CI.N Issue 004 / 2021

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ISSUE 004 // 2021

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03 Editor_CIN004_2021_Danö.qxp 18/06/2021 16:25 Page 1

from the editor THE NEXT EPISODE

It’s Monday morning, barely 9am and lined up in front of me is the choice of which story to prioritise when it comes to documenting the accelerating trend of private equity investment in our industry. It could be any day of the week, of course, but there’s something about coming back from a weekend of riding, enjoying the friendly face of enthusiast cycling and landing at your desk and quickly being confronted with an increasingly corporate influx.

Some of us will have been here before, perhaps enjoying many long years ticking by at a business that oozes personality but perhaps lacks razor sharp focus on profitability; then, often very quickly, things change. This has long been a key criticism levelled at the bike trade. “Run by enthusiasts in muddy jerseys, not by businessmen,” some say.

For those coming in from the corporate world our approach is very likely the source of either amusement or concern. Looking the other way, bike industry folk throughout the supply chain might suggest hitting the pedals to think about the strategy for a bit over the course of a few rides.

The two worlds are now colliding, much thanks to an appetite by investors to invest in a combination of micromobility, active lifestyle, e-tech and such things considered ‘green’. Accelerated by Covid, the latest headlines even include a SPAC (Special purpose Acquisition Vehicle, better know as a ‘blank cheque’ vehicle) being created to merge German sports retail giant Signa Sports United and WiggleCRC. This deal confirmed the very second we sent this magazine to print and was quickly followed by similar headlines in relation to e-bike battery maker BMZ. Alongside this and discussed later in the magazine by an anonymous industry veteran, is a trend for retail takeovers, in part or in full by brands or distributors looking to tie down prime location, high-performance stores. Had it not been for a spike in new businesses registering during the Covid era we might still be looking at some market consolidation. Given the ever-present supply nightmare causing panic with new and established accounts alike, perhaps we still will and certainly at the present supply rates the catch up looks to extend deep into 2022, or longer. By then, who’s to say where demand will be. Consumer spending power looks unlikely to have increased in that time frame, which may begin to show its effects on the higher-ticket, higher-margin goods that have been a saving grace for many businesses.

The bike industry is changing. New challenges are emerging and for many of them agility, quick thinking and perhaps some risk taking will be required in order to be a David among Goliaths. Like it or loathe it, a careful rebalancing of the personality to profitability ratio could be the first order of business in order to stay ahead.

Mark Sutton > editor Cycling Industry Chat @CyclingIndustry @MarkSuttonBike mark@cyclingindustry.news www.cyclingindustry.news

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the professionals STRATEGY IN A STORM It’s fair to say that how you react when a crisis hits can define your future.

Still managing unprecedented issues for the bike trade we ask a panel of retailers their methods for navigating the current choppy waters…

Tim Astley Berwick Cycles

WHAT WAS YOUR SHOP’S STRATEGY WHEN THE REALITY OF THE PANDEMIC’S STOCK VOLATILITY HIT? Tim Astley, Berwick Cycles It took time to develop a coherent response. Things moved so fast it was difficult to keep up. It wasn’t until the first lockdown restrictions eased that we were able to put ourselves on anything like an even keel. When it was clear we were going to be short of bikes we assessed how our key suppliers were reacting and realised we needed to cast our net wider to try and secure stock. This meant untested sources and we had to work on what we knew about those new suppliers. Our guiding principle was not to compromise on quality.

This approach helped, but we’ve never returned to our pre-pandemic stock levels.

Jake Voelcker, BicycleWorks We basically did three things: Firstly, we placed large forward orders

Jake Voelcker BicycleWorks

Jon Colborne The Bike Inn

so that our supply of components is assured, even 24 months ahead from some suppliers. This means we've been hit a lot less hard than some brands.

Second of all, we improved our stock control systems and website so that it gives real-time availability information to the staff and to customers. Communicating supply issues honestly has seen people be amazingly patient and understanding about any delays.

Lastly, we came up with contingency plans for alternative components, and even alternative bike models, depending on what stock is available and what the market demands. It's good to know that we have a plan B if it's needed.

Jon Colborne, The Bike Inn We had to make some calculated decisions. We needed to ensure as far as possible that we had on hand the parts we were most likely to need, without panic buying or stock piling which might leave us with a costly over-stock situation. We were also aware that reduced

Willy Bain Bicycle Repair

supply and increased demand could lead to inflated prices. Whilst we have long established relationships with many of the major brands, we knew that we couldn’t expect any special treatment – everyone was in the same boat!

We began by reviewing stock used over the previous 18 months, comparing this to what we held, and attempting to anticipate what we might need for the foreseeable future. As soon as anything was used, we would replace it as fast as possible. This often meant casting our searches wider and investigating new suppliers or marketplaces.

We also sought alternative ways to achieve the same professional outcome – using our creativity to deliver different solutions for our client’s problems.

Willy Bain, Bicycle Repair Bicycle shops had exemption to stay open, so that was the point where I asked what could sell out and adapted accordingly. My first thoughts were nitrile gloves, masks etc. Then I

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the professionals STRATEGY IN A STORM assumed stock of inner tubes, tyres, freewheels, chains, cassettes would reduce quickly.

What I didn't predict was the upper end stuff disappearing so quickly, with no replacement options. A customer needed a certain brake caliper recently. March 2022 is the next available stock, so he ended up buying one from a private seller on eBay at twice the retail price, with no warranty.

All praise to suppliers for their efforts.

HOW ARE YOU ADAPTING TO THE CLIMATE OF LOW AVAILABILITY? Tim Astley, Berwick Cycles It has been essential to adapt. As well as broadening our supplier reach, we have stepped up our proactive customer communication to ensure that expectations are managed as much as possible. Customers have generally responded positively. I’ve been surprised by the different ways our suppliers have reacted. Some have been keen to demonstrate their continued commitment to small IBDs by allocating available volume and running a strict queuing system. Others, unfortunately, have either struggled to cope themselves, or have chosen to devote supplies to the biggest bidders, effectively freezing out the small shops. This will contribute to a re-shaping of the retail bike trade in the longer term.

Jake Voelcker, BicycleWorks In the medium to long-term we plan to source more stock from Europe, or even the UK. Many of the Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers still have long lead-times, and shipping costs are high (and look like they may remain that way), so it makes sense to source as much stock as possible from more

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local manufacturers. This is something we've been wanting to do for a long time for reasons of cutting down on transport and carbon emissions. The pandemic has accelerated the process.

Jon Colborne, The Bike Inn For the workshop side of the business, one of our most creative adaptations has seen us manufacturing parts inhouse where necessary. We are fortunate to have a lathe and a milling machine, as well as the skill and experience to use them. We have certainly been glad of this additional resource.

As well as our in-house workshop, we had to have a radical rethink when it came to our bicycle mechanics’ training school – our doors had been closed for five months during the first lockdown, so providing an alternative route for learning became critical.

We began generating our own recorded lessons, as well as offering virtual classrooms and masterclasses, alongside theoretical material to ensure our students could still receive the interaction with their tutors that makes learning so effective. This has meant that many future mechanics have been able to start their training whilst still in lockdown, putting them half-way towards their goal.

Willy Bain, Bicycle Repair Late nights! I was on one of my suppliers' websites at 11.45pm recently. I saw four 9-speed chains available, then I saw some 11-speed and basic 8 speed chains available. I didn't want to be too greedy so tried to process that and the website froze. Back at 2.00 am, no joy. The order processed at 7.45am.

The 9-speed chains never turned up, but the others did. That's the reality of looking for stock.

MANY BELIEVE THE PANDEMIC HAS ACCELERATED TRENDS IN ONLINE RETAIL AND CONSUMER EXPERIENCE. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS THE GREATEST ACCELERATED CHANGE TO THE LANDSCAPE? Tim Astley, Berwick Cycles When I bought the bike shop four years ago the received wisdom was small retailers trying to compete online with the bigger players and discounters was a mug’s game. It was accepted that not having a full online presence was sustainable. Now, I would say that if any retailer no matter the size, does not have e-commerce capabilities, they are doomed to stagnate or even shrink, given the step change in shopping habits such as the massive growth in home browsing and Click & Collect.

On a more positive note for the IBD, the struggles of the major hight street retailers presents a fantastic opportunity to offer a combined online and physical experience that can be truly valued by customers.

Jake Voelcker, BicycleWorks The biggest surprise for us has been the success of an appointments-based shopping experience. Customers make an appointment online or over the phone, and then we can get a bike ready for them to test ride, and we can guarantee that they will be the only one in the shop and will have our undivided attention. We introduced this as a Covid safety measure, but it's working so well we are planning on keeping it.

There has been an uptick in the number of online orders we've received, but for several years now we've had a fairly fluid business model whereby there isn't a sharp divide between online and in-store

purchases. Because all our bikes are built to order, all sales go through the website, even our in-store sales.

Therefore, customers can do whatever suits them; order online and then pop into the store for final adjustments, or test ride in-store but opt for home delivery when the bike is ready.

For customers trying to juggle childcare, homeworking, self-isolating, and other changes during the pandemic, this kind of flexibility has been popular.

Jon Colborne, The Bike Inn Certainly a diversification to the online arena has become a far more urgent necessity to almost all businesses, not just within our industry. Adaptability is critical at a time like this and seeking out new ways to do traditional practices has been the key for so many to be able to sustain their livelihoods.

For our mechanics’ training school, we brought forward our plans to offer online training, which proved a popular choice. Within the workshop environment it has been essential to offer customers solutions that have enabled both them and us to operate safely – so having a collection and delivery service, contactless payment options, and a flexible approach to problem solving have been key.

ARE YOU FINDING CUSTOMERS WILLING TO TRY NEW BRANDS IN THE FACE OF LESSENED CHOICE AND ARE THEY BOTHERED BY THE SWITCH? Tim Astley, Berwick Cycles We’ve been forced to try new brands ourselves due to the supply difficulties and so far it seems our customers are happy to do the same. Brand recognition will take time but there is no doubt

that we can widen our appeal, as well as fight back against those brands have abandoned the small IBDs. Jon Colborne, The Bike Inn We have been overwhelmed by the understanding from our clients. They have seen how hard we have worked to provide the highest quality service that we pride ourselves on, and each has responded positively.

As well as being open to using different brands, customers have themselves been willing to spend time sourcing parts, as well as welcoming solutions that have seen us repairing rather than replacing harder to find items.

WILL DEMAND SUSTAIN OR COULD WE AGAIN END UP WITH TOO MUCH STOCK IN THE MARKET? Tim Astley, Berwick Cycles I worked as a management consultant in supply chain risk for many years and I’ve seen enough in other industries and economic cycles to know that nothing lasts forever and that businesses like ours need to be prepared for all eventualities. Planning in the current fluid environment is very tricky.

In the short to medium term, it seems we’re in for continued shortages if only for the industry to rebuild its pipeline from the current low levels.

Longer term, the economic consequences of the pandemic have not yet fully played out and without careful management, there is definitely a risk of a surplus. Against that, the social and environmental appeal of cycling has ratcheted up and is a real positive for sustained long term growth. Overall, I don’t think there’s been a better time to be in the cycle trade.

Jake Voelcker, BicycleWorks In general I think demand will remain somewhat higher than before, but not at the crazy peaks we saw in summer 2020.

Bikes that appeal to new cyclists (entry-level to mid-range hybrids; electric bikes; family-friendly bikes and kids' bikes) will be particularly popular as people return to work and want to find alternatives to public transport.

