bikebiz june 2010_issue 53
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For everyone in the bike businessTRANSCRIPT
Issue 53 | June 2010
THE CYCLE SHOW 2010 Bringing together the world’s top brands at Earls Court.
The Cycle Show gives members of the trade a prime opportunity to:• Source new brands and products
• Preview stock for 2011 and be the fi rst to see product launches
• Research industry trends
• Network with industry colleagues
• Hold meetings in the dedicated trade business café
• Take advantage of bookable meeting rooms
REGISTER TODAY AND MAKE SURE A VISIT TO THE CYCLE SHOW 2010 IS THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION YOU MAKE THIS YEAR.
Register for your FREE trade badge complete the form below and either fax back to 020 7288 6446 or post to Cycle Show 2010, c/o Interchange Communications, Princes Drive, Coventry Road, Kenilworth, CV8 2FD. Alternatively you can register by visiting www.cycleshow.co.uk/bikebiz
3.What is your job function in the organisation?
5. What is your organisations annual spend on cycling related products?
4. Which of the following categories are you interested in? (Please select all that apply)
01 Central Government Department / Local Authority
02 Charity
03 Distributor
04 Exhibition / Event Organiser
05 Health and Fitness Organisation
06 Importer
07 Independent Retailer
08 Mail Order Retailer
09 Manufacturer
10 Multiple Retailer
11 Press / Journalist / Publisher
12 Wholesaler
13 Other (please specify)
01 Managing Director/CEO/Chairman
02 Owner/Partner
03 Area Manager
04 Store Manager
05 Facilities Manager
06 Operations
07 Distribution
08 Buying/Purchasing
09 Sales/Marketing
10 Consultant
11 Journalist/Publisher
12 Other (please state)
01 Under £1,000
02 £1,000 - £9,999
03 £10,000 - £49,999
04 £50,000 - £99,999
05 £100,000 - £499,999
06 £500,000 - £1m
07 Over £1m
01 BMX bikes
02 Children’s bikes
03 Commuter Bikes
04 Electric bikes
05 Folding bikes
06 Mountain bikes
07 Recumbent bikes
08 Road bikes
09 Touring bikes
10 Trials bikes
11 Triathlon bikes
12 Utility bikes
13 Women’s bikes
14 Accessories (locks, lights, tools, GPS devices etc)
15 Apparel (helmets, gloves, shoes, sunglasses etc)
16 Components (wheels, saddles, brakes, frames etc)
17 Other (please specify below)
Title
Forename
Surname
Job Title
Company Name/Organisation
Street Address
Town/City
Postcode/Zip Code
Country (non UK)
Telephone number
Email address
1. Have you visited The Cycle Show before?
01 Yes 02 No
If yes was it on a Trade day or Consumer day?
01 Trade 02 Consumer
2. What type of organisation do you work for?
7TH-10TH OCTOBER 2010
EARLS COURT 1, LONDON7 OCT TRADE ONLY | 8-10 OCT OPEN TO ALL
A KEY EVENT IN THE INDUSTRY CALENDAR, NOT TO BE MISSED.
By completing this form you are opting in to be sent information regarding The Cycle Show 2010. Your information will not be sent to any third parties.
Register FREE today at cycleshow.co.uk/bikebiz
WE MAY BE IN the midst of summer,
but it’s anything but silly season in the
bicycle industry.
It’s less than a month since the new
Government was finally announced,
and – theoretically at least – there are
cycling advocates now safely installed
in the corridors of power, but more of
that elsewhere in the mag (news page
five, Spokesman page 78). And as
Bicycle Association president Philip Taylor said in his address
to the organisation’s AGM last month – cycling has many
friends in the political sphere whatever party colours are
flying in Downing Street (page 17).
The trade is also getting to grips with a new powerful
retail presence in the UK cycle retail scene. Best Buy has
made its first, distinctly un-tentative steps into the cycle
sector, and where it goes from here is going to be one to
watch for retailers, distributors and manufacturers alike.
Best Buy has made a splash with its electric bike range in
store, as you can see from our pics (page four), and first
impressions are that it’s not looking to stack e-bikes high
and cheap in store. How the public react to the range, and
whether there will be a ripple effect in terms of how electric
bikes are seen in the UK industry remains, of course, to be
seen. And naturally we’ll keep a close eye on how that
develops here at BikeBiz.
Aside from politics and Best Buy, there’s a wealth of
cycle-based activity in store for the summer, with Bike
Week, Skyrides and BikeRadar Live, plus the new iceBike*,
set to make a splash in the sun.
We’ve got a couple of announcements here at BikeBiz
Towers too. First up, and hopefully this is obvious by now,
the brand spanking new BikeBiz Bible has arrived. It was a
big project for sure, and hopefully it will live up to the
legend of previous BikeBiz Bibles – as an essential everyday
tool for everyone working in the trade. Let us know what
you think and watch out for a digital edition later this year.
Secondly, we’ve announced the arrival of the third ever
BikeBiz Awards, celebrating the UK cycle industry like no
other event in the calendar. Last year’s live event went
down a storm and the BikeBiz team is looking forward to
getting cracking on the new one – with new categories and
a brand new venue to boot. We’ve got all the details over on
page four. Lobbying is now officially open for all categories,
so if you think you deserve one, be sure to let us know at
EDITORIALIssue 53 | June 2010
NEWS 4-10
REGULARS
Moore Large MD Nigel
Moore talks shop in the
BikeBiz interview...24
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
MYSTERY SHOPPER
BRAND SPOTLIGHT 20/27BikeBiz investigates brands from Raleigh and
Upgrade on pages 20 and 27...
PEOPLE 42Rebecca Charlton leaves Cycling.tv for IPC, while
Sir Steve Redgrave jumps aboard Juice Doctor
NEW PRODUCTS 65We take a look at the latest from Madison,
Fisher, Merida, Zyro, Ison and Windwave
Notching up half a century in cycling is no mean feat. BikeBiz
celebrates British Cycling’s 50th with a special feature...
Jonathon Harker, Editor
GEARS, BRAKES &CHAINS
This month our undercover reporter was set upon by locals
on his quest to grill the cycle retailers of Northampton
HOTLINES INTERVIEWBikeBiz speaks to the distributor about growing from a
three-staff outfit to become a significant industry player
38
22
31
CHAIN REACTION 13 CONSUMER PRESS 14 EVENTS 66
We take a look at Best Buy’s in-store offering,
while Windwave and Hotlines grab new brands
MOORE LARGE
FOCUS ON…
LUGGAGE
49 59
“Best Buy has made a splash with its
electric bike range. But what effect
will it have on the wider industry?”
LETTERS 64Forumites discuss the VAT threshold, while areader writes in defence of taking a cut...
SPONSORED BY
SPOKESMAN 78Carlton Reid speaks his mind on the new faces in
Parliament and their cycling credentials...
THE SHOCK news that the
American consumer electronics
retailer would be stocking e-
bikes in its UK flagship store
rocked the cycle trade when it
opened at the end of April.
