CI.N Issue 001 / 2021

ISSUE 001 // 2021

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from the editor SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE?

Cycling Industries Europe CEO Kevin Mayne made a notable point recently, stating that private equity is circling the cycling industry and, alongside warming sentiment from the European Commission’s policy makers, this is largely new territory. Indeed, the acceleration of headlines in recent years that contain the words acquisition or funding round has been notable. As we head to print Canyon becomes the latest headline.

CI.N flagged recently that Peloton, by market cap, became larger than motoring giant Ford on the back of a pandemic-induced surge in interest, rising four-fold in value this year. Arguably this product is more e-Sport and indoor fitness than cycling, but it does align with meteoric bull runs seen elsewhere. The Tandem Group saw a near five-fold rise in value between March and November. The industry’s largest business, Shimano, doubled its share price in the same spell.

So, with investors attuned to various ‘green revolutions and deals’ stemming from Government policy, is it boom time for cycling businesses? While not trying to discourage short-term investment, I’d argue the pandemic, paired with the UK Government’s everchanging mood music on active travel exposes reasons why investor patience may be required. Steady growth trumps sudden and unsustainable growth, some folk may agree.

Put simply and in context, cycling in the UK remains a policy afterthought while a switch to electric cars seems to be the long-term bet ministers are placing. But I think they’ve got it wrong and that as a result an EV bubble is inflating, fast. Here’s why, despite our industry’s frailties, I would still back bikes over motoring.

Populations are, for the most part, growing and living longer. In 2018, 78% of UK homes had a car or van on the driveway, many more than one. That figure rises the more affluent a household is, while just 35% of the bottom 10% of earners own a car.

Doing the mathematics on available space, housebuilders have noticed that it makes a decent impact on their volume and value if they can avoid giving each property a parking space (and inducing a traffic jam right out of the underground car park). Apartment blocks worldwide are now encouraged to utilise Mobility as a Service, or public transport; both of which are now ubiquitous for modern cities.

Add to this the comfort generation Z and Millennials now display with usership, rather than ownership when prices and available space prove prohibitive. The CD is a relic in the face of Spotify, taking an Uber a day may well equate to the all-in costs of motoring to younger drivers, particularly if they are expected to fork out for electric in the face of a ban on new production of petrol and diesel inside this decade.

The Uber will remain in traffic, so it’s interesting to note the sale of the Jump Bikes business to Lime, which with added scale has begun to turn the extremely-difficult-tocapitalise-on sharing business to profitability with micromobility. Size, I believe, matters.

Mark Sutton, Editor Cycling Industry Chat @CyclingIndustry @MarkSuttonBike mark@cyclingindustry.news www.cyclingindustry.news

Publisher

Jerry Ramsdale jerry@cyclingindustry.news Editor

Mark Sutton mark@cyclingindustry.news Staff Writer

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Alfie Brown alfie@cyclingindustry.news Head of Production

Luke Wikner luke@cyclingindustry.news Designers

Dan Bennett • Tina Ries Victoria Arellano

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©2021 Stag Publications. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher. The Publisher cannot be held responsible or in any way liable for errors or omissions during input or printing of any material supplied or contained herein. The Publisher also cannot be held liable for any claims made by advertisers or in contributions from individuals or companies submitted for inclusion within this publication. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Stag Publications Ltd.

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the professionals WELL REPRESENTED In a first for this magazine, we are daring to charter the territory of what does and does not make a welcome supplier sales rep in bicycle stores.

Read on for praises and horror stories alike…

Michelle Chapell On your Bike

WHAT MAKES A GOOD REP FROM A BIKE SHOP PERSPECTIVE? Michelle Chapell, On your Bike I’ve been in the bicycle business 20 years and my husband 38. Throughout our time things have shifted drastically when it comes to the approach to repping. I have a terrible reputation; when people turn up to rep me out I tell them to go away if they have not forewarned. There are less of the old school reps who just turn up and start talking now, I find.

There are maybe five reps that have earned my blessing to arrive without appointment. As shop owners we are mature enough to locate product if needed, of course.

There also used to be a trend whereby the wrong staff would be handed stuff by the reps as a sweetener, which could mean the hardworking guys were not always seeing the benefit. That was nipped in the bud a few years ago.

William Bain Bicycle Repair

Those that we have worked with for years - our Whyte and Trek reps, for example - succeed because they are efficient and I know they’re here to benefit us. They will arrive, take a quick stock take of what’s left and we go from there. We will look at orders, issues and then deal with returns if possible. A structure is productive.

The bike industry is squeezed on margin and time so every minute has to bring money to the till and great service. Interaction with customer

“THEY’LL KNOW IF THEY’RE ANY GOOD AS I’LL SMILE WHEN THEY ENTER THE SHOP!”

has to be so positive to stop them potentially going online. That’s difficult; worse in London, I think. Local bike shops have the microscope on us always, so reps can’t have staff tied up when unplanned.

It has to be said that some are a pleasure to have in. Our Zyro rep is excellent. He arrives, gets a coffee and runs the stock take.

I’m a great believer you are only as good as your last job. If you order me the wrong stock I won’t order from you again. Too often I have to get on phone to talk to the supplier directly to resolve problems and that’s not always easy.

William Bain, Bicycle Repair I smile when they enter the shop, so they’ll know if I think they’re any good!

Reps have to evolve, as bike shops have had to evolve. The days of reading out part numbers, jotting them down on a notepad or squinting into a reps’ 12-inch laptop should be in the

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the professionals WELL REPRESENTED past. All my business is B2B, that way I can keep track of everything.

Good reps should be brand ambassadors, have on hand advice, plus effective ways to sell products. Tips on successful merchandising of the product is handy too. Samples don't hurt either.

The key is to be able to explain how a product could fit into the shop's range. To be fair, the reps who do or did come to my shop, that's what they do already.

The story goes, about a bicycle shop, where the reps have to do a presentation to all the members of the shop, and explain why they should change to that product instead of the product they already stock. That made the reps work hard to get their product in the door. That shop had great products; each one had earned its place on the shelves.

WHAT DOES NOT MAKE A GOOD SUPPLIER REP? Michelle Chapell, On your Bike Strategically, reps can teach some staff bad habits. I don’t make myself available for some that have bad habits; I just order product online when I need. If I ever have a problem I go to customer service manager direct, generally they are good listeners and iron out problems. I have a lot of respect for those people.

I used to be customer services director, so when first came in to industry I was appalled. I came from

technology industry and couldn’t believe how backwards it was back then. In the five to ten years most recent it has improved a lot.

I tend to take a stand when issues do arise, so for the supplier it’s important to drill in a baseline standard to operate to.

It is not the old boys network it perhaps once was. I’m a business person, not a cyclist as such, so previously I had found not being part of that gang affected conversation.

William Bain, Bicycle Repair Please do not offer my customers your advice in my realm. Thank you.

IF A NEW BUSINESS IS ENTERING THE MARKET, WHAT FORM OF APPROACH IS LIKELY TO GET THEM APPOINTMENT WITH YOU? Michelle Chapell, On your Bike For a new brand I’m a great believer in the personal approach. Don’t send emails and phone ten times as I won’t give it the time. It’s a lack of time that is a key problem for shops.

Those that have been successful have demonstrated clear belief in the product. If we see that we may give wall up space and trial; if doesn’t work take it back and we shake hands and move on. Curiously, a lot won’t do this.

Those products that have gone this route have sometimes become great sellers. What have you to lose?

The second way is to bring me in a sample and let us try it out ourselves.

My team will use it, ask customers about it. They’re the ones we have stocked.

Existing relationships sometimes get a new brand in the door, but complete bikes are much tougher.

That trial period is make or break.

Sale or return allows a risk assessment, which we need. An untested item can’t be a cash flow burden.

“I NEED TO KNOW THE PRECISE REASO WHY THIS PRODUCT CAME TO MARKET AND WHO FOR. ECO-CREDENTIALS HELP IN SELLING ON TOO...”

William Bain, Bicycle Repair If it’s genuinely interesting and has a story that’s something I can use to sell it to the customer. Therefore, I need to know the precise reason why the product came to market and who for. It’s nice to know whether it has any eco-credentials, whether it’s from a new start up, or is UK made.

It can take time at first to sell a new product, so fully understanding the product helps in order to advocate for its use.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 007

the professionals WELL REPRESENTED IN THE AGE OF COVID DO VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS WORK FOR YOU AS A BUSINESS? Michelle Chapell, On your Bike This doesn’t work for me, I’m a bit old school like that. We will attend shows mostly to catch up in person with people we don’t see enough.

Cycling product is easy to understand, so we make decisions largely based on the revenue stream to date. I do not want to have to make time online, though a supplier can send some pics or detail to browse in my own time.

With Covid’s challenges we have been trying to find bikes from all over and so we have gone to suppliers we have not dealt with as often. That has meant that quite regularly we have sought a concise information package to make a quick informed deci-

sion, but it has to come on our time.

Where this has been delivered we have opened up plenty of new lines with suppliers; some completely new, some very fortuitous.

William Bain, Bicycle Repair I'm ancient so you’d need to explain what this is to me before I consider using it. Although the internet is invaluable for technical documents, manuals, instructions and videos.

WILL YOU ATTEND ANY TRADE SHOWS WHEN THEY RESTART? Michelle Chapell, On your Bike Yes, absolutely, I think they are always interesting. We don’t spend hours talking to reps, so when attending shows we take the chance to be a bit more thorough with range coverage and filling our gaps.

FROM THE FORUM “WE’RE BASED ON THE ISLE OF MAN SO THE BORDERS ARE SHUT TO REPS. WE ALSO CAN’T ATTEND OUR BOSCH TRAINING!” Erin Bike Hut

For CI.N’s discussion group, search Cycling Industry Chat on Facebook.

“CAN’T SAY I’VE ACTUALLY MET ANY OF THE REPS FROM ANY OF THE SUPPLIERS, BUT THEN I WOULDN’T SAY I'M A BRICKS AND MORTAR SHOP. SINCE SUPPLIES OF BIKES TO ME ARE NIL BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING A SHOWROOM I'VE DECIDED TO BUILD MY OWN.” Carl Sullivan Cycle Service and Repair

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William Bain, Bicycle Repair I doubt if I will attend any more trade shows. In truth, I haven't been to a trade show in 18 years, since I opened as repair only.

Because my business is repair only I'm not at the cutting edge of new bikes, so it takes a while for them to reach me. By that time there is usually some info on the internet if I require it.

With Harrogate no more, champagne breakfasts are no more. Free bars are likewise no more! Those were the days. One of the last shows I went to was a stayover in Perth Hydro. This was a free bar and the show the following day. My old boss was so hungover he couldn't attend the show the following day. We left without seeing a single product. On the plus side, I won a table in the raffle.

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(( MARKET DATA INVEST AND DIVEST )) GOLD PARTNER

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CASH-FLOW KINGS In a snapshot of where bike shops had planned to invest and divest just prior to Covid-19’s appearance CyclingIndustry.News analyses the trends then versus the intention now

TICK ALL FROM WHICH YOU ARE HANDLING MORE TRADE YEAR-ON-YEAR? ANALYSIS One observation that we’ll flag ahead of your onwards reading from this year’s data is that, in general, the response rate attached to the question asking where ‘less’ business would be done tallied greater than the enthusiasm for areas where ‘more’ business had been undertaken. It’s a tricky one to crack why businesses would be retiring the tools at their disposal to make sales.

Could it be that the old tricks are less effective, or better put – profitable – than they once were? Certainly that has been argued with a passion when it comes to the Cycle to Work scheme, but nonetheless nearly a third of businesses had an upwards trajectory in trade via this means at the start of the year.

At the tail end of 2019 it’s debatable that such nontraditional sales methods were not required as often as the pandemic boom remained months away.

Naturally, the workshop provides an all too obvious explanation for where some of the attention has diverted. For most bike retailers, even pre-pandemic, the lead times in workshops were a touch beyond some

customer’s expectations. The customer might go across town to try another bike shop to be met with much the same. Demand outstripped supply and that was furthered by the promise of Bike Repair vouchers for anyone who had been watching the politics surrounding cycling take shape.

What is evident since the pandemic is that the ‘bike boom’ has prompted countless new businesses to set out in the bike industry and many of these have come in at a time when it’s evident the workshop is one of the more cash generative segments of bike retail nowadays.

There are pros and cons to this, of course, but one notable grumble beginning to emerge is the low prices offered by upstarts diluting the true value of a workshop service. We’ve seen full services offered for as little as £10 by newcomers looking to capture new clients for their businesses. As many in the industry will attest, once you have lowered a perception of value and fair price, it’s incredibly hard to later raise a ticket cost.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 011

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TICK ALL FROM WHICH YOU ARE HANDLING LESS TRADE YEAR-ON-YEAR? ANALYSIS While a third had warmed to Cycle to Work trade once again our data reveals it’s by far the biggest loser in terms of tools used to pin down new business. That said, the rate of decrease has slowed year-on-year from 63% in our 2019 study to 46% this year. We might expect a further warming to the idea of commission for sales if talks between trade bodies and thirdparty facilitators make progress in 2021 as many hope they will.

At odds with a perceived move toward experiential sales, a reduction in interest in bike fitting is a noteworthy trend, but perhaps one that reflects a wider trend; that is many urban shops tilting away from sports cycling toward transport cycling. Averaging a £200 a session price tag (and very often higher) it is good business if you can get it, but weighed against the costs of the equipment and staff skill investment it is easy to see why the investment is losing out against opportunities perceived to be greater.

