BikeBiz December 2014 by Future PLC

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DECEMBER 2014

ISSUE 107

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ISSUE 107 DECEMBER 2014

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p15 Boardman on bikes

p18 Wiggle interview

p37 Core Bike preview

The brand boss and cycle advocate extraordinaire talks to BikeBiz

BikeBiz speaks with the online retail giant’s chief executive officer Stefan Barden

The brands, the exhibitors and product previews from the essential trade show

2014: How was it for you? BikeBiz provides you with vital analysis and opinion charting the trade’s last 12 months…

p21

“When I first came into the cycle trade 30 years ago, you could predict when you were going to sell more bikes. Now it is impossible.”

“2015 will be static, but with a lot of effort”

p46 Bike Place preview

p51 Raleigh e-bike academy

p60 Leisure Lakes

p62 Wheels, tyres, tubes

What to expect at the growing Silverstone trade show

The e-bike sector gets serious with the Cyclelife Academy

The 33 year old bike shop is keen to open more branches

More essential stocking items for bike shops

EXHIBIT

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NEWS

Alan Hewitt passes away

FORMER BIKE shop owner and mechanic Alan ‘Aldo’ Hewitt has died at the age of 54. Also a former time trialist and sales executive, Hewitt had strong links with distributor Madison. Madison sales director Bill Baxter said: “Aldo’s charm, charisma and larger than life passion for our industry and for having fun made him an invaluable part of Madison. He was a modest man, generous with his time and love of cycling. I don’t think any sales team meeting or customer event is ever going to feel quite the same. His enthusiasm for Shimano, Park Tool and the hands-on side of cycling and cycle mechanics made him a force to be reckoned with. “All of us at Madison have had great times with, and have unforgettable memories of Aldo. He will be sorely missed.” Madison CEO Dominic Langan added: “My very first memory of Alan was when BIKEBIZ.COM

I visited his shop on Dunbarton Road, Glasgow some 20-plus years ago and he offered me a drink. “I was expecting the more normal morning tea or coffee but instead he opened a big fridge in his work shop and offered something much stronger! We certainly experienced some nights of excess, usually on Madison roadshows or sales meetings, but despite Alan’s wild reputation he was massively well respected within the industry. “Alan knew his stuff and customers and suppliers valued what he had to say, which is just as well, because he didn’t tend to hold back! Alan was a great man in many ways, a true industry character, he possessed fantastic technical knowledge and ability, loved by many both at home and abroad but above all he was a big softy and will be sadly missed.” Twitter also saw many tributes to Hewitt, including from Sir Chris Hoy.

EDITOR’S COMMENT A FEAST OF MARKET DATA AND RETAIL INSIGHT THIS ISSUE, not only are we bringing you interviews and market insights from key players in the bike industry – like Wiggle CEO Stefan Barden, advocate and brand chief Chris Boardman, and Raleigh MD Mark Gouldthorp (among others) – but it’s also the last issue of the year so we’ve dedicated plenty of pages to analysing 2014. Firstly, we’ve brought back our retail survey. As you know, a lot of guff is spoken and written about the state of the market, so what do cycle retailers really think? We asked 100 independents for their views on the last 12 months and while that might only a snapshot of the market, in an industry bereft of convincing data that’s virtually gold dust, if we say so ourselves (page 21). We’re always told that the UK tends to follow the US market, so we wondered what kind of year they’ve had across the pond. Expert Jay Townley almost made us wish we hadn’t asked, as it looks to have been a struggle for the independent sector in North America (page 56). What else? Citrus-Lime tells us why it’s been the year of ‘Click and Collect’ (page 72), while Actsmart reveals how pensions have been impacting on bike SMEs (page 7). Plus we’ve a look ahead to 2015, including the two shows that really kick off the trade calendar – Core Bike and The Bike Place. So, there’s plenty to get your teeth into alongside all those mince pies. Enjoy. jharker@nbmedia.com

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NEWS

Wiggle: ‘We’re a price follower, not a leader’

STEFAN BARDEN, Wiggle CEO, has told BikeBiz that while the online retail goliath is keenly focused on price, it doesn’t see itself as leading price cuts online. The online retailer boss told us: “We’re never beaten on price, that’s our philosophy. “But we are a price follower, not a leader. What we tell brands is that we can’t afford to be beaten on price. “We work with a company called Cogenta and we look at the main products we sell in our top 12 countries and we look at our main competitors and then price check against them to

determine whether we are too high or low.” In an in-depth interview with BikeBiz, Barden also expanded on Wiggle’s aims for the market going into the next year. “We want to be taking share. We don’t want to just be growing in a growing market. We think that things are going to get tougher out there, so it really is a question of how do we best satisfy customers and their growing expectations? That’s really what we are focusing on.” There’s more from Wiggle boss Stefan Barden over on page 18.

Taipei Cycle Show

sights innovation

THE INTERNATIONAL cycle trade is gearing up for one of the key dates in the calendar – Taipei Cycle Show – running March 18th to 21st at the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei. UK exhibitors like Brompton and Polaris are among those showcasing with key brands like Giant, Merida, SRAM, Shimano and Raleigh owner Accell at the event, which showcases products ahead of super shows like Eurobike and Interbike. Over a quarter of exhibitors hail from overseas. The organisers behind the expo confirmed to BikeBiz that Taipei Cycle Show will continue to strain for space for its next few editions – Taipei Cycle Show has already used all of the available room in Nangang Exhibition Hall and Hall 1. Completion of work on Nangang Exhibition Hall 2 is expected to be finished in 2017.

Taipei Cycle Show is keen to cement its credentials as a hot bed of innovation not least through its d&i Awards – organised by the iF International Design Forum. The organisers are encouraging UK brands to enter and go toe-to-toe with innovators from across the globe by entering the Taipei Cycle Awards. Applications for the awards close on December 19th 2014, with awards in the following categories: bicycles, components & parts, peripherals and accessories, e-bikes and pedelecs. Next year will see a special award also given to a new business established after January 1st 2011. Taipei Cycle Show 2015 will run alongside the Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO) which is expected to attract over 10,000 foreign buyers. Details at www.taipeicycle.com.tw

THIS MONTH WE ASK THE BIKEBIZ TEAM: What was your 2014 cycle highlight? Executive Editor: Carlton Reid carltonreid@mac.com Editor: Jonathon Harker jharker@nbmedia.com Answer: The Grand Depart was inspiring

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton msutton@nbmedia.com Answer: Riding the Malaga bowl with Ruben Design: Dan Bennett dbennett@nbmedia.com Answer: Finding new local routes

Account Manager: Richard Setters rsetters@nbmedia.com Answer: Seeing my sister and husband train from novices to doing a country-wide ride

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

Production: Alice Sanz: asanz@nbmedia.com Publisher: Lisa Carter: lcarter@nbmedia.com

BikeBiz is mailed FOC to 4,000+ trade addresses every month

Editorial: Saxon House, 6A, St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire. SG14 1JA

ISSN 1476-1505 ©NewBay Media 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of BikeBiz are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord.

6 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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NEWS

Bike businesses avoid pension fines, for now More than 1.25 million employers are required to comply with the new pension regulations. Do you know if you are you one of them? THE FIRST wave of fines have hit employers failing to comply with new pension regulations. £400 fixed penalties have been handed out as well as 163 compliance notices that give employers a fixed deadline to comply with the regulations. So far it is believed that no cycle businesses have been hit with penalties. The fines are being issued by the Pensions Regulator following the rolling out of the new law that forces all employers to provide workers with an ‘automatic enrolment’ workplace pension scheme. Despite warning bike businesses over the last three years that the regulations are coming into force, ActSmart is concerned that some companies who have not planned ahead are in danger of being hit with a fine. ActSmart’s Tony Jones told BikeBiz: “We have been making SME businesses aware of the changes for three years. “I personally have grave concerns that the number of employers being fined for non-compliance as a result of poor planning, will increase significantly over the coming 12 months. “The Pensions Regulator estimates that 1.25m businesses

SHORTS Dft cost to benefit ratio is ‘off the scale’ By its own reckoning, the Department for Transport has found that investing in cycling brings huge economic, social and health benefits, with some cycling schemes having a benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of up to 35 to 1 – so “for every £1 of public money spent, the funded schemes provide £5.50 worth of social benefit”.

Halfords sales grow In its interim results for the half year to September 2014, Halfords saw cycling sales grew 16 per cent, with growth in all cycling categories. Online sales – an area of focus for the retailer – jumped 13.7 per cent.

Silverfish breaks its record

are due to implement their own auto-enrolment scheme during the next three years, the culmination of an average planning process in excess of 18 months. We have been encouraging businesses to understand their obligations – and the effect on multiple elements of their business including finance, administration and payroll – early to avoid suffering potentially damaging daily fines.” Charles Counsell, The Pension Regulator’s executive director for automatic enrolment, said: “As we deal with smaller employers, we will see more who, despite our message to prepare early,

leave it too late or do not comply at all. This type of noncompliance is not acceptable.” ActSmart has partnered with Copthorne Hundred Wealth Management, a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management to help bike businesses manage the move. Jones added: “They are one of the leading wealth management organisations in the UK with a national network of advisers. They offer businesses and individuals a wealth management service, incorporating pension advice. The advice is face-to-face and tailored to the business or personal objectives.” www.actsmart.biz/pensions

Optimistic bike trade confident about 2015 DESPITE FINDING the market more competitive and difficult to predict, the majority of bicycle retailers are confident about trading in 2015. In the BikeBiz Retail Survey 2014 bike shops revealed their

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CYCLE

take on the past 12 months of the market, touching on topics like cycle to work, finance, forward ordering and whether profits are up or down on 2013. Read the results on page 21.

The Cornwall distributor has seen year-on-year growth of 23 per cent, while October 2014 was its busiest month ever, with sales of £1.23 million. Silverfish said the company is growing with new lines, an expanded marketing team and larger premises.

Boris beaten in court on air pollution in London The European Court of Justice ruled that London’s schedule to tackle nitrogen dioxide levels is nowhere near urgent enough. The Green Party’s Jenny Jones said the judgement “shatters the Mayor’s complacency on air pollution” and advocates traffic restrictions on certain roads.

Booked for Core? Free accommodation at Core is filling up, so those interested in staying overnight should contact corebikeshow@maxbikespr.co.uk.

More people in the saddle As we went to press, research from SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC found that the UK’s cycling population has hit 8,741,000. 16.9 per cent of UK adults are cyclists, with the average participant cycling 48.9 times in the past year. One fifth of the 8.7million cyclists ride at least once per week.

