mid ‘90s, but unlike the ‘90s increasing the net profit as well. Suppliers need to realise (most have) that if you want

me to sell your products, waving a 40k signup contract in my face every year is no longer the way to do it. I need realtime stock checking, catalogues and delivery in an agreed time.

The biggest challenge we currently face is the view of the general public that cycling is dangerous and not something that children should be allowed to do. Cycle training should be a compulsory part of all road user training from an early age, and this will help grow public confidence that cycling is safe.

Any final thoughts on the bike industry?

It has always amused me that the cycle trade bitches and moans about the ‘net; mail order; car accessory/DIY/Supermarket warehouses; national retailers; international retailers and local retailers. Then they refuse to help themselves or others.

We have always tried to maintain good relations with our competitors and will regularly phone another shop to check if it has a bike that the customer has decided upon and we cannot (or will not) supply. Most times we see the bike back to us for work a few weeks later because we were ‘so helpful’.

The public need to see the bicycle as safe, dependable transport. Brands cannot afford a TV ad campaign and most dealers would struggle to run local radio campaigns as in the past. But between the IBDs and brands we could work together to promote cycling via cycle shops. Not ‘raising public awareness’ like your hippy do-gooders or Government quangos, but a proper TV campaign like the Raleigh ads I used to watch during the breaks in Tiswas on Saturday morning. You can find an extended version of this interview on BikeBiz.com

Cedar Cycles has been at its present location since 1977 (above); The store has been undergoing a number of improvements (top)

BIKEBIZ MARCH 55

PRODUCTS | NEW RELEASES

New gear

Hand cuffs, an iPhone bike mount, the new rear light from Hope and the latest from SRAM are among the products in this month’s New Products round-up...

Masterlock Hand Cuff Fisher Outdoor Leisure 01727 798345

The Mountain Bike Skills Manual A&C Black 07764 509287

Biologic iPhone 4 Bike Mount Zyro 01845 521700

SECURITY giant MasterLock has added to its line of ‘hand cuff’ locks with the introduction of the Quantum Cuff.

At 1.8 metres long, the cable lock carries a loop and cuff – a versatile lock that can weave in and out of the bicycle, securing multiple components.

The heat-treated lock core utilises a Masterlock patented pick proof system, meaning that aside from lugging around bolt croppers, no thieves will get away with being light fingered. The braided steel cable and cuff are vinyl coated, keeping your customer’s bike scratch-free.

AT ONLY £16.99, you’ll probably not find a more comprehensive guide out there to the basics of MTBing. Covering techniques across various disciplines, as well as bike tech, maintenance and more, Clive Forth’s 202-page paperback has the beginner’s FAQs covered from A to Z. MTB academy founder Forth and photographer Frazer Waller fill the pages with step-by-step photographs and tips to trail riding, downhill, street, marathon, enduro, freeride, cross country and much more. The trade can get hold of copies via A&C Black as above or via murwin@acblack.com.

LIKE THE previous generation, Biologic’s latest iPhone handlebar mount caters specifically to the shape of the latest model, which features squared edges.

Bike Mount is a weatherproof case with a welded touch sensitive membrane, completely protecting the iPhone from the weather, but fully functional. Inside, the case is lined with silicone for shock resistance.

The handlebar mount carries a 360 degree pivot to allow for portrait or landscape functionality, though the manufacturer doesn’t recommend getting too caught up in Angry Birds, instead highlighting the sat nav benefits of mounting your iPhone.

Vision District 3 rear light Hope 01282 851200

SRAM Red in black Saddleback and Fisher Outdoor 01454 299965/01727 798345

Gravity Dropper seatposts Hotlines 01313 191444

HOPE HAS further progressed its lighting range with the introduction of the District 3 rear safety light.

At 84 lumens on high, the wide beam covers 270 degrees of visibility ensuring the cyclist is seen from both the rear and sides. Three red CREE XR-LEDs emit light on five settings, from steady to flashing and various power outputs, meaning burn time can be as long as 104 hours per three hour charge. As with all other Hope products, the District 3 is CNC machined in Barnoldswick and designed to shed the heat generated. The neat QR bayonet fixing securely attaches the lamp to the mount.

AFTER THE success of the Limited Tour Edition (LTE), SRAM Red will be available in a new colour option – black.

Stock of the race-proven groupset is due in the UK from early March and aside from the neutral colour, the spec details stay the same as the original and the kit remains the world’s lightest gruppo, approaching 1,800 grams in the BB30 version.

The groupset includes shifters, rear and front derailleurs, brakes, cassette (same as LTE, w/11-28 option), crankset with black anodized rings, ceramic bottom bracket and chain.

HOTLINES HAS picked up high-end adjustable seatpost brand Gravity Dropper.

The firm’s marketing manager Martin Astley told BikeBiz: “Gravity Dropper adjustable seatposts are well known for being one of the most reliable performers on the market. The posts are made in the USA and use a mechanical design. There are no air or oil seals to leak and the posts do not develop the lateral play common in other dropper posts. In addition to this they are available in a variety of drop heights and different diameters including 27.2 for smaller seat tubes.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 57

58 BIKEBIZ MARCH

BIKEBIZ.COM

SECTOR GUIDE | E-BIKES

Bikes with potential From firms based exclusively in the sector, to brands stepping into electric, there’s a wealth of companies now offering e-bikes to the market.

Jonathon Harker takes a look at some of the latest available...

Zyro BIONX’S RETROFIT power system converts almost any bike into an electric bike, boosting kinetic energy input anywhere from 25 per cent to 300 per cent, according to distributor Zyro. It provides four assistance modes and four charging modes and the battery’s output ranges from 35 to 105 km of pedal assistance.

Bionx kits come with a console, rear wheel and motor, battery and ancillaries (including cables, fittings and manual). The premium PL250 HT SL XL has a £1,799.99 SRP and is available in 26-inch or 700c.

With a unique power delivery and extra

BIKEBIZ.COM

long range down tube battery, the package weighs 20 per cent less than many other rear systems, finished in an all-new sleek white finish. At the other end of the range is the PL250 S, RRPing at £1099.99.

