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03 Editor_CIN07_2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 10:55 Page 1
FROM THE
E D I TO R
Cycling Industry Chat @CyclingIndustry
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
www.cyclingindustry.news
THIS is the kind of year that has asked some difficult questions of the industry and the people within it. But the good news is that the cycle industry is one of those sectors that is not afraid of rolling up its sleeves and having a (probably heated) debate about the solutions. One issue that has hit businesses of all sizes is cash flow. It’s here I’d like to point you towards one particular feature in this magazine, an interview with Peter Claxton, a bike shop owner of some years. He hits on a few points that resonate, not least that bike shops need to have a diversified income stream. Bike sales drying up? Well at least you’ve got that regular yoga/boxing/baby class using that extra space you don’t need twice a week and helping pay the bills. It’s a compelling argument, to have different streams of revenue to mitigate lulls in trading. It might not be how bike shops have traditionally been run in the past, but that leads to another point... Retail has changed massively in the last couple of decades, and it’s when the market dips that it gets harder to avoid acknowledging it, if you haven’t already. It’s probably unrealistic to expect bike shops to be in a bubble where things don’t have to change. Big chains like Boots are downsizing, Argos no longer has standalone stores, Wilkos is virtually dead, retail parks continue to thrive while high streets are having an identity crisis… yeah but the bike industry is different, right? Yes, but not that different. The bike industry is contending with its own challenges, like whether cycle to work is still working properly, fighting misinformation about eBike fires, diversity and a bunch more too. And there are plenty of other fundamental questions that threaten to upset the status quo, like does it make sense for bike shops to pay for demo fleets? Or whether there is a future where bike shops can act more like automotive style retailers for big bike brands? We’ll continue to help push the discussion along here at CIN because the future remains bright for the cycling industry, it’s just a question of how we get there.
Jonathon Harker jon@cyclingindustry.news
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Jerry Ramsdale jerry@cyclingindustry.news Editor
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04 06-07 RETAIL SURVEY CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:25 Page 1
GUIDE TO INDUSTRY THREATS WHAT FORCES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY – AND OUTSIDE IT – ARE ALARMING BIKE RETAILERS? AND, WITH TRADE SHOWS ABOUT TO DEMAND OUR ATTENTION THE OTHER SIDE OF CHRISTMAS, WHAT IS IT THAT ACTUALLY MAKES US WANT TO GO ALONG? WE REACH INTO OUR EXCLUSIVE MARKET DATA REPORT TO FIND THE ANSWERS…
04 cyclingindustry.news
The Answer to Enduro
04 06-07 RETAIL SURVEY CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:25 Page 2
WHAT THREATS HAS THE INDUSTRY TO FEAR FROM A RETAIL POINT OF VIEW? ANALYSIS
There are many challenges being faced by bike shops at the moment, but prioritising which ones need addressing or negotiating first is no bad thing. First up, there’s consumer direct trading, the biggest threat in the opinion of the nation’s independent bike retailers. It’s long been looming on the horizon and is a topic we deal with later in this issue. Recent developments in that area have created a few shades of grey: Canyon, famously a D2C brand, is now working with some bike shops through its ASP partner programme, with select IBDs becoming local representatives of the Canyon brand. That’s not to say the D2C threat has disappeared, merely that the discussion is moving on at pace. Some further analysis on the point; the cycle market continues to be chock full of choice with more brands than you could possibly ever name on a good day, so the role of the bike shop as a curator of brands for end users continues to be valid. Likewise, distributors, for that matter – a pertinent point when so many brands are now revising their route to market following the demise of so many trade distributors.
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO ATTEND TRADE SHOWS? ANALYSIS
Moving on, margin erosion is another long-held threat that looms large for bike shops. In a time of overstocks and the likes of Cyclescheme outlawing bike shops from adding charges, pressure on margins remains pretty acute. There’s probably never been a better time to buy a bike as a consumer, which means that shops are probably looking where else they can safeguard income. Later in this issue we discuss the need for shops to ensure they have different revenue streams to pick up the slack when sales are thin, be those workshops, cafes, boxing clubs… Costs also feature high on the list of threats. Given the state of the high street, where yet more big names have dabbled with oblivion like Wilkos, Argos stand-alone stores and branches of Boots (among others) closing, there’s probably not yet enough attention being paid on a revision of rental terms and running costs. Paying the bills has been a challenge for many, including a certain big name store having the landlord forcibly over in Cheltenham, according to social media. There’s not enough room here to go through all the listed threats, but it’s well worth diving in yourself to see how the likes of Amazon and shipping charges are providing worry for the nation’s bike shops.
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Of course, distributors and event organisers will poll their own attendees on what keeps them returning to house shows and events, but what are the unvarnished truths from bike shops mulling over whether to shut their shop for a day or two and put their hands in their pockets for petrol or train tickets? It turns out that Bob Hoskins was right all along, it is indeed good to talk, but ideally face-to-face (sorry, Bob). Chance to speak directly to brand managers is the single most important thing about trade shows for bike shops. Closely following is new product launches. Arguably, the jury has been out on the importance or prestige of product launches at shows and events for some time. You used to have to turn up in person or alternatively wait a few weeks (or months) for new products to show up in magazines. The internet changed all that… only it didn’t, because people still like to get up close with new product and be a part of the excitement and/or opportunity to say “why did they make it like that?” or “that will be a nightmare in the workshop”, etc. Perhaps you can summarise it as the value of the opportunity to judge for yourself. You could also summarise it as education, which directly leads to the third most important thing about trade shows – chance to explore ideas for better retailing and product displays. Not planning much of that at your next event, distributors? There’s still time to tweak your floorplan. For our money, that’s a hugely encouraging point. Skewering the lazy perception that most retailers are stuck in their ways and unwilling to change things like store layouts, it seems a good chunk of bike retailers are very much looking to learn, pick up some new tricks and make every inch of their shop perform and help put money in the till. Hear hear. Even more positive is that those educational elements (better retailing tips, new products, speaking with brand managers and experts) are seen as more valuable than good old fashioned show deals – though that still holds appeal for a decent percentage (over a third).
04 06-07 RETAIL SURVEY CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:25 Page 3
ACCESS THE FULL CI.N MARKET DATA 2023 REPORT TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS ADAPT TO MARKET CHANGES BY CONTACTING FRAZER@CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS
DOUBTLESS DISTRIBUTORS POLL THEIR CUSTOMERS ON WHAT BRINGS THEM TO SHOWS, BUT WHAT ARE THE UNVARNISHED VIEWS OF BIKE SHOPS ON EVENTS?
cyclingindustry.news 07
08 10 12 14 16 OPINION - CargoBikes - Caz CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 11:24 Page 1
OPINION Inclusivity & cargo bikes
THE BIGGER, THE BETTER: EXPLORING INNOVATIONS IN CARGO BIKE DESIGN FOR INCLUSIVE MOBILITY
Caz Conneller reports back from The International Cargo Bike Festival looking at how innovation in design could enable more women to ride cargo bikes providing a sustainable mobility solution for the future.
I
m not a designer or an engineer. In fact, I’m not a particularly technical person. However, I am interested in how people move and how innovation in technology and design can help us all move around more sustainably. In the last two years I’ve become borderline obsessed with eBikes and eCargo bikes and how they go that extra mile to enable a wider demographic to cycle for transport. So I was delighted to be invited to The International Cargo Bike Festival 2023 in Amsterdam this autumn by organisers Tom Parr & Jos Sluijsmans. They asked me to present our work on the She’s Electric campaign and to join an allwomen panel discussion on women, cycling and the cargo bike community and cargo bike use in both the business and private realm. With innovative brands showcasing models of cargo bikes from all over the world, this struck me as a great oppor-
08 cyclingindustry.news
Above: NÜWIEL e-Trailer
“THIS STRUCK ME AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE INNOVATIONS IN DESIGN ON A GLOBAL SCALE AND HOW THESE VEHICLES CAN HELP WOMEN OVERCOME BARRIERS.”
tunity to fully explore innovations in design on a global scale and how these vehicles can help women overcome barriers – the goal being to push cycling into a future where it becomes a mainstream mode of transport for all. In a bid to practise what we preach, my business partner, Georgia Yexley, founder of Loud Mobility, and I decided to cycle there. We cycled from London to Amsterdam, via the overnight ferry… by eBike of course. We also invited along fellow founder Jeyda Heslton, CEO of Fettle, both women I profiled recently for Cycling Industry News’s article Movers & Shakers: Three Female Founders on the Cycling Industry. And fantastic companions they were too! We made the voyage on Tern eBikes, a brand I have found to be ‘gamechanging’ for feeling comfortable to ride, easy to manoeuvre and store and having great carrying capacity. And
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08 10 12 14 16 OPINION - CargoBikes - Caz CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 11:24 Page 2
OPINION Inclusivity & cargo bikes
despite some challenges getting them on to trains and ferries, the Bosch motors definitely helped us through the wind, rain and hail that you would expect while cycling through the Netherlands in late November. As much as I love the compact longtail eCargo bike’s design, like the models from Tern, Benno and Veloe, there are still limitations to mass adoption, in that you and your passengers are exposed to the elements and they can still feel difficult to secure and manoeuvre when off the bike, particularly when you have kids on the back I’ve had my eye on larger cargo bikes currently used for deliveries and logistics, and was delighted to see an EAV bike there available for test-ride. I immediately jumped at the chance to test-ride the Royal Mail branded edition. Could this type of vehicle provide more of the function of a car to enable more people to use them for day-to-day trips? Whilst these bikes are not made to accommodate passengers (yet), there seems a huge amount of practical sense to a vehicle like this for local trips about town. Women are often put off by ‘big
10 cyclingindustry.news
Test-riding the Indimob Coupé
“WHILST EAV BIKES ARE NOT MADE TO ACCOMMODATE PASSENGERS (YET), THERE SEEMS A HUGE AMOUNT OF PRACTICAL SENSE TO A VEHICLE LIKE THIS FOR LOCAL TRIPS ABOUT TOWN.”
bikes’. I’ve had many women ask me for my advice on ‘the lightest bike out there’ and the ‘lightest eBike’, but actually when we think about bikes being a future modes of transport I would argue the bigger the better! A bigger bike or eCargo bike allows you to harness some of the advantages of the car but without the emissions. A bugbear for me for front loading eCargo bikes is that they are awkward to manoeuver when off the bike. I am often left exhausted lugging them up and down kerbs and getting them on and off stands. But the beauty of an EAV bike is that you park it like a car. When you stop, you stop and lock. This also overcomes security worries, because you lock it as you would a car, and it’s far too big for anyone to nick. I really enjoyed being able to pull in and steer and park, just how I would in the car, rather than having to dismount awkwardly and then push. It also has a throttle that runs it at a steady five miles an hour so there’s no almighty effort to get it going initially. If people could adopt these but drive them, park them and lock them as cars, we could get away from some of the
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08 10 12 14 16 OPINION - CargoBikes - Caz CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 11:24 Page 3
OPINION Inclusivity & cargo bikes
logistical problems that make local journeys and trip-chaining by bike a faff. You are also undercover and in more of a comfortable sitting position, so longer rides in all weathers feel more doable. And surely, if there’s all that space in the back for post and cargo, surely, if safe, these types of vehicles could accommodate a couple of seats
12 cyclingindustry.news
Caz Conneller (left) with Valerie Labi of Wahu Mobility
for the kids and the shopping. EAV told me the private market might be on the cards and I’ve spotted a model with seats in the back on their website. Exciting! I’ll definitely be watching that space. Another brand who are already in the private space with another ‘bigger model’ is Indimob from Italy, with their
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08 10 12 14 16 OPINION - CargoBikes - Caz CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 11:24 Page 4
OPINION Inclusivity & cargo bikes
new model, the Coupé. CEO and chief designer Paolo Granelli, caught my attention immediately when he said the design prioritises ‘safety’ and ‘comfort’. It occurred to me that these two factors are vitally important to encourage both more women and a broader sector of people to use a bike for transport. Not speed, not lightweight components, but the universally important ‘safety’ and ‘comfort’. And the Coupé did not disappoint. It was so easy and smooth to ride and very easy to manoeuvre and turn corners. You can get an adult passenger in the back or two children and it has heaps of storage in the boot (yes it has a boot!). It has ultra strong lights, front and back and a handbrake to secure you when you stop. And as the company claim, it’s as ‘comfortable as a car, practical as a bike.” This style of design excited me. Imagine a world where we are all getting about town in these rather than the biggest SUVs money can buy. Imagine the extra space on the road and how much cleaner the air would be and how much safer our streets would be.