Carrying electric bicycles,
lights, helmets and accessories,
the first Best Buy store on British
soil opened in Thurrock, Essex
and will be followed by stores in
Hedge End (Southampton) and
Merry Hill (West Midlands) in
June, followed by Aintree,
Liverpool and Croyden, Surrey –
all before winter 2010. Best Buy
confirmed to BikeBiz that those
stores will all stock the e-bike
ranges.
The retailer’s electric bike
range will be part of the store’s
‘GreenTech’ area, also containing
energy saving products such as
electric cars, motorcycles,
scooters and bicycles (see
below).
Despite not yet glimpsing
the level of success seen on the
continent and Far East, the
electric bike sector is proving
increasingly hard to ignore for
doubters in the industry.
A growing list of significant
retailers and distributors in the
cycle industry have entered the
e-bike market, such as when
Cytech, in March, teamed up
with BEBA to offer
accredited electric bike
maintenance training in the UK
(see box-out, right).
“We’ve already seen a healthy
level of interest from customers
here in the UK,” Simon Jessup,
GreenTech manager at Best Buy
UK told BikeBiz. “With expert and
impartial advice from our
Blueshirts, we can help bridge
any gap from that interest to the
knowledge they need in order to
understand if electric transport is
right for their life.
“We do believe that the
electric bike sector will become
more popular and are working to
drive the sector forward. We’re
focused on offering a wide range
of products, making them easy
to see and try, accessible and
affordable through financial
services. On top of their green
credentials, they offer exemption
from road tax and can be run at
very low cost.”
www.bestbuy.co.uk
“We do believe
that the electric
bike sector will
become more
popular. We’re
focused on
offering a wide
range of products
and making them
accessible.”Simon Jessup,
Best Buy UK
NEWS
By Jonathon Harker
THE THIRD-EVER BikeBiz cycle
industry awards are returning
this year, with new categories
and a brand new venue.
The BikeBiz Awards will take
place on Wednesday October
6th at the Sway Bar, Great
Queen Street, London, close to
Holborn tube station. Event
partners include Platinum
Sponsor Cube Bikes, and Event
Partner Citrus-Lime.
Taking place on Wednesday
October 6th, it’s the perfect
curtain raiser for Cycle Show.
Following the barnstorming
success of last year’s event the
prize categories have grown, now
including awards for Product
Innovation, Retail Account
Manager and Rising Star – for a
business that has grown or
developed significantly over the
past 12 months. Lobbying for all
categories is now open. Last
year’s winners included Condor
Cycles, Wiggle, Evans Cycles,
Madison, Zyro, Singletrack,
BikeRadar and Charge.
“The BikeBiz Awards are a
perfect way to recognise the
very best amongst retailers
and suppliers,” enthused
Stuart Dinsey, Intent Media
managing director and
BikeBiz publisher. “This year
we will have around 150
people enjoying a great
night, at very very low cost,
on the eve of Cycle Show.
"We are taking the event
forward, and we look forward to
building towards these exciting
Awards over the coming
months."
The full list of categories for
the BikeBiz Awards 2010
includes:
� Independent Retailer
� Online Retailer
� High Street Chain
� Distributor – Bikes
� Distributor – P&A
� Consumer Magazine
� Consumer Site
� Bike Brand
� P&A Brand
� Product Innovation
� Retailer Account Manager
(voted for only by retailers)
� Rising Star (a business that
has grown/developed
significantly in the last
12 months)
If you want to tell us why you
should be considered for an
award contact Jonathon.Harker@
intentmedia.co.uk. All you need
to include is a brief sentence or
two explaining your reasons why
you, or whoever you have
nominated, should win an award.
Look out for the July edition
of BikeBiz, including an in-depth
guide to lobbying for an award.
For more information on trade
tickets and sponsorship
opportunities, please email
or call 01992 535647.
The cycle industry awards are back
“The Awards are
the perfect way to
recognise the very
best in the trade.”Stuart Dinsey
BikeBiz Awards to return on October 6th � Lobbying begins now � New categories introduced for 2010
Best Buy sends electric market US retail giant gives UK electric bike sector biggest boost yet
AWARDS 2010
4 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
NEWS
abuzz
JANUARY 2010
� Eurobike promises to focus more on electric bikes in 2010
FEBRUARY 2010
� Raleigh unveils the Dover Deluxe Premium e-bike
� Velorbis enters e-bike market
MARCH 2010
� Zyro reveals deal to distribute BionX brandin UK
� Cytech announces it will offer accreditede-bike training to dealers
� Halfords launches PR campaign for its revamped electric bike offering
APRIL 2010
� Karbon Kinetics’ Gocycle goes on sale in John Lewis’ Oxford Street flagship store
� Consumer electronics retail chain Best Buy opens first UK store, featuring e-bikes
� GfK figures reveal one in eight bikes in Holland are electric
MAY 2010
� Eland reveals it will launch free e-bike mag
Electric timeline
THE SIGNS for renewed
Government support for cycling
are strong following the arrival
of the Conservative-Liberal
Democrat coalition into power
last month.
Headed up by Prime Minister
David Cameron, a high profile
cycle-commuter, and
containing a significant Liberal
Democrat presence – which has
pledged to BikeBiz to introduce
new measures to benefit IBDs –
the new cabinet has a
significant pro-cycling balance.
However, of the three major
political parties, the
Conservatives had the smallest
number of MPs sign up to the
CTC’s Vote Bike Manifesto
before the election, suggesting
cycling won’t necessarily be
high on the party’s agenda.
Only four Conservative MPs
signed, compared with 27
Liberal Democrats and 52
Labour MPs. Despite that, the
Tory manifesto states: “We will
support sustainable travel
initiatives that work best for
local communities by…giving
the concerns of cyclists much
greater priority.”
The Conservative Party also
told the CTC that: “encouraging
cycling will be a major priority
for a future Conservative
Government as it already is for
the administration in London.”
The Liberal Democrats have
been more forthcoming than
their new partners in making
promises to back cycling.
Prior to the election last
month, a party spokesperson
told BikeBiz that the Lib Dems
would introduce a number of
new measures to benefit
cycling: “Liberal Democrats will
require train and coach
operators to accommodate
bicycles on all new vehicles and
improve cycle storage and
parking at stations. We will
introduce a cycling ‘Gold
Standard’ award for all rail and
bus stations which meet
minimum cycle facility
standards, including adequate
provision of secure cycle
parking and information on
local cycle routes."
The future of Cycle to Work
appears safe too, according to
the spokesperson: “We agree
that cycling can help to combat
obesity, man-made climate
change and congestion and
we have no plans to cut
pledges already made on
cycling schemes.
“We are committed to
including the promotion of
safer cycling and walking in all
local transport plans and
promoting ‘Liveable Cities’ with
requirements for decentralised
public services like schools and
hospitals and safe walking and
cycling routes in new
developments."