But in other areas, and particularly on high-end bikes if we have a recession coming, I foresee that there could be a glut of stock on the UK market. A bit like the mini cycling boom we had around 2014 or 2015, this year we have seen several new shops opening and heard of existing shops panicking about lack of stock and placing large forward orders for bikes. Will they be able to sell them all when they finally arrive?

Jon Colborne, The Bike Inn Looking forwards, having witnessed a peak in the new bike sales sector, we anticipate that this is going to filter through to the servicing and repair market as over time people will wish to maintain or modify their bicycles. On the whole, there will be a far larger fleet of bikes across the country, and these will all need the attentions of mechanics at one time or another.

A further knock-on effect will see a growth in demand for professionally trained mechanics, who themselves will need tools, parts and spares to carry out their trade, so we see our industry heading into a positive growth era. We are already experiencing part of this as our professional training courses are quickly booking up.

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WORKSHOP AND WAGES The subject of what parameters should be set on service pricing has never been more in focus with so many prioritising workshop investment. Here CI.N explores the service centres’ pricing and mechanic wages with year-to-year comparison…

HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR MOST COMPREHENSIVE BIKE SERVICE? ANALYSIS As revealed in our last print edition, 14% of stores and workshop respondents have been in the business for less than two years, joining at a time when emphasis on a strong workshop has arguably never been greater.

This trend has, in particular since the start of Covid-19, been punctuated by reports of upstarts offering servicing for bargain basement prices in a bid to attract clients. So has there been a shift downwards in pricing, or is the reverse true – are we finally starting to value our skillset and charge appropriately?

Year-to-year, the middle ground appears fairly static, but there appears to be a divergence at either end of the spectrum. The £20 to £30 and £30 to £40 brackets, which many would consider too cheap for a comprehensive bike service barely moved from a low base, yet just above - £40 to £50 – doubled from 4% to 8% represented year-to-year.

We would speculate that established businesses with a reasonable level of overheads would not be able to

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stomach charging so little for a complete bike service for long and so there may be some foundation in the notion new market entrants are charging less, but in addition to that, the mobile mechanic model will carry lower costs and so could be contributing to lower average service costs.

The bulk of representation falls in the brackets of £110 to £150, which at 24% is flat year-on-year. 18% charged £75 to £95, which is a 5% reduction on those pricing their work in this bracket versus last year.

At the upper end, where over £150 is charged for “the most comprehensive service”, year-to-year there is little movement, with 15% reporting charging well for their services, marginally down from 16% last year.

It is, then, hard to say conclusively that the workshop marketplace has become more competitive, but with 15% charging less than £60 for a time-heavy complete bike service it can still be argued that the trade is not valuing its time fairly.

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WHAT PORTION OF YOUR BUSINESS DOES WORKSHOP TRADE NOW REPRESENT? ANALYSIS There’s little debating just how reliant the frontline has become on high profitability workshop trade in recent years, with many tilting their businesses toward the service side in favour of dedicating quite so much energy to slow turnover or low profit sales categories. Undoubtedly the workshop is a crucial component and one which can be monetised and customised to varying degrees depending on the supply of in-house talent and the number of operational workstands. With the Fix Your Bike voucher scheme applicable since last summer there has not be an empty workstand in the country, but just how reliant on service trade has bike retail become?

Broadly flat against last year’s findings on how much trade is attributed to the mechanics, the long-term trend remains on course with investment in the workshop still crucial. In fact, elsewhere in our study 96% of retailers said that in the past 12 months workshop takings had been higher and was by far the largest contributor to the bottom-line in service terms; as a result 41% of stores

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told us that they would be actively investing in developing their workshop trade throughout 2021.

What remains notable is that for 40% of the market the workshop represents north of 60% of turnover.

Compared with last year’s data this is actually a marginal decrease, though it’s too soon to call a slowdown in the tilt toward servicing as a primary profit centre for bike retail.

For the first time, this study asked retailers to outline their views on what steps may need to be taken to address a perceived skills shortage in the workshop.

Unsurprisingly, just over half pointed to the industry’s poor wage structure for mechanics, while 38% called for lowered costs to train up staff. Subsidies and apprenticeships are on offer, with each training house able to provide detail on incentives available to develop skills.

There has been a surge in jobs listed toward the close of Q1 2021 with job website Adzuna reporting a 100% growth by April over the February average.

WHAT DO YOU PAY YOUR SENIOR MECHANIC(S)?

ANALYSIS Remaining a talking point for the trade, industry wages on the mechanic side remain largely below the national median wage for the UK, which according to National Office for Statistics data is said to be £31,461 for fulltime workers (2020) and up 3.6% year-to-year. Using the same data pool we were able to find a gross pay per annum median of £29,000 for the category Vehicle technicians and mechanics.

Unfortunately the bike industry’s wage for its skilled workers is falling well below the national average for equivalent jobs; in fact 87% of roles pay south of £28,000 per year. 40% earn shy of £20,000 a year.

While there is arguably no good comparing bike industry apples to motor mechanic apples, the leaders of industry training houses have this year spoken out on the subject of wages, with Cycle Systems Academy boss Sean Lally stating: “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.”

Have wages at least increased, you might wonder?

The last time CyclingIndustry.News measured this

metric was in our market report published in 2018, at which point 37.5% of mechanics were earning less than £20,000 per annum. That leads us to believe that the number of low paid jobs in the market has actually increased over the past three years.

In the middle ground things do appear to have improved, with 40% of workshop staff earning between £20,000 to £26,000 per annum versus 30.1% earning £20,000 to £27,500 in 2018.

At the very upper end, salaries over £30,000 represent 9% of the market’s pay packets, though the tallies reduce quickly as the wage brackets grow.

So, how to read what’s happening in the marketplace is not exactly clear cut. Are we hiring more apprentices on lower pay, thus growing the share of low paid, or are low salary jobs just a sad reality of being a bicycle mechanic? The rise in middle ground pay packets suggests that there is hope for mechanics to be earning a more sustainable long-term view pay packet and we would hope with the increasing complexity of the required skillset that wages north of £20,000 will remain in a steady ascendancy.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 011

(( ANALYSIS STOCK TRENDS ))

E-TAIL STOCK THROUGH THE PANDEMIC In his second article for CI.N, Andrew Isenman explores stock levels with online retail giants before and during the pandemic using a technique called time series forecasting.

T

he data that is used in this article spans from July 2018 through to April 2021 with forecasts being presented into 2022. The data has been collected daily from four UK based online retailers and is presented anonymously for the purposes of wider industry analysis. Whilst this data is only sourced from online retailers, the results are consistent enough to assume that the same patterns would be seen in the physical retail setting. Predictions should, by their nature only be used as part of a wider decision-making Retailer A Retailer A tells a story of increased levels of stock being carried from July 2018 through to March 2020 as the pandemic hit. The increase in the 18 months previous shows an increase in over 9,000 more products being available for fulfilment in February 2020. As the pandemic hit the UK in March 2020 stock levels fell significantly with a low of just above 5,000 products available for sale. This aligns with the Government’s initial announcement that cycling is permitted exercise, thus beginning a sales boom.

Starting in May 2020 and following on to March 2021 products available for sale steadily rose as businesses began to understand the momentum, peaking at approximately 12,000 products, with a levelling off around March time. That could be the first indication of online retail giants beginning to sell through at a faster rate than they can replenish, as is reflected across the trade at large.

The model predicts stock to fall again in March and April, probably due to the demand generated by the onset of spring in the UK, and once this has passed, the model predicts that the retailers available product lines will rise again. By March 2022 available products for sale would have been likely return to levels akin to July 2018, but of course stock can only rise as fast as it lands at the docks and at the time of writing that remains off the pace by some margin.

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process when making decisions for 2021 and beyond.

2020 was an unprecedented year within cycling retail.

From the consumer’s point of view shortages came at a time in the UK when cycling retail remained open. The habits of a population changed, at least temporarily. With more people at home, and transportation habits being adjusted, stock became a premium. In the following charts we explore to what extent the impact was felt and whether any recovery has been made.

Retailer B Retailer B tells a different story. Products available for sale rose slightly in 2018 and the retailer experienced the same Spring 2020 shortages as Retailer A. Spring 2019 through to Spring 2020 shows stable stock levels with neither growth or decline being witnessed.

Retailer B does suffer the same fate as retailer A as the pandemic hits the UK in March 2020, but interestingly this retailer is able to recover the products available for sale.

This could be through a change in products carried, or by better performance by the retailer’s chosen distributors.

To some extent, a mini period of stability is maintained by the retailer from July 2020 through to the end of the year. It is not possible to sustain, however.

At the beginning of 2021 the retailer experiences another dip in product availability, which seems to align with reports of shortages emerging. Based on prior buying habits, the model predicts the retailer will continue to experience stock shortages in Spring 2021 and that product levels will return to just below 2019 levels by March 2022. Again, there is a caveat of global shipping and production levels normalising.

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Retailer C Retailer C offers a completely different view from the two before them in this article. The retailer shows product line availability growing in 2018 through to August 2019 and then a steady decline in products available for sale from Autumn 2019 through to March 2020 when the pandemic hit the UK. Interestingly Retailer C is not hit by an immediate shortage in stock in March 2020 as is seen in other cases. We can only guess as to why this is the case without being privy to the retailer’s strategy but one theory could be that the retailer had previously made a conscious decision to supply less products to the market but hold greater levels of stock of those products and as a by-product was able to weather the shortages presented by distributors better than the previous retailers. The forecast for this retailer is that product lines will continue to fall in the next year.

Retailer D Retailer D shows a similar pattern to that of Retailer C. Growth from July 2018 through to December 2019 is evident, as are variations in products available in Spring 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Retailer D also seams to weather the storm better that those above. Products available for sale have reduced since the pandemic but in a consistent fashion indicating that this could be more of a strategic decision to run fewer product lines. Another explanation could be product availability rising in the few months before the pandemic hit the UK and that the retailer had predicted the demand and in turn flattened the curve.

“WITH MORE PEOPLE AT HOME, AND TRANSPORTATION HABITS BEING ADJUSTED, STOCK BECAME A PREMIUM.” SUMMARY Data from these retailers consistently indicates that stock levels decrease in Springtime each year as demand picks up and that those stock levels have historically returned rapidly. Two of the retailers experienced significant reductions in stock levels at the pandemic hit the UK, but two of the retailers did not see such an immediate challenge.

All of the online retailers now carry less product lines which are in stock now than before the pandemic with only Retailer C demonstrating stock reduction before March 2020. Following a few turbulent years of profitability challenges, the bike market’s big players may have actively chosen to reduce their stock levels in the face of broader sell through challenges. Notoriously, many large bike retailers that closed in the past five years did so with a warehouse full of aging stock in an over saturated marketplace.

Those retailers who saw significant falls in products available for fulfilment at the beginning of the pandemic

should see stock levels return to circa 2018 rates in the spring of 2022 should the forecasts be correct. Once more, that all hinges on a very fluid set of circumstances returning to some sort of ‘normal’. Unavoidable price increases on goods may influence held stock levels to a degree on good landed.

Finally, each individual retailer experienced a different outcome with regards to stock levels in 2020, which would indicate that the retailer’s strategy effects the impact of supply and demand presented by distributors.

Will the balance of stock levels have tilted with other retailers large and small placing bold bets now into MY23? Time will tell, but with forward orders broadly larger than usual and deeper into the future we might expect that when ‘normal’ returns that the market’s stock situation will once more show an abnormal spike, something that the industry appears to be wary of for fear we return to extreme saturation, if demand does not meet optimistic forecasts.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 015

(( PROFILE ION ))

PLAY IT SAFE With a lift in the mountain bike market seemingly spurred by the reopening of bike parks and warmer weather, accidents may happen. Sean Reynolds makes the case for keeping your customers in one piece with Ion goods…

In recent years Ion has won a handful of design and editor’s choice awards – what’s the business been recognised for?

Since day one protection has been in ION’s DNA. Our awardwinning body armor, especially the K-pact, has convinced product reviewers and regular mountain bikers alike. They have been among the community favorites of renowned mountain bike magazines for many years (Freeride Mag, Enduro Mountainbike Magazine and many more).

Relatively new to the catalogue are ION’s clipless and flat pedal shoes, which have won the prestigious Design & Innovation Awards in 2020 (Scrub Amp) and 2021 (Rascal Select BOA).

New product is incoming from Ion, most notably Boa equipped Shoes and a new youth range. What should dealers keep tabs on and what innovation is woven in?

Our goal was to develop a high-performance bikewear and protective gear line for young bloods. In terms of style, the younger generation (6-12 years) can now keep up with older ones with the very same protection technologies In terms of footwear, ION also ramps up performance with BOA Fit Systems on select lines.

Since shoes are the crucial connection to your bike, you can now rely on a seamless power transmission onto the pedals. This is all part of ION’s Concept of Control, meaning the perfect combination of grip, a sport-seat feeling and protection.

For a brand like ION – what tips have you for dealers to promote sell through when it comes to set up in store and relaying tech messages to consumers?

We provide seasonal print and online materials that include campaign related items, as well as tech information for highlight products. To us it is important to showcase our products in a premium way, therefore we also offer a range of branded in store tools from hangers and silent salesman items, to racks and standalone displays.

When does stock land of the latest goods and have you the volume to see the season through?

The first drop, including outerwear and helmets (early buy range) will be available for retailers from August 2021. The second, bigger drop will land in February and contains the major part of the SS22 range.

Availability is a big challenge this year, not only to us. By collecting pre-orders within our given timeframe we are sure that we can provide everyone with enough product.

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Speaking of this we will rely on pre orders more than ever – so to play safe retailers should also plan ahead to get the best availability.

Ion is soon to launch a MET Helmets collaboration – talk us through why you chose them as a partner and for which expertise We know how important it is to rely on your safety gear.

Since our expertise lies in developing knee and elbow protection, we decided to partner up with MET to satisfy our high demands on quality and safety.

“OUTERWEAR AND HELMETS WILL LAND FROM AUGUST WITH A SECOND LARGE DROP BY FEBRUARY HOLDING THE SS22 LINES” Tell us a bit about the Ion distributor, Boards and More

Boards & More was founded in 2000 with roots in windsurfing, kitesurfing and wingfoiling. Eventually they brought their passion for high quality sports gear, plus the surf spirit to the trails with ION Bike.

Boards and More is driving the Save our playgrounds sustainability message, tell us why this adds appeal for shops and consumers alike We believe that sustainability happens in many parts of a company and cannot be achieved overnight. We work in our verticals – materials, partnerships, production, packaging and mindset, trying to improve wherever possible. For example, exchanging packaging from plastic bags to cartons, reducing distances from raw materials to production, or trying to avoid flight shipments. All Ion’s efforts can be seen at ion-products.com/bike/save-our-playgrounds/ What are the sign up terms for new accounts?

We will provide POS material and our global marketing plan for Dealer collaborations. Sean Reynolds is the first point of contact for sales and warranty in the UK and he is backed up by a dedicated team in Molin (Austria) and Munich (Germany) for customer service and marketing.

For more information about becoming an ION Stockist, please contact Sean on +44 (0) 7974975492, or by email at sean@gingerbeardandtruckercapagencies.bike

R U O Y P E KE E R U T N E V D A .

E T I N I INF

, dur able , e l b a in ! e sust a r a entures s v t d c a u t d s o r e E: A ll p our w ild S y I r o M f O t i F PR r m a n y.

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(( PROFILE 661 ))

PROTECT WHAT MATTERS 661 is something of a rider favourite, much thanks to its long history of protecting the sketchiest of riders out there at price points that leave change for a wheel true.

Now with Upgrade Bikes, the IBD once more can pad up with this brand…

A

fun fact to begin that to this day we would have been oblivious to without the 14-year hard-earned knowledge of 661’s Andy Gowan; the brand name is actually little more than the dial code of Valencia in California where the company was founded.

Bike shops, stay tuned and don’t turn the page, we haven’t peaked yet. After an absence of availability in the independent bike shop channel, the brand has a new distributor in the highly complimentary portfolio found with Upgrade Bikes. After a period of online exclusivity with some of the big players the playing field is now level, stock is landing in August and we are reassured that sell through of old lines is ticking along ahead of an opening of new accounts with the protective gear specialist.

Music to your ears so far? Brand and Product director Gowan has more. “We’re glad to be back with Upgrade as a partner. It’s been five years without the IBD market, but this is a product that customers can benefit from touching and trying on in store. You can get to grips with it thanks to a new sustainable cardboard packaging that opens out giving the customer a good all-round view. This means stores have the option of stacking the boxes or displaying how they wish with slatwall hooks. We will be looking at new in store branding options too.”

Gowan gives the impression of a brand that has a sharp focus, not only on mountain biking, the sole sector that it serves (bar eMTB), but also on delivering a top spec product for as strong a value price point as is possible. Admittedly the company does save costs on things like big name sponsorships, but that directly benefits the consumer’s pocket, we’re told.

“There’s so much more to do in this off road space specifically, so there will be no further divergence, this is our focus. In body protection terms, everything we produce is certified to CE1621 motorbike standards, so we feel naturally in command of the eMTB segment,” says Gowan.

Of course 661 is part of a much larger and experienced empire, with Bravo Corp also the parent to Nutcase Helmets, another label found with Upgrade. While 661 has

a deep engineering knowhow of protective gear all of its own, the parent company’s action sports portfolio reinforces the knowledge going into the brand’s products from both an engineering and design appeal standpoint. Design is close to home for many of us too; just on the edge of Dartmoor, prime testing country for such goods.

Since IBDs last got a look in there is plenty more going on too. Last year Goggles joined the brand catalogue with Gowan tipping the incoming Radia Goggle at £40 retail as having “a cylindrically modelled lens which others don’t put into range until double that retail price.”

Alongside, we can now expect to find a big selling D30 padding line that comes in at a budget friendly price point, offering huge impact resistance without the hit to the wallet. The firm also now has kids helmet sizing down to 48cm in full-face, another standout in the catalogue.

“When 661 was created we only a few competitors. Now a more mature market means we must have a USP. With the expansion of the bike park network has come a natural growth. Bikes are much more capable now, so rider’s have a greater enthusiasm for challenging their riding limits. With that protective gear is a must and an opportunity for the bike shop,” concludes Gowan. www.upgradebikes.co.uk

661’s unwavering off road focus makes it a bike park favourite

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(( ANALYSIS OWN LABEL GOODS ))

CUSTOM APPAREL AND SHOP BRANDS As retailers look to create their own goods in a bid to combat supply issues, Cycling Industry.News has reached out to shops to understand whether own-brand is just a trend or something more…

I

n a bid to offer something that can’t be bought online one option embraced by the local bike shop in the past decade is the DIY route; that is creating something unique that shows an allegiance to the shop brand, or simply fills a gap where it may make more sense in monetary terms to consider alternatives. Fast forward to times of Covid and the trend may have become more necessity than choice in the face of challenges very few of us could have predicted. Now faced with stocks drying up it is a case of get creative or see 2021 pass by as the year when opportunity was missed.

The uplift in dealer business for customised items was reflected in CIN’s annual retailer study which returned the verdict that around a third of shops have taken to sourcing their own goods during the past year.

After speaking with Jake Voelcker of Bicycleworks previously on his beginning in the workshop, branching out into own brand products and his ideas of beginning a franchise opportunity, we wanted to find out from retailers, why own brand has become so popular.

CI.N spoke to Andy Easterbrook of custom specialist Wildoo, who believes that the reason for this is due to many retailers struggling with a shrinking market as a result of the pandemic. “Covid brought a much-needed turnaround in demand for bikes and repairs. Most IBDs have seen a big lift in business and importantly cash in bank as well as

Wildoo’s custom cycle jerseys

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Own label is nothing new and has stood some apart

raised confidence,” said Andy. “The next step for IBDs coming out of Covid is to maintain the momentum and raising their game with their own branding will be important.”

However, speaking to CI.N also, James Smith who has run some custom work through the Primal Europe business warns that there is an education for shops sourcing their own products. If not careful the retailer could perhaps get a nasty tariff bill before the goods are released, if sourcing from overseas. “Also, cheap imports can be dangerous and potentially damaging to the reputation,” he says.

Primal Europe makes custom products particularly focussed on cycling and triathlon, producing everything from bib Shorts to Tri suits and more. Much of Smith’s range come from its network of overseas production partners. The brand provides a delivered price with all the logistics and customs that must be covered as a result of Brexit regulations.

Other than typical own-label desires, shops are turning to locally sourced goods in a bid to establish a reliable supply chain in times of somewhat uncertainty. Likewise, a locally sourced product has a story of sustainability and support for the local economy that resonates with some consumers.

18 months ago, Smith created a campaign called “beat the internet”, focussed on encouraging retailers to create their own custom clothing range. Smith said: “this is a fantastic way to continue to range clothing at a cheap cost with the margins protected.”

He added said: “Some shops have racing teams and some have their own exclusive clothing, some even give a jersey away with every bike. Having an own label range instore is a fantastic way to create a new marketing channel locally. I always advise shops to create their own range of clothing rather than competing with discounts across the web. You won't get customers trying your kit on then going on the web to find it cheaper when yours is the only one in existence.”

A specialist supplier of a broad catalogue of cycling goods, Wildoo has a comprehensive range of customisable goods

(( ANALYSIS OWN LABEL GOODS ))

Wildoo now produces bottles made from sugar cane

that can serve to reinforce the shop brand in the customer’s mind, as well as fill a select few supply gaps that exist at present. Wildoo offer socks, caps, mudguards and more, but have found that custom bottles are the most popular amongst dealers. “Our bottles are a premium retail quality bottle (rather than a low-cost promo bottle) with minimum quantities starting from just 50 pieces. We also have quality, superb value for money cycle jerseys with super low minimums (Min 1st order spend just £250.00 + VAT). Other products include items form our own house brand (VeloPac.cc) including musettes (Traditional cotton & a new premium version), PhonePacs & RidePacs and Multitubes.”

Although not boasting a business-to-business model, Ribble is a well-established own brand with a direct to customer business model. Fraser Hamilton, Head of Retail and Sales provided an insight into how the group operates its bespoke bike builder and custom paintwork options: “Customisation and personalisation are such an important

Wildoo Ciclos Major Custom PhonePacks

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part of any customer’s journey. Getting the correct bike that is perfect for a customer's type of riding and that is sized to fit and has the right blend of components and colour will maximise the enjoyment and experience that a customer has with their bike.”

“We offer a variety of options within BikeBuilder that provides choice and performance improvements across all categories of the bike. With CustomColour we offer the chance to personalise the design of the bike from our entry models, right the way up to our premium platforms.

Consumers are wanting to stand out from the crowd and express their personality through their bike.”

Additionally, with many companies taking to sourcing own brand products, we were curious to see to what degree shops are seeking to customise products and to what limits.

Andy Easterbrook added: “Bottles is a great place for any dealer to start. Most cyclists use bottles so why sell another brand’s bottles when you can sell your own branded quality bottle. Many IBDs like to have a small portfolio of product and Wildoo being a one-stop shop supplier can fulfil most product requirements. We have low minimums on most products and can always discuss a package of products and

“CUSTOMISATION AND PERSONALISATION ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY CUSTOMER’S JOURNEY.” have the capacity to cope with not just small IBDs but also fulfil large orders from larger chains and brands.”

The brand also offers sustainable custom options such as cycle jerseys and tech caps made from recycled bottles that can be a talking point. Wildoo’s new BIO bottles are made from renewable sugar cane, therefore reducing its carbon footprint and completes the REDUCE: REUSE: RECYCLE trilogy. Wildoo are also planning on adding more products to its expanding eco-friendly range.

When it comes to advice for brands looking to source own brand products or create custom apparel Primal’s Smith told CI.N of the importance in ensuring that retailers trust their supplier. He says: “for clothing it is easy to import direct from factories, but be sure to ask for working practice audits, ask about the production, ask for photos, be aware of trade agreements, some countries are free of tariffs. Finally, be sure to think about the environmental impact of the factory you are using, where does their waste go? The customers are asking us every day in regards to our production trail from cottons to staff be sure you know your supply chain.”

With shops continuing to experience supply and stock issues in a time of global uncertainty we might expect more brands to dip their toes, or wheels, into own brand and custom apparel options in the near future. Meanwhile, for an assessment on how alternate brands to the big two drivetrain suppliers are faring, flick to page 50.

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(( OPINION RETAIL’S NEXT STEP ))

RETAIL CROSSROADS Years of overcapacity and discounting are giving way to something rather different and bike retail is at an interesting crossroads, argues one anonymous industry veteran…

T

he arrival of corporate money post 2008 significantly changed the IBD landscape. Profit margins, not the greatest even beforehand, were driven down further as big investors grew both bricks and mortar and online capacity. Discounting was adopted as a primary tool to try to develop scalable businesses, but scalability was never proven and much of this capacity had now disappeared; witness what has happened at both Cycle Surgery and Cycle Republic.

A shortage of stock has allowed many manufacturers to dodge the issue, for now, but retail representation could be a real issue going forward for them. Some have flirted with B2C or omni-channel, selling simultaneously to the trade and consumers, to capture the retail margin, only to find that selling to end customers bears its own challenges.

For bikes, at least, omni-channel is unproven, especially for electric bikes where test rides are a powerful sales tool and after sales support important. The problem is that after years of arguably mixed support for their IBD

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channel, manufacturers are now finding their retail channel lacking. B2C has lost its allure for many. Many viewed the apparent success of Canyon with envy, but Canyon was unashamedly B2C and even Canyon had its problems with poor customer service, forcing it to invest in some brick-and-mortar service capability.

Anecdotal evidence points to a wave of outside investor interest in the retail channel. Will suppliers just take the money, like last time, and sign up whatever new dealers have the cash, or will they be as driven by quality parameters?

A few of the more enlightened are looking at working with fewer but better retail partners, co-investing in a better retail experience for end customers. Innovative consignment stocking initiatives, bespoke shop-in-shop formats, better prime retail locations now that high street rents have fallen significantly, onsite car parking, co-marketing and, crucially, a more focused product offering. All backed by selective distribution agreements to control the trade’s worst enemy, the blunt tool of price discounting. Rather

“NON-CYCLISTS DEMAND A BETTER RETAIL OFFERING, ONE THAT IS CLEANER AND WELCOMING. SUCCESSFUL RETAILERS SELL THE LIFESTYLE AND MOBILITY SOLUTION...”

than having a mediocre dealer in every town, they are looking for regional super dealers who can efficiently process volume and give customers a great retail experience. The greater the price point – and electric bikes are by nature a higher price point – the further the customer will travel, at least regionally. Think supercharged concept store lite.

But should retailers be wary? After all, they’ve been led up the concept store path before and with mixed success. The problem before was that of conflict of interest and the threat of B2C weakening the hand of the IBD; this time the waning interest of suppliers in developing B2C and omni-channel presents forward thinking IBDs with a real opportunity to forge strong, equal and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Retailers don’t need to scale by opening smaller nonprime locations, rather they need to invest heavily in super regional destination stores with good logistics, catchment areas of large population, easy parking and, ideally, a demo capability.

Manufacturers need to be seeking out retail partners with proven ability. The cycle industry has some unique characteristics that can trip up outside investors, even those that have enjoyed great success in other sectors.

Bike retail is like no other retail channel, as perhaps Mike Ashley and other corporates have found out to their peril.

There is a bewildering number of SKUs, new technologies and product thrown at the retail channel with little manufacturer support. IBDs are largely left to fend for themselves with little effective warranty backup.

Road race bikes, endurance bikes, internal cabling, electric shifting, tubeless tyres, gravel, gravel adventure, electric bikes, different motor systems, control apps, social media and other marketing, warranty... IBDs are being pulled from pillar to post, so need bigger profit margins and more support in order to pay retail staff appropriately in a more technical landscape than ever before. A skilled bike mechanic arguably now has a wider skillset than a main dealer car technician, but earns only half as much.

So, what does the future hold? Electric bikes and emobility are a real game changer, increasing the addressable market substantially to include almost all the population and not just the enthusiast. Witness Raleigh’s marketing to The Caravan Club membership, that’s lateral thinking that has paid dividends. These ‘non-cyclist’ cyclists welcome, if not demand, a better retail offering, one that is cleaner and more welcoming. Successful retailers will sell lifestyle and mobility solutions, the product itself will become less important. Electric bikes are sold differently to performance carbon road bikes.

There’s a great opportunity for all, a situation where supply, or rather the right supply, will fuel demand. All product is selling through in 2021, regardless; there is too little supply to satisfy demand, so there is little short-term incentive for change, but this will soon pass and forward thinkers will enjoy a first mover advantage.

So, what’s it to be at the retail crossroads: forwards, backwards or sideways...

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 025

(( OPINION BIKE FITTING ))

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Fitter to pro tour teams, biomechanics expert Jon Iriberri returns to CI.N with a take on how customer loyalty can be built around just a single professional pairing of product to person…

S

ome years ago offering bike fitting services inside the bike shop was not as commonplace as it is today, nor was charging appropriately for the hard-earned know-how. This added service has grown inside the shop, but also in the cycling biomechanics labs that bring medical assessment into play.

In this article I would like to show how fitting and biomechanics have created a new service for the shop, linked to the assistance needed to sell some of the material and spare parts needed in cycling. For the sake of keeping your sales buoyant I will mention just those materials that are more complicated to source on the internet, largely due to precise sizing requirements that can only be matched with measurement and assessment in motion.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 027

(( OPINION BIKE FITTING ))

Some retailers do detect some customers using the shop service for sizing the shoes and then going to the internet for a lower price, so the act of sizing has to become a new chargeable (or redeemable against a purchase) service.

The Saddle This part itself is the origin of most of the problems for riders. One fact governs this: much of the body weight (around 50%) is centred over this small and very often curvy area. Although brands have created several kinds of sizing and fitting protocols, many customers still choose their own instincts which can sometimes be founded in misunderstanding of what the ingredients for true comfort may be.

The reason behind this is probably the complexity of understanding the individual pelvic behaviour and how this affects comfort. A store’s shopping assistant should be able to detect the specific needs of each rider after seeing just a few pedal strokes on a trainer and the associated pelvic motion of the rider at that moment when they settle into a steady flow.

The blind recommendation, a friend’s guidance and internet recommendations are all too powerful, though often have little basis beyond a single non-transferrable preference. So, I believe that the professional bike seller should have a very high level of skill in subject of saddle fitting and customisation. It is the ability to deliver personal and professional advice that defends your business against the online world.

Footwear As said previously, sizing up correctly is the best opportunity the physical store has to compete against the internet, though in the case of cycling shoes this is more complex.

The foot length, the forefoot width and numerous other factors create a complex 3D form that needs very precise measuring. A custom-made shoe goes yet further and requires additional hands-on skills. This gives a great opportunity for the seller for a one-to-one assessment, which can add value against your stock holding, able to be tried in person thanks to your investment.

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Insoles and wedges A shoe’s contact with the pedal is a very serious issue with potential to refer problems onwards. The shoe can fit well but there is much more to consider once the system is circling close to 100 times per minute for an extended period of time.

That situation requires stability and this can only be done with good pronation control and good arch support.

The evolution of our feet is not adapted to cycling, but instead to walk and run, so we must construct the motion around 360-degrees of comfort and an alignment that will not twist the rider out of shape, often causing problems up the chain.

Aerobars More and more riders are looking for soloist adventures, bikepacking excursions or perhaps they are rookie triathletes. With these trends, aerobars are growing in popularity to enable efficiency over distance. Again, something more that the installation guide is useful. For the shop staff, worthwhile education centres on knowing why putting supports closer, further, narrower or wider may be necessary and what the difference is between a flat aerobar or those with inclination.

With the basics understood we can again add a successful service that internet is not going to be able to offer with any precision.

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(( OPINION BIKE FITTING ))

Handlebar Stack and reach is not only the way to factor a full and precise measurement of the cycle frame into a full fit; handlebars are measured this way too. We can add this customising factor to the classic width measurement. One of the incoming strategies is to be narrower than the classic shoulder width.

Handlebars specifically are often more aggressively tuned than suits the physical condition of most riders.

This understanding of what a rider desires to achieve and how we can fine tune both performance and long-range comfort gives us a great chance to recommend more compact or super compact models. These are more comfortable for most of the novel to medium level riders. To evaluate the rider’s status talk him or her for a few minutes to understand what recommendation will suit for the range of activity they plan to undertake.

“THE GREATER KNOWLEDGE YOUR STAFF DEMONSTRATE, THE MORE LIKELY THE CUSTOMER IS TO SEEK YOU OUT FURTHER.”

Never stop learning Fitting, sizing and customisation services are the areas where the market is going to grow alongside any enthusiast trends where comfort compliments performance. The greater knowledge the bike shop can demonstrate to their customer the more likely they will be to seek out your staff’s understanding for future upgrades to their experience. Loyalty is created this way, so in your spare hours education provided to you and your staff is time well spent.

The investment in knowledge is deemed by some people a waste money without an immediate return, yet word of mouth travels in enthusiast circles too, so you can expect your time investment to pay dividends both in new and retained custom.

Consider alongside this the circumstances related to the electric market, as one example. The volume of competition is now promoting a narrowing of margins on products, something that the bike shop will need to be aware of when investing in physical goods into the future. Some retailers are losing money selling bikes; some of them know, some do not.

The culture of discounting or altered routes to market is always going to pose a problem for the retailer fretting about it rather than adapting around the issue. Servicing and hands on skills cannot be replicated digitally and in the instance of bike fitting can demonstrate to your customer that you know your product.

A customer’s position in the saddle will vary based on their posture, measurements, medical issues and consideration of their goals

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(( RETAIL PROFILE NORTHROAD CYCLES ))

ROAD TO RETAIL Quickly following an assessment of bike shops going own-brand, Chris Keller-Jackson speaks to NorthRoad Cycles who are doing things in reverse, taking an own-brand in-store.

N

ow in its fourth year of operation, NorthRoad Cycles has taken the plunge and opened up its own shop; the physical ‘bricks and mortar’ that allows a potential customer to see the products, try on a bike for size and delve deeper into the customisations offered by the brand.

After a period dabbling on the side in the sales of ‘boxed bikes’, and a short tenure at the Rapha store in Manchester, NorthRoad has refocussed on what it does best, offering their own road, gravel and TT bikes with different build packages and a high level of customisation, including frame spraying of your choice. Relatively extensive bespoke frame colours can easily be designed from the base of carbon black and a second colour choice, though you can add more colours and more design options for a small charge. Having a spray booth on site certainly helps, with the end results looking clean and minimalist.

Such customisation is not unique in the bike industry, but with a base colour of black it guarantees that every bike that rolls out of the shop has the opportunity to be a one off; how unique is up to the customer – and to some extent, the size of the wallet. Many of the bikes on display had high level groupsets with SRAM Red, eTap and Shimano Di2 components, all with disc brakes. Whilst this might look like shop stock with better componentry, the majority of the bikes on display were destined for customers, with their choice of colourway, drivetrains, wheels and tyres. In theory, there will be an ever-changing roster of bikes in the shop, plus those owned by the staff.

Social media is a key component of much of our lives, and it’s no coincidence to find the prevalence of NorthRoadCycles tweets and Instagram posts. Social media certainly got the message out there, with a steady stream of customers during the day, many customers roll through on their NorthRoad bikes to say a socially distanced hello, as others try out bikes or enquire about new purchases.

Northroad’s Mike, Jane, Ste and Ian.

“THE INTENTION IS TO OFFER MORE LOCALLY SOURCED FRAMES...”

So, who are NorthRoad? Founders Ian and Jane both have a teaching background, and like many within the bike industry, the passion for cycling became a vocation. Whilst Jane still teaches, Ian has now become his own boss and works full time within the business. They have just recruited Stephen, as Head of Operations.

Ian proudly shows me the range of frames, and the spray booth where he applies the custom frame colours, as well as his recently delivered coffee machine (does all the bike world run on caffeine?). When Stephen joins us,

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LEATT.COM

LEATT 2022 ORDER NOW 2021 has been a huge year for Leatt. Thank you to all our UK dealers!

It’s time to get fresh plans laid, and a range secured from the best headto-toe MTB brand on the market.

The Leatt 2022 order window is now open for October delivery. ΖQQRYDWLRQV LQFOXGH WKH GHJUHH WXUELQH WHFKQRORJ\ ȴ WWHG LQ DOO helmets, it reduces both rotation acceleration and concussion level impact energy to your head and brain. An easy sell to any rider.

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performance with great features and styling. Protection levels and price points are easy to understand and sell in store.

Apparel is the next big development with a stunning range of jackets, jerseys, trousers, shorts and gloves. Loud and lairy bike park looks, or understated technical gear for big days in the mountains. $OO SUH VDOHV ZLOO EH VXSSRUWHG ZLWK D IUHH 326 SDFNDJH DQG VWD΍ WUDLQLQJ Contact sales@hotlines-uk.com if you would like a member of the team to visit with the new range, or e-mail all the MY22 information.

(( RETAIL PROFILE NORTHROAD CYCLES ))

On the subject of frames, this is after all North Roads’ USP, the frames currently come from a number of sources, both in the Far East and in the UK. The intention is to offer more locally sourced frames, with murmurings about more direct involvement in the manufacturing process. Watch this space.

Lasting impressions are of a growing and loyal customer base, a bright, inviting showroom and workspace, and a unique and compelling product offering.

NorthRoad may be relatively new to the market, but the welcome and passion from the team is evident, the coffee making skills are on point too. www.northroadcycles.com

he brings with him his custom Quest gravel bike. Gravel is something quite new to NorthRoad but they are tapping into a vibrant local scene that’s drawing new ridership.

They have the Explorer with more traditional geometry and the newer Quest with better ‘bikepacking’ credentials and more radical frame geometry. In addition to the burgeoning Gravel bikes they currently have four Road frames and one TT bike frame, all with differing build options – though they are keen to point out that you can have any build you want, or to swap out components for other choices, or even supply your own parts.

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(( PROFILE MIRIDER ))

MiRiDER is looking to sell around 3,500 units this year.

RIDING INTO VIEW Hand assembled right here in the UK, MiRiDER of Wigan has been a perhaps under the radar success story of the e-Bike marketplace, not only for its keen price point, but also backing of a big family business. Sales Director Matthew Higginson plots the path ahead…

T

he micro-mobility market, touted by the big banks as the key to changing the way the world moves, is now in full swing. For those of us who can fairly be called cycle trade veterans the pace of evolution has seldom accelerated at anything like the current cadence and, arguably for the first time, political will seems to be shifting in favour of small vehicles, albeit slowly.

In the midst of this has come a flurry of new brands tapping both into the direct sale marketplace and, where greater consideration has been given to after sales, the direct to dealer market. One of those that services both channels and has made a success of a homegrown assembly of a proprietary design is MiRiDER, part of a Lancashire business group run by Mark Higginson.

The entrepreneur behind Disklok, Festive Lights and DRi BOX, Higginson’s family firm has newly expanded beyond its Wigan Distribution Centre adding an adjacent 7,000 square foot facility from which the business moves to market its all-conquering electric folding bike. The single SKU is called simply the MiRiDER One and is carried in three vibrant colours.

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This new space will provide up to ten build bays, packaging, parts and accessory storage, product development, test track and showroom. Another key element to the new facility is the ability to offer the dealer network open and training days along with servicing options for MiRiDER retail customers.

MiRiDER will continue using its parent company’s distribution facilities to a very high standard,” states fellow family sales director Matthew Higginson.

The bike retailer is firmly part of the business plan and indeed a network of 60 shop partners already carry the One across the UK, Isle of Wight and Ireland. “We do have ambitions to fill territories which are not represented, such as across the midlands, the north east, south east and Wales,” we’re told on the notable gaps on the map.

There is an ambition to move 3,500 of the electric folding bikes from the assembly line via both direct sales and an expanded retail showroom networks this year, so the operation is larger than many may at first realise. There is apparently a misconception that the bikes are shipped in whole from the Far East, rather than built and backed

“OUR SALES RATES ARE FOLLOWING THE PREDICTED TREND WITH CIRCA 50 UNITS PER WEEK BEING BUILT, THEN DISPATCHED DIRECT AND TO THE RETAILERS.” In time we may come to see the brand expand an export business

Each is assembled in Wigan and the label will soon expand its space.

right here in the UK. Given the current stock crisis, those with that in mind may have missed a trick with e-bikes available at good levels throughout the pandemic to date.

Higginson says: “There was a large commitment made to our frame manufacturers late in 2019 to early 2020, so the stock levels in 2021 are very healthy, at this point in time. Our sales rates are following the predicted trend with circa 50 units per week being built, then dispatched direct and to the retailers. The business is experiencing the upswell in demand from those enjoying the bikes for leisure rides, however the commuter segment has yet to return with a vengeance.”

The ordering factors in new accounts joining too, with minimum order quantities as low as a single unit, though free delivery comes into play with a trio of e-bikes. “We are in a great position to welcome new dealers and be confident of supporting a commitment to the MiRiDER brand,” he adds.

With the assembly right on the doorstep customisation has steadily entered the picture. Recently MiRiDER offered two special editions which feature Camo and Union Jack frame wraps, off road tyres and a comfier seat. It is apparently within the roadmap for the near future to offer upgrade options for shops wishing to offer a touch of personalisation to clients. Though the parent company is much larger, a dedicated team service the requests of the e-bike label and further staff additions are due to enhance the client experience from build to after-sales soon.

With investment in the business being furthered in the firm’s third year we’re keen to understand why the MiRiDER product should stand out in a swell of electric folding bikes fighting for attention.

Higginson says: “The bike frame we use has been engineered exceptionally well using a unique die casting process. This provides great strength with the ability to

use Magnesium alloy and gives a cool-looking frame design too. Our in-house technical abilities are strong with vast experience in bikes with particular skill sets derived from the aerospace industry. This allows us to be agile, pro-active and reactive to the future market. We have several like-minded partners who allow us to furnish the bike with great electronics and hardware – this is evident with our fast growth and 4.8 rating on Trustpilot.”

Aside from the positive public sentiment from customers, the brand has begun to get noticed in the consumer press. Thus far it’s been carried in specialist ebike mag Cycling Electric, a range of Immediate Media titles including Bike Radar, Tech Radar and Tech Advisor, while digital platform eBikeTips scored the bike 4.5 out of 5 stars when their editors took a One for a spin.

That strategy to gather a mix of cycling and non-cycling press has been deliberate and may even tilt further in future to include the influencer market. Should any of CI.N’s readers have a large social media following MiRiDER is keen to explore partnerships, as well as link ups with local authorities keen to get the e-Bike in front of end-users.

So What’s the long-term view for MiRiDER? “Without giving too much strategic information away, our longterm ambitions would be optimistic for such a new company, but very achievable for the structure we have built. We have our eyes set on domestic manufacture and a distribution network across Europe and the US with various forms of e-mobility. It will take a little time to achieve this, but with the knowledge and drive shared within our group of companies, this is a exciting period for the brand to execute,” concludes Higginson.

To become a MiRiDER retailer head to www.mirider.co.uk/become-a-retailer/

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(( ANALYSIS BUSINESS COVER ))

INSURANCE LOCKED DOWN?

The subject of business-to-business cycling insurance has never been in such sharp focus. Whether it’s cover during Covid, or cover against a spate of shop smash and grabs, protecting your business has never been so important…

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I

f there’s one industry that has been shaken and stirred in the last 18 months, it’s the insurance world. Making headlines for some of the wrong reasons in 2020, the unprecedented trading conditions around the pandemic saw the High Court rule against a several insurers covering businesses inside and out of the cycling industry who had felt business interruption clauses should not cover a brand-new flu strain.

To this day that particular debacle is bubbling on and while bike shops remained permitted to trade some were not so fortunate and had to claim on Business Interruption clauses, a process that has not been plain sailing thanks to ‘notifiable disease’ clauses at the time not naming Covid-19.

“To date, we are not aware of many Business Interruption policies successfully being claimed for, yet. If you think your policy covered you for losses due to Notifiable Diseases, you should register your claim with your insurer as soon as possible,” says Yellow Jersey’s Tom McMorrin on that particular topic.

That, as it turns out, would be just one of many things insurers would have to consider and adapt to on the fly, for within the cycle trade the evolution of business needs has paved the way for plenty more. Some of those considerations, but by no means all were the need to underwrite new products, thieves seemingly getting increasingly organised and technologically advanced, as well as a raft of new and well-financed competitors entering the market. Then there was the small issue that, in the event of theft, replacing a bike has become tricky work thanks to the global shortages faced. As each will tell you, no two insurance products are the same and it can really pay to take the time to consider each element of your trade when choosing a partner.

“The honest answer is that you pay for what you get.

Insurance premiums often seem expensive, but by having the right policy in place it can rebuild your business following a potentially disastrous event,” starts Velolife founder Justin Rodley, whose new business comes backed by his time serving the bike industry with the likes of Pon, among others.

That rings true with most products, of course, but insurance

Many cyclists will opt to rely on home insurance to cover their bikes, but this can have pitfalls.

“TO DATE, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY BUSINESS INTERRUPTION POLICIES SUCCESSFULLY CLAIMED...” is no typical product. It is, even those selling it admit, not something many are enthused by. So why is this moment particularly timely when considering making sure your cover is watertight and covering all aspect of an increasingly diverse modern bike retail business?

“Things like hire, bike fitting or events are bespoke items, so they would require additional underwriting,” says Rodley on areas of a diversified business that might not be covered by a standard policy. His firm, as yet, have not developed an insurance product for the commercial use of cargo bikes, but this of course could be the next big thing for consideration.

For the workshop only, mobile mechanic and retail store most considerations should fall under a commercial combined policy with a few add-ons needed such as the mechanic’s van, if applicable. “Commercial combined (Property/Stock/Tools/Equipment/Liability/Business interruption) policies need care and attention, you may be faced with a lot of questions but it’s so worth the process to make sure your business has the right protection in place. Also, it makes you aware of the potential risks and what you could be liable for if the worst happens in various areas of risk,” says Rodley.

On the consumer side bike insurance demand has apparently hit a five-year high, according to Bikmo, which added 60% growth in 2020. With an ambition to hit £10million in trade channelled through bike shop partners by 2023 (a lofty pre-covid target), this presents an opportunity for the retailer to earn referral cash for very little work.

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(( ANALYSIS BUSINESS COVER ))

“WE CAN COVER THE LIABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH RUNNING A BIKE COURIER BUSINESS, EVEN THEFT AND DAMAGE COVER FOR FLEETS...”

Bikmo’s business developer Rob Grisdale told CI.N: “Even small local bike shops can get a slice of that ambition. We give our partner retailers everything they need to refer their customers to Bikmo in-store and online, including the ability to give away free insurance with new bikes purchased in their store. We then pay a commission for every policy that gets purchased through their tracked links and point-of-sale. Most importantly, our Bikmo Replacement scheme is usually more convenient for our customers, and they also save money too by avoiding paying an excess on their policy.”

Going for a specialist is important, our panel argues. LV General Insurance revealed that it has seen a 97% increase in people adding bikes to their home insurance policies in the past year. Such policies, little known to many taking them out, are not always what they seem in terms of comprehensive coverage.

There are reasons to go wider with quotes, says Grisdale. “More riders wanted to make use of cycle hangars found in residential areas in cities and around the UK, particularly London, but insurance policies didn’t cover bikes stored in them for more than 12 or 24 hours. In response, we updated our policy to give 24/7 cover just like you get at home. Likewise, we conducted a big study involving over 4,000 e-bike riders and found they are ‘less risky’ to insure overall. Again, we took this to our insurers and now pass a 25% saving on to customers insuring e-bikes.”

Here Yellow Jersey says that the bike shop can take the opportunity at the point of sale to educate the consumer and up-sell at the same time.

“We’ve set up an affiliate scheme where partner shops can recommend our online insurance policies to customers. We now work with hundreds of shops around the UK who can give unique discounts to customers. If the customer takes out one of our policies using the discount code, the shop will earn a referral commission. We do have specific locking requirements, so it’s a great opportunity to upsell a Sold Secure rated lock too.”

Back to business and Yellow Jersey notes that new types of business cover have developed alongside the market in recent years. We’re told that carrying e-bikes has little affected policies bar the possible requirement to remove batteries or lock them up individually overnight; most shops should be covered by default. One additional policy extra that has become available via Yellow Jersey relates to the cargo bike, mobile mechanics and any business trading from a bike.

McMorrin tells CI.N: “We can cover the liabilities associated with running a courier business, including public liability whilst performing deliveries and goods in transit for the items you’re carrying. We can even cover theft and damage cover for the fleet of bikes you use to perform your deliveries.”

Key to making any policy decision for a bike shop, rightly or wrong, is the cost of a policy. On this McMorrin says there are really only two factors likely to move the needle in the shops favour; security and claims history.

“You should certainly install a centrally monitored alarm; insurers are increasingly wary of shops with bellonly alarms these days. Security roller shutters can massively slow down attempted theft, as well as ram bollards if you’re near a road. During the day you can chain up bikes and remove pedals to deter opportunistic walk-in thieves. If you can also install CCTV; this should deter thieves who scope out the shop in advance. By bolstering your security, the likelihood of a claim will decrease, protecting your premiums for the years to come,” he says.

Opportunism is a theft characteristic that has become prevalent on the streets, but where the trend of shop break ins is concerned organised crime is running hot in the bike world. Therefore, it makes good sense to make security measures prominent and obvious. “Thieves will certainly scope out a shop before a robbery; the more you can deter theft with visible security, the less likely they are to make attempt causing stress, disruption and heartache to your business,” says McMorrin.

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(( RALEIGH CARGO BIKES ))

COMMITTED TO CARGO Serving the Dutch and German markets The Accell Group has held a long commitment to cargo biking.

Here in the UK Raleigh are quietly replicating the model from mainland Europe and getting ahead of the curve. Charged with the development, Edward Pegram tells us more…

U

sed to finding ourselves in a chicken and egg scenario, the UK’s appetite for a change in how we move goods and people appears to have a reception, arguably for the first time in decades. With stories of green mobility making the press with greater regularity, the time has come to question not only personal mobility choices, but also those of business.

According to ‘White Van Cities’, a paper on the subject of inner-city logistics, van traffic is the single fastest growing segment of road traffic and little wonder with the astonishing acceleration of online retail trends. Van traffic has grown by 71% over the last 20 years, according to DfT data and 47% of the 3.8 million registered since 1996 are

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attributed to businesses. With the spotlight shone on sustainability there is a recognition by anyone capable of basic mathematics that this trend’s continuation is incompatible with urban spaces.

Edward Pegram, Raleigh’s Commercial Partnerships Manager is now tasked with solving that conundrum in a role that mirrors the Accell Group’s work on mainland Europe in the cargo bike arena. It is, for Ed, a rewarding challenge when his clients realise there is another way.

“The first project that really hit home as a template for the potential came from a construction business, in tandem with Southwark Council and TfL. We were approached by senior site manager of a plush apartment

The Jones dairy has come full circle, returning back to bike delivery.

complex over the Southwark bridge. They were doing four to six trips a day of less than two miles total in a commercial vehicle. So, 12 miles total, all factoring the cost of the congestion charges, extra parking costs and extra time in traffic. We are talking journeys for trips to the paint centre, plumbing fixings and lunch runs too.”

It was costly and inefficient, and the company is far from alone in that dilemma, but the first step is recognising the problem, we’re told.

“FACTORING IN ALL FLEET MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS THE SAVINGS CAN BE PRONOUNCED, EVEN WITH SERVICING AND CHARGING...”

“We had a talk with the site manager whose questions were simple; how can we reduce congestion locally rather than be seen adding to it? Can we also be seen in community to be doing positive construction? Is it possible to do it with no emissions, no charges, parking and fines?”

The intention was there and an admission of being fed up with parking tickets for stopping in bus lanes in London proved a final straw. Raleigh deployed its Babboe electric cargo bikes and the construction firm’s costs have since reduced. What’s more, when the bikes are not in use they are available to food banks in borough for deliveries.

In bringing about changes that seem insurmountable the UK again looks on enviously over the water, pondering what it could take to bring about a cycling culture that is now so deep seated that people question whether Amsterdam ever had anything other than bicycles as a primary transport mode. You needn’t look too far back into history to see that the Dutch capital did indeed suffer the same affliction of motor dependence, that was up until a string of deaths attributed to poor driving prompted the canal city’s residents to call for a rethink. Social responsibility, then, is a trigger for change, in particular as corporates fine tune their ESG credentials.

Pegram points to a second project as sign that change is coming from the top down.

“The Jones Dairy in Hackney are as old as Raleigh and used cargo bikes up to 30s. Then it went to vans, both petrol and diesel. That was until the pandemic hit, at which point the Square Mile stopped accepting traditional

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(( RALEIGH CARGO BIKES ))

Dairy deliveries aside, Raleigh has just begun a substantial trail with the National Trust to assist its staff.

vehicle deliveries; that is the building management itself taking steps to prevent dirty traffic entering the zone.

What we are now seeing is large vehicles taking goods to the outskirts, then using a repurposed car park to consolidate the shipment and transfer what they need to cargo bikes, which then do runs into the centre.”

This model, studies have shown, is beneficial in both time and cost to the vast majority of businesses and it is just a case of presenting that evidence through trials that will be the first roll of the snowball to not only acceptance, but demand.

“The electrification of cargo bikes has been the difference, in Europe our sales show a rapid overtaking of pedal powered cargo sales and its to a variety of clients. Like when e-Bikes began filtering through there is the question “is a fad?” Yet, for Raleigh, cargo is now one of most important developments for next two to three years and that’s reflected in the investments being made upstream,” says Pegram on the Accell Group’s forecasting of this trend’s evolution.

Indeed there is to be an expansion of the range to the tune of double what exists at present, with options that offer a flatbed, rear load, family-friendly and those tailored for specific uses. We’re told all will be less than metre wide, so they are not intrusive in cycle lanes.

“The ambition is to get these bikes out to UK market in thousands, obviously sold, but first as demo units so the potential can be seen. The biggest volume so far has been local authority fleets of bikes delivered on Energy Saving Trust grants. We are at the stage in UK when it’s proof of concept. It’s about overcoming that scepticism and so try before you buy is the low risk, no cost solution people need at present,” explains Pegram.

So, what wins people over in the end? Is a cost saving in the ballpark of 80 to 90% versus a commercial vehicle enough to turn heads?

“Factoring in all considerations when managing fleets of vehicles, the savings can be that pronounced and that includes servicing, charging, maintenance and repair bills for the e-Cargo bikes. For the dairy business the major savings came from removing the ultra-low emissions charge costs, the fuel cost that rapidly grows when a vehicle is stop-start all day and they now have no parking fines.”

Above that, company traffic reduction is a community benefit in terms of noise and air pollution. Pegram admits it is not suitable for every use case, but what is little considered is how full most vans on the road are.

A Transport for London assessment of van traffic found that, on average, vans are only 38% full, while the 39% of vans on the road are less than a quarter full. In essence that means we are wasting a lot of space on the roads that could be better used by appropriately sized vehicles.

At the time of writing, Pegram is dashing between National Trust sites, delivering fleets of electric bikes and electric cargo bikes. With many of these sites spanning 100-acre or more, staff servicing the grounds have been unable to do anything but drive vans, ultimately disturbing the grounds and the many thousands of visitors.

“These sites are where people go for a staycation and to connect with nature, but up to now they’d be dodging van traffic on site. A large number of volunteers moving on site now benefit from a better tool for the job and for their health too,” we’re told. “The phase out of fossil fuel vehicles is essential for these organisations, so we have worked with them to move people with no impact on landscape and to reduce noise pollution, enhance staff wellbeing and improve efficiency. Of course, they were ruining the engines of vehicles on so many start-stop journeys too, so it was both costly and inefficient.”

Concluding his take on the next logical step for the cargo bike movement, Pegram encourages the Government to enhance its backing for the sector, in particular the support of small businesses wishing to make the change.

“Subsidies limit the risk to businesses on the fence and on the expense of a £5k cargo bike that could be huge in bringing about change,” he says. www.raleighb2b.co.uk

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(( ANALYSIS WHAT NEXT FOR TITANIUM? ))

THE FUTURE OF TITANIUM FRAME MANUFACTURING

UK OR OVERSEAS? CI.N’s market report this year found 15% of indie stores are planning to divert more cash toward the gravel bike segment in 2021. This, finds Duncan Moore, has had a warming effect on the titanium market with frames from the nation’s top builder’s often having an off-road edge…

Vaaru designs its bikes in the UK but imports the frames.

Enigma makes here, but bemoans a skills shortage.

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T

he rise in the popularity of gravel bikes has no doubt helped to invigorate the bike trade alongside the rise of electrics. The importance of this sector can be seen with both Shimano and Campagnolo introducing dedicated gravel groupsets. There is also another area of the cycle trade that has seen a boost with the advent of gravel – that’s titanium frame manufacturing.

More and more companies are adding a titanium option as their high-end offering in the gravel market, but where is the production of these frames coming from? While there are many small volume manufacturers in the UK now offering frames and bikes the reality is that almost all of that production is done abroad. Why is this the case?

Are there no frame builders capable of welding titanium, is it the cost of tooling up to be able to work with titanium tubing, or is it some other reason? Then again, if the market is willing to support the sale of titanium frames manufactured overseas, be they custom or stock sized, should it even be considered an issue?

There is one business that builds custom titanium frames in bulk in the UK – Enigma Bicycle Works. Yet even for this southern-based operation, the demands of building with titanium are so great that it has to employ a hybrid manufacturing plan; its custom frames are built in-house while the stock size frames are imported from a manufacturing facility in the far East.

Another to employ the design in the UK, manufacture overseas model is Vaaru Cycles, which imports its own line of titanium frames and finishes them in-house.

Talking about the lack of titanium production in the UK Jim Walker, founder and owner of Enigma, states, “As far as I know we are the only UK manufacturer who builds titanium frames in any numbers. For me, it’s important that we build in Britain.”

Despite Walker’s desire to keep production in the UK the logistics of doing so are currently proving to be insurmountable. “We don’t build everything here because we can’t. We haven’t got the capacity. I would love to make everything here, but titanium is horrible stuff to work with. There is so much you need to do to get it right and it’s taken us a long time to get to the level we’re at, to get to grips with it,” explains Walker.

Enigma’s Sussex workshop turns out a Core and Signature product, offering off-the-shelf and bespoke frames, respectively.

“I CAN’T SIMPLY PLACE AN AD AND RECRUIT A TITANIUM FRAME BUILDER BECAUSE THEY DON’T EXIST, THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED....”

For James Beresford, the founder of Vaaru Cycles, overseas manufacturing holds no worries or concerns. “I ran design projects and spent years bringing high-quality cycling products to the market. I have very little concern about our frames being built overseas. I have worked with them on a number of quality products for over a decade and have a lot of trust in their skills and ability to create a quality product.”

Despite his confidence in the operations of the remote frame builders he works with, there are some matters that are beyond anyone’s ability to sort that can have an impact on business. “An issue that is out of our control is shipping and freight, the price and the timescales fluctuate which can be challenging but with regular and honest communication we keep our customers up to date,” Beresford explains.

Even when manufacturing takes place in the UK, as with Enigma’s custom frame, the same sorts of challenges can create concerns. “It’s not only groupsets that are late,” says Walker reflecting on the current troubles within the cycle trade, “but we’ve been waiting for our tube deliveries. One seems to have got lost in a black hole with the courier company. We source our titanium tubing from all over the world; the USA, China, Taiwan and Italy. At the moment it is very, very hard to get stuff on time. It’s causing us real problems, we’ve got lots of frames that we can’t build because we’re awaiting the tubing.”

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(( ANALYSIS WHAT NEXT FOR TITANIUM? ))

Enigma hopes to one day bring all manufacturing in house and has the machinery on hand to do so.

“WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND TITANIUM VERY WELL NOW, BUT IT’S BEEN PAINFUL. IN THE EARLY DAYS IT WAS LIKE CHUCKING £50 NOTES AWAY...”

In the grand scheme of things, supply issues are just the latest in a long list of concerns that prevent most smallscale bike manufacturers, the kind of outfits that want to add a titanium option to their existing steel ranges, from taking on titanium frame production in-house. Unlike steel frames, where the tubes can be brazed together using readily available, and relatively cheap equipment, titanium welding is a much more complex process. To ensure that the welds do not get contaminated the joins have to be shielded or purged with argon and to do this properly when building a bicycle frame needs a special jig, one that not only holds the tubes in place but also floods them with the inert gas and this is not a cheap option.

Summing up the difficulties of what it was like understanding how to build with titanium when Enigma began its frame production in the UK, Walkers says with a laugh, “We know and understand it very well now, but it’s been painful and expensive. It was like chucking fifty pounds notes away in the early days.”

The knowledge that the team at Enigma has gained over the years shows in small ways with the selection of equipment in the workshop. Alongside the aforementioned specialist frame jigs, there are lathes and mills and more surprisingly a large sonic cleaning bath. Due to titanium’s sensitivity to contamination during the welding process the sonic bath, although it adds an additional process, improves productivity as it thoroughly cleans the titanium tubes before they are welded and improves build quality.

Given this knowledge that titanium is so difficult to work with, the obvious question is why use it as a frame material?

After working in the bike industry for nearly 20 years and being from an engineering background Beresford says he “saw the opportunities with titanium and really liked the qualities of the material”.

Beresford continues, “After riding a number of titanium bikes, I loved the feel and knew I could design a quality frame which had great styling cues and focused on bringing out the best in the riding experience.

“I was also drawn to the idea of a bike for life. I understand there are inevitable environmental impacts of making any bike so we felt that by using titanium we can create a longlasting frame that gives the owner a great basis to keep the miles spinning for many years to come, it would therefore

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be a more sustainable product throughout its lifespan.”

Walker’s argument for the grey metal is that “titanium really lends itself to gravel bikes. For gravel and all-road bikes, titanium is the best material.”

And it is that rise in gravel riding that means the Enigma workshop is as busy as it has ever been, which in turn is creating its own set of problems. “I can’t get the frame builders I need,” says Walker. “I can’t simply place an ad and recruit a frame builder who can work with titanium because they don’t exist. They need to be trained. We’ve never actually tried to get an experienced welder to do it [build a bicycle frame], but it’s an option we’ve been discussing. Doing what we do compared to the work most welders do is a lot different and that’s where the problem is. We recruit enthusiasts who have a feel for the whole process. You can tell quite quickly if someone has what it takes to be a frame builder.”

Despite the concerns around supply, not only of raw materials but also the talent needed to create frames here in the UK, there does appear to be an upside to using titanium for frame production. The material and how it performs remains a constant as Beresford explains, “With new standards come challenges, however, the majority of these aren’t with the material itself. It is in preserving the finish and ride quality our customers expect while embracing changes. So, we undertake a lot of R&D and produce samples to see and feel how these changes can enhance our ride quality and our owner’s experience.”

A similar point of view is put forward by Walker. “Of course, developments like tapered head tubes, flat mounts and thru-axles have changed our frame specification, yet the material specification has remained pretty much the same as always.” Fortunately, for Walker, that’s good news as it is allowing him and his team to rationalise operations as much as possible as he aims to eventually bring all frame manufacturing in-house. “We have machines for pretty much every process, with machines set up for specific operations to try and streamline the production process as much as possible. It’s a constant process of trying to improve efficiency. It’s difficult stuff to work with and the more accurate we can be the faster we can produce frames.

“I’m committed to making bike frames in Britain and I’d eventually like to be in the position where we’re making everything here. One day we’ll get to that stage.”

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(( ANALYSIS DRIVETRAIN SUPPLY ))

DIFFERENT

GEAR In the last edition the question was posed whether a market dominance of Shimano and SRAM may be challenged by the sourcing crisis. Here CI.N digs deeper to ask will internal gearhubs and belt drives be a surprise beneficiary of the pandemic, or where they already gaining popularity?

A

month has started to feel like a very long time in the bike industry. Whereas before we may have got to peak selling season and felt the steady creep of winter just as there’s warmth in the air, with heavy strain on the supply of service goods and indeed the finishing kit to complete bikes, ask any in the trade and they’ll likely be willing the close of 2021 and perhaps a good chunk of 2022 too.

Just as the bike industry could count itself ‘lucky’ in the context of the pandemic, there are a handful of businesses within our bubble who might have caught an unexpected afterglow from the initial ‘bike boom’.

Though it’s hard to make direct connections in a topsyturvy market, belt drive giant Gates may well be one of those catching a favourable uptick on what was already a strong trend, in particular on commuter and electric bikes, toward the belt.

“The pandemic may be part of the recent uptick in interest. We’ve heard anecdotally that chain lead times exceed 52 weeks. While our lead times have extended since the beginning of the year, we’re still far below those for the chain. We know that overall supply chain issues in general are impacting the entire industry,” commented Jonathan Weinart, Gates’ Director of Marketing.

It is likely no coincidence lead times on drivetrain components are coming up in conversation with Gates, among others, more than they have previously. While there’s strong reasoning to spec a belt drive for a multitude of applications, it is thought that the ripple effects on the supply chain will only increase demand. In fact, north of 500 bike brands now count on Gates’ supply for the Carbon Drive system.

Weinart adds: “While we can’t give exact figures on growth trajectory, interest from OEMs has definitely been increasing over the past year, partially fuelled by the overall

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pandemic boost given to bikes, partially by the growing transition to electric bikes, which put higher loads on bicycle drivetrains and therefore require stronger components.”

To attribute an evident growth in OEM speccing of gear hubs and belt drives simply to pandemic problems would arguably be to oversimplify in the face of a market shift that is seeing the industry’s attention turn from sporty cycles toward bikes for transport. Yet, undoubtedly in the scramble to complete spec sheets buyers will have looked further than ever before. With pressures running high, securing the best deal may have come secondary to securing any stock at all.

Over the water in Holland, where the bicycle enjoys some of Europe’s highest modal share for bikes and where demand for parts is undoubtedly no less strained than in the UK, SunRace and Sturmey-Archer come at the problem of drivetrain under supply with double barrels; the group produces both internal gear hubs, for which the Sturmey label is famous, while SunRace has become the wild card chipping away at the market leaders. In fact, in

“THE PANDEMIC MAY BE PART OF THE RECENT UPTICK IN INTEREST. WE’VE HEARD ANECDOTALLY THAT CHAIN LEAD TIMES EXCEED 52 WEEKS.”

Already gaining in popularity, the belt drive has offered a further spec opportunity in times of shortage

CI.N’s 2021 Independent Retailer Study 18% of stores said they now utilise SunRace components in the workshop making it the third most common service brand.

“We see the increase in demand for both our SturmeyArcher articles, as well on the SunRace side. Due to the shortage, customers are more open to trying out other brands, such as ourselves. Also, the consumers are more willing to try other brands. It doesn’t matter to them if their mechanic puts on a Shimano or a SunRace cassettes, all they want is to keep riding their bike. This gives us a unique opportunity to get our name out in the

The cost over a lifetime of the drivetrain can be competitive

market,” explained Patrick Kos, Sales Manager to the SunRace Sturmey-Archer Europe BV group.

Customers have had no complaints either, says Kos, who adds that the consumer’s tendency to demand the leading brands is seemingly more flexible than thought.

“We get a lot of positive feedback from the market.

Where consumers were previously a bit hesitant to try other brands besides Shimano or SRAM, they are now sometimes forced to use other brands. The feedback we get is that they are surprised by the quality of our products, despite the more competitive price level. The majority of the customers are so satisfied that they are ordering our products the next time as well.”

Competitive prices and reliability for the duration of a bike’s life cycle will add an extra layer of shine to any deals done in the present climate and therefore Gates is a firm believer that its appeal has become larger than ever.

“OEMs not only care about first cost, but also the total cost of a drivetrain over the life of their bikes. Because belts have three-fold the life of a chain when put to an eBike application, and double the life in a bicycle application, users can count on lower replacement frequency and lower maintenance costs (service appointments) over the life of the bike compared to chain drives. On a total cost of ownership basis, belt beats chain,” says Weinert.

While it is to be expected that SunRace would likewise be a natural beneficiary of the pandemic, a broader trend upwards best aligns with the stance European Governments are taking to cycling, says Kos. A refocusing of the bike catalogue, with greater emphasis placed on e-Bikes and city has spurred uptake of lower maintenance options as a whole and naturally hub geared options come wellsuited to a client that seeks to offer simplicity in design.

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(( ANALYSIS DRIVETRAIN SUPPLY ))

Pinion’s gearboxes paired with a belt drive have been a further spec option to adventurous brands

“We certainly see an increase in interest for the hub geared options from OEMs. With our hub being used in models from high-end brands, such as on the Stromer ST2 LE, we have definitely been getting some recognition in the market, which is resulting also in higher demand for our internal gear hubs,” says Kos, going on to attribute the growth not so much to pent up pandemic demand, but to a trend in the European Parliaments toward more positive policy outlooks for active travel.

“In a lot of European countries, you are seeing an increasing demand as simultaneously governments are investing in infrastructure and stimulating cycling; and the environmental agenda is stimulating the use of cargo, plus last-mile-delivery e-Bikes in the urban areas. The current situation with Covid, only accelerates this increase in demand. In the coming years, we see a huge growth potential for e-Bike and cargo-bike markets for SturmeyArcher. We are targeting these markets by developing new, specific hub gear-systems, which are designed to perform well under the force of an e-Bike motor.”

“IN A LOT OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, YOU ARE SEEING AN INCREASING DEMAND AS SIMULTANEOUSLY GOVERNMENTS ARE INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND STIMULATING CYCLING.”

SunRace has emerged as an underdog in the race to equip bikes and workshops with components

That cargo bike segment has caught the interest of Sturmey-Archer, who tell CI.N “there is definitely a shift happening.” In fact, it is one of the fastest growth segments for the parts label. Rental bikes too have really developed an appetite for the hub gear. For this the reasoning is simple, “There is still a huge benefit of the hub gear, compared to the derailleur system, which is the maintenance and vulnerability perks,” we’re told.

Some of those options will be well-suited to a pairing with a belt drive, which drawing on its motorcycle roots, is well matched to the needs of the e-Bike.

“When the belt drive was developed 41 years ago it was matched to some of the highest-power cruisers on the market. We applied the same technology (carbon-fiber cord in polyurethane compound) to our bike drives, albeit

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(( ANALYSIS DRIVETRAIN SUPPLY ))

“WHEN THE BELT DRIVE WAS DEVELOPED 41 YEARS AGO, IT WAS MATCHED TO SOME OF THE HIGHEST-POWER CRUISERS ON THE MARKET. WE APPLIED THE SAME TECHNOLOGY (CARBON-FIBER CORD IN POLYURETHANE COMPOUND) TO OUR BIKE DRIVES, ALBEIT WITH A SLIMMER PACKAGE AND SMALLER TOOTH SIZE.”

with a slimmer package and smaller tooth size. Thus, our product still exceeds the stress and torque requirements of even the largest eBike motors, mid-drive or hub, and doesn’t stretch like chains do in similar motorised applications,” says Gates’ Weinart.

Pinion are another brand that, while not widely specced, has turned heads in recent years for its gearbox. As a result of being another element sealed unit, these gearboxes have found favour in the mountain bike world, appearing on bikes from around 115 labels; albeit many of those could fairly be considered frame builders or low volume producers.

“We’re starting to see more spec on hardtail mountain bikes and now even full-suspension mountain bikes as internally geared hubs get lighter and more tensioner options hit the market, like the Pinion BT1 Tensioner (coming Q4 2021),” says Weinart on further OEM pairings that may completely circumvent the norm.

All of the above means investment across the board.

Sturmey-Archer and SunRace’s parent will be investing in additional production capacity, which we’re told the impact will become clear in the near future. As far as results went for 2020, despite acclimatising to the shock of the spike, revenues were still “much better than anticipated” and for 2021 the same trend rolls on, exceeding the component brand’s upper estimates.

“This increase in production capacity will result in our supply catching up with the incoming flow of orders,” adds Kos, “though undoubtedly we are in a similar situation as our competitors. Our supply is under pressure and we can hardly keep up with the demand, therefore we see an increasing delivery time.”

Kos is not quite so bullish on the long-term in terms of demand for parts, telling CI.N that he foresees perhaps

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Low maintenance and quiet, the consumer is likewise fond of belts

two more good years before demand levels plateau.

However, by that time the brand will have had time to shine and will be better off because of it, he says.

“We feel that we will benefit from this whole situation and SunRace/Sturmey-Archer will be recognised as a good alternative to the current market leaders. Therefore, we have to increase our own production capacity, to cope with the higher demand. For external expansion, we are keeping an eye out on opportunities.”

Gates The UK is served by distribution partner Universal Transmissions. They can be reached at +49 (0) 3601 888 64 84, and Info@CarbonDrive.net Sturmey Archer and SunRace Both brands are carried in the UK via Ison Distribution, which is contactable on +44 (0)1353 662 662.

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LYON EQUIPMENT

WITH ROOTS IN MOUNTAIN RESCUE, LYON EQUIPMENT KNOWS OUTDOOR GEAR Founder Jonathan Capper joins new Cycle Market Manager Jordan Lunn to discuss what the distributor’s knowledge can add to retailer’s businesses.

Lyon marked Lunn’s arrival with a gravel grinding jaunt into the local hills

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How’s business for Lyon been through what has been an odd period?

JC: In a word, challenging! During the pandemic business has gone from worrying back in March 2020 to exceptionally busy through the second half of the year. 2021 has carried on with strong business growth and continues positively today. With the growth in cycling in the UK we anticipate strong sales this year and beyond.

The key question on the trade’s lips remains, how are your stock levels now and going forwards?

JL: Like most others in the market right now, stock holding is an ongoing issue. Lyon has worked tirelessly with suppliers to ensure we have what we need on the shelf, to ensure that our customers are supported. Of course, with the continuing matters of shipping, delays in manufacturing and scarcity of raw materials, we don’t have the depth of stock we would typically aim for. We are confident that as these issues ease, we will be back to what we would consider as ‘normal’ as soon as possible.

How has the broader outdoor market fared during this time and are there crossover opportunities for bike shops selling outdoor adventure?

JL: We have seen a huge uptake in consumers ‘staycationing’, meaning a huge influx of new interest in the outdoor sector. Along with this bikepacking is moving from strength to strength which pairs perfectly with our outdoor sector. This is a great time for bike shops to try some outdoor equipment in store as consumers get to know their local surroundings.

You’re well positioned to spot trends in consumer behaviour given the depth of the business – what products are people seeking out to make the most of domestic adventure?

JC: Over the last 14 months we have seen a change in consumer purchasing where end users are buying product to meet the demands of “staycation” holidays. Purchases are perhaps more considered where the customer has carried out detailed research on their new toy. We have definitely seen a

growth in sales of high-end products.

Additionally, there is a real interest in sustainability of brands and their products. This is particularly the case with Ortlieb.

The growth of web sales has probably been seen across all industries, but is especially true with cycle. We have been fortunate during periods of lockdown that cycle retail was allowed to stay open and with our product range this has been a real advantage for the end user to get the professional advice that our dealers excel in giving.

You’ve recently made some big hires across the business – who joins and what experience do they bring?

JC: Over the last few years we have been investing in our cycle division at Lyon and recently we have appointed Jordan Lunn as Cycle Market Manager and Ed Braithwaite as Assistant Cycle Market Manager.

Jordan brings with him a wealth of knowledge from across the industry. He joins us from Ison-Distribution where he worked as International Brand Manager for Halo Wheels and UK Brand Manager for HT-Components.

Ed brings insight from many different areas of the outdoor industry, as well as retail sales and mountain bike guiding and coaching.

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME FOR BIKE SHOPS TO TRY SOME OTHER OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT.” As part of these changes Nils Amelinckx is stepping back from his role as Cycle Manager to concentrate on his current health issues. Nils will

still be working with us on promotion and marketing.

Where else in the business are you reinvesting in order to deliver a strong experience for your customers?

JC: We are investing in developing our web presence, B2B and social media to ensure that we can give dealers and end users the best possible experience. In addition, we have been investing in a new cycle workshop to provide faster customer service.

With retail and consumer buying habits changing it is said that many shoppers like an experience. How would you suggest bike and outdoor shops adapt to meet this head on with products like yours?

JL: The market is as competitive as I have ever seen it. For shops to stand out in the market as it is now, I feel they really need to offer the whole package.

The Lyon cycling portfolio has broadened to build in goods from Salsa and Terravail, among others

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LYON EQUIPMENT

For genuine weekend warriors Lyon’s portfolio can stack a bike with gear for all weather

This includes excellent service, an engaging online presence, bespoke services that cannot be offered online (such as bike fitting and suspension set up), a community built around the shop, and unique ranging that doesn’t compete with every other retailer. Combined, this will give end consumers an experience that should be exclusive to that store and hopefully one that sees them become long-term loyal customers.

Not everyone will be aware of some of the behind the scenes charitable and rescue training work Lyon does – tell us about your background here: JC: Where do I start with this! Lyon has always been passionate about our ability to allow people to venture further and with this vison we have been actively involved for 40 years in working with nearly all the rescue services in the UK. These range from Coastal Rescue through to Mountain, Cave, Mines, Police and Fire and Rescue teams.

Our own manufacturing is actively involved with developing bespoke products for rescue including stretchers, casualty harnesses and lifting bags. Coupled to this, we run our

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own training school which specialises in training rescue personnel to operate at height in all conditions. To make the training real we own a section of the River Lune Gorge in Cumbria where trainees can practice their newly found

already exciting cycle sector line up of Ortlieb, Bombtrack, Julbo, Hydrapak and Tubus.

Lyon has and will continue to focus on adding brands that complement the current portfolio, offer unique USP’s and align with Lyon’s goals and values.

“WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING WITH NEARLY ALL UK RESCUE SERVICES FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS...”

How can a store open an account and what perks have you on delivery, payment terms, merchandising support or other buy in offers?

JL: We feel that we offer a personal approach to cycle distribution with the advantage of typically fantastic stock holding, knowledgeable and personable staff, exciting brands and unique experiences. We hope to work closely with dealers moving forwards with experience days, so that staff can get to grips with our products in the wild. We also have in-house manufacturing for our Outdoor side of the business, so we are also able to offer bespoke POS to certain dealers, alongside our typical POS options.

skills in real life scenarios. When not running commercial training courses our team regularly respond to 999 calls as volunteer rescuers in mountain and cave emergencies.

The cycling brand portfolio has been a steady grower over time. What brands have strengthened your offering in recent years for stores who have not checked in?

JL: In recent years we have added Salsa Cycles, Teravail and Arundel to our

If you’d like to become a dealer of Lyon Equipment, please email info@lyon.co.uk for account application forms.

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