EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ICONIC CYCLING VENUES
The National Cycling Centre in Manchester is the home of British Cycling and the Lee Valley Velopark in London is the home of the 2012 Olympics
The show will be filled with the latest and greatest cycling tech from some of the world’s biggest brands. NEW PRODUCTS
MEET THE BRANDS
Representatives from our suppliers come from all over the world to see and speak to visitors at iceBike*. Don’t miss this opportunity to get valuable direct facetime with our brands.
Get your season off to a great start by picking up some great deals at the show. The offers at the show are exclusive to visitors and will not be repeated.
EDUCATION AND LEARNING
We put a big emphasis on learning together at the show through our seminars which are always a popular attraction at the show. Use it as an opportunity to arm yourself with everything you need for a successful 2025
UNWIND
The post-iceBike* parties are pretty legendary and 2025 will be no different. It’s important to give everyone a chance to relax and chat with friends and colleagues in a more relaxed environment.
EDITOR FROM THE
THRIVE (AND NOT JUST SURVIVE) IN 2025
IN my first industry encounters since Christmas, the topic of what 2025 has in store for the bike trade has cropped up every time. Let’s face it, we’re all waiting for some solid positive signs for the coming 12 months.
Is 2025 realistically the year that it all changes? And time for the cycling industry to move on from being “put through the wringer” as Madison boss Dominic Langan (p28) puts it? By default, we’re closer to a return to form than we were this time last year, but that is a faint endorsement of market prospects.
Looking at seismic company administrations, the number of these have noticeably decreased since their 2023 peak. But, that comes with the warning that they’ve not dried up altogether (US manufacturer Light & Motion is one of the names that have ceased trading in the early days of ’25). But the hope and expectation is that there will be a trickle rather than a torrent of administrations in 2025.
The BBC’s Panorama on eBikes gave us all an early year wake up call that there’s still some way to go to clarify and educate Joe Public (and Johnny Journalist) about what a legal eBike actually is and isn’t, but maybe also a chink of light in a robust response from the industry, with associations and retailers standing side-by-side to refute the inaccuracies. Nevertheless, 2025 promises more eBike-related PR battles, probably one of the few cast iron certainties ahead.
What else? Just the prospect of anti-dumping regs being thrown to the wind, which could pave the way for a bunch more bikes arriving in the market. We’ve discovered that growth in bike ownership (à la Covid lockdowns) hasn’t resulted in a bike industry boom, so there’s some scepticism in the wisdom of such a move, should that be the option the UK government decides upon.
But there are opportunities where the industry has seen shifts with some players either humbled or out of the market all together. There’s still bags of potential with eBikes and cargo bikes. There’s some prospective political good will for active travel (p06) and less ‘war on motorist’ rhetoric from Number 10...
In the aforementioned podcast, with road.cc’s Jack Sexty and Ryan Mallon, we riffed on the ‘survive to 2025’ phrase with a more optimistic, ‘thrive (and not just survive) in 2025’. It seems as good a philosophy as any at this point. Here’s to thriving.
Jonathon Harker
jon@cyclingindustr y.news
Publisher Jerr y Ramsdale jerr y@cyclingindustr y.news
Editor Jonathon Harker jon@cyclingindustr y.news
Sales Manager Lloyd Ramsdale Lloyd@cyclingindustr y.news
Head of Produc tion
Luke Wikner production@cyclingindustr y.news
Head of Marketing Shona Hayes shona@cyclingindustr y.news
Designers Dan Bennett Victoria Arellano
THE BIG PICTURE
THE PRE AND POST COVID ERAS
Continuing our infrequent series looking at some of the longterm insights derived from Cycling Industry News’ Market Data surveys, this time we look at the shifting consumer and retailer trends of UK’s cyclists and how that has reflected on shop stock choices. These stats appear to provide some interesting conclusions and perhaps even some pointers when speculating on the future product mix in the post-Covid age…
Things change in the wonderful world of bicycle retail. Blowing the dust off CIN’s 2018 market data report, we didn’t find a single mention of gravel bikes, which is one area which has markedly changed by 2025.
But what else has shifted in that period? A lot, is the obvious answer, but we have the stats to prove it and some of the detail too.
This time, in our latest look at the big scale trends of the last eight or so years, we look at the bike types that have flourished or withered in that period, particularly in terms of their popularity with the nation’s independent retailers. The upfront caveat is that gravel has filled a gap between bike types and blurred the lines between bike types, almost by definition. But that point aside, let’s look at the broader stroke findings.
PRODUCT CATEGORY:
DEDICATING MORE SPACE TO…
ROAD BIKES
2018: -3%
2024: -8%
2012 feels a long way away. The talismanic Bradley Wiggins retired at the end of 2016, while Geraint Thomas won Le Tour in 2018, but by that time, on the shop floor, the road category was going downhill (not in the picking up speed sense) for many UK independent bike shops by 2018. By 2024, little had changed, except a slight increase in that downward trajectory. Of course, the findings can become more complex with more insight – is it
MOUNTAIN BIKES
2018: +9%
2024: +5%
On the face of it, there’s not a lot of difference between 9 and 5%, indicating little change over the six years in question when it comes to shops dedicating space to mountain bikes. Given the recent state of the industry, the numbers here for MTBs actually look
the rate of road bike purchasing that has slowed and therefore bike shops have cut back on road bike stocks accordingly (thanks to rising RRPs, Covid, etc), rather than a sign that road biking has been on a six year long wane? Or that upstart categories like gravel have stolen share from road? Or that punters had previously been using road bikes as their commute bike, but that phenomenon had begun to cease by 2024…
pretty positive and indicate some level of stability, even in the face of overstocks and consumer with less spending cash. The overall message appears that MTB popularity is surprisingly solid. Will that continue into 2025 is the next sensible question...
PRODUCT CATEGORY:
DEDICATING MORE SPACE TO…
COMMUTER BIKES (INCLUDING FOLDING)
2018: +14%
2024: +11%
It may come as some surprise that it is the commuter bike category that has sustained double digit growth, in terms of independent bike shops increasing stocks, both pre and post-Covid. At first, this looks like a finding that goes against the standard thinking, particularly for the UK, still usually characterised as a ‘sporty’ cycling nation, rather than a practical, a-to-b cycle orientated country as per our Northern European neighbours. Can we point to the coming of age of eBikes in the UK? Are we aligning with our EU chums soon after we’ve cut many economic ties? Or is the more basic truth
GRAVEL
2018: N/A
2024: +16%
that UK cycle commuters have been consistently spending cash in bike shops over the years, whatever the broader assumptions about the market? Thoughts turn to the cycle to work initiative, a cause for some controversy over the years which has more recently turned to calls for reform for a more equitable share of related profit and burden for the entire C2W supply chain. How much do we have to thank the C2W initiative for this consistent demand for commuter bikes? Or better infrastructure in London and selected towns and cities? We’ll leave you to decide.
“THE UPFRONT CAVEAT IS THAT GRAVEL HAS FILLED A GAP BETWEEN BIKE TYPES AND BLURRED THE LINES BETWEEN BIKE TYPES, ALMOST BY DEFINITION.”
It’s not everyday someone goes and invents a whole new genre of product in the cycling industry, but we look forward to the day when the next one comes along. Gravel has been a modern success story for the industry. OK, we’re not seriously arguing that gravel cycling was invented post 2018, but that is arguably around the time it began to be a mainstream phenomenon that was putting money in the till and bike brands were tweaking and shifting their ranges to hit that area. These stats appear to bear witness to the fact that gravel has stolen some share from traditional bike categories. Maybe there’s a throughline on bikes used for commutes, with gravel becoming a preferred choice over
straightforward road bikes. If so, that’s likely just part of the story. If you’re reading this to help get a steer on the prevailing trends in the UK bike market, your thoughts will likely be along the lines of whether this will last. You might also be wondering if there is a similar potential category that may come along and upset the bike sector apple cart, an exciting prospect if you’re nimble enough to shift your spending priorities to new sectors. The less exciting possibility is that, with consumer spending cash still not flowing as well as it has done in the past, any new category emerging in 2025 will likely be looking forward to a slow burner of a start. But we’re happy to be proved wrong…
NOTE: For brevity, some of the results have been summarised: We arrived at these figures by subtracting the percentage of shops decreasing their stocks in that particular category from the number increasing stocks in the same category. We omitted the percentage which were maintaining their level of stock in that category.