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2021 will be a defining year when it comes to understanding to what degree bike shops have missed shows and events. Some are predicting a bounce, others are taking a punt at virtual events becoming normalised, but as revealed elsewhere in our study 26% of shops have no intention at all to attend trade events in the near future. Sales generated through events may present an opportunity for shops to network with a highly refined audience of potential shoppers. Retailers that have carved a niche or have a unique selling point do tend to be ‘expected’ at shows by consumers with cash at hand, so the opportunity is not to be dismissed. As put by women’s cycling specialist and show regular Velovixen in our last edition “huge turnouts revealed to us that were respected in the industry and many women were coming to the shows purely to see us.

We had people tell us that ‘I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t for VeloVixen’.”

BY WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE YOUR PROFITS UP OR DOWN YEAR-ON-YEAR? ANALYSIS One thing is for sure, next year’s data will make much more interesting reading than retailers reporting their takings from 2019 when the market was largely feeling glum in the face of a wave of closures in years prior.

What we can take from the a like-for-like comparison against the 2019 data is a steady warming in the number of shops achieving growth in the range of up to 50%. It could be argued that after several years of hard grind where many stores closed that 2019 to 2020 had seen a small turnaround. While growth is for the most part modest, fewer stores report being down year-on-year while 53% of respondents reported growth; 31% on top of that held steady against the prior year’s trade.

What can we expect from the 2021 data that will come to fruition by the time you read this magazine? We’d anticipate widespread reports of record spring summer sales seasons to show a full rebound, albeit not under the circumstances any of us would have chosen. The question now on everyone’s minds is this; is this a spike, or the start of a full rebound for the bike market?

DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING? ANALYSIS Looking beyond the headlines a unifying theme of the bike shop’s sideline revenue streams appears to be the customer experience. Whether it’s the oftencontroversial subject of if it is wise to provide workshop training for the customer, or providing bike rental with a view to a later sale, the experience and engagement with the customer is undoubtedly becoming a focal point for the independent. Arguably this is one area where the friendly local bike store can out manoeuvre the big chains with ease with a tailored and personalised service.

Digging a little deeper into the data we can see that a fifth of stores prior to the pandemic had opted to import their own products directly – could that have proven a masterstroke for those who were able to maintain a place in the queue as supply has ebbed? Certainly, as the new year begins the lead time quotes have not eased; some suppliers have been quoted years rather than months before a normal flow resumes. With the direct-to-consumer model advancing at a rate it would not be surprising to see more shops take the bull by the horns over the coming years to control supply.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 013

(( OPINION THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER )) Blackfriars Bridge, London, a popular route that’s safe and direct

PAVING THE WAY Life as highway engineer who cycles can be tough. In a guest appearance, Twitter’s @RantyHighwayman explains to those opposing cycling infrastructure “The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow…”

W

hat is it about the simple act of using a cycle to travel from A to B that sends some people into a frothing rage? Why is it so hard to redesign our roads and streets to make them more people-focused?

Why do politicians do everything in their power to maintain the car-centric status quo, despite the continual evidence that walking and cycling provide so many positive economic, health and social impacts in communities where people have genuine choices over how they travel? Why does all this happen when we know that redesigning our streets is actually a very popular thing to do? Well, I am not sure I have the answers, but I’ll happily give opinions to anyone who will listen.

Our highway law has developed in a way which indirectly favours driving and any change to that must be modified either at a national or local level. For example, the 30mph speed limit in built up places and the National speed limit are both national approaches (with the devolved administrations also having powers) whereas local changes are created through the use of traffic orders. A consequence of this is that streets are by default two-way, open to all classes of traffic unless modified, have an urban 30mph speed limit unless modified, are free to park cars on and so forth. Changes have to be made through a local process and so dealing with this basic status quo always comes at a cost (financially and politically) which immediately means there’s no level playing field. As soon as people drive in sufficient numbers or speeds above 20mph, everyone else is chased off the street.

The political side of this is interesting and frustrating in equal measure. On the one hand, we have national Governments saying that they are putting active travel

014 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

first, but it’s not about what they are saying, it’s about what they are doing (or maybe funding). The Westminster government keep (re)announcing bits and pieces of a planned £5bn investment in walking, cycling and buses, yet it is pushing on with a £27bn investment in road building (although this does include major maintenance works). The other administrations are similarly duplicitous at talking about investment in non-car modes while intensively funding road schemes, although maybe there’s some change in the wind with Wales rejecting the widening of the M4 and bringing in a default 20mph speed limit for built up areas.

We also need to talk about how we approach transport and especially spatial planning. If we design places where people have little choice but to drive for their day-to-day needs, then we have failed on two levels. First of all, it will mean that many people won’t have an alternative mode of transport because they can’t or won’t drive. Secondly, if we do then want to come in and change things, we are having to invest even more into trying to unpick what has gone before.

Decisions are often framed in policy and this is no different for transport and spatial planning. Despite reforms over the years, we are still where the need to protect people’s ability to drive trumps all else. Planning policy at all levels does talk grandly of putting a peoplebased user hierarchy in place, but delivery on the ground is rare. It is often the case that a developer will be proposing a scheme which has an impact on local traffic (usually at junctions) and so the local highway authority (through the planning authority) will push for capacity upgrades which further lock in our historic problems.

“WE ARE STILL STUCK WITH POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE’S ABILITY TO DRIVE OVER ALL ELSE....”

Lea Bridge Road, Waltham Forest is adorned with quality infrastructure

There are reasons to be optimistic though. There are pockets of hope across the country where local politicians and officers (who have political backing) are starting to change the debate and more importantly, change is happening on the ground. It’s obvious, but the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been doing a great deal over the last several years through its Mini-Holland program where main roads have been furnished with cycle tracks and side streets have had through traffic removed. We’re seeing change in other parts of London including Hackney, Enfield and Southwark to name a few. It is as if these places reach a tipping point (even if they were traditionally friendly towards non-car modes).

One the most exciting places for me is Greater Manchester. Despite being a Londoner where some great stuff has been going on, I look across with envy at the processes adopted in GM with the community-level engagement process which led to the Bee Network plan and the approach taken by Walking & Cycling commissioner, Chris Boardman, who has essentially said that if people don’t want change, that’s fine, and he’ll concentrate on working with the willing. It has taken a couple of years, but this ground-up approach is now paying dividends on the street with a steady pipeline of projects being delivered across GM. So, what can the cycling industry do to help?

Far be it from me to tell you all how to run your businesses, but I have some ideas you may wish to think about. I cycle mainly for utility and to be honest, the latest piece of electronic gadgetry or grams shaved from a saddle are not going to cut it with people like me.

My usual machine is an upright, heavy step-through Dutch bike with hub gears, mudguards, an enclosed chain, pannier rack, wheel lock and dynamo lights. Trying to sell me a set of lights for a couple of hundred quid, performance bib shorts or wheels costing twice as much each as my bike was new isn’t going to tempt me.

My point is that we know cycling is a broad church, but there really isn’t enough people making decent utility cycles and coupled with technical clothing, this feeds the imagery around cycling being some odd pursuit. I’ve no problem with sport and leisure cycling, but to many who might fancy starting to cycle for transport it all looks complicated and daunting where all people want to do is jump on something comfortable with everything they need built onto their cycle.

Next, perhaps the industry needs to be vocal in support for changes to our streets and roads. The Bike is Best campaign over the summer was great. It showed that for every person against change, there were six-and-a-half supporting it. Such data is powerful when trying to influence politicians and public opinion. We have some very noisy and influential people who object to anything challenging the status quo and it drowns out the positivity; so the campaign was so refreshing to see.

Allied to both this and the issue of the availability of utility cycles is the imagery that is used, because as with the motor manufacturers we are all trying to sell people a vision and for utility cycling, it is a vision where people can just get out to meet their everyday transport needs using nice streets and not having to worry about traffic. With the industry backing such an accessible way of life, they are going to have customers pushing at an open door.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 015

(( THE MP’S VIEW ))

MP’S VIEW: SELAINE SAXBY Though largely a year to forget, in 2020 cycling moved beyond the headlines and became more of a political talking point. In this instalment of our MP’s View series, Selaine Saxby, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling and Walking Group shares her thoughts on the road ahead…

S

elaine Saxby joined the push to get cycling on the political agenda only at the last general election.

The councillor and Conservative MP for North Devon hadn’t long entered the political arena, having most recently retrained as a mathematics teacher.

The fit was a natural one, however. A fitness instructor of 20 years, Saxby has always held a passion for keeping people active. Coming to Government at a time when the green agenda has begun to make regular headlines, Saxby’s thinking aligns well with policy on everything from Transport to Environment.

“When Flick Drummond stood down it seemed a good time to step in. I’m a big advocate of meeting our carbon emissions goals and with my background as a fitness instructor I can see clear ways that we can begin to address the challenges with transport shifts. Active transport has been beamed into the spotlight this year and this administration is genuinely committed to pushing this change,” starts Saxby.

There is a nod to Boris Johnson’s role in bringing to fruition the bike hire scheme while mayor of London, something for which his name became attached despite some claiming it was an idea that had begun to take root under his predecessor Ken Livingstone. Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan at the time dismissed this and the ‘Boris bike’ was born, seeding the idea that Johnson had the cyclists’ back. Since he became Prime Minister, cycling campaigners would tend to argue that the sentiment hasn’t carried as much weight as many had hoped.

“I really hate to mention Brexit, but the truth of the matter is the previous administration had other things holding us back as a nation to contend with. With a defined path coming into view the opportunity now to progress what’s really important comes to the fore and the ten-point plan to build around a green economy is in the spotlight. The Active Travel Fund of 250 million has backed this up,” says Saxby.

Addressing the value of the cash put up and indeed the varied localised progress attributed to the Active Travel Fund we ask whether the rollout of this cash has been a success.

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(( THE MP’S VIEW ))

The North Devon Cycling Group launch

“I think everyone always wants more money, it’s fair to say. I agree with Ruth Cadbury (interviewed in CI.N’s final issue of 2020) that we must make sure this money is well invested and the benefits seen, then it becomes easier to justify further funding. I would like to see the investment come through rapidly in order that we can show off the changes that have been made and can continue to make.

It’s crucial to be able to demonstrate usage and preferable to be able to put it in the context of carbon reduction also.

In my mind this process is a steppingstone to something larger. More money might be needed, but we’ve seen the world change unexpectedly too, so likewise we can see other things can happen to bring about that change without reliance on funding.”

It is acknowledged with some regret that progressing active travel initiatives has not been plain sailing in many parts. In Saxby’s locality, a far cry from London’s bustling centre, local schemes have failed to take root in the face of the ‘noisy minority’. Such was the level of abuse, we’re told, that the local council felt unable to proceed. What to do, then, about this all too prevalent trend?

“As with everything in politics it’s unusual everyone is in favour, so it’s important to understand the objections.

It should be recognised that people are generally reluctant to embrace change. Very often those shouting loudest are not the ones most impacted by the incoming change.

In North Devon lots of noise cancelled our infrastructure rollout, but I’m hoping we can learn from it anyway, to listen to the objections and present schemes better next time, in advance of roll out and with good explanation.

There will always be people against new ideas, but the feeling is that the mood becomes more positive as time goes on when it comes to active travel provision. That said, I think it’s important to provide balance. The builder can’t get to work with tools without a van, so it’s not one mode against another. As other methods are made more environmentally friendly we need to focus on efficiency across the board.”

While tradesman can and increasingly do use bikes for carting up to 250 kilos of cargo from site to site it’s fair to say the critical mass is a long way off yet. To get us closer to a lesser reliance on vans subsidies have been rolled out on a small scale, with the Energy Saving Trust extending

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an initial grant deadline in the first quarter of 2020 in the face of high demand for the £1.2 million funding pool. As part of this, local authorities were able to bid for as much as £200,000 for the purchase of electric cargo bikes for use within their communities.

Saxby explains that while subsidies can be welcome as a kickstart for certain ideas, they are not always the answer and, in the present climate of low stocks of bikes, wouldn’t necessarily be welcomed by all.

“Often there are unintended consequence of subsidies.

It is difficult at this time when a shortage of bikes exists to have these conversations with good foresight. If people are buying these bikes anyway then a subsidy is not useful to businesses. Sometimes these things can move forwards on their own momentum. A subsidy can kickstart a trend, but it’s not a long term answer,” she explains.

It is pointed out that the Cycle to Work scheme exists to provide a lower cost entry for new cyclists, albeit in a form that doesn’t necessarily satisfy all parties. It is described as “a victim of its own success,” by Saxby, who adds that “I certainly wouldn’t be adverse to a review if problems with the scheme do need addressing.”

The conditions for trading on the scheme have arguably become more favourable with the widespread lifting of the £1,000 ceiling. This has undoubtedly helped electric bikes hit new heights and Saxby sings their praises for helping people cope with the Devon topography, as well as opening the door to longer journeys. Ultimately, they could hold the key to prompting less reliance on the car for all journeys.

“It is important to think about these things in terms of local geography,” says Saxby, adding “What works for a city like London may show similarities in Manchester, but work differently in Exeter. You need to be fit to conquer some of the hills round here, so the e-Bike could be key for my constituency.”

“IT’S CRUCIAL TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE USAGE AND TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT IN TERMS OF A TRANSPORT CARBON REDUCTION TOO.” In mentioning Manchester praise is given to the work Cycling and Walking commissioner Chris Boardman who “has been fantastic at raising the profile,” believes Saxby.