For breaking news visit:

www.bikebiz.com BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 7

OPINION

My Little Bundle of Joy With the wheels rolling on the second instalment of #MtbMeetUp, Si Bradley writes of his joy at watching his creation grow with the support of others in the off-road community… © PIC CREDIT : CHRIS DAVIES

IT’S QUITE a feeling welcoming your first child into the world. That special moment when you forget all of those months of planning, the worrying, nerves, and doubts you have and enjoy the little bundle of joy that you have created. That is until inevitably someone asks, “so, when are you having another?” It’s like asking taxi drivers what time they are due to finish and if they’ve had a busy night, people just can’t help themselves. The same has been true for #MTBMeetup. I’m really proud of being the creator of #MTBMeetup. What started as a conversation with a friend grew over discussion on Twitter and took place in February 2014. This little event, attended by 40 riders from all over the country, a little less refined but nonetheless fun, was all mine and I loved it. Aside from meeting so many amazing people, the highlight of the day for me was reading the

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“Like when you welcome a baby into the world, someone inevitably asks ‘when are you having another?’.”

tweets that followed the event. Filling up my timeline, like congratulations cards in a maternity ward, the tweets were so positive I knew I was nurturing something special. When you have a baby, tradition dictates there is a ceremonial head wetting and for #MTBMeetup this came in the form of the media coverage. Never could I have imagined I’d be asked to write an article for BikeBiz, or get over 6,100 views of the event write-up and photos on Singletrackworld. com. Writing editorials was a whole new thing for me and just like changing a baby’s nappy, I couldn’t have got through it without a lot of help from some good friends! So, when are we going to have the next one? I get asked this a lot. I was truly astonished at the success of the first, but how do you repeat something as organic as the #MTBMeetup? There’s a lot more people interested now and

I’m aware there’s a large expectation that it will be bigger and better next time. I’ve been contacted by various brands within the bike industry to offer support and sponsorship. People are asking me if we could use the event to demo bikes and gear. I’ve been asked to bolt it onto official events, other shows, even have a camping weekend. I’ve had suggestions of places to ride, people to involve, even people offering to organise it for me, but some things come at a cost and rather than nurturing a baby it was beginning to feel like I had created a monster! The #MTBMeetup was conceived to bring mountain biking friends together. It is a way of putting faces to avatars, riding in some great locations, but in a way that is completely free. These will always be the underlying principles of the #MTBMeetup. I’m grateful for any industry interest and happy to promote those who support the initiative; we will use products in a way that means we can raise money for charity and give a little back. You can read about the first #MTBMeetup here: singletrackworld.com/2014/02/ riding-bikes-tweeting-tweets/ and see the pictures here: www.chrisdaviesphotography. com/Client/MTBMeetup Plans for the next #MTBMeetup are well underway and we will be releasing the due date soon. In the meantime you can keep up to date with all the latest on the meet up by following @MTBMeetupUK on Twitter. #MTBMeetup

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 9

EVENT PROFILE

A greater Manchester show Manchester’s Bike Expo is an expanded version of the Bike & Triathlon show. Jonathon Harker speaks with exhibition manager Aaron Dombey to find out what the trade can expect from the revamped show… THE TEAM behind Manchester’s Bike & Triathlon Show is planning its very own game-changer of a show. Not only will next year’s event have a road and triathlon focus, but now – under the Bike Expo name – will incorporate all disciplines of cycling. “We had two fantastic years as the Bike & Triathlon Show, but there was a big demand for a broader event that incorporated every type of cycling, from MTB and BMX to commuting and kids’ bikes – and everything in between,” Aaron Dombey, Bike Expo exhibition manager, tells BikeBiz. “We took the decision to expand by moving to EventCity and relaunching it as four shows in one – Bike Expo, Swim Expo, Run Expo and Tri Expo. Each show will have its own programme of workshops as well as the latest products and kit and expert advice from leaders in each field.” So while the focus has expanded, fans of the previous shows will not have to fear a complete change in direction, Dombey assures: “There will be more than ever for triathlon retailers as Tri Expo has its own

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exhibition area and stage, which will host some of the sport’s biggest names.” One of the keys to the revamped show is the new location – EventCity. The new venue is owned by Peel Group, which is getting behind the show and using its considerable marketing muscle, helping maximise Bike Expo’s exposure in the lead up to March.

Manchester is integral to Bike Expo. Dombey explains: “Greater Manchester and the city itself have definitely become key as far as cycling is concerned – as you know it is the home of British Cycling – and Greater Manchester is one of the pioneers when it comes to boosting interest in cycling. It has aspirations to achieve at least a 300 per cent increase in the levels of

“The new venue means we now have capacity for a trade day.” Aaron Dombey, Bike Expo It doesn’t hurt that one of Peel Group’s directors, one James Whittaker, is a keen triathlete and fan of endurance events: “In fact, he has just completed the Arch to Arc challenge and a few years ago he swam 36 miles in the Manchester Ship Canal to raise money for charity. It’s fair to say he’s a very able sportsman.” In the cycle show market, location is everything and

cycling across the city region by 2025, which is a pretty impressive goal by any standard.” Show marketing is pitched in the north with last year’s event data revealing 45 per cent of visitors travelled for under an hour to get there. 22 per cent travelled between one and two hours. In a year of changes, 2015 marks yet another first for the show – a dedicated trade day. “It’s

something we wanted to do and the feedback we received from trade visitors and exhibitors suggested there’s a real thirst for a trade day in this part of the country. Now we’re at the new venue we can run over three days instead of two, so everything has come together allowing us to have the first ever Bike Expo trade day on Friday March 20th. It will be completely free for trade visitors, who can get exclusive offers and previews of all the latest products for the upcoming season.” The show is months away, but there’s already been support pledged from British Cycling, Wattbike, Cycle Alert, Beaconfell, Pedal Precision, Schwalbe, Wheel Spin Cycles, Gigapower UK and more. Big name guest speakers will be announced in the New Year and the team behind the show are keen to hear your suggestions: “Please get in touch to tell us what you want to see at the trade day – we’re working hard to make sure it’s a fruitful day for everyone, so let us know your suggestions.” adombey@hamerville.co.uk www.bikeexpo.co.uk

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interaction | connection | education

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MTB INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Hans Rey (right) was among the high profile speakers at the MTB conference

MTBing is “important part of the Scottish economy” hears conference Scotland has just held its first International Mountain Biking Conference. Carlton Reid reports from the event which aims to cement the nation’s reputation as a first-class mountain biking destination... THE FIRST International Scottish Mountain Biking conference was held in Peebles in mid-November and attracted delegates from around the world. The proximity to world-class riding was a draw: the Glentress trail centre was a short ride uphill from the conference’s hotel venue. The keynote speaker was Hans “No Way” Rey and he went on a night ride and a wet day ride with delegates and local school children (who were excellent riders). Delegates were told that mountain biking was worth £155m a year to the Scottish economy (the Fort William World Cup DH event brings in £2.7m p.a. alone). £155m accounts for just two percent of the £11.6bn tourist industry but mountain bikers penetrated rural backwaters, bringing cash to towns and villages not always on the traditional tourist trail. Paula McDonald, a senior director of Visit Scotland, said she was passionate about promoting her country and that it had the BIKEBIZ.COM

“best assets you could ask for in a tourist economy.” She also revealed that road cycling and cycle touring was growing at a faster rate than mountain biking. In 2011 there were 190,000 trips generated by mountain biking, but this had reduced to 109,000 in 2013. By comparison, road and touring cycling trips doubled from 254,000 in 2011 to 401,000 in 2013.

to a worldwide audience of millions. Visit Scotland helped pay for the video, providing a grant for the film-makers to buy in a drone for the all-important aerial shots. The typical user of the 7Stanes trail centres was affluent and male, said McDonald. 71 percent of trail centre users were AB and C1, and 87 percent of MTBers were blokes. Scotland’s liberal access laws – solidified in the Land Reform Act

“We can label certain trails ideal for electricmountain bikes.” Clive Forth, MTBskills McDonald said she expects mountain biking trips to increase next year in part because of the “Danny Macaskill effect”: his video shot on the Isle of Skye went viral earlier this year and promoted the grandeur of Scotland’s landscape – and mountain biking potential –

of 2003 – allow mountain bikers to ride almost anywhere they want (without motors) but signposted trail centres have become magnets, with wilderness riding becoming a relative rarity. The success of the trail centres bodes well for electric mountain bikes, said Clive Forth of

consultancy business MTBskills: “Electric bikes have been huge in the mountains of Europe for years. Scottish trail centres are perfect for e-MTBs – they have robust trails for a start.” He has no issues with “motorisation” of mountain biking: “I liken [the advent of e-mountain biking] to the controversy over “uplift” when riders used to get taken up trails on pick-up trucks. Now, at some centres, they get to the top of the hill on [ski] lifts.” Forth believes Scotland could easily accomodate e-MTBing and is opposed to the type of blanket ban recently imposed in Moab, Utah. “Instead we can channel the demand with marketing, labelling certain trails being ideal for e-MTBs,” said the industry veteran. The Scottish Mountain Biking Conference added the international element this year but has had two previous annual outings. Delegates to the event came from Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and as far away as New Zealand. BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 13

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SUPERMAGNETO

CHRIS BOARDMAN INTERVIEW

“It has been a game changing year for Boardman Bikes” Boardman’s bike range first launched to retail back in 2007

Boardman: The brand There’s two sides to Chris Boardman – there’s the brand head and there’s the advocate who’s not afraid to stir up trouble, or refuse a helmet, while promoting cycling. Jonathon Harker speaks with Boardman. Both of him. Amongst the most showbiz moments of BikeBiz’s career so far was waiting for Sir Chris Hoy to stop chatting with Chris Boardman MBE in order to crack on with an interview with the latter. While both are sort-of competitors in the bicycle business – Hoy working exclusively with Evans Cycles on his Hoy bike line and Boardman working primarily with Halfords (as well as selected independents for the Elite range) – we can report the two were predictably very amicable and thankfully fisticuffs-free (though could you imagine the scoop if they weren’t?). Once we managed to prise the chatty duo apart, we quizzed ‘The Professor’ himself in detail on what has been a big year for Boardman Bikes, the potential for cycling in the UK and his work pushing cycling into the political sphere... BIKEBIZ.COM

It’s been a big year for Boardman Bikes with Halfords’ acquisition of the brand. Would you class it as a ‘game changer’? It has been. It needed to happen because we were, and are, growing at such a rate – the original shareholders were literally three people around a kitchen table. It

There are several people that were interested in buying us, both national and international, which was flattering but it was all about the best fit. It sounds a bit cheesy but I don’t invest in companies, but people, and [Halfords CEO] Matt Davies is a thoroughly nice man and his vision for the business is

“We weren’t stalling, but it was holding the business back.” Chris Boardman got big and to the point where if you wanted to go to the next step you needed to buy millions in stock and they understandably said “this is too much for us, we don’t want to risk our houses again” – it didn’t mean were stalling, but it did mean the business was being held back.

honest and I think he is very forward thinking. He can see that the future is urban transport. He’s had the courage to push that. They wanted to buy what we were, not buy the brand and use it. So we get free reign, which is why the Elite bikes aren’t in any Halfords shops

because it isn’t the appropriate product for them. They are for the specialist dealers. It’s working really well and it’s going to allow us to do some massive projects, which I can’t really talk about at the moment. But there is stuff in the pipeline that we couldn’t have dreamed about a year ago. Expanding on that point, there was talk of expanding your accessories range…? Yes. We are definitely. We are really interested in clothing and we are talking months not years. There’s all sorts of things… The sale itself is a six month process that stalls everything because whoever acquires you is going to have different priorities and have an influence. And then it is reorganising the team and bringing in new people, which is happening now. So there’s been a BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 15

CHRIS BOARDMAN INTERVIEW period where we haven’t been at our maximum. How’s the international reach of the brand now? We’re in around 86 countries, some that we can reach through the internet, but the approach to the territories really depends on how people want to buy. For example in Australia, you’d assume they would be very internet savvy with such a diluted society around the coast of this massive continent, but the culture wants physical shops. We now sell bikes in Russia – they love the internet so that’s the approach there. And we’ve a dealer network in France now. It’s quite exciting for us. We’ll do it, but not at full tilt. We want to build globally slowly and we have been doing – based around finding good reliable partners. The UK is where we came from, it’s our base of operations, and the UK growth is unbelievable. I thought it would level out after the Olympic Games, but it has accelerated in the last year. As cycling’s popularity has grown we’ve seen more players coming into the market. Over the lifetime of Boardman Bikes, have you seen the industry get more competitive? 2007 was our first year and yes it is more competitive now. That’s a healthy thing, really. The only way to progress is to stay trying to be the best. I know it sounds cheesy, but producing the best product you possibly can and getting it out there is what it is all about. Bike reviews are the new race. Can we do something that beats everyone else? The parent company that we have gives us a huge advantage. We have over 400 shops so financially we can offer people a good deal and Halfords will let us produce – rather than just wanting the maximum margin from a business perspective. We have a cracking team – everyone in the team rides a bike. We all know the product. Everyone gets it. We are only months away from some big announcements that I really can’t talk about yet. What am I looking forward to? Next year it will be great having all the company on an even keel – it’s been a big 12 months. www.boardmanbikes.com 16 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

BOARDMAN: THE ADVOCATE

Boardman barges into the cycle advocacy arena...