NEW GOVERNMENT, NEW ERA?
Six months on from Labour arriving in Downing Street, how is the newish government doing on active travel and its support for cycling? Mark Sutton gets out the scorecard, checks the stats and canvasses expert opinion on the topic…
When writing about politics it’s important to know that somebody, maybe everybody, is going to disagree with you and think you’re an idiot. So, today that’s what I’m going to do and I kindly ask that you don’t shoot the messenger, the Cycling Industry News Editor is busy enough.
Having spent some time writing about headwinds that I perceive will impact cycling in the years to come within the pages of CIN – those being a pair of prior columns detailing the power of misinformation and the everpresent threat of climate change upending business and demand for the outdoors (see also page 22) – this piece is, you might be surprised, details what I perceive to be a tailwind for cycling.
With my diplomacy hat on I’m going to outline why, despite a public record of complaints on my social media accounts centred mostly on the budget’s shortcomings, I’m hopeful that sentiment behind active travel has
turned a sharp corner and why I have a little faith that path can continue.
Full disclosure: despite this warm view, I was not a Labour voter at the election. Nor do I think they’ve nailed it on many other subjects that will affect your businesses, but for the sake of focus, I’m sticking to one lane in this column and that’s the power of sentiment; sentiment to change the record on transport spend, road hierarchy and developing access to cycling.
It was only two days into the Labour Government that the first Transport Secretary appointment, Louise Haigh, was out riding eBikes with familiar to the bike industry names Chris Boardman, plus renowned active travel journalist and author Laura Laker. I can’t be certain, but despite keeping tabs I didn’t spot a picture of the prior transport secretary, Conservative Mark Harper, with the head of Active Travel England at all and certainly, there was no recorded bike ride as with Haigh.
Of course, since that time there has
been some adjustment in the role, Haigh replaced by another nameHeidi Alexander – whose background looks equally as warm to cycling. As soon as these names are announced the first thing us journalists do is a sweep of the Minister’s history and I’m pleased to say that Alexander, aside from being the Deputy Mayor of Transport for London for a few years, was immediately praised by Cycling UK for “outstanding work in championing active travel” during her stint as Transport Secretary.
There is too a series of Tweets from Alexander herself encouraging people to try cycling, casting it as the efficient transport form we all know it is, as well as documenting her journey getting comfortable on a bike again after some time away. “As some of us start to think again about how we might in future make the trips we used to do on the bus, tube and train, please, please, please think about making them on a bike,” she urges in one post.
hoods. There remains a wealth of available evidence to show how effective those that have been kept have been, plus how reluctant residents come to change their views once they realise their street becomes more civilised and their property values increase. The tired myth that emergency services struggled also came to be disproven by studies on the response time data.
This is one area where the tone is night and day between the last occupants of Number 10 and the current. There appear to be firm believers in cycling and walking in key positions in Government. I met and interviewed Labour co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking Fabian Hamilton in the runup to the election and there was a possibly protocol-breaking number of bikes in various states of repair in his Parliamentary office. He builds them for himself and for others in between sessions in Westminster. On the day I met him, he’d taken receipt of his first-ever electric folding bike too. Part of a new multi-modal commute between his Northern constituency and Westminster.
Having people in the room who fundamentally understand the value of cycling will do wonders and the evidence has continued to flow in that there is a vision for active travel.
“THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER HOSTILE TO ACTIVE TRAVEL IS A HUGE POSITIVE.”
Now we’ve seen good optics and heard warm words before and at the time I distinctly recall saying marketing is one thing, pounds coins quite another, a fact that we were reminded of during the Autumn budget. However, the £100 million ‘additional’ support for walking and cycling is just the budget for the 2025/26 year and, as most would fairly agree, the economy is in a delicate place. So, it’s not going to set the world on fire. However, it’s not a cut either and we had gotten very used to cuts and poor spending decisions under the last Government.
I’ll come back to the money later, but for a minute returning to the sentiment around Government, as cycling advocacy veteran Adam Tranter put it: “The fact that the government is no longer hostile to active travel is a huge positive.” While people do tend to have short memories when it comes to politics, I’ve no doubt anyone reading this will remember senior members of the last Government, inclusive of Harper, rattling off conspiracy theories about low-traffic neighbour-
Up to the point of her resignation, Transport Minister Lousie Haigh had done plenty to encourage us that she understands the big picture. On road safety, she told the Transport Select Committee: “We treat road safety in a way as if it is somehow a natural accident. If the number of people being killed or seriously injured on our roads, were being killed in any other way, we'd be treating it as a pandemic."
Road safety is of course the primary factor in study after study investigating why women cycle a whole lot less than men. It seems Heidi Alexander understands this point well too.
Now to change the record we’ll need to come back to funding, specifically money for infrastructure. As mentioned, £100 million is the figure delivered solely for DfT body Active Travel England for 2025 to 2026, but the former Transport Minister had hinted at longer-term funding, albeit without adding specific figures. There is no indication of a change of tone since the role switch.
Again, in her address to the Transport Select Committee, Louise Haigh reiterated that her earlier pledge of “unprecedented funding” was to come and that the £100
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport of the United Kingdom
million is just to put money back in the pot for the near term. Expanding upon the funding to date, it has now been clarified by the Minister that “the initial direction was set in the first phase of the spending review where we (Labour) reversed the cuts of the previous Government.”
I spoke to ex-Cycling UK veteran Roger Geffen on this subject to ask his opinion on the reality of where funding needed to be to bring about a sea change and his answer was poles apart from what we currently have, but nonetheless he was encouraged that with Active Travel England well supported we could pivot of the lows of the last Conservative budget.
“There is no getting away from the need for funding, in order to create the conditions where people of all ages and abilities are able to cycle, including alongside faster and/or busier main roads. The Netherlands has a 35,000km network of protected cycle lanes, amounting to almost exactly a quarter of the length of the Dutch road network. The equivalent for England would mean a network of around 76,000km (47,000 miles) of protected cycle lanes. My very rough estimate (based on these DfT-published figures) is that this will require investment of around £36bn, to provide a cycle network that was as good and as comprehensive as what the Dutch have. To complete such a network by 2040 would require an average of about £2.25 bn per year between now and then.”
Again, in looking at some of the comments thus far from Labour’s transport people there do seem to be signs of understanding that go beyond sentiment change and that speak to the broader but connected issues in our transport system, ranging addressing an incredibly long pavement parking ban through to ensuring that toxic culture wars do not again feed the ‘us vs them’ mindset on the roads.
Specifically on cycling infrastructure and future adherence to design standards, Haigh spoke of seeing “half a cycle lane and then you’re chucked out onto a dual carriageway”. Sounds familiar to me, but I’ve never once heard a politician be so frank on how the standard of cycling infrastructure in this country is often so poor it’s borderline dangerous. Honesty and genuine understanding of the problem is not something I had forecast when the Government changed, but here we are. Now as evidenced both by the national average modal share rate that has hovered between 2 and 3% of trips by bike for decades, the Government is going to have to mimic progress in
London to achieve a culture change. As some of you will be aware, rush hour cycling rates are already more than private car trips in London and represent more traffic than the three busiest tube lines at peak times. The difference is infrastructure, but it is also convenience.
I spoke recently with bike share operator Beryl, which has made a meaningful difference to ridership in Stevenage, simply by connecting residential hubs to the town centre with bike availability. The two combined can have a big impact toward critical mass behaviour. With bike share widely deployed, new cyclists are being created all the time and better still, introduced to electric bikes as a first interaction with cycling for some time. These, I’d wager, will be more likely to make people travel on two wheels more regularly than your standard pedal cycle. Data from all over Europe tends to back this notion, with new electric bike riders steadily shown to be replacing more trips by other methods, more often and for longer distances.
“THERE
IS NO GETTING AWAY FROM THE NEED FOR FUNDING, IN ORDER TO CREATE CONDITIONS WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES ARE ABLE TO CYCLE, INCLUDING ALONGSIDE FASTER AND/OR BUSIER ROADS.”
This is how they do it: Netherlands cycle infrastructure is a cut above and would require appropriate funding to make happen in Blighty
Women, men, young and mature... quality infrastructure provides a societal-wide benefit for a broad demographic
“FRANCE'S ELECTRIC BIKE SUBSIDY SPIRALLED SALES FROM PARITY WITH THE UK AT 150,000 UNITS TO AROUND 750,000 UNITS. THAT WOULD TRANSFORM THE UK BIKE BUSINESS.”