14 cyclingindustry.news
EAV’s offering has been largely focused on corporate clients, so far
“IS IT REALISTIC FOR PEOPLE TO FORK OUT FOR A VEHICLE THAT'S GREAT FOR LOCAL TRIPS BUT NOT SO GREAT ON THE LONGER JOURNEYS? COULD THE SUBSCRIPTION MODEL HELP US HERE? ”
But the price could be a barrier to mainstream adoption. The Coupe, not yet on the UK market, retails in Italy for around 10,000 euros. And is it realistic for people to fork that out for a vehicle that’s great for local trips but not so great on the longer journeys? Aren’t they just going to stick with the good old faithful car that does both? Could the subscription model help us here? If cities really want to reduce car use, they should invest in more ambitious schemes that buy these types of vehicles and rent them out at a subsidised rate for mass use and adoption and make them affordable and attractive. It is going to take something massive to get people out of cars because the habits are ingrained. But if you were offered a cool-looking vehicle that’s also practical and comfortable, and it was going to make sense for you financially, that’s when we could see some change. Another company I was blown away with at The Festival was Wahu! A social enterprise, they are enabling more people to both travel and work sustainably in Ghana by providing ‘an open emobility platform that connects drivers,
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08 10 12 14 16 OPINION - CargoBikes - Caz CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 05/12/2023 11:24 Page 5
OPINION Inclusivity & cargo bikes
passengers and goods, in an easily accessible, inclusive, transparent, country-wide, and multimodal manner.’ Their eBikes, chunky and alluring, have been designed specifically for the African roads. Co-founder Valerie Labi, who I was lucky enough to be on a panel discussion with at the event, tells me whilst the market of riders is more slanted to men, women are using them too – women in their 30s who’ve discovered the independence and freedom of working for themselves and earning their own money. I really enjoyed testing out this bike, with its padded seat and chunky wheels and throttle addition. It felt somewhere between a motorbike and an eBike. Labi tells me they have a version in mint green coming to appeal more to women. What she and her team have created at Wahu! goes much further than just the bike, it’s an ecosystem that enables people to work, travel and reduce their C02. When we talk about mobility solutions, this really is an incredibly impressive one with the future of the planet and community at its heart. Another of my fellow panellists was Natalia Tomiyama, founder of Germany-based electric trailer brand NÜWIEL, which is also a fantastic example of how inclusive design can open up bikes and cargo bikes for a much wider section of people. NÜWIEL is making waves in the logistics industry by securing deals with the likes of IKEA and the Belgian postal service with its innovative, fresh design. I was attracted to the brand’s look and feel but still felt nervous about towing a trailer and was pretty convinced I’d struggle. But nothing
Italy’s Indimob prioritises safety and comfort over speed and lightweight components with its Coupé
CAZ CONNELLER Cyclechic.co.uk Caz Conneller is the founder of Cyclechic.co.uk, an ecommerce business catering for stylish female cyclists. She has written for The Sunday Times and is The Author of The Girls Bicycle Handbook and is the creator of She’s Electric – a behaviour change campaign to inspire more women to ride eBikes. Caz has a proven track record for getting more women cycling and works with companies to unlock the female market in the cycling, active travel and micromobilty sectors. Get in touch if you’d like to collaborate.
Email: caz@cyclechic.co.uk Website: Cyclechic.co.uk LinkedIn: Caz Conneller (née Nicklin)
could prepare me for how easy it was to cycle with and tow. I couldn’t feel it at all. It was as light as a feather, and I was able to turn and manoeuvre with ease. Whilst I exclaimed to Natalia that it must be magic, what it actually was is an incredibly sophisticated technology, an eTrailer. “The eTrailer is the world’s first electric
trailer with a patent granted zero-force sensor technology,” NÜWIEL says. “The technology provides a millisecond-precision synchronisation enabling automatic acceleration and braking. The rider feels no weight and makes no additional effort when cycling with the eTrailer.” I can completely attest to this and can’t wait to bring a Ikea sofa home on one when they, hopefully, come to the UK. As I sat on the panel flanked by Valerie and Natalia, I felt excited about the future of cargo bikes. Innovation led in equal measure by men and women is bound to lead to much more inclusive design that could instigate mainstream use with diverse, insightful businesses putting the rider/users needs at their core. And fully recognising that the cargo bike is a playground of innovation with the potential to create a new world of mobility solutions that go far and above the humble bicycle. www.cyclechic.co.uk
16 cyclingindustry.news
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18-21 PROFILE - Eovolt CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:27 Page 1
PROFILE
EOVOLT
For onlookers of the electric bike market, the competition will have been a standout feature. Looking to differentiate itself, Eovolt has reassessed, reshored and revitalised. CIN took a factory tour to learn more about why this business is well-placed to emerge a bike shop hero…
Eovolt Co-Founder Luca Chevalier speaks with CIN
UNFOLDING IN FRANCE C
ome Core Bike in February, set against the well-trodden jazzy carpets of Whittlebury Hall, Eovolt will turn heads with a product that by contrast will look futuristic, engaging and with mass appeal. Occupying three times the space it did last year at the trade gathering, distributor Pinpoint Consumer Electronics seems to have picked a winner with the French folding bike brand that years ago could not be picked out from the crowd. By the time the trade gathers, there will be no mistaking how far the product has come. Back in early November Cycling Industry News was fortunate to get boots on the ground in Lyon where the founding duo has resettled the company, moving from Bourges in search of a roster of young and energised talent. There are now 40 people working at the headquarters, three of them fulltime engineers who are given a fairly free reign to play. They’re an ear-to-the-ground bunch, learning from internal discussions
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about how their bikes are used in the real world. Where a floor tile was broken by a dropped seatpost in one employee’s apartment a rubber buffer was on the development list in the following weeks. Each year about 10% of the firm’s revenue goes right back into research and development for the next generation’s bikes. Running a dual shift on a single production line in the 2,000 square metre assembly and storage hall, the brand was able to turn out 11,500 bikes for sale in 2022 and since its inception only six years ago has tallied 35,000. Last year’s tally certainly takes the brand into interesting territory in the grand scheme of demand for this style of bike and lowers its lead times with OEM partners down to its advancing scale. The international recognition is not just held in the UK. The business is in fact a majority export trader at 68% of units shipped overseas. These reach as far as Australia and Canada, though of course the main markets for the firm’s 700-plus dealers are France,
Germany, The Netherlands and the UK. Anecdotally, the UK prefers a 20-inch folding bike to a 16-inch, so says Eovolt. With the scale of the business reaching five digits annually a €16 million investment came in 2022 from venture capital firms inside France, namely Raise Impact and Financière Arbevel. With that cash coming into the firm’s bank accounts at a time of major decision-making for the industry, Eovolt’s Co-Founder Luca Chevalier tells Cycling Industry News that there’s no rush to get it spent and that his company will play the long game. “I think in hindsight that we shouldn’t have overreacted when the market grew so fast; we all overreacted on how drastic the growth could be, but now I think people are overreacting on the reverse side of the bust,” he starts on the topic of where Eovolt sits in the melee of industry turbulence. Looking out over the factory he says: “We have a pretty large infrastructure for our company size and the future trend is good. A double shift allows
18-21 PROFILE - Eovolt CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:27 Page 2
“WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR COMPANY SIZE AND THE FUTURE TREND IS GOOD.”
On the line: Eovolt’s 2,000m2 assembly and storage hall has output over 35,000 bike since its inception six years ago
you to double production, or not, so we can measure demand fine.” He appears to know the prize is not just a position among market leaders in the folding bike space, but says that Eovolt will instead be defined eventually as a company that makes “transport objects”. From that, we can tease only that the brand will more than likely, as many of its competitors have, launch a cargo bike of some kind, among other styles of bike. So, what differentiates the brand? Eovolt sees its positioning in the grand scheme of the eBike market as an affordable but quality offering. It’s not GoCycle premium and it’s not Riese and Muller money. It is instead trying to put as much quality into the buying sweet spot of the market as possible. Come 2024, it will add a premium version of its folding bikes, refined heavily around several new patented technologies and it’ll still only cost £3,000 or thereabouts. Below that the current model year will continue to offer budget-friendly price points at between £1,799 and £2,199 and eventually natural trickledown will see those gain from the new features present on next year’s bikes. The company is
investing now so that in the future its reasonably priced bikes will seem even better value than they arguably already are. Luca says of the work his engineers have been putting in: “Every patent is linked. I hope users won’t focus on one individual improvement as it’s several incremental upgrades that add up collectively to a major upgrade. The new bike has applied for six patents and already got three; the new autolocking hinge, our new battery system and the magnet-locking system.” We’re told that actually there are around 39 different changes made year-on-year, from ABUS key-locked battery clamps to a clever double kickstand that folds up asymmetrically. Perhaps most notably, the shift to a belt drive can reasonably be said to be a no-brainer, making so much sense to the commuter who doesn’t want to deal with brushing hands with an oily chain during the fold. Then there’s the reliance on a new Bafang hub motor that has a dual internal gear and an impressive one at that. We rode it six miles through Lyon city centre and came to love the soft but notable clunk it made when automatically transitioning from low to high gear, all the while
modulating the motor around five assistance settings. Other features on the prototype include an SP Connect phone mount built into the stem, which itself is a onepiece stem and sweep-back bar combo, clad with ergonomic grips. The frame is obviously the centrepiece of the new and on that comes subtle detail that could be missed, namely a weathersealed slot for the installation of a GPS tag, should the customer have an antitheft preference. Oh, and the firm now builds its own wheels in-house too, something that has taken 400 grams off the eBike’s weight year-on-year. On those, CST tyres have been upgraded to Schwalbe rubber. There’s actually new non-electric bikes too, to be sold at closer to £1,500, yet mirroring the plush eBikes in all but the electrics and the inclusion of either a Nexus or a Bafang gearhub, rather than a motor. As a trade magazine, it’s not our place to tell you what to think about a bike’s qualities, but there’s little doubt that with these upgrades and its investment into the French facility the Eovolt of today is lightyears ahead of its open mould, Chinese factory beginnings. You’ll be able to decide for yourselves when the new folders land in
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18-21 PROFILE - Eovolt CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:27 Page 3
PROFILE
EOVOLT
On the road price: Eovolt sees its positioning in the grand scheme of the eBike market as an affordable but quality offering.