Dahon’s Boost is a 20-inch folding e-bike hitting £1,999.99 SRP. Folding to the same dimensions as Dahon’s 20-inch wheel folders, it weighs 19.6kg. It boasts SRAM iMotion three rear hub and SRAM shifters.

The lithium ion battery is complemented with a brushless motor and smart charger.

The 250W motor and torque sensors add power in proportion to the force applied to the pedals. Biologic Chime brake levers with integrated bell are also included. www.zyrob2b.co.uk

>>> BIKEBIZ MARCH 59

Congratulations

to Guim and Thuy Anh on their recent marriage!

In June 2009 Guim Val Teruel set out from the Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest Olympic Stadium Beijing on his epic Wisper electric bike adventure. So far he has traveled nearly 15,000km en rout to the Olympic Velodrome in London, on target to arrive during the Olympic Games in 2012.

Last year whilst pedalling through Vietnam, Guim was interviewed for television by Thuy Anh. After completing his trip through Asia, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand Guim is back in Vietnam, two weeks ago Guim and Thuy Anh were married!

Thuy Anh has now joined Guim for the next leg of their adventure cycling from Hanoi to London.

To learn more about Guimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s epic electric bicycle world tour please visit http://vimeo.com /16203066 to see his latest short video.

Wisper electric bikes www.WisperBikes.com

For more details please call 01590 681553

British Electric Bicycle Association Founder Member

SECTOR GUIDE | E-BIKES

>>> Powacycle THE INFINEUM Continental and Continental GT are amongst the newest offerings from Powacycle, both developed and designed in the UK and featuring the patented stackable battery system unique to Infineum.

The Continental boasts a customdesigned step-through aluminium alloy frame, while the GT offers a urban diamond style aluminium alloy frame. Featuring discrete battery systems, both are based around the premise of feeling and looking like a conventional bicycle.

The 1.82kg lithium polymer batteries are charged from empty in

Storck Radar STORCK HAS been in the business for over 12 years, and the latest e-bike from the firm is a noiseless bike with a 40 to 100 km range on one charge. A clever energy recovery system powers the 10 Ah lithium polymer battery, which sports an LED battery state indicator. The motor is Swiss-built, a 60 nm torque 250W system. The torque system is patented and the motor weight is 4,900 g. The complete bike weighs from 18.9kg. Shimano cassette compatible, the e-bike provides ultra smooth linear power delivery which isn’t stepped or spiked. The bike is finished off with quality Shimano Deore / XT components and Storck’s custom finishing kit.

Storck bagged the ‘best of test’ accolade from Elektrorad Magazine in Germany last month, with the publication calling it “the best

five hours using the custom-designed docking station or included charger.

Each charge provides up to 35 miles of pedal-assisted cycling for up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Spare batteries can be discreetly and easily stacked into the specially configured rear rack.

The Infineum stackable batteries each provide an average of 25 to 33 miles of pedal-assisted travel per charge, but multiple batteries can be added and secured in position in the clever rack, making each journey almost limitless, says Powacycle. The charger and battery have indicator lights to let the rider know when they have been fully charged.

01279 821243

Wisper WISPER’S DaaHub ‘plug and play’ e-bike kit will be available in the UK in June 2011.

Pitched as the world’s lightest high performance ebike conversion kit, the Daahub can transform around 90 per cent of existing road, mountain, BMX or racing bikes into an electric version.

Three years in the making, the Daahub features modular design, front wheel with high efficiency hub motor, pedal assist system, micro throttle and LCD controls. Wisper says it can be fitted with ease in less than an hour.

The Daahub is ultra-light weighing in at only 5.5kg. It packs a punch too – 36V 9Ah at 324W. New Zealander Anthony Clyde worked with Wisper to develop the Daahub, subjecting prototypes to hard wear and tear on and off the road.

Also up later in the year from Wisper, the 905 SEL has a number of enhancements on the firm’s 2010 models, which the manufacturer will confirm in the coming months. www.wisperbikes.com

e-bike in Germany”. Storck’s long-term distribution plan is to team up with 20 to 30 specialist e-bike ‘bricks and mortar’ dealers throughout the UK, offering retailers full sales, warranty, tech support and training in return.

The firm recently revealed that it has been working with Cosworth to bring technology from high performance industries – including Formula One – to the development of e-bikes.

0771 500 5626

Avocet THE FIRM HAS two new electric bicycles for 2011 – the Viking Freedom and the Viking Evolution.

The Freedom is a 20-inch wheel ebike aimed at the commuter market. At its heart is a 250W motor and threemode controller, giving the Freedom an assisted range of 30 km. Powerful alloy silver ‘v’ brakes incorporate a power cut off switch, while a six-speed Shimano drive train is featured, as are full 20inch wheel mudguards and a front and rear light set. The Tig welded brushed alloy folding frame has a low step-over top tube and Tig welded hi-tensile

forks. A Velo comfort saddle sits on a chrome 350mm seat post, while the overall weight of the Evolution is 18kg.

The Evolution is aimed at making the commute easier with its 250W motor and three-mode controller.

Unlike the Freedom’s 30km, the Evolution has a whopping 50km range, depending on terrain and load.

The Evolution also sports a 26-inch wheel frame, seven-speed Shimano drive train, mudguards and light set.

Powered by a 26V 14Ah lithium-ion battery, the Evolution also includes a handy front basket.

For further details or to make an order contact Glyn Nolan on: 0161 727 4051

>>> BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 61

SECTOR GUIDE | E-BIKES

>>> Powabyke THE ALL-NEW Mk2 Powabyke X-6 LS is a six-gear LS (low-step-through) ebike, one of three newly updated Xbyke models from the firm. The lowstep-through is a design most often associated with women, but Powabyke’s LS is resolutely unisex, following the European trend.

Finished in retro polished chrome, the sleek cylindrical battery has been repositioned to tuck behind the seat under the rear rack so it doesn’t impede the low-step-through design and doesn’t upset the centre of gravity of the bike (it used to be on the frame). Other enhancements include suspension forks for a smoother rider and a height adjustable seat that provides the equivalent of three ranges of bike frame.

Improved electrics also feature on the upgraded model, with a plug-and-play throttle and sensor, a slim-line lightweight high torque brushless motor, all contributing to a

Freego FREEGO Electric Bikes’ new bike for 2011 is the Eagle, an enhanced version of the 2010 model.