Now for something controversial, but I think indicative of the Labour mindset on active travel. There has been a pledge to revive the legalisation of electric scooters, Haigh stating while in her role that this is “clearly required”. Now hear me out, I know you just spat your tea over your treasured copy of Cycling Industry News. This is a good thing, theoretically. It is possible to take a step back to take two forwards.
Take Vienna, as one example of a European city that has responded to a rise in electric scooter use with big-picture thinking. They are on record as having built more cycling infrastructure as a direct result of giving e-scooter users more road space. All ships rise together, but if we’re faithful cycling wins out, then actually that infrastructure will be full of bikes in the long run.
What do we want? When do we want it? So, some final thoughts for the Transport Minister, if her Department may be reading this early days score card.
I’d really love to see Heidi Alexander now ‘do a Boris’; by that I mean copy the homework of the French, not do longlasting damage to the economy. Remember during Covid when the Government deployed the cycle repair voucher scheme? Well, that idea was nicked from France. So, let’s do it again. They have a similar-sized population and had only a marginally more advanced cycling culture than the UK only five or so years ago. Then came an electric bike subsidy that spiralled sales from parity with the
UK at 150,000 units to around 750,000 units. That would transform the UK bike business. They also have Anne Higaldo, the world’s boldest Mayor and the most effective land redistributor since Amsterdam went from car city to bike city.
Political and brave actions count for a lot. In fact, brave is an overstatement in the face of evidence from places that have done the legwork to drive up cycling’s modal share. Consider that the City of Copenhagen calculates that for every mile driven there is a $0.20 societal cost, but for every mile cycled there is a $0.42 net gain for the city.
It’s time for us to play catch-up to our European neighbours, because economically there are few better returns on investment quite like a population that is built upon the convenience of active travel and transportation.
I’ll leave you with some stats on the returns on investment of various transport forms, according to The Cost of the Commute Calculator from transportation engineer George Polous:
�� If walking costs you $1, we all pay $0.01
�� If biking costs you $1, we all pay $0.08 �� If bussing costs you $1, we all pay $1.50 �� If driving costs you $1, we all pay $9.20
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INSIDE SELLE ROYAL GROUP: FROM SADDLES TO SUSTAINABILITY
With the Stracciatella concept, Selle Royal recently launched a technology aimed at making the production of bicycle saddles significantly more sustainable. Hence, the Italian company is once again reinforcing its green ambitions, as Stracciatella is far from being Selle Royal’s only initiative when it comes to sustainability. Werner Müller-Schell takes a look behind the scenes for Cycling Industry News
The distinctive smell of freshly processed synthetic material pervades the air as the pounding noise of machinery fills the enormous factory hall in the background. Stepby-step, we follow a newly stamped saddle cover as it moves through the production line, guided by our noses. Passing metal frames and boxes full of rivets, we finally come across a box filled with fresh saddle blanks. “All that’s missing here is the frame and the finishing touches – then the saddles are ready to be packed and shipped out to the world,” says Davide Pigato. He has been overseeing production at Selle Royal as manager for nine years. The Italian saddle manufacturer invited us to its headquarters in the small town of Pozzoleone, Northern Italy, where we can witness firsthand how a bicycle saddle is made.
Selle Royal has been around since 1956. Since then, the Italian company has grown into one of the world’s
Davide Pigato has overseen production at Selle Royal as manager for nine years
“SELLE ROYAL HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1956. SINCE THEN, THE ITALIAN COMPANY HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST BICYCLE SADDLE MANUFACTURERS.”
largest bicycle saddle manufacturers. In addition to Selle Royal saddles, primarily used on city bikes and touring bikes, the company group also includes the race-oriented seats of the Fizik brand and the saddles of the British brand Brooks, popular among long-distance cyclists. The group also owns other brands such as Pedaled (cycling apparel), Crankbrothers (components), and Pannier (an online shop for bike travelers). Production takes place not only in Pozzoleone but also in Brazil, China and England. In total, the company employs over 1,000 people who are responsible for producing more than 80 saddle models.
A pioneer in sustainability
Upon entering the production facilities in Pozzoleone, you immediately notice the emphasis on sustainability. During our tour, Pigato mentions the topic several times, repeatedly emphasizing that efforts are underway to increasing-
ly embed sustainable principles within the factory. Indeed, Selle Royal has been gaining attention in the bicycle industry not only for its market position but also for its sustainability efforts. In 2014, it launched the iCare program (Corporate Assets for Responsibility and Ethics), inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, becoming one of the first bicycle companies to act in this field. Later, it became an early supporter of the bicycle industry initiative Shift Cycling Culture, committing to reducing the corporate CO2 footprint by 55% until 2023. On top of that, Selle Royal’s newly released Sustainability Report is considered one of the most detailed in the cycling world.
The company also garnered significant attention through initiatives like the Support Cyclists on the Road campaign, which offers practical roadside assistance to cyclists, including free air pumps and maintenance tools along popular
The group also features fellow saddle brands Brooks and Fizik
Riccardo Losio explains how steering the company towards sustainability is a complex task...
Lara Cunico was among the Selle Royal execs detailing the tech behind the Stracciatella concept
From concept to production: Selle Royal has been examining the carbon footprint of all stages of its products' journey to market, with materials and supply chain found to create the most emissions
routes. The aim: to encourage more people to adopt cycling as a sustainable form of transportation. “Steering a company of this size toward greater sustainability is both a complex and demanding task,” says Riccardo Losio, Strategy & Innovation Director at Selle Royal Group and a key driver behind the company’s sustainability efforts.
Stracciatella technology:
A breakthrough innovation?
These efforts are also evident during our tour of the production facilities in Pozzoleone: As many as 25,000 saddles are crafted here daily, with numerous processes still performed by hand. Production waste is gathered in a dedicated container, then recycled and repurposed by a local partner company. Additionally, a 1.3-megawatt photovoltaic system has recently been installed on the roof of the plant, which will eventually cover about 40% of current energy needs. Furthermore, employees regularly participate in specialised sustainability training, while the development department is dedicated to exploring more climate- and eco-friendly materials. The latter is a significant concern for those working behind the scenes at Selle Royal, as Losio emphasises: “Our data indicates that roughly 65% of our emis-
sions stem from materials and the supply chain,” he explains.
This is why the company is especially proud of its new Stracciatella technology. As with any industrial process, saddle manufacturing inevitably produces waste—arising from product testing, machine calibration, production flaws, and the chemical reactions involved in foam polymerization. Due to their mixed composition, these semifinished materials—comprising PVC covers, PP/PA bases, PU foam, and Royalgel—are generally challenging to recycle. But after three years of research, success has been achieved, as Losio reports: “The waste can be shredded into a new granular material, aptly named ‘Stracciatella’ after the iconic Italian chocolate chip ice cream. This material can then be reused as foam for new saddles, reentering the production cycle. The recycled foam offers the same level of comfort as traditional padding–with a much lower CO2 footprint.”
The road ahead
The “Lookin” and “Lookin Evo” saddles are the first products with a recycled core and will be the first to feature the new foam with Stracciatella technology. For the OEM market, the “Essenza” saddle will also be part of this line.
Exciting for retailers: the product packaging will provide detailed information about the saddles' sustainability. As Selle Royal continues to refine the technology, the company is exploring ways to integrate the material into a broader range of products across its portfolio. “For the group and the brand, the Stracciatella project makes our commitment to a more sustainable production model tangible and reduces the environmental impact of what we design and manufacture. It will be a long journey, but we believe we are on the right path, driven by a long-term vision for a new industrial model that is now more necessary than ever,” says Riccardo Losio.
A visit to the Selle Royal factory in Pozzoleone reveals that while challenges remain, Selle Royal’s commitment to innovation and sustainability reflects a promising step toward a greener cycling industry. This is all the more true as the Stracciatella concept seems to have found a solution that could make bicycle saddle production significantly more sustainable.
For any stores looking to stock saddles featuring Straciatella tech, Selle Royal is distributed in Britain by Extra UK.
www.selleroyalgroup.com
Stracciatella tech is the result of 3 years of R&D, shredding and then reusing formerly waste product from the production process
Over 1,000 people are employed by Selle Royal worldwide to produce more than 80 saddle models
www.cambriantyresb2b.co.uk
www.lyonequipment.com
goodyearbike
ONEWAY TO MAKE A LIVING
As Europe’s largest manufacturer of bikes and electric bikes, many in the trade will be curious how Cube and its distribution offshoot Oneway Bike is riding the storm. Cycling Industry News chats to Rutger Schellevis about the long view for the brand and its accessory brands…
“AT OUR WALDERSHOF FACILITY, WE HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM THAT IS CONSTANTLY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF BIKE TECHNOLOGY.”
How’s business for Cube in the UK and what’s key to the strategy and the partnerships you are forging?
At the moment, Cube’s position in the UK market is stable and strong. The UK bike market and economy differ greatly from those in Europe, where there are also variations between countries. It’s sad to say that quite a few brands are struggling, with some even facing insolvency. However, Cube is focusing on its current models and the 2025 collection to maintain its strong position and continue to grow. We offer bikes at fair prices with excellent specifications for the price and for this reason, we believe our products are well received all over.
When we launched our 2025 collection last September, Cube was one of the few (if not the only) top brand to launch an entirely new range across all bike categories. This highlights our commitment to innovation, even during tough times. For instance, when the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor launched, Cube was quick to integrate it across all our bikes instead of sticking with the older version. This shows Cube’s drive to stay at the forefront of bike technology. When you compare the competitive prices of our bikes, Cube stands out as a strong, fair brand.
This same philosophy applies to our partnerships with dealers with whom we like to have personal relationships. We aim to foster strong, fair partnerships
When the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor launched, Cube was quick to integrate it across all bikes instead of sticking with the old version
Cube credits incremental improvements among the reasons it has cemented its position in the market
with our dealers, built on open communication. Most of our dealerships have been with us from the beginning, which speaks to the strength of the relationships.
Retailers are increasingly cautious when choosing bike brand partners as terms and conditions evolve. Why do you think Cube remains popular with bike shops? It all starts with the product. If the product is good and the terms are solid, the interest will follow. However, it is more than just the product. Dealers also need support from the brand in terms of sales, marketing and forecasting. Many of our dealers visit the Cube factory once a year to see what’s new. While this wasn’t possible during Covid, last year’s visits were very successful and well received.
Your investment in manufacturing before Covid was significant. What progress has this enabled, and how has it affected your value proposition to consumers?
Cube’s factory in Waldershof, Germany remains the heart of our assembly. We’ve made significant investments in expanding and modernising the factory, including durable machinery like robotic arms for faster storage of bike boxes. These improvements make the process more efficient, saving money and keeping the supply chain moving smoothly. These small, incremental improvements have helped Cube maintain its position as an affordable and innovative brand.
By continuing to invest in both our products and processes, Cube can continue offering high-quality bikes at competitive prices.
Tell us about the bikes and eBikes that have been major successes for Cube lately, and what themes tie those successes together: There’s a lot happening right now. The launch of our 2025 collection was a major milestone, with 90% of the bikes being completely revamped in terms of specifications, frames and colour schemes. That was quite a big investment to achieve such a broad refresh.
THERE WERE OTHER KEY INNOVATIONS DURING 2024, INCLUDING:
• The launch of the new lightweight Bosch SX motor, paired with the AMS Hybrid ONE44 E-MTB, which resulted in a 16.2kg eMTB.
• A new, lightweight kids’ range, NUMOVE, designed to make it easier for young riders to learn and lift their bikes.
• Cube’s involvement in the Tour de France, with Bini Girmay winning three stages and the green jersey, which demonstrates the performance capabilities of our bikes.
• Cube is one of the few brands to fully integrate Bosch’s new Performance CX motor into its 2025 range of eMTB and urban bikes.
What connects these themes is innovation and creativity. At our Waldershof facility, we have a dedicated team that is constantly pushing the boundaries of bike technology. This focus on innovation ensures that we offer not only the not only the fastest bikes for top-tier events like the Tour de France (we won the green jersey last year with Bini), but also reliable electric bikes for urban commuting. With our private test centre in Germany, we can set our own standards that go beyond the typical CE certification, something very few brands can boast. In-house design and creation, such as our ‘ACID’ lights, are key to Cube’s evolutionary approach.
What’s your view on the current state of the market for bikes and eBikes in Europe, and how can your retail partners stay ahead of the ongoing challenges? It’s clear that the bike industry is facing a tough time right now, and this is likely to continue at least until summer. However, we are seeing a continued shift towards eBikes and eMTBs. It’s undeniable that eBiking is becoming part of everyday commuting and recreational cycling. The market is disrupted and will probably remain that way longer than most anticipated.
The best way for our partners to stay ahead is to keep communication lines open, focus on quality bikes, and maintain good stock levels. While we can’t
Cube launched the kids’ NUMOVE range last year, designed to make it easier to learn (and lift) bikes for younger riders
predict exactly what will happen, we are in a transition, and I don’t doubt that bikes are going to play a big part of the future in our urban spaces.
Are there any themes from your more successful retail partners in how they present the Cube brand in-store, and what methods do they use to drive sales? We work with various retail partners to ensure Cube is well-presented in stores. Some shops even dedicate part of their space to creating a Cube-specific display, which is something we collaborate closely on to suit the retailer’s environment. Telling the story of Cube and its products is key, and comparing Cube bikes with other brands can help highlight our strengths.
Cube offers a bike for nearly every purpose, and many bikes can be customised with in-house accessories. For example, you can easily add mudguards or built-in lights to an eMTB to make it ready for commuting and these extras are all supplied by us and built to pair seamlessly. This added flexibility is one of Cube’s strengths, and it’s something we encourage retailers to emphasise.
What marketing and event support does Cube provide to help shops drive demand?
Cube offers a range of marketing and event support for retailers. This includes shop-in-shop point-of-sale (POS) materials, as well as assistance with local
events featuring Cube bikes. All support is provided in consultation with the retailer’s account manager. We also offer online marketing assistance, such as providing high-quality images, logos, and promotional materials to help drive sales through websites.
WHAT’S NEW WITH ONEWAY?
For those who aren’t up to date, what brands does Oneway Bike provide to the market in the UK?
Oneway Bike Industry represents several brands in the UK, with Cube as the core brand. We also distribute Ere Research, a premium brand specialising in wheels, tyres, saddles and bar tape, as well as Newmen wheels, known for their highquality products spanning the road, gravel, mountain bike and even kids categories. Again with Newman we have an in-house test laboratory that tests beyond the standard benchmarks.
How can retailers maximise the potential of performance brands like Ere Research, which require some in-store fitting or knowledge not easily conveyed online? We provide account managers in the UK who can offer more information about Ere Research and the other brands in the Oneway Bike portfolio. Through personal online contact, retailers can learn about the full potential of these brands, not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of support and opportunities.
Ere Research is backed up by the design work of Piet van der Velde, whose long history in performance design has resulted in some highly refined products spanning wheels, saddles, accessories like bar tapes, sealants and tyres. You may notice a lot of those are products based around the wheel and when paired up, Ere Research’s products are a cut above on performance as they’re designed side-byside in an uncompromising way. If you’re looking for a performance tier upgrades brand for the road or gravel racing enthusiast, there are fewer better places to start than with Ere Research.
SQlab is another important brand for Oneway Bike and again a highly relevant parts upgrades supplier with a bespoke twist. Given the bespoke nature of the products, what tools have you to help shop floor staff sell the benefits here?
SQlab offers unique solutions to cycling comfort, particularly when it comes to saddles. Often, riders are using the saddle that came with the bike, which too often is not the best fit. SQlab helps solve this with a saddle measurement system to assess sitting bone width, ensuring a proper fit. We are now offering a two-part saddle system where a base is supplied with the bike and the upper fitted bespoke to the customer in-store. This innovation was seen at Eurobike last year and we hope it takes off as an idea to solve this difficult issue for bike makers.
Ere Research's premium ranges are backed by the design work of Piet van der Velde
Additionally, SQlab offers ergonomic grips to prevent hand pain during long rides. These products are key for improving the comfort of riders and enhancing their overall cycling experience.
The house brand ACID has a large range of everyday accessories. What can we expect from this label in the future, and what’s the focus for the designers?
ACID offers a wide variety of accessories for both on- and off-bike use. What’s great about the brand is that 80% of the accessories can be used with bikes from other brands, making it a versatile choice. ACID is known for creative solutions, such as its X-connect tech that connects special ACID lights to your Bosch battery. The brand also offers tools, inner tubes, mudguards, racks, baskets, helmets, and other bike-related products, all at affordable prices.
Add to that, they’re keeping up with market evolution, even producing cheap solutions for things like mounting your Bosch electric bike display. For the consumer, a lot of value and quality can be attained without breaking the bank.
How can I open an account with Cube or Oneway Bike?
To become a dealer, visit oneway.bike and click on the ‘become a dealer’ link in the menu. You’ll be asked to provide some details, and then you’ll be contacted about becoming a retail partner by one of our
team shortly afterwards.
Where are there gaps for Cube in the UK?
Despite our size and prominence elsewhere, Cube is still a relatively unknown brand in the UK, and so there’s a lot of potential for growth. The eMTB market is already strong, but the urban electric bike market still needs to be convinced and we have the accessible, value-led products to do it. With powerful motors and reliable batteries, Cube’s urban electric bikes could become a significant part of the UK’s cycling scene.
The accessories brand ACID also has a lot of potential to grow in the market, should your store have a gap to fill.
Cube has a very clear strategy towards product and market. Our longstanding partners understand that this stability is important to us in our business relationships. This extends to our suppliers. Our retailer network has a central position in our market approach. We want to offer the best access to our product for consumers. The retailer has a central position in that and we have seen a consolidation in the last few years in the retailer network in the UK.
What products or services should we look for in 2025?
Cube’s 2025 collection is, in my opinion, the strongest we’ve ever produced. With competitive pricing and features that can be up to £5,000 less than competitors at
the top tier, we’re continuing to build on our reputation for offering great value. You can expect more innovations in our bikes and strong collaborations with leading innovators within the bike industry as Cube continues to evolve and remain relevant for the future.
At Cube we always work with a focus on improvement of the process. The Cube factory in Waldershof, Germany, expanded with more production lines in 2022. In the main factory we have installed more robot lines for pre-assembly of eBikes... you can imagine the amount of steps that are needed to assemble battery mounts. That is all automated now. We have also expanded our wheel building processes, that is all done completely by us, close to the assembly lines. We have also opened an additional assembly factory in the Czech Republic. All complete bikes are stored close to the assembly line, automated robot arms take care of the transport through a system of belts and tunnels. It's impressive! We have invested in our R&D facilities, enabling us to test and prototype in the factory. This investment has come on top of our already extensive CUBE test lab, where we test all of our parts for quality, reliability and durability on a series of 29 test rigs. All those small things make CUBE what it is now.
See oneway.bike for more information on Cube and the brand portfolio.
Cube's 2025 collection saw 90% of the bikes being completely revamped in terms of specifications, frames and colour schemes
THE GENERATION
ODemographic analysis should really play a part in any business plan. Knowing your customer and your local area can form a tailwind for your business. In the latest in a running series Mark Sutton explores some general themes to consider…
nce upon a time, I found myself sitting at the Hurtwood Inn in the tiny village of Peaslake looking over the road at one of the smallest bike shops in the country. You might have known it as Pedal and Spoke, though now it’s turned hands to become a Specialized demo hub and bike shop under the Surrey Hills Bike Rental Banner. Sat there having a post-ride pint I remember thinking that, despite its tiny size, this might well be one of the smartest bike shop operations in the country. Let me explain why (and of course, I could be wrong, but it’s still there).
What’s evident on any given day sat at that pub is that this bike shop sits on some of the most fertile ground for Strava segments in the entire country. The passing bike traffic is a heavy mix of road cyclists and mountain bikers crisscrossing the famous Surrey Hill trail and road network. I don’t know if the shop’s placing was deliberate, but two things struck me; if you pulled up a Strava heat map, this shop would have the busiest wheel fall in the country by its door. It’s probably among the most wellknown shops in the country for that reason, even though it’s in the middle of nowhere and it’s easily missable if you have a bit of speed, or fancy a pint and are looking towards the pub instead.
With the fact that it operates such a small out-of-the-way footprint, I also
expect that its overheads are significantly less than your average bike shops’. There are a few ways to make money in cycling. Obviously, you can start with five million to end up with one million, as the saying goes. But you can also start with rock-bottom overheads and enthusiastic and high incidence of repair footfall.
I often wonder who first thought to put a bike shop in this spot and what their reasons were. Perhaps they too just liked a post-ride pint, but the above is what I’d like to think happened instead.
Now I’m not suggesting you move your shop based on heat maps, but it is interesting to note the spots where our communities gather and why. More than that, who is missing and why? That feels like a bigger question for the bike industry lately and one more addressable since the eBike gained popularity as an accessible route to pedal-powered exercise.
Spotting your customers and attracting them
With each article in this series, I’ve tried to ground the information presented with some analysis from an expert. In this piece I’ve had a few assumptions of my own corrected by a book by Bobby Duffy titled ‘The Generation Divide – Why we can’t agree and why we should’. It’s worth repeating that having an emotional response to a
subject rarely delivers the right answer and having an opinion on everything is probably worse, so it always pays to do a little research before assuming you know the person in front of you.
So, what facts standout when exploring who our customer might be, how much spending power they have, how they feel about our products and what values they hold? Bear in mind that generalisations apply here, not everyone is the same, but I’ll highlight the majority feeling with each instance below.
Who might be buying into cycling for health reasons?
Looking at the obesity and weight trends of generations is interesting because health remains a mega trend supporting cycling and, more so, electric bikes, which can be a tool to make that first step to exercise accessible. It’s also worth considering that younger demographics are waiting longer to obtain their driving licenses and the rate of car ownership is falling with new generations, though as they age the gap in ownership rates does close. Simply, younger demographics have different challenges early in life, are putting off big purchases, have more confined living arrangements, less cash and are more used to the idea of subscribing to something that would formerly have been a must-have ‘status’ asset. There exists a window to
“THERE EXISTS A WINDOW TO SELL THEM ON THE ECO-FRIENDLY AND HEALTHY BIKE LIFESTYLE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY LIVE IN AN URBAN AREA, YOU MIGHT THINK.”
sell them on the eco-friendly and healthy bike lifestyle, especially if they live in an urban area, you might think.
Looking at some of the data, the percentage of the population that maintains a healthy weight into later life is universally poor, but there are distinct generation gaps that might make targeted marketing interesting. The data thus far tends to show that Millennials, followed by Generation X have held up best, with a marginal decline visible in the starting point of the youngest generation in the data (Z). The pre-war generations and then Baby Boomers have generally had a shallower trend from an unhealthy starting point earlier in life, flattening out with both tending to see an approximately 20% ‘healthy weight’ in the current data. 80% of those in that generation, then, could really benefit from renewing their active mobility. That’s the sell. The overweight do tend to die younger, to be more blunt about it.
Another strand to consider is mental health, another issue part remedied by getting outside and exercising. Here it’s notable that Generation Z report feeling ‘lonely’ significantly more often that other generations and reported rates of depression have been rising in 16 to 24-year-olds for decades with a startling gap beginning to show with women suffering more often. Bike clubs that target this demographic with engaging forms of cycling may well deliver a better uptake than you might think.
The jobs and asset ownership market dictating spend on ‘luxury items’ You’ve probably felt it, struggles with
cash don’t seem to be easing. That’s particularly true if you’re young and priced out of the basic assets required to form the foundations of a life. Arguably in the bike industry we have grown too used to relying on the more affluent generations to pay our bills, but that, sadly cannot last indefinitely. It’s better understood now that the gap between wage growth and housing prices, to name one central pillar of existence – well, it’s only getting bigger. The bank of mum and dad is a phrase that’s come into play more often in recent generations and it’s little wonder why. Our paths in life are ever more governed by the resources of the prior generation, an apples-toapples comparison bears no relevance. As my reference book puts it “A majority of the oldest generations are holding onto the view that the system works because it used to, but this belief is fading with them”.
Here are some snapshots of key data that show where cash is concentrated in society and why that has a bearing on who our customers are for higher ticket, generally more profitable items. (I advise that a lot of the figures are based on pre-Covid data and that gaps have tended to widen since).
Data from the USA (which is fairly aligned in trends to the UK) shows that the pre-war generation went through life largely never living with parents at home beyond their teens. For Baby Boomers the early life increase jumped and again for the next generation and the next. The upshot is that now over one million more Gen Z live at home with mum and dad in 2019 versus 20 years prior.
A consequence of this is more people renting deeper into their midlife, in fact, the rate of ownership decreases beyond the forties, a situation made all the more likely by spiralling asset prices versus wage prospects.
The Office for National Statistics revealed that working households real income increased by only 3% between 2008 and 2016, while a pensioner’s disposable income increased by 16%. There was an extreme swing in net incomes from £70 lower for pensioners than working households in 2001, upward to £20 higher by 2016. This has the net effect of the poorest workers being £2,000 a year worse off than the poorest pensioners.
The homeownership rate within the 24-to-35-year-old bracket dropped from 23% to 12% between the 1990s and today. A right to Buy scheme is nowadays far less attractive than when it was launched in the 80s with lending rules tightened.
As for a valuation on wealth, in 2016 Baby Boomers in the UK within the 75th percentile had an average of £600,000 in wealth compared to the 25th percentile’s £100,000. In the ten years from 2006 to 2016, that top 75th percentile gained around £100,000 to £200,000, while the 25th percentile remained flat. An increased scale and concentration of generational wealth has built.
With the population aging, so too is the inheritance delivery stretched, now to an average hand down age of 61 and growing. The longer people live, the less of that cash pile remains too, delivering a double whammy for the demographics beneath baby boomers.
OPINION
THE NEXT 10 YEARS | PART 3
Where are audiences going in the digital age? (and how that effects our shopping)
I’ve wondered for a while why it’s almost universally true that each generation seem to hold differing takes on so many subjects and, using my own sweet spot perspective of having grown up with the dawn of the internet age, pondered that this has had a massive impact on how we receive, review and digest information; plus as explored previously in this series, how we successfully filter misinformation.
Now let’s start with how technology permeates society and look at some examples of how demographics have shifted from place to place over time. I’ll start with Facebook, a place that started with university-age people, exploded globally, but has now largely become a digital nursing home. Sorry if that one hurt, but the data increasingly shows it to be true.
The fact of the matter is that in recent years less than half of US internet users aged 12 to 17 log into Facebook at least once per month. Very evidently our future audience is not here, if replenishment of new customers remains the target. Arguably you could have good success based on the density of older users who tend to hold on to more cash, but it’s hard to see a way back for a platform that is no longer ‘cool’. It will age out.
Then there’s Twitter, known as X since Elon Musk’s controversial takeover and direction. I’m not sure much more needs to be said, other than this is another example of a social platform quickly facing an erosion of relevance and value because the change in demographics is now reflective of the ownership’s increasingly questionable ideas. Somewhat proving the sentiment, there’s now quite a strong movement of Tesla owners backing away from the brand.
X user numbers, so say the FT, are down by around a third in the UK and 20% in the USA in one year. Meanwhile, Bluesky has surged as a copy-and-paste platform, one where many publishers are already reporting increased engagement with real people. Again, hard to see a way back here.
Anyhow, the broader point is that times change, lately with volatile turnaround too. I grew up with Myspace, possibly the first proper social media, but not one any young
“TO ACCESS THESE IMPULSE-LED CUSTOMERS, THE FORMAT THAT HAS BECOME MOST EFFECTIVE IN CONVERTING SALES IS SHORT-FORM CONTENT AND QUICK-CUT VIDEO.”
people would be aware of. The idea that these platforms would become shopping portals was not part of the original thinking, but obviously, that was always going to become part of the recipe, along with advertising. At the time we could not have forecast that AI-driven algorithms would serve us, in intervals of three or four posts, highly targeted shopping ads that gave one click to buy convenience. It’s shocking how effective these mandatory ads are against the impulse purchase-minded.
This goes a long way to explaining the rapid rise of direct-market mass merchants like Temu or Shein, but with that comes other issues, none more notable in our space than some electric bike conversion kits' check-shy path to our market.
To access these impulse-led customers, the format that has become most effective in converting sales is short-form content and quickcut video. TikTok seems to have become the master of this game,
though Instagram, SnapChat and YouTube all similarly have pivoted to ‘Shorts’. Why is this formula successful? Consider that in 2010 less than 30% of millennials and Gen X people had smartphones, but nowadays that rate is not far off 100%. Gen Z start out at a near 100% rate and, as such they are the most prolific social media users at over 90% adoption. Born into it, rather than having grown up in the turbulence. Four in ten Americans are said to be browsing within ten minutes of waking up and will do so periodically right up until they sleep. The engagement is unprecedented. Is it worth you trying to keep up with the changing social media age and compete against businesses that have mastered algorithms? You’d be inclined to think anybody who tried is silly. Yet I have now met a handful of bike shops that revolve their model around selling eBikes off the back of unique content. Seemingly, this new bike retail model is a valid one, if you have the skillsets and time.
MANUFACTURING
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MANCHESTER MEET OR LEE VALLEY VALENTINE’S?
There’s two big chances to connect with Madison and Sportline, their brands, and a decent number of fellow retailers via iceBike* 2025’s north and south shows. CIN outlines the attractions and quizzes CEO Dominic Langan on what could be a “pivotal year for the industry”…
For the third year running, Madison and Sportline house show iceBike* will be running across two venues – in the north and south, continuing its post-Covid show shake up.
Rolling back into Manchester’s National Cycling Centre first (over Sunday 9 and Monday 10 February) and then for Valentine’s in London’s Lee Valley Velodrome (over Thursday 13 and Friday 14 February), iceBike*
2025 will bring together 30-plus brands for dealers and cycle press, with reps on hand to chat through new ranges, offerings and the state of the industry.
Speaking of which, Madison and Sportline CEO has previously said that 2025 promises to be a “pivotal year” for the industry, as it begins to emerge from its post-Covid challenges… more on that later.
iceBike* 2025 will lean on that estab-
“OUR INDUSTRY HAS BEEN THROUGH THE GRINDER SINCE 2022 BUT AS 2024 DREW TO A CLOSE WE WERE BEGINNING TO FINALLY SEE A POSITIVE TREND DEVELOP. SOONER OR LATER THINGS WILL REBOUND...”
lished successful formula of new products and deals at the show, but the team is also keen to emphasise the education and learning aspects, whether that’s the opportunity to meet the brands, including overseas experts who are making the iceBike* trip (including Park Tool’s Calvin Jones), or the extensive iceBike* seminar programme which is also a key part of the show. Previous highlights have included technical demonstrations, talks on key industry issues and also chance for retailers to grill Madison’s top execs. As Madison puts it: “Use it as an opportunity to arm yourself with everything you need for a successful 2025.”
Representatives from the likes of Shimano, Vittoria, Park Tool, Kryptonite, Lazer, Elite, DT Swiss and many more, will be at the show. And there’s plenty of opportunity to connect with fellow bike retailers, not least at the well established iceBike* parties, which fill out the social aspect of the show in a relaxed environment.
“PIVOTAL YEAR FOR THE UK CYCLE INDUSTRY”
Speaking back in Q4 2024, Madison and Sportline CEO Dominic Langan said: “It’s hard not to see 2025 as a pivotal year for the UK cycle industry as we begin to emerge from the postCovid challenges and start seeing the early signs of recovery. iceBike* has always been a cornerstone event for Madison and remains the most effective way to help you prepare for the new season.”
CIN picked up some of those points with the Madison and Sportline boss ahead of iceBike* 2025…
iceBike* has been working the twoshow-concept for a few years now – do you anticipate ever expanding that to three or more? Say, one for Scotland or Wales as well?
I can categorically tell you this will not happen. Putting on iceBike* each year is a huge logistical challenge and
investment from the business and the brands we represent. Finding good venues is also a challenge and historically we have done roadshows in multiple venues all around the country and the retailer attendance was poor. The two-venue format was designed to help our customers attend by being nearer and more convenient to them than holding the show just in Milton Keynes. We have chosen two venues which are easy to access, have excellent transport links and have significant customer catchment areas. We have received criticism that we are either not far enough North or far enough South but we have made a big effort to be further North or further South than Milton Keynes or indeed the venue of the other significant trade show in the UK!
While we don’t want to dwell too much on current market difficulties, it would be remiss not to mention them… what’s your take on the current situation as we get into 2025 – will there still be significant industry pain by the time we have the next iceBike*?