“We will seek to further
boost cycling through our
commitment to improving road
safety, road quality and
reducing traffic levels and on-
road cycling which will make
cycling, easier, safer and more
accessible to all.
"All these measures together
will help to boost cycling which
should be beneficial to
independent bike retailers.”
BikeBiz asked the party to
confirm that the power sharing
would not compromise its
support for cycling, but at time
of print no reply has been
forthcoming. Perhaps new PM
David Cameron will put bike
security high on the agenda
after having his bike stolen
twice in ‘08 and then in 2009.
New coalition to spellgood times for cyclingCycle to Work legislation is safe, according to pre-electionpromise from Lib Dems � Tories to make cycling a priority
By Jonathon Harker
Attendees at last
year’s BikeBiz Awards
“All our proposed
measures will help
boost cycling,
which should
benefit IBDs.” Lib Dem spokesperson
WINDWAVE IS SET to take stock
of a new brand it has tracked
down from the Le Vosges
mountain range in France.
Labyrinth is a rider-owned
company that designs and
produces its own models and
unique shock linkage – the
Adapt Link. The link is designed
to be super-supple on the little
stuff, but capable of handling big
hits while still feeling like it has
bottomless suspension travel.
Windwave’s Dan Jones told
BikeBiz: “While Corsair has been
relatively successful for year one
and will evolve into an even
stronger Corsair 2.0 later this
year, we felt there was room in
our portfolio for something else.
“Labyrinth was presented to
us at last year’s Eurobike and
what was interesting about this
brand was that it had developed
its own suspension platform
rather than copying or licensing
an existing design. Labyrinth has
projected models that will move
it in an opposite direction to
Corsair, so both brands can sit
together with minimum overlap.
“Most important for us is the
launch model. The Agile has spot
on geometry, great build quality
and a very neutral ride making it
ideal for the UK.”
The firm’s flagship model, the
Agile, utilises the Adapt link,
which revolves around a single
pivot design and offers six inches
of rear travel via a Marzocchi
Roco Lo shock. It also features
cable guides for
Hammerschmidt, remote height-
adjustable seat posts and an
ISCG05 mount.
For the first two inches of
travel, it has a very low leverage
ratio to react and absorb small
bumps and have a greater grip.
The middle part of the stroke
(2.8 inches) is linear – this is for
small to medium hits and helps
to isolate the pedal action from
the shock. Finally, the last 1.2
inches is very progressive to give
a bottomless feel and to help
resist large drops.
Labyrinth stock will be
available from the end of June
and test rides will be available
on the Windwave booth at
BikeRadar Live in July, while
Marzocchi’s Positive Ride
Experience will also occupy
space alongside it.
Windwave: 023 9250 5320
NEWS
Windwave solves theLabyrinth for the UK
HOTLINES is inviting its
customers and those looking
to become stockists to a
launch event of Crème, a
newly added brand to its
portfolio.
The first of the events is to
take place on Tuesday June
1st at the Old Truman
Brewery in Brick Lane, London,
while the second date – June
2nd – will see the bikes travel
to The Events Space in Bristol.
Both events will run from
3pm until 9pm and will
showcase 20 models from the
Crème portfolio.
Having been doing the
rounds on the cycle trade
grapevine for a while now,
Hotlines confirmed the addition
of the brand to BikeBiz, as well
as its trade customers, late last
month. Crème’s speciality is
leisure and town bikes, though
the range also includes fixed
gear and Dutch/retro inspired
designs, many of which come in
a variety of striking colours.
Check out the site at
www.cremecycles.com for more
on the company’s Twitter and
Facebook marketing, Crème’s
custom build programme and for
a glimpse at the entire portfolio,
which offers plenty for both men
and women.
Further event details can be
obtained on receipt of an RSVP
Hotlines grabs theCrème of the crop
Distributor promises that new French brand, sporting its ownsuspension platform, will complement its existing portfolio
By Mark Sutton
“The launch
model has spot on
geometry and
great build
quality.”Dan Jones,
Windwave
Hotlines confirmed
the addition of the
new brand late last
month, including
fixed gear and
Dutch/retro
inspired designs.
Windwave’s newest brand will be
on hand at BikeRadar Live in July
20 models from the new Crème range will be showcased at the early June-
set events in London and Bristol, both running from 3pm to 9pm
6 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
New New New
New New New
New
EUROBIKE’S organisers have
told BikeBiz booking figures
have been “exceptionally
strong”, even five months
before the event begins. Several
changes have been announced
for the 2010 event, which will
take place on the shores of
Lake Constance from
September 1st to 4th and
which is once again on course
to be bigger than ever before.
“Things are looking
extremely good, both for the
Eurobike show itself and the
earlier Demo Day on August
31st, the day before the show,”
says project manager Stefan
Reisinger.
Well over 1,000 exhibitors
are expected to take part, while
the Friedrichshafen show is
now expected to cover a
whopping 14 halls and two
outdoor exhibition grounds to
the east and west. Due to the
high demand for space, the
organising team is currently
giving specific consideration to
extending Hall A7.
The Bike Fashion Show will
be staged in the East Foyer,
giving fashion manufacturers
even more space, as they will
now occupy the whole of Hall
B5, close to the fashion show.
Pedelecs and e-bikes will
feature even more prominently
than in previous years. There
will be more display space for
e-bikes, pedelecs and LEV
accessories, and a large test
track on the 500-metre-long
street where trade visitors will
be able to ride e-bikes up a
one-in-eight gradient towards
the eastern car park. Eurobike
2010 also offers the first proper
opportunity to test high-speed
pedelecs.
In further good news, it will
be even easier to get to
Eurobike this year. The new
southern and northern access
roads will be open, thus
WIGGLE has become the cycle
trade partner for For Goodness
Shakes!’ first venture into the
powder nutrition sector.
Widely known for its
milkshake product, often seen
on supermarket shelves, the
brand has expanded into more
niche territory alongside Wiggle
which has struck an exclusive
six-month online deal. Off the
web, retailers are invited to
make contact with the firm,
By Mark Sutton
Eurobike bookings‘exceptionally strong’months before event
NEWS
THE FIVE-YEAR wait for a new
BikeBiz Bible is finally over. The
Bible, 2010 edition, has been
sent to the UK’s cycle retailers,
distributors and manufacturers
with this edition of BikeBiz (June).
The Bible, in association with
Silverfish, is the essential A to Z
directory of the bicycle trade,
including listings for all companies
associated with the cycle industry
in one handy guide.
The long-awaited
reappearance of the directory
has come as a result of
unrelenting demand from the
trade, with copies of older
editions still being requested by
cycle retailers.
As well as the A to Z, the
directory includes a list of bike-
related organisations, columns
from industry figures and more.
An online version of the
BikeBiz Bible directory will go
online later in the year with
additional listings.