Improvements include all Tektro brakes, new Mega move seven-speed, a sealed crank cassette and new streamlined rear in-line motor plug.

The Eagle also sports a gear guard, gel saddle (Eagle), new ergonomic hand

Raleigh THE DOVER, priced at £1,699.99, boasts three-speed Shimano hub gears and a ‘new for 2011’ weight-saving 8Ah battery. Also up from Raleigh, the Leeds Tour, which was trialled at the end of 2010. At £1,999.99 RRP, the model is at the top of the firm’s e-bike range, with Shimano Nexus seven-speed hub gears and 12Ah battery that extends the range

Urban Mover THE A2B Hybrid 24-inch retails for £1,999.00 and comes with a 250W motor. The li-ion battery is supplied in a portable battery box and charges in three to four hours. Range is up to 40 miles and the overall weight, with battery, is 29kg. Other features include three levels of assist (economy, cruising and sport), a seven-speed Shimano

62 BIKEBIZ MARCH

bike that weighs less that 23kg. The easy to use model sees the motor activated with the turn of a key, and the bike itself can reach speeds of 15 mph without assistance from the pedals. If the cyclists pedals for some of the time the

grips (Eagle), new logo, new front light (Eagle) and upgraded suspension (Eagle and Kingfisher).

The company says that as part of its constant research and development they have made many changes to improve its e-bike range.

Freego says it would welcome any dealer to enquire about taking on FreeGo Electric Bikes to complement their business.

07856 339037

to a 60-mile max. The Leeds is MTBstyled with a 26-inch wheel set up.

The entry level has been targeted with the 2011 Velo range. Starting at £1,099.99, the Velo-Trail is another MTBstyled bike, while the Velo-Cite – at £1,199.99 – is a traditional hybrid, with hub gears and 700c wheels. Both feature a 36v 10Ah lightweight lithium battery, mounted in the rear pannier rack. www.raleigh.co.uk

derailleur and comfort saddle. The 26inch version retails at £1,799.00.

Both Hybrids make use of an electronic key anti-theft system. It’s based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tech used in alarm systems, with an antenna integrated into the vehicle. Ultra Motor have cooked up a clever power management system to stop that draining the battery.

01242 252 334

battery can stay charged for up to 20 miles. The X-6 LS is available with a 15inch frame, retailing at £899 SRP. 01225 443 737

Giant GIANT HAS launched the Escape Hybrid – the firm’s first rear wheel driven bike.

According to Giant, the rear wheel drive has benefits over the more traditional front wheel motor, whilst maintaining the maximum power output of 250 W. Adapting the same frame styling as Giant’s city bikes, the Escape Hybrid uses the new Syncdrive R hub motor giving

Spencer Ivy BOTH OF Spencer Ivy’s e-bikes have been designed with the Panasonic motor and battery system, currently capable of a 50-mile range but soon to be available with an 86-mile range option in a few months. The motor and battery come with a two-year warranty and are maintenance free, Spencer Ivy tells us.

The bikes use a crank-driven motor, so

EBCO AT £1,750 the Eagle tops the EBCO range. Available as a roadster – the LSR with crossbar – or low step – the LSL without crossbar, the lithium polymer battery gives the bike an approximate 50 mile range and charge time of five hours, from flat. The Eagle is powered by the TranzX PST 250 watt electric drive system, using a crank intelligent torque

riders a high level of torque, acceleration and climbing ability.

Battery power is from a 36v 8Ah pack using Sanyo cells and Giant’s-own Battery Management System with builtin charge gauge and over charge protection among other features – range on a single charge is up to 100km in Eco mode. Pitched as an agile and sporty ride, the Escape Hybrid is simple to use and maintain. www.giant-bicycles.com

the rest of the bike uses conventional bike parts, pitched as making life easier for dealers.

Using a lightweight alu frame, the Ivy weighs 21.8kg, including Alfine eightspeed internal hub gears, Deore XT brakes and dynamo hub. The hub powers Busch and Muller front and rear LED lights, while Continental punctureresistant TopContact tyres are standard.

020 3021 3388

sensor. A ‘dashboard’ displays the charge and range left, with a possibly Knight Rider-inspired turbo button for extra oomph. Featuring Tektro disc brakes, a drive train from Shimano and an eightspeed Alivio deore system, the frame is high grade T6 aluminium. The custom headstock suspension unit provides 35mm of travel and the bike includes integrated front and rear lights.

01926 437700

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 63

LETTERS | YOUR SAY

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

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

SPONSORED BY

Email: Jonathon.Harker@ intentmedia.co.uk

STAR LETTER

In response...

Cycletta Ambassadors Lia Hervey, Layla Anna Lee, Victoria Pendleton, Orla Chennaoui and Annie Emmerson at the launch of the prowoman cycling initiative

It’s a man’s world?

IN THE column I wasn’t pushing the view that there is no sexism in cycling, not intentionally anyway. By using the Gray/Keys saga in football I was trying to highlight that while cycling may appear less sexist or biased against women on the surface, there are still huge problems in

attracting women to the industry and cycling in general.

And, as you rightly point out, having women in more powerful positions in cycling organisations would be a positive step in tackling this long running issue.

Jonathon Harker, Editor

A charged issue

Last month BikeBiz commented on gender equality in the bike trade. Two readers respond...

IT’S FUNNY that Jonathon Harker thinks there’s no sexism in the bike industry. There must be some reason why women, as Jonathon acknowledges, don’t ‘feel as welcome as men in the world of cycling and in the trade’.

Unspoken barriers often keep women in the background. Acceptance in the workshop as a competent mechanic can be tough. And for women to be equal participants in sport and everyday cycling, we need to have our say at decision making levels. Leading organisations – CTC, British Cycling, Sustrans – are headed up by men. Which national cycling organisations apart from our own are headed by women?

Pointing to the few fantastic women champions, role models to all cyclists, can be a token gesture unless it’s backed up by female participation across the board. In-built inequality must be excised, as the UCI has for London 2012 by balancing male and female events.

Fortunately, things are changing – half of the representatives at the inaugural meeting of the DfT-approved Instructor Training Organisations in January were women. But pressure still needs to be applied. British Cycling has £1m to encourage cycling amongst women, whilst still having no women on their board: a challenge which was laid down ten years ago. Good practice advocates a minimum of 30 per cent women on boards in all sectors.