“People recognise him as a household name and he speaks professionally, addressing people’s concerns directly, which is effective at helping drive change.”

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, no information exists on the creation of Active Travel England and the recruitment process ahead, but Saxby confirms the intention is to push forwards in the not too distant future.

At the time of writing the Brexit seesaw has not yet settled, but there is hope of some revival of British business whatever the outcome. Perceived as a growth sector, Saxby expresses excitement about what could be for the bike industry.

“Demand is currently outstripping supply, so there is a real opportunity for British companies to step in to that gap and build British where we can. Via the Kickstart scheme we can get 18 to 24-year-olds trained up and brought into the market with 25 hours a week of their wages paid for the employer,” says Saxby. The scheme in question requires the prospective student to be on Universal Credit. Employers of all sizes can apply, with 25 hours a week worth in wages paid for the first six months. A Kickstart Scheme application must be for a minimum of 30 job placements.

So, what can bike shops do to drive cycling on to the transport agenda with their MP and local authority?

Saxby concludes: “You’ll know customer and I expect have all the data on who is cycling near your shop. This is all useful information in your campaign. I’d hate to suggest more burdens on businesses than they have already, but this is very useful. MPs would be delighted to hear from businesses with thoughts, ideas and evidence that helps form a case for providing for cycling. It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of funding decisions are taken at council level, as opposed to by the MP, but we can help.

“As a final word, I’d like to thank you for what you have done during the pandemic. You’ve been key workers keeping the nation moving.”

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(( PRODUCT FOCUS ))

DON’T WANNA MISS A THING As this magazine lands on doormats it would be the season for mulling over a winter show attendance.

With those cancelled CI.N rounds up what would have been had the winter calendar staples gone ahead…

FIDLOCK VACUUM

FULCRUM WIND 40

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The Wind 40 wheelset offers a distinct aero advantage yet impressive weight and handling. Fulcrum has developed its technology analysing countless wind tunnel cycles, real world testing, and subsequent laboratory analysis. This has resulted in a rim profile which has been specifically designed to provide a flat transition from tyre to wheel in order to limit the disruption of airflow and thus maximise aerodynamics. The innovative rim shape has also been designed with the objective of reducing the effect of cross winds on the ride as much as possible for adaptability to any course and weather condition.

The unidirectional carbon fibre rim construction features Fulcrum Mo-Mag technology which allows for a completely sealed spoke bed to facilitate perfect tubeless integration, with a 19mm internal rim width perfectly suited to support 25 and 28c tyres. The 24 straight pull double butted spokes are threaded to each rim by hand using nipples which are moved into place with magnets in Fulcrums Italian wheel building facility. Asymmetric 2:1 spoke lacing with 16 spokes on the rear drive-side and 8 on the front non-drive side are optimised to best spread the stresses generated by the rear hub driver body and front disc rotor.

NORTHWAVE RAZER

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Available in three new colours for 2021 the Northwave Razer offers all the features necessary for great ventilation and powerful performance on the pedals. The SLW3 dial closure system binds the foot asymmetrically and evenly to avoid any pressure points. This innovative lace technology also features a single button for step-by-step release adjustment of the shoe by the millimetre or a full release in a quick and intuitive way.

The unibody shoe construction features ultra thin reinforced material around the strategically placed mesh inserts to deliver top-notch breathability whilst ensuring a stable pedal connection. The reinforced XC sole is designed around a two-bolt SPD cleat fitment with high grip TPU rubber lugs for walking traction off-road and the option to fit studs to the toe section. The toe box and at the heel cup are also TPU reinforced for added durability and resistance to wear.

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Having impressed many with the expansion of the classic Fidlock built into all things from water bottles to saddlebags, Ison will now carry a new line under the Vacuum banner.

This particular product is deigned to haul smartphones on handlebars and stems and all the latest phone cases are catered for. The modular system, as the title suggests, utilises a vacuum force that holds a phone firmly to the bar, but being Fidlock a magnet further enhances the grip.

The magnet centres the phone and holds it securely. Additional security especially under high load - is provided by the vacuum, created by a suction cup.

The smartphone is released by simply turning a small lever on the phone base.

Cases carried by Ison cover the iPhone SE second generation, as well as iPhone 8, iPhone 11 or XR, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, the new iPhone 12 series, and Samsung S20, S20+ and S 20 Ultra. The handlebar base kit includes two clamps for both a 22.2 and 31.8mm handlebar.

RXR TYRE Usage > Road/Adventure/Bikepacking Conditions > Road/Hardpack Size/colour > 650 x 47c, in all black and tan wall.

GXR TYRE Usage > Gravel/Adventure/Bikepacking Conditions > Road/Hardpack/Gravel Size/colour > 650 x 47c, in all black and tan wall.

GCX TYRE Usage > Gravel/Adventure/Bikepacking Conditions > Loose/Wet/Gravel/Dirt/Hardpack Size/colour > 650 x 47c and 700 x 38c, in all black and tan wall.

HALO GRAVEL RANGE

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New from Halo is a rigorously tested and well thought trio of tyre solutions for the gravel rider, all sold at £49.99 RRP and each with a distinct tread pattern to cover all conditions and surfaces.

Developed over a three-year period the range has been refined to offer minimal rolling resistance, high traction levels and where needed, mud shedding abilities. All tyres in the range offer large tread wrap for extreme lean angles and features dual compounds.

The range consists of the RXR, GXR and GXC models, which are all built around a light weight and reliable 60TPI tubeless carcass. Not only does the carcass choice allow the tyres to conform to the terrain for grip and comfort, but also brush off a large amount of potential damage from objects on the road or trail.

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CRANKBROTHERS SHOES F L AT + C L I P - I N

MATCH IS A DESIGN APPROACH THAT CONSIDERS THE PEDAL AND THE SHOE AS A UNIFIED SYSTEM TO PROVIDE AN OPTIMIZED INTERFACE

EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED IN THE UK AND IRELAND BY EXTRA UK | WWW.EXTRAUK.CO.UK

(( PRODUCT FOCUS )) ETC SNUG CYCLING HOODIE The trio of shoes have lace, strap and BOA closure options

CRANK BROTHERS DEBUTS SHOES

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Breaking cover shortly before Christmas Crank Brothers have made the leap from pedals to shoes built for clips or, if preferred, flat pedal use. The debut offers up a duo of clip in models under the Mallet and Mallet E banners and a single iteration aimed squarely at the flat pedal rider, dubbed the Stamp. The latter deploys something called the Match System, which Crank Brothers has apparently had in development for three years, with input from pro Fabio Wilmer.

“Fabio added great value to the Stamp shoe, thanks to his cross-discipline experience. He helped us to address some details on the fit and to improve the interface between outsole and pedal. He also worked with us on the last-mile changes: the toe ramp and the outsole flexibility, two points which allowed us to make a significant step forward on the final performance of the shoe,” said Vanni Scapin, footwear designer and developer for Crankbrothers.

The Stamp Flat shoe outsole has a high-friction rubber compound (MC2) designed to stick to the pedal body and low rebound properties to dampen vibrations. In addition, the lug depth is designed around pin dimensions to absorb the pin body. The Mallet and Mallet E shoe outsoles have a mid-friction rubber compound (MC1), which allows for easy pedal entry and exit. The MC1 rubber compound also provides more stiffness for power transfer.

Power transfer is further aided by a snug fit, dialled in via a choice of three closure systems, BOA and strap, speed lace and strap, and lace. With spec a choice for the customer, prices vary and as such the Stamp begins at a very reasonable £114.99 for the laced variety, £134.99 for the Speedlace and £164.99 for the premium BOA iteration. Meanwhile, the Mallet range spans £129.99 through to £179.99, but this time with the added benefit of cleats supplied.

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There’s a lot to be said for owning a few pieces of gear that are both casual but high functional on the bike too. ETC has taken it casual as can be with a relaxed fit hoodie that’s got more to it than meets the eye. To the trained eye, that silver centre panel will be immediately obvious as the kind of material that bounces light in the dark and with a covering that large there really is no way the rider will be missed during the dark winter nights. During daylight it cools to a simple matte grey.

Another feature that makes it ideal for cycling trips is the dipped tail that covers the lower back when leaned forward over the bars, locking in heat and catching any stray spray from the road.

In terms of insulation, the hollow fibre chest and back panel will lock in some warmth, while an extended sleeve once again stops ‘ride up’ for anyone with a drop handlebar. A drawstring at the neckline can cinch in if the winter chill really begins to bite. The very same train of thought has gone into the hood, with additional fabric enabling the rider to wear the garment with a helmet on their head and pull it in tight with the cord.

MASTER LOCK 8195 U-LOCK

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Key for Windwave’s bike security offering at the start of 2021 will be the Gold Sold Secure rated Master Lock 8195 U-Lock, which relies on an 11cm wide body to keep thieves at bay, giving room to secure a bike, but not enough to offer leverage for those hoping to pry a lock apart. The 13mm diameter double locking shackle is 21cm long and made of hardened steel, offering extra resistance to prying, cutting and sawing. Meanwhile, the disc key cylinder prevents picking. To give the buying consumer confidence a Limited Lifetime Warranty is offered on both of the two available lengths and with optional cable loop.

Prices start at £34.95.

Skate shoe styling is casual and hardy

TOPEAK JOEBLOW TUBI 2STAGE EXTRA 01933 672 170 For Topeak the JoeBlow is a staple of the catalogue and well known in the trade, but for 2021 the Tubi iteration becomes a focal point, bringing forward a 2Stage inflation technology that makes it ideally suited to service your customers going tubeless. What makes the pump particularly well equipped to this function is the Tubi head which enables the mechanic to attach the head to the valve, remove the valve core (with the head still attached), pump up the tyres, reinsert the valve core, and then detach the head from the valve. For mechanics who have previously had difficulty seating certain tyres and rims, the Tubi 2Stage means no messing about with valve cores while trying to maintain pressure in the tyre.

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HIGH 5

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Developed in collaboration with professional German cycling team BORA – Hansgrohe High5’s Slow Release ocean minerals line has been enhanced with a new electrolyte complex, which provides an invigorating hit of magnesium. Naturally sourced from seawater to help balance electrolytes, Slow Release delivers all the essentials for sustaining performance through exercise.

During endurance exercise your body relies on carbohydrates for energy to help keep you going. It is for this reason that High5’s Slow Release range contains Isomaltulose, a slowly digested carbohydrate that provides a stable and sustained energy supply for longer lasting fuel during sport. This avoids spiking blood sugar levels and the insulin response that comes with other sugar-containing products.

MAGURA MDR-C / MDR-P ROTORS

DMR V11 PEDAL

UPGRADE BIKES 01403 711611

DMR introduced the V11 pedal in November with instant dealer success. January sees Upgrade Bikes (home of DMR) receive their first bulk shipment, allowing dealers to stock up. With a choice of eight exciting colours, the V11 is a fully serviceable glass-reinforced nylon platform with its impressive grip credentials inherited from the formidable DMR Vault pedal. Retailing for a very accessible £50 it’s expected to be a big seller for the off-road markets and perhaps beyond.

REPENTE ARTAX GL GRAVEL SADDLE

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Repente was one of Upgrade Bikes’ new brands last year. Though relative newcomers to the saddle market, the Italian brand was founded from a decade of industry expertise. All saddles feature high quality handmade carbon structures that deliver comfort and performance. The new Artax GL favours the gravel rider and retails for £145 and weighs in at a scant 165 grams. Repente put great emphasis on shape detailing. The Artax GL has a more curved nose, slim front profile and deeper padding for maximum rider comfort and agility, in and out of the saddle, as well as a special non-slip cover material for all conditions.

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Last year Magura introduced the MDR-C and MDR-P rotors, which are stiffened and optimised to meet the requirements of modern eMTBs and gravity bikes. The advantages: greater braking force, less fading and less risk of noise.

For model year 2021 the company is offering additional diameters and a centerlock version for its popular line of new products. Starting with the MDR-C rotors, this attractively priced allrounder delivers solid performance for trail bikes and eMTBs, and it is suitable for tough city use too. The rigid design reduces vibration, contributing to quieter operation. The 6-hole version of the MDR-C is now also available with a 160 mm diameter, and the two-piece MDR-P rotor additionally comes in a 180 mm iteration. Stock is now available from Magura’s UK headquarters.

Also new, the Shiftmix handlebar clamps and the new HC Wide Reach lever blade give riders a tidy cockpit and comfortable ergonomics. The former is a budget-friendly upgrade combining a Shimano I-Spec EV shifter and a MAGURA brake master in a single clamp. The result is a clean, uncluttered look. The I-Spec EV, Shimano’s latest integrated shift/brake system, is used in many 12-speed shifters in the newest Deore, XT and XTR shift groups.

For those customers who may complain brake levers are too small, the Downhill World Champion Loïc Bruni has prompted an accessory upgrade in the new HC Wide Reach lever blade (HC-W) upgrade, which offer a wide lever width adjustment. In contrast to the weight-optimised 3D-printed version (HC LOIC BRUNI), the new HC Wide Reach blade is made of die-cast aluminium, contributing to a very attractive price. It’s available in two versions – for Carbotecture and for Carbotecture SL brake masters – assuring compatibility with all Magura MT disc brakes for model year 2015 and later.

MADISON FLUX PANTS

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While soft goods are predicted to be sell outs for many brands over winter Madison has further developed its catalogue to offer an attractive new proposition for aggressive mountain biking purposes in its new Flux Pants.