IT’S BEEN a massive year for cycling in the UK – will we see the likes of it again? It’s been a vintage year for cycling. I’ve worked on the Tour for a decade or more and then on the other side of the fence I’ve been around the race for 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. I think it was wonderful that Yorkshire stole the show from London for a change. You couldn’t tell where the crowd stopped and the race started. The tour organisers – who have been doing it for longer than my 20 years – said that they haven’t seen anything like it before but it was just great to keep having that advert for cycling… What I like is that for many of the major events they are attaching mass participation rides to it. That is the bit I am most excited about. Because the advocacy side of things is important to you…? Yes. It probably takes up about half of my time and it’s a scary period for me. I think we have this window up to the elections in May and we’re never going to have as good an opportunity as we have now. There’s a real chance to try and get a commitment and a target. I think we are right on the edge. All the leaders write back to me now. I’ve seen some draft manifestos and they have really moved

ground. When I compare where we are now to 12 months ago they have really changed. I can understand everyone being cynical and be like “yeah we have heard it all before” and we have, but we are on the edge of proper numbers and allocated funds, long-term commitment and targets. And we are really close. And as soon as one of the major parties gets on board then we can beat the others over the head with it. We know it has to be meaningful. Even the pro cycle MPs are mired in a political environment. When the road narrows, the cycle lane disappears so it could be a vote loser. But culture change is always slow and it’s always painful. What are the chances of success? I think we’ll do it. In the last six months we’ve been to everyone at a ministerial level to the Department for Transport and the Department for Health, all of them right down to local level – we have loads of people who are ready to go. The DfT said they have the money. All it needs is the political leader to say ‘do it’ and all those people will spring into action, but right now no one feels empowered to make a significant change. Everyone wants to sound positive. Last year the PM didn’t really help them out, when he said

he wanted to see a cycling revolution. He used up all the rhetoric – he’s taken them to the brink on rhetoric, but what’s going to happen next? That statement he made has allowed us to push to the point where there is nowhere else to hide. It’s friggin’ frustrating, that something so logical is so hard to get done. There are 37,000 deaths a year from obesity related illness, 20,000 from pollution and congestion, and so on and so forth, you have the majority of journeys less than five miles and they are still done mostly being made by car. 400 miles away 50 per cent of school kids ride to school. It is just ridiculous. Because we have that info we keep pushing them with it, and it’s nearly impossible now to ignore. It shouldn’t be a case of “shall we do it?” It should be a case of what happens if we don’t. What are you most looking forward to next year? I’m looking forward to getting the manuscript completed on my new book. I’m desperately wishing I’d not agreed to do it. It is 100,000 words. Gary Imlach is editing it for me and he is absolutely ruthless. The notes back from him say “you lying bastard” – I’d like to publish all the notes. It’s probably more interesting than the book. www.britishcycling.org.uk

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WIGGLE: THE BIG INTERVIEW

ONLINE POWERHOUSE In an increasingly competitive market, even the likes of Wiggle – a superpower in the world of cycle retail – faces challenges, not least ensuring it stays ahead of any potential new rivals. Wiggle CEO Stefan Barden speaks with Jonathon Harker…

LAST MONTH online retailer goliath Wiggle shared its latest financials, revealing a 19 per cent rise in sales for the year ended Feb 2nd 2014, up to £168m from £141m in the previous year. That, according to Wiggle, means it is now the UK’s biggest online cycling and trisports retailer. Aside from growing sales, Wiggle has been busy on many fronts, relocating its warehouse operations to Wolverhampton from Portsmouth, launching its own label nutrition range and installing Stefan Barden as its new chief executive officer in September last year. BikeBiz caught up with Barden a few days after it shared its latest financial report… Are the results broadly in line with your expectations? Are you 18 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

pleased with the rise? Yes, we’re pleased with the rise in top line sales and the strong underlying cash generation in the business. In these high growth markets you never quite know what’s going to happen from one year to the next, but we’re pleased

massive year for UK cycling are your expectations pretty high for the next financial period too? We’re two thirds of the way through it and we’ve found that growth is continuing to accelerate in the UK and we remain on trend overall. If you look at the results

“We are happy we’re continuing to take share in the marketplace.” Stefan Barden, Wiggle

with 19 per cent and that we’re continuing to take share. These results run up to February this year. Considering it’s been a

from the year we just posted, we were growing disproportionately strongly in the UK and strongly in Europe, while our overseas businesses were being affected by

the foreign exchange like other retailers with an international business. For example, an Australian Dollar bought less pounds in the year that we reported, and again will buy even less pounds in the year that we are trading in now. So that has a big impact both on sales and on possibilities. That would have impacted other international retailers too, like Chain Reaction. Even taking that into account, our businesses overseas – in Japan and Australia for example – may have declined, but they are still going strong. In the current year the UK market has accelerated and in continental Europe it is steady. We’ve invested in an Australian and Japanese office, but the main shape of the business is becoming more UK and European-centric. BIKEBIZ.COM

WIGGLE: THE BIG INTERVIEW

to companies like Hitwise and Google and they will tell us how many people are searching for a variety of search terms. We might take 200 search terms and get a view of whether traffic is going up or down. Now that’s not quite the same as market share, but it gives you an indication and that’s growing steadily and we continue to take share of online traffic. That’s driving our growth. In terms of the Grand Depart, if you look at prior years – particularly before Bradley Wiggins won – we saw that the UK market was relatively flat with a slight increase during the summer. Then when Bradley became a contender the market grew overall – there absolutely was a Bradley Wiggins effect. In the following year, when Froome was in there, it went up again at the same times. What has happened this year is that as we come into Le Tour – even though we had the Grand Depart – there was a bit of a kick, but I think because British racers like Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish crashed out quite early on, then interest waned and we saw that web searches seemed to revert back to the shape of the years prior to Bradley Wiggins being involved, so that’s quite interesting.

We look at what our competitors are doing and we admire Halfords’ online growth in the UK. We see ourselves growing far more strongly than that. We are taking share in the UK and Europe as well. You are talking about taking share, but do you think the UK market overall is growing? It’s very interesting: there are different dynamics there, and the first thing is that there’s not so much visibility of the overall market particularly the offline side. We tend to read articles in BikeBiz for that. Would I be right in saying that it is flat to slightly up? I think so… We’d take your view of the overall market. For the online market we look at things like traffic. We can go BIKEBIZ.COM

Is it tough to maintain growth in a more competitive market? We do see it as more competitive, but we’re determined to win. We like competition, it keeps us on our toes. You’ve got to be the best. There really is only one winner. People can only spend their Pound once. We relish it, but it also drives us on because we are paranoid that someone will find a better way to satisfy the customer. But we have our way of thinking and the way we’re setting the business up we are very clear on what our mission is – to inspire people, to help people enjoy their sport. Our purpose is to help make our customers’ decisions simpler. We are absolutely focused on getting the right range. We don’t stock everything and we’re really focused on price. We have a web tool that helps us check our competitors every hour. And clearly

we are absolutely committed to customer service. Our key measure is our Net Promoter score – would our customers recommend us to their friends and family? And I look at every single comment and complaint that comes in. We relentlessly follow up on any failures. We take responsibility for the parcel until it gets into our customers’ hands. On average about 1.5 per cent of Royal Mail deliveries get returned and we are down to half a per cent. Everyone of those customers gets phoned up and asked if they want refund or redelivery. From the tens of thousands of parcels we send out, we are down to the level of ‘John of 62 Sycamore Avenue’. That relentless focus is what we are trying to do to make sure we win. You made a point earlier about a system that checks prices hourly. We’re never beaten on price, that’s our philosophy. We not only have a strong proposition with the right product at the right price with fantastic service, but we have a supplier proposition too. We work with our suppliers to support their brands in a way they would want them supported in the online marketplace. What we tell brands is that we can’t afford to be beaten on price. We work with a company called Cogenta and look at the main products we sell in our top 12 countries and we look at our main competitors then price check against them. With that in place we can scan the internet every hour and when we are too high or low it flags it up. We are a price follower, not a leader. What we have done is we’ve been very public and presented to our suppliers with this information. Even though we’ve developed this and invested heavily in it with Cogenta, this is available to suppliers as well. This year saw Wiggle launch an own brand nutrition range. Are further own brand launches part of Wiggle’s growth strategy? We’re proud of our own label range but at the end of the day we are a retailer of third party brands. We

exist here to help brands get to customers, our purpose is not to create a house set of brands. We’re not going to be a Rapha or a Vulpine or something like that. We develop an own brand where we feel there are gaps in the marketplace where we think they aren’t being served by the brands. We go to brands and ask ‘have you got a product to fit here at a certain quality and price point?’ and if not then we develop something. This year has also seen Wiggle announce the distribution centre move to Wolverhampton. Is that still in progress? We wanted to do the right thing for our colleagues. We’ve got about 175 colleagues and we’ve given them a years notice. Instead of doing it secretly behind the scenes – that wouldn’t be the Wiggle way -– we announced it openly and told them while we were planning it. The Portsmouth warehouse won’t be switched off until after the summer next year. We will start to move things across in the second half of next year and will be up and running before Christmas. It is all going well, we’ve signed the contracts and we’re in discussions with our colleagues. We’re inviting every single person we have here who wants to, to relocate to the Midlands. We are going to support them in doing that. We have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who want to do that. For those people who stay behind, if there is a role we can find them elsewhere then we will. What about the biggest challenges ahead for Wiggle? We want to be taking share. We don’t want to just be growing in a growing market. We think that things are going to get tougher in the market so it really is a question of how do we best satisfy customers and their expectations? Those grow every year, both in the UK and around the world. How do we satisfy those developing customer expectations in the ever more competitive market – that’s really what we are focusing on. www.wiggle.co.uk BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 19

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RETAIL SURVEY

The nation’s bike shops speak What do Great Britain’s bicycle retailers really think about the state of the market in 2014? Jonathon Harker compiles the responses for this year’s BikeBiz Retail Survey… AN INCREASINGLY competitive cycle industry has benefited from growing interest in high profile road cycling competitions, retailers told us in the BikeBiz Retail Survey 2014. The front line of the market reported increasingly less predictable customer buying

patterns and – in the main – a rise in profits. Those observations are among the headlines from the survey, which asked retailers for their thoughts on the last 12 months of trading, but there are plenty of nitty gritty details to be chewed over by those interested in the state of the market...

1. BY WHAT PERCENTAGE HAVE YOUR ANNUAL PROFITS INCREASED OR DECLINED YEAR-ON-YEAR? The numbers paint a largely positive picture – with almost ten per cent of respondents reporting an amazing 50 per cent rise in profits (48.97 in total reported profit rises). Delve a little deeper and some of the comments revealed that rises came at a cost, for some. One retailer told us they had achieved the rise “only though working far more hours”, while another said they were seeing “massive pressure on margin from online competitors”. One retailer showing their staying power, revealing “we are three years old and we’ve yet to make a profit or cover costs”.

Q Up 50% or more - 9.18% Q Up 30% to 50% - 9.18% Q Up 10% to 30% - 30.61% Q Not much change - 30.61% BIKEBIZ.COM

Q Down 10% to 30% - 15.31% Q Down 30% to 50% - 3.06% Q Down 50% or more - 2.04%

2. HAVE YOU FOUND COMPETITION FOR BUSINESS HAS INCREASED THIS YEAR? Given the growing interest in the market, fuelled by the successes of Wiggins, Froome, Pendleton, et al – it’s no surprise to see competition on the up. Anecdotally BikeBiz hears from all sides of the trade that it’s getting more competitive out there (which perhaps makes those rises in profits all the more surprising and impressive), it’s interesting to see that retailers are also feeling the same. Predictably the online threat was cited by some retailers, while one shop touched on a mainly unreported problem, arguing competition was “largely from organisations funded by public money”, something the BikeBiz team is hearing more about of late. One shop said: “a ‘performance centre’ that started off as one thing has now started selling bikes and that has hit road bike sales.”

Q Yes, there are more competitors - 69.39% Q About the same - 29.59% Q No, there are less competitors - 1.02% BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 21

RETAIL SURVEY

3. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING DO YOU FEEL HAS GENERATED THE MOST INTEREST IN CYCLING LATELY? We phrased this one carefully – we didn’t say which of the following had boosted sales, only generated interest. A good thing too, for while the Grand Depart has clearly dominated here (though worth noting the Tour of Britain’s standing), many retailers were supremely cynical about any impact on trading, many commenting “none of the above, most of it is media hype” and another said “none of the above has generated any interest for our business”. Others pointed to a growth in commuter cycling, including local authority cycle promotion schemes, and of course the weather for boosting interest in cycling. However some retailers did feel that ‘general positive press about cycling’ was having some impact.