Events which target women like Bike Fabulous and health rides for Asian women turn the tables on male domination and those unintended unwelcome vibes. BikeBiz readers could keep the issue snowballing by supporting the latest initiative: 100-100 Glow, aiming to get at least 100 women riding in the Manchester 100 in September. http://100-100glow.blogspot.com Liz Clarke and Jo Somerset BikeRight!

Star Letter Whether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-post letter, email or a comment made on the BikeBiz forum, the best letter of the month wins a prize from Oxford Products.

This month the lucky winner will receive Oxford’s Ultra Torch 9.

Part of Oxford’s top selling range of LEDs and lights, the front light has nine ultra bright diodes, a quick release mounting bracket and comes complete with batteries. The sturdy aluminium body makes it ideal for general purpose use as a compact torch. The rear LED has 3 modes, 7 diodes and a universal mounting bracket.

64 BIKEBIZ MARCH

AS AUTHORS of Electric Bicycles – the Complete Guide we would like to highlight a few points which have become apparent whilst writing and marketing the book which might well be of interest to BikeBiz readers.

1. Specialist electric bike shops are selling many thousands of electric bikes a year and all the while gaining valuable knowledge about the market and inside information on what bikes to buy and where. If sales continue to grow steadily, as they seem set to do, do IBDs really want to be left out in the cold? IBD reaction to the book (whilst it is selling very well via direct sales to the public) has been lukewarm so far – just as it seems to be to electric bikes in general.

2. Electric bikes are treated unfairly by Government and overlooked by the great and the good – viz subsidies for electric

car purchases but not e-bikes.

Also you struggle to find any leading figureheads who will endorse them, despite high profile figures queuing up to endorse various green causes. Why is this?

Do they still have an image problem?

3. Some study evidence and lots of anecdotal evidence suggests electric bikes are more popular with women in per cent terms than non-electrics. Initial figures from dealers we have consulted suggest a 50-50 split between men and women whereas conventional bikes are sold to and used by men in far greater numbers than women.

We’d be interested to hear readers opinions on these topics.

David Henshaw & Richard Peace Authors, Electric Bicycles – The Complete Guide www.electricbicyclesbook.com

BIKEBIZ.COM

2pure 0844 811 2001 www.2pure.co.uk

Eurobike Ltd 01332 774796 www.eurobike.uk.com

DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

Otagocyclesport 07939 543016 www.otagocyclesport. co.uk

Seventies 0845 3103670 www.seventies.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

Abacus Online Ltd 0151 342 9799 www.abacusonline.net EPOS

Ascend Retail Management System 01908 280667 www.ascendrms.com EPOS

Fat Spanner 07966401165 www.fatspannerworld. com

Pacific Cycles Inc +886 34861231 www.pacific-cycles.com

DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Fisher Outdoor Leisure 01727 798345 www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

Paligap Ltd 01454 313116 www.paligapltd.co.uk

DISTRIBUTOR/IMPORTER

Hotlines Europe Ltd 0131 3191444 www.hotlines-uk.com DISTRIBUTOR

Cube Bikes Uk Ltd www.cube.eu 0031 180441350 DISTRIBUTOR

Custom Sports Clothing Ltd 07580 495881 www.customsports clothing.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Cybertill Ltd 0800 0304432 www.cybertill.co.uk EPOS

Cycle Division Ltd 0845 0508500 www.thecycledivision. com WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR

The Cycle Show 0207 2886733 www.cycleshow.co.uk EVENT/EXHIBITION ORGANISER

Digital Retail Solutions Inc 001 8003229471 www.digitalretailer.com EPOS

Hykeham Wholesale Limited 01522 801550 www.hykehamwholesale. co.uk DISTRIBUTOR/WHOLESALER

Jungle Products Ltd 01423 780088 www.jungleproducts.co.uk www.santacruzbikes.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Lyon Equipment 01539 625493 www.lyon.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Monterey Industries Ltd 0117 9509499 www.masibikes.com www.brevm.com DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

Mojo suspension Hoodoo ltd 01633 615815 www.mojo.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

Moore Large and Co Ltd 01332 274252 www.moorelarge.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

SKS +49 2333831246 www.sks-germany.com MANUFACTURER

DISTRIBUTOR

Parklife (Havant) Ltd 02392 475895

Sonic Cycles 0207 2432848 www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b

IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR

IMPORTER/DISTRIBUTOR

Pashley Cycles 01789 292263 www.pashley.co.uk

Sport Direct Ltd 0845 2693060 www.sport-direct.co.uk

MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR/MANUFACTURER

Peter Dobbs Design and Print Services 01482 224007

Stormfront Technology Ltd 0800 6121044 www.stormfront.co.uk

MANUFACTURER/DESIGN & PRINT SERVICES

EPOS

DISTRIBUTOR

Bohle UK Ltd 01952 602680 www.schwalbe.co.uk

Silverfish UK Ltd 01752 843882 www.silverfish-uk.com

Qoroz 01453 889204 www.qoroz.co.uk MANUFACTURER

Raleigh UK Ltd 01773 532600 www.raleigh.co.uk www.cyclelife.com DISTRIBUTOR

Red Cloud MC 01767 692831 www.redcloudmc.com MARKETING, PR & EVENTS

Reece Cycles PLC 0121 6220180 www.reececycles.co.uk

Trek Bicycle Corporation 01908 282626 MANUFACTURER

USE Ltd 01798 344477 www.exposurelights.com www.use1.com MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR

Vigour Corporation 0092 524269920 www.vigourcorporation.com MANUFACTURER/EXPORTER

Walkers Cycle Components Ltd 0116 2833885 www.walkerscycles.co.uk WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

Saddleback Ltd 01454 299965 www.saddleback.co.uk

Zyro Ltd 01845 521700 www.zyro.co.uk DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR

To order copies of BikeBiz Bible or ensure inclusion in the 2011 edition please contact Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL PLANNER | EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS

Editorial Planner

SPOTLIGHT

April 2011 BIKE SECURITY CYCLE FASHION: Clothing, sunglasses, watches and accessories UK’S TOP 20 IBDS