Companies listed in the
BikeBiz Bible 2010 will also have
a free-of-charge listing in the
ACT/ActSmart business
directory, as well as a number of
other benefits, including the
incorporation of retailer listings
within The Cycling Experts’ cycle
shop listing, which is shared
with a growing number of
consumer cycling websites,
accessed by circa 200,000
consumers each month free-of-
charge.
If you want to get hold of
additional copies of the 2010
edition of the BikeBiz Bible,
contact Lindsay.Banham
@intentmedia.co.uk
By Jonathon Harker
The Bible’ssecond coming
Over 1,000 international exhibitors are set to occupy 14 hallsand two outdoors exhibition grounds come September
For Goodness
DOREL INDUSTRIES has posted
what it says are a record set of
results for its recreational and
leisure division in the first
quarter of 2010.
As a parent company for
Cannondale, GT, Schwinn,
Mongoose and IronHorse
bicycles, as well as Sugoi apparel,
the firm is particularly pleased
with the progress its brands have
made in the kids’ bikes sector.
Revenue generated in the first
quarter increased by 12.5 per
cent, jumping to €130.6 million,
of which gross profit was €33.2
million. Earnings from operations
were €10.9 million.
Dorel CEO and president
Martin Schwartz said of the
results: “Consumer confidence
has risen in many of our
markets, including most of
Europe. Exciting new product
introductions and other
marketing initiatives in all of our
segments, coupled with our
concentration on opening
to mid-price points have
attracted many to our
brands.”
Schwartz also told press that
it had added more independent
bike dealers to its books in the
first quarter of 2010 than in any
previously, particularly in the
United States.
Going forward, Schwartz
acknowledges rising commodity
and freight costs could impact
on further progress in 2010, but
stated: “The momentum
established in the first quarter
places Dorel in an advantageous
position to benefit from our
numerous new product
introductions and brand equity.”
May also saw the
manufacturer open a 70,000
square foot facility to boost its
Apparel Footwear Group’s
manufacturing capabilities in
Metro, Vancouver.
connecting Messe
Friedrichshafen even better to
road networks far beyond the
region.
The organiser is also
expecting more than 39,000
specialist dealers and over 1,500
journalists to attend from
around the world.
www.eurobike-show.de
which is interested in hearing
from those keen to try out and
stock the new recovery powder.
Added to water, the brand’s
formula mixes fast, with no
powder lumps. It produces a rich
tasting shake from any water
bottle. Easy on the stomach,
athletes can drink a full bottle
straight after a hard session,
within the vital 20-minute
recovery window for optimal
recovery results.
For Goodness Shakes! powder
comes in four flavours:
ChocMalt, SuperBerry, Banana
and Vanilla. The 80g sachet
added to 450ml of water makes
up 500ml of recovery drink.
Sachets are priced at £1.50 at
retail, or £36.00 for a month’s
supply of 24 sachets. Starter
packs will also be available
containing eight sachets and a
free water bottle retailing at £12.
020 8871 3360
NEWS
“Consumer
confidence has
risen in many of
our markets,
while marketing
drives and keen
prices have
attracted many to
our brands...”Martin Schwartz
Parent company ofCannondale and manyothers sets recreationaldivision sales record �Market share believedto have grown inchildren’s bikes sector
“Things are
looking extremely
good for both the
Demo Day and
Eurobike itself...”Stefan Reisinger
Shakes, Wiggle!
Dorel setsrecord firstquarterin 2010
Xxx
By Mark Sutton
NEWS
PARENTS’ CONCERN for their
children’s safety is one of the
major obstacles preventing the
increase in numbers of kids on
bikes, Cycling Scotland told BikeBiz.
The organisation is planning to
combat these worries by getting
kids on bikes this summer with a
Cycle to School campaign in seven
local authority areas in Scotland.
The six-week campaign will
see the creation of ‘Cycle
Friendly Zones’ around schools
where drivers are asked to give
children as much space as
possible while they are cycling –
directly tackling the concerns of
worried parents. Orkney, Moray,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, North
Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire
and East Renfrewshire will
benefit from the campaign.
Cycling Scotland’s Andrew
Pankhurst told BikeBiz: “The main
barrier to cycling to school is
that parents need to feel that
cycling is safe for their children.
That’s why we are running this
campaign to communicate with
drivers, asking them to be
cycle-friendly, and to give
children enough cycle space.
“The campaign ads are heavily
focused in the area around
participating schools, so that
parents can see something is
being done to make cycling safer
around their child’s school.”
Safety fears are not the only
obstacles for growing rider
numbers, with Pankhurst also
identifying a lack of facilities,
training and encouragement as
defining factors.
He said: “Other barriers
include a lack of good off-road
routes – though Sustrans is
addressing this with its Safer
Routes to Schools initiative, and
the Cycle to School campaign
also incorporates a travel
planning session with children to
show them how to plot the
quietest route from home
to school.
“A lack of proper cycling
facilities, training and
encouragement in schools can
also deter children from cycling,
although Cycling Scotland’s Cycle
Friendly School Award – which is
given to schools that provide a
high standard of bicycle parking,
cycle training and generally have
a good school cycling culture,
has seen 44 schools now achieve
a cycle-friendly status, with over
10,000 children going to a cycle-
friendly school.”
The success of the campaign
will be measured through
Sustrans’ collection of extensive
school travel data through the
Hands up Survey. Providing an
accurate reflection of modal
share for school travel, the data
is collected at local authority
level and individual schools.
Retailers can play a part in
helping boost numbers too,
Pankhurst assured us: “The best
way for retailers to show their
support of the campaign is to
give good advice to children and
their parents on cycling when
they come in store, and
particularly to highlight local
routes and mapping so that
families can plan the quietest
and safest routes for travelling to
and from school.”
Cycling Scotland:
0141 229 5350
Shimano irons outsponsorship dealManufacturing giant
Shimano has continued its
Ironman support by signing
up to be the official sponsor
throughout 2010. At the
Ironman and Ironman 70.3
Series, tough athletes will
have the chance to prove
their mettle in the
triathlon style.
Mayor’s Skyridescoops sportsevent awardThe Mayor of London’s
Skyride has been awarded a
prize of Sports Participation
Event of the Year at Europe’s
prestigious commercial sport
awards – the Sport Industry
Awards. The ride attracted
over 65,000 people last year,
and is set to be followed up
with a bigger event this year
in central London, with
smaller scale events in the
capital’s outer boroughs.
Four new brandson the radarThe second ever BikeRadar
Live event, taking place at
Brands Hatch in July, has
signed up four new sponsors
– Norco, Polaris Apparel,
Rose Bikes and Zipvit. Norco
will be the headline sponsor
for the MBUK Dirt Jump
Invitational. Rose Bikes will
sponsor the What MB Dirt
Crit, Zipvit is to lend its
name to the C+ Sportive,
while Polaris Apparel is to
sponsor the Procycling Hot
Laps activity.