April, but so confident now are the firm in its own-label designs that it has slapped what may well be an industryleading warranty on its 2024 products. There will be a five-year warranty on Eovolt parts and two on the electronics. If a customer registers their bike online with the company they’ll double the house warranty to ten years. Explaining why he has that confidence Luca says: “We invested early in own ERP system and we keep very detailed data on replacement parts so that we have the guarantee of backup. We can’t improve what we can’t measure. This is important for countries far away from us. We have a good preventative problem-solving method. Our aim too is to measure how long our bikes sit in shops not being repaired because we want to get that time right down to minimal for our customers both shop and end-user. That should be part of the customer experience and we follow up with client to make sure they’re happy and riding again.”
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Indeed walking through the Eovolt headquarters there’s a room where one wall is stacked with each individual, properly labelled part, each tray filled to the brim. Furthermore, we’re told that with each batch of bikes that goes out to a distributor so too does a batch of the most commonly required spares. Shops too may next year be able to benefit from Eovolt merchandising following a study of performance in Germany that upped one stores conversion rate. “There was some seasonal skew, but we noted that they sold as many bicycles in two months as they did in six prior after both brand training and the new point of sale going in. Later, on a tour around a trio of shops in Lyon stocking Eovolt we see the display units separating the brand in-store and showcasing the fold with an eye-level display. The quality of partner and commitment to the brand is a common ask from manufacturers. Luca’s take is that in the quest for opening more shop
doors bigger does not mean better. He says: “It can be a small shop in a small town, we sell 48% of our bikes in small towns. Maybe they cannot buy 100 bikes, but if they know the brand and the bikes, plus sell it well and display it well, that’s a great shop. I want him to have a better price point because they are a better partner. We are now developing an online platform for training on our B2B website and enhancing our local training too. We try to invite clients to the factory so that shop staff can assemble bikes with our team here. There’s value in seeing how the bikes are made.” Making an assessment of the appetite with consumers in the present climate, Eovolt is thankful it has been steadfast in its positioning. Its perception of the brand is that it’s value-packed and not prohibitively expensive for the value on show. The design appeals broadly, too, as does the size for those bound by city living and multi-modal commutes. Luca says: “Our market positioning is deliberate. How much value you put on what you buy is contextual. Who thought you’d put €1,000 euro into a smartphone 20 years ago? Now the value is taken from the diversity in experience and usability of the device, as used on a regular scale. It’s the same for the bike industry; our product has such an impact on people’s lives, daily if it’s a liked product. Our new range gets rid of a lot of problems in people’s lives who commute, in fact they can now take it anywhere. It’s safer, more functional and more comfortable than ever. The belt drive makes it smooth and clean and more people-friendly. The price after all of this is less of a problem to those who understand the impact the complete product can deliver.” Luca says that while an annual release of an iPhone no longer dazzles most people, the electric bike industry
18-21 PROFILE - Eovolt CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:27 Page 4
“In the bike industry, our product has such an impact on people’s lives, daily if it’s a liked product.”
“WE TALK WITH A LOT OF COMPANIES ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE. WHO KNOWS IF WE ARE A BICYCLE COMPANY.”
has not yet reached that point. The industry is still maturing and as he alluded to, he wants Eovolt to become a transport company. That comes inclusive of having an open dialogue with car and scooter companies. “We talk with a lot of companies about moving people. Who knows if we are a bicycle company,” he adds. For now though, it is and a simple one, with good products, a manageable number of SKUs and cash in the bank. The firm is increasing its overseas trade to compensate for lost opportunities in local markets where overstock issues mean a lack of ripe opportunity. Slow and steady wins the race In music to bike shop ears, Luca says: “We’re keeping the company healthy, keeping the staff on and waiting for the moment to revisit our long-term growth plan. We don’t want to be in a situation where we let the dealer down and have to cut prices.” By the time the industry settles down, the stock levels normalise and prices stabilise there’s every chance Governments will have changed, legislation advanced and market demand enhanced by a natural curiosity of an ever-younger demographic seeking cheaper and greener transport. On rules and regulations and keeping in mind Eovolt’s open dialogue with transport businesses outside of Lyon, we wonder where the firm sits on technology and regulations governing the eBike as it stands. Luca is candid, offering: “On the regulation, in the future the electric bike shouldn’t be solely delivered with
a maximum 25kmph assist limit. I believe so because this rule is in order to make it safer, but it is still somewhat unsafe to be passed by cars. So, my feeling is that it should mirror the up to 32km/h limit, as in USA. That would be better, in my opinion, for a cyclist to feel safe on the road.” He adds some balance, stating: “We should also be careful on this. It does need to be studied in full to understand what’s best. Ultimately, the more cycle paths that exist, well maybe we don’t need to adapt because cars would no longer be a potential danger.” In a place like Lyon, where a civilised tram network adjoins cycle paths and docks where shared mobility hubs are freely available Eovolt’s team has the dream scenario; one where cycling is allowed to flourish as a transport form. In the UK, it’s an understatement to say there is work to be done, but with elections in January of 2025 (at the latest) there is hope for at least some improvement on swinging active travel budget cuts of the current Government. Acknowledging that every country and every city will differ, Luca hypothesises that the ultimate answer may come from technology. He is fond of the idea of geolocation governing the output of vehicles. He says: “I believe we should have a regulation where electric bikes could ride 25kmph in the city centre, but out of city you could go faster. As a manufacturer, we should make a system with a GPS to manage this, but after all, I think it’s the rider’s responsibility too.” There will be no innovation for innovation’s sake, however. While openly
admitting to liking designs and ideas from tech-led eBike firms like Cowboy, Luca knows Eovolt’s positioning is one of affordability; a mission to create mass adoption on bikes that last and are aesthetically appealing enough to attract all audiences. For that reason, it’s noteworthy how few external bolts are visible on the 2024 models, which at this stage are based around a 16- and a 20-inch wheel. Even the mudguards are bolted to the inside of the chainstay, while a thru-axle is at the rear wheel is the only other obvious sign of something to undo. In keeping with the Eovolt ethos, the new bikes will in future aim to have as much parts crossover as viable in order that SKUS are kept tight and readily serviceable. In the present range that parts compatibility is as much as 70% the same across the three models. What’s the goal over the long-term, you might wonder? Luca and his coFounder Baptiste Fullen are thrilled to be bringing the brand’s destiny closer to home, partnering with ever-more French manufacturing partners to achieve their goals, all the while delivering upon sustainability perks too. “Ultimately, I want to become everyone’s ‘favourite’ micromobilty brand,” concludes Luca. Whether you’re a distributor, a dealer or a consumer, from the Selle Royal saddle we perched on while riding the prototypes, the view of the bikes of the future looked pretty good. You can catch Eovolt and Pinpoint Consumer Electronic’s other brands at Core Bike, 18-20 February 2024 in Whittlebury Hall’s Catalunya room. Trade members can register at www.corebike.co.uk for free.
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22 24 26 PROFILE - Katya CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:29 Page 1
PROFILE
MARKETING 4 CYCLING
“When sales departments think MARKETING IS POINTLESS, then it’s a huge mess” Business strategy might not sound quite as sexy as, say, the latest Specialized but if you want to sell more of those premium bikes then having a sales, marketing, design and leadership team that is working well together is a must. Katya Gasenko brings a wealth of experience to those in the cycle industry working on marketing, strategy or ideally a bit of both…
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“I THINK THIS IS A SIMPLE MISTAKE MADE OVER AND OVER IN MANY COMPANIES – SEPARATING MARKETING FROM BUSINESS STRATEGY.”
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ringing in expertise outside the cycling industry is a common theme here at CIN Towers, always keen to examine best practice from other markets and borrow good ideas from outside the cycle market where possible. This is an area that Katya Gasenko, Founder of the newly minted Marketing 4Cycling, has form in. Katya has always been focused on marketing and advertising since the very beginning of her career, but in different sectors including interior design, tourism and events. Katya’s early professional experiences helped convince her that marketing shouldn’t be an afterthought and should be intrinsically linked to most business activities: “I became head of a huge tourism company when I was just 23. I joined as a Marketing Manager to manage the national campaign but I just started taking care of other things. They saw the potential and what I was doing and made me Deputy Director. It was super thrilling. But it’s why I can never separate marketing from the business and the strategy. “I think this is the simple mistake that is made over and over in many companies, especially in the bike industry. Because when the engineering department thinks that the marketing department is just a waste of time and money, and the sales department also thinks that marketing is something that is pointless, that they don’t need to collaborate and keep each other informed, then it’s a huge mess, because everybody is actually wasting time. And
trying to, you know, to pull the line to their side, instead of working together.” Having not expected to turn her cycle passion into a profession – and naturally cautious about the dangers of turning a hobby into something career orientated – Katya found herself offering to help a local bike shop during some downtime: “I went to my local bike shop in the summer but there were no workers, just the owner with a line of impatient clients. So, I ended up spending two months there. I was doing all sorts of stuff, including some repairs on bikes. It was also pretty unusual to see a woman doing that for customers. I felt really good and I understood that I wanted to keep working with bikes.” A stint with a Polish distributor of premium bikes followed and then later engaged a recruitment agency while developing a new career direction, where Katya helped improve their website and lead projects: “We basically started working together. I saw that the company was almost seven years old but they had no brand awareness built. They were doing the same work over and over and there was not much of an understanding of marketing. But I built an awareness for the business through LinkedIn and I also built up my audience, which worked for the brand and for me. I was building up a name for myself, getting recognised and getting some trust from people. At some point, I decided that I needed to get back to marketing full time.”
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22 24 26 PROFILE - Katya CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:29 Page 2
PROFILE
Katya Gasenko has been focused on marketing and advertising throughout her career, across different sectors including cycling
“THERE’S NO POINT BEING JUST NICE AND POLITE, WE’RE IN BUSINESS AND BUSINESS IS HARSH. YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO LOOK AND WORK PROFESSIONALLY, OR YOU WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD.”
Hitting targets: “Business planning, risk management, marketing... putting it all together is where Marketing 4 Cycling comes in.”