Q Wheel sizes - 17.05% Q Enduro - 10.23% Q Tour de France Grand Depart - 73.86% Q Women’s Tour - 11.36% Q Tour of Britain - 23.86% Q Glasgow Commonwealth Games - 5.86%

4. ARE YOU SELLING MORE OR LESS BIKES WITH FINANCE DEALS THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR? Around ten per cent of respondents skipped this question as they didn’t offer finance – “demand is negligible” – while another said they’d recently introduced it and not found it to be popular. Certainly finance sales are not proving quite as essential as you might think in an economy that is reportedly not boosting employee’s pay packets as much as would be hoped. The majority found finance sales were static, while over a quarter saw a rise.

Q More - 27.06% Q About the same - 56.47% Q Less - 16.47%

22 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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RETAIL SURVEY

5. WHAT PORTION OF YOUR BUSINESS DO CYCLE TO WORK SALES REPRESENT? For many retailers cycle to work does not represent a large chunk of sales (which is probably a good thing in view of its static £1,000 limit and in case the government decides to axe it), but nevertheless the figures show it remains a significant portion of business for many – in the main between one and 15 per cent, though it is worth noting the four per cent who said cycle to work sales constituted over 30 per cent of their total sales.

Q Over 30% - 4.04% Q Between 15% and 30% - 22.22% Q Between 1% and 15% - 54.55% Q No C2W business - 19.19%

6. HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TRADING IN 2015? Happily the vast majority of retailers are confident going into 2015. Many of those positive votes came with conditions, however, including “I think it will be static with very much effort” as well as multiple pleas for suppliers to try and combat the slashing of stock on the internet. Others acknowledged they “need to tighten things up” and “we all know the market is flat and has been for a few years. Hopefully a dryer winter will help with a good 2015”. “Going from hand to mouth is difficult for me,” said one retailer: “It’s hard getting small amounts of stock quickly and with minimum postage”. Another added: “I think it will be a hard year again with more going to the wall.” But, to reflect the majority of responses, let’s end on a positive note: “The way sales are going we should sell 50 per cent more bikes this year than last.” Thank you to all the retailers who took to the polls for the BikeBiz Retail Survey 2014. Read more results from the Retail Survey on page 71. Send your comments on the survey to Bikebiz@nbmedia.com

24 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

Q I feel confident about my business in 2015 - 74.23% Q I don’t feel confident about my business in 2015 - 25.77%

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TRIBUTE

Steve Worland started writing for Mountain Biking UK in the early 1990s

Bike journalism pioneer The inaugural Cycling Media Awards named the Specialist Print Writer Award after popular mountain bike reviewing legend Steve Worland, who sadly passed away earlier this year… “Steve Worland is irreplaceable. He was an early adopter, innovator and a deep thinker. Often quiet but always quietly forceful. Very principled, pioneering and passionate about bikes and life. Steve had a good (if slightly quirky) sense of humour and excellent (if slightly quirky) taste in music. He was a great friend, colleague and travel companion to me and many others. His bike testing and writing skills were second to none; Steve would have been an obvious choice to win the award that is named in his honour.” Steve Behr “Steve Worland was one of the first people to welcome a young, speccy Chipps to the world of mountain bike journalism. He showed me the importance of our roles as intermediaries between the buying-public and the bikedesigning bike brands and how it was possible to earn the respect of BIKEBIZ.COM

both. Steve was respected by the whole bike industry, far and wide, and revered by the readers. He was a fast rider, who never left the ground, yet never seemed entirely weighed down by gravity. Steve will be long remembered by those who knew him and by those riders out there on the hills, riding a bike they bought on his recommendation.” Chipps Chippendale “Simply put anyone writing about mountain biking in the UK owes Steve a massive debt. It was his determination and unswerving honesty that created a totally independent review culture in mountain bike magazines that’s still the envy of the rest of the world. Funny yet firm and always totally fair, he’d go to the furthest lengths to research his reviews but never give an inch to anyone who tried to exert pressure on him. As much as he set a benchmark for professional bike reviewing,

he’ll be equally remembered for his peerless personality. Steve was an incredibly welcoming, encouraging and patient person who always had time for all the awed acolytes following his words and wheel tracks. In fact at the risk of sounding inappropriately evangelical about a man who never preached and who certainly never demanded or wanted worship, Steve was the light who showed so many of us that what we loved could be what we did. He was a true individual of seemingly bottomless passion, integrity and enthusiasm who empowered, enthused and inspired generations of riders, writers and free thinkers. Someone who never compromised what he believed in, and yet never closed his mind to even the most random and radical ideas. Ferociously determined yet never too serious. Always humble and self effacing despite an intellect so vast it made the world

wide web look like an iPod shuffle. Steve saw the world with unique insight, but never lost sight of the fact that the simplest pleasures of emotions, endorphins and the elements are the purest and most wonderful of all. Wise yet wildly mischievous and possessed of infuriatingly yet inspirationally unachievable skills with single track or syntax, Steve was the twisting, winding trail ahead and the warm tailwind at our backs. For a man who seemed to barely skim the ground as he rode, Steve has left an incredible trail for us to try and follow. Thanks for everything Steve, we will do our best to make the most of it.” Guy Kesteven Thanks to Steve Behr, Chipps Chippendale and Guy Kesteven. Thanks also to Matt Skinner for the tribute video on the night of the Cycling Media Awards. BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 27

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CYCLING MEDIA AWARDS

Cycling Media Awards 2014: THE WINNERS The cycling media world – from specialist magazines and websites to mainstream broadcasters, newspapers and more – came together for the inaugural Cycling Media Awards at the Bloomsbury Ballroom…

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BRAND PROFILE

Jones heads up the brand for Paligap

Alé is designed and produced in Italy

What makes Alé stand out from the competition? Alé is 100 per cent Italian from start to finish, from initial design to the finished product. Also, the entire process happens under one roof with around 100 staff, which are mainly female. The main designer and owner of the brand is Alessia, a very keen and active cyclist herself. This shows through in the colours and designs for the Alé range; it is so vibrant and powerful, it stands out on the bike and in-store too. Why should female cyclists look to Alé for their clothing? The colours, design and fit are designed by women for women. I think the clothing is what could be explained as serious cycling clothing for women, which has been a long time coming. The

levels starting from Plus for your club/sportive riders, Ultra for mid-way riders, and PRR for your elite riders. The Plus range starts from an affordable entry level £70 jersey in men’s, with a women’s sleeveless jersey starting at £40. This then goes up to the high-end jersey for men’s, being the New PRR 2.0 jersey, at £100. What does a retailer need to do to become an Ale stockist? You can only buy Alé if you are an Alé stockist that has bought in to an incentive. The Paligap account managers are out now showing the new spring/summer collection. If you are interested in becoming an Alé stockist please contact the team on 01454 332110, or contact your area account manager directly.

“Alé is 100 per cent Italian from design to the finished product.” Tessa Jones, Paligap clothing has every small detail the men’s clothing has, but is anatomically fitted for the female form with beautiful vibrant colours.

All hail to the Alé Cycle clothing is changing, with new fabrics and greater attention to tailoring clothing to performance posture and comfort at the highest level. Mark Sutton asks Paligap’s Alé brand manager Tessa Jones how stockists can earn a performance advantage of their own…

34 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

What fabric technologies are found within the catalogue? One of the main fabrics used is the Eyelet Carbon fabric. Carbon is used a lot as it improves performance by dissipating electric charges in the atmosphere, has antibacterial properties and improves blood circulation, all while reducing the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Some new garments in the range use PRR 2.0, a fabric that is only 105 gr/sqm. This range is extremely tight fitting and in the highest price range. It has more panels too, so it is even tighter to the body. There are three different types of Chamois: 4H, 2H and a women’sspecific W4H. The Chamois are constructed of two layers of high-density foam moulded at a very high frequency to shape the contact and relief points. Does Paligap’s stock cover amateur to pro? The Paligap range for the Spring/ Summer Collection 2015 covers the club to elite rider. There are three

How has the product reviewed? The spring/summer 2014 Jersey was put through a road.cc test and received 4.5/5, while the bib shorts received 4/5, with testers stating they were ‘comfortable, highquality shorts with some very good features’. This product is a core product, so will also be available in the 2015 collection in the same colours plus some new ones too. There’s a custom programme available to retailers too? Yes, there is a custom programme available, but this is very new to Paligap. If anyone would like pricing it is available from the sales team. Nearly everything in the Alé range is available in the custom clothing programme, anything from PRR to Plus fit. Alé have been manufacturing clothing for other brands in cycling for years, so have a huge amount of experience here. Anything big in the pipeline for 2015/16 you can talk about? The new AW15/16 Winter samples should be showing to retailers in February/March. It features a lot of great products including Klimatic, Alé’s performance fabric for wet and cold conditions. www.paligap.cc BIKEBIZ.COM

Introducing Sarto frame tailors THIS SUMMER Impact Cycle Trading picked up distribution for Italian frame name Sarto. The brand is proud of its reputation for “Fatto a mano in Italia” – or “handmade in Italy” in local parlance. The brand is headed up by Enrico Sarto and each bike is created in a small factory to the east of Padova on the way to Venice, by a family company whose name means “tailor”. Since the 1950s, Sarto have been manufacturing bike frames, making them for other bike companies and professional cyclists, as well as producing their own Sarto brand bespoke carbon bike frames. More than 2,500 frames are made each year by the team of artisans, starting with frame design using sophisticated viewing and modelling software, through

BIKEBIZ.COM

making and cutting the tubes, building, bonding and laminating the frame, to painting and testing. The process allows total customisation of the frame to suit the requirements of the customer, be that integrated seat mast, choice of bottom bracket, extra stiffening or the paint job. Impact Cycle Trading (ICT) is proudly distributing this premium brand for the UK and Ireland and is seeking dealers with the wherewithal and desire to assist and advise customers looking for a bespoke carbon bike frame. Interested retailers should contact Impact Cycle Trading for more details, and come and see some of Sarto’s 100 per cent handmade in Italy frames at the Bike Place show in January 2015. info@ImpactCT.co.uk 0208 123 5314

Sarto’s Velox (above) and the Dinamica

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 35

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CORE BIKE SHOW

NEED TO KNOW VENUE: Whittlebury Hall, Northants

OPENING TIMES: Sunday 25th Jan 09.00 - 17.00 Monday 26th Jan 09.00 - 17.00 Tuesday 27th Jan 09.00 - 17.00 Wednesday 28th Jan 09.00 - 13.00 Designated Press day: Tuesday (dealers also welcome) WEBSITE: www.corebike.co.uk For general and accommodation enquiries please contact the Max Bikes PR team on 0044 7891 951 055 or email corebikeshow@maxbikespr.co.uk

THE EXHIBITORS Q 2pure Q Buffera Q Chicken Cyclekit Q Citrus-Lime Q Electric Bike Corporation Q Endura Q Extra UK Q Fox Head Europe Q Hope Technology Q Hotlines Europe Q Ison Distribution Q Lightweight Q Mojo Suspension Q One Industries Q Paligap Q Polaris Q Saddleback Q Silverfish Q SiWiS Q Storck Bicycles Q Upgrade Bikes Q Windwave BIKEBIZ.COM

Core-ner the bike market Let’s face it, shows don’t get past their ten year anniversary if they’re no good. Jonathon Harker looks ahead to Core Bike’s eleventh edition and some of the brands that will appear... BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 37

CORE BIKE SHOW

2PURE/ 2015

2PURE

CHICKEN CYCLEKIT

Osmo will have a ‘Core Bike hangover recovery’ special on the 2pure stand, complemented by 2pure’s own coffee blend and a Honey Stinger Waffle to set traders up for the day in the Cafe 2pure. POC is debuting its 2015 Raceday collection there, building on the success of AVIP, it is the brand’s take on performance racewear. Eddy Merckx’s all new San Remo 76 and Mourenz 69 will star alongside the race-proven EMX-525 and entry level EMX1. Ibis Cycles, meanwhile, will showcase the new HD3, which takes pride of place alongside the Tranny 29 hardtail, award winning Ripley 29 and popular Hakkaluggi Disc CX bike.

Chicken Cyclekit’s own Tifosi has been undergoing some big changes, as Cycle Show attendees will already know, with more sub £1,000 models and new designs and logos that complement the heritage feel of the brand. At Core, Chicken will also show off Campagnolo’s Bora clinker, featuring a slightly wider rim profile to help house larger diameter tyres and be stiffer and more efficient on the road. Selle Italia, meanwhile, sees many new saddles this year, including the Butcher for gravity MTBs, with a large cut out in the centre of the saddle, which can be used for extra grip during specific tricks. Finally, the Ferrari Novus has been reimagined for 2015.

CITRUS-LIME

EBC

Citrus-Lime has plenty of info and solutions for retailers interested in the buzz phrase of the year ‘Click & Collect’ (there’s more on page 72 about that). The firm will also be explaining the benefits of its Customer Rewards offering, designed to put an end to discounts and build up relationships with customers. Citrus-Lime will also have info on its forthcoming Cloud reporting tool, which has been developed from the ground up and will be the first of its new Cloud based modules. There’s a new Citrus-Lime website in the New Year so why not pop to their stand for a chat and you may even walk out with some locally sourced, fair trade, organic Citrus-Lime branded tea and coffee.

You can find all the latest 2015 E-bikes from Ave, Bergamont and EBCO, including the Bergamont Roxtar C 9.0, the Bergamont E-Ville C N360 and the critically acclaimed EBCO UCL 30 (as featured in The Sunday Times and The Gadget Show) at Core Bike. The Roxtar C9.0 is a performance hard tail trail MTB, on 27.5-inch wheels with a Bosch Performance line motor and light alloy frame, priced at £2,799. The E-Ville C N360 is an urban commuter bike, arriving for the first time in the UK at Core. The stylish ride features hydraulic Shimano BR-T445 disc brakes and that Bosch Performance Line motor again. It retails at £2,899.

38 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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CORE BIKE SHOW

ENDURA

EXTRA UK

If an early exclusive on Endura’s autumn/winter 2015 lines is what you’re seeking then Core Bike 2015 is the place to be – dealers can catch an early sight of the Scottish brand’s latest colour and scientific developments there. Following the success of the recent SS15 launch with limited colourways livening up the MTB offering and unique scientific developments in road product directly influenced by Movistar Team rider feedback, the apparel brand promises not to rest on its laurels, introducing equally exciting and innovative products to their extensive collection for the winter season, we hear.

The full Clif Bar range, from Clif Bars and Builders Protein Bars to Shot Bloks and Shot Gels, will be available to sample at Core. Dealers will also be able to get close to Brooks England’s successful Cambium range, with the launch of the new C15 and C17 Carved models and new colours too. Fi’zi:k’s new parallel line of shoes, both in the R3 and R5 range (road) and the M3 and M5 models (MTB) incorporate the latest BOA IP1 dial. The R5B (‘B’ is for BOA’) will feature too, as will Crankbrothers DH race, ideal for both DH and gravity enduros, pitched as the pinnacle of the mallet family of pedal.

HOTLINES

ISON DISTRIBUTION

Club Ride founder Mike Herlinger will be at Core Bike show to meet with dealers, introduce the range and explain the unique Club Ride “DNA”. This will be the first time that Club Ride has been on display at a UK show. The unique brand hails from Sun Valley Idaho and is designed to provide clothing that is highly technical and practical for use on the bike but also suitable for everyday life. Trips to the office, after-ride drinks or for a supermarket sweep will be far more comfortable in Club Ride apparel, allowing riders to avoid that “stuffed sausage” look.

Ison’s Core Bike showing will feature TSG’s new trail-specific Trailfox helmet and enduro-specific Boulder D390 pads as well as the new clothing range. Ison hints there may be a new launch at Core from Renthal, as well as its Apex stem, released late 2014. The ODI grip range, meanwhile, is extending into MTB, with new product also set for the road and CX markets. Genetic’s latest includes four new styles of aluminium dropped handlebars and Dia Compe has new touringspecific parts under the ENE Ciclo label. Light Blue Cycles has three new Reynolds tubed bikes added to the Light Blue Sport range, while recent signing Purple Harry will be keeping Whittlebury Hall clean.

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 39

CORE BIKE SHOW

ONE INDUSTRIES There’s a raft of new product from One Industries, including the EVO AM which uses three individual shell sizes and the BOA FS360 fit system to distribute weight and increase comfort. The EVO AM uses the Fidlock magnetic closure – a new system that allows for one-handed attachment and release of the buckle strap. The Vapor XC Shorts are an update of One Industries’ most popular shorts. Retailing at £89.99, the engineered chassis with high grade polyester material is hard wearing, breathable and quick drying. The firm is also bringing along Maxxis’ Mammoth Fat Tyre, the first of its type from the brand, with a centre tread that is relatively low to help keep the tyre rolling while the large side knobs aid cornering gip (RRP from £59.99). Core Bike will see the arrival of Spy Optic’s Happy Lens. None the wiser? Pitched as the only lens of its kind in the world, they, and we quote, “maximise the transmission of the sun’s good rays while blocking out the bad rays”. Find out for yourself at Whittlebury Hall.

PALIGAP

Fast Forward’s F4R DT180 Carbon Silver Tubular Wheelset is based on the F4R tubular rim and feature hubs developed exclusively with DT Swiss, with a full carbon hub shell. The total weight of the set is 1,145g for £2,175. Paligap will be putting Selle San Marco’s DiMA Selector in front of dealers at Core. The DiMA Selector is available in authorised stores and you can set the various parameters to find the most suitable saddle, not stopping at physical characteristics but also taking into accounts factors like the set up of the bike and style of riding. Back to product and Stan’s No Tubes ZTR Valor Wheelset features the first carbon rim with genuine NoTubes’ Bead Socket Technology for tubeless use. Available in 29er, 27.5 and 26-inch with multiple axle options, the Valor features 3.30Ti disc hubs, 24/28 spoke pattern and individually reinforced spoke holes. RRP is £1,800. Tern’s Verge P9 is a light, fast, efficient and fully-equipped commuter bike. Retailing at £830, it uses Doubletruss tech which turns the rear part of the frame into a three dimensional truss, more resistant to torsional forces.

POLARIS Polaris Bikewear has doubled the size of its women’s line-up offering for next year. That expanded range will include a specific Women’s Trail Range and the Women’s Vela Road Range. The new Women’s Vela Road Range (due Spring 2015) is a female designed collection for real female cyclists combining technical features and innovations tailored to women’s needs and shape. Designer Chantelle Matthews said of the new Vela range: “Whether you’re a leisurely weekend rider or a racer, this collection has been realised with you in mind. With sharp graphics and technical features, there’s no compromise between form and function. Foremost we focused on fit, considering a contoured design so you look and feel comfortable in the saddle.” The collection is available in two full colourways, neatly refusing to come down on one side of the fence of the pink debate. Dealers can speak to the Polaris team at Core Bike about the new ranges available to stock from 2015.

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 41

CORE BIKE SHOW

SILVERFISH Core will provide the first opportunity for Silverfish to show off Easton Cycling products, including the newly expanded road, CX and MTB wheel ranges, featuring everything from carbon fibre MTB rims to lightweight climbers, hoops and disc brakes. Core is also your chance to get up close and personal with three fresh models from Colorado’s Yeti Cycles: The 4” ASRc, Swtich Infinity equipped SB5c and EWS Gold medal winning SB6c bike models. Released this autumn, the Switch Infinity equipped SB5c and SB6c bikes are designed around a dual rail system, an evolution of the Switch suspension platform giving riders either 5” or 6” of rear wheel travel. Ritte Cycles was shown at 2014’s Core Bike as a two bike range (the carbon road frames Bosberg and Vlaanderen). Now it is up to six models including the Crossberg CX frame, an alloy track frame, carbon TT bike (the 1919) and the stainless steel Snob. Core is also chance to see the latest from e*thirteen, including the EX cog.

STORCK

Storck will be celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary at Core with a selection of limited edition anniversary models. The Visioner CSL, Aerfast, Aernario Disc and Aero2 will be available in a 20th anniversary paint job with an exclusive accessories bundle for their customers. New for 2015 are the likes of the Aerfast and TIX, the former using the ‘ground parallel aerodynamics’ design philosophy from the Aernario range and using it for an ultra-aero road bike. The TIX, meanwhile, stands for ‘This Is Cross’ and is a lightweight ‘crosser’ designed with Thu axel disc brakes and directional dependent stiffness. Markus Storck will also be return to Core for the second year after the show made such an impact last year. He said: “Nowhere else in the world do you find a trade show like this, a show where you can spend quality time with quality people, It’s fantastic.” Markus Storck will be offering his insights into the brand, its development, technology and the newest models in the range. Find Storck upstairs in the Stowe room.

WINDWAVE BBB’s universal pouch, the Guardian, fits a wide variety of smartphones – up to 140mm x 70mm – handily including the new iPhone which is 138.1mm x 67mm (now you know). The pouch offers full touch functionality and is of course water resistant for protection during rainy days. The Guardian also protects from knocks and uses a rigid inner board for added stiffness and stability. Separate padding provides a tighter fit for smaller phones and should you be a maverick you can also mount it landscape, in addition to traditional portrait style. The angle is adjustable for optimal viewing or filming and it’s mountable on the stem of handlebar. While the following is of limited interest to dealers, it doesn’t hurt to know that BBB also offers a riding app – the BikeBoard – with a customisable layout (you can arrange through a drag and drop feature), GPS tracking with map view, workout history with ride details, direct Strava upload, native iOS feel and a multiple bike feature. Find out more about BBB’s offering and those of the rest of Windwave’s brand portfolio at Core Bike.

42 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION Walsh, an instructor of driving instructors, fronts the video

Bicycle Association produces driver instructor video Making cycling safer is something too often left to cyclists, but the Bicycle Association has taken a different tack by approaching those training up the next generation of motorists. Carlton Reid investigates... THE BICYCLE Association has long championed “next generation” projects – initiatives such as the current sponsorship of British Cycling’s Go-Ride coaching scheme, and the seed-funding of Sustrans’ Bike-it scheme to get more school-children cycling. Now, with the production of a short film targeted at driving instructors, the Bicycle Association is aiming to influence the next generation of drivers, helping to make some of them more “cyclist aware”. The nine-minute film is fronted by Blaine Walsh, an instructor of driving instructors. He runs Driving-instructor.tv an online resource of 300+ information-dense videos for those wishing to become driving instructors. The film also stars Michael Frearson, director of the Association of Bikeability Schemes – Bikeability is “cycling proficiency for the 21st century”, a teaching scheme based on the National Standard for cycle training. BIKEBIZ.COM

In the video, shot by a pro film-crew, both Walsh and Frearson explain why cyclists need room on the roads. Walsh stresses that driving instructors should impress on their pupils why cyclists might be riding in the middle of a lane, and ought to be more positive about cyclists during lessons. He said: “We have to be very aware of cyclists when we’re

about? And if we know that, we can pass that onto our pupils. That’s really powerful, and important.” The film was shot in Cambridge and it features a great many passing cyclists. Frearson said: “Good cycling and good driving both start with good instruction. This video is the start of a dialogue between driving and cycling instructors. Hopefully,

“We can pass that onto our pupils. That’s really powerful.” Blaine Walsh, Driving-instructor.tv teaching. We have to be very aware of teaching learner drivers about cyclists, about what Bikeability are teaching, and bringing that into our lessons – the clues that cyclists give us and why they do certain things. “Why do they cycle down the middle of the lane? What is that all

experienced drivers and cyclists will learn from it too.” Phillip Darnton, executive director of the Bicycle Association, said: “This is an important film – positive, instructive and nonpartisan. To learn to share our roads whether as motorists or cyclists, is

vital to create places which are attractive, safe and civilised.” The video went viral on YouTube, attracting more than 7,000 views two days after it was first aired. It might have been produced for a UK audience but the video has attracted attention from abroad, too. An American newspaper was the first media-outlet to embed the video on its website, and William Pollock of Canada reached out to say: “As a master driving instructor in Ontario Canada I would like to show this to all my driving instructor candidates. “Your differentiation between ‘priority’ and ‘right of way’ is excellent.” Driving-instructor.tv has 5,000 driving instructors on its mailing list, and a reach of up to 20,000 instructors. Through them, the cycling video could influence up to 300,000 learner drivers before they take to the nation’s roads and encounter cyclists. bicycleassociation.org.uk BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 45

THE BIKE PLACE

New wearable tech from 4iii

Recent Fisher signing Melon will appear

Oxford will arrive from its new offices Frog Bikes will also bring its Team Sky lines

Cielo will arrive courtesy of Evo Imports

Everybody in the Bike Place WEARABLE TECH has been making the headlines for some time now and it will be at The Bike Place show thanks to 4iii innovations. The brand has a host of product options from heart rate monitors that sit on the wrist (and don’t rely on you having a phone with you when you exercise) to the futuristic Sportiii – a glasses-based device that provides a ‘real-time heads up display’ when riders are in the saddle. Inevitably there is an accompanying app too. A cyclespecific product in the range is the Ride, providing accurate speed and cadence measurements. Fresh from its expansion into new offices and a 100,000 sq ft warehouse – which PM David Cameron opened, Oxford Products will be taking the latest of its vast product array to Silverstone. The full Chris King range will be showcased by Evolution Imports, hubs, new bottom brackets, new Lefty front hubs, new drillings available on road hubs 16 and 18 46 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

hole, new headsets for 44 and 49mm head tubes, water bottles, caps, socks, coffee, XD driver for the mountain bike hubs. Sour Apple is a special colour way to watch out for – “green is the colour for 2015,” says the brand. Chris King’s own brand steel Cielo frames have all their fittings – dropouts fork crowns, etc – made

decades, with its modern line-up including the likes of SRAM, Troy Lee, Santini and LOOK. This edition of the show is the first time Fisher has appeared and deals are promised for new and existing customers. The show will also provide opportunity to see newer brand signings like Limar, Melon, Sontec, Seasucker, Vittoria Wheels

“This edition of the show will see Fisher Outdoor appear for the first time.” in-house. These unique frames come with bottom bracket and headset in a racer form or a sportif frame. Evo Imports will also be showing off Pacenti, ESI, Carbon Ti and King Cage. Fisher Outdoor Leisure has been distributing for over eight

and items like Vavert’s 99p tubes. Fisher will showcase its revamped B2B website too. European super brand KTM, available through Fli Distribution, will show off its 2015 range including The brand new KTM Revelator Sky Di2. This is KTM’s

new road bike with hydraulic disc brakes, featuring bolt through front and rear, cutting edge geometry and di2 gears. And just for fun the brand will also show off a fat bike e-bike – the Macina Freeze Plus. The Bosch-featuring e-bike is the first of its kind from KTM. Springing to Silverstone, young British company Frog will bring its lightweight kids bikes along, ranging from balance bikes and first pedal bikes to hybrid bikes and road/CX bikes. Frog’s latest spec of hybrid and road bikes and the new range of Team Sky bikes and accessories will feature too. Jungle Products caused a stir at the last Bike Place with then recent signing BOS Suspension. The brand will be back again for 2015 now that Jungle is fully set up with a dedicated workshop for service and warranty. The new Dizzy 29-inch has been a media favourite, but the Bike Place will see the UK launch for the awaited Idylle RaRe FCV downhill fork. BIKEBIZ.COM

THE BIKE PLACE

Fondriest’s line-up includes the new TF2

Met’s lightweight Parachute

ION is updating its range with Flare and Scrub

KTM’s Revelator Sky Di2

You’d be hard pressed to miss the fact that the Bike Place exhibitor list is now longer and stronger than ever. Jonathon Harker looks at what some of those exhibitors will be bringing to the Silverstone show…

Santa Cruz will be at Silverstone too alongside the women-specific Juliana line-up. There will be some new models, yet to be released, on display for the first time. Syndicate riders Steve Peat and Josh Bryceland will be attending the show – the specific dates are to be announced shortly. 29-er specific Niner will show its fully revamped carbon line up and the new ROS + Fatbike, while KS dropper posts – sporting a two year warranty – will too including the new 2015 range featuring the new carbon lightweight short drop LEV CI, with models available to try out at the show. KS’ new component line will also be debuting at The Bike Place, with the new lightweight Ether AM stem sure to attract attention. Wethepeople has had a few recent landmarks for a BMX complete bike, from the 23-8 gearing on the Envy, the freecoasters on the Crysis and spline drive set-up on the Volta and BIKEBIZ.COM

Zodiac. This year the brand, on the Cycling Sports Group UK (CSG UK) stand, will see a 12-inch MX bike join the range. The Prime now rolls into the collection as the smallest WTP bike available. The trend for bigger tyres continues on, and you will see larger sizes up front and in the rear. Rear triangles have been updated

of including the parts to convert it to cassette mode!, offering a great solution for the rider who’s thinking about giving a free-coaster a try. Distributor of fine Italian bikes Impact Cycle Trading will bring along road frames and bikes from Fondriest and Sarto. On display from Fondriest will be the hand built TF0, the brand new TFD disc

Met’s popular Funandgo helmets are in new colours for 2015.

on all of the frames, and some will now take a 2.4” tyre in the rear. Wethepeople has already been tapping into the rising popularity of free-coasters with the aforementioned Crysis with the Salt+ Trapez free-coaster, and have continued with the added feature

braked bike, the new TF2 and others from the range. Sarto Antonio is a name well known in custom carbon frame building, and now Sarto has made a range of hand built frames under their own name. On display will be the Asola, the Seta, the Dinamica and the

Lampo. All are 100 per cent hand made to order in Italy and are fully customisable. While launched in 2004, ION has only been producing cycle-specific product since 2012 through its separate bike division. That range of functional cycling gear, clothing, accessories, gloves and protection is being updated with the new Flare (women) and Scrub (men) series, promising to ‘set new benchmarks in the construction of technical cycling gear for the mountain bike market’: The long sleeve tops combine DriRelease front panels with mesh jersey on back and arms – this product is also available in 3/4 length. The shorts are made of a special 4-way-flex fabric, with bonded hems and other details that make them extremely robust, yet lightweight. Italian helmet manufacturers Met will be at The Bike Place offering competitive pricing conditions delivered with point of sale support, we’re told. As well as BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 47

THE BIKE PLACE

Reece is bringing Bottecchia The Bike Place show takes space at Silverstone

Ceepo arrives via Velotech Services

Ovalised Q-rings from Rotor’s range

presenting their 2015 range including the Parachute – pitched as the lightest certiﬁed full face helmet in the world – Met will showcase the new Drone widebody aero helmet, as seen on Pro Continental team MTN Qhubeka at the Vuelta a Espana. Met will also be taking orders for the new inter season colourways of their popular multi-use helmet, the Funandgo. This consumer friendly all-rounder will be released in all new matte black and white colours. Reece Cycles will have a selection of the 2015 Bottecchia range of bikes on display. For those not au fait with the label, Bottecchia are an IBD exclusive brand of MTB, hybrid and race bikes with an Italian heritage beginning in the 1930s. Nrg4’s ever more comprehensive portfolio will be on display, including the likes of Aerozine Titanium Components, with a new POS display cabinet as well as a number of new products including 48 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

QR Seat Clamps, Sprocket Adaptors and 104 BCD Narrow Wide Chainrings in a number of size and colour options. Weldtite is 75 years young in 2015. The British manufacturer will kick off its celebratory year with a showing at The Bike Place, giving away samples of TF2 Dry Wax & All

musettes and accessories custom branded. This is backed up by a professional step-by-step order management process from design through to delivery. That line-up includes custom cycle clothing – fully custom printed cycle jerseys, shorts, jackets, tights and accessories using quality fabrics

Weldtite is 75 years young in 2015 and will kick off its celebratory year at the show. Weather Performance Lube, PURE Eco Bike Wash & Bike Oil, and Dirtwash Bike Cleaner & G-Strings at the show. Weldtite will also celebrate with a limited edition vintage cycle repair kit, as well as giving a sample away to retailers and wholesalers on the trade day at the show. Wildoo offers a comprehensive range of cycling related products including clothing, bottles, caps,

and the very latest printing equipment. A ladies range with new cutting patterns developed together with Team Mule Bar Girl/ Sigma Sport is also featured. Minimum quantity starts from ten pieces per garment style per order. Custom cycle bottles are also available, while VeloPac’s custom musettes and phone cases are made in the UK and feature bold graphics and designs including

collaborations with GUMO Gallery and IanArt. Distributor of Rotor Bike Components and Ceepo Triathlon Bikes Velotech Services will be showing the all new Ceepo Triathlon frame range, which for 2015 has now expanded into fully built bikes available to the trade, featuring a full Shimano 11 speed group and quality ﬁnishing kit, starting at a great price point of £1,999. Velotech Services will also be displaying the 2015 range of Rotor Bike components, including the latest range of cranks, power meters and Ovalised Q-rings available from the brand. The Bike Place 2015 runs at the Wing Building at Silverstone, in Halls 3 and 4 over three floors. It starts Sunday January 25th and runs to Tuesday Jan 27th. We’ll have more on what to expect at the Bike Place 2015 in our January issue. www.thebikeplaceshow.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM

50 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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Sponsored by

ELECTRIC BIKES

BATTERY ISSUES DO SHOPS need extra insurance for storing e-bike batteries on their premises or transporting them? BikeBiz asked our voice of insurance Cycleguard: “Retailers should always check the cover they are purchasing and if in doubt speak to their broker. Cycleguard Retail does not place any limitations around e-bike battery stock or storage. Goods-in-transit insurance provides limited stock cover whilst in transit. Retailers should be aware policies often only provide a few thousand pounds of cover and most exclude theft from unattended vehicles. Ideally retailers need a policy that covers their stock and public liability whilst attending exhibitions and trade shows. Cycleguard Retail automatically includes cover for exhibition and trade shows. Contact Cycleguard’s Rob Faulkner for more details: 07775 003456.”

Bosch in-situ on Haibike’s XDuro range

Bosch now integrates with e-shifters

“We want to lead the electric bike market in the UK.” Mark Gouldthorp, Raleigh

It wasn’t all theory, there was chance for some practical too

years, but at present it works with an impressive 60 brands and 30 manufacturers. Training has been core to its strategy too, teaching 7,500 people across Europe in the last year alone. The €7billion turnover company started out with one e-bike system and now has the 2015 Active Line and Performance Line. This year also sees Bosch fully integrating e-shifting with its system, working with Nu Vinci, SRAM and Shimano. Riders can set the cadence on the e-bike display and the system will keep the rider in 52 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

their desired cadence, not unlike an automatic car. Bosch’s range now also includes units that offer walk assistance and – in another motoring style feature – gear shift recommendations which provide “a helping hand for inexperienced riders” and can be switched off. DEALER DEBATE One topic that proved a hot discussion point was modiﬁcations. As the retailers in the session pointed out, there’s a wealth of information readily available online for anyone looking to ‘hot

rod’ their electric bike. The Bosch team, however, were quick to point out that it’s not something they recommend, not least because “you will eventually damage the unit”. There are also warranty and legal implications –if a shop tinkers with the drive system then there’s a question of liability (we’d recommend you check with your e-bike supplier on this point). Bosch conﬁrmed it is trying to ‘design out’ the potential of modifying their systems, but added that modders always ﬁnd a way whatever measures are put in place.

Dealer feedback during the sessions also indicated that battery range remains a hot topic for their customers. Bosch is among those that have range charts deﬁned by usage, with weight of the rider, weather and ﬁtness all affecting the limits of distance. Bosch has also launched DC travel chargers for caravans and the like, while spare battery purchases remain popular with many consumers. For more on that topic or any of the many others we didn’t have room for here, contact Raleigh. www.raleigh.co.uk BIKEBIZ.COM

Thursday 12th February 2015 After The London Bike Show trade day at Excel, London

Celebrating the most influential women from all sectors of British cycling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from the sport itself to all areas of the industry, plus advocacy bodies.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available.

Contact Richard Setters on 01992 535647 or email him on rsetters@nbmedia.com to find out more

54 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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RETAIL ONLY THE TRADE’S GUIDE TO SOURCING STOCK, UP-AND-COMING IBDS AND THE VERY LATEST PRODUCTS

RETAIL

STATS 89% CALEDONIAN ROAD, LONDON Is the ‘town’ with the greatest percentage of independent retailers.