THE BIG PEDAL Monday March 7th – 25th

Nationwide www.thebigpedal.org.uk

March 2011 Editorial Deadline: March 11th

Advertising Deadline: March 16th

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

MAY 2011 Energy and Nutrition, Bottles and Cages Women: Bikes, Clothing and Accessories Editorial Deadline: Apr 8th Advertising Deadline: April 13th

JUNE 2011 Electronic Point of Sale Cycle Computers Editorial Deadline: May 6th Advertising Deadline: May 11th

JULY 2011 BMX: Bikes, Protective Clothing, Grips & Accessories P&A: Forks, Gears, Brakes & Chains Cycle Luggage: Panniers, Cases & Bags Editorial Deadline: June 3rd Advertising Deadline: June 8th

AUGUST 2011 Bicycle Lighting & Reflective Clothing Mountain Biking: Bikes, Protective Clothing & Accessories Editorial Deadline: July 8th Advertising Deadline: July 13th

SEPTEMBER 2011 Children: Bikes, P&A Clothing and Accessories Editorial Deadline: Aug 5th Advertising Deadline: Aug 10th

OCTOBER 2011 Road Cycling: Bikes, Gear and Accessories Cycle Show Guide Guide to the High Street Buyers Editorial Deadline: Sept 2nd Advertising Deadline: Sept 7th

THE BIBLE IS BACK! 66 BIKEBIZ MARCH

THE BIG PEDAL 2011 Monday March 7th – 25th Nationwide www.thebigpedal.org.uk TAIPEI CYCLE SHOW 2011 Wednesday March 16th – 19th TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei www.taipeicycle.com.tw

April 2011 THE GADGET SHOW LIVE PROFESSIONAL Tuesday April 12th NEC, Birmingham www.gadgetshowlive.net SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2011 Thursday April 14th – 17th Monterey, California www.seaotterclassic.com THE SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW 2011 Saturday April 16th – 17th Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow thescottishbikeshow.com

May 2011 UCI CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE WC Saturday May 21st – 22nd Dalby Forest, Yorkshire britishcycling.org.uk/ mtbworld-2010

June 2011 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP Saturday June 4th – 5th Fort William, Scotland http://fortwilliam worldcup.co.uk UK HANDMADE AND BOUTIQUE BICYCLE SHOW Friday June 10th – 12th Passenger Shed, Bristol www.bespokedbristol.co.uk PRESS CAMP 2011 Monday June 20th Deer Valley, Utah www.presscamp.com BIKE EXPO 2011 Tuesday July 21st – 24th Munich, Germany www.bike-expo.com YORK CYCLE SHOW 2011 Saturday June 25th – 26th The Racecourse, York www.yorkcycleshow.co.uk

August 2011 AUSBIKE 2011 Thursday August 20th – 22nd Exhibition Pavillion, Melbourne Showgrounds www.ausbike.com.au

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

For additional copies please contact: Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM

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

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

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

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

THE STANDARD PACKAGE INCLUDES: A quarter page advert in each issue Regular editorial coverage in the dedicated column Company details listed in the online directory with web link Company details listed in the BikeBiz Marketplace Contacts Marketplac

Quartere PRaates: ge

To get your company featured here contact:

£175

Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or

(minimum

six months)

carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk

MARKETPLACE CONTACTS BIKES & ACCESSORIES

LIGHTING

Madison

01908 326 000

madisonb2b.co.uk

Paligap

01454 313 116

paligapltd.co.uk

The Cycle Division

0845 0508 500

thecycledivision.com

BIKE MAINTENANCE Weldtite

01652 660 000

Exposure Lights

01798 344 477

exposurelights.com

Pendle

01282 699 555

pendle-bike.co.uk

Maxx Raxx

0845 230 3799

maxxraxx.co.uk

0117 972 4730

argoscycles.com

07540 351 530

colinrees7@gmail.com

0207 6082577

cycle-systems-academy.co.uk

RACKS

weldtite.co.uk RESPRAYS & REPAIRS

COMPONENTS

Argos

Bob Elliot & Co Ltd

01772 459 887

bob-elliot.co.uk

Pace cycles Ltd

01723 867 919

pacecycles.com

SALES TRAINING

USE Ltd

01798 344 477

use1.com

Quest Consultants

CUSTOM CLOTHING Wildoo Ltd

TRAINING SERVICES 01908 374 555

wildoo.co.uk

Abacus

0151 342 9799

abacusonline.net

Wildoo Ltd

01908 374 555

wildoo.co.uk

Citrus Lime

0845 603 9254

citrus-retail.com

Bottlesport

0845 602 9267

bottlesport.com

Evopos

0845 644 9424

evopos.com SimpleEshop

0116 267 5145

simpleeshop.com

SiWis Limited

01709 511766

siwis.co.uk

EPOS

Cycle Systems Academy WATER BOTTLES

WEBSITE SERVICES

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 67

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE

COMPANY PROFILE CHRIS GILES THE CYCLE DIVISION LTD

How many brands does The Cycle Division supply to retailers?

The brands we are most proud to push are Sturmey Archer/Sunrace, RavX, Finesse, Schwalbe, Weldtite, Oxford and our own generic brand D2O. Whilst brands are important to us and our dealers, our product range must be equally aligned with the offering we are most proud of – service! Without good stock competitively priced and available then the law of competition dictates that customers will go elsewhere. We at The Cycle Division understand this.

Are there any plans to bring more brands/products on board?

We fully support and respect the branded product we currently stock.

Whilst always on the lookout for new brands this is not our primary focus. We import primarily from the Far East and choose only quality bread and butter product which best suits the needs of our customers. We appreciate it is important to strike the balance between quality and price ...for D2O we are motivated more by these factors than the badge.

TEL: 0845 0508 500 WEB: www.thecycledivision.com

Last year we began building our own wheels. We anticipated future issues with availability and maintaining costs.

All being well we have overcome these issues with the added benefit of flexibility where special wheel builds are concerned. So if any dealer wants any size rim building onto any hub using any spokes (quickly) then we’re your guys!

Our dealers have found this service especially useful for the many configurations of Sturmey Archer hubs we have in stock.

How many dealers do you supply?