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MARKETING 4 CYCLING
Marketing and business strategy “The way I see it, the cycling industry is really great, but it still has a lot of a lot of problems, especially when it comes to professional approach, business planning, risk management, marketing and putting it all together. This is where Marketing 4 Cycling comes in.” It can be hard to make changes from within, Katya acknowledges: “I thought about getting a job in one of the companies, but I see a lot of problems that would be really hard to fix if you just work in a team and not come in as an outside expert. If you build a name for yourself, people tend to trust the outside expert more, maybe because you show you can manage your own business. And people tend to listen to those opinions more carefully.” Establishing a new cycle business during one of the market’s biggest slumps is no mean feat, but there’s a logic behind it: “I think that for suppliers and manufacturers it is a hard time indeed. But on the other hand, that’s why they need really, really good strategy, good management and really good marketing. Because that’s what we’ve seen with, for example, cycle startups. Most of them will fail. For me, it is a good chance to help them not to.” “For me, it is more interesting to work with different companies. I don’t like a copy and paste approach, I like to find an individual approach. Some people can be really surprised with my frankness. I’ve just been talking with a potential client and I told him that I’m not here to
complement what he has right now. I’m here to help him put it to the next level. If I can see a problem I talk about it straightforwardly. There’s no point being just nice and polite, we’re in business and business is harsh. You want your business to look and work professionally, or you will not move forward.” Marketing tips Down to brass tacks – are there any quick fixes or tips for cycle businesses looking at marketing and strategy? CIN has spent considerable time highlighting the need to get better at welcoming non-cyclists into the fold. It’s a point that Katya elaborates on: “I think that one huge gap that exists in the bike industry is the educational part. And it works for both people involved in the industry and people that you want to sell bikes to. “It is common thing, if you come for the group ride for the first time, you can always spot those guys who will be looking down at you, who will be expecting you to fail, make mistakes, be too slow or have too little knowledge… it would be much better and much more inviting and engaging for new cyclists to turn it around. To help them to gain knowledge, to help them to learn new things. And to help them increase their strength or improved their performance. I think this would be a better approach than just showing off great bikes.” That thinking also extends into a different approach from the broader industry: “I love bikes, especially high performance,
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PROFILE
There’s increasing numbers of the over 50s going cycle touring on eBikes in Europe: “They have the money and time”.
“LOTS OF COMPANIES, EVEN SOME WELLKNOWN BRANDS, DON’T PAY ENOUGH ATTENTION TO HOW THEY LOOK ONLINE. AND ONLINE IS WHERE UP TO 78% OF PEOPLE FIRST LOOK FOR A PRODUCT OR SERVICE.”
“I ended up spending two months working with my local bike shop, even helping out with some repairs.”
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MARKETING 4 CYCLING
they are a piece of art every time. But for people who are just starting, it’s completely out of reach, at least for most of them. So it’s irrelevant. It’s beautiful. But it’s irrelevant, because it costs £10,000. So, I think that the approach needs better understanding of non-cyclists and inviting them instead of scaring them off.” Online presence can’t be overlooked or just an afterthought either, Katya contends: “Lots of companies, even some wellknown brands, don’t pay enough attention to how they look online. And online is where up to 78% of people first look for a product or service and only afterwards that they decide to buy it or not. So, it is crucial to take very good care of that. “The other problem is the lack of proper strategy for social media. Because it is definitely not enough to just spontaneously come up with some content without knowing what you’re going to do tomorrow or in a month or where it is all going. You definitely need a good strategy for it.” That strategy has to be reflected offline too: “If you go to a shop which is nicely designed and appealing, it works on your psychology. It makes a much better impression than a messy place with no character. It’s part of the brand. If you want to build your brand, you need to take care of every single detail. The shop, the proposition, the branding itself, the way your people attend to customers, what kind of services you offer? Then how do you take care of your community, online and offline? How will you engage them? With weekend rides, or some kind of maybe educational events that you can organise during winter in your shops? There are lots of ideas that can be implemented to make your physical shop more
attractive for people from your area. “The cycling industry is an emotional industry. You don’t buy bikes because you need them. It’s not like buying medicine, it’s an emotional purchase. And the more you spend, the higher the emotions. So touching the bike and seeing it in person is important. And people in the bike industry are very positive so it’s really easy to get sucked in with their enthusiasm.” Passion for the industry Through her time in the tourism world, Katya has seen the potential transformative impact of eBikes. “We are seeing cycle tourism gaining more and more attention. I travel a lot and see a huge change. I can see lots of people cycling around Europe, taking tours and they are mostly over 50. Those are the people with buying capacity and capability. They have money, maybe they have more time. I think there’s pretty good potential in it. It is understood there is a future and a need. And there is interest and there’s money. Because, you can’t have a business without income.” “My goal is to build an agency. While I can do a lot of things by myself, I know that it’s much better to have a team. For me, personally, it is better to be a manager and strategist, to help people who are in my team to develop. “I cannot stay cold and irrelevant. For my work, I need to have a passion for it. That’s basically why I’m in the bike industry. And I need to feel excitement and you know, love and this storm of ideas when I’m talking about something new about the project and brands.” katya@marketing4cycling.com marketing4cycling.com
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30-31 OPINION - New Motion Labs CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:30 Page 1
OPINION eMobility
Drive the conversation: World of eMobility show visitors got taken through benefits of New Motion Labs engineering
NEW MOTION LABS’ EMOBILITY REVOLUTION New Motion Labs, showcasing its Enduo Ride, shares its experience launching the game changer at the Netherlands-set World of eMobility…
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ew Motion Labs was at the heart of the buzz and excitement of the World of eMobility event, held on 26 and 27 October. The event provided a targeted opportunity to connect with industry pioneers, visionaries and enthusiasts passionate about driving the future of electric mobility. Our team engaged in meaningful conversations, exchanging insights and exploring potential collaborations with both new and existing partners. It was an environment to forge connections that can propel the eMobility revolution forward. On 26 October, we unveiled the game-changing Enduo™ Ride at the World of eMobility, hosted at SURE booth, a valued partner of New Motion
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Labs. We felt that World of eMobility would be the ideal place to launch our new product as it serves as the perfect meeting place for all major players in the eMobility industry, providing a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and product discovery. Enduo™ Ride: A Game-Changer in Durability The highlight of the event was the launch of Enduo™ Ride, a groundbreaking drivetrain technology that reimagines the durability of eBike drivetrains. With chains capable of covering distances up to an astounding 15,000km, it outlasts conventional drivetrains by over two times. Imagine a world where your chain lasts twice as
long, requiring only half the maintenance – that's the revolution Enduo™ Ride brings to eMobility. Enduo™ Ride doesn't just promise, it delivers. Its durability is backed by a design crafted for the most demanding conditions. Engineered with fully recyclable steel and aluminium components, it not only sets a new standard in performance but also in eco-friendliness. Reduced downtime and fewer breakdowns translate to significant savings in fleet maintenance costs, while riders get more time on the road and less in the workshop. Worried about compatibility? Enduo™ Ride seamlessly integrates with all hub gears and eBike motors, ensuring a smooth transition for any
30-31 OPINION - New Motion Labs CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:30 Page 2
Enduo Ride promises to significantly increase the durability of eBike drivetrains
rider. Pitched as the ultimate plug-andplay solution, users simply swap out their current sprockets with Enduo™ Ride and double their chain lifespan. Visitors to our booth had the opportunity to witness first-hand the efficiency and durability that Enduo™ technology brings to the table. Our team provided live demonstrations, showcasing how this innovation outperforms conventional drivetrains. The reactions were nothing short of awe and excitement, affirming that we are onto something revolutionary.
The New Motion Labs Team Our stellar team, including Lucas Lobmeyer, Head of Operations, Francoise Van den Boom, Business Development Manager, Bart van den Boom, Sales Account Manager and Christoph Hesterberg, Head of Product Sales, were on the ground to introduce this ground-breaking technology and provide demonstrations. “The World of eMobility in Amsterdam was once again a successful showcase for the entire e-mobility sector. From large-scale electric equip-
ment for construction sites to e-cars and micromobility with e-scooters and eBikes of various types and applications (B2B and B2C), there were many interesting exhibitors and concepts.” Christoph Hesterberg, Head of Product Sales, added: “This year, New Motion Labs was at the trade fair with an expanded sales team of four people. In addition to good discussions at our joint stand (we were able to exhibit as a supplier of our partner SURE Bikes), we were able to present our product highlights Enduo Cargo and Enduo Ride, opening many new contacts in the process.” As always, the event served as a dynamic platform, uniting industry leaders, experts, and enthusiasts to exchange insights and explore the latest strides in electric mobility and we were thrilled to be a part of it! Our participation in World of eMobility was a resounding success. It served as a platform to not only showcase our technological prowess but also to connect with like-minded individuals and organisations dedicated to a greener, more sustainable future. www.newmotionlabs.com
“WE FELT THAT WORLD OF EMOBILITY WOULD BE THE IDEAL PLACE TO LAUNCH OUR NEW PRODUCT AS IT SERVES AS THE PERFECT MEETING PLACE FOR ALL MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE EMOBILITY INDUSTRY.”
The New Motion Labs team provided introductions to the Enduo technology with demos for visitors
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32 34 36 38 OPINION - Cristobal Perez - Distribution structure CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:33 Page 1
OPINION THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY | PART TWO
DISTRIBUTION CHALLENGES
Cristóbal Pérez
In the second part of this five-part feature series, Cristóbal Pérez – a seasoned cycling industry professional with a track record of leading change – contemplates the future of our sector; the good, the bad, and the ugly. In each of these there is opportunity – if you can embrace the change required to unlock it. Across the series Cristóbal will pose challenging questions, as a means to explore potential for future growth.
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aying that the panorama is changing or that it is going to change means being as iterative as true. But in our days, the future is not what it used to be. It comes faster, changing and more challenging. In the trading landscape, distances, delivery times, prices and user demands set the new pace. Also, the tolerance from users is lower now, and absolutely noisy. Nowadays, we should get to know our clients and understand their requests and the consequences of them in a unique über market wanting to be local. All those factors and a lot more put in jeopardy what we knew so far and pushed us to rewrite the formulas. In that good old trading world, a maker, a distributor and a dealer worked together to put the merchandise in the hands of the client. But according to different rules. That user/buyer/purchaser was happy in the ignorance of what was
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happening out of their nearby world. Sometimes, the desired product range was partially ignored, hence, he/she did not miss it. He/she did not know about pricing overseas, not even 100km. from home. So, the deal was a local matter. In those days, brands, distributors, and dealers did what they understood as the best regarding price, range, availability, margins, and service. Days of wine and roses, of understanding, of long-lasting alliances, of domination. Then, the internet. The user takes (more of) the control of everything. He/she knows everything, sometimes more than the other actors of the channel. Prices worldwide, the whole range, options, variations, accessories, sizes, and colours are visible and available easily. Everything. In public spaces such as forums, the truth, and some other apocryphal truths go back and forth seeking an allocation on the mind of someone. A click away.
The media breaks into the scene and one smartphone and some talent are the basics to provide a piece of information globally reachable. As never before. “Unite to survive” Now, companies have to rethink their status, size, and future. Unite to survive. The resulting new company is larger and sometimes funded by someone aiming to boost their business, in English, and make the most of their money. Money hunger. Then, they go global, with wider portfolios with the focus on multiplying the turnover of the mother company according to the investment. The prices are now alive, variable, sometimes weak, and visible to everyone. Stability becomes transparent and vulnerable when it fails. Production and forecast mistakes pour a price war before a user avid of discounts because is that what the brands taught him. This affects the traditional distribution structure.
CIN_Tech4_2023.pdf
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32 34 36 38 OPINION - Cristobal Perez - Distribution structure CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:33 Page 2
OPINION THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY | PART TWO
With Mercedes-Benz dealers, the cars you buy belong to the brand. The dealer is a commisionist and service provider. Prices, discounts, strategies and resources are the same across the network
In a different field, the interaction of the client with the brand (and vice versa) is more and more patent and needed. Unavoidable, I would say. Marketing strategies become key and effective. It is all about knowing your client and reacting. This new place is more exigent, more agile, and is thirsty for investment and clear ideas.
“IN THAT GOOD OLD TRADING WORLD, A MAKER, A DISTRIBUTOR AND A DEALER WORKED TOGETHER TO PUT THE MERCHANDISE IN THE HANDS OF THE CLIENT. BUT ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT RULES.”