SRAM camps outFive brands from SRAM will
join 22 others at US-set
DealerCamp, set at Deer
Valley Resort in Park City,
Utah. Taking place on July
29th to 31st, DealerCamp
will also see the likes of
Ridley, Pivot Cycles, Scott
USA, Shimano,
Crankbrothers, WTB and Ibis
Cycles. One hundred IBDs,
selected with exhibitor input,
are receiving free lodging
and a travel subsidy to
attend the event.
CYCLESHORTS
For breaking news visit:
www.bikebiz.com
10 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
By Jonathon Harker
CYCLESCHEME received
its Fast Track 100 Award
from Sir Richard Branson
last month.
The Sunday Times and
Virgin prize was given to
the Cycle to Work
administrator for its
impressive success over
the past three years.
During this period,
Cyclescheme grew a
staggering 348 per cent
to £22.7 million in 2009,
topping the league
table that saw the
firm pitted against a
few fast growing
private companies.
Co-founders Richard
Grigsby and Gary Cooper
picked up the award at
the Sunday Times Virgin
Fast Track 100 Awards
event, held at Branson’s
own Oxfordshire home.
The cycle industry was
also honoured via the
new ‘Ones to Recognise’
award. Folding bike
manufacturer Brompton
was singled out for the
accolade – now being
sold in 33 countries.
Founder Andrew Ritchie
and managing director
Will Butler-Adams
received the award.
Other winners outside
the cycle industry
included online card
retailer Moonpig.com. The
event also saw a charity
auction that raised
£210,000 for the Virgin
Unite Charity.
Sir Richard Branson
honoured the award
recipients on the night
and said: “If the owner of
a business is passionate,
that will ricochet all the
way down the organisation.”
Cyclescheme:
Brompton:
020 8232 8484
Branson hands over Scheme award
Cycling Scotland: ‘Parentsmust be shown bikes are safe’
Xxxx
School Scheme plans to crack cycle preconceptions by making it child-friendly
CHAIN REACTION
ONE OF the biggest trends in
sports nutrition will be the
growth of protein supplements
for bikers and other endurance
athletes. It’s a view that’s backed
by some of the top names in
biking nutrition – such as Nigel
Mitchell, head of nutrition at
Team Sky and GB Cycling. CNP
may come from a power sports
background, but it has increasing
expertise in endurance sports, too.
Both road and mountain
bikers are catching up on the
benefits of protein supplements
alongside traditional energy
drinks and bars, partly because
they are seeing their sporting
idols using them. This demand is
creating a whole new area of
business for bike retailers.
Protein supplements are
traditionally associated with
power sports such as
bodybuilding and boxing. But
there’s growing evidence
that they boost
performance for all
athletes. The point being
that good quality
protein supplements
help protect, rebuild
and repair muscles
quickly during and
after intensive,
traumatic exercise.
Not only do
they protect the
muscles from
long-term injury,
they also mean
the athlete will
recover more
quickly, can train
harder and thus
improve
their performance.
I founded CNP back in 1989
and have been involved in sports
nutrition for many years. My
dietary expertise has helped
establish me as ‘the man in the
know’ to sportspeople
worldwide.
I advise athletes as varied as
Premier League footballers –
including Blackburn Rovers FC –
rugby clubs, triathletes, round
the world yachting teams,
runners, boxers and motor
sports teams.
I’ve also advised the nutrition
team behind both GB Cycling
and Sky Pro Cycling.
Team GB nutritionalist Nigel
Mitchell says: “The thing we liked
about CNP was that it’s really,
really focused on quality and
innovation. That attitude is vital
when you need every last ounce
of performance out of the team.
Getting the right sports nutrition
will give us an edge.”
If top bikers are using protein
supplements, others will follow.
There will be a significant
increase in demand for protein
supplements, alongside the
energy drinks that have fuelled
the market in the past.We
believe there is huge potential
for protein sales.
As the market grows,
consumers are demanding better
tasting, more easily digested
supplements, whether they be
drinks, gels, bars, shakes or
powders. CNP’s premier
proteins are made using a
low temperature processing
method that preserves the
integrity of the proteins
so that they are more
easily absorbed into
the body than other
manufacturer’s
products.
Undernatured
protein
supplements
cost more to
produce but,
because they
work better,
they should
give athletes a
real advantage.
The proof is in the eating.
Nigel Mitchell says he was amazed
by the reaction of the Sky Pro
Cycling riders when they started
to use the CNP supplements. He
comments: “Normally when you
make a change like this there are
plenty of moans, but no one has
complained. For example, several
riders have said that Pro Flapjack is
the best energy bar they’ve ever
had. The Pro XS bar is really
popular, too.”
That’s not to say that energy
supplements are on the wane.
CNP has been working with
Team Sky and British Cycling to
develop a new energy gel, called
Pro Energy Max. What’s different
about this cola-flavoured gel is
that it is designed to not only
give an energy boost, but also to
maintain energy levels and
heighten mental alertness. It will
be used by both Team GB Cycling
and the Sky Pro Cycling team
taking part in the Tour de France
and is readily available to all
bike retailers.
CNP’s sports nutrition
supplements are available in
shelf-ready packaging. The range
includes energy drinks and gels,
protein shakes, protein bars,
creatine supplements, meal
replacements, mass gainers,
weight loss supplements and
post work-out shakes, all
designed for the ‘ultimate in
sports nutrition.’
For more information visit
www.cnpprofessional.co.uk, or
call +44 (0) 161 320 8145.
Consumer demand is opening up a new market sector for protein supplements, says Kerry Kayes, ofCNP Professional. He reveals all about the company’s new energy gel and states how he believesdemand is not only from power sports, but from cycling and all other sporting athletes, too...
“Not only do they
protect muscles
from long-term
injury, they also
mean the athlete
will recover
quickly, can
train harder
and thus
improve
performance.”
Protein will drive growthin sports nutrition
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 13
Left: Kerry Kayes receiving Acheivement
award from UKBFF. Inset: Team Sky
NEWS
14 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BikeBiz takes a look at some of the productstested and rated within the cycling consumerpress…
PRODUCT: WeThePeople Scorpio frame
PRICE: £309.99
“The Scorpio is a 4130 semi-magma chromoly
frame with removable gyro tabs. The rear end is
laser cut, heat-treated and carries much
improved removable brake mounts. What’s more,
the frame carries an investment cast seat clamp
to keep things tight. The frame weighs in at just
4.81lbs and comes in a variety of colours.”
Publisher: Factory Media
Cost: £3.40 Pages: 132
DIGPRODUCT: DT Swiss XMM 140mm
PRICE: £699.99
“Our first ride on the XMM 140mm told us this is
one stiff fork. There’s virtually no deflection
under heavy braking and the front wheel goes
exactly where you point it. All the external
adjustments are intuitive, and our only complaint
is that the stops on the two-step lockout lever
aren’t very pronounced.”