We currently have over 2,000 dealers listed in our system. Roughly half of these bought off us last year. We basically supply anywhere our parcel carriers go. Any dealer in the British Isles are welcome to contact us, the majority enjoying next day delivery. Subject to credit status we rarely turn anyone away.

Have you always supplied bread-andbutter products to the trade?

Yes. We believe certain sectors of the market such as club cyclists are not a shops friend. They know the branded

BIKES & ACCESSORIES

68 BIKEBIZ MARCH

EMAIL: sales@thecycledivision.com

product they want, where to find them cheapest (internet) and how to fit the parts themselves. Branded products are easy meat for discounters and dealers sometimes struggle for margin. To us the quality of a ‘bread-and-butter’ product item is every bit as good as its ‘badged’ equivalent. Leisure cyclists and commuters include people who just want to ride their bike and leave repairs in the more capable hands of their local shop. Whilst they don’t wear the tag of ‘enthusiast’ there is a large demographic out there with plenty of money, time and a willingness to keep fit. These are the customers we keep in mind for our dealers to service.

Have you got a message for dealers?

We’re always open and responsive to constructive criticism. We actively promote this and find it’s as good as any other form of market research. So basically if there are any dealers out there finding we are failing in certain areas or there is something else our wonderful trade is lacking then let us know! You can find an extended version of this article on BikeBiz.com

“To us the quality of a ‘bread and butter’ product is every bit as good as its ‘badged’ equivalent.”

BIKES & ACCESSORIES

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE BIKES & ACCESSORIES

COMPONENTS

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKE MAINTENANCE

COMPONENTS

BIKEBIZ MARCH 69

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE

70 BIKEBIZ MARCH

COMPONENTS

CUSTOM CLOTHING

EPOS

EPOS

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE

BIKEBIZ.COM

EPOS

LIGHTING

RACKS

RACKS

BIKEBIZ MARCH 71

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE RESPRAYS & REPAIRS

SALES TRAINING Extra profits, immediate results...

Sales training can easily double your business. If every customer who comes in to buy an accessory goes out with two, you just doubled your accessory sales. If every customer who comes in to buy a ÂŁ500 bike goes out with say an ÂŁ1000 bike, you did it again!

A sales training course on your least busy day can realistically double the sales each staff member produces from your present customer base. The youngest sales people vastly increase in confidence, the longer serving ones suddely realise there are modern techniques they did not know about. It's not about hard selling, its about understanding the sales process. Four hours later, your sales will start to increase. Here's what dealers who have had the course say:

"You trained us in the morning, by that afternoon, I had the course fee back. Amazing."

"I cannot understand why every dealer in the Uk is not banging on your door. Everyone is so much more confident. Now we have to work on keeping it that way. Totally recommendable" "The boys really enjoyed your session the other day and are trying to prove who can remember the techniques best. The till is certainly ringing a lot more than it was, thanks Colin" "You remember I told you I had loads of trouble selling accessories when I sold a new bike? The first bike I sold after you came went out with 13 accessories! They cost more than the bike, I still don't believe I did it. Thanks Colin" One fee, no extras, progress guaranteed: Email colinrees7@gmail.com now, or call 07540 351 530 for full details.

Colin Rees: specialist cycle sales training in the bike trade for 14 years.

TRAINING SERVICES

72 BIKEBIZ MARCH

WATER BOTTLES

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE WATER BOTTLES

WEBSITE SERVICES

WEBSITE SERVICES

To get your company featured here contact:

Carly Bailey on

01992 535647 or carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 73

OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING

I N THE SADDLE

Neil Batt, Freelance Cycle Marketing and Communications What bikes do you own?

In my current stable I have: Spin Spitfire with SRAM Force, a Bertoletti custom Reynolds 953 with Campag Record, a LOOK 585 with SRAM Rival, a LOOK 464 fixie and an ‘old skool’ Cannondale CAAD4 Stars and Stripes Cippolini replica updated with SRAM Rival.

There’s still room for a ‘crosser later in the year. I need to decide between titanium and steel.

Let’s get statistical Did Shimano’s sales beat predictions, or did they stutter? What do Troy Lee Designs, Velo Vision and Singletrack have in common this year? And how much is Brighton and Hove planning on forking out to remove a bicycle lane? All these questions and more are revealed in this month’s regular round up of miscellaneous statistics, figures and facts...

£1m Brighton and Hove Council is proposing to spend £1.1m to remove a bike lane to ‘improve traffic flows’, instead of coughing up to improve it. The CTC and Bricycles are campaigning against the folly.

Where’s your favourite place to ride?

There’s no place like home. Northamptonshire is a maze of country lanes that thread themselves through the rolling countryside. There aren’t many flat roads. If you’re not going up, you’re coming back down again. I’m planning to ride the Ventoux with a group of friends in July though, which will be slightly more challenging terrain!

What’s the biggest achievable rush on a bike?

To me the biggest achievable rush is to be riding a bike that you’ve designed yourself or at least had a high level of input in to. My first spin on the Factor 001 was a bit special and I designed my Bertoletti for Reynolds to display at the Inter and Eurobike shows.

What’s your business background?

My business background is varied. I’ve worked in retail, sales and training roles as well as marketing. I’m definitely a ‘people person’. Being a perfectionist, product design is a passion too.

When did you go freelance?

I decided to go freelance in August last year. I really enjoyed my time working full time with Fisher – they’ve got some very exciting brands for a roadie like me – but I needed to spread my wings. I really enjoy the ‘free’ in freelance.

What brands/clients are you currently working with?

I’m currently leading the marketing roll-out of Spin titanium frames and components for Velotech Services which is a great project. ROTOR is another great brand I work with heavily. I still have a very good working relationship with Fisher Outdoor Leisure. I represented them on the LOOK stand at Cycle Show and arranged the logistics for their Stay Strong charity ride at Expo 2011.

I also helped Fisher Outdoor Leisure with the database population for their B2B website. Currently I’m coordinating a cycle event for the University of Northampton.

How can potential clients get in touch with you?

I can be contacted on 07500 388430 or by email at batty@riph-raph.com.

74 BIKEBIZ MARCH

2012 The build-up to the Olympics got into full swing in February, with the road cycle race route and BMX, MTB, road and track cycling schedules unveiled.

Tickets go on sale this month.

100 Bicycle aid charity Re-Cycle shipped its 100th container of unwanted bikes to Africa in February, improving the lives of many in Mombasa, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania.

40p Hugh Bayley, MP for York, was ridiculed by Metro and The Daily Mail for claiming 40p for expenses accrued through bicycle mileage.

MPs claiming mileage for gas guzzling cars got off scott-free however.

BIKEBIZ.COM

OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING ActSmart January retail shop sales analysis

Sales bounce back ActSmart’s monthly market research for January, produced exclusively for ACT and BikeBiz saw sales growth inevitably recover as the wintry weather subsided. But the bigger question is: how much do readers value this market research and is there sufficient demand to warrant its continuation...?

10

Specialist cycle retailer core sales growth vs. previous year

This year is full of trade anniversaries, including Singletrack’s tenth. Peter Eland’s Velo Vision also celebrates its first decade in 2011.

20

17 per cent Shimano’s cycle component sales bucked expectations and grew 17 per cent in 2010.

30 Troy Lee Designs was formed back in 1981 and in this, its 30th year, awarded Fisher its top distributor accolade.

BIKEBIZ.COM

‘% turnover growth vs. previous year'

15 10 5 0

2010 Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2011 Jan

-5 -10 February 2010 – January 2011

-15 SPECIALIST CYCLE retailer sales grew by 15.9 per cent in January, as the sector recovered from the December snow and the wintry weather’s impact upon January 2010.

The month’s sales were -17 per cent down on 2009 and this year’s recovery should be viewed in that context.

Over half of contributors to the Jan research reported growth in excess of 20 per cent vs. 2010 in the month. Average sales growth in these businesses was a massive 63 per cent. 70 per cent of businesses reported sales growth in January with a mean growth of 46 per cent. All positive stuff, but what about the under-performers?

16 per cent of businesses reported a sales shortfall in excess of -20 per cent in January, despite last year’s dire results.

The mean shortfall in these retailers was -55 per cent. The market is increasingly divided. Like-for-like sales revenues

dropped by over 10 per cent in January 2011 vs. December 2010, despite December’s poor returns. Things remain uncertain as we move into 2011 with a continued mixed bag of performance across the sector. So, what next?

ActSmart has undertaken the most detailed available, continuous research of the UK cycle retail market for over three years, but now is the time to question the industry as to its value and continuity.

The monthly retail research exercise is ever more expensive and despite regular commentary that the cycle sector lacks data, market feedback is negligible and the investment in production of this research remains wholly attributable to ActSmart and ACT. If the cycle industry truly value retail market data and want to invest in its continuity we need to know. Contact ActSmart at info@actsmart.biz or via BikeBiz.

For more info visit: http://cycles.actsmart.biz/news/ ActSmart: 0845 6187256 BIKEBIZ MARCH 75

OFF THE RECORD

OFF

k c a r T

Send your pictures to mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk

• electric bikes in world tour

High Voltage

GUIM VALLS TERUEL is touring the five continents of the world on an e-bike, in the appropriately named Electric Bicycle World Tour.

Taking in a wealth of cities on the way to London in time for the 2012 Olympics, Teruel is embarking on the project to demonstrate and promote the use of alternative – and green – transport.

Dawes Draw at Core The intrepid cyclist is taking on the challenge on a Wisper. Find out more at For more head to www.electricbikeworldtour.com

It’s checkmate for iceBike* MADISON’S TWICE yearly iceBike* featured a plethora of new product last month, covering a bigger space than ever before – and the expanded show rooms at the Milton Keynes distribution facility – attracting more members of the trade than ever too, with registration up by over 20 per cent.

Dealers seeking to check the progress of the m:part brand at the show were confronted with a quirky take on a chess board. Instead of standard pieces, the rooks, pawns, bishops, and the rest were actually m:part headsets.

Turn to pages 24 and 25 for more on the latest edition of iceBike*.

76 BIKEBIZ MARCH

RECENTLY DAWES Cycles’ launched its 2011 bikes on the road at five locations across the country. But before dealers got to see the likes of the Discovery 701 hybrid, Audax Clubman, Sportif, Ambassador and new touring bikes, Dawes mailed out invitations and golden tickets – Willy Wonka-style – offering cash prizes to dealers making the trip.

After each of the five shows – covering Birmingham, Scotland and the North, York, Bristol and finally London – the winning ticket was drawn. BikeBiz deputy editor Mark Sutton drew one of the tickets at the Whittlebury Hall-set Core Bike show in January.

The lucky winners are: 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize 4th Prize 5th Prize

£1,000 £500 £250 £125 £50

Sydney Street Bikes Whiptail Cycles Vale Cycles Firth Cycles Green Bike Company

In other Dawes news, the firm is supporting two charities, including the Cyclists Fighting Cancer ‘Wheel Heroes’ Sportive on May 22nd, which aims to raise money to buy bicycles for young people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Find out more at http://www.cyclistsfc.org.uk Dawes Cycles is also supporting Blind Dave Heeley’s ten-day tandem ride from John O’Groats to Lands End in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care. The amazing Heeley has previously run seven marathons in seven days across seven continents.

Find out more at www.blind daveheeley.co.uk /top2toe/

BIKEBIZ.COM

OFF THE RECORD

• dawes offers dealers a golden ticket • chance to look like you’re in team gb

Official Team GB kit goes on sale CYCLISTS looking to replicate the performances of Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and the rest of Team GB will be able to look like them too – or at least don the same threads – through the launch of the GB Cycling Team replica kits from British Cycling and Adidas. Going on sale in April, the line-up includes short and long sleeve cycling jerseys as well as accessories in GB colours. Racing gloves, a cotton cap and children’s cycling jerseys will be available from a number of well-known cycling retailers.

Dahon’s a happy camper

ELECTRIC BIKES (spotted the theme this month?) are not just attracting discussion in the cycle market, as demonstrated by the next edition of Camping and Caravan Magazine, out at the end of the month.

The 200,000 readership-strong publication is testing electric bikes in the April issue, including Dahon’s Boost e-bike (above). For more on e-bikes, turn to page 59.

quote unquote "We have to keep up the battle against this blight which damages cars and risks road safety, especially for those on two wheels.