“New brands should have a strong selfawareness and resourceability” Get ready for the attack on the traditional brand/distributor/dealer. The new brands should have a strong self-awareness and resourceability. Country branches of some brands act as one and only brand distributors. And they hit the bar. So, it is possible. But, what about the distributor? Some run ten brands. And they can make it well. But here starts an evolutive selection of priority brands. Yours might become “one more”. Some other distributors handle two hundred (two hundred). Then turnover snowballs. The more brands you distribute goes
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against the quality of everything around sales. Sometimes of sales themselves too. Yes, there is a balance, I know. For the distributor, in some cases, the brand is replaceable after a phone call. Watch this! I do not mean that this is the rule, but not an anomalous situation. When it comes to the distributor and dealer, it is not uncommon that the situation gets worse. It is more numerically based. Thus, the distributor replaces or complements the existing dealer with a new one “because you do not reach the forecasted bikes”. A vague and unilaterally handled reason that could come either from a huge stock in the distributor/brand stocks. It could be easily wrapped up with the statement: “Buy or I could take the brand somewhere else.” On the dealer’s side, leaving a brand and/or taking another one might simply come from fashion, because the new one “sells more” or from a disagreement in payments, warranties, or local event support, just to say a few. Anything fits here. After a phone call.
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32 34 36 38 OPINION - Cristobal Perez - Distribution structure CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:33 Page 3
OPINION THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY | PART TWO
Nike drastically reduced its number of market touchpoints by thousands... but they had to reconsider when they realised that they could not reach everyone and everywhere
“ARE THE DISTRIBUTOR AND DEALER DOOMED TO DISAPPEAR? NO... BECAUSE THE BRAND CANNOT REACH EVERY CORNER OF THE TERRITORY, OR PROVIDE GLOBAL SERVICE AND COVERAGE.”
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In many cases, the liaison among brand/distributor/dealer is based on the “this one buys and pays” golden rule. As a consequence, the rest of the nowadays essentials that are needed to position the brand and create awareness are forgotten. For the upcoming times, things such as added value, service, retail, selective criteria, etc. should prevail. So, the oldtime distributor and dealer roles fade away when the D2C (direct-to-client) option comes across. In other words, if the distributor and dealer are a mere extension of the brand’s warehouse where bikes pile up, what’s the deal for the latter ones? For those brands that see that formula based on bike programmation and invoice due payments as a poor future alternative, reaching the client directly is the only option. Say Canyon. You name others. In doing this, the values of the brand, its image, service, and strategy will be the same that the company thought of to be competitive in the new market. No more A
Brand bikes on B Brand displays. No more POS material with outdated pictures. Forget or minimize the impact of service issues, the lack of knowledge of the product features, a non-existent or poorly managed website where the brand is buried amongst other brands, and things that nobody understands why they occur. “Efforts and resources should be focused on a common mantra: survive in harmony” Are the distributor and dealer doomed to disappear facing the push of merciless brands wanting all the margin for themselves? No. Probably. Why could it not happen? Because the brand cannot reach every corner of the territory, or provide global service and coverage. The relationship between the brand and its external network, if that is the option, should be driven by the same principles, values, and shared strategies and goals. Everyone should be important to everyone. Efforts and resources should be focused on
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32 34 36 38 OPINION - Cristobal Perez - Distribution structure CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:33 Page 4
OPINION THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY | PART TWO
Apple products are available from a strictly controlled retail network
“WHAT IS CLEAR, IS THAT THE EXISTING DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE IN THE CYCLING INDUSTRY GOES AGAINST OUR PERFORMANCE AND FUTURE.”
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a common mantra: survive in harmony. Brands like Nike decided to reduce drastically the number of market touchpoints by thousands. Then, they went all the way for forty partners. Next, they had to reconsider the situation because they realised that they could not do it all and reach everyone and everywhere. However, the selection criteria were more strict and in perfect communion with the huge number of Nike’s distribution options. Be it physical or electronic ones. Apple products are solely available at their stores and web, except for the wellacquainted Apple resellers, a mimic of the mother. You can only buy a car at the brand dealers. Many are concessionaries and some are directly owned by the brand. But you see no difference. The same for their marketing actions, communications, image, look and feel service… Now, with Stellantis brands and Mercedes dealers, the cars that you will buy there will belong to the brand itself. The dealer will become a commisionist
and service provider, that understood as an additional source of turnover. So, prices, discounts, strategies, and resources will be the same all over the network. No difference for the users. What is clear, is that the existing distribution structure in the cycling industry goes against our performance and future. We need to move forward and find a feasible solution to be able to cope with the challenges ahead, especially with the new clients arriving looking for new and different kinds of “shops” similar to the ones they are used to going to, name it cars, fashion, assorted services… Some solutions make no sense, others might have them after an adaptation, and other new ones will come far from our imagination. There are only two viable choices here. Cristóbal Pérez is a seasoned professional able to lead change in the cycling industry. Find him on LinkedIn... www.linkedin.com/in/c41
39-43 RETAIL PROFILE - Peter Claxton CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 14:36 Page 1
PROFILE
EBIKE CAFE
“BIKES SHOPS NEED TO DIVERSIFY THEIR REVENUE STREAM”
Straight-talking bike shop owner Peter Claxton has some big points to make about the future of bike shops, where the big four brands could help evolve the bike business model, how retailers can get coffee to work for their businesses and how the eBike customer stands out from your typical cyclist…
“
We’ve realised over the past four or five years that, by definition, people that buy eBikes are not cyclists,” says a talkative Peter Claxton, Co-owner of a well-situated bike shop and café on Weymouth’s Old Harbour. “We’re not getting cyclists coming through the doors.
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PROFILE
EBIKE CAFE
The kind of guys that do the Etape, Jurassic Sportives… under no circumstances do they want an electric bike. They would rather drive.” Founded in 2013, Claxton’s Dorset Cyclelife – an all-electric bike shop – was formerly based in Poundbury, near Dorchester. Lockdown, bike crime and a local developer combined to make him rethink the business. “Weymouth has historically been a bit ‘buckets and spades’ and not particularly upmarket. The developer of this warehouse on Weymouth’s Old Harbour originally had Rick Stein interested in this space, but he got stuck in Australia during lockdown. Then another local fish person Mark Hicks had hoped to take it on. The landlord said, why don’t you bring your bike shop down here? “We said we were happy where we were in Poundbury. Then, lo and behold, we got ram raided on Midsummer’s Day 2020 and cleaned out as usual. And we said, OK, it’s time to move.” Now working with wife Josephine Parker, who has a wealth of experience in hospitality, the duo opened two separate businesses in the picturesque harbourside unit – Dorset Cyclelife and the EBIKE CAFÉ @ Deheers. Location, Location… “We are lucky, we’re down in West Dorset, a rich and scarcely populated area. The people that live here are rich, retired, with a disposable income. And right up until this year, when we had the real effect of the cost of living crisis, people came to the shop, had a ride around the harbour, they loved it. I’m very approachable, I’m 58, an ex-cyclist and it is a nice non pushy, non-confrontational place. However the disposable money that used to go on bikes is now going on grandchildren’s school shoes and helping out the family. Income is not quite as disposable as it used to be.” “We sat down with Specialized and they said they like what we’re doing. They want electric bike cafes, from Notting Hill to Newquay, because that’s how you sell Comos and Levos to people that they don’t know. The last thing a Como rider wants to see is a bloke with tattoos and piercings. So, we give Specialized, and whoever we work with, access to a whole customer base. “If you stick with Specialized as an
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Bike shops need to set up an approachable, non-confrontational environment
“THERE WAS A LADY WHO ASKED ABOUT ELECTRIC BIKES IN THIS PARTICULAR SHOP AND SHE WAS LAUGHED OUT OF THERE. SO, SHE TOOK HER £5,000 AND WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE.”
example, they are sitting there thinking, who are we going to sell these Comos to? We don’t have any natural affinity with them. And grannies want to ride bikes. As Tern with their bikes demonstrated, there’s an awful lot of people out there who want to ride bikes. “The 1% of the UK population that get up at four o’clock, shave their legs and race down the A3… that’s brilliant. I used to do that a lot. But it’s not a business. It’s a hobby. It’s like skiing, or boats. A smaller portion of the UK population do it. And those guys will always go off to get their bikes built for 10 or £20,000, but again, it’s not really a business. Those sort of shops catering to those kind of people are very few and far between. “If you look at the people coming through our doors it’s like the world in general. Around half are women. Every single bike shop you go to has got blokes covered in mud… for many
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women they feel like there is nothing there for them. They’ll happily tolerate it for five minutes but wouldn’t voluntarily go in. “We had a lady come in a few weeks ago. She’d gone to a very famous bike shop and walked along this sea of metal, 1,000s of bikes. And she asked about electric bikes and she was laughed out the shop. So, she took her £5,000 and went somewhere else. This still happens. Historically that’s the way these wealthy people have been treated. “I think we are going down the agency model, the same as the car industry. We would happily be like an Apple store, not carrying stock. Customers need to be made to feel comfortable spending £5,000 or £10,000 as it’s a big investment. It’s not like going to Halfords and buying some old clunker for £200. “If the industry does go down the agency route and if you can combine it with a café or a workshop it works, because you have two different revenue streams. “There are a couple of guys just around the corner who run a workshop. They’re very good. They’re booked up, professionally qualified mechanics and the difference is they are educated. They’ve both got degrees. They’re grown-ups and they know how to communicate. They’re nice presentable people. It’s true whatever business you’re in, whether a café of selling TVs. I’m a customer, I know how I want to be treated. And historically bike shops are shocking. They are the worst of all.” Revenue streams “I think going forwards bike shops have to realise that being a bike shop doesn’t work. The agency way makes sense and in the back of the shop you will need to have a diversified income stream be it a
workshop, or café like we have. Maybe yoga classes once a week to pay the bills. “In the first year we were here we sold something like 400,000 lattes and that’s almost a million eyeballs looking at electric bikes. So, when customers are meeting up with Doris or whoever, out the corner of their eye they can see an SWorks for 15 grand or Como for three grand. And when their mate Bernie says he’s interested in an electric bike they remember and say, they’ve got loads of electric bikes in there… They might not buy one in six months or a year but now they know where to go. “Most people can afford a couple of cups of coffee, they can’t necessarily afford a £15,000 S-Works. If we sell two of those bikes a month then we’re really happy. If we sell 200 cups of coffee a day, great, that pays the rent. So every bike shop needs alternative income streams to allow them to do the good stuff. This is the heavy lifting stuff with cups of coffee and fixing punctures, servicing, looking after Shimano cranks… If your diversified income stream works for the majority of the public, and coffee and cake works for most people, then great. “At one point, bike shop cafes were literally a gadget in the corner or they’d make you a coffee while you got a service. But we really have two very distinct businesses here, working side-by-side. There will be weeks where we get two or three people coming in and sort of, you know, squeezing tyres and don’t put any money in the till, meanwhile the café is turning over a good amount everyday. So, it works really, really well in that sense. “That has to be the future of bike shops. The velocity of change with young people, their ideas, and the products is so fast.”
Location location: Weymouth’s Old Harbour is where the two distinct businesses are based
“I THINK WE ARE GOING DOWN THE AGENCY MODEL ROUTE, THE SAME AS THE CAR INDUSTRY. WE WOULD HAPPILY BE LIKE AN APPLE STORE, NOT CARRYING STOCK.”