Publisher: IPC Media
Cost: £4.25 Pages: 188
MBRPRODUCT: PRO Vibe Sprint Cavendish bar and stem
PRICE: Bar – £74.99, stem – £149.99
“Far from being a signature edition purely in the
name of marketing, Cavendish had direct input in
the design of this bar and stem pairing. The uni-
directional carbon stem is extra-wide and uses a
special narrow gap face plate to mount the bars
more rigidly. Despite the additional material, the
stem weighs 170 grams for the smallest size.”
Publisher: Future Publishing
Cost: £4.99 Pages: 164
Procycling
Press office
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 15
Akhter House Perry Road Harlow Essex CM18 7PN
01279 821243
JN-1470 15.4.09 Prices subject to change without notice. E&OE
email: [email protected]
The Dawn of a New Era for Electric Bikes
www. .co.uk
Lithium PolymerBattery
£765Inc VAT
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£765Inc VAT
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In Stock
THE UK bicycle industry is
growing and maturing, with
cyclist numbers up and the
average price of bikes rising. That
was one of the key messages
from the Bicycle Association
Annual General Meeting, held on
April 28th at the Blue Rubicon
offices, London South Bank.
The BA President, Philip
Taylor, highlighted the continued
good works of Cycling England
and Bike Hub (see box-out) for
driving numbers of cyclists and
therefore helping secure the
future of the industry. Taylor
made the comments in his
opening address to the BA
members, including some of the
primary movers and shakers of
the UK bicycle industry.
Rising numbers of cyclists is a
cause for celebration, said the
BA president: “According to
Transport for London, the trend
of more people cycling
continues to increase in the
capital by nine per cent, and as
published by the DfT/Cycling
England, a 27 per cent average
increase in six of the Cycling
Demonstration Towns.”
The Association felt that
rising bike values were a sign
that the public was not taking
industry-controversial BSOs to
heart: “Not only did cycle usage
increase, but also the average
imported price of a bicycle in
2009 rose too by almost 15 per
cent. This may, at first glance,
not appear good news for our
industry, but on the other hand
it may signify that the bicycle
market in the UK is beginning to
mature and that consumers are
becoming more aware that
quality bicycles provide a far
better and safer cycling
experience than the cheap and
cheerful, almost disposable,
variety offered by discount
supermarkets.”
DUTY CALLS
The opening address also noted
that despite rising cyclist
numbers and a healthy industry,
imports into the UK actually
dropped. Bicycles brought into
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 17
BA AGM REPORT
“The average
price of imported
bikes rose, which
may signify that
the UK market is
beginning to
mature.”Philip Taylor, BA
The Bicycle Association of GreatBritain met up last month toreview the year and reveal some ofthe key issues set to affect thetrade in the next 12 months.Jonathon Harker reports...
Imports are hit, butcycling is on the up
BA deputy president Phillip
Darnton (left) and
president Philip Taylor
the country fell by around 12
per cent between 2008 and
2009, according to the
Association.
Conversely, the BA noted
caution over an ‘anomalous’
increase in the number of
bicycle frames imported, as
reported by HMR&C.
Taylor says: “It shot up in
2009 to just over 250,000, an
increase of 112 per cent over
2008 and for which Taiwan was
responsible for 144,000, almost
quadrupling this country’s 2008
figure of 41,000.
“The trend worsened further
in 2010 when during the first
two months import figures for
frames almost quintupled, from
2009’s 17,831 to 83,859 this
year – of which 46,374 were
from Taiwan and 16,820 from
Malaysia, which appears in the
category for the first time.
“The BAGB questioned the
figures two years ago and has
written again to express our
concerns.”
Technical issues were also on
the BA AGM agenda; BA
technical advisor Alan Cater, a
BSI representative at CEN, is
tackling the issues on the
Bicycle Association’s behalf,
including drafting a response to
the Department for Transport’s
Consultation paper on Electric
Power Assisted Cycles and
Electric Powered Vehicles.
Cater is also preparing a first
draft document regarding UK
Bicycle Legislation, as Taylor
explained: “it has become
apparent that the industry, in
conjunction with the DfT and
Trading Standards, needs to be
instrumental in establishing a
voluntary code of conduct that
promotes safety and quality
standards.”
Ongoing work is continuing
on new CEN standards for BMX,
trailers and with existing CEN
standards on city and trekking
bikes, mountain bikes, racing
bikes and young children’s
bicycles – the latter group
having reached their five year
revision periods. Philip Taylor
also paid tribute to the recent
passing away of cycle advocate
Don Wright.
CYCLING FOR ENGLAND
The meeting gave the council
chance to hear the first results
of the Cycling Demonstration
Town projects. As BA deputy
president and Cycling England
BA AGM REPORT
“Bike retailers have experienced quite
a prosperous year during what was
expected to be, and for many
industries has been, a pretty severe
recession.”Philip Taylor, BA
18 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Back in 2003/2004, the
Government challenged the
cycle trade to prove that it cared
about its own industry, and since
then the trade responded to the
challenge in spades. BA president
Philip Taylor revealed that in the
past five years, Bike Hub
contributions from BA members
and IBDs have amounted to
around £2 million.
The AGM revealed that Q1
2010 has been the best Q1 the
fund has ever seen. Despite the
doubters, the funds have been
diverted into a varied number of
projects – all of which have been
designed to boost cyclist
numbers and help secure the
future of the bike industry.
Taylor said: “This money
has been used to support
and seed-fund projects
such as National Bike
Week – that now has a
major sponsor in EDF
Energy over the next
three years. The funds
have also been invested in
Bikeforall.net, the web portal
for all things cycling, soon to be
relaunched as ‘Bike Hub’.”
Bike Hub funds have been
ploughed into Bike It too: “Bike It
started with just four officers in
40 schools and that now, thanks
to the generous support of
Cycling England, has over 50
officers, with two each in Wales
and Scotland, and one in
Northern Ireland, working
directly with 500 schools across
the UK.”
THE BIG IDEAS
In addition to those, Bike Hub
cash stumped up for the
£100,000 New Ideas Fund for
local schemes. Three successful
projects won a share of the New
Ideas Fund, all of which had
representatives at the AGM to
reveal how they had begun to
use the money in their projects.
Bike Boost Sheffield is a
project from Get Cycling of York,
targeting would-be cyclists in
the workplace. The scheme
offers the loan of a bike and
paraphernalia in return for a
pledge from the participant that
they’ll cycle to work for at least
50 per cent of the days in the
challenge period (of three to
four weeks). Bike Boost works
with the participants, giving
them training and
encouragement.
According to Bike Boost’s
Terry Blackwood, the first three
weeks are a critical period for
returning cyclists, or those new
to cycling, and the project
concentrates its efforts over that
vital period.
The scheme follows an
initiative in York that saw 4,502
car miles replaced by bike-based
miles, with a hugely impressive
71 per cent of participants
“Were trying to
normalise cycling
for the over 50s.
And if you can get
grandparents into
cycling, then they
will pass that
message on to
their children.”Lucy Cooper, LCC
Investing in the future of cycling
Cambridge is among the second batch of Cycling
Demonstration Towns, named in 2008. Studies
covering the original six Demonstrtion Towns have
revealed the benefits of investment in cycling
chair, Phillip Darnton revealed
that those results, with recent
studies, confirmed that
investment in cycling pays.