Retailing at a competitive £79.99 the Flux Pants are built with a four-way stretch material which provides all day comfort and superb manoeuvrability on the bike. Overlaying that and keeping the British weather from dampening your customer’s spirit, a DWR coating will see water bead of the surface.

Where waterproofing exists breathability can sometimes be an issue and so Madison’s clothing designers have built in laser cut vents in the thigh, a rear yoke and knee aid with cooling, as well as a rear knee mech panel that acts as an exhaust vent to prevent overheating.

In terms of storage, two stealth stash pockets provide security and storage for your essentials All of this comes with the limited lifetime warranty that has seen Madison’s clothing gain in popularity thanks to the peace of mind offered to the customer. With double and triple stitching in the most prone to damage areas there’s a good chance such a guarantee will never be needed.

LAZER JACKAL HELMET

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Now found at the upper-end of the Lazer mountain bike portfolio, the Jackal helmet has come to market with a feature-rich spec sheet and one that has a seven-shell construction, optimised for maximum protection. That safety claim is backed by Virginia Tech’s safety labs too, which scored the Jackal a 5 out of 5.

The placement of the ventilation channels provides sublime cooling; even when riding with goggles or eyewear. Lazer has stuck with a winning formula, designing the Jackal to feature its renowned Advanced Turnfit system which offers vertical and horizontal adjustments.

Recommended pricing weighs in at £149.99 for the MIPS iteration carried by Madison. Sizes span small at 52cm to 56cm through large at 58cm to 61cm.

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(( PRODUCT FOCUS )) MUC-OFF HCB-1 MUC OFF 01202 307 799 The latest innovation from Muc-Off comes in the form of the HCB-1. HCB equals ‘Harsh Conditions Barrier’ and that’s what is created with a state-of-the-art thin film coating, that simultaneously makes light work of rust and corrosion. Muc-Off designed it to be the perfect companion for winter months, keeping a customer’s bike looking fresh all year long – as you’ll have 12 months of protection.

It’ll keep moisture out, creating a durable anticorrosive layer of protection on your bike’s frame, chain, metal parts, plastics and paintwork. And on parts that have already got some rust showing, it’ll get rid of it all together.

With an RRP of £14.99, HCB-1 is expected during Q1, direct to the Muc-Off global dealer network.

WELDTITE TUBELESS SEALANT & POS RALEIGH EXCLUSIVE RALEIGHB2B.CO.UK/B2B Benchmarked and developed against the best of the rest, Weldtite’s tubeless range has been redesigned for 2021 and there’s now a new option to showcase the product in store.

The new Weldtite Tubeless Shop Stand carries everything a rider requires for running tubeless tyres at a competitive price. The stand is designed for to be displayed on a countertop or slat wall mounted, is made entirely out of wood and is easy to assemble without tools. The new stand provides a safe, secure and sturdy platform for a comprehensive in-store tubeless offering.

Look out for the products from January 2021 on Raleigh’s B2B.

RIDE CONCEPTS VICE SHOE

GARY FISHER AND THE BICYCLE REVOLUTION

COMING SOON

Hitting our inbox just ahead of our print deadline is a new book detailing the life and long journey through the bicycle industry for trade icon Gary Fisher.

Five years in the making, Guy Kesteven worked with Trek and Gary himself to journal a wild ride that started with lighting up Grateful Dead gigs and progressed in to tinkering that ultimately paved the way to mountain biking’s birth. The 240-page hardback bio features tons of photographs, wild stories and plenty of inspiration to get your customers up and riding themselves.

Global sales begin shortly via Trek.

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SILVERFISH 01752 843882

The new Vice shoe has been developed alongside Ride Concepts’ dirt jump, slopestyle and BMX athletes who value pedal feel and compliance above all else. The Vice introduces the new RC Fuzion outsole, which offers an inverse, gradient diameter hexagon pattern designed to bring the pedal closer to the rider. Those sloped-angle inverse hexagons, vary in diameter from 9mm at the toe and heel to 7mm at the pedal contact area, allowing the pedal to "inject" into the outsole for enhanced sensitivity.

Furthermore, a removable insole features D3O impact protection material under the ball of the foot and heel for increased resilience and comfort, should you suddenly need to get your feet on the ground. Between the insole and upper Ride Concepts has placed 3mm of EVA for additional support and comfort.

In stock now, the shoe is available in men’s, women’s, and youth sizes as well as four different colours. A pair retails at £89.95 for the adult iteration and £64.95 for the youth.

EASTON EA70 AX DROPPER

SILVERFISH 01752 843882

The EA70 AX dropper post joins Easton’s AX series of horizon-expanding drop bar gravel and adventure componentry. Features include a reliable cartridge design, internal routing and availability in two lengths - 350mm and 400mm.

Easton’s EA70 AX post brings 50mm of drop, allowing for fitment on everything from wide-tyred CX bike to modern gravel bikes.

Oh, just a few...

We are gutted not to kick off 2021 at Core Bike.

But fear not, we still have a new sales programme across our parts and accessories brands.

To get full details and learn more about the brands, contact your account manager or email info@hotlines-uk.com

Visit our new website

www.hotlines-uk.com

(( ANALYSIS ACCESSORY SALES ))

PARTING WITH ACCESSORIES? Could a trend towards integration of accessories into bike design eventually cause a headache for bike retailers also shifting add on sales? CI.N explores the subject with those ahead of the design curve and those producing top-selling P&A…

Y

ou could be forgiven for giving up trying to keep up with the pace of change nowadays. Innovation rarely comes in the form it used to; algorithm knowledge is now a far more valuable currency than simply knowing how to put the hardware back together. With tech-savvy enabling software to enhance the hardware in ever more compact forms the marriage of tech and engineering now puts super computers in the pockets of billions and, in some cases, now tucked into the handlebar of bicycles.

Truly engineering capability has hit a new level and for the bike industry that has meant a trend of doing more with less. The cycle computer that formerly might have had its own postcode is now sleekly integrated into a bike’s stem and infinitely more powerful and connected than the creator of the first unit could have fathomed.

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From a design standpoint it makes sense more than ever to integrate such devices given that a power supply is readily available in every electric bike sold. ‘Trickledown’ has become a gift to value seeking cyclists in componentry terms, so what’s now stopping the trend accelerating to consume both P&A and software-based devices?

One of the leaders in the trend of integration is Magura, who as part of the Bosch eBike Systems family has a keen interest in making bikes and e-Bikes as good as they can be right off the shelf.

Dominik Voss, Magura’s Digital Business and Marketing manager told CI.N he believes that, akin to what has happened with the mobile phone, it is the natural course of things to evolve and integrate: “The usage of bicycle changes over time. Many people have rethought urban

“WHILE THERE IS A BIG GROWTH IN OEMS WORKING TOWARDS INTEGRATION, EACH WANTS SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.”

Lezyne’s non integrated accessory LED and GPS

mobility and said yes to a car-free commuting. With cars becoming less important, for some bicycles are the new showpieces, or even status symbols. New bicycle designs with stunning integrations underline this trend.”

Is it perhaps that as bicycles have become trendier and cyclists seen as less of an outgroup that the industry will have to move with the times; will the tech-savvy Generation Z look at the vintage bicycle as a relic and conversely be drawn to the bike that syncs up with their smartwatch? Are we flying closer and closer to emulating the feature set of a fully specced car in both functionality and design?

Voss says that for the time being Magura’s innovation at least has a focus on hardware, while its partner Bosch may be more focused on how chipsets and sensors can improve a bike’s capability.

“Integration is definitely one of the main topics for the upcoming future. The road bike sector in particular is showing massive changes. D-Shape seatposts or stem/handlebar combinations are increasingly custom designed for specific bikes. Specific components help the industry to increase aerodynamics, save weight or create better designs.

“This trend definitely affects the retrofitting options and it will not only be visible in the road bike sector; many new mountain bike examples show early expressions of this

trend too. The Magura Cockpit Integration is a quantum leap in this trend. For the first time Magura has integrated a brake inside a flatbar with no external cables and tubings. Customers can profit from a super clean design and increased protection against damages sustained during crashes. The integration trend will generate benefits in many areas, but there will still be normal designs with more options for individual setups. We do not agree that the trend will kill accessory, but it will limit retrofitting options. That is the prize of the benefits of integration.”

One label with a significant and well-received aftermarket catalogue is Leyzne, which has in the background developed an OEM trade that has seen its lighting systems become particularly well-suited to electric bikes.

“E-bikes will only continue to be a bigger and bigger part of cycling’s future and we’re committed to ensuring that the latest e-Bike technology is met with industry-leading visibility solutions to match,” said Micki Kozuschek, Lezyne's founder and CEO announcing an expanded OEM range during November. “We’ve worked hard to position our line up so that no matter the bike, no matter the application, whatever you do, we have a light for you.”

The products in question are new StVZO-compliant and high-voltage-compatible lights designed to sync up with most e-Bike powertrains on the market.

So does this tilt Lezyne’s business further in the direction of working with bike brands, or will aftermarket remain the focal point for a business that has made its name in slick accessories?

Worldwide Sales Manager Nico Jecowitz took time out to explain that while the trend may seem one directional, there are factors at play that almost guarantee a strong future for aftermarket sales.

“This is interesting as while there is certainly a big discussion and growth in OEMs working towards integration, each wants something unique to differentiate their product from the next. The bottom line is that there are standards to be adhered to and that places some limitations on OEM products,” he starts.

The aforementioned German lighting standard is one such standard that places design restrictions on brands looking to integrate, much thanks to the lens profiles required. It is more complicated still, however.

“If a consumer decides down the line that they wish to upgrade or replace an integrated product, there is the danger that they then invalidate the standard, or create

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(( ANALYSIS ACCESSORY SALES ))

Magura’s MCI handlebar is barren of cabling

an incompatibility that poses a problem for the electrics, for example, and this kind of momentum is generally exclusively coming from the e-Bike makers thanks to the ability to power from the battery.”

Furthermore, there is the argument that integration of accessories is more of an urban trend for people whose needs cannot accurately always be classed as enthusiast, whereas those spending big on serious electric mountain bikes tend to wish to further shell out for the correct spec accessory to match their pursuit.

Since starting OEM trading in 2017, Leyzne will this year attribute between 10% and 15% of trade to customers such as Specialized, Orbea and Scott, to name a few. It’s not just lighting either, we are told to expect projects ranging tool stashes to mudguards.

“We’re great value and the pitch to the OEM is that we’re an aftermarket brand first and foremost in the eyes of the consumer, but pitched to the OEM at a fair price. Speccing our goods should add value. It is lighting integration that is leading the charge for this trend at the moment and that’s unsurprising as it’s 50% of our turnover,” adds Jecowitz.

The aftermarket is a beneficiary of the trend, we are reminded. Leyzne now has in its catalogue floor pumps that stash tyre levers, bottle cages that carry tools and plenty more. Consumers have arguably never had it better in terms of smart accessory design and value for money and that has to remain a compelling reason to keep slatwall space open for innovative brands. We are told that

Leyzne’s investment in its production and staff skillset will bear some attractive new fruit by April next year, all being well in the parts of the supply chain the brand can control.

For the distributors, if such a trend were becoming present it would no doubt be a concern. So, how does Leyzne’s UK partner view it?

Rory Hitchins, Upgrade Bikes’ Marketing Manager offered: “I don’t believe integration will kill off accessory sales. More likely it will increase them as integrated bikes, typically e-Bikes, will encourage regular journeys in turn stimulating a greater ground swell in cycling numbers. Integration increases a bike’s price. Nonintegrated e-Bikes I believe will be the bigger sales segment. Their lower price points are attractive to dealers who can encourage a wider choice of accessories to the purchase. One key area where integration does win out is e-Bike lights powered by the battery. However, this also creates opportunities for dynamic aftermarket brands to use their technical expertise and brand values for new business. A great example is Lezyne’s aforementioned e-Bike lights that are targeting OE sales, as well as aftermarket sales via dealers fitting them to non-integrated bikes. This is additional business to the Leyne’s LED accessory category who remain dominant in the aftermarket for accessories.”

How do you view the future of bike design and accessory sales? Let us know on our trade locked Facebook group, found by searching Cycling Industry Chat.

“IT IS LIGHTING INTEGRATION THAT IS LEADING THE CHARGE, THAT’S 50% OF OUR TURNOVER...”

Mechanics love integration perhaps a little less than consumers

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Perhaps the MCI opens up bar space for more accessories...

Photo credit > nickwilsonphoto

(( OPINION DIVERSITY IN CYCLING ))

STAND BY, OR STAND UP? The subject of diversity throughout the cycling world sprung into the headlines earlier this year, but vanished just as fast. Myles Marwood explains why the bike industry must stand together on diversity issues and better still, demonstrate with actions that gestures are not hollow…

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I

t’s been quite a year in the cycling world, as the global pandemic set in cycling in the UK boomed, bike sales soared, and people decided to start to make lifestyle choices on how to get to and from work. Cycling became the vogue thing to do.

Also marking the start of the year, George Floyd died when an attempted arrest went wrong. A police officer put his knee on Mr. Floyd’s throat for over seven minutes, all over the dispute as to whether Mr. Floyd had tried to buy a pack of cigarettes with a fake $20 note.

Cycling realised it had a problem too, the lack of diversity in the sport is shocking. Magazines, realising they had to do something, quickly got articles written by the Black Cyclists Network, however months on where are the articles now? What are magazines doing to address the issue on diversity. Who is holding companies, sponsors, manufacturers, governing bodies and the likes to account?