Paws for thought: The shop’s welcoming mantra goes for canines too
cyclingindustry.news 41
39-43 RETAIL PROFILE - Peter Claxton CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 14:36 Page 4
PROFILE Market evolution and opportunity “Things like organising group rides on Sundays. We tried that and it’s like a little club, where we’re all in this together. It’s different for eBikes, they are more grown-up. eBike riders have got families, they’ve got jobs, dogs, hospital appointments. When you say, let’s go for a group ride at 10 o’clock, they don’t want to get laughed at by other riders, they don’t want that as a grown up. The kids have got Scouts or whatever it is. Cycling is just one of 25 other things they do. “If you’re a cyclist, that’s great, but if you’re trying to get that 1% of the population to come to your shop to buy an inner tube then good luck. Most people aren’t cyclists. They dabbled in it and quite liked it. “You can get really bogged down in the technicalities but if you take five minutes and ride a bike it can put a smile on your face. And that’s the other message that bike shops really need to get across. You might want to save the polar bears, you might want to avoid a heart transplant, but it’s fun. You’re like a kid again. It’s brilliant. “It’s just a question of finding a way you can create a safe non-confrontational space. Where you can say, while you’re here, why not jump on a bike for a ride around the block. If you want them to spend £5,000 on a bike then you’ve got to offer test rides. The big four could step up and say they are going to offer consignment stock… but 30-day terms just don’t work for small shops anymore. Cannondale could say, here’s x amount for you to set up a Cannondale centre in the South West, we like the way you did this and that, so you set this up, we will support you, you need to sell x number of bikes a week.” “There are enough dynamic young people coming through with great ideas. About how to combine a boxing club with a bike shop… there are loads of ways of doing it. It’s a question of making it commercially viable. The average businessman opening a bike shop, well he can get 5% staying in bed. But a bike shop is hard work. You’ve got to have a passion for it and believe in the commerciality of it. “I think increasingly, the whole market will be dominated by fewer brands. No one is interested in buying a frame built in a backyard. I’d much
42 cyclingindustry.news
EBIKE CAFE
While the bike shop/cafe combo has proved it can work, there are plenty of revenue diversification possibilities for bike shops
“EBIKERS ARE DIFFERENT. CYCLING IS JUST ONE OF 25 OTHER THINGS THEY DO. THEY’VE GOT FAMILIES, THEY’VE GOT JOBS, DOGS, HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS...”
rather get a bike designed in Taiwan by a computer if it’s going to be a better product. “I think the market will become much more focused on the big brands and they’ll realise that there’s a massive untapped market out there. People are leaving rural areas and moving into towns, people leaving Africa coming into Europe… these are big seismic events which will carry on and spin off. People need to get around urban areas. “I think that the bike will always score very highly because it’s so easy, it’s an instinctive thing. The other thing is that we have a lot of young people working in the café here. One of them called in this summer to say they can’t get into work one day because they couldn’t get a lift. She lives three miles away and we said, what about a bike? She said, why would I want a bike?
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“It should be a phase of growing up, but there’s a whole generation that has just missed out on the fun of riding a bike. And that’s a big worry for the industry. If they’ve got no history of it, no real concept of what a bike can do then this is quite worrying.” Job Satisfaction “A couple came in and they were in their mid-80s. They were taking a couple of eBikes out for a test ride and they said, where should they go? I said go to our nearest big hill, it’s a 15 minute ride away and there’s a 12/13% slope at the end of it. He said he wouldn’t even drive up there. We said you can turn back whenever you want, just go for it. 20 minutes passed, then after 45 minutes he came back and said they want those two bikes. They wanted to walk out the door with those test bikes there and then. When he left he
put his hand on my shoulder saying “you’ve given me back 30 years of my life, thank you very much”. “That’s the big hope for cycling. Everyone is living longer, people are more aware of the environment and health… things like electric mountain bikes are great but what’s more important is eBikes for the parents and grandparents. They’re the ones that the industry should be chasing. “When you buy an eBike, three things happen, you go home and say “Christ, I just spent £5,000 on a bike.” The second thing is you tell all of your friends, family relations, partners, and so on. Third bit is you use it. It’s about people getting out there. OK, if you work till 10 at night you won’t have time to do that, but the grey peddlers or silver surfers as it was 10 years ago, they are the ones who do.”
“ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKES ARE GREAT BUT WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT IS EBIKES FOR THE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS. THEY’RE THE ONES THE INDUSTRY SHOULD BE CHASING.”
ebikecafe.co.uk
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44 46-47 INSIGHT - Arval CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:34 Page 1
INSIGHT Leasing in the bike market
Leading the charge: Arval is partnering with BikeFlex to bring bike leasing to the UK
LEASING: THE NEW, SERVICE SUPPORTED, WAY FOR BUSINESSES TO ACCESS eBIKES In this feature – part of the 'what can we learn from the auto industry' series, we hear from fleet and vehicle leasing specialist Arval, part of financial giant BNP Paribas. Here John Peters and Sarah McArthur along with UK cycling specialist partner Tim Hammond, from BikeFlex, outline the ‘business bike leasing’ model. Sarah McArthur, Senior Communications Manager | Arval UK Thanks for the introduction, Simon. Let’s open the conversation by outlining who Arval UK is, as well as giving an overview of our fleet and vehicle leasing business. We are part of the BNP Paribas Group, which is a global financial services provider. Arval employs more than 8,000 people and has offices in 29 different countries. In the UK, our Head Office is in Swindon, and we’ve also got offices in Birmingham and Manchester; having around 700 UK employees in total. In the UK we’ve around 190,000 vehicles on fleet, primarily cars, but also vans. In the electrification space we see ourselves as a business which is leading the charge, with more than 38,000 electric vehicles, cars, and vans, on fleet – a significant, and growing, proportion of our total fleet.
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In terms of our customer makeup, they range from some of the UK’s largest businesses right through to individuals. Customers can lease a car or a van direct from Arval, but they can also access either a car or a van through their employer so as company car or van, or through an initiative called salary sacrifice where employees can give up part of their salary in exchange for a car. We count big names like Vodafone, EDF, and AkzoNobel, also small businesses, and individuals, amongst our customers. We’ve made strong progress with electric bike and e-cargo bike leasing, with customer arrangements accounting for around 5,000 bikes in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, we’re now introducing electric bike and electric cargo bike leasing – as well as cars and vans – in the UK, partnering with Tim Hammond at BikeFlex.
John Peters, Business Manage Financial Services, Fleet, Mobility Arval Although eBike leasing is new for us in the UK, it’s not new for Arval. In other countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, it’s a very established product. In the UK we’ve built a partnership with Tim and BikeFlex, enabling us to introduce leasing into the UK market. Picking up on a few things Sarah mentioned, at Arval UK we see EV, including eBikes, as a fundamental part of our energy transition. It’s one way in which we can help our customers transition to a low carbon economy. As a business we want to innovate, so some of the things we’re going to talk about, we are leading the way in the UK, especially with how we do eBike leasing. We view things like last mile delivery as fundamentally important to our
Electric folding bikes you can take everywhere, everyday. Designed and assembled with love in our factory in France.
Distributed in the UK by Pinpoint CE info@eovolt.co.uk 01606 558 428
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INSIGHT Leasing in the bike market
“The automotive industry understand about getting volumes into businesses”
clients, and a great opportunity for Arval customers, where we can bring skills, value, and expertise. We can make an impact on the marketplace. Tim Hammond, Co-Founder, BikeFlex Yeah, I’d just say I think one of the big features Arval mentioned at the eBike Summit was about the right vehicle for the right journey. You’ve both mentioned that where you’ve got cars and vans, eBikes and eCargo bikes can
46 cyclingindustry.news
“WITH ECARGO BIKES, CUSTOMERS CAN FIND THEMSELVES LOOKING AT BETWEEN £5,000 AND £8,000. AS PEOPLE RIGHTLY POINT OUT, THAT’S CAR OR MOTORCYCLE MONEY.”
complement them, particularly for those shorter journeys. And it’s not just about deliveries. Whilst the industry initially focused on last mile deliveries, we’re now talking with people about company fleet vehicles. As Arval clients have company cars via fleet leasing, perhaps they add some company eBikes alongside the company cars. As far as BikeFlex is concerned, working with Arval, as a partner, we can get closer to the automotive industry –
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“WITH LEASING ENTERING THE CYCLING MARKETPLACE, WHAT I SEE IS SCOPE FOR SIGNIFICANT NEW ‘CYCLING AS TRANSPORT’ GROWTH.” they understand about getting volumes into businesses and we’re very much seeing that, with a multimodal mobility strategy, being successfully implemented elsewhere on continental Europe. It’s time this is introduced in the UK. John Peters So as Tim and Sarah were outlining, our approach is that customers should be able to access a range of vehicles, whether it’s cars, vans, electric bikes; as Tim mentioned, it’s broader than just last mile delivery – it’s about ‘selecting the right tool for the right job’. Here we’re seeing clients’ requests shifting, to reflect the advent of clean air zones (ULEZ), of legislation to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. That there’s more complexity now, with a host of factors to consider, means that, with partners like BikeFlex, Arval can promote and deliver the right blend of solutions. BikeFlex gives us that bike specific knowledge and experience. Arval brings vehicle and fleet management experience, where leasing is paired with servicing and maintenance scheduling. BUY OR LEASE? We are noticing a lot of eBikes are becoming more sophisticated, and higher in value. I think that then lends itself to a conversation with clients around ‘do they want to deploy their own capital to invest in a significant number of assets (cars, vans, bikes) at a high upfront cost’? It’s here that leasing can really start to add value, rather than purchasing out right – freeing up substantial capital, whilst taking care of the in-service (daily use) management of the asset (vehicle servicing and maintenance to avoid down time). Maintenance packages need to be put together. BikeFlex takes care of all of this for Arval clients with eBikes. It all needs to be brought together, in the same way we manage fleets, manage the expectations of larger businesses. That’s where we see we can add the value because you’ve got customers who want to use the right kind of financing, they have a wide variety of different asset types (cars and vans, both ICE and EV, and now eBike). All these asset types need to be brought together under one management. Here’s the Arval sweet spot.
BUSINESS USER NEEDS, WANTS AND EXPECTATIONS Tim Hammond One of the things we’ve found over the last few months, echoing what John and Sarah have been saying, is that by supplementing existing Arval customer fleets, where a business already has cars on lease, there are a host of client case studies already in the early stages of being developed. As just one example, let’s take estate agents: Large or small, groups of estate agents will lease cars, applying their branding. These are an essential business tool. In that context, downtime – being off the road – has a business cost attached to it. Fleet management means the estate agents themselves don’t book servicing, drive the car to a dealership, collect a courtesy car (as you would when a private owner of a vehicle). Leasing, as part of a fleet management programme is all about taking the hassle away, hence a fully managed lease is something really important to businesses. Now add eBikes into this fleet vehicle blend; you’ve got use cases where eBikes, just like any other vehicles on fleet, are in daily use as a company tool, as a workhorse. We’ve got estate and letting agents, property management businesses, GPs and paramedics on eBikes. As with any business environment, avoiding downtime is so important. With the eBike offering this means a fully managed, serviced at the business premises, wrapped into the lease deal, making this a hassle-free service for users. WHERE BUSINESSES GO, PRIVATE SALES WILL FOLLOW There’ll come a point, in the not-toodistant future, where we can share those same attributes of leasing with private owners, delivered with bike shop partners. Here is where I see significant bicycle retailer opportunity, to win new customers, increasing the total number of people on bikes. When we look at eBikes, and some UK specific market challenges, barriers to winning new customers – people who don’t call themselves cyclists who just want to use a more journey appropriate vehicle, be that an EV with two wheels, three wheels, or four, one of the bigger barriers is price point.