Darnton explained: “The DfT
measures every transport
scheme, but cycling had not
been previously measured in its
terms. Cycling England has given
it the data and the Department
for Transport used its own
regime and found that the
benefit-to-cost ratio of cycling is
at least three-to-one. It may
even be as high as five or six-to-
one if benefits are sustained
over 30 years. Those calculations
are based on conservative
assumptions too.”
According to those results,
those first six Demonstration
Towns have, in their first three
years, seen an average increase
in cycling of 27 per cent
between 2005 and 2007.
Crucially, the results also saw
that the increase wasn’t down to
increased cycling from the same
number of riders, but from a
greater proportion of cyclists –
14 per cent in fact. Darnton
added: “The schools in the
Demonstration Towns also
benefited from the investment.
Through Bike It officers and
Bikeability, the proportion of
pupils cycling to school regularly
more than doubled – increasing
126 per cent.”
Those three-year results for
the Cycling Demonstration
Towns also produced in a
decrease in the proportion of
people in towns classed as
physically inactive – the group
most at risk of premature death.
Comparable towns not
benefiting from the scheme
didn’t see any such
improvements, offering further
indication of the effectiveness of
the investment in cycling.
RECESSION WOES?
Taylor and BA vice president
Philip Darnton both referenced a
flourishing bike market. Taylor
said: “Retailers have had, rather
surprisingly, experienced a quite
prosperous year during what was
expected to be, and for many
industries has been, a pretty
severe recession.”
Darnton emphasised the
reasons behind the prosperity:
“Everything is going in the right
direction for cycling. This age of
austerity has to be good for
cycling – and these rising petrol
prices are too.”
The pre-general election
meeting, set before we knew
cycle commuter David Cameron
would be our new prime
minister, made reference to past
support from Westminster –
particuarly through the likes of
the Cycle to Work incentive. The
BA president said that he was
confident that future
Government support for cycling
would continue.
Taylor said: “Despite the fact
that we do not know which
party, or parties, may form our
next Government, what is sure is
that cycling has many friends
and advocates across all of the
political parties and it will, I
believe, continue to receive
support no matter what the
political hue of the next
incumbents.”
With virtually all of the
political parties offering pre-
election promises to support
cycling, let’s hope those words
are borne out now that the
Conservative and Liberal
Democrat coalition is in place.
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 19
“Through the work of Bike It officers
and Bikeability, the proportion of
pupils cycling to school regularly has
more than doubled.”Phillip Darnton, BA
BA AGM REPORT
continuing to ride to work after
the project ended.
Blackwood said: “We believe it
is working and we’re really
optimistic about how it will turn
out.” After the scheme ends the
hopefully converted cyclists are
passed to local dealers to buy
their own cycles and accessories.
Another local project
benefiting from the Bike Hub
New Ideas Fund is Agewell on
Wheels. Lucy Cooper led the
presentation on the scheme at
the AGM; it has a goal of
bringing healthy living and
activity through cycling to the
over 50s age bracket.
Cooper is also part of the
London Cycling Campaign, which
is handling the project.
Agewell on Wheels is
targeting those missed audiences
for the cycle trade, said Cooper:
“We’re really trying to normalise
cycling for the over 50s, and
send them the message of the
independence and freedom it
can give them. If you get
grandparents into cycling, then
they will pass that message to
their children. We have to give
them the bug.”
The project has just launched
and has the backing of charities
and local councils – an essential
requirement to helping promote
the project, Cooper believes. A
fleet of bikes is used for taster
sessions with a marketing
scheme that takes in the
internet and leaflets in GPs
surgeries. The scheme has its
sights set on rolling out across
London, with a view to reaching
out across the nation. That’s
something in common with all
three projects, which were
chosen specifically as local
projects with the potential to be
rolled out across the UK.
Finally, Darlovelo is a
Darlington-set project targeting
young females – another social
group of consumers that have
traditionally been largely lost to
the cycle industry.
Lauren Pyrah explains that
Darlovelo grew from the Beauty
and the Bike project – a film
that took a group of young
women from Darlington to bike-
friendly Bremen. The scheme
aims to make cycling the norm
for women, a group that was
found to feel that peer pressure
and infrastructure stopped them
from cycling. Darlovelo’s loaning
of Dutch-style bikes and
encouragement of a culture of
cycling is hoped to eventually
roll out to other UK towns.
WITH A flagship model weighing
in at £1,799, utilising the very
latest in Panasonic’s Crank Drive
Technology, it’s fair to assume
Raleigh has done its homework
ahead of an own-branded push
into the electric bike market.
Having sent the first batch of
Dover Deluxe Premiums out to
dealers during May, it will be a
while before feedback on
turnover, maintenance and
returns filters through, though
with the sudden level of
investment placed behind
Raleigh’s e-bike push, it’s clear
the firm is committed to
progressing its share of
the electric sector
and if the hype is
anything to go by,
just in time too.
Raleigh’s electric bike expert,
Lloyd Clarkson, tells BikeBiz: “We
have numerous national ads
going in around the various target
market publications and some
independent product reviews due
out at the end of May.”
Raleigh does typically support
all of its products at a national
level where possible, so what’s
different about this marketing
push?
“The emphasis on our
campaign is ‘try before you buy’,
aftersales and support,” explains
Clarkson. “We feel
that this is
what is lacking in the UK e-
bike sector, and combined
with a lack of dealer confidence
in most electric bikes on the
market I feel this is the reason
that the UK is slightly behind
the rest of mainland Europe’s
sales figures at present.
“Raleigh Germany is riding off
the back of the last two years
success with this bike, however,
achieving impressive sales of
approximately 40,000 units per
year. I feel that with the right
dealer network in place to
support the product, we can
start to really appreciate the
potential this new market has
to offer,” continues Clarkson.
Coming later this year will be
a further range of lower priced
electric models focused around
what Raleigh describes as an
entry-level point it is
comfortable to get behind,
retailing at around £1,299.
Clarkson adds: “There is
another model coming out later
this year, the Velo range of
e-bikes. This will be focused
around the more entry-level
price point of £1,299 and
will feature a frame
designed in-house at
Raleigh UK, with specific
spec and geometries for
the UK e-bike market.
More details around this
exact model will follow
towards the end of June.”
Component
specification is said to be
reliable for all bikes with
Shimano hub gears, internal
cable routing and Schwalbe
tyres featuring throughout. But
what else, apart from peace of
mind in the build, will dealers
receive in return for their hard
earned cash?
“Margins are fixed at 35 per
cent for dealers and our backup
support is huge. We are offering
an e-bike point-of-sale stand
with all new dealers (worth
£1,000), plus they get included
into our national dealer and
demo locator online,”
explains Clarkson.
Clarkson is currently driving
around the UK recruiting and
training new dealers in the art of
keeping electric bikes on the road
– a process which is fairly simple
with Panasonic’s technology.