The Tour de France’s attempt to acknowledge the BLM movement fell short of an attempt, it was a shambles. Left to the teams and riders to organise, #EndRacism and #BlackLivesMatter was scribbled on facemasks as riders wore them in the media pen and in the neutralised zone of the race. Not long enough for any form of media exposure, leaving those who knew about it, mainly white men who work in cycling journalism and media to give their opinion.

Ned Boulting labelled it as “underwhelming”. What is underwhelming is the media’s response to it. More pressure needed to be put on race organisers; the ASO needs to be held to account, the UCI needs to be held to account and arguably riders too. Do riders really feel it’s enough to scribble on some face masks to show support? Who is asking the riders these questions? If you’re not, why aren’t you? If you think what riders did on the final day of the Tour was underwhelming, why wait until the final day to address it? Why not ask on the first day? This race ran for three whole weeks.

The first of three-week Grand Tours to ride to completion, no other mention of the movement was made at any other Grand Tour, nor the World Championships.

Kevin Reza, the only black rider at the Tour was given so little support by his peers and by ASO and by the UCI. This was a chance to make a stand with Kevin with black riders around the world. It would have made more of a statement if Kevin rode the first lap of Paris on his own with the peloton behind him, or if riders had worn black t-shirts in each neutral zone. So much more could have been done.

Marketing teams from nearly all corners of cycling saw an opportunity to address an issue and to change their advertising. Many decided to make a conscious effort to change their advertising. More women, more people of colour and more diversity – I’m still to see anyone who isn’t an able-bodied athlete in advertising for cycling yet, though.

Cycling is inclusive and for all, but this must be remembered in advertising as such. Look around when you’re riding down the road, do you advertise to this person, as well as to cycling on the whole?

Seeing more people of colour in advertising is fantastic, but companies must remember to stick by this, not for this to be a flash in the pan. More and more companies are finding people of colour to put in their advertising, but this must come with meaning and a want to change the sport, not just to keep face.

It’s been highlighted recently the effects of sports people’s activities on social media with the signing of Chloe Dygert to Canyon SRAM. Ms Dygert liked some tweets in the summer months which were inherently racist, bigoted and not accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. Whether Ms Dygert actually believes this or not is her own choice; this is a young lady who is from Indiana, a religious state with a very strong republican standpoint.

However, whether these beliefs are reflective of that of Canyon SRAM, their sponsors and accepted in the Women’s World Tour peloton is a completely different thing.

Everything that Canyon SRAM stands for and many of the sponsors of the team stand for - their marketing suggests from the past twelve months that this isn’t true.

With Ms Dygert now riding for the team, inherently whether you like this or not - they are seen to buy in to those beliefs and that is now what many will feel the team, sponsors and the team’s riders now stand for.

Now, you can say that Chloe Dygert has released an apology, along with Canyon SRAM, apologising to those who she “offended or were hurt” by her conduct on social media, but it is not an apology for her beliefs and what she did. If I said to you “I’m sorry you feel that way about what I did,” it’s not an apology for what I did, it’s me being sorry for the way you feel; it’s on you that’d you’re offended, not me.

Yet, how many of the world’s cycling press got in touch with the sponsors, who are all smeared by this signing, to ask them what they’re going to do about it? As far as I know, one. Me. Why? I believe you have to stand by your morals and if you want your sport to change for the better and be more diverse and accepting of people of colour, like myself, you have to hold people to account. Equally I don’t believe in jumping on bandwagons for the sake of keeping face, those same magazines and websites who roped in the BCN at the start of the year, where are they now at the end of the year? Where is the journalistic integrity to chase the story and hold people to their actions?

Rapha claim to be more diverse, sponsoring team’s like L39ION of Los Angeles (shown left), who have more people of colour riding on one team than all three of this year’s Grand Tours put together. (Editor’s note: Rapha branded Dygert’s apology inssuficient) Am I the only person to hold brands to account, I wonder? What are each of them planning to do next? Am I the only person who thinks that, morally, you have to do something if you want to see lasting change in a sport?

This isn’t about being ‘woke’ or some other term born out of social media. I get consumer journalism survives on affiliations with companies, but in my experience companies equally like it when you challenge them. Give them an opportunity to tell you what they’re doing, why they’re doing it and what changes they’re making and if it’s not enough ask them why. Stand for what you believe in.

There’s no better time to make a change in cycling than now. People of colour in the peloton and in cycling journalism are in the minority and need white people to stand right beside us to keep this on the agenda for further development. There’s a way to go yet.

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(( PROFILE FORME BIKES ))

GOOD FORME

Steadily rising through the pack to become one of the UK’s more popular bike brands, Forme’s measured approach to expansion has won many fans. Here Adam Biggs charts progress…

How has 2020 been for you so far?

I was asked to describe 2020 in three words during a recent BA group meeting so I will do the same here: Motivational, educational and fulfilling. I will add one too, that’s teamwork.

2020 has provided us with a great opportunity to build our presence and range assortment on the shop floor, helping us to secure long-term commitments from existing and new retailers alike.

A key factor in our success this year has been our team’s ability to respond fast to supply chain demands by hunting for solutions to provide our retailers with bikes.

We have explored Europe and further afield to source tens of thousands of bikes and even kick started the production lines that were such a prominent part of our history during the previous heydays at Moore Large. Most of our dealers have remembered the support, which has helped cement some strong relationships for the future.

Have there been any challenges in particular which have effected your business efficiency this year?

Certainly, some. We had communication issues at the beginning of the boom due to the sheer volume of calls received. We work with over 2,500 IBD accounts, plus National Accounts where we are accountable for supporting their consumers too. We responded as well as we could at the time, but it took a good few months to claw back the response times and standards we were striving to achieve.

The challenge experienced has really helped us to prepare effectively for a scale up in the future; we have many new internal processes and performance reports in place as well as additional staff. We are currently in the middle of a substantial investment towards a reformed B2B, alongside new ERP and telephony systems.

Moving on to Forme more specifically, what challenges have you experience over the last few years?

Our greatest challenge following the brand’s re-birth a couple of years ago has been the difficulty in clarifying our market position to both retailer and consumer.

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Our ambition from the start has been to create the largest British multi-category bicycle range positioned at the mid to high level and in line with some of the largest global brands.

Only a few years ago we had many big gaps in the range.

Although we had diverse representation within most categories, including leading race specific cyclocross framesets through to award-winning carbon gravel bikes, it was difficult to approach a retailer with the view of them carrying the full assortment from the range to either replace or compliment their existing brands. Consequently, there were a few retailers, particularly the larger multiples, who just didn’t take us seriously.

The sales achieved over the last few years were accomplished based on product quality, brand image and the communication of our vision from sales team. A special mention should go to Leon Stimpson, the Brand Manager and Rich Burley, the Designer too.

We have been forced to grow very fast which in itself brings many problems and although I very much consider ourselves to be at the beginning of the journey, we are starting to find our place.

Does this mean you have a large line-up planned for 2021?

Our 2021 range consists of 84 models, including 27 eBikes covering most categories supported by Bafang, Bosch and Fazua. Price points start at £100 for our junior balance bike and end at our Bosch equipped full suspension Black Rocks FSE at £5,149.

Do you find it difficult competing alongside some of the global giants?

I have the utmost respect and admiration for the larger global brands. Likewise, the strength of British brands such as Whyte, Frog and now Raleigh are never underestimated.

We have our own plan in place and a focused process, which is being constantly refined as our brand becomes stronger. This plan is helping us to overcome any difficulties presented along the way.

Adam Biggs

Which key attributes have helped the brand to grow over the last few years?

We listen well and act fast. Many brands adopt a consumer first approach. We are completely devoted to meeting the needs of our retailers first and operate a single channel route to market to support them. I believe if we get that part right, the consumer will achieve the best experience and our brand will receive the treatment it requires to continue its progression.

Other than good people, there is no particular attribute or golden goose. Today’s revamped team noticeably has the confidence and belief, which was lacking a few years ago. This has passed through to our retailers and in areas where well-established, larger shops have achieved success, the numbers have blossomed.

How many dealers do you have across the UK, do you plan on working with more retailers in 2021?

We currently have around 200 retailers in the UK and Ireland, who I would consider committed stockists and around 300 overall. For 2021, the primary objective is to increase range representation on the shop floors where we are already present in a quest to become their primary brand, although based on the pre-order commitments already in place I also expect to see an extra 75 to 100 committed stores.

Any International Plans?

Unquestionably. We are not quite ready yet though. The UK market and British IBD’s are my immediate priority. Our international intentions are set to commence in 2022.

Do you have any bestselling products or price points?

That’s a difficult question to answer at the minute based on the success of this year. Nevertheless, our eBike and Junior categories are consistently the door openers regardless of macro trends of competitor stock availability.

What’s coming for 2021 From a product perspective, we will be updating half the range and introducing many new categories to support the trends we are seeing in urban mobility. Products will be launched in phases from the New Year onwards and our retailers already have access to our new products timeline.

Notably, we are investing in a brand new website to offer drastically improved digital support and interaction for our retailers and consumers alike to help clarify and simplify the consumer journey. As part of the sites phase two development, we intend to integrate a live dealer stock feed as part of a new click and collect integration to ensure our dealer stock investment is more transparent on a nationwide basis.

Some more good news for our brand was discovered a few weeks back too; we have extended our contract with Center Parcs across all their sites from 2021. With over 1.5 million visitors per year, our brand awareness is only set to improve further.

Finally, what do we need to change to see more commuters and leisure cyclists riding bikes in cities?

The BA are achieving this with their advocacy support. I have been so tied up in our own business requirements over the last few years that I didn’t pay as much attention to the BA as I should have. Now I have given them the time, I have quickly realised what a fantastic job they are doing. Their focus consists of two key points which are inter-linked and ultimately help to get more people on bikes. These are: Give every child the opportunity to cycle The Government funded Bikeability scheme offers learn to ride training at various levels for all local authorities across the UK Make cycling an everyday choice The Department for Transport have a new “Gear Change” campaign which aims to put cycling and walking at the heart of decision making in the future. The essential status of bike shops is a good indicator of intentions here.

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(( SHOP PROFILE HANDLEBARS ))

Handlebars hopes to have 20 locations running next year

A HUB FOR SERVICING A relatively new kid on the block, Handlebars has fused two key trends to form a marriage of workshop only trading with a sharp eye on online functionality. Co-founder Jeyda Hesleton speaks to CI.N about how they intend to quickly expand the model…

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here are a handful of success stories in the bicycle industry that hinge on tech expertise, but given the possession of that digital savvy it’s very often the case that those skills come and go from the decidedly rougher around the edges bike world. For the most part, oily fingers and keyboards don’t make great bedfellows.

Nonetheless, compared to a decade ago our trade has increasingly pulled in expertise sourced from outside in a bid to lead digital trends. Jeyda Hesleton and investor Oren Peleg are two such people with an ambition to put a spin on a model that has in recent years been a central pillar of bike shop profitability; that’s the workshop. The concept: drag what has in the past been a backroom oper-

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ation hidden away from customers into a format that is ultra-convenient for the app-savvy millennial and passing commuter. In order to achieve this the upstart business will hang its booking system on HubTiger, a platform that recently made the news as a new partner of the Association of Cycle Traders. We’ll talk more about that later.

First of all, it’s time to introduce Handlebars, a new workshop-only network that at the time of writing has four London workshops – Monument, Islington, Hyde Park and Shoreditch – all opened since October. What’s more, there’s a short-term goal to have 20 of these Handlebars locations up and running during 2021, marking something of a rapid expansion in frontline retail and service terms.

Vans on the road now deliver customer bikes to depots

It’s fair to say then that there’s confidence in the USP. “We haven’t settled on the next locations just yet, but it’s safe to say Birmingham and Manchester are on our radar for the widening of our network,” starts Hesleton.

“We’ll have around three mechanics per store and the idea, where possible is to be nearby to a local commuter artery. Our Monument depot is on CS3, so that’s already very busy, while Islington is on the route through Angel and Shoreditch on CS1. Hyde Park captures those cycling in to the city from the West.”

The formula is based on efficiency, convenience and the aforementioned tech-savvy. There’s also an element of flexibility we’re told. “They’re a fairly fluid set of workshops which can pop-up and move to suit demand,” says Hesleton and that fluidity carries through to popping up at a customer’s doorstep, if they so require.

“We have a few vans out on the road picking up customer bikes within zones one to three and bringing them to our depots for service. If it’s an e-Bike it goes to our specialist e-Bike service centre,” we’re told.

Acknowledging that vans in cities might not be the

perfect fit for the future of cities, Handlebars currently has its own cargo bike with service capability being built alongside an industry producer.

There is an understanding of how city spaces can function better imported by the founders from their prior roles with crowdsourced parking business JustPark. It was in fact this concept that spurred the idea to convert parking spaces and indeed any available spaces into pop up workshops.

“Oren and I were working together at JustPark - a tech start-up which enables anyone with a parking space to let it out to drivers, who can then book spaces via an app. JustPark has access to a vast network of parking spaces all over the UK and whilst predominantly used for parking today, we were researching alternative uses for the land. We are both keen cyclists, really interested in micromobility and helping to ensure cities run in an efficient and environmentally-friendly manner.

We were excited by the increasing number of people taking to two wheels, but found that bike shops were struggling to stay open, particularly in city centres.

Furthermore, the experience can often be a little outdated

“IT’S SAFE TO SAY BIRMINGHAM AND MANCHESTER ARE ON OUR RADAR FOR WIDENING THE NETWORK...”

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(( SHOP PROFILE HANDLEBARS ))

Service packages range £50 through to £175

or intimidating for new cyclists. We decided we could repurpose empty parking spaces into workshops and use our tech background to produce a slick, modern-day experience for bicycle repair. Since then, we have branched out beyond parking spaces to all kinds of empty space. The goal is to keep cyclists moving and we believe that a network of seamlessly-running cycle repair workshops, staffed by expert mechanics, is essential for this.”

The entry service is dubbed ‘Safe Ride’ and comes in at £50, for which the customer rides away on a bike fit for the roads. For a little more cash the £80 ‘Sweet Ride’ package offers a deeper tune up, while the ‘Pro’, for £175, is the most comprehensive service for performance cycles. Customers unable to drop their bike off pay a £20 pick up and delivery fee within zones 1-3.

Being in the city there is an intention to tap into the wealth of businesses who employ the swathes of cyclists now traversing the city daily. With corporates generally warming to the idea of more staff cycling in a bid to keep staff punctual and healthy, companies are offered a discount pick up rate of £10 per collection, while the cyclist pays for the service. For Handlebars, this incentive gets a foot in the door for access to a larger pool of servicing jobs.

In a bid to raise its profile, the network has already managed to feature in the Evening Standard under a headline of “Where to get your bike fixed in London” and article in which it secured pole position. As an aside to this, the strategy is be visible, whether at events or on social media; the idea is to always have the brand visible somewhere day-to-day.

“Digital is a big focus for us so I certainly invest lots of time either building or pulling together software to make our lives easier. It’s something I think is lacking in the cycle repair world and could make a huge difference to both cyclists and mechanics,” says Hesleton.

That brings us full circle, to HubTiger, the foundation of the workshop network’s digital offering (detailed right).

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What is HubTiger?

Developed in South Africa and exported from there, the HubTiger platform is designed to assist service-led businesses with their booking systems. As you might expect from something developed around a mobile app, it’s quite smart, giving customer and service centre a platform on which they can communicate quickly, sign of and book in work, as well as store a detailed history of the customers bike (or bikes).

On the bike shop end there’s a slick back-end platform that diarises the week ahead, enabling a workshop manager to assign jobs by availability and even by skillset, flagging the next available slot to a customer who requires the skillsets of a mechanic trained to a certain standard. In the bicycle world, the platform has already assigned over 65,000 service tasks, despite its relative youth.

One of the best features is the ability to set up push notifications that will appear on the customer’s phone, as any notification from a news outlet or social network would. It is a deliberately familiar experience and one that irons out any margin for error when it comes to getting extra jobs signed of. A chat history is visible and stores in the cloud for cross referencing down the line.

What’s more, the app even handles payment and synchronises this with point of sale equipment from Sage, Lightspeed, Vend, Quickbooks and Xero.

For Association of Cycle Traders members a 15% discount off each HubTiger product exists, while Cytech accredited stores get a further 20%. Live customer support and training is available to shops getting set up, while a resource centre found at hubtiger.com is available for any follow up questions.

(( TRADE OPINION SHOP SECURITY ))

LOCKED DOWN

As the early winter months can typically see a run on thefts from bike shops, Cycling Industry News’ Liberty Sheldon has compiled some options available to stores who want to step up their security.

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ccording to the latest data from Urban Jungle, claims for bike theft have risen by 125% in the past three months leading up to October. Figures compiled for the first half of 2020 by national cycle database BikeRegister also revealed a significant rise in reported bike theft. For example, in October alone, reported bike thefts were up by 69.4% on 2019.

Data obtained from Stolen Ride also shows a ten year high in bike theft according to MET police, with huge spikes in reported theft in August and September as the UK came out of its first Covid-19 lockdown period.

Early last month saw retailer Surge Bikes suffer not

SelectaDNA SelectaDNA intruder spray is a colourless, quick drying, harmless mist which can be used to link an intruder and or thief back to the scene of the crime with its innovative DNA liquid that is unique to that particular site.

The intruder spray can be activated in two ways to work effectively in both night and daytime break in situations.

For example, the intruder spray can be linked to the shop’s existing security system and placed above an entrance.

Once an intruder breaks in through the entrance and walks underneath the spray head, the spray will be activated, covering the intruder with the DNA liquid.

To combat the rise in daytime break-ins, shops can alternatively give staff a wireless panic belt which can be activated by the staff if they see a theft taking place.

To get your hands on the innovative intruder spray, bike shops can contact SelectaDNA directly who will then lease with the existing alarm company to arrange for installation.

The SelectaDNA intruder spray was used in Manchester in 2018 as part of a police operation to protect high street businesses. In just nine months (Jan-Sept 2018), crime was reduced across the city by nearly a quarter (24%), and most importantly, all the retailers in the trial were not targeted a single time in 12 months In addition to modern security technology such as sprays and smokes, retail premises also need to register their stock so that it is easily traceable and returnable if it is stolen.

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one but two break ins after hours. However, thanks to the company’s extensive security options, thieves were unable to get away with any products.

“We have top spec alarm systems, super loud masterblaster sirens, multiple shutters and gates and cameras.

We will be adding more cover for the rooflights and roofspace during the repair process,” says Matt Cooke, Director. “The Ring camera system saved us – the notification abilities make it ideal for backup security.”

In these difficult trading times, bike shops need to take advantage of new technology to protect their stores and staff.

Bike Register BikeRegister is a leading online bicycle identification and registration initiative aiming to reduce bicycle theft and identify stolen bikes across the UK. Currently, it has over 990,000 bikes on its database, and is used by all UK Police forces.

Independent bike stores can register their bike stock on BikeRegister for free at bikeregister.com, which immediately gives bike shop owners a link back to the store in the event of thieves removing stock from the premises and/or trying to sell the bikes on.

The three security kits offered by Bike register include the Membership Plus Kit (£12.99), the Permanent Marking Kit (£19.99) and the UV Covert Kit (£29.99). Additional information can be found on the Bike Register website.

Hiplok Alternatively, bike locks can be an extremely successful deterrent to bike shop thieves.

Hiplok offers an array of premium security products from categories that include D-locks, folding locks, chains and cables. The firm’s Z LOK and AIRLOK have been the most popular products for the group to date, however, requests for its Gold rated anchor have also began to ramp up.

Hiplok products are distributed through Zyro-Fisher.

“Many of our locks are not only sold in bike shops but are used by stores in keeping bikes safe while on display. It depends whether the store’s challenge is opportunist theft day to day or protection of bikes from more calculated theft attack such as when the store is closed,” says John Abrahams, Co-Founder The Z LOK works like a reusable cable tie but with a steel core for protection from cutting. Each staff member can be issued with a universal key so they can easily release the specific bike for demo, which provides an easier solution than a long cable through all bikes which needs to be removed each time one bike in the chain is demoed.

The AIRLOK is a bike hanger with an integrated Gold Sold Secure lock. Shops choose AIRLOK to display bikes on the wall in store while keeping them locked. They can also be fitted outside as has been the case in Look Mum No Hands in London.

Similarly, the ANKR Gold rated ground and wall anchor provides an ideal fixing point for customer bikes or service kerbside collection outside the store.

Kryptonite Offering an array of premium security products that include D-Locks, Folding Locks, Chains and Cables.

Jon Maisey, Marketing Manager for Kryptonite Europe tells CI.N: “Our portfolio also includes security accessories such as ground anchors. With bike shop security in mind, our ground anchors and longer length chains would be an excellent consideration for any shop owner looking to improve their security and protect their stock.”

Kryptonite’s ground anchors allow you to fix to an immovable object as they can be bolted into the floor or wall. You can then take the Evolution (10mm six-sided chain links) or KryptoLok (9.5mm 4 sided chain links) chains and secure your bikes to the ground anchor. Additionally, the longer length chains are great for bike shops looking to secure several bikes at once.

Kryptonite also have KryptoFlex cables in different lengths up to 30ft. Cables are fine as a deterrent if the bikes are within sight, but the brand recommends using chains if the bikes are to be left unattended.

The Stronghold Anchor has a 16mm hardened steel shackle and is Gold Sold Secure rated. The Evolution Ground Anchor has a 14mm shackle and is Silver Sold Secure rated, you can also purchase a mounting kit that allows you to fix the Evolution Ground Anchor to a vehicle meaning you can secure your stock as it is transported. Kryptonite products can be purchased directly from their UK distributor, Madison.

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(( PROFILE CADENCE PERFORMANCE ))

Cadence at Crystal Palace is a club run hangout

SETTING THE PACE While you could call the Cadence Performance chain traditional in many ways it has certainly evolved to go well beyond in terms of service and experience. Operations Director Mike Cunningham tells CI.N how engagement and always having a reason to return has been key to the chain’s success…

Tell us about Cadence, how it came to operate a few stores and how many you now employ: Cadence began as a “pop up experiment” in Crystal Palace, South London back in 2013 with the aim of providing everything a cyclist could possibly need once they had gotten their bike. From that standpoint the business evolved at speed. Within a short time it incorporated a really broad offering – from workshop servicing to fitness classes and cycling trips to Spain.

Seven years on and we are still holding tightly to the original aim of constantly evolving as a business and striving to provide much more than selling and fixing bikes. We now have four Cycle Hubs and an e-Commerce platform, employ 30 staff and a similar number of freelance coaches, instructors, bike fitters, cycle guides and sports scientists.

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Your stores go big on ‘experiential’ and seem to do customer interaction differently – tell us about the various ways you establish repeat custom: Sometimes people visit a bike shop because they want to buy one thing and one thing only, but not in our experience of cyclists. Once you remove the notion of a single transaction, or a purely transactional business model, you quickly realise that cyclists want a million different things, at different times, for a multitude of reasons.

At Cadence we want to form lasting relationships with people (not all of them cyclists) and that forms the backbone of what we do. We firmly believe that the experience people have with us should encourage a further interaction. Whether that be a bike fit, cycling trip, evening talk

by Ned Boulting, workshop repair, new bike, a led ride on

PERFORMANCE COMPONENTS MAGURA.COM

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(( PROFILE CADENCE PERFORMANCE ))

The South Downs, or just a cup of coffee from our cafe.

All of these small things add up to the lifetime of the relationship we have with our customers.

Was it helpful or detrimental to have so many business streams during the Covid19 Pandemic?

With such a wide portfolio of memberships, activities, locations and services we found that certain parts of our business were incredibly busy, like our workshops and ebike sales, whereas others needed to close down for the safety of everyone – such as sports massage, Wattbike classes and bike fitting. However, as restrictions lifted we were quickly able to find ways of working within the guidelines and ensuring our customers were safe and comfortable.

With so much to keep tabs on, staff training must be a never ending process – what’s the secret here to keeping everyone briefed and on message?

Wasn’t it George Bernard Shaw who said “education is wasted on the young?” We have a really experienced group of people working for us, with a wealth of life experiences and a depth of knowledge across cycling, fitness, coaching, bike fitting, mechanics, physio and more. However, our team love to learn new things, keep an open mind to an interesting idea or a new skill to be learned and none of them are complacent about “knowing everything”.

We don’t want our people to be bored at work so are always keen to offer new courses, upskilling or spending time with an in-house expert to broaden their skillset.

“WE DON’T WANT OUR PEOPLE TO BE BORED AT WORK, SO ARE ALWAYS OFFERING NEW COURSES AND UPSKILLING...”

In terms of location, the Crystal Palace branch is on a popular route – was this a strategy to capture a particular audience or pot luck?

All our locations are on popular cycling routes, high streets, or both. For example, our Shoreham-by-Sea store is on the Downs Link that runs traffic free from the coast to Guildford, through some stunning scenery. Location is really important and we always make sure that we are able to have a community presence wherever we base our cycle hubs.

You’re big on producing house content. How important is this to brand familiarity and keeping customers engaged?

We want to ensure an ongoing dialogue with our customers. One good example of this is Ciaran, our Head of Coaching. He also works with a Pro tour team and is a major contributor to our social media activity. This gives us a really great opportunity to share content, either just with our Cadence members or to enable the wider public

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Events and sportive involvement have become a core pillar of trade

to get to know us and what we can offer. We have content that focuses on everything from training and coaching information, interest pieces with insights into the world of the pro peloton or just an opportunity to share some dramatic images from around the world.

In terms of retaining a customer you have membership programmes. What’s the thought process behind these and how difficult are they to run?

Our memberships are about forming long-term relationships with people. Not everyone wants to commit to a membership the first time they visit us. However, once they have visited a few times for a Wattbike session, been fitted to their bike, or had their bike serviced, they often see the benefits of subscribing to one of our plans. The plans offer value for money and peace of mind. The management of them is programmed into our monthly workload and runs quite smoothly. Importantly for a seasonal business like cycling, this gives us a steady stream of revenue year round.

The fitness and coaching elements to Cadence add value

E-bikes appeal to so many different types of rider. Any trip to the Alps or a trail centre quickly debunks the theory that only older people use them. If you had asked me the question two years ago I would have said that the growth was disappointing compared to mainland Europe. However, over the last 18 months the momentum has really grown and the last six months skyrocketed. The appeal of e-Bikes is vast and their usage broad.

I think they will continue to grow incredibly quickly over the next few years.

Corporate services have come to form part of the business model. That sounds time consuming – how do you source and resource these jobs?

This is one area that was hit quite hard by Covid19 this year. We had a number of corporate cycling trips to Europe, a Sportive in the Surrey Hills and some team building workshops (a bunch of data analysts learning how to build bikes in teams!) in the diary between April and September. None went ahead. You can image that it was very disappointing for everyone. But crucially, we were able to switch the staff to other activities and postpone the events until next year.

Under normal circumstances house events likewise feature in stores. Are such things always about profit or is there a bigger picture at play?

Honestly, in themselves, our ride outs, talks, workshop skills courses and café are not about making money. They are loss leaders. What they do is ensure we have a growing number of people that have a positive experience and come back for other areas of our business. They are also great fun, and give us a chance to spend time with the people who help us succeed – our customers.

Are you adjusting your floor space in order to best capitalise on what’s profitable, or will the loss leader always feature?

A few years ago our space would have been dominated by road-bikes. However, when 25% plus of sales are coming from e-Bikes the displays in store need to reflect that.

Government subsidies might push that even further and the pandemic has certainly contributed to the breadth of people turning to cycling across all disciplines. Alongside e-Bike growth we are also really enjoying the rise of Gravel bikes and the ebb and flow of MTB across our stores.

(Editor’s note: At the time of writing it has been suggested the e-Bike subsidies mooted will not begin with cash for private purchases, at least to begin with)

Have you any plans to extend the business in any way post Covid, or perhaps sooner?

Society is changing rapidly. More than 25% of new cars are leased; many of these drivers have no intention of ever owning a car again. We are in an age where you can have 50 million songs in your music collection for £10 a month, pay £3 to use a van for an hour and exercise (virtually) alongside pro cyclists for £11 a month. Generation Z and Millennials either don’t want, or can’t afford to get a mortgage. Renting, hiring and subscribing are just a normal part of their lives.

For many people the desire to own “stuff” is becoming less important than listening to the music, enjoying the activity or driving the expensive car – you don’t need to own it to enjoy it!

For Cadence, our range of memberships has always been a way of offering our customers access to facilities, technology and experiences that they wouldn’t be able to buy outright, but can be enjoyed through a different model.

With Green transportation looking likely to have a major impact on all our lives, bikes are guaranteed to be part of significant changes in the way we choose to move around the planet. Perhaps owning bikes will go the same way as owning cars.

Rest assured we are always thinking and planning for the future use of the bicycle. We know the future of Cadence is wrapped up in our ability to evolve and meet the demands of the society we operate within, something that has always been, and will continue to be our aim in the future.

A Wattbike studio brings in new customers and spend

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(( PROFILE TRAINING ACADEMIES ))

PART 2 OF 2

ALL SYSTEMS GO Inundated with new recruits, Cycle Systems director Sean Lally shares his view on what’s driving a surge in skills training at his Newton Abbot academy and what the trade has to gain by developing their training further…

I

t is no surprise that the Covid induced bike boom of 2020 has left training workshops with an impressive influx in bookings. Whether it is mechanics wanting essential retraining or newbies wanting to dive headfirst into the industry, Cycle Systems Academy has seen it all.

Sean Lally, Director at Cycle Systems Academy explains: “We have started to get a tremendous number of bookings and that’s largely private bookings from people who are not currently in the cycle trade who want to enter the industry.

As of October, we are fully booked until May next year and the demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down.”

With the training provider’s most popular courses, the professional level 2 certificate and professional level 3 diploma, full for the foreseeable future, Cycle Systems has had to streamline its courses in order to meet demand.

Lally puts the shift in mass demand for bike mechanics down to the economic reality many have faced during the coronavirus period. “These are individuals who are lifelong passionate cyclists who perhaps have always had the dream to open or work in a bicycle business and now their hand is being forced,” says Lally. “This combined with government support as some people have had grants and payouts,

means that they now have both the time, money and motivation to take the leap.”

Over the years, Cycle Systems Academy has not only trained passionate cyclists wanting to enter the trade but has played a major part in training a number of social enterprises such as London Bike Kitchen, and The Bike Project.

When asked what incentives exist for bike shops to get staff trained, Lally responded: “At cycle systems academy, bike shops have always been one of our worst customers to be perfectly honest. There was a time about ten years ago when they could do a level three course for £250 pounds when the full commercial value was £2,400 and the take up was there, but relatively low. I think for a lot of bike shops, they simply need their mechanics in the workshop, and they can’t have the mechanics away for two weeks and maybe the margins are a bit tight.”

“I think within the bike industry, some of the shop owners might find that both the money and time needed for staff to be trained to be difficult unless it is 100% funded. By providing the marketplace with a lot of skilled mechanics, I hope we are supporting the shops by them having accessed to trained staff without them having to train them.”

Specific modules tackling some of the more specialist jobs are offered via Cycle Systems

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At present, many training schools are over subscribed due to streamlining requirements in the face of Covid

When it comes to maximising efficiency and profitability in the workshop during an uncertain time ahead, Lally discusses the need to maintain professionalism within the workshop and to recognise the skills required to be a successful bicycle mechanic. These, he says, open the door to charging prices that a shop can pay a good wage on.

“Any sort of professional training, whether it’s with us or another professional training academy, what we are training the mechanics is how to run a workshop in a professional and efficient way. Those basic standards are incredibly important” claims Lally.

When discussing whether a wage assessment is needed within the industry, Lally discusses again, the need for people both inside and outside the industry to recognise the skill required to be a bike mechanic and to ensure that a mechanics salary and job package that reflects this.

“Historically we have lost a lot of the good mechanics as they have gone on to other industries once they have a family and want to buy a house etc. I think not only training and qualifications, but constant re-training and constant professional development is not only attractive but criticaland that doesn’t even have to cost money,” says Lally.

As an educator and trainer of mechanics himself, Lally claims that one of his most important roles and roles of his teachers is to continue professional development in order to provide an adequate skill level to Cycle Systems customers.

“Cycle Systems Academy, it’s not just a name - we are teaching the systems of the professional workshop. So that its spotless, every single tool is in the right place, that tool is clean, and that tool is in good repair.

“I am learning every single month of every single year. If people are static with their skill level, what is going to happen is that they can’t provide an adequate skill level to their customers and most importantly, there may be a safety issue as well.”

As 2020 draws to a close, Cycle Systems Academy tells CI.N of its plans for 2021, including developing its member-

ship options to allow for more regular training and continued professional development within the industry.

“With Cycle Systems, we are continuing the professional training and we are developing our membership in a bit more depth. This is a membership for our graduates and soon to be available to anyone. This is an online training, continuing professional development. The idea with the membership is that we are training people on a regular basis, all of the latest suspension technology, all of the latest groupset and wheel technology and we also have lots of great interviews with people from the industry.”

“WE ARE TEACHING THE SYSTEMS OF THE PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP. SO THAT IT IS SPOTLESS, A TOOL NEVER OUT OF PLACE AND WELL LOOKED AFTER.” Cycle Systems Academy will also continue to work in close partnership with SRAM technical University to ensure students have access to the very latest equipment. This comes after SRAM’s realisation that in order for their products to have a good reputation with the consumer world, they have to have a dealer base who are incredibly skilled and knowledgeable about those products.

In addition, the Cycle Systems’ SRAM technical training which would often happen on site at a bike shop, is now being run remotely. “It’s incredibly exciting and it’s a new way of teaching and a very new partnership between industry and educators. It means if people are doing a training course with us, they not only have access to the latest equipment, but the best teaching as well,” says Lally.

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(( PROFILE TRAINING ACADEMIES ))

PART 2 OF 2

THE BIKE INN Tutors to the trade’s trainers Alf and Teresa Webb have now retired, passing the torch to the next generation. CI.N catches up with new CEO Jon Colborne who is expanding the horizons of one of the trade’s original educational facilities…

F

ounded in 1991, The Bike Inn are specialist providers of training courses for bicycle maintenance, wheel building and hydraulics. By 1996, founders Alf and Teresa Webb were invited to run their courses at Aylesbury College. The course became a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and lead to the pair being the first in the bike trade to be appointed D32 and D33 (as it was then) assessors for NVQ accreditation.

Similarly to training workshops across the country, the last few months have seen The Bike Inn experience unprecedented levels of demand for bike mechanic courses.

To combat such a dramatic increase in demand, the training academy has increased the number of workstations in its training suite, keeping student groups small to ensure they get the tutor attention they need. Additionally, a higher number of courses have been scheduled to meet demand.

“There’s no denying we are booking up into the new year already, with only limited spaces now available in January and February. Five months of lockdown has meant the postponement of the courses due to take place in that time, coupled with a positive surge in cycling and people either facing redundancy or simply looking for a new career direction, have all fuelled interest in bike mechanic qualifications,” Says Jon Colborne, CEO at The Bike Inn.

The impact of the cycling industry’s bike boom and in turn the demand in bicycle mechanics courses has left many wondering where the interest is coming from and whether this has been generated by startups looking to enter the trade.

Shedding light on this well asked question, The Bike Inn discussed how the increase in demand, in its own experience, has been generated as a result of students wanting to refresh their existing knowledge within the trade, in order to benefit them as either a solo mechanic or to start their own repair shop.

Colborne said: “There’s no denying that most of our students are either wanting to back up their existing standing within the trade. With the weight and credibility that comes from our accredited qualifications, they obtain the breadth and depth of knowledge we can offer to start their own repair business. However, we also have a wider appeal – we also accommodate the avid amateur cyclists, athletes, triathletes and adventure racers, all of whom want to be able to keep their bikes in tip-top condition, and also be able to replace or fix a range of components themselves without turning to the regular services of a mechanic.”

With courses booking out across the industry, The Bike Inn has worked to incorporate all modules into each course,

The foundations laid by Alf and Teresa Webb, now under the guidance of jon Colborne

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ensuring students can learn as broad a range of knowledge as possible. The brand has seen the internationally recognised and accredited IMI Bike Mechanics qualifications become its most popular of courses.

“Although modular in nature, unlike other training providers we do not offer a ‘pick’n’mix’ range of component courses – we incorporate all the modules into each course to ensure that every student has the opportunity to glean as broad a range of knowledge as possible. It also benefits potential employers and clients, because they know that the IMI qualification means that the person has a sound allround knowledge – thus giving them industry integrity.

Students come to us knowing that they will receive a comprehensive education across all aspects, with no need to second guess what they may or may not want or need to know in future,” Colborne tells CI.N. As the skills required and undoubtably acquired by bike mechanics have increased in the last decade, more opportunities have become available for men and women to specialise in particular fields. With wages somewhat of a taboo subject for many professions, curiosity got CI.N’s cat when it came to asking relevant training academies about whether the industry is overdue a wage assessment as a result of the skills needed to get the job done.

“We believe in the old adage ‘a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’ – basically earning a wage, and charging a fee, commensurate with the work being done. There are certainly a myriad of new technologies and specialist tooling that bike mechanics need to equip themselves with, whilst at the same time the traditional mechanical principles still hold true. As in any industry, if the operative has invested in additional training in a particular niche, as well as paid out for specialist diagnostic equipment and tooling, then they are perfectly entitled to charge more for their services. As trainers of professionals within the cycling industry we see the potential for our graduates to be able to earn/charge above average rates for their work. There are more and more opportunities to specialise in particular fields, which again should lead to the ability to charge niche-appropriate fees,” the academy told CI.N. Given the current situation as the country heads into the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic it is not yet apparent what the government will be offering in terms of loans, grants or other financial packages or assistance going forward.

As an educational establishment, The Bike Inn are currently in negotiations to partner with a local leading technical college to offer apprentice training, as well as in the process of gaining approval status for various retraining bursaries with the aim of announcing more information by the end of the year.

“What we have found is that bike shop owners particularly like the nature of our accredited training – they can send us their technicians, and within less than one month they return to their employer as a top qualified bicycle mechanic with an industry approved, internationally recognised qualification, that puts skills in the workshop and adds kudos to their business,” Colborne comments.

With many people dusting the cobwebs off their bikes during lockdown in the UK, workshops across the country have been flooded with bikes needing a bit of TLC. This has

The mechanic’s skillset is built up to address modern problems such as integration and electrics

also meant that many mechanics and students have had the time to brush up on their skills by taking part in industry accredited courses. Therefore, with workshops and their mechanics working overtime to keep customers happy, maintaining an efficient and profitable workshop is vital.

The Bike Inn told CI.N that “efficiency and profit don’t just happen, they are the by-products of running a well organised business. This starts with ensuring you have professionally trained mechanics so that you are able to offer the highest level of service, combined with investments in the best quality of tools that you can afford, and as broad a range of spares and parts as you can carry. Add to these a passion and sense of pride in the work, commitment to accuracy and precision, and above all communication with your clients, and you have all the elements for maximising your success.”

Heading into 2021, The Bike Inn are continuing to focus on its IMI qualifications training, but are looking at different delivery methods – with virtual training classes meaning that it could potentially be able to deliver courses to a greater number of students each year.

“We will continue to supplement our IMI courses with 1, 2 and 3-day non-accredited training programmes in specific areas such as wheel building, hydraulics and E-bikes. These are aimed at Level 2 qualified (or similarly skilled) mechanics who want to delve deeper into these subjects, but without committing to the top level IMI qualification course,” says Jon Colborne.

“We would recommend that anyone interested in any of our courses or qualifications – whether within the trade, or not – if not ready to book immediately, at least contact us to register that interest. We can advise on course availability (and suitability) and will always attempt to accommodate particular requirements – we also hold a waiting list for each course should we have an unexpected dropout.”

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(( OPINION INVESTING IN THE FUTURE ))

INVEST IN

CERTAINTY Returning to CyclingIndustry.News, Orbea agent and BA Data Specialist John Styles ponders what bike shops should be doing with any cash reserves that may have survived the stock starved close to 2020…

A

very good retailer, who I have known for many years, has just invested in a shiny new van, new shopfronts and refurbishing his stores. This is a very good plan for his business. Most likely it is one he would have carried out anyway, regardless of the lockdown-induced bike boom and sales surge.

These things are very tempting when you have more cash in the bank than you expected. It raises the flag for your business in the local area and they are immediate and obvious improvements. They make you and other people feel good about your business.

Whether it’s a good idea for your business to invest in these three areas is perhaps a different question. So, before you spend your (very) hard-earned cash from the summer sales boom, perhaps take a moment to reflect first. Here are six other areas where you might wish to invest your time and money: DOWNTIME AND HEALTH You’re exhausted. Your staff are exhausted. The whole industry is exhausted (not NHS frontline exhausted, let’s get some perspective huh, but certainly more exhausted than we have ever been). Whilst you might not wish to close your store entirely over Xmas, and look the government’s “essential business status “ gift horse in the mouth, you may wish to divide your team into an A and B squad. In that

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way you might all get a solid week off. Or work some shorter days over the festive period with limited opening hours. It’s good for your mental and physical health. Most likely it’s also good for your business in the longer term as it will give you the time and space to consider what comes next. Mental health is possibly overlooked in the bicycle trade (as of course many of focus on the physical and fitness side of things). If you don’t look after yourself, how will you be able to look after your business?

NEW AND EXISTING STAFF I know many existing staff who haven’t had a wage rise in five or even ten “austerity” years. Although trading has not been easy until the recent boom for many stores, many of those staff have stuck it out and seen you through. It may be a good idea to look at their wages or some sort of pro-rata bonus or profit share (in case sales ever fall back in the mid-long term, only likely though lack of stock rather than consumer demand by the way, IMHO).

The danger is that if you don’t, you may end up with a competitor three miles down the road. I’ve seen it happen so many times it bores me, so please don’t say I didn’t warn you. A few thousand pounds to keep your best staff from going elsewhere or (worse still) going it alone may be the best money you could ever spend.

The industry has been working long hours to cope with

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(( OPINION INVESTING IN THE FUTURE ))

“NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK AHEAD AND GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES, MUCH FURTHER AHEAD...”

John Styles has worked across the bike trade since the early 2000s

this year’s uplift in business, especially in the workshop.

Recognising that it is extremely difficult to train up and recruit new staff when you are extra busy, now might be the time to look ahead to next summer and bring in new talent because: • If you don’t, others will: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/18/h alfords-to-train-1500-extra-technicians-to-work-onelectric-cars-bikes-and-scooters.

• You may get help to do this, but so far I’ve only heard of a few stores so far taking advantage of this government funded scheme. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

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STOCK AND FORECASTING Having sold pre-order packs for almost every category of P&A, as well as bikes, I know very well that some stores struggle to look ahead and guess what consumers may want. I know you don’t have a crystal ball. But, given the industry’s lack of stock you may need to order earlier to get what you need. In today’s market there are a few “bad” stock choices and you have a good idea of your core best sellers, so why not spend time in planning and securing your stock for 2021? (wherever suppliers will allow). If someone offers you the 300 lights packs, or 150 helmet bundle, maybe you actually want that this year?

Bike suppliers in the past have been able to churn out an extra few bikes with as little notice as 3-4 months. Right now to take a bike from a finished idea to stock in the warehouse it’s anywhere up to 15 months in some cases.

Giving your suppliers pre-orders also helps their planning. And how are we at planning ahead? Many shops were already selling out of kids’ bikes in November and had no Christmas campaign. We need to be talking about Xmas 2021 already. We have been so busy as an industry that we have got behind ourselves. Now is the time to think ahead and get ahead of ourselves, much further ahead. I can’t see supply (or logistics) getting better any time soon and we can perhaps expect more disruption at the port, not less. This is the new normal.

(( OPINION INVESTING IN THE FUTURE ))

“STORES AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL HAVE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CORPORATION TAX BILL THEY’VE EVER FACED THIS YEAR. GOOD ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE IS KEY.”

CREDIT LIMIT By paying your bills on time, switching to direct debit and/or taking advantage of early settlement you enhance your credit limit with your suppliers. This means you can order (even) more stock, should you ever need it. It’s likely that you will also be in a better position to acquire scarce items as and when you need. There is also a knock-on effect; if more and more stores pay on time or in advance it puts the importers and UK brand offices in a stronger position to acquire more stock from the (oversubscribed) international brands and factories. If you want more stock from your suppliers next year, pay your bills now.

I think many of us “value” a business by its visual identity, its name, its storefront, its branding, its reputation.

Last time I looked though, people don’t pay much for “branding and goodwill” if you come to sell your store.

Perhaps a business’ real reputation and value is how much trust and value other businesses place in it – i.e. your trade accounts and credit limit.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CASH-FLOW & GOOD ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE Things have been tough over the last few years and we’ve seen many shops fall over sideways due to lack of profitability. One thing to remember is that if you were running at a loss or at little to no profit, you weren’t getting the dreaded corporation tax bill. This year will be different in that stores around the country will probably have the biggest corporation tax bill they’ve ever faced. And for some it may even be the first in a long while. Good accounting software will be able to tell you how much you need to have saved right now to pay the dreaded tax man.

Then of course there is VAT. If I hear a single store say that they are struggling with cash flow this year because they “had the VAT this quarter and it was a bit of a surprise” I think I shall scream. You know what you’ve bought, and you know what you’ve sold. As well as running good software, invest time with your bookkeeper and accountant so you know what you owe. Ahead of time.

No surprises. No excuses.

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WEBSITE & EPOS Consumers have increasingly turned to online purchasing, as well as Click & Collect during the pandemic for obvious reasons relating to health and Covid restrictions.

However, the industry’s shortage of stock has driven this further still – as people try their local bike shops, can’t get a bike and are then forced to hunt things down online.

This trend isn’t going away as the industry will face a variety of shortages for the next few years.

So, consumers are not going to be “wowed” by your new shop front or new shop environment so much. They are going to thank you for having a really good website that tells them what you have in stock. Some of them will drive 250 miles to buy “that bike” from you. Whatever you have in stock, somebody, somewhere wants it, right now.

A great investment is just letting people know what you have. And, by the way we weren’t very good at this as an industry even before the pandemic. I needed a new hydration pack before the weekend, I had to phone 11 stores in my area to find out who had one in stock, because nobody‘s website would tell me. If your EPOS system is integrated to your website, it’s all done for you. Talking of EPOS, are you making the most of it? Again, now might be the best time to put new processes in place before getting even busier in the summer.

Of course, the best business don’t need to be told this.

Struggling businesses may not be reading this website or article. Which leaves those of you in the middle, those of you who aspire to make your business just a little better.

For you, I hope you found just one useful thought that you can action this winter.

If any retailer takes this on board now, they should find that this time next year there is little more they can do to improve their business. Which will mean the only things left are a shiny new van, refurbishing the store and a brand-new shopfront. Which brings me back to the store I mentioned at the beginning, it was the right thing for him, because he’s got the other things dialled already.

So, I leave you with this thought. A rising tide may lift all boats, now is the time to fix any leaks.

ask the boss

ANDY WIGMORE > SADDLEBACK

Pitching heavily towards the enthusiast Saddleback may well enjoy the bike boom of 2020 in a staggered way as new cyclists upgrade in years to come. Andy Wigmore talks us through the latest on stock, brands carried and keeping customers engaged…

Let’s start with your take on the year so far; has the business coped well all things considered?

Considering the huge uncertainty that existed back at the beginning of March, like much of the trade, we have come through this season incredibly well and are having a record year. It almost seems inappropriate to talk about just how successful we have been given the

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disastrous effect this pandemic has had on other industries, so we consider ourselves very fortunate indeed to have had the year we have.

With uncertainty remaining, what steps have you taken to steady the ship for the close of 2020 into 2021?

Covid 19 has forced us to look at many areas of our business in a ‘what really matters’ kind of way and as a result

we have made a number of structural changes to how we operate. A number of roles have changed and we have let go of some brands that simply weren’t working for us and were actually becoming a distraction. The result is that the whole company is much more focused on the key objectives of the business, which has drawn us even closer together, in a socially distanced way, of course.

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ask the boss

For the bike shop, stock levels are a key concern at present. How’s Saddleback looking for Q4 and beyond for stock?

There is significant pressure on stock across virtually all of our brands at the moment. This is despite the buying and merchandising team purchasing all that they can get their hands on from our suppliers over the summer, going way beyond the anticipated budgeted purchase levels.

We are doing what we can to make sure there is something from everyone but anticipate running short on soft goods, especially before the end of the year. Winter clothing will almost definitely sell out. Likewise, we are struggling to keep the new ENVE Foundation wheelsets in stock and have more than doubled what we expected to sell of the Stages SB20 Smart Bike.

Saddleback’s stable of brands is weighted heavily at the premium end.

With harsher economic factors at play do you foresee consumers investing once in quality, or opting to look instead at cheaper options?

Since Saddleback was founded in 2004 we have weathered the financial crisis of 2008, the currency exchange rate fluctuations resulting from Brexit in 2016 and now Coronavirus in 2020.

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ANDY WIGMORE > SADDLEBACK

Throughout all of these challenging economic times, we have seen how serious cyclists continue to invest in performance equipment at the expense of other things and we don’t anticipate 2021 being any different.

“WHERE ABLE, WE ARE BRINGING AS MUCH 2021 INVENTORY IN EARLY AS WE CAN TO LIMIT BORDER DELAYS AND PRICE CHANGES.” Attention in the media has arguably overlooked enthusiast cycling in favour of transport cycling this year.

In your view how is the enthusiast market performing in the background and are you banking on first time cyclists eventually becoming the next generation of enthusiasts?

Despite there being little to no domestic racing this year, it certainly has not dampened the serious cyclist’s desire to treat themselves to new equipment. All our performance brands are seeing major growth year-

on-year, which proves that our target audience remains very engaged.

As for whether the first time cyclists new to the sport will become our potential customers in 2021 – we aren’t budgeting for it but there will be some migration for sure.

What has been going on in the background at Saddleback to ensure minimal disruption to trade post Brexit with Saddleback?

Like all our fellow distributors, no doubt, we have been looking to best position ourselves for whatever may come at the end of 2020. All our brands are aware of the serious consequences of a ‘no deal’ and the potential need for us to work together to avoid prices increasing exponentially. Where able, we are bringing as much 2021 inventory in before the end of the year as we can so that we can maintain current pricing and limit potential border delays.

We have also set up Saddleback EU in Holland to manage our European ENVE, Chris King and Wolf Tooth business in order to avoid a double duty charge if a deal can’t be struck.

Ultimately though, whatever happens we will find a way to move forward knowing that we are all in the same position and that desirable brands will continue to have consumer appeal.

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ask the boss

What investments in the supplierdealer relationship has Saddleback made this year?

We have recently launched the latest iteration of our company’s B2B site for use by all our trade customers. This version sees a significantly simplified product search facility and process for order placement, resulting in dramatically reduced navigation time and greater ease of use.

We have also recently published a new 298-page Autumn/Winter 20202021 dealer workbook which was shipped to all our regular customers following significant demand for a tangible, easy to use tool that would compliment the B2B. For those dealers that have yet to explore it, tell us about the bespoke services you offer: Custom team clothing has long been a meaningful part of our Castelli business and having recently added Sportful to our brand offering, we now have an unrivalled collection of performance apparel that can be created to cover the needs of any specialist retailer.

We also have more demand than ever for our in-house bespoke wheel building service. With so many colour and fitting options available with Chris

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ANDY WIGMORE > SADDLEBACK

King hubs, as well as custom decals on ENVE rims, it gives lots of opportunities for dealers to differentiate their offering from the competition. Finally, there is our PUSH Industries workshop which is used purely for custom building and servicing the brand’s intricate suspension products.

“WE HAVE MORE DEMAND THAN EVER FOR OUR IN-HOUSE BESPOKE WHEEL BUILDING SERVICE...”

Independent businesses are now adapting their offering to be less reliant on traditional income means, turning to the customer journey and servicing on many fronts. From Saddleback’s POV, what’s driving the evolution of the bike shop?

It’s been a long time coming, but thankfully the industry is now changing. It’s great to see retailers being successful by identifying their strengths and focusing on where they can be profitable. For too long, many

have tried to be all things to all people, and on all fronts, which has proven a virtually impossible task and cost many dearly. To see this change happen is really positive and we are here to work with retailers who know their customers and can create an engaging proposition to attract them.

Any predictions for what 2021 may bring for the trade?

Given the increased consumer demand for product this season, with much of it going unfulfilled, 2021 ought to be another good year for the industry. New or reactivated cyclists should naturally up-spend as they enjoy the experience that cycling brings, which bodes well for the performance brands we carry.

My only real concern is that there could be some considerable over supply with so many bike brands ordering more product than they would normally expect to sell in any given year, which may bring cash flow problems to some when it comes to paying for it. However, the cycling industry has a history of showing solidarity and great resilience during periods of upheaval. With more people joining the sport and many existing cyclists riding more, the increased appetite for cycling products should generate plenty of momentum for the seasons to come.