With eCargo bikes customers can easily find themselves looking at between £5,000 and £8,000, at the moment. As people rightly point out, that’s car or motorcycle money. ENABLING THE BUYING OF THE RIGHT VEHICLE FOR THE RIGHT JOURNEY Thinking ‘price point’, I have a colleague who’s currently doing secret shopper visits at motorcycle dealers. In that environment there’s no discussion around, ‘that’s £8,000, please, how would you like to pay?’. It’s, ‘this is £XXXX as a deposit, with £XXX per month on a 2-year or 3year term, with full-service support, and the option, at the end of lease, regarding how you want to go forward’. It’s a totally different conversation. With leasing entering the cycling marketplace, what I see is scope for significant new ‘cycling as transport’ growth (and, as a biproduct, cycling as recreational sport, although N+1 riders aren’t the primary focal point here). Where leasing is ‘renting’, and cars have been sold this way for four decades, why would we – the cycling industry – not embrace a model that is familiar to the very users we’re seeking as new customers: Car owners looking for a new form of, journey appropriate, transport? LIFETIME VALUE OF CUSTOMER 2.0 Fully service supported packaged lease agreements offer both business and customer confidence, assurance, and continuity. To maximise on this the fleet/lease manager plays a critical role; that of a customer success manager – ensuring current and future serviceability, through ownership support, which ultimately ensures post lease owning of an asset for resale. The current customer benefits from the attentiveness, the lease provider benefits from this, and the future, ‘used approved’ customer also benefits from this. BikeFlex and Arval UK sponsored the Sustainability Award at the Negotiator Conference on 24th November, providing estate agency professionals with an opportunity to explore the eBikes. Brands on show included Brompton with its electric model, and Advanced with its Reco carbon frame eBike. bnpp.lk/Arval-bike-leasing
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48 50-52 INTERVIEW - Danielle and the Doctor CIN07 2023_LAW.qxp 04/12/2023 12:36 Page 1
INTERVIEW “RE-CODING” CITY STREETS
ACCELERATING CHANGE: RE-CODING CITY STREETS At IAA Mobility, Dr Meredith Glaser gave a keynote on “re-coding” city streets in favour of cycling and micromobility. Danielle Reiff-Jongerius speaks with the Doctor – CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute and Senior Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam – about the benefits of cities re-thinking their approach to transport and how the industry fits into this discussion…
F “IT’S NOT ABOUT REPLICATING BEST PRACTICES FROM THE NETHERLANDS. IT’S NOT ABOUT COPYING AND PASTING.”
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or this article, I wanted to go to Amsterdam to meet Dr Meredith Glaser and learn more about her work for the University of Amsterdam and the Urban Cycling Institute. I first met Meredith in September at the IAA Mobility in Munich, where she gave a keynote on “re-coding” our city streets. Her main claim was that if cycling and micromobility are to scale up in cities, streets need to be redesigned with fewer and slower cars and more bike lanes. With a background in public health and urban planning, a course on pedestrian and bicycle transportation planning opened her eyes to the potential the bike has to shape healthy environments and unite her twin passions. Learning about her background, it was absolutely vital to me that the cycling industry gets to know Meredith and more about the work she does.
What is the work you do with the Urban Cycling Institute and how did you first get involved? We are a non-profit working at the intersection of research, education and professional development. We were founded at the University of Amsterdam, where I also teach urban planning. Much of our work brings together decision makers from different disciplines and sectors to rethink our urban transport systems. We use the bike as the lens to do this. Around 2009, I became very closely connected with organisations that bring foreign officials like urban planners and engineers to the Netherlands on study visits – to learn about sustainable development and sustainable transportation policy. Particularly cycling! I came to realise that learning about cycling is very special. Cycling is such an embodied experience and many of these
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INTERVIEW “RE-CODING” CITY STREETS
Women are consistently shown to take more and shorter trips in their transportation behaviour. They also do more trips of care.
“RIGHT NOW, IN MANY GLOBAL CITIES AND EVEN IN AMSTERDAM, THE RATES OF KIDS CYCLING IS DECREASING MOSTLY DUE TO PARENTS’ FEAR OF CAR TRAFFIC. WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.”
50% or urban populations are “interested but concerned” about how cycling can fit into their life
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officials were riding a bike in a place like Amsterdam for the very first time. A fully immersive experience! It was also a social or collective experience. They were with colleagues from their city, so they could discuss projects and talk about how to relate lessons from Amsterdam back home – while riding a bike! There is high potential for learning in that dynamic. So, this became my PhD topic – the most important lesson was that these types of events can be strategic. It’s not about replicating best practices from the Netherlands. It’s not about copying and pasting. It’s about taking into account where these individuals are coming from; their governance structures, the city, and truly appreciating the stage they’re in. Can you give me an example of a project that you’re currently working on, or a best practice from the past? A large part of our work is convenings – getting together decision makers and civil servants all over Europe, the US, Australia, UK. Our network is very global. Once a year we host a three-week summer course with 30 people from about 25 countries and in the fall we run a week-long studio for Spanish-speaking urban planners and politicians from Latin America. We also run research projects. We are working with the city of Amsterdam on a one-year project about inclusion and cycling. It’s a fantastic example of the work that we do because it’s closely connected to policy makers and transport planners. Our Research Fellow is studying how vulnerable or disadvantaged groups experience exclusion in their cycling practices. She has interviewed 22 community leaders across Amsterdam, who represent a variety of intersections of vulnerable or minoritised, groups in society – elderly, people with disabilities, LGTBQ+, undocumented migrants, and Black or other racialised groups. We’re working with the city’s cycling programme to develop recommendations they could incorporate into their policies. It’s a continuous cycle of bridging research and practice with potential impact for society. Can you give an example of execution of a policy? Ha, not yet, as the results are not yet published, but here’s another example that I can talk about: The case of children: Children and youth, broadly speaking, are left out of decision making processes mostly because they
can’t vote. But when it comes to cycling they are a specific group who have a variety of needs when it comes to public space – and those needs change as they grow into teenagers. The question is how can the bike offer independence and autonomy for youth and how does this affect their wellbeing? Right now, in many global cities and even in Amsterdam, the rates of kids cycling is decreasing mostly due to parents’ fear of car traffic. We need to really think about the implications of that – for health, wellbeing, autonomy of our kids. I think cities in Amsterdam and cities in the Netherlands are already very well set up because car policy restricts speeds and volumes of cars, and also streets are designed to protect people and kids on bikes. However, this doesn’t mean that all youth cycle and we know that there are very different cycling participation rates according to, you know, where you live or your ethnicity. If we want a future where kids are riding bikes, cities need to eliminate the danger that cars pose. How do you feel we can level those playing fields? I realise, it is a combination of so many factors. But what is most acute? On this topic of inclusion we’re finding that access to resources, knowledge, skills, know-how, information is central to reducing barriers to cycling. So, in the case of the Netherlands, if somebody does not speak Dutch or English, that is a huge barrier to not only biking but participating in society. These are individuals who would benefit so much from bicycling, so getting them information, knowledge, and a bicycle – include a lock! – would help a lot. It’s not the only factor, though. There’s a very consistent measure that around 50% of the urban population (this is data from the US) is “interested but concerned” about bike riding. They are concerned about how cycling fits into their life. Bringing kids to school. Getting groceries, running errands. And within the context of the environment in which they live. So those are all very, very big concerns, especially for women. Why especially for women? Because women are consistently shown to take more and shorter trips in their transportation behaviour. They also do more trips of care. There are many nuances to each of these trips and their practice of mobility. In my daily life as a mother and full-time employee who is navigating the city and multitasking. I will pick up my children from school on a bike. I will, after that, go
Photo: Thomas Copsey
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to the grocery store to pick up dinner together. And after that, I will ride the bike to tennis lessons, then home. And that is one trip, essentially, but also a series of trips. When an environment is inviting and welcoming for these types of trips, that’s when we see a lot more women and mothers and people who are caring, on the streets and on a bike or multiple bikes because it makes sense to them. “When it comes to cycling in cities for daily transport, the bike industry seems out of touch with where, how and by whom their product could be used. There’s huge potential for growth. Research shows that a large portion of urban populations who do not cycle are “interested but concerned”. The fact is that lethal danger of vehicles prohibits the growth of cycling in most cities, especially when it comes to women, youth and disadvantaged and racialised communities.’’ I am now really curious to know about your personal mission and motivation? This is a really good question. I think the next generation is a big concern of mine. How do we offer to the next generation urban environments that are not only sustainable, but nurturing? And to that end, I think the bicycle can play a humble and amazing role, because it is a very simple tool to achieve many societal aims, yet building a city or creating a bicycle friendly city is much more complex. My second personal mission is about teaching and learning -creating this learning environment for understanding how to achieve cycling cities. And a third is, to put it directly, to radically reduce the dominance of cars in urban environ-
ments, and to support the rethinking of that dominance. What does the cycling industry really need to be made aware of? I’d like to see bike industry step up their game in advocating for eliminating car danger in cities so more women, youth, elderly and people of colour can use their fantastic product without fearing for their lives. What I think is relevant for the readers here, is that the bicycle touches down on the very local level. And that’s where the bicycle interfaces with the environment – on the street! I think broadly the industry needs to really deeply think about how the product that they’re building and promoting is touching down on the street and in communities. And, of course, many companies are – I’m sure they are. But that means also advocating and taking action in a very serious way. What’s unique about the bicycle is that it offers a way to potentially solve simultaneous issues at one time. In society we have mental health issues, we have an obesity epidemic. We have a climate crisis. Children are not moving enough. People feel isolated in our communities. The bicycle can play a role to remedy all these challenges. The social cost benefit analysis tool that economists use shows us that for cycling and cycling infrastructure projects, the number one benefit is health. Well, my experience is that the cycling industry is very much male, but also very white male dominated. It’s not just gender parity that needs to be addressed. It’s diversity on all counts.
Dr Meredith Glaser is CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute and Senior Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam
“WHEN IT COMES TO CYCLING IN CITIES FOR DAILY TRANSPORT, THE BIKE INDUSTRY SEEMS OUT OF TOUCH WITH WHERE, HOW AND BY WHOM THEIR PRODUCT COULD BE USED. THERE'S HUGE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH.”
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INTERVIEW “RE-CODING” CITY STREETS
DANIELLE REIFF-JONGERIUS
One way traffic: Shockingly, communities with lower rates of cycling and higher rates of crashes and injuries are people of colour
“THAT’S THE AIM OF THIS TYPE OF TRAINING, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF THEIR CITY AND HOW TO INFLUENCE IT.”