24%

DON’T CALL IT A

COMEBACK... OPINION To what extent did the industry shaking up mountain biking with fresh wheel sizes affect sales? Now things are settling down, is the ‘resurgence’ ﬁnally happening?

BIKEBIZ.COM

So, the MTB resurgence is ofﬁcially back on? Though we can’t say our survey of the trade is the most analytical ever undertaken, 80 front line retailers gave us their thoughts last month and 61.25 per cent of those responded positively – sales of off-road goods have been growing for them. In fact just 8.75 per cent suggested that, if anything, they’ve seen a dip in sales. Of course what we should have done is checked in with pools of retailers surrounding the major trail centres as opposed to opening the survey to all, but the general feeling does seem to be that not only were trails busier this summer, but that it was translating into business. The success of pop up events like the MTB Meet Up – the ﬁrst of which took place on one of the wettest days in January earlier this year – prove that the social aspect of mountain biking is alive and well, even in the depths of winter. Having spawned from a hashtag, between friends, on Twitter, the

2015 Meet Up once more has sponsors, media interest and a long list of riders ready to turn out whatever the weather. Take last month’s retail proﬁle too. Bike Active, a relatively small retail premises in an even smaller Hertfordshire borough told us how it is doing strong business north

“Specialists in the territory are not complaining, in fact, they’re looking to road for sales to complement the volume of mountain bike goods sold...” of the border. Specialists in this territory aren’t complaining, in fact, they’re looking at road cycling as a sideline to complement strong MTB sales, not the other way around. With the wheel size debate having settled down nicely, the market has stability and fresh demand once again, at least until the next industry standard pops up. Let us know how your store’s faring via msutton@nbmedia.com

SALFORD is the town with the least percentage of independent retailers (Local Data Company).

STORE OF THE MONTH: p60 NEW PRODUCTS: A round-up of some new cycle products available this month.

p59 SECTOR GUIDE: Wheels and tyres p62 SECTOR GUIDE: Cycling footwear p67 WILDOO PROFILE: We chat Sumo and VeloPac

p72

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 55

TERRITORY SPOTLIGHT: UNITED STATES

America’s footfall battle According to a new report, bike shops in North America are experiencing a drop in footfall of cycle novices and enthusiasts alike. Retail expert Jay Townley explains the worrying phenomenon to Jonathon Harker… TRENDS IN the UK cycle market are said to closely follow those of North America, more so than mirroring those of our geographically closer European cousins. If that’s still true we’ll probably see a lot more electric bikes sold over here soon, as the US is reportedly seeing. But maybe we shouldn’t hope that we follow the US market too closely, judging by an alarming report from the Gluskin Townley Group. Since 1990, the group has put together annual American Bicyclist studies, and the latest makes for troubling reading if you’re a cycle specialist retailer. The report found that the number of adult bicycle owners who did not make a visit to a US bike shop increased by ten per cent over a two year period. This decline in shop visits was compounded by an increase in the number of adults – bike owners and non-owners alike – who didn’t visit a bike shop at all over 12 months. The number of adults classed as enthusiasts – or core bike shop customers, not to put too fine a point on it – who didn’t visit a bike shop increased by 24 per cent between 2011 and 2013. So what has led to this hair raising trend? The increasingly dominant online sector? “We are worried about brick-nmortar retailers. While some of the decline in shopper visits to bike 56 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

shops can be accounted for by some shoppers going to bike shops websites, the majority is shopping at other retailers,” Townley explains to BikeBiz. “Online is a factor, but for bicycles it is still small by comparison to shoppers who are migrating to lower priced retailers including Outdoor Specialty, Full Line Sporting Goods and the Discount Retailers.” With the UK seeing more ‘dabbling’ in the cycle market from outdoor players like Go Outdoors, Decathlon and Cotswold Outdoors, it’s perhaps not such a big leap to see something similarly disruptive happening here.

shoppers and differentiating from the online pure-plays. We have been calling them New Wave Bike Shops and their stated purpose is to attract shoppers who wouldn’t normally think of visiting a bike shop – and making shoppers comfortable enough to stay longer and keep coming back. “These New Wave Bike Shops come in a variety of versions, and the most interesting are those that offer locally made bicycles under their own brands. These are not ‘custom’ or hand-made bicycles, but locally made metro and urban bicycles selling for between US$1,800 and $3,000.

“Online is a factor, but it is not the main reason for the fall.” Jay Townley As has been well documented in these pages, UK cycle shops have been swift to include more community-based facilities and activities – like cafes and rides – to keep customers engaged with their local bike shop. Is that a phenomenon that has also taken place over the pond? “We have seen the same movement of bike shops to include coffee bars, beer bars and even food service as ways of attracting

“We think there will be many more New Wave Bike Shops as the success of the early adopters becomes more widely known.” Ultimately, what happens in the US doesn’t necessarily happen over here, but there are similarities in the market that might hint at the future for UK bicycle retails. For more details, contact Jay Townley at jay@ gluskintownleygroup.com or visit www.gluskintownleygroup.com

BIG APPLE BIKING

DECLINING FOOTFALL in specialist bike shops is not an indication of a nation falling out of love with cycling. Take New York City – often used a barometer for the US – for example. New York City’s bike hire programme – Citi Bike – opened in May last year and quickly became a hit, reaching a 42,000 trips in one day milestone in summer 2013. Since parent company Alta Bicycle Share received further investment, the scheme is planning to double in size by the year 2017. The scheme costs $9.95 for a 24-hour access pass, $25 for a week and $149 for a year (London’s Cycle Hire compares favourably at £2 for a day, £10 for a week and £90 for a year). According to Wikipedia, New York City developed the USA’s first bike path in 1894, but (much) more recently has been investing in protected bike lanes, adding over 30 miles of them in the city. According to some reports, the lanes have actually increased car speeds (Source: www.vox.com). BIKEBIZ.COM

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BIKEBIZ NOVEMBER 57

The world’s most comprehensive range of two wheeled puncture repair kits Popular Kits Containing all the basics needed for simple puncture repair Box of 25 01012 Box of 25, printed with dealer’s name and address 01025 Cure-C-Cure World famous kits with automotive quality feather edged patches Box of 25 01003 Box of 25, printed with dealer’s name and address 01026 Box of 10 Motorcycle Kits 01004 Box of 12 Narrow Profile Kits 01006 Cure-C-Cure Kits with Tools High quality Cure-C-Cure kits with additional tools Box of 10 Kits with Tools 01007 Box of 10 Kits with Tools and Inflator 01024 Red Devil Self Seal Patches Strong and reliable patches for quick, clean repair Carded Patches 04006 Carded Repair Kit with Tyre Lever 06011 Carded Kit 01021 Dispenser with 25 Kits 01022 Carded Display with 12 Kits 01027 Display Box with 12 Kits 01031 Display Jar with 36 Kits 01023 Flat-Fix Kit 01020 Airtite Kit A quality repair kit at a budget price Box of 25 01016 Jetvalve Tyre Inflation System Instant C02 inflation for all valve types Carded Inflator 07008 Carded C02 Cylinder 07007 Box of 5 C02 Cylinders 07009

Ask your wholesaler for details

MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ROAD

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FAMILY POSITION YOUR COMPANY IN FRONT OF OVER 50,000 BIKE ENTHUSIASTS AT THE UK’S BIGGEST AND BEST CYCLING SHOW “THIS WAS OUR FIRST YEAR AT THE SHOW AND THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE COULDN’T PHYSICALLY FIT ANY MORE PEOPLE ON OUR STAND, THE CONSUMER INTEREST WAS OVERWHELMING AND WE CONSIDER THE SHOW A PHENOMENAL COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. WE WILL BE BACK WITH MORE SPACE AND PRODUCTS NEXT YEAR.” CLIVE GOSLING, CYCLE SPORTS GROUP – CANNONDALE

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VISIT US ON OUR TRADE DAY, THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY. REGISTER FOR YOUR TICKET ON WWW.THELONDONBIKESHOW.CO.UK/TRADE 58 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

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SEND PRODUCT DETAILS INCLUDING A HI-RES PHOTO AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT TO MSUTTON@NBMEDIA.COM OR CALL 01992 535646 FOR A CHAT

NEW PRODUCTS This month we take a look at a unique new Limar lid, weatherprooﬁng from Endura and a top value Merida build...

SCHWALBE NOBBY NIC EVOLUTION Various distributors Schwalbe’s distributors should now have stock of the new Nobby Nic Evolution folding Snakeskin TL-easy Pacestar. Priced at £49.99 it is in keeping with the Nobby Nic’s versatile characteristics. The new SnakeSkin sidewall is standard on TL Easy versions. A good choice for tubeless conversion.

ENDURA WATERPROOF LEGWEAR Direct to retail: 01506 497749 Everybody knows Endura has plenty of options when it comes to waterproof jackets, but there’s also a strong catalogue of legwear that’ll protect from the elements. The Autumn/Winter 2014 catalogue, now in stock, includes shorts, 3/4s, full length pants, over trousers and biblongs. For the mountain biker, the new ﬂagship trouser is the MT500 full length. Fully seam sealed against the worst the UK can throw at a rider, they’re packable to the size of a can of Irn Bru, so will easily stow until required.

LIMAR VELOV VIA Moore Large: 01332 274200 The Velov features snap on/off ventilation panels that can be added or removed dependent on the temperature. Snapped on, the panels also provide protection against the elements. The design recently earned the coveted International Forum Product Design Award.

MERIDA CARBON SPEEDER 3000 VIA Merida UK: 0115 9817788 New to the 2015 Merida catalogue is the striking full carbon Speeder 3000 at £1,400. Adorned to a rather clean looking, internally routed frameset, you’ve a pair of Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, a Merida own brand carbon stem and Maxxis tyres, among other bits.

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BBB GUARDIAN Windwave: 02392 505320 A universal bike mount has arrived from BBB this month. Capable of housing any device measuring up to 140mm by 70mm, the mount retains full touch screen capability while protecting from the elements. There’s a rigid inner board to keep it secure, with padding supplied to achieve a tighter ﬁt on smaller phones. The viewing angle is adjustable too.

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 59

STORE OF THE MONTH

STORE INFO:

WEB: www.leisurelakesbikes.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ leaisurelakesbikes TWITTER: @LLBikes LOCATION: Bury, Cheltenham, Daventry, Lancaster, Nottingham, Preston/ Southport, Wolverhampton, Newport ESTABLISHED: 1981

Leisure Lakes’ newest branch in Daventry, in all its glory

Lakeside shopping Last year Leisure Lakes opened its eighth – and largest yet – store in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Director Chris Noy talks shop cafes, climbing interest in mountain bikes and online competition with Jonathon Harker… How’s business? There is no doubt that the dry and relatively warm summer, along with the early autumn, has been great for the bike industry, not only meaning an increase in sales, but more opportunity for everyone to get out. The more people seen riding by non-cyclists deﬁnitely increases the level of awareness and translates into more people taking up the sport. What’s new with Leisure Lakes? As a company we are always looking for opportunities to open new sites in new locations. Because of the quality of the bikes we stock our customers will travel long distances to visit our stores, so we are keen to open new venues to bring us within reach of more people throughout the UK. We have eight retail stores at present and a warehouse which deals with all website and mail order sales. Which categories are proving most popular at the moment? Road cycling has seen fantastic growth over the last few years, helped 60 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

by the Government-backed Cycle To Work Scheme, Olympics and Tour de France successes. Demand for MTBs over the same period had seen a slight decrease, but slowly over the last 12 months interest has deﬁnitely increased, possibly due to more people getting back into cycling through riding on road and gaining the conﬁdence to explore.

equipment improves, which translates into more people enjoying cycling and we all beneﬁt. It simply means we as a company have to keep ‘raising the bar’ in terms of service and product selection. How’s the online side of the business? How long has the e-commerce site been operating?