Our industry has been through the grinder since 2022 but as 2024 drew to a close we were beginning to finally see a positive trend develop. Sooner or later things will rebound and I for one believe this will start in 2025 and need to make sure we are match fit and ready to take advantage of every opportunity as the market momentum builds. More than ever, I really see this year’s iceBike* as the springboard for a new and much more positive season ahead. In business, we all have to look forward and give thought to the direction and strategy to achieve the goals you have
set yourself. We have seen a seismic shift in the bicycle retailer make-up of the UK and Irish markets in the last few years. This huge change in dynamic presents opportunities which simply may have not been there before.
The difficult climate does not appear to have harmed attendance at key shows like iceBike* - is there something to be said for the positives that shows can provide for dealers during hard times, eg education, deals, insights, etc?
It is always frustratingly hard to drive retailer attendance to shows despite all the effort we put into our events. Everyone is busy and everyone can come up with a thousand excuses not to do something but not making the effort to attend and hear and see what is going on within your own markets is actually a really damaging, short-term behaviour for any business. On even the most basic level of accessing show exclusive deals to boost margins, it is very much worth attending iceBike*.
At iceBike* we have also always endeavoured to deliver a stimulating environment to help businesses find their opportunities and we are there to listen to our customers and support them in achieving their business plans. We provide a range of informative and thought-provoking seminars, industry panel discussions, visual merchandising ideas, new products and brands, conversations with brand owners and business leaders from all over the world and even chats with other retailers. Even if you feel burnt out and fed up with the industry, you owe it to yourself, your staff and your business to pick yourself up and get out there and see what is going on outside of your
...and Madison's house show kicks off in Manchester's National Cycling Centre, over 9-10 Feb
iceBike* returns to the Lee Valley Velodrome over 13-14 Feb 2025...
”EVEN IF YOU FEEL BURNT OUT AND FED UP WITH THE INDUSTRY, YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF, YOUR STAFF AND YOUR BUSINESS TO PICK YOURSELF UP AND GET OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON OUTSIDE OF YOUR SHOP.”
shop. It will do you the world of good and it will without doubt give you just a little time to think about your business and your strategy and hopefully it will rejuvenate you and motivate you. I know it does for me when I attend industry events.
What would you say to dealers who haven’t been to iceBike* for a number of years… or perhaps newer retailers who’ve not yet attended?
Please come and please bring your staff too if you can!
iceBike* 2025 sees another massive step up in the quality of the brand booths and displays. We take on board all the customer feedback from our post-show surveys and apply that to the next show and this way we continuously improve and provide our customers with the best possible show experience.
For 2025 we will also seamlessly integrate our evening entertainment within the show venue, so no need to leave and go somewhere else. Instead, you can transition from work to social with a cocktail in hand from a fun list of signature cocktails based on our brand portfolio in our specially built bar area. All will be clear when you come!
All attendees will receive some fantastic, fun and useful goody bags!
The opportunity to ride at the velodrome and a tour of the home of
British Cycling in Manchester too. Meeting with the owners and key personnel from all over the world who will be representing their brands at iceBike* as well as the team from Madison. Lots of schwag, special
offers, special staff purchase deals and great coffee too. Plenty of food and drink options of all strengths and above all a warm welcome from us!
www.icebike.co.uk
Feedback loop: The house show provides a chance for retailers to speak direct with brands
Hands-on: iceBike*’s appeals extend beyond the opportunity for the trade to get their hands on new product
PEDALLING IN SQUARES: CAN ENGLAND FIX NEW HOMES’ CYCLING PROBLEMS?
Building safe infrastructure, including residential connections, was the 4th most important legislative change bike shops picked to develop cycling in the UK, according to CIN’s 2024 Market Data. Laura Laker delves into the topic with Sustrans CEO Zavier Brice and investigates why England has been missing the chance to make it easier for people to cycle to and from new residential estates – and the huge opportunity to do things differently…
I“WE CAN’T BUILD THOSE NEW HOMES IN THE WAY WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE THEM; WE CAN’T HAVE CAR DEPENDENT NEW HOUSING.”
Sustrans CEO
t wasn’t meant to be this way. Fifty new homes, built cheek-by-jowl with a traffic-free stretch of National Cycle Network, and yet, somehow, there’s no direct link between the two. Cyclist James Palser shared his bafflement on social media that half of the houses being built off Dudbridge Hill in Stroud will back directly onto the former railway line, with no access to it. Instead, anyone hoping to cycle towards Stroud or Stonebridge, offroad on NCN45, will first need to join a busy, narrow road and hustle themselves, between passing vehicles, onto a pavement with no drop kerb and a fence on it. Given the number one reason people don’t cycle is a fear of traffic, you’re effectively placing a ‘no cycling’ sign on each new home.
I’m not singling out housing association Bromford, whose media webform and Facebook page were unable to receive messages when I contacted them for a response. The fact is, there’s currently no requirement for new developments adjacent to the Network to connect to it – or for housing estates to provide cycle infrastructure at all. There’s also no connection to the path from an adjacent 1970s-era council housing estate, a culde-sac (though likely built before the NCN), requiring those residents to also brave the same detour first if they hope to cycle anywhere. The irony is, for all the talk of making these new homes affordable and energy-efficient, the development has failed to tackle one of those
households’ biggest outgoings – transport – by effectively requiring them to own a car, despite being on the outskirts of a town with a decent railway service.
It's not all bad news. With the government planning 1.5 million houses, part of which will be part of new ‘New Towns’, there is an opportunity to think differently about what those communities will look like, and the experience of those living in them.
Sustrans’ CEO, Xavier Brice, tells me, “we can’t build those new homes in the way we have always done them; we can’t have car dependent new housing.”
People need choices to walk and cycle, added Brice, pointing out when we build new homes and new estates, “we are baking in something for generations to come.” Get it right first time and generations can enjoy the fruits of that effort.
“Making it easy to leave the car at home delivers a better environment for everybody,” Brice says, but at the moment we aren’t getting it right.
“How we choose (or are forced) to travel, and our car-dependency is ruining our environment and contributing towards climate change. This is disproportionately affecting people from marginalised groups and those living in areas with high deprivation, particularly in inner cities.”
This is, in some ways, an England problem. In Scotland and Wales, the NCN is more seriously integrated into planning policy, seen as ‘nationally important development’ in the former, and part of planning
Zavier Brice
policy in the latter, something that local authorities should assist in completing.
In England, though, the work of local planning, highway and transport teams is not always joined up. One department can undermine the other without even realising it. And so the Dudbridge Hills of the world are born. Added to that, because there’s no maintenance funding for cycle routes, there is an active disincentive for local authorities to build them – without funding allocated for their upkeep they simply become a liability.
magic eye painting, only visible to those who firstly know it’s there, and secondly are able and willing to look for it. The NCN is literally absent from policy maps. And that’s before we even get into the quagmire of how difficult it is to fund and deliver connections to and from it within the existing car-centric planning system.
“WHEN WE BUILD NEW HOMES AND NEW ESTATES, WE ARE BAKING IN SOMETHING FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.”
Things are starting to shift in England, with a new vision-led planning approach by government which means local authorities should be delivering transport choice, rather than simply assuming everyone will drive and building for a growth in motor traffic. The fact is, people use what’s available and what’s easy and affordable – and often driving is not it, if there are other options.
We also need to undo car-centric thinking. While roads and rail are recorded on planning policy documents, both local and national – and notionally held within strategic plans about their future expansion and maintenance – cycleways aren’t. Incredibly for a piece of national infrastructure, sometimes council officials don’t even know the NCN is there, on their patch. Sometimes it’s invisible on maps because of arcane access rules, i.e. an off-road section is not on a public right-of-way or other public highway. It is, for practical purposes, like a pattern on a
Things could be different. A new report by think tank Create Streets lays out principles for new homes in new towns to enable “thriving and prosperous communities”. By building in places with acute housing need that are also close to existing infrastructure like rail stations, homes can be delivered quickly, without locking in car-dependency, they say.
Create Streets’ Britain Remade report sets out various policy levers new and existing, to make active and sustainable transport the easiest option, to meet the government’s ‘vision-led’ approach. This means rather than simply predicting more car traffic and building for that, as we do now, we define the desired outcomes, i.e. more walking, cycling and public transport use, and make that the easier option. This means not building in isolated fields, but within walking and cycling distance of towns and transport links like rail stations, linking to those connections with safe, traffic-free and low traffic paths from the offset. It means using ‘gentle density’, such as terraced housing and low-rise apartments, with shops and schools and amenities built in, rather than a sprawl of smaller, individual
The NCN 52 runs near a residential area in Coventry, giving locals the opportunity to make different transport choices rather than funnelling them into cars with little alternative
Photo credit
Mark Radford/Sustrans
homes, reducing the need to drive for everyday needs. The report even suggests 12 locations where existing or planned rail stations, among other things, would make this possible.
“‘CAR PARKS BESIDE STATIONS’ IS THE MODEL NOT ‘NEW TOWNS BESIDE STATIONS’. IT IS DEPRESSING, UNSUSTAINABLE AND STUPID.”
It’s safe to say, in the vast majority of cases, none of this is currently happening. Create Streets says: “All our government-led attempts to create new towns and settlements over the last 60 years have basically failed. Too few homes, too far apart & too slowly built. No real town centres, little walkability & very little public transport. Ugly civic centres that only a mother could love. On the few occasions that we’ve actually built something, they have not been towns but sprawling suburbs. ‘Car parks beside stations’ is the model not ‘new towns beside stations’. It is depressing, unsustainable and stupid.”
A damning report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), released in November, agreed that England’s new homes were ‘forcing people to rely on cars’. Public transport travel times from new homes rose in 15 years, particularly in rural areas, to over an hour to the nearest hospital, 43 minutes to the nearest secondary school, and 37 minutes to the nearest supermarket. No wonder Brits were driving 49bn extra miles a year by 2019 compared with 2000.
NEF says these problems can be solved by integrating transport and housing planning instead, releasing grey belt land and using data to decide on the best place for new homes. European nations already deliver homes beside rail stations existing or new, with cycle routes and bus services – and, it says, England is capable of catching up. Incorporating the Network into new homes is one of Sustrans’ four key goals now, Brice says. But it will need help. Funding is scarce, particularly in rural areas – and Sustrans’ annual income dropped by a third in 2024 compared with previous years, leading to a raft of redun-
dancies. Where Sustrans has improved links, people use them: in Buckinghamshire, an upgrade between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Haydon Hill from dirt to tarmac, with a new bridge, has increased cycling rates by 344%, according to the charity.
We need to be smarter about how we build. An earlier report by Create Streets and Sustrans, Stepping off the Road to Nowhere, sets out ways to deliver more and better homes using less land. For example in Chippenham, instead of spending a planned £75m on a new road, the same investment could deliver bus and rail infrastructure, new walking and cycling routes, car clubs and financial support for the local high street.
In Cambridge, in the Waterbeach development, local campaigners worked with the developer to transform the way the housing was laid out. After feedback, a proposed school was moved away from a main road to the centre of the estate, meaning kids could cycle and walk to school instead of needing to be driven each day. It wasn’t easy though – it took 20 years of negotiations, something most campaigners won’t have the resources or ability to do.
Good transport links need to be integrated into how we deliver and build. If local officials refuse a development with bike paths because they see it as a maintenance liability, home builders are forced to deliver the same failed solutions, despite their best intentions. Cycle routes need to be embedded into local policy, with proper funding to deliver and maintain them – in the same way we do for roads. Active Travel England can and should oversee designs from the offset. Developments that lock in car dependency can and should firmly be a thing of the past – we can’t afford to, and we don’t need to, keep making the same mistakes.
www.sustrans.org.uk www.createstreets.com
When links improve, people use them: A Bucks upgrade and new bridge saw cycling grow 344% near Aylesbury
Design fail: Brits were driving an extra 49bn miles a year in 2019 compared with 2000
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LOOKING BACK TO THE FUTURE
The seemingly endless variety of independent bike retail businesses continues to surprise, not least with Eroica Caffè – a rare example of an event that has evolved into a growing café and retail offering, with some hush hush but substantial international plans afoot…
Back in 1997, the first L’Eroica took place in the small village of Gaiole, Chianti. For those unfamiliar, riders on ‘historical bikes’ (Bici Eroiche) traversed unpaved roads, setting the template for a ride that has gone on to blossom significantly. Eroica sees riders in vintage clothes and using accessories in the spirit of the event, which is all about inviting cyclists to “rediscover the beauty of fatigue and the thrill of conquest”. With a self-styled mission to “look to the past of cycling to inspire the future of this beautiful sport”, Eroica events reached Japan in 2014, Britain in 2015 and California in 2016.
Restaurant entrepreneur Ivan Totaro (left) and Nicola Rosin
Eroica now sees over 27 editions and 12,500 participants in Italy alone (2024 stats).
“EARLY
It was in 2018 that the event first expanded into the world of cycle cafés, when it inaugurated its first permanent café space in Barcellona, “dedicated to Eroica, its values and its people”, serving not just the usual café fare but also product, including merchandising and Eroica-related ranges. This test bed was to provide proof positive of the Eroica Caffè concept.
And now 2025 promises to be a milestone year for Eroica Caffè with the signs firmly pointed at expansion thanks in part to a significant new appointment.
€3 million to €6 million turnover target Hamerica’s is a 30-plus strong restaurant chain based in Italy, bringing American
culture and the experience of a New York restaurant to 17 Italian cities. Hamerica’s founder, Ivan Totaro, was revealed in the f inal days of 2024 to be joining Eroica Caffè as a new partner and strategic driver of growth. Totaro’s arrival with Eroica Caffè looks to be significant and a sign of intent.
Speaking at the time, Eroica President Nicola Rosin said: “Our collaboration with Ivan Totaro marks a turning point for Eroica Caffè. From the very beginning, Ivan was our first choice. His extensive experience in the restaurant industry, coupled with his remarkable humanity, has earned the trust of our stakeholders and community alike. Together, we are poised for an exciting journey of growth and success.”
Currently there are two Eroica Caffès, in Padua and Milan, with a combined turnover of €3 million at the end of 2024
The opening of the third Eroica Caffè is tabled for Q1 2025
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“WE AIM TO SHOWCASE THE BEST OF 'MADE IN ITALY, CELEBRATE OUR CYCLING HERITAGE AND DEMONSTRATE HOW HEROIC CYCLING CAN INSPIRE NOT ONLY THE PAST AND FUTURE OF SPORTS BUT ALSO SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS...”
– a figure the firm has confirmed it plans to double by the end of this year. The business is looking to a new location to help deliver that growth. “We are happy that our start is fully focused in our country,” Eroica Caffè tells Cycling Industry News.
Early 2025 will see Eroica Caffè open City Life Milan, a residential, commercial and business district located close to Milan’s old city centre. But why would the firm choose Milan again for its third café launch?
A spokesperson explains to CIN: “Milano is the most cosmopolitan and inspiring city in Italy and we have the chance to be present in different areas of the city. City Life in particular is an amazing hub and great location for visibility, with 11 million visitors per year.”
Speaking as he was recruited to Eroica Caffè, Totaro said: “Our goal is to solidify
Eroica Caffè’s presence in Italy and to open the first two international locations within the next two years. But Eroica Caffè is more than just a business—it’s a cultural project. We aim to showcase the best of ‘Made in Italy,’ celebrate our cycling heritage, and demonstrate how heroic cycling can inspire not only the past and future of sports but also sustain-
The two existing Eroica Caffès, in Padua and Milan, turnover a combined €3 million
Appetiser: L’Eroica’s cafe and retail arm is just getting started, with 6-7 new locations plotted to open in the next 2 years
“IT'S TOO EARLY TO DECLARE OUR INTERNATIONAL PLANS, BUT BIG CITIES ATTRACT US AND WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL REQUESTS AS WELL.”
able and innovative business models.”
The new City Life Milan branch of Eroica Caffè will be a “reimagined format” specifically designed for the bike-friendly area. Eroica Caffè’s new space will feature two compact and functional kiosks, each employing 10 staff members. Nestled among green spaces, the kiosks will offer Eroica Caffè’s signature blend of Tuscan-inspired specialties, cycling-focused events and services for urban cyclists.
This new concept aligns perfectly with City Life’s mission to promote sustainable urban living and cater to the growing community of cycling enthusiasts, the firm said.
The business revealed to CIN that it is planning to open at least six or seven locations in the next two years, but it remains tight lipped on where and when they will arrive. “It’s too early to declare our international plans, but big cities attract us and we have received several requests as well.”
www.eroica.cc
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