Decathlon's internal leadership programme aims to explain how exployees can make an impact in their cities and on the street
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The industry needs more representation from the consumers they serve. But I think, in practice, if we look in cities and the communities that have lower rates of cycling, but also higher rates of crashes, fatalities and injuries are people of colour. Coming from America, people of colour are much more disadvantaged in traffic than their white counterparts. And then we see an industry that is so heavily dominated by white men. This needs to be fundamentally addressed. Do you have an example of how the industry can step up? Best example is the work we are doing with Decathlon, which addresses this question of action. Their question to us was, how can Decathlon and then other companies in the industry mirror their sustainability efforts to on-the-ground change? And so we designed an internal leadership programme for management from different units... And it’s a 12-week programme that is part advocacy training, but provides lessons on to understand local governance and local decision making in their cities and how they as employees of Decathlon, but also as citizens of their city, how they can create impact in their cities and on the street. What our programme aims to do is to develop knowledge, develop capacity with these employees across different countries, different cities, to learn about their city and to understand how they can be a part of it and it being changed. That’s something that I would love to just roll out. Scaled up is a type of training programme that brings awareness but also brings knowledge after evaluation of the first year participants. They were now much more motivated
Growing up in Utrecht, one of the cycling capitals of the world, Danielle Reiff-Jongerius has used her bike to get to school since the age of 5. In 2015 she founded her agency, 138, in Munich while pregnant with her second child and with the vision to build her business around her family.Together with her husband, Philipp, it was decided they would merge both their businesses and share workload, income and parenting tasks equally. Today, 138’s values are reflected in a steadily growing company that puts their team first, while offering their expertise in content creation, marketing, communication and change management support to a diverse array of clients. Find out more at 138alternatives.com
to work for Decathlon but also reported much higher rates of consideration in the language that they were talking about. So, they knew much more about urban planning and transportation planning. They knew who their local officials were and they knew the sort of circle of power around them. That’s the aim of this type of training, so that people can really understand the dynamics of their city and how to influence it. Is there anything that you feel that absolutely needs to be shared? No matter race, no matter class, no matter gender – how can a child feel safe, autonomous and independent to get to school? You know, that’s the city that I want to live in. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. Meredith Glaser is the CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Senior Lecturer urban planning at the University of Amsterdam. She received her PhD in urban planning from the University of Amsterdam, supervised by her colleague and long-term collaborator, Prof. Dr. Marco te Brömmelstroet. www.www.urbancyclinginstitute.org
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PRINT DIGITAL MARKET DATA PODCAST
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ASK THE BOSS ZyroFisher
A NEW VISION AND MISSION FOR ZYROFISHER One of the cycling industry’s most significant distributors has a new CEO at the helm and has been making some significant changes behind the scenes. Cycling Industry News quizzes new ZyroFisher boss Tom Ainscough about overstocks, bolstering industry skills in the North East, leveraging the firm’s global heft with sister company Royal Velo France as well as taking us through the recent internal changes and focuses for ZyroFisher.
Tom Ainscough became ZyroFisher CEO as of September, moving from his role as COO
54 cyclingindustry.news
It’s probably been a year to forget for the industry for many reasons, but now – at the end of 2023 – have you got a view on how business has gone compared with 2022 (or compared with 2019)? Business in general in 2023 has been really tough for a number of reasons, both inside and outside of the cycling industry. Comparing to 2019, there were clearly overstocks at that time as there are now, (albeit not to the same degree post-Covid, especially bikes), but compounding this further have been a number of factors that were simply not present then. Covid, Middle East crisis, Russia, Ukraine, energy prices, the cost of living crisis, interest rates, even Brexit. These were all socioeconomic business impacts we were not familiar with. Going up against these issues for all of us over the last three years are generation-defining moments in cycling industry leadership.
How about the overstocks challenge – is that something we’re looking at normalising in 2024 or will that be resolved further ahead? We historically invested heavily in a really strong demand planning team. During Covid we developed a two year planning horizon within our forecasting system and integrated our forecasting data into our business planning model through an S&OP process (sales and operations planning). In January 2023, we developed a strategy to reduce our inventory gradually over time. As we get to the end of this year we have been able to reduce our inventory by over 40%, so we will go into 2024 in a clean position giving us the flexibility to maintain high service levels on all our brands for all our customers. By focusing on our forecasting we can ensure high service levels from ZyroFisher through periods of overstocks and understocks in the cycling industry.
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You’ve been with ZyroFisher for five-plus years and recently became CEO – how has the transition been? It’s been a tumultuous period in the industry to be taking on that role at one of the largest UK cycle industry distributors... Having a great team at Zyrofisher, full of excellent people dedicated to the industry and passionate about cycling, has made the transition from COO to CEO easier. What we tried to do from day one as a team was to move fast and be decisive when reacting to the changes in the market. We both developed and implemented a 100-day plan which allowed us to really focus our efforts as a lean agile organisation. At the same time we set a new vision and mission, and strong financial support through our investment partners, focusing on our core values, brand partners and customers.
Can you take us through some of the other changes at ZyroFisher HQ? E.g senior exec changes and other significant updates? There have been rumours of a change in approach to bikes/P&A? As a business we offer a premium valueadded service to our brands and customers and recognise that a coordinated approach on a go to market strategy for our brands encompassing sales brand and marketing is key for driving success. Leadership changes we made were to consolidate decision making strategy, and reapplication into a smaller, more focused, agile team. This gives us the ability to leverage multiple aspects of our value proposition quickly and efficiently at the right time for each of our brands. Based on previous market indicators we had historically looked to grow through adjacent sectors expansion, however this requires a significant amount of investment to grow these sectors. I feel our core
ZyroFisher's HQ and 100,000ft2 logistics centre are based in Darlington
“ALL THESE ISSUES FOR ALL OF US OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS ARE GENERATION-DEFINING MOMENTS IN CYCLING INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP.”
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ASK THE BOSS ZyroFisher
ZyroFisher OTIF levels are very high as is stock availability levels of all high-performing lines, the firm says
“WE KEEP OUR FRONTLINE SALES TEAMS FOCUSED PURELY ON OUR IBD CUSTOMERS, BACKED UP BY A FANTASTIC INTERNAL SALES TEAM.”
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strength is in P&A, and with the changes in the market and the opportunities that we have with our current amazing innovative and exciting brands, I have the firm belief we had the ability to grow together organically. Our core focus is on our brands, customers and P&A. Obviously bike shops are facing a range of challenges, how can ZyroFisher help them tackle them? Eg through sales reps, enhanced B2B… To put that another way – has the way ZyroFisher works with bike shops evolved over the past five years? We keep our frontline sales teams focused purely on our IBD customers, backed up by a fantastic internal sales team. We have an equally strong separate sales team working with our national accounts. This allows us to focus on two sales channels independently and give a high degree of support and focus to both without getting distracted. Our team are constantly out visiting customers and supporting them when needed. We have spent a lot of time recently developing our B2B, and have added functionality with the aim to make the digital journey as smooth as possible. We have added in daily deals in the last couple of months, where every day our
customers can expect a fresh new deal on our B2B. We recognise that sometimes things don’t always go the way we planned, so we have again heavily invested in a new customer service platform Zendesk (went live in October 23) which now coordinates across our customer services, warranty and SRAM tech services. Our OTIF levels are still very high as is our stock availability levels of all our high performing lines. Your head office must be pretty busy – you opened a Cytech/Activate Cycle Academy last year and this year the SRAM Technical Centre – how are both of those going? We are strong believers in sustainability and growing the cycling industry we love and have therefore invested heavily in both Cytech and SRAMtech. The Cytech training workshop continues to go from strength-to-strength. Recent bookings have been significantly up on earlier in the year and the pipeline and demand for Cytech courses, remains strong for early 2024. Having the Cytech workshop based at ZyroFisher has also had a positive impact on the delivery and reach of the bicycle mechanics apprenticeship in the North East area. The number of appren-
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tices enrolled on this training programme in this part of the country, has grown steadily since the workshop opened last year. Bringing this level of specialist bike mechanics training to ZyroFisher, shows our commitment to help address the industry-wide recognised shortage of trained and skilled mechanics across the UK. It’s been hugely beneficial to partner with Activate Cycle Academy with this workshop. They bring so much experience and expertise in delivering this level of skilled technical training to the cycle industry. We look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come. We believe in a value added partnerships with our brands and are huge advocates of the technical innovation and sophisticated engineering of SRAM products. We have recently solidified our partnership with SRAM for a number of years to run SRAMTECH alongside SRAMTECH UNIVERSITY co-located in our Darlington head office. We built these workspaces from the ground up, designing alongside SRAM what a best in class facility would look like. We made these investments as we wanted to bring the fantastic work that these two teams do closer to our organisation expanding our
knowledge and our ability to help bring to market a whole range of really exciting and innovative products and services. Royal Velo France has been part of the ZyroFisher family for some time now, does that give ZyroFisher extra leverage – and is the French market facing similar challenges to the UK? RVF has seen huge growth over the last five years, we have a number of brands in common and have worked together to leverage a whole host of synergies between the two businesses. Recently we have invested in a new facility in Torvellier in Troyes four times bigger than the previous facility, based on our successful UK warehouse footprint, and integrated all our IT and planning systems. Both the UK warehouse and the French warehouse are bonded, our ability to leverage our group facilities gives us a real advantage when it comes to shipping product both into and out of the UK. Leveraging our group operations allows us to reach a pan European consumer, and take brands into markets that will really allow them to grow outside of their core markets. We operate at a group level but with agile decision making with local knowledge and expertise.
“WE BELIEVE IN A VALUE ADDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR BRANDS AND ARE HUGE ADVOCATES OF THE TECHNICAL INNOVATION AND SOPHISTICATED ENGINEERING OF SRAM PRODUCTS.”
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ASK THE BOSS ZyroFisher
Both the UK warehouse and the RVF French warehouse are bonded, giving ZyroFisher the opportunity to leverage its group facilities
“WE LOOK AT LONGER TERM CONSUMER TRENDS AND WHILST SHORT TERM SALES TELL A DIFFERENT STORY WE BELIEVE THERE IS STILL A REALLY STRONG CONSUMER MARKET IN THE UK.”
I have to ask about sustainability – how’s that impacting on ZyroFisher in terms of operations and targets? Sustainability is core to what we do, especially on our own brand Altura we have put a huge effort in the last few years on sustainable fabrics and supply chains, through our fantastic design and production teams, where we can we look to use recycled materials to produce our products we are very proud of the sustainability story around our products. Any other trends you’ve seen at the bike distribution coal face? The rise of eBikes is an interesting trend, and whilst we have moved away from bike distribution, we have partnered with key eBike P&A providers, most recently Mahle where we support their UK service and warranty offering. We are also working with our brands on providing products and componentry that fit the eBike sector. We spend a lot of time trying to emphasise the positives of the market – while the short term has been painful, the mid to long term view of the market is of growth – is that a view ZyroFisher subscribes to?
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We look at longer term consumer trends and whilst short term sales tell a different story we believe there is still a really strong consumer market in the UK, as the overstocks start to unwind we believe the market will recover. It’s important for us not to swing the industry around sales, but focus on long-term consumer demand. What does the forthcoming months have in store for ZyroFisher, into 2024? We are really excited, we have spent a lot of time and effort getting our organisation into a lean efficient agile business poised to drive forward the market recovery. Consumers are going to be really excited about some of the fantastic product innovations our brands are bringing to market next year and we feel privileged to be able to bring these products to UK consumers. There is so much going on now, its hard to say what will happen, but we are ready for any challenge, and excited and eager to connect our brands to our customers and consumers. zyrofisher.co.uk
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