An emergency pothole fund is urgently needed to help cash-strapped local authorities to patch up the roads.

However a more coherent maintenance strategy and long term increased funding is required to stop the rot."

AA president Edmund King speaking out on pot holes following an AA poll that found 81 per cent of its members had fond road conditions to have deteriorated in the last three years, speaking on February 23rd

Sponsored by the brands of Moore Large 01332 274252

“The Tour of Britain is a fantastic event and I am thrilled to be able to support it. I would urge Londoners and visitors to turn out and cheer on the cyclists as they whizz past some of the capital’s iconic landmarks and raise money for a really worthwhile cause.”

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, on the news that the Tour of Britain will finish in Whitehall, London, speaking on March 1st

Cycletta events, which will give thousands of women the opportunity to get on their bikes and rediscover the sheer fun of cycling again.”

Corin Dimopoulos, director of cycling at Sky, at the launch of the femaleonly Cyletta series launch speaking on February 22nd. Two events are scheduled for 2011; Cycletta North near Manchester and Cycletta South near London.

"Sky and British Cycling are working in partnership to get a million more people in the UK cycling regularly by 2013 so we’re delighted to be supporting the

"We'll help to make your parents better drivers and you'll learn first-hand the importance of road safety when we put you in the driving seat – always under

the watchful eye of the academy's driving professionals."

Children’s BBC spokesperson on the launch of the ‘CBBC Driving Academy’ – a new series set to take bad drivers to task.

“Best evidence supports the use of bicycle helmets for the prevention of acquired brain injuries, similar to motorcyclists. They reduce the risk and severity of head injuries.”

Former Irish Medical Organisation president Dr Fenton Howell speaking to the Irish Medical Times, airing his views on cyclists wearing helmets

For more on these stories, head to www.bikebiz.com BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ MARCH 77

OFF TRACK | SPOKESMAN

TWEET short and

SPOKES

Wondering what the Twitterati have been up to this month? Look no further...

On the way to the Forum Want to take part in the cycling trade community? Then why not contribute on the forum, asks Carlton Reid...

Forums are addictive.

That’s a good reason not to start in the first place. Just Say No.

WHEN PALIGAP told its dealers it would be ceasing as the distributor for Kona I could have placed the story on publicallyaccessible BikeBiz.com. But it’s a story of zero relevance to consumers. They know Kona through dealers, not the distributor.

So, I placed the story on the trade-only forum and will now do that with many stories so they aren’t spidered by Google’s bots. (On that note, sorry about the Christmas hols security glitch. This was patched pronto, but not before we got a panto slap in the digital mush from forum regulars).

Forums – password-protected or not – are an acquired taste. Once you acquire the taste, they’re addictive. That’s a good reason not to start in the first place. Just Say No. But they’re addictive for a number of reasons. One, you can get instant feedback on an gripe/joke/question. Two, the online life is a solo affair, forums make it a group thing. Three, it’s often educational, you can learn stuff from your peers. Four, it’s fun.

Not fun in the style of eating a cream cake fun, but fun in the way you become part of a larger whole. You start to get the ‘in’ jokes, and become part of the scene. This is a deterrent for some but this is a small industry and forums can be substitute for real-life meetings in-between trade shindigs.

Friendships can be forged on forums and you get to know the posters. You’d want to avoid some in the flesh, but it can be car-crash entertaining to get to know them online.

On the BikeBiz forum you’re not going to be groomed for any offline naughtiness (unless you’re very lucky) but you may be ‘sold’ stuff. The forum – like the Roman

shopping and meeting square from whence came the name – is sometimes used as a marketplace. The BikeBiz forum rule is you can market your wares but only as an answer to a legitimate question. So, no starting a topic plugging your product but, if somebody asks ‘Which are the best companies that specialise in bike shop insurance?’, and you sell shop insurance, you can pitch to your heart’s content.

Beware, though. Just as you can ladle on the praise, others can put the boot in. Forums are a two-way street.

Peer help group If the BikeBiz forum was a hangout for product pluggers only, it wouldn’t be somewhere you’d linger. It’s mighty useful to get answers to trade questions (“who does Grommet X?”) but I think the best thing about a forum is the ability to answer stuff, to contribute, to put something back into the system, karma. Lurkers – of which there are lots – don’t get this pleasure.

Mainstream forums, such as the phenomenally busy one on MoneySavingExpert.com, have a voting system so forum habitues can vote on the helpfulness of posters. Those who help the most get gifted stars, and rise up the star rankings. The most helpful posters receive no actual benefits, apart from the warm glow of philanthropic joy, but clearly get a kick out of being seen to be knowledgable, helpful and all-round good eggs.

If you’re willing to contribute your experience to help others, sign up for the BikeBiz forum and join in the fun.

EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648 Executive Editor: Carlton Reid Carlton.Reid@intentmedia.co.uk Editor: Jonathon Harker Jonathon.Harker@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Manager: Carly Bailey Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk Production Executive: Abby Fanger Abigail.Fanger@intentmedia.co.uk

Design: Kelly Sambridge Kelly.Sambridge@intentmedia.co.uk Business Development: Dave Roberts Dave.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk Managing Editor: Lisa Carter Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher/MD: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

Was last meeting of Cycling England today. Tragic waste of expertise and ridiculous vindictive, ideological decision by government. @christianwolmar Good day @ Fisher Expo lots of bike shops signing up staff for mechanic training+ @CycleSystemsAc Any Lezyne stockists want an extra display stand?

Yours for beers, must collect. @18bikes What a day. Madison Saracen team launch massive success.

Highlight of the night, karaoke and jagermeister...My first iceBike* was amazing! @kellieparsons

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Day zero iceBike* starts in 2 hours & pre registered is huge today – bring it on, we’re ready! @DominicLangan

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I really liked the experience and the atmosphere. Wheel building was covered particularly well.

Terence Morris

路 City and Guilds Professional Cycle Mechanic Training 路 One Day Basic Maintenance Courses 路 Short courses in Wheel Building We are very proud to be sponsored by:

Checkout our new website at www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk Or call 0207 608 2577 for a chat about what we can offer you or to arrange a visit to our state of the art workshop in London, N1.

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