“The professionalism of the industry as a whole translates into more people enjoying cycling...” Are you ﬁnding the market more competitive due to the number of entrants to the bike trade? Due to the increase in popularity and the vastly improved media coverage of cycling in general, more investment is naturally drawn into the cycling industry. However, the positive side is that the professionalism of the overall industry increases; bikes and

We’ve been online approximately 12 years, it is very time consuming, but equally incredibly valuable. Apart from the obvious extra revenue generated on top of store sales, we regard it as a vital aid to our customers and our staff as an information portal, as all current year bikes from all our suppliers are listed with full specs and all clothing and

accessories which are stocked in-store are also shown on our website. This allows our customers to research before visiting or just buy online. Has Leisure Lakes gone down the ‘open a coffee shop in the bike shop’ approach? In our latest store to open at Daventry we have the ‘Melo Velo’ café which has been a great success, allowing customers somewhere to chill out while waiting for their new bike to be made ready. What’s next for Leisure Lakes? We are very excited by the expansion of our VIP club. Cyclists who join can access special discount rates on products and servicing and the membership is growing all the time. We have several expansion possibilities in the pipeline, but I would say the most important concentration, as it always has been, is to maintain the high levels of customer service which our business has been built upon from day one, over 30 years ago. BIKEBIZ.COM

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BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 61

WHEELS, TYRES & TUBES

Rollin’ around

DISTRIBUTOR: ZYRO CONTACT: 01325 741200 New from Panaracer is the 32c version of the £29.99 Gravel King and 23c to 28c Gravel Road. The former also exists in 23, 26 and 28c widths and packs in some bulk, offering more comfort and puncture resistance as a result. On the offroad front, check out the Fire Pro, now available in both 27.5 and 29-inch. Wilkinson Wheels also offers wheelsets.

Whether it’s a replacement for a “just riding along buckle” or a performance carbon wheelset, our customers are going nowhere without wheels. Mark Sutton looks at some key products to consider for stock in 2015…

DISTRIBUTOR: ONE INDUSTRIES

DISTRIBUTOR: ISON

CONTACT: 0844 692 8111

CONTACT: 01353 662662

The new Maxxis Shorty is perfect for loose and sloppy UK conditions. Available in dual-ply DH or single ply trail casings, the high volume Shorty is versatile. Large, tall and slightly staggered side knobs penetrate loose soil to provide predictable, stable cornering at speed. Retailing from £44.99, you’ll ﬁnd the Shorty in all three wheel sizes.

Ison’s stocks are stacked with wheel product from Halo, Surly, Kuroshiro, Dia Compe and Gusset, as well as tyres from Schwalbe. Halo has greatly expanded its road range for 2015 with the addition of the new wide road rims. Fat bike fans should note Ison has started to distribute the claimed world’s lightest Fat Bike rim, Enso 685, from Italy’s Kuroshiro.

DISTRIBUTOR: RALEIGH CONTACT: 01773 532600

DISTRIBUTOR: PALIGAP

Raleigh has taken its ﬁrst stock of Zipp wheelsets, including highlights like the 202 disc wheelsets, a revamp of the 202 Firecrest, adapted to cope with the strains of braking at the hub.

Stan’s new Grail rim continues the NoTubes tradition, with countless hours spent working with pro road racers and cyclocross teams. The resulting product, the manufacturer says, is an ultimate disc-speciﬁc rim for road, ’cross and gravel. At just over 24mm wide and featuring its deepest proﬁle (24.5mm), the Grail is the most aerodynamic rim from Stan’s to date. Paligap also supplies Challenge Tyres, now with fresh handmade and open Tubulars.

62 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

CONTACT: 01454 313116

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WHEELS, TYRES & TUBES

DISTRIBUTOR: SONIC CYCLES

DISTRIBUTOR: CONTINENTAL

CONTACT: 020 7243 2848

CONTACT: Various distributors

Largely overhauled for the new year, Tufo Carbona wheelsets are now available with 30x25mm or 45x25mm rims. These wheelsets will be available for Campag 9/10/11, as well as Shimano/SRAM 9/10/11-speed cassettes. Builds will use straight pull spokes, with 20 radially laced spokes up front and 24 at the rear in a one-cross radial lace.

Continental’s popular Pure Grip line is now available for 27.5-inch wheels and sits in the ‘Margin Plus’ category, affording retailers a stronger margin. For 2015, the popular MTB tread patterns of Race, Mountain, Trail and X-King all feature a PureGrip option in all sizes. UK wholesalers include Madison, i-Ride and Bob Elliot & Co.

DISTRIBUTOR: BIKE TYRESTORE

CONTACT: 0800 281 413

DISTRIBUTOR: MOORE LARGE

Rubena’s Pheonix Racing Pro hits £26.99, with reviews including ‘best on a budget’ from Cycling Active. For off-road, the Kratos (£34.99) offers traction, stability and efﬁcient braking.

CONTACT: 01332 274200

DISTRIBUTOR: VITTORIA

DISTRIBUTOR: FISHER OUTDOOR

CONTACT: Various distributors

CONTACT: 01727 798345

Those who hold an account with Fisher Outdoors or Chicken Cyclekit will have access to a brand catering for both on and off-road at various budgets. Starting with high-end road, the asymmetric full-carbon race Qurano 46 wheelset is a superlight 1,298g. MTBer are catered for with four wheelsets, with the Creed at the entry price point and Racer at the top.

There’s plenty of choice with Zipp, SRAM MTB, Vavert and Vittoria. SRAM’s popular Rise, Roam and Rail wheelsets include the Roam 60, with its double-decker hub shell design that takes straight pull spoke slots and stacks them two-by-two – distributing force perfectly around the wheel. If you’re after tube stock, check out Vavert, which supplies all sizes and valve lengths.

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New in is the Kenda Nevegal X, an improved version of a classic, now in three off-road sizes. Rolling resistance and weight are shaved, to the tune of 150 grams over the original. Aimed at the enduro, trail and crosscountry customer, Kenda has made use of its Dual Tread Compound, which supplies both a tacky grip and a hard wearing central section.

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 63

WHEELS, TYRES & TUBES

DISTRIBUTOR: VELOBRANDS

DISTRIBUTOR: SILVERFISH

CONTACT: john@velobrands.co.uk

CONTACT: 01752 843882

Newly found within Velobrand’s stocks is the Knight Composites label, a specialist in wheels and aerodynamic ones at that. Knight’s design guru Kevin Quan, the man behind the iconic Cervelo P3, has spent time developing the way in which to maximise the efﬁciency of how air ﬂows from the rim, to the tyre and onto the downtube and rest of the frame.

2015 sees Easton push its development further with the introduction of the EC90 Aero55 carbon wheels, featuring ‘phantom rim proﬁling’, giving riders a wider rim stance and improved performance. Not content with one new carbon wheelset, Easton also launched the revolutionary E100 wheels at Eurobike earlier this season.

DISTRIBUTOR: WINDWAVE

DISTRIBUTOR: HOTLINES

CONTACT: 02392 505320

CONTACT: 0131 3191444

BBB offers a complete range of inner tubes from 12.5” all the way up to 29-inch, with all valve types covered. Made with a durable long-lasting butyl rubber compound, the seamless construction prevents the inner tubes from leaking air, holding pressure for a long time. Super Lite versions are also available in 700c. Prices start from £4.95.

Revamped heavily for 2015, the DT Swiss road and off-road lines have key additions like the R 24 Spline Disc Brake wheels. At the core of this all-rounder lies a brand new alu rim with a balanced width to stiffness to weight ratio. The R 24 Spline features the proven pawl system freewheel, as well as a high-end build, bladed spokes and alloy nipples.

DISTRIBUTOR: JUNGLE PRODUCTS CONTACT: 01423 780 088

DISTRIBUTOR: HOPE

Niner’s alloy and carbon wheels include the £1.4k carbon wheelset, using a laterally stiff 27mm carbon rim, paired with a quick ﬁring Sram XD freehub body ready for 10 or 11 speed.

CONTACT: 01282 851200

64 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

Hope has been building its Hoops on the most popular rims on the market, but has now set about designing its own. The result is a light, stiff, welded rim with eyelets, manufactured from aluminium that is strong, without being brittle. Retailers now have access to the Tech rims, available in XC and Enduro spec in 26”, 27.5” and 29”.

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2O1 5

THE UK'S #1 B ICYC L E T R A D E E V E N T

25TH-28TH JAN 2015 R E GIST E R N OW

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SECTOR GUIDE

Fancy footwork Customers looking to clip in for the ﬁrst time? Or perhaps they’re badgering you for custom footbeds or warmer socks? Mark Sutton takes a look at some of the fresh footwear goods on the market…

DISTRIBUTOR: LUSSO CONTACT: 01617 245 222 Providing protection for expensive shoes, Lusso’s new Windtex Pro Overshoe is UK-made. The cover is designed for road shoes featuring a simple Velcro rear closure system, protecting against the wind and rain. At £35 these are worth it to keep kit in tiptop shape.

DISTRIBUTOR: SILVERFISH

DISTRIBUTOR: CHICKEN CYCLEKIT

CONTACT: 01752 843882

2015 sees an expanded Spiuk shoe range for everyone from TT racers and peloton-leading road riders and nearly every discipline in-between. Heat mouldable uppers, ultra-stiff carbon soles and ATOP ﬁt systems are heavily featured in the catalogue.

CONTACT: 01525 381347 New from Italy’s Vittoria shoes is the unisex Ikon. They are hand crafted and feature Vittoria’s SSP micrometrics closure system, a UD carbon sole and mouldable insole. Ikons are in stock now.

DISTRIBUTOR: GREYVILLE

CONTACT: 01543 251328

Now with Greyville, the Iceni overshoe line offers four models, each made with a wind and waterproof three-layer fabric. There’s a full selection of sizes from 39/40 to 47/48 now in stock. Greyville also carries Acor footwear, available for next day delivery.

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DISTRIBUTOR: MOORE LARGE CONTACT: 01332 274200 Lake’s new CX145 road boots boast a waxed canvas and leather construction, built around a waterproof membrane for those heading into muck. Closure comes via a handy BOA dial which is mounted at the side and is easily workable with gloves.

BIKEBIZ DECEMBER 67

SECTOR GUIDE

DISTRIBUTOR: ZYRO

DISTRIBUTOR: BOB ELLIOT

CONTACT: 01325 741200

CONTACT: 01772 459 887

Giro is set for a big year with the Empire SLX and AlpineDuro. The award winning former weighs 175 grams. For £249.99, Giro has been busy creating a stylish number that boasts a one piece upper from premium Evoﬁbre, tailored to offer maximum breathability. The Outsole is made with a high-modulus carbon, with other hardware made from titanium.

For those on a budget and newbies to clip in shoes, Bob Elliot’s £59.99 FLR F-35.II road shoe might be the way to go. The shoe’s design is simple, with three Velcro straps securing a lightweight synthetic leather upper for a snug ﬁt. Nylon mesh adds ventilation. To complement it there’s Funkier’s OSW-04 Overshoe (£24.99).

DISTRIBUTOR: FLI DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTOR: MADISON

Redesigned for 2015, Oneal’s Stinger II utilises a honeycomb sole structure that offers excellent tacky grip and one that’ll make ﬁnding your position on the pedal nice an easy. Stocked in sizes 39 through 47, the £84.99 shoe will be available in three colour blends; black/orange, black/white, black/blue.

CONTACT: 01908 326000 Newly introduced to Shimano’s footwear catalogue is the R171 SPD-SL (£149.99). It’s built with supple stretchresistant synthetic leather uppers that mould to the contours of the feet, while Shimano’s Dynalast tech forms the sole and offers an additional 11mm of cleat adjustment over prior models. Breathability is provided courtesy of open mesh.

DISTRIBUTOR: EXTRA

CONTACT: 01933 672 170

Fi’zi:k has further embraced BOA for 2015, introducing the R5B and R3B, both of which utilise the latest IP1 dial system. A single tensioning strap at the toe provides a snug ﬁt at the toe, with Boa enclosing around the upper foot. The new dial offers a two-way micro adjustment, while retaining the pull out fast release function of prior versions. The R5B retails at £129.99, with the R3B at £215.

68 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER

CONTACT: 0161 304 0114

DISTRIBUTOR: PALIGAP CONTACT: 01454332110 DMT has revealed a new £145 road and MTB shoe in 2015, designed for cold and inclement weather. Inside there’s a neoprene sock to ensure a seal against the cold while reﬂective webbing increases visibility. Designed to be rigid and light at the same time, a double BOA System with asymmetric closure and integrated tongue keeps the shoe tight, sealing in warmth. BIKEBIZ.COM

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