CI.N Issue 006 / 2021

01 ADVERT_RALEIGH_CIN006_2021_Final.qxp 06/10/2021 12:56 Page 1

ISSUE 006 // 2021

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from the editor

Mark Sutton > editor

READING THE ROOM

Cycling Industry Chat

The IPCC’S “code red for humanity” warning issued in August confirmed what a lot of us already suspected on the climate; that things are heading in the wrong direction.

Whether or not a change in the environment around us affects us personally in the immediate future feels less worthy of debate than it did even a year ago. To debate that it will adversely affect the younger and future generations is now no longer up for discussion, it’s a thousand-page-long, eight-year-studied and peer-reviewed fact. As if we needed further convincing, the planet has this summer quite spectacularly shown us that nature cares little about who’s right or wrong on such debates.

If I’ve lost you by this point, I’m sceptical anything I can say from here on in will change your mind. Before you go, answer this: “What if we make a better, safer and cleaner world for our children for nothing?”

For those whose eyes remain, the proposal is simple; we need to get off the fence with this subject and not be shy about presenting cycling’s role as a sustainable transport form at every opportunity. That’s showing the per-month cost and CO2 savings in factual window displays; it’s attending meetings where councillors are ready to scrap the local cycle lane, armed with data and it’s making incremental changes to the business that show you practice what you preach.

I’m encouraged that I’ve encountered very few in the industry to-date who would disagree that these are progressive things to be doing, not just for society, but for the future health of the cycle trade.

We are in a fairly unique position to become the big ring that drives change in transport, now it can reasonably be said that ‘peak car’ has hit. Policy makers, while falling over themselves for the EV car market, nonetheless acknowledge that congestion must reduce. A recent report projected an 11% rise in car traffic by 2050 with policy tilted as it is at present; that’s 10 million more cars on British roads at any given time. If your town is anything like mine, the trickledown of that growth will look a lot like a car park moving at tectonic speed.

In some instances it is appropriate to take the stick that a topic is being beaten with and go with it. In the case of cycling folk automatically being considered eco warriors, perhaps that’s to be embraced. Studies show that Gen Z and Millennials, in particular, are strongly in support of urgent climate measures and have been shown ready to do their bit. These are your current and future customers, align with them and the world around you, and there really can be no bad outcome.

@CyclingIndustry @MarkSuttonBike mark@cyclingindustry.news www.cyclingindustry.news

Publisher

Jerry Ramsdale jerry@cyclingindustry.news Editor

Mark Sutton mark@cyclingindustry.news Staff Writer

Liberty Sheldon libby@cyclingindustry.news Consultant

Jon Harker jon@cyclingindustry.news Sales Executive

Alfie Brown alfie@cyclingindustry.news Head of Production

Luke Wikner luke@cyclingindustry.news Designers

Dan Bennett • Tina Ries Victoria Arellano

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05-06 PROFESSIONALS_CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:25 Page 1

the professionals FEELING THE PINCH The pandemic has forced more than a few hands to carefully consider both prices and profit margins. With that in mind, we explore the subject of links in the supply chain with two retailers…

Dan Parsons Fully Charged

TO WHAT DEGREE ARE YOU CONCERNED BY A TILT OF THE TRADITIONAL DISTRIBUTION MODEL TOWARD MORE DIRECT OPTIONS IN THE FACE OF PRICING PRESSURES? Dan Parsons, Fully Charged I remember as a child, my brother and I drooling at all the new bikes and accessories, faces pressed up against the window of the independent bike store in my hometown – a passionate and enthusiastic family-run business that my Dad and grandfather had both bought their bikes from.

This was before the internet was a thing, before Google and before brands, distributors and retailers had websites and the ability to market and sell online. Before life for the retailer got complicated. “Omni-channel” was certainly not an expression on the tip of anybody’s tongue.

Fast forward thirty years, throw a pandemic and Brexit into the mix and it’s a very different environment. Every

Greg Freeman Moose Cycles

major town or city has a recognisable chain cycle store in it, all brands are online and some have chosen to sell D2C, blurring the lines of the traditional distribution model.

The bricks and mortar retailer is experiencing stress like never before, with demand through the roof, supply through the floor, prices rising, margins being squeezed and greater competition than ever. In some cases that competition coming directly from the very brands taking up the valuable space on their shop floor.

The disparity in how brands have dealt with supply issues and price changes is enormous.

Some have been good, sympathetic to the difficult situation that of the retailer doing daily customer service for their brand as we fight to keep patient customers happy whilst they wait for their new bikes, parts and accessories. The better brands have been giving plenty of notice regarding price increases, in most cases

Christopher Dee Northside Bikes

honouring prices of pre-ordered product delivered late due to the supply issues and most importantly clear, consistent and regular communication that we can share with our customers.

Others have been bad, with irregular updates having to be prized out from their overstretched and illinformed reps and short-notice price rises at random intervals.

Then there’s the downright ugly; brands conducting monopolistic business practises by controlling stock and choosing to feed their own D2C channel ahead of making product available to fulfil retailer pre-orders – orders which have been presold to deposited customers on the back of the retailer’s costly and successful brand-benefiting marketing campaigns. Unable to fulfil orders and with nothing to communicate to the growing list of incredibly patient customers, almost unbelievably, some have cancelled and gone direct to the very brands refusing to supply

STAY IN THE LOOP SCAN QR CODE TO RECEIVE OUR BI-WEEKLY C.I.N NEWS UPDATES WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 005

05-06 PROFESSIONALS_CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:25 Page 2

the professionals FEELING THE PINCH the retailer. And guess where these customers are coming when they need service and support?

Brands do need to consider more the vital role of the retailer in the supply chain and the effects of their actions. To say that I’m concerned about the future of the cycling industry and the place of the retailer is an understatement.

And the bicycle store of my childhood? Long since closed – squeezed out by the pressures of chain stores and online retail. The building became a bank – and guess what, it’s now closing due to a shift to online business.

Greg Freeman, Moose Cycles I used to be concerned about the direct route, however the last two years have been our best ever and so currently I'm less worried. I do feel however going forwards we are working with brands that are already competitive on price to a degree with the direct players and with the advantage that a local point of contact brings for warranty and repair.

I do wish our brand partners would tell consumers the benefits of their dealer network. We do so much more in terms of warranty and problem solving that the direct brand could . Most consumers don't realise this until they have a problem. The bikes we sell are expensive and quite complicated and we definitely add value to the purchase.

I think the problem is that some of the retailers are no better than direct players in that most of their business is mail order, so they are not as much of an asset as we are.

006 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

Christopher Dee, Northside Bikes I am only a little concerned about this and the impact it has on the shop as the majority of customers live local and take advantage of having a bike shop on their doorstep. A lot of the rest who travel from further afield want to either support a local business, or have the personal service that you get from a shop. A big concern is the value consumers get in terms of service and quality of bike, along with the environmental impact of more shipping.

THE BRAND STORE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF FAVOUR OVER THE YEARS – HAS THIS EVER APPEALED TO YOU AS A PARTNERSHIP AND IF NOT WHY NOT? Greg Freeman, Moose Cycles I have never thought the brand stores are a good idea, nor putting all your eggs in one basket. Over the years there are few that have been successful.

Christopher Dee, Northside Bikes This has never been something we have considered and its unappealing now as while there are a number of great brands a single brand can never quite meet all the needs of the public. We also do a lot of community work and provide low cost parts and services that a brand partnership might not allow for financially.

ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE INDIE BIKE STORE EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO HANDLING B2C BRANDS? Greg Freeman, Moose Cycles I have no interest in dealing with B2C brands and sorting out their problems and feel that anyone who does is helping the demise of shops as we know them. It’s very much short term and not a future I would want. I can see it being of interest maybe to the repair only operators who have no interest in the current way of things.

Christopher Dee, Northside Bikes There are potentially a number of opportunities for indie stores. We currently work with a B2C that insists on all its bikes being built at a local shop and fitted for the customer in store. Promoting bike builds and even bike maintenance workshops to B2C customers is also an area we are looking to grow as these brands become bigger.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, OR PERHAPS FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH OWN BRAND GOODS OF YOUR OWN? Greg Freeman, Moose Cycles I have never considered starting my own brand, there are way too many brands already. Very few have survived the test of time without serious players behind them and without something unique from an engineering perspective to market.

Christopher Dee, Northside Bikes Not seriously.

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GOLD PARTNER

SILVER PARTNERS

MARKET SHARING The propensity for a brand to do well in the marketplace is built around a delicate balance of finding a route to market that everybody finds acceptable and profitable. So what factors weigh on success? CyclingIndustry.News’ market research reveals more…

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON SHARING BRANDS WITH MULTIPLES AND ONLINE RETAIL GIANTS? ANALYSIS Taking place at the end of the first year of Covid hitting the UK the timing of our findings came as shops were reflecting on a few quarters of record takings, but also as some concern emerged that 2021 may bring its own headwinds. At the time, it may have remained reasonable for three in four shops to hold direct concerns about sharing brands with online giants, with whom it’s fair to say pricing can slide.

“THE OUTLOOK HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER OVER THE PAST 18-24 MONTHS.” These are not normal trading conditions, however, and it can be fairly said that the outlook has been a rollercoaster over the past 18 to 24 months. Will a bike shop still hold the same level of concern in the present climate when, in theory, discounting should be far from anyone’s mind in the face of under-supply? Of course, the bike

08 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

world as a whole will be watching very closely for a correction bounce when supply first normalises and potentially ends up heading towards oversupply once more in the face of large-scale production investments.

For anyone that traded through the past five years no idea could be less appealing than a quick reversal to the extremes of discounting once more.

What remains important from a brand’s perspective is just how large a chunk of the indie bike shop market has genuine interest in partnerships with those willing to deliver on retail exclusives. Just over half of stores feel more able to strike partnerships with this sense of exclusivity and for many products that are either technical or require some form of fitting, such arrangements with physical retail remain sensible business for both parties.

Further to this, the trend of click and collect, no stock holding offerings now tied in to many supplier’s own websites is warmly looked upon by 22% of indie stores which arguably is on the low side given the acceleration of such arrangements.

RIDE YOUR CITY

@contityres conti-tyres.co.uk

08 10-11 MARKET_DATA_CIN006_2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:34 Page 2

GOLD PARTNER

SILVER PARTNERS

Cycling Industry News’ fifth annual Market Data drive is now underway ahead of release in 2022. To take part scan the QR code.

(All data gathered is anonymised)

/ Raleigh / Merida

WHAT ARE YOUR STORE’S TOP-SELLING PEDAL-POWERED BIKE BRANDS OF ALL KINDS? ANALYSIS There has been one striking riser on the board when it comes to brands represented most heavily in our sample of indie bike shops; the star of the riser bard is Moore Large’s house brand Forme. Year-on-year the number of responses placing this label among the shop’s top sellers has risen nearly six-fold, illustrating the efforts that the distributor has put into raising the brand’s profile. Led by brand director Adam Biggs, earlier this year he expressed an ambition to take Forme to a position of challenging as a global brand and from the progress thus far it’s plain to see things are on track.

Naturally, in a year of Brexit based disruptions Cube appears in our sample to have lost a small foothold, though fellow European manufacturer Orbea has gained

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a small amount year-to-year so the fluctuation could just as easily be our related to our sample pool (198 indie shops for this question).

Other gainers year-to-year include Dawes, rising from 8th to 6th; Merida, who in the raw data doubled their representation; Scott rising sharply from 12th to 5th; Whyte rises from 14th to joint 8th and Marin adding several stores in our year-to-year numbers. Batribike also gained strongly in doors represented, which will be reflected further in our assessment of top e-Bike labels.

On the flip side, Specialized continues to be less represented in our sample data, falling 6th to 10th overall and Madison’s Saracen label drops on the decision to take the brand direct to the consumer.

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FAVOURITE SUPPLIER

“SOME 52% OF BIKE SHOPS RANK THIS AS THE NUMBER ONE GROWTH IN FLOOR SPACE FOR ANY GIVEN PRODUCT IN 2021.”

SUPPLIER

MENTIONS

1 2 3 4 5

Raleigh Giant Cube / Trek Batribike Forme

SUPPLIER

MENTIONS

47

Econic

1

Raleigh

15

Bianchi

1

Giant

14

Brompton

1

Cube

13

Byocycles

1

Trek

13

Cannondale

1

Batribike

8

Colnago

1

Forme

7

Commencal

1

Merida

6

Compass

1

EZEGO

5

Emu

1

Haibike

5

Focus

1

Orbea

5

Gepida

1

Bergamont

4

Gudereit

1

Specialized

4

Ideal

1

Volt

4

Insync

1

Corratec

3

Kinesis

1

Juicy

3

Koga

1

Ridgeback

3

KTM

1

Scott

3

Lectric

1

Whyte Bikes

3

Marin

1

Wisper

3

Roodog

1

Dawes

2

Tern

1

Gazelle

2

Wilier

1

Kalkhoff

2

Moustache

1

Lapierre

2

TOTAL RESPONDENTS 193

No e-bike sales

WHAT IS YOUR STORE’S TOP-SELLING ELECTRIC BIKE LABEL? ANALYSIS First and foremost, the most interesting stat from our assessment of which electric bike producing labels have seeded into the UK market with the greatest success is actually the finding that around a quarter of the indie bike shop marketplace has opted not to carry pedal assisted bikes. That said, some 52% of bike shops rank this as the number one growth in floor space for any given product in 2021, which goes some way to explaining the speed at which imports have been growing.

Generally speaking, the top four labels are names you might expect to find widely represented but making number five is a far smaller outfit that has tapped into

a key entry-to-mid price point. Batribike last year really began to shift gears, in part down to fresh hires, but also down to a partnership with Danish e-Bike OEM parts supplier Promovec, a recent Eurobike Award winner. The brand’s success could well be best attributed to the finding that 23% of e-Bike sales fell into its sweet spot of £1,500 to £2,000.

Once again, Forme has earned itself a spot high up the list of brands in the ascendancy, accompanied by some longer-term specialists such as Haibike and Orbea, which have both had successes in the MTB and gravel segments, in particular.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 011

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(( INTERVIEW CLAUS FLEISCHER > BOSCH E-BIKE SYSTEMS ))

PLACE YOUR BETS In the e-Bike world Bosch’s CEO is looked upon to have all the answers as to what comes next for a bustling marketplace. In an exclusive interview with CyclingIndustry.News Claus Fleischer explains that it may be the mathematics of the transport ecosystem alone that makes the e-Bike a nailed-on success…

ransport is at a crossroads. While we are making our way from Friedrichshafen to Munich it’s evident that Germany is further along the line than most European territories. It is until we meet a local who tells us that the cycle lanes in Munich need work that we are under the impression the transition to smaller mobility is moving freely. Eyebrows raised and jaws dropped we warn the local not to come to the UK if they think Germany has it bad.

In the EU, which obviously now does not include Britain, there is a political appetite seemingly both at the grassroots level, but also from central authorities. Cycling’s role as a green transport form has been propelled onto the discussion board with some high-profile names within the European Commission pledging to fight the corner of the two wheeler industries.

As we sit down with Bosch CEO Claus Fleischer the politics of transport and how to bring about the pace of change desired is quickly the focal point.

“I talked to the mayor of a German city last week and his desire was to have the ability to experiment. This, he says, is crucial to find out what works and what is not palatable. Normal planning procedures are so staggered and take too long. He wanted the freedom to trial ideas but is restricted in how ambitious a project he can lay down in his city. To devolve that power from central Government is the primary wish of local policymakers who wish to be the difference,” starts Fleischer.

In his position at the helm of a multi-national company in a booming segment of the bike world, Fleischer is often looked upon to have the answers on all things e-Bikes and as such carries some influence on the topic of mobility. He

T

Claus Fleischer at the Munich IAA Mobility event

has recently encouraged a raft of high profile politicians to continue to be courageous in developing the work toward a goal of greater sustainable transport provision during the pandemic, but determines that “somewhere along the line they have lost their courage,” in reference to some city planners undoing constructive work to drive cycling.

It is, feels Fleischer, an inevitability of sorts that smaller mobility, including the e-Bike, will become a substantial force in the transport ecosystem. Looking around at the IAA Mobility show, the invitation to the bike industry to participate is evidence enough that somebody has done the mathematics of personal car ownership and population growth.

“Ten years ago Bosch looked at the challenge of mega urbanisation of society and industry. We saw this challenge, realising that one answer – public transport – was expensive and takes too long. So, the bicycle is a great Bosch’s new controller

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 013

13-15 17 INTERVIEW Bosch CEO Claus CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:35 Page 2

(( INTERVIEW CLAUS FLEISCHER > BOSCH E-BIKE SYSTEMS ))

The ‘Smart System’ allows a pick and mix of accessories

alternative. The main reason Bosch eBike Systems exists is because of the transport mega trends. We want to provide for society a solution for up to five and ten-kilometre journeys that makes sense to everybody.

“Interestingly, in Bosch’s own history the Bosch business sector was named with automotive in mind, but we renamed to account for broader mobility trends and that was 12 to 14 years ago. Now the IAA international auto show has become a mobility show. This is now the broader roof of our world’s, it’s no longer just about cars. You will already see it in a city like Munich. The industry itself is not necessarily closer together but for consumer the choice in mobility is blurring at the fringes.”

To test the theory that the consumer is ready to move beyond reliance on the car Bosch has conducted its own experiments. Claus recounts one particular social experiment alongside a German University in which car keys of residents were traded in for ten days in exchange for an electric bike. Notes were taken before and after from the volunteers on what trips were undertaken and how.

Claus says of the results: “It was interesting to see that overall commuting and A to B transportation habits didn’t change, but the modal split began to change after the event. They were basically going the same distances, as often as before, but making the trips with an eBike. 73% of rides by e-Bike thereafter was the result, but the volunteers hadn’t had the idea previously to try the e-Bike for the trips. If you take a picture of congestion with minus 75% the number of cars the streets are empty. Our job now is to convert this precious street space to account for this possibility and drive the change. Of course, the automobile is rather static as cars only move, on average, one hour per day. Immobile cars are using huge and valuable space, but convert that to suit pedestrians and cyclists

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Via Bosch’s app it is possible to fine tune assistance preferences

and you’ll see fluidity in the city again.”

Next door to Bosch’s e-Bike booth is the group’s motoring arm and it’s plain to see the difference, not just for the brand, but across the IAA show in general. The two industries are worlds apart in budgets and influence, particularly in Germany. To adjust the priority will take some lobbying, but cycling has the advantage of ticking a lot of society’s requirements at present whereas motoring, it could be argued, is only entrenching a system that is not working for the urban world.

Fleischer says of this: “We have been operating without governmental willpower or subsidy. The results we have gained so far seems to be because people just like what we do. If we now convert the combustion engine to function on electric only, we will solve noise and real emissions, but we do not solve congestion. For the bike and e-Bikes I would

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“COMMERCIAL CARGO IS A CHALLENGE AS NATURALLY THERE IS A TENDENCY TO ASK FOR MORE POWER, SPEED AND WEIGHT CARRIAGE.” rather prioritise the conversion of space for active travel before the subsidies come. There is an issue right now where the funding is growing to do just that, but now the city planners are saying we cannot spend it due to the length of the administration involved.”

Two wheeled electric bikes aside, a focal point for the bike industry in recent years has been the cargo bike’s development. Bosch does not yet actively target the commercial side of this business, producing motors that are better suited to personal mobility rather than hauling the lofty loads required by postal providers, for example.

On this Fleischer says the opportunity remains two-fold, despite talk of a lofty share of electric cargo bikes now being built to satisfy commercial demand. “Cargo has two worlds: that’s private ownership for the car replacement, which is still the larger portion right now. Then you have the commercial cargo. Real commercial users such as postal services have very special regulations which cannot be fulfilled with a personal usage system. There are markedly higher requirements for durability and some want a throttle system.”

Naturally, at this point the discussion flows into what the appropriate regulations are for the various types of electric bike on the market; a topic that has been in sharp focus and covered on CI.N recently. Are the same regulations suitable for the large cargo haulers and what’s Bosch’s view on what should remain an e-Bike and which types require licensing, we ask?

“Of primary importance to the industry at large is the safeguarding of the pedelec designed to cut of 25kmh; this must, at all costs, remain legislatively as a bicycle. That is our treasure. We know there are different influencers who have a view on changing this. In my view, they forget we may lose this status of the e-Bike within the bicycle

framework. We must remain without licence and insurance requirement, with bike path access,” says Fleischer.

Bosch eBike Systems, with all its expertise on tailoring motor products, is therefore regularly called upon as a member of key trade organisations, such as CONEBI, to keep close contact with the political world in order to maintain a close dialogue. Without this link to the legislators, the risk of a market crash for e-Bikes becomes very real, argues Fleischer.

“Once we change something here that tests the boundaries we know that the European commission will be waiting with type approval and registration if the industry is seen to try the limits of standards. This will be the moment where all types become over regulated and at this point the consumer would cease to buy. Under type approval rules you cannot change even a brand of tyres and brakes easily; people forget this when changing regs.”

Looking round at the IAA Mobility event, it is clear, however, that the cargo bike’s evolution in particular will stress test some of the existing regulations thanks not only to the evolution of the product, but the demands of those giving serious weight to their use as a replacement for an inner city van. There are numerous iterations of the cargo bike on show here that, aside from legally being a bicycle thanks to the motor’s stops, are seriously testing the upper limits of what’s logistically possible.

“Commercial cargo is a challenge as naturally there is a tendency to ask for more power, speed and weight carriage; but it is the case that many wish to do all of this under the bicycle’s status. It’s a contradiction. We work intensively with CONEBI consulting on these issues.

These larger vehicles should have their type-approval, but not in the same as e-Bike. It’s simply not a bicycle anymore,” says the CEO.

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WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 015

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13-15 17 INTERVIEW Bosch CEO Claus CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:35 Page 4

(( INTERVIEW CLAUS FLEISCHER > BOSCH E-BIKE SYSTEMS ))

Bosch is one e-Bike firm to pledge to help tackle motor tampering

As Germany’s sales forecasts are surpassed, the electric bike is on the cusp of overtaking the bicycle in volume terms at 1.2 million pedal assisted units sold (+9.1% YoY) to 1.55 million traditional bicycles sold (-26% YoY).

This trend is reflected broadly across Europe, with Fleischer identifying the UK, Italy and France as “all coming up fast, alongside impressive numbers in larger Eastern European markets. As such, Bosch has increased its service offering to each territory in a bid to train up a new generation of electric-savvy mechanics.

“What we saw last year was a total market growing to around 20 million to 22 million units. Maybe this was a one-time Covid effect, but nonetheless the available volume sold through. In the long run every second bike sold in Europe will undoubtedly be ‘E’,” he believes.

Maintaining a tally north of 20 million has its immediate headwinds, of course and where others have dodged speaking openly on the supply chain’s crisis, Fleischer delivers a frank assessment, concluding “there is a shortage coming.”

The issue is more a supply of tech than mechanical components to Bosch, as it stands, says Fleischer: “So far we at Bosch have been able to produce and deliver all that was demanded for this and last year. We have battery cell and electronic components at the moment and so far we were able to procure to keep production running.

Currently we have the first interruption landing with us, however. I cannot predict that in the next 12 to 18 months everything will be okay. Mainly it is electronic components, semiconductors and micro controllers that are the key barriers to staying on schedule. The reason is, quite simply, a huge demand from consumer products; smart phones have three cameras compared to one now, as an example of where component parts are going.”

There are of course further complications at the time of writing, most notably factories and ports remaining in a state of semi-regular lockdown in the Far East, not to mention the demand for containers creating a bottleneck on arrivals.

These are situations well beyond the control of a single industry, but there is one subject that during this time is under sharp scrutiny for which the bike world is able to make progress; that’s sustainability claims. The electric, of course, cannot fairly be argued to have the same credentials as a pedal cycle for eco-friendliness, but that hasn’t stopped Bosch taking action to limit the impact of certain raw materials early on.

“SO FAR BOSCH HAS BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE AND DELIVER ALL THAT WAS DEMANDED FOR THIS AND LAST YEAR.” “We don’t shout about this enough, but since our first battery for electric bikes was delivered ten years ago, we reduced the cobalt content down to 66%. This is huge achievement to reduce material use. It may also be little known that for every battery that comes to market we pay a fee into a funding pot to take the battery back through recycling process. There is a large reclaim effort for the aluminium, copper and cobalt.”

A final note on enhancing the product’s sustainability, Fleischer shrugs of the notion that hydrogen – used by a handful of electric cargo bike firms already to power vehicles – will become an alternative clean fuel source for vehicles this small in size. “I wouldn’t invest, the architecture required makes this more of a large vehicle proposition. www.bosch-ebike.com

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 017

ai15826245399_CIN_E_Bike_Cranks_2019.pdf

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09:55

19-20 ANALYSIS Andy Isenman CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:36 Page 1

(( ANALYSIS STOCK TRENDS ))

THE SEARCH GOES ON Physical retail trends of recent years relating to bike stocks have generally taken a breather as shops assess the most profitable use of floor space, but what’s happening online? Andy Isenman once again puts his algorithms to work to spot the trends… n the latest in the series of articles looking at data in the cycling industry we are going to explore the historical trends in cycling disciplines using data gathered from all the major search engines and compare it with how big online retailers have responded with the product lines they run. This article will analyse whether

I

Graph 1

Road Bikes The chart above shows the volume of searches made to the top search engines where Road Bike was the search term.

The data shows that for the last five years the search term is seasonal. The chart shows that the use of the term does increase in 2020 in line with the pandemic demand, however the forecasting model indicates that a normal pattern will continue 2020 and beyond. A significant caveat to the near term is of course the global supply chain getting back on track, which in the very near term looks unlikely; this applies to all graphs shown here.

We can now look at the online retailer data. As you can see in figure two the online retailers had been reducing the number of complete road bikes on offer. There is an increase in March 2020 as the pandemic hits. What is interesting is that the reduction in product lines offered starts to decrease before the pandemic, indicating that this trend may have occurred regardless of stock shortages experienced due to the pandemic and has continued to fall through 2020 with a slight stabilisation in 2021. These charts when considered next to each other show that Road bike interest is Graph 2 broadly static, with online retailers matching that demand with a smaller range of options.

the popularity of particular disciplines effects the buying decisions made in the online retail space. In order to be able to show a representative sample we will look specifically at four disciplines. Road, Mountain, Gravel and Cyclocross. As with previous articles we will also use time-based forecasting to predict search trends.

Graph 3

Mountain Bikes Graph three shows search data for mountain bikes.

As you can see, a similar seasonal trend can be seen with mountain bikes which were increasing in popularity from 2017 and have a seasonal nature. You can see an uptick in the use of the search term at the beginning of the pandemic indicated by the black dots at the top of the chart. The model predicts that the search term will be used consistently into 2022 and beyond.

If we now look at the data round how many mountain bikes are stocked, we can see that unlike road bikes the online retailers initially expanded their ranges from 2018 through to March 2020 when the pandemic hit. There is a rapid decline during the pandemic probably caused by the severe stock shortages experienced by the industry.

We then see the online retailers widen their stock choices through autumn and winter followed by a downturn in choice at the beginning of March. The model has then correctly predicted the shortage in mountain bikes in the UK through the 2021 summer period.

Graph 4

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(( ANALYSIS STOCK TRENDS ))

Graph 5

Cyclocross Bikes If we apply the same method on Cyclocross and plot the popularity of cyclocross bike as a search term in figure five.

Cyclocross bikes do not experience the seasonal variability that we see in the road and mountain bike market. There is also a consistent downward trend in the search terms use and as such the popularity of this discipline. Notably there is a much smaller spike during the pandemic as we see with road and mountain.

If we then look at Figure six we can see that the choice of bikes being offered by the online retailers is disconnected from the search term trends. We see a higher range of bikes being offered in 2019 and that choice then diminish before the pandemic took effect in March 2020. There is a small increase in choice during the pandemic with the prediction that Cyclocross bike choice may rise in the future.

Graph 6

Graph 7

Gravel Bikes Finally, we look at gravel bikes through the same lens.

In figure nine we can see the steady rise in popularity of the gravel bike search term. This is unsurprising as this new form of bike grows in popularity. We see the usual spike during 2020 due to the pandemic, and the model predicts that popularity will continue to rise at the same rate. Gravel bikes, like Cyclocross do not experience the same level of seasonal variation.

If we take a look at the chart for Gravel bikes, we can see that the term really only came into effect in late 2018 and the choice of bikes rose steeply until spring 2020. There is a sharp drop off at the pandemic hits, likely to be caused by demand outstripping supply. The choice stabilises around August 2020 and a slight increase can be seen through to mid-2021. The model does predict a new fall in choice but the explanation for this is more likely to be the model anticipating another 50% drop in choice rather than any likelihood of that drop materialising.

Graph 8

“THE POPULARITY OF ROAD AND MOUNTAIN WILL REMAIN BOTH SEASONAL AND BROADLY STABLE. ” SUMMARY Overall, the choice of complete bikes on offer by online retailers has fallen since 2018, with only mountain bikes predicted to beat this trend. The pandemic has impacted the choice for all types of bikes with gravel bikes being impacted the most with an almost 50% reduction in choice.

If viewed through the use of search terms by the major

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UK search engine providers, the popularity of road and mountain will remain both seasonal and broadly stable.

The popularity of cyclocross will fall but no seasonality will come into play. Gravel bikes are predicted to gain popularity through to 2022 and with availability still a massive challenge within the industry Gravel bike choice could become an important differentiator.

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Clif Bar are one of the bike world’s pioneers of green policy and action

CLIMATE OF CHANGE? There is a feeling in the bike industry that our ‘green image’ is a generous association based on the post production product use. When push comes to shove, what substance has this idea? In the context of the emergency surrounding the climate discussion, CI.N explores how far we’ve come and how much work remains… uly was officially the hottest month on record globally, while in the USA the infamous ‘Dust Bowl’ conditions of 1936 were finally surpassed in temperature peak terms. In typically freezing Siberia, where the mercury hit 38c this summer, flames tore through an area two times the size of Austria sending smoke billowing across the Arctic Circle, melting permafrosts that were considered safe stores of carbon. The snow that would usually have been on the ground in years prior, now replaced by a darker grassier surface that absorbs, rather than reflects, light from the sun, thus accelerating a feedback loop of further warming. Further south, Sicily off the south cost of Italy recorded a temperature of 48.8c, while flash floods ravaged parts of Germany, Belgium, Austria, The Netherlands and even very briefly parts of London.

There are very few doubts left that climate change is not

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now reaching a critical junction where an overshoot of the 1.5 Paris Climate Accord goal does not seem baked in.

Anything north of 2 degrees does not look good for the future of humanity.

So, stark reality presented and without a knee jerk reaction to look elsewhere to cast blame, what can the bicycle industry do and more importantly, what IS it doing already?

RESPONSIBILITY AND REPORTING Trek followed through on an earlier pledge to deliver an annual sustainability report this September, offering its ten-point blueprint for “getting started” on the issue, with President Jon Burke writing that “in the end, it’s going to take all of us” in a prompt to the broader industry to also take responsibility for reducing their footprint.

For Trek the action plan is now rolling, with Air freight

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“FLEET MANAGERS ARE AWARE OF THE RISKS POSED BY TRADITIONAL BATTERIES IN FIRE TERMS. THERE CAN BE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE IN INSURANCE IF A BATTERY CAN BE MADE WITH LESS TOXIC MATERIAL.” set to be reduced alongside corporate travel; an increased reliance on alternative materials to be paired with an ambition to remove all plastic from packaging. Furthermore, already underway is a bid to make the firm’s manufacturing landfill free, while the production plants will source their power from renewables. Underlining the fact that Trek sees the worth in all ships rising together, further points include a pledge to deliver more bike sharing, as well as pitch in to broader work to drive cycling’s modal share increase.

While future ambitions are good to have, the more difficult part for most looking at their contribution to the issue is to first face up to the hard truths on personal impact, put a tangible measure against it and then make the decision to chip away, even if there is some cost.

For Trek, this part of the process was surprisingly candid and now in public view. Assessing the impact of one of its best-selling bikes - The Marlin - the brand calculated that each unit equated to 116kg of CO2 released. It didn’t stop there either; the Fuel Ex weighted 153kg CO2; the Madone carbon costing 197kg and the Rail 229kg. The manufacturer, acting on calculations made by third-party agency WAP Sustainability, is not shying away from its contribution. Its estimate for ‘breaking even’ on the carbon emitted, versus savings made riding instead of driving, is a mileage of 430 miles for the Marlin.

Not alone in the action, Riese & Müller has likewise put

Akku Energie Systems supplies the Deutsche Post with Lithium Iron Phosphate cells

a 696kg CO2 production value on its emissions for a Load 75 Vario cargo bike in a new 96-page sustainability report that pledges “we want to be the most sustainable company in the E-Bike sector by 2025.”

To begin with the firm has started with 18 different zero emissions sub-projects started in 2020 with the direct involvement of 27 staff. Since the start of 2021 the firm’s Campus in Mühltal has been climate neutral with the roof alone housing photovoltaic power systems drawing energy from the sun and even a green space customised to sustain wild bees.

It's what leaves the business that has become the focus and for the 2019/200 business years milestones reached include moving to 100% FSC certified cardboard across all packaging. Downstream an inspection of the firm’s own suppliers saw its 25 largest inspected, resulting in 32 new zero waste projects. This has resulted in 70,000 m² of packaging material saved on frame deliveries alone.

While a 35% daily commute by bike rate means that nearly 200 employees are parking their bikes at the HQ each day, responsibility is placed on the company as much as the employee. In any case, production is the focal point for anyone taking efforts to reduce emissions seriously.

For Riese & Müller, in partnership with auditors from the myclimate Foundation, it was found that overall the production of a Load Vario 75 accounted for 1,137kg of CO2, once the logistics chain, packaging, disposal and

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44,000 Tonnes of bicycle related rubber is disposed of annually in the UK, says Velorim

production had been accounted for. While this may sound problematic for the planet, the same researchers established that it equate to just 8% of a typical car’s CO2 lifecycle (which registers 311 g of CO2 e/vkm).

In October those in the U.S. bike industry, recognising incoming debate during the Federal Budgeting process in Congress, set about rallying behind a new Climate Declaration. The hope is to add weight to the idea of a carbon fee that will lend weight to a shift to cleaner transport forms.

“Elected officials pay attention when business leaders speak up, and this is the bike industry’s opportunity to get the attention of Congress and the White House and say collectively that we demand action,” says Matt Tucker, co-lead of the Business Climate Leaders outdoor recreation team.

BATTERIES – AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? With electric bike sales surging and the balance of investment very much titling toward pedal assisted bikes there is one sustainability conversation that is hard to ‘greenwash’. First of all, what is the climate cost of batteries and secondly what happens to the batteries at the end of life?

While touring Eurobike this year it was curious to hear that on the commercial side of cargo bike usage, the requirements of the likes of DHL, for example, generally hold a different standard to what’s passable to a consumer.

Akku Energie Systems, the battery supplier to Deutsche Post’s cargo bike fleet, meets a certain requirement for a battery cell that prioritises lifetime longevity over individual charge and range. This parameter shift opens different doors in cell production, explains Robert Mellinghoff, the firm’s sales manager.

“It’s not only battery longevity in play, actually. Fleet

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managers are acutely aware of the risks posed by traditional batteries in fire terms; multiplied across lots of vehicles, there can be a profound difference in insurance policies if a battery can be made less risky. For Akku our battery cells are about as natural as is possible, we even use 30% less lithium. The makeup of our cells is Lithium Iron Phosphate, which is not flammable. There’s no cobalt in the mix, nor some of the other elements that ultimately can create an environment where thermal runaway can be possible. For a fleet manager that’s a key criteria, but also these batteries are cleaner and last longer.”

Akku’s numbers tally to around 3,000 charge cycles, or about eight years’ worth of daily use, after which time the materials within remain non-toxic. For context, NMC batteries tend to have closer to 750 charge cycles. As a result of this spec sheet, Deutsche Post has been decked out its e-Bike fleet with Akku’s LiFePO4 batteries for more than eight years already.

“We have just gotten the first battery packs back to send them into their much-earned retirement. Once the cells come back we store and reuse the energy they provide.

Currently we don’t have a lot stored, because the batteries are rarely finding their way back to our facility because they are still working as they are supposed to,” adds Mellinghoff.

On the recycling front, we are now aware that Specialized is pursuing an effort to bring its key markets options on safe and sustainable disposal of its e-Bike batteries. In the USA this began with a partnership with Redwood Materials, a business set up by the former chief technology officer at Tesla. In the UK that effort is now mirrored alongside Ecolamp who will recover the materials from used cells.

Circling back to Riese & Müller to what we strongly

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“WE DON’T DO PRODUCT SEASONS AND FIRMLY REJECT MANUFACTURED OBSOLESSCENCE. REPAIRS ARE A PART OF OUR BUSINESS.”

suspect is an industry-leading figure; an $183,000 investment made in the past financial year has seen battery recycling from its bikes hit 97.2% of all units sold, with efforts to return batteries at end of life now active in 23 partner countries.

Back in the UK, Fenix Battery Recycling has this summer announced a battery collection pilot scheme running in the South West that is expected to be rolled out across the UK and Ireland. In a partnership with Eco Recover, the used cells from personal electric vehicle will be collected from pre-approved drop points by a fleet of electric vehicles and dropped with the recycling plant.

(See eco-recycle.co.uk for the detail) Damian Lambkin, Business Development Director at Fenix Battery Recycling said this process will stop used cells being shipped overseas: “As Fenix is the only UKbased solution for lithium-ion battery recycling, our partnership with Eco Recover will provide a more eco-friendly recycling solution that does not require materials to be exported to the USA or Europe for recycling.”

CLOTHING – 10% OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS It is generally accepted that fashion is almost entirely incompatible with sustainability, if only for the fact that the more than 50% of garments have been found to be thrown out within a year. As the seventh largest global industry, extrapolate the fact that 2,700 litres of water is used to create just one cotton t-shirt and you’ll quickly understand how the industry is quickly contributing to the water crisis in many nations. Polyester, found in 60% of garments made, is three times more carbon intensive to produce still.

With this in mind, an increasingly educated consumer

has been found to be receptive to brands with genuine environmental considerations taken into production. An expert on the subject of sustainability in fabrics is Charles Ross, who points to a handful of brands leading by example.

“Patagonia, The North Face, & Timberland (along with the Kering Group & Eileen Fisher) are now using some materials from the ReGenerative Agricultural practice (cotton, wool, leather) which sequester more carbon than the whole manufacturing process emits. In short the idea is to prevent soil loss, better control irrigation and boost biodiversity. That means if this technology was to be applied to Fast Fashion garments then the kids buying the stuff would be doing net good for the planet! If the anthropological demand from teenagers can't be changed - then let them have better stuff, I say.”

Longer lasting, better quality companies is another thing Ross advocates, as if a sustainable company is not profitable it goes bust and then the learnings are lost. So top down education and advocacy is important and of course the same principle applies to the garment itself; quality is always better than quantity, especially if the garment can be repaired for generations to come.

That is something Apidura has brought into play. Cofounder Tori Fahey told CI.N considering a product’s full life cycle needs to be part of the creative process.

“Our approach resonates with our audience because it’s authentic and consistent with our overall ethos of thoughtful consumption – we don’t do seasons and reject manufactured obsolescence. Repairs aren’t a bolt-on or something we view as ‘nice to have’, rather they are an integral part of our business and something we openly celebrate through our Built to Last content, our second

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Sustainability reports are few and far between in the bike industry but are now making headlines

life marketplace, Revive, and the wealth of DIY repair guidance on our website.”

Particularly pertinent to the discussion is the cycling industry’s use of technical fabrics, some of which have been particularly rough on the planet to date in manufacturing and life cycle terms. Where weatherproofing is a key criteria, PFAS are a particularly persistent ingredient that can easily find its way into everything from our drinking water to the air we breathe.

With that in mind, mass fabrics produced Polartec, which supplies to many top tier cycling labels, has made it a core part of its modern mission to remove this harmful substance from its production. A milestone was reached in July of 2021 to draw a line under PFAS in the firm’s DWR water repellency treatments.

“Achieving non-PFAS treatments within our product line is an important milestone in our commitment to sustainably made performance fabrics,” said Steve Layton, Polartec president this summer.

Plastics as a whole remain something of a necessary evil, however. Apidura’s Fahey explains: “Until technology brings more solutions, plastics play an important, functional role in technical gear, and we need to be mindful of their impact and use them thoughtfully.

“Apidura largely uses materials made to our own specifications, which gives us greater control and insight into the impact of their creation and use versus their longevity and ability to perform in harsh environments, while protecting bikepackers’ survival gear. The one place this is not currently the case is our use of VX21 – a popular material in the bikepacking world and one that we use as a legacy of our earliest designs. With better alternatives

emerging, we have been working to develop a replacement material of our own specification that can perform to the same level without the need for DWR treatment and will be phasing out VX21 as our existing stock depletes.”

CARBON: A THORN IN THE RECYCLING EFFORT Notoriously hard to give new life to once the consumer has decided the product’s life has come to an end, carbon fibre has been a difficult material to make any environmental claims on and very few brands openly discuss end of life here.

Production of the virgin material is energy intensive, making up 90% of the energy used to create a product.

What’s more, carbon is about three times as emissions intensive as making an alloy frame.

When CI.N explored this subject a few years ago, CFK Recycling of Germany kept emerging as a name that those in the business making genuine efforts tended to lean on. Operational since 2011, the boss Tim Rademacker told us at the time “for the bicycle business we recycle 15 tonnes per annum” in a process that reclaims the fibres via chemically separating the glues used to hold them together.

Most recently, the SRAM Group appears to have begun to take the issue seriously and eagle-eyed patent watchers spotted in June a listing filed in Q3 of 2020 that proposed to deliver a new carbon recycling process to be used across the group, thus reclaiming material for further use in future.

In short, scrap material can be used to create a fibrecontaining molding compound. A secondary line can thereafter be used in the molding of parts. The

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“THE VAST MAJORITY OF CYCLE TYRES GO TO LANDFILL, MAINLY VIA DOMESTIC BINS.”

compounds, according to the filing, will have adjustable strength attributes dependant on the chemicals required to break down the old resin.

TYRED OF THE WASTE We leaned on an expert in tyre waste in Velorim, whose business now assists the UK bike shop network with tyre recycling services for insight into the afterlife of rubber goods. Director Dave Hawthorn starts with a stat: “Detailed research carried out in 2018 showed that there is a theoretical 44,000 tonnes of bicycle rubber (i.e. tyres and tubes) disposed of annually in the UK.” Using a calculator on the measureofthings.com we can put into context that this combined weight is about the same as four 4.5 Eiffel Towers. “The vast majority of this is believed to go to landfill, mainly via cyclists’ domestic bins, taking them to council waste facilities or via bike shops taking them in exchange for new ones,” adds Hawthorn.

There is a potentially more toxic outcome of not disposing of tyres properly. We’re told that Hawthorn’s greater concern is larger stores sending off bulk loads via a waste contractor, which are first destined for a shredding and baling facility. It is at this point that the salvage is then used as open fuel, often shipped overseas before returning the carbon to the atmosphere.

While Hawthorn’s business revolves around tyre disposal he is an advocate of not taking the out of sight out of mind approach. Velorim’s disposal services seek to create a circular economy whereby rubber collected by his business is broken down into its constituent parts.

From there the feed stock returns to a state where it is possible to manufacture new rubber products.

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The concept has resonated in the trade too, since last summer take up has been strong. “It is still early days, but to date 20% of the trade has joined the scheme,” he says.

During September Vittoria made a bold claim with respect to a $20 million expansion of its Thailand facility, pledging that despite a plan to double production the plant would become “carbon neutral”. To achieve this lofty goal the business has committed to running the plant on solar energy, as well as implementing intelligent climate controls in the building, as well as putting to use bio and recycled materials wherever possible.

A WORD ON THE FOOD CHAIN Long before many in the bike world began to even register sustainability as a topic worth dedicating resource to Clif Bar was well underway with delivering sustainable practices to its supply chain and production. Spectacularly, Clif lays claim to having climate neutral operations for the past 18 years.

Roma McCaig, SVP of Impact & Communications, Clif Bar told CI.N: “We have increased our organic ingredient usage year after year to make up more than 80% and during that time have lobbied for over ten years on climate advocacy, creating change in state and national government.”

Fundamentally the business is set up around an annual 5 Aspirations Report, published to the firm’s site each year. The five pillars are sustaining our people, community, planet, brands, and business.

McCaig explains: “From LEED certification and solar power at our facilities to the benefits we offer our employees, like our Cool Commute and Cool Home incentives, we are working on programs big and small that can make a positive impact on the planet.”

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“ACHIEVING NON-PFAS TREATMENTS IS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLY MADE PERFORMANCE FABRICS.” Apidura’s Revive promise enables customers to give products a second life

Though Clif is famed for its work at the headquarters, some of the landmarks come from within its kitchens. In 2020, the bakery in Twin Falls, Idaho achieved two firsts: the first TRUE Zero Waste certified facility in Idaho, and the first food manufacturing plant in the world to be recognized as LEED Zero Waste. The Indianapolis bakery, already certified LEED Silver, is working toward zero waste certification in 2021.

Aiming to be net positive by 2030, there’s still work to be done, even after two decades’ efforts. Some of these changes require encouragement outside of the business and for Clif that has meant using its influence to help others bring about changes.

“We recognise that for our sustainability efforts to be successful and really make a positive impact on climate change, the food industry needs systemic, transformational change that will require collaboration between industry and government. This includes work on solutions for sustainable packaging, something we are actively working on with our pledge to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment that by 2025, 100% of our packaging will be

reusable, recyclable or compostable,” says McCaig.

So, what’s the veteran view on where and how others can start their journey toward sustainable practices?

McCaig concludes: “It is important for companies who are getting a sustainability program going to start small and think big. And, no one can do it alone. Through collaboration and partnership, businesses can make a stronger impact faster by working together.”

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Clif Bar HQ is known for its sustainable design and operation

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MAKING A STATEMENT As the final Eurobike in Friedrichshafen wound to a conclusion – leaders from across the bike industry gathered on stage to address the industry’s most pressing issues.

CI.N recaps on a talk touching on supply, sustainability and regulatory wrangles that could cost the trade dearly…

ARE WE FACING A BIKE BUBBLE? Erhard Buchel: My view is that this is not a bubble, but that now we are seeing a change in the consumer’s mindset on cycling. Before it was chic to have nice car and to show off.

Now it is chic to have an electric bike. What’s more, this is getting many more people to ride; not only the older generation, but also young people who will continue to drive a stable growth, as we have seen in Germany.

The projections of CONEBI, CIE and the ECF show that by 2025 we should have more e-Bikes sold than normal bicycles. This will only continue with favourable legislation. It needs a fight to maintain that of course, the EU almost put an insurance on pedelecs, but we fought for a stability and a sensible foundation.

WHAT GROWTH LEVERS COULD THE EU COULD PULL TO DRIVE TRADE? Ton Anbeek: It is always most significant to promote and invest in infrastructure to make sure that safe cycling is able to penetrate urban spaces. Fiscal stimulation and good legislation builds on top of that foundation to stimulate the long-term growth.

Johanna Urkauf: The European legislation that exists is central to our long-term growth. I like the idea of a platform where we can discuss with EU decision makers to maintain best practice.

We are worried about illegally tuned e-Bikes. This is not good for our trade’s reputation and so we must take a stand there. It is so important that the e-Bike is treated as normal bicycle, as it is now. Anything else now would be a catastrophe for our industry. In fact, adjustment

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PANELLISTS Bonnie Tu, Chair of Giant and Liv Cycles’ founder Ton Anbeek, CEO of Accell Group and Vice President of CONEBI Erhard Buchel, President, CONEBI Johanna Urkauf, MD of KTM Bicycles Kalle Nicolai, Universal Transmission founder Bernhard Lange, Chairman, Paul Lange

could reduce the e-Bike’s chances of being such an important part of the future of sustainable transport.

HOW DOES THE INDUSTRY WORK THROUGH ITS SUPPLY CHAIN HEADACHES? Erhard Buchel: The situation is very grave now as many bicycle companies cannot work thanks to a lack of spare parts. The containers that are scheduled to arrive in 40 days sometimes need up to 120 days, so for factories it is impossible to have a production plan. Many factories start on a Monday with assemblies, but by Wednesday the parts to complete a bike don’t arrive and then they have to replan completely. It has disturbed companies to make them work at 50%, or even 30% capacity.

On top of the supply chain being destroyed, we are hit in tandem first by a ship blocking the Suez Canal. People thought it would get better then South China’s main harbour closed, followed by Ningbo, then Shanghai.

This presented a ripple problem in that the price for a container delivered from the Far East to Germany in September 2020 was $1,250 US. Yesterday it was $16,000, today $22,000. There is no end to this hike visible.

There is a saying that if it is raining gold you must have a spoon to collect it. At the moment it is a tea spoon versus a soup spoon. The sales figures began to show pain in Q1. By the end of this year a decline may come. In order to fight this the only solution is not to globalise, but to regionalise parts production. In Europe it is good to create a shorter supply path and also for the CO2 balance.

People can reduce need to carry so much stock. The only solution now is to encourage production to Europe. This

33 Pell & Parker CIN006 2021_LAW.qxp 08/10/2021 08:46 Page 1

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32 34 Eurobike Discussion CIN006 2021_LAW 18/10/2021 08:40 Page 2

(( ANALYSIS INDUSTRY CHALLENGES ))

“MANY MANUFACTURERS HAD EXISTING EU PRODUCTION PLANS PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT COVID ACCELERATED THIS RESHORING MOVEMENT.” is not protectionist, it is just an urgency to overcome this hurdle and get back to normal. There are several examples of such things happening already.

Bonnie Tu: These problems are happening at all my factories too. It is great to have local production, but the situation at present bike industry is that we are globalised.

Each country contributes to pollution. It is not possible for one country or continent to absorb everything, it needs to be a joint effort and we must co-develop a more flexible manufacturing process. Currently, I don’t see a quick solution, we still have to go through unpredictable changes in logistical systems.

HOW WILL THE SUPPLY CHAIN EVOLVE IN NEXT THREE YEARS AND ARE BRANDS RESHORING IN THE EU? Johanna Urkauf: The growth potential for the industry makes it interesting to invest here in Europe. For example, at KTM, we have invested over €30 million in Austrian production and we are not the only ones. This is creating jobs and filling demand. We need the support of EU decision makers to make a bike and e-Bike friendly legal framework in future.

Many manufacturers had existing EU production plans prior to the pandemic, but Covid accelerated this reshoring movement. At the moment, our growth is unusually high, but for the next two years I do not think it will be so high.

After that it will resume an upwards trajectory.

Bonnie Tu: For Giant, our investment in Hungary started in 2016. We strongly believed we should produce in the heart of the European market. We started construction in 2018 and launched production July 2020, in the peak of the pandemic. Up to now we have managed to produce up

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to our targets and we are very confident that our Hungarian operation, plus our further factories, will be able to meet our European needs in future.

COULD A REVISION OF EU TYPE APPROVAL BECOME THE SINGLE GREATEST ISSUE FOR THE E-BIKE INDUSTRY? Erhard Buchel: Revised type approval could put the eBike in the graveyard. Registration, use of a motorcycle helmet and limited cycle lane access would be a disaster.

In the US, some places consider e-Bikes motor vehicles and so they do not play a big role in transport. We need an industry forum on this, to exchange the views of the industry to the politician without any regulatory risks.

Ton Anbeek: Mandatory type approval would be detrimental. If you treat the e-Bike like a moped it has huge consequences for the development of that market.

Kalle Nicolai: We cannot compare the bike industry to the car industry. Lots of small companies would have such a big burden if it became a duty to fulfil different type approval regulations. We would put each of them in danger. The diversified nature of bike industry needs protecting and these small companies are perfectly able to build simple, safe vehicles for the market. Any change on the current framework would likewise create a negative impact for the bike dealer.

Bernhard Lange: It would kill hundreds of small manufacturers in Europe. If the variety of bicycles is gone, what is there left? I think just ten to 20 large manufacturers; we will have a uniform bike and I fear if hundreds go that the remainder would become named Volkswagen, Peugeot and Fiat. They will jump in and make these uniform cycles. I like to see the variation and we should not kill this industry with changed regulations.

36 Pembree Raleigh CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:41 Page 1

(( PROFILE PEMBREE ))

PEDAL TO THE METAL Raleigh has very recently announced a distribution partnership with Pembree, a UK engineering firm whose catalogue begins with pedals, but will soon grow.

CI.N finds out more... uring September Raleigh UK announced the addition of UK-made Pembree, a brand that, at present, specialises in the manufacture of platform pedals.

“Don’t call us Pembree Pedals,” we’re told as this will be no one trick pony in the future.

The brand is relatively new to the market, launched by Phil Law, an engineer and passionate mountain biker just last year. The product catalogue is at present made up of two pedals; the flagship £179.99 R1V and D2A (£109.99).

Pitching itself as a 'sustainable brand', Pembree offsets some of its manufacturing output with a partnership with the Temwa Charity in Malawi, an organisation dedicated to planting trees. Alongside this, the firm flags its localised production, five-year pedal body warranty and two-year bearing warranty as amongst the industry leading offerings. There is a not too distant ambition to become net carbon neutral for the label, whose website carries a whole section on sustainability.

Spencer Hayes, Raleigh’s P&A Brand Manager told CI.N of the new arrangement: “We are super exited to be working with a fellow UK based cycling company who share our values on sustainability and carbon footprint reduction; with excellent warranty, a range of unique colours, awesome backup and spare parts availability on the product itself.”

The pedals have already broken cover with the public, with MTB legend Rob Warner, among others, sharing a snippet on the brand to his Instagram.

For more information and a better look at the product head to pembree.com.

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For every pedal sold a tree is planted

036 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

Pembree rider Harry Scofield

Phil Law, Founder of Pembree

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38 41 INTERVIEW Yamaha CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:42 Page 1

(( INTERVIEW YAMAHA EBIKE ))

POWER TO THE PEDALS Up against robust competition, Yamaha had its work cut out to deliver with its new PW-X3 system.

Altino Lourenco talks to CI.N about moving OEM appeal on a gear with a smaller and more robust offering…

For those yet to trial a Yamaha system, what are the USPs of the hardware versus other brands and where do you sit in cost terms?

We count on almost 30 years’ of experience manufacturing eBike Systems. This translates into an incomparable know-how in the process behind creating reliable hardware with a natural, yet distinguishable assist feeling.

Supply of goods is a pressing issue for the bike industry – how is Yamaha coping with unprecedented bottlenecks?

We have long-standing relationships with numerous material suppliers and in this instance, it has helped that we have planned ahead of what remain severe shortages.

The fact that Yamaha controls key parts of the manufacturing process in-house helps to minimise the supply issues that are being felt much wider.

In software terms, Yamaha’s technology is good at reading the trail. What’s going on inside the motor as the rider meets hills, wind and new terrain?

To be precise, it has always been the rider who is reading the trail. Our system is tailored to work in unity with the rider, creating a natural assist feeling. To do it, rider input signals are captured and monitored by Yamaha sensor technology. The system software runs a series of algorithms, combining those external signals with pre-set parameters to generate commands that control the drive unit’s power delivery characteristics.

Sensing and computation speed is met by a mechanical design that creates the rapid response for which our systems are renowned.

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OEMs have responded well to the 20% motor size reduction

In the past OEMs would seek smaller and lighter systems, is this still the key demand, or are brands now making other requests of your engineers?

A pleasing eBike riding experience will continue to be the ultimate goal, regardless of the physical adaptations desired.

Of course, our most recent system has trimmed a 20% footprint on the prior generation, which does open up design and weight perks for the manufacturer speccing our system.

For the new PW-X3 Yamaha has collaborated to give the consumer choice in the display options they can use.

Talk us through the reasons for this and the alterations that can be made for the rider: Cycling is enjoyed by a wide variety of people. By choosing a bike equipped with our new “Interface X”, the riders Yamaha’s PW-X3 motor

House-Ad - CIN Market Data 2022 CIN006.qxp 15/10/2021 10:44 Page 1

Mapping Our Market Cycling Industry News’ fifth annual Retail Study is now live, once again offering those UK-based independent stores and workshops participating a range of goods and incentives, which will be revealed online in the coming weeks. If you are a UK-based independent you may now participate by visiting the link below or scanning the QR with your device.

With your participation in this market research, you are helping CI.N create a forward-looking report on the state of play in our market; better still, your input informs suppliers and market entrants on best practice when developing relationships with businesses like yours.

Finally, those frontline businesses completing the study will latterly be armed with the report in full, providing an invaluable tool to benchmark yourself against the market and spot trends before they appear in the market.

All data supplied is anonymised prior to presentation to the market.

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GERMAN DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED HIGH-QUALITY CABLE SYSTEMS Capgo Cable Systems offer aftermarket and workshop solutions for every cable requirement on the bike. Refinements and surface treatments on the cables, matched with specially developed manufacturing processes on the housings, give noticeably improved shifting and braking performance. Capgo are the cable choice of over 50 OEM customers around the world and with a huge range of colours available, allows customers to personalise their bike.

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38 41 INTERVIEW Yamaha CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:42 Page 2

(( INTERVIEW YAMAHA EBIKE ))

Yamaha’s backlit display is information rich

“E-BIKES ARE A HIGHLY CONVENIENT URBAN MOBILITY SOLUTION.” have access to Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, which gives them more freedom to match the user experience to their own personal preferences, while preserving the confidence in a system that will operate free of glitches.

You may choose to ride only with the minimalistic remote and LED display, which gives you essential information like assist mode and battery level, or you may pair the system with your smartphone, or with a compatible cycling computer of your choice. The user experience is therefore tailored to the rider and we think consumers will appreciate having that flexibility.

Aside from the off-road motors, Yamaha also has city options. What are the key takeaways on your motor for brands building bikes here? e-Bikes are a highly convenient urban mobility solution.

A bike equipped with our PWseries CE unit can offer a natural enjoyable ride with just enough power to tackle urban gradients. This unit also offers our exclusive Automatic Assist Mode, coping swiftly with constant changes in riding conditions – think of those upwind rides, and constant stops and starts for traffic lights.

What support have you within Europe, both for the brands carrying your systems and the bike dealers servicing?

Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. is represented by branches and distributors in each country in Europe. Through these representatives Yamaha provides after sales services such as training, technical support and spare parts to our OEM partners and their dealer networks.

Customers who have a need to contact Yamaha directly can contact these representatives, or their Customer Contact Centers for any assistance in the use of Yamaha powered e-Bikes.

Yamaha’s PW-X2 and PW-X3 motor size comparison

Sustainability is a big topic for the industry now – What work has Yamaha undertaken to reduce its impact?

Yamaha Motor has continuously offered personal mobility options with small environmental footprints and low CO2 emissions over the entire product life cycle, from raw material procurement and manufacturing to use and disposal.

Toward realising a carbon-neutral society in 2050, the company will continue to offer new value by proposing new forms of mobility unique to Yamaha Motor, in addition to its signature motorcycles.

What goals has Yamaha for the coming year?

Wait and see, you will be surprised. www.global.yamaha-motor.com

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 041

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43 45 Living Wage CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:43 Page 1

(( OPINION LIVING WAGE ))

MAKING A

LIVING Wage packets have been thrust into sharp focus in the bike industry with mechanic wages in particular stagnating. With inflation looking likely to build Liberty Sheldon explores the subject of committing to offering a Living Wage…

ith wages a continuing to be a controversial topic within the cycling industry, the question surrounding the importance of offering a Living Wage to employees remains at the forefront of many discussions. To what degree does committing to such a thing boost staff morale and help retention of good workers? Does being up front about pay during recruitment drives boost applicant rates?

A person’s financial situation has long been somewhat of a taboo subject in British culture, leading to many people feeling uncomfortable when it comes to discussing wages or annual salary with employers and others alike.

Anthony Lau, Cyclehoop founder and the creator of Bikehangar, tells CyclingIndustry.News that “talking openly about wages can be uncommon and often at a detriment to staff development and loyalty. This autumn we introduced pay bands to increase people’s understanding of the skill and pay opportunities associated with each role in our organisation and to promote a culture of transparency.”

Earlier this year, Halfords became one of the first UK listed retailers to replace locked monthly pay with flexible pay in a bid to increase the financial wellbeing of its employees.

Last year saw the retail giant set up a ‘Here to Help’ fund, providing emergency financial support to colleagues when Covid-19 lockdowns led to uncertainty and financial stress.

Team members from 750 locations across the country will now have access to charity-backed platform Wagestream – which provides financial budgeting, savings and education through an app, built around a flexible pay cycle.

Wagestream is part-owned by the UK’s leading financial charities and impact funds – including Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Big Society Capital, Social Tech Trust, Barrow Cadbury Trust and the Fair By Design Fund. Employers who use Wagestream include Bupa, the NHS, David Lloyd and more.

W

A recent study revealed that locked monthly pay has become a hidden ‘debt trap’ for working adults and called on employers to roll out flexible pay (EWA) and financial wellbeing policies. EWA sees employers offering flexible access to wages, earned and owed throughout the month.

FINDINGS IN THE STUDY INCLUDED: Stress decreases, for 77% of colleagues with flexible pay Financial confidence improves, with 72% feeling more in control Budgeting improves, for 55%; only 2% struggle to adjust Savings behaviours improve, and existing debt cycles begin to recede Workers prefer it: 89% say flexible pay is better than any alternative Quality of life increases for 72%, outperforming benchmarks on financial inclusion A recent LinkedIn discussion asked the question ‘should salary be in the job description?’, and whilst some people claimed that topics of salary and wage should be reserved for confidential discussions between MD’s and HR departments, many claimed that they would not even consider applying for a job if the wage was not mentioned – comparing it to applying for a job without an applicant referencing their work experience.

Additionally, when it comes to increasing applications for job roles, we have seen a lot of discussions in the USA mostly about how paying a proper wage can increase the number of applications that employers receive “Offering a living wage increases your application rate and the quality of applications you receive”, says Lau. “When your business is based in a competitive city like London, the living wage is essential – as is offering perks

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43 45 Living Wage CIN006 2021_ms_LAW 18/10/2021 08:43 Page 2

(( OPINION LIVING WAGE ))

that align with our mission, we take our team mountain biking in the Surrey Hills for fresh air and to ‘Send it!’.”

Offering a living wage also aids in improving employee moral, according to Lau. He says, “It is good to know that no matter your teammate’s level of responsibility or skill, they are being taken care of at a fundamental level and that understanding contributes to the air of optimism around our organisation.”

“I THINK IF YOU ARE IN THE POSITION WHERE YOU CAN CREATE BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS, YES, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO.” As the bike industry continues to experience exponential growth as a result of a push towards greener transport methods, and as many bike shops look to fill much needed positions, an important question to consider is whether or not the bike industry is responsible for driving up conditions for workers and thus, keeping up with the demand in order to see the industry succeed.

Lau adds, “I think if you are in the position where you can create better working conditions, yes, you have a responsibility to do so. However, obligation is not a good incentive! Instead, I simply recommend leaders in our industry do it for the positive impact it has on their team; productivity and moral.”

Need to recruit?

Cycling Industry News’ website is put to use by over 1 million unique visitors annually with a heavy flow of highly skilled trade professionals making up the bulk of that audience. Our recruitment board – found at cyclingindustry.news/jobs – is one of the most visited pages on our soon to be redeveloped and relaunched website.

Editor Mark Sutton says of adverts that have a higher hit rate: “Recruiting the right staff will determine the performance of one area of your business most likely for years to come and so it’s an investment that will directly influence your bottom line. In an economy where the jobs market is more fluid than ever it is our observation that adverts that show a mutual respect for the candidate are the most viewed and well received.

Adverts that come across one-sided and do not treat the potential applicant with the respect their hard-earned skills deserve are less connected with. If it is feasible to do so, inclusion of a salary is a minimum, even if a ballpark range is given. Other recommendations include the working hours, location of the role, additional benefits and annual leave.”

To place a job role for as little as £100 on our website, contact alfie@cyclingindusry.news.

WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS // 045

46 48 Anti-Theft CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:44 Page 1

(( ANALYSIS ANTI-THEFT DEVICES ))

LOCK PEDALS

WIRELESS KEYFOB

TURN ON/OFF E-BIKE

ALARM SYSTEM

AUTO-LOCK FUNCTION

E-BIKE KILLSWITCH

UNBREAKABLE LOCK

E-BIKE SENSOR

Pentalock’s system locks the axle and triggers an alarm when disturbed

MAXIMUM SECURITY With a staggering three million bikes reported stolen in Europe in the last year, and claims rising by 125% in 2020 alone, it would do no harm to rely on a little extra beyond traditional bike chains. Liberty Sheldon explores the alternatives coming to market pre built into bikes… reater connectivity solutions that work alongside physical barriers to deter thieves and aid in recovery if a bike is stolen are becoming ever-more present as bike makers play around with integrating new ideas.

With electric bikes likely to represent over 50% of models sold in some European territories in the near future the ability to get smart with software and electronic hardware has expanded exponentially.

Danish security OEM Pentalock believes that locking systems should be thought of as an integral part of the bike and should be built into the system and not considered as an aftermarket product.

Emil Norup, CEO, says: “The time has definitely come to consider theft prevention as part of a wider bike build.

When looking at the car industry prior to the 90s, all cars used steering wheel locks, which was super inconvenient and not very secure, with the right tool you could remove it easily, and then you owned the car. Then in the 90s all cars started to use build in immobilizers, which started an anti-theft revolution with huge reductions in theft.

Looking at the bike industry, you still lock your bike with a heavy inconvenient lock around the wheel, which can easily be cut open and removed. This innovation jump has not happened.”

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UK company Leopard Tech believes that using software as a solution to rising numbers of bike thefts across Europe is a natural progression to counter rocketing number of thefts taking place in Europe. The Leopard Hardware Module features integrated alarm, sensors and both Bluetooth and cellular connections that can fit every bicycle both traditional and electric. The hardware module can be integrated either within the frame during manufacture, or as an after-market part such as base unit or bottle cage.

Theft protection aside, Leopard Tech provides cyclists with accident alerts which can detect a collision or fall and ask the rider if they are okay. If there is no response, then the device will notify the rider’s chosen contacts via text to check on the person. Having the hardware on the bike, as opposed to just an app also gives far better accuracy in terms of GPS location for route navigation and key riding stats.

Additionally, the brand is also working with some key bike insurance companies to bring smart bike insurance to the market. Manufacturers will be able to gain real world data on how cyclists are using their bike which can help develop the manufacturer’s understanding of the end user’s riding requirements, enhancing customer support through diagnosing problems in real time.

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46 48 Anti-Theft CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:44 Page 2

(( ANALYSIS ANTI-THEFT DEVICES ))

The Leopard Tech device can be disguised externally or internally

Leopard Tech’s app offers benefits beyond just bike security

James Robertson, Sales and Marketing Director at Leopard Tech says: “Having a connected bike gives brands and retailers a whole new way to engage and support their customers. A better understanding of customer behaviour allows for a far more personalised approach to customer support and sales meaning that brand and retailers can have relevant touch points with their customers and offer then what they need, when they need it based on their riding habits. From a support perspective, a connected bike can identify problems and suggest the best solution, this could be diagnosing an issue in the bikes motor and relaying the information to the manufacturer for the appropriate fix, to using the integrated sensors to detect defects in frames or tyres and alerting the cyclist.”

The Pentalock bike system is a wirelessly actuated physical locking device and alarm software that can be integrated into any type of bike. The bicycle lock is mounted to the bike in the manufacturing process, which makes it impossible to remove it again once its installed. Pentalock’s system unlocks utilising a wireless key that is used to lock and open the bike. The key fob uses Bluetooth to register when the bike owner is not near the bike and automatically locks, preventing the bike from being stolen.

Emil Norup says: “In order to integrate our solution, manufacturers need only to change the diameter of the crank tube. Our electronic system and wiring can be made to fit different controller and motor solutions on the market, the only systems we are currently not compatible with are mid-motors. Therefore, we are focusing on eBike systems with front or rear-hub motors.

“In theory our technology can be integrated into midmotors, but this requires us to partner up with the manu-

048 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

facturer. In the product pipeline for the future we are focusing on making our solution compatible without needing to be integrating into the motor unit.”

Not only can the Pentalock system be customised to fit any bike, the locking unit only weights around 405 grams, where a regular bottom bracket weighs 295 grams and a regular ring lock weighs 658 grams. Additionally, during the installation process, a backup battery is added that lasts for up to six months when removing the main battery on an e-Bike.

PentaLock is currently working with brands on integrating its system into its current and future line ups. The first two brands to launch early next year are Watt Fietsen in the Netherlands and Rawbike in Sweden, with several more partnerships planned for the EU and US market for 2022 and 2023.

When it comes to Leopard Tech’s plans for the future, the brand tells CyclingIndustry.News that innovation remains limitless but that there is also a purposeful end goal in mind.

He adds: “From our side the next step is to work with partners to find ways to integrate a connected bike so that it benefits the cyclist. This can be in the form of smart bike insurance and links with local bike mechanics to better provision of bicycle parking facilities and cycle lanes. Ultimately, more people using their bikes is better for us all, physically, mentally, and environmentally so anything that can progress this can only be a good thing.”

With bike thefts continuing across the country and across Europe, brands such as Pentalock and Leopard Tech are continuing to develop software that enhance theft protection, to ensure that more people are choosing greener forms of travel.

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50-51 53-54 Eurobike + IAA CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:45 Page 1

(( RECAP EUROBIKE AND IAA ))

Mubea’s future mobility concepts

WHEN

WORLDS

COLLIDE

In a break from the norms of the past year, CyclingIndustry.News took off during September to visit both the Eurobike show and IAA Mobility, the automotive world’s premier show, now luring in the bike world. Here’s what we found…

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN SIGNS OUT Met eventually with some nostalgic sadness most in the industry expressed that Friedrichshafen, as a place, will stay with them for a lifetime. As a venue the story is rather different and the move to Frankfurt has broadly been met with a sigh of relief. Not only will the travel arrangements be infinitely easier for most, but the venue too presents new opportunity.

Speaking to CI.N just prior to the show, director Stefan Reisinger said: “Working closely with our hosts we will transform the trade show concept and then export the ideas further afield. The ceiling of what’s achievable for the exhibitor is now higher. We have four times the size of Friedrichshafen’s space. We also gain more consumer reach in a big city and many exhibitors specifically desire this interaction.”

In the end the organisers were pleasantly surprised with the year’s attendance, that is despite it generally being accepted that in this transitional and Covid complicated year the figures would undoubtedly fall far short of the normal shoulder to shoulder experience.

630 exhibitors were set in widened isles, halls filled from the front but only half full for the most part. Clearly the zeppelin halls needed some padding out, with the dual benefit of giving mask clad visitors breathing room. In the end the organisers reported that 18,770 trade visitors attended the show, while 13,424 consumers came to the two Festival Days.

On the final day of the show a blimp took off from the fields opposite the show halls, hovering over Lake Constance for the next hours advertising Eurobike’s new Munich-based rival, detailed later on these pages.

In 2022, the 30th edition of Eurobike will take place from 13 July to 17 July in Frankfurt.

050 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BIKE Reisinger made one promise to the industry when quizzed on competition emerging in Munich and that was that Eurobike, wherever and whenever it takes place, will never be about the car.

This point came well showcased with the final offerings on the main stage, including a presentation with some of the industry’s thought leaders that was attended and spoken at by Anna Cavazzini, an Austrian MEP with a view on European sustainability policy making. For more on that flick to page 50 of this edition.

Alongside the conference schedule Eurobike delivered on the product front, creating a jam-packed Start Ups zone that appeared to be busy at all times, putting on the Eurobike Awards, as well as showcasing dedicated Halls for e-Bike and cargo bike innovators.

So what did you miss?

DRIVE SYSTEM INNOVATIONS Purists, look away, it was all about the e-Bike and as such Hall A1 held the sharpest view on what’s incoming in terms of tech and innovation.

German company Schaeffler racked up column inches for its new chain and belt free drive. The Free Drive was created in collaboration with Heinzmann and builds in a small generator installed in the bike’s bottom bracket.

The motion of the cranks turning powers this and converts the energy from the rider’s efforts to an electric energy. All of this is managed by CAN communication tech which links up the motor, generator, battery and controls.

The best bit? If you are riding at a cadence higher than required to power the system excess energy generated then goes to the battery. Likewise, regenerative braking does the same.

50-51 53-54 Eurobike + IAA CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:45 Page 2

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel opened IAA Mobility

That negates the need for any physical connection to the rear wheel, quite simply you just roll on the gathered momentum from the drive, which powers the 250W rear hub motor electrically. In design terms that obviously throws up new questions, such as what to do with the space saved around the chainstay and rear hub – a nice problem to have for bike designers.

Made closer to home, but still in its prototype stage is Edinburgh designed and built Intra-Drive. This start-up has created a mid-drive, eight-speed gearbox and motor system all in one package. The system is built to last with very low maintenance.

Key to the unique selling point is its heavy-duty high load capacity and sealed construction. That means no cables, nor exposed gears on the bike; what’s more, the gearbox offers a 427% gearing range, with sequential shifting inside the housing.

Meanwhile, the motor is able to deliver 100+ Nm of torque to the rear wheel. The firm’s control algorithm

Certain OEMs at IAA were ‘overbuilding’ for bike longevity, but at low automotive costs

constantly monitors torque, cadence and wheel speed, as well as motor temperature. All of this adds up to a managed shifting experience that optimises gear changes and, best of all, is anticipated in future updates to be capable of automatic shifting.

IAA MOBILITY Is this the beginning of a coming together?

Rumours circulated prior to IAA of potential comings together in the very literal form of bike companies and auto firms, the show perhaps providing a platform for the paperwork to complete. At the time of writing, we have yet to see evidence of such things coming to fruition (bar agruably Pon’s buyout of Dorel Sports), but it’s safe to say the bike industry’s scouts were in the room during the first two days that CI.N was present.

On the booths themselves the lines were getting increasingly blurred, in particular within the cargo and logistics vehicles space. It has often been said that when

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• Rapid turnaround and delivery • All wheels hand finished, labelled and bagged

• Readily available • Technical support

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(( RECAP EUROBIKE AND IAA ))

Slimline single occupant cars were a trend alongside cargo bikes

automotive brands try to do cycling goods they fall short on some of the basics, overshooting into the realms of the futuristic and in the process mis-understanding the basics of ride handling. For the cargo bike that’s arguably less of an issue than it is on a performance e-MTB. Dare we say it, it appears the auto world is really getting to grips with the product now.

Dr Stefan Cuber, Mubea’s Managing Director of Micromobility presented two concepts across the cargo bike and electric scooter segments at IAA, demonstrating well how the R&D budget of a 2.5 billion-dollar business can very quickly deliver results that are incredibly well thought out.

Mubea’s €10,000 Urban_M cargo bike is already awardwinning, despite its skeleton not resembling the bike industry’s typical efforts to date. The firm’s catalogue already depicts use by Hermes and DPD, with the smiling face of a delivery drive beaming out past a full view windshield. Most telling that this stems from the auto world is the car-like front bumper, visible and girder like skeleton and overbuilt wheels.

The chassis is built with fiberglass, combining strength and low weight. This element sits astride a steel central column flanked by double wishbone suspension with damper-strut and stabiliser bars. The wheels are purpose built and carry motorcycle standard tyres.

When it comes to the payload the owner can stack up 335kg, but with a permitted total weight of 450kg. In a clever piece of design, the box volume is designed to be loaded by forklift, perfectly accepting a standard palette size. It is an eBike underneath, driven by a BMZ engine and Rohloff SpeedHub 500/14. The battery capacity, delivered via two removable units near the steering column, comes in at 814Wh. Cuber told CI.N: “Micromobility is a strategic pillar for Mubea and our cargo concept is designed almost to drive

like a Mini car; that’s stiff, agile and adaptable with an 100 kilometre range. The next development is one that we think will resonate well with large scale fleet operators and this is to bring forward a battery option made with Iron Phoshate. This is an interesting proposal as from an insurance perspective that removes any element of flammability that traditional batteries cannot surpass.

Legally of course this is a cargo bike and so is suited to bike lane use, helping the rider skip traffic.”

MEET IN THE MIDDLE MANUFACTURING While browsing the halls of the automotive segment of IAA it became clear very quickly that many of the multi-billion dollar businesses in the room had acknowledged ‘peak car’; that is so much to say they had diversity in their product ranges that may not have been there even just a few years prior.

For that reason the parts suppliers in the room were likewise showing their wares in the hopes of catching both the attention of the car industry, the bike industry and actually an emerging space in between.

Jens Gráfe of the Hirschvogel Automotive group, on stand to represent sub brand Aximo told CI.N that their exhibition space was built solely for the purpose of showing the bike industry that parts can be made to a more robust automotive standard, likewise offering the automotive world a price point that is perhaps more accessible. Pointing to a forged four-spoked, hub drive wheel of cargo bike on the Aximo booth, Jens offered: “For the cargo bike, to get to a point where we can be challenging the carriage standards in weight terms it is wise to take the component inspiration from the car industry where a more robust product is required. Arguably, the bike industry won’t cut it in micromobility without this and we are here to be that enabler. We have clients in both sectors.”

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(( RECAP EUROBIKE AND IAA ))

Munich city centre, as well as the convention centre, was taken over by product presentations

Created solely to address the micromobility market, AXIMO combines the expertise and services of the individual ecosystem partners to form a component platform for three- or four-wheeled micromobiles. The platform, which encompasses forged and machined components as well as operating displays and software applications, is a modular system.

“The modules can be used on the customer side to implement different concepts for micro-vehicles in a costefficient way,” we were told.

€12,500 it is reasonably affordable in new car terms too.

Why are we talking about cars in a cycling mag, you may ask? Well, there is an inkling that the car industry has recognised it needs to start competing in a reasonable way for a slice of the city mobility pie before the mathematics overwhelms an industry very fond of ever-larger vehicles. With 230 litres of storage space, it’s reasonably equipped to haul goods and, with parking made a lot easier by its size, could arguably pull on the comfort strings of the potential cargo bike buyer.

CARS ARE GETTING SMALLER (MOSTLY) An inescapable trend on the way to the bike halls was the size of some of the motoring concepts on show. As alluded to in our interview with Bosch CEO Claus Fleischer on page 13, there is an element of mathematics in play in the shifting trends of urban mobility. If the city is not getting larger, but the population is, then the primary means of transport, in theory, cannot be disproportionate in size considering the aforementioned boundaries.

As put by the Institute for Public Policy Research in June of this year, on current trajectories we can expect by 2050 to have ten million more cars on the road at any one time and countless more parked; after all on average they are parked for 23 hours of the day. That is, in mathematical terms, a head scratcher and one no amount of electric car sales will solve, unless of course they are a lot smaller.

One such example drawing the attention of crowds at IAA was Microlino’s 3-wheeler, two-person electric car.

Apparently approved in regulatory terms, production is to begin in order to fulfil over 24,000 forward orders. It is a vehicle that recognises the constraints of urban mobility and is designed to exploit the fight for space. First of all, it tops out at 56 mph, more than enough for any city. At

AUTOMOTIVE PROFESSIONALISM A footnote to a week comparing and contrasting trade shows; there is a marked difference in the approach taken to exhibiting between industries. While strictly our own editor’s assessment of the bike industry’s and purely anecdotal, the difference in approach to trade shows was stark. The automotive expo experience was forensic in that upon visiting the booth staff would meet and greet browsing visitors in seconds. Registration was next, with cards and necessary material exchanged, following by the offer to take a seat or learn more about a product on show.

No stone was left unturned and in no instance we experienced did we leave the stand without all of the information we needed.

Once more, it’s a generalisation, but the bike industry booth experience lacks in this professionalism on as many as half of visits. Very often staff will be talking among themselves, letting passing visitors browse without approach.

Much like the retail experience being polished in order to build customer satisfaction and loyalty, the trade show experience – in order to recoup generally high costs – must be similarly precision engineered to benefit both parties.

054 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

R U O Y P K EE T UR E N E V A D NI T E. INF I

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03.02.2021 13:38:54

57-58 Ask The Boss - Muc Off CIN006 2021_ms_LAW.qxp 18/10/2021 08:46 Page 1

ask the boss

ALEX TRIMNELL > MUC-OFF

THE PUNK PIONEERS FROM POOLE Whether it’s shooting for a claim to have created the world’s fastest lubricant, or cleaning up a cleaner’s act to reduce environmental impact, Muc-Off ‘s R&D department never has a day off.

Managing Director Alex Trimnell shares the firm’s latest solutions…

Talk us through the ups and downs of the past 18 months at Muc-Off. Have you ridden the wave and following storm well?

It’s certainly been a crazy period, from the fear of lockdowns at the start of the pandemic to the increase in demand driven by new and existing riders has been a rollercoaster. We pivoted early in the pandemic to manufacturing hand sanitiser, which is something which I wouldn’t have imagined in pre-Covid times. That was a really rewarding project in supporting frontline workers when there was a packaging shortage and being able to support wider vulnerable groups.

We also supported the World Health Organisation with a 10% donation of profits to the COVID-19 solidarity response fund on all the sanitiser sold.

This period soon followed with an immediate uplift in our core ranges.

We’ve had a really strong last 18 months, with so many supply chains struggling people are certainly looking after their bikes and equipment, which for our category has been reflected in the numbers.

For shops that have had their attention turned to more pressing sourcing issues, what new products from MucOff might they have missed?

We’ve had a very busy period with new product launches into the market. Our Tubeless range has allowed us to revisit our engineering heritage from the X-Lite days with the Stealth Puncture Plug Tool.

Most notable has been our Ludicrous AF chain lube, the world’s fastest race lube. This has been no mean feat with lots of man-hours and testing at our R&D facility in Poole.

We also launched our new Punk Powder bike cleaner, a completely plastic-free powder that mixes to create our famous pink bike cleaner. It’s taken us over four years to come together, but it has been worth the wait and underpins all the hard work we’ve been driving with our Project Green sustainability program. We have an exciting list of innovative products in the pipeline which we’re excited to continue into 2022.

How is Muc-Off fairing in production and distribution terms and how’s the picture for the next 12 months?

It’s been challenging to manage the flow of products, but we always try to hold a high level of inventory so our retailers can rely on our supply. It’s been difficult with many variables outside our control, but we’re really pleased how the team has coped.

We are on next day delivery for B2C and UK IBD orders, and our international customers are seeing orders ready in less than 21 days. A large part of this is due to the implementation of our new 50,000 square foot warehouse in Southampton which is now fully operational.

Tell us about your recent lab work to give pros and consumers alike an edge?

Having developed lubes for nearly 20 years we always want to talk in facts and data, this is key to ensure our consumers can rely on our lubes under extreme conditions. Innovation is always at the centre of what we do and we have built a key understanding and relentless testing protocols to produce the fastest lubes possible. This combined with real-world race testing with the likes of INEOS Grenadiers, EF Education-NIPPO, Canyon/SRAM and the Great British Cycling squad supports our innovation.

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ask the boss We’ve invested over seven figures in our chain optimisation department over the past five years, ensuring we’re industry leading, which is a very exciting position to be in. The growth in our team has really bought together what we feel are the best in the industry for developing and innovating the category, this has been supported in further innovation to formulate the new Ludicrous AF Race Lube. This recent launch has really cemented our position as the fastest race lubes in the market, however, we’ve also called for the wider industry to work on some set testing protocols to help the consumer navigate the data. We also worked with third-party experts to validate our testing methods.

Sustainability is a subject in the spotlight. Talk us through the progress made here with products like the Punk Powder: Yes, as mentioned we’ve been working on Punk Powder for many years and are really excited to get the world’s first plastic-free bike cleaner. Our packaging is 100% plastic-free and petroleumfree, it’s made from more than 50% renewable raw materials – we even used vegetable-based inks. Each sachet is compostable and certified to EN 13432 standard.

Creating this product has allowed us to reduce the use of petrochemicals right through the manufacturing and supply process. It’s also has a very small footprint, so right through the supply chain we’ve been able to benefit.

Accompanying this is our aluminium Bottle For Life, again pushing for the reduction in plastic manufacture. For the retailer, initiatives we’ve implemented are refill stations; where customers can go back in-store to refill their bottle of cleaner – but we have lots more yet to deliver from what we call “Project Green”.

It’s always at the forefront of our product development, while also assessing what can be improved from the existing range and supply chain.

Packaging is a major focus where we’ve been removing plastic from many items across the range. Alongside product initiatives, it’s key to be partnering with projects like 1% For The Planet who support pressing environmental issues.

We work with them as part of our refill station program.

058 // WWW.CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

ALEX TRIMNELL > MUC-OFF

Newly launched, the Ludicrous AF Lube is laying claim to being the hotly-contested “fastest lube”

The biggest challenge is changing consumer behaviours. For example, we launched our 25L refill station back in 2012, but consumers and retailers were not quite ready for the behaviour change of bringing back empty bottles to refill them in-store. Since our relaunch of this last year, it’s been a huge success and helped us save over 91 tonnes of plastic in less than two years. Consumers are always looking to support their environmental impact, so it’s even more important that retailers look to support these initiatives.

The brand is now a significant exporter.

Can you give us a snapshot of where you’re seen and the volumes now heading overseas?

International exports now represent more than half of our business, we are present in over 100 countries and are seeing strong growth everywhere, despite the additional complexities presented by Brexit. There are some gaps still to fill, but broadly our target territories are covered.

For workshop professionals and those starting up as mobile mechanics, what specialist business tooling and solutions now sit within the catalogue?

We offer a comprehensive range of workshop specific products, predominantly our core products in more cost-effective and larger sizes, ensuring servicing costs are as minimal as possible. This is key for someone starting up, as kitting out your consumables can be a heavy upfront investment. Alongside this, we have our parts washer which is a must for any mechanic in terms of time efficiency. Muc-Off has removed any barriers retail accounts might face when

starting their new business; notably our B2B web platform which gives them fast and effective ordering capabilities – we know how time poor a manager can be starting a new venture.

With so much competition, why choose Muc-Off as a lead brand for cleaners, lubes and more?

Since 1994 we’ve created a large proportion of the bike care category and continue to develop and innovate industry leading products. We invest heavily in education and consumer demand, this gives our retailer network confidence as the go-to brand and a recognisable product range for consumers. Working with many of the world’s highest profile athletes and teams where performance matters also enhances our pedigree.

We want to support the retailers especially in the categories we offer, giving advice, POS solutions and support to their business in any way we can. We as a brand want to support their customer and rider’s needs too.

We centre all of our products around this, as we are creating products we as riders need, which is paramount for all our retail partners. our field sales team work tirelessly to support IBDs and in particular offering our Ambassador store program. This has proven that we’re able to give them category leading margins, event support, sampling opportunities, bespoke instore branding, bike maintenance clinics and much more.

Our team would be happy to discuss opening an account with prospective buyers. You can call on 01202 307799, or email ukorders@muc-off.com to start the dialogue.

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12/10/2021 14:05:20

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11/08/2021 10:44:40