“The feedback I’ve had on the
road has been very positive, with
every single dealer put through
the training so far impressed
with our level of support and
product knowledge,” says
Clarkson.
If you’re interested in carrying
Raleigh’s premium line of
electric models, Clarkson can be
contacted on
or via telephone at
07717 667327.
BRAND SPOTLIGHT RALEIGH
It’s certainly catching on in theUK, but should you believe thehype about the facts, figures andoptimistic projections for futureturnover? Mark Sutton talks toRaleigh’s Lloyd Clarkson about thedistributor’s increased interest inthe electric bike sector...
Electricfever…
20 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
“The feedback so
far has been very
positive, with every
dealer put through
the training so far
impressed with our
level of support
and product
knowledge.”
CATEGORIES
Independent Retailer
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High Street Chain
Distributor - Bikes
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Retailer Account Manager
Rising Star
MYSTERY SHOPPER
‘Are you taking photos of me?’So asked a passerby walkingin the way of MysteryShopper’s snapshots. In factour man of mystery simplyhad a job to do and that wasto grill the cycle trade ofNorthampton on what kind ofbike would best suit a cyclistwith a particularly weak leg.Mystery Shopper soughtstrong suggestions...
Northampton
Oakley CyclesDURING THE FIRST visit of the day, Mystery Shopper is
always looking for a staff member to set a high
benchmark for the rest of the day’s store snooping.
Oakley Cycles showed promise of this from the
moment I walked through the door, although it did fail
to satisfy Mystery Shopper’s main grumble by
suggesting the cheapest model first.
Admittedly, the £69.99 refurbished cycle that was
initially offered was spotless and would obviously serve
the purpose. However, this is business and £69.99 seems
quite insignificant given the fact a budget of
approximately £350 was on offer.
Once prompted, the shop assistant, who was friendly
and attentive throughout, went on to discuss how an
electric assisted bicycle could help someone with weak
legs. However, as with many stores throughout the visit,
the employee went on to shoot himself in the foot by
saying: “No one really gets on with electric bikes due to
their weight.”
That aside, a thorough job was done of explaining the
model’s features and capabilities per charge.
McGanns CyclesUTILISING HALFORDS’ half motor, half cycles concept
at an independent level, McGanns appeared to be a
business in full swing, as footfall was high on Mystery
Shopper’s entry.
Cycles were confined to upstairs, though stock was
diverse and covered a few niches, such as BMX. On the
upper level, a model to suit Mystery Shopper’s
requirements was not immediately obvious. However, a
passing staff member came to the rescue and fished out
a ProBike perfectly suited to my brief, to which he had
listened carefully.
Again, a budget was not asked of me, though the
model highlighted this time was not the cheapest on
offer, despite the damage only being £200.
As with to Oakley Cycles, potential problems were
raised when the topic of electric bikes was discussed. “The
weight and handling of the bike may be difficult to handle
for a woman with weak legs,” I was informed. That’s a fair
point, though it’s hard to see the e-bike market ever
properly kicking off in the UK with retailers passing on
their critical judgements with little encouragement.
22 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
MYSTERY SHOPPER
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 23
Pedal PowerSITUATED A little way out of town, Pedal Power was
nestled among a quiet line of shops where footfall was
almost non-existent.
The shop assistant almost seemed surprised to see
Mystery Shopper, taking a few moments to ponder my
request for help. The first suggestion was to take a look at
ProBike’s electric bikes, while thumbing a Powabyke
catalogue. Luckily, Mystery Shopper is secretly clued up
on what he really meant, otherwise I would have left with
poor information. Despite that hiccup, the visit proved
educational, with battery technology explained and also
the reasons behind the varying prices of electric bikes.
Having established that Mystery Shopper’s budget
was nowhere near a grand, the assistant highlighted a
few models within a Raleigh catalogue, which I was to
depart with. A brief explanation of mudguards and other
add-on items such as baskets was made, though no firm
attempt was made to secure a sale. The advice received
was sound enough, but lacked enthusiasm, therefore I
can’t help but feel this retailer didn’t hit the nail on the
head given my brief.
SummaryHAVING once again been heckled by a disgruntled
and presumably drunk member of the public,
BikeBiz’s trade spy is beginning to fear going out in
the wild. Luckily, Northampton’s retailers all
appeared sober and although some average
performances were recorded, each one gave
Mystery Shopper at least a few good thoughts to
mull over on the journey home.
One thing that hit Mystery Shopper about this
visit was the astonishing stock similarities
between a few of the stores. Many carried Raleigh,
ProBike and Dawes, yet were all within a short
journey of each other.
Another point to make is that none of these
retailers had their own standalone website,
McGanns aside – although this is dedicated
primarily to motor related stock. Shocking.
The Bike ShedPERHAPS THE most enthusiastic retailer Mystery Shopper
has ever come across with not one, but two staff members
attending to my needs on entry of The Bike Shed.
The enthusiasm was ever-so-slightly overwhelming,
however, with both simultaneously offering their ideas,
all of which had valid backing. For example, the female
member of staff suggested a low step-over folding bike
with wide ranging gears, partly for its minimal weight,
but also due to its nimble handling.
The team effort did unite a little more as I continued
with my brief. As my budget became clearer, a subtle
hint was dropped about Fisher’s Lambretta brand which,
although above my quoted figure, was increasingly
tempting as a solution the more the bike was sold to me.
The duo provided me with a number of catalogue
suggestions to take away and topped off the pleasant
experience with reassurance that The Bike Shed’s
customers are always looked after, even after the sale.
Newlec CyclesFIRST IMPRESSIONS count for a lot and Newlec’s store
was perhaps the most presentable of those visited, with
bright, clear signage and a tidy in-store layout.
To access a member of staff Mystery Shopper
approached a seemingly busy workshop, which can
often be the case on visits. A staff member was,
however, quick to assist and justified a highlighted sale
model with a strong case for triple ring front gearing,
stating that a good range would help weak legs to grow
in strength.
Furthermore, despite acknowledging the perks of an
electric assist bike, the retailer justified his
recommendation again by saying that this wouldn’t help
a cyclist progress and build confidence.
A prompt toward a higher budget led to a
conversation about what a customer achieves for a
greater investment, which would have proved very
helpful had Mystery Shopper been a genuine customer.
I left with a handful of catalogues and a suggestion
to revisit along with the individual who has the weak leg
to properly size up bikes.
Give us a brief history of
Moore Large:
It was incorporated in 1974 by
John Moore, our current
chairman. John was the second
generation of his family in the
bicycle business – his father
having opened the first shop
in 1949.
Moore Large became the first
national wholesaler and the first
importer selling direct to retail.
At the time, wholesalers to the
trade were regional and bought
from importers. John identified
these two factors as restrictive
in both the range offered to
retailers and the margins
available. We were appointed UK
distributor for Kenda Tyres and
Tubes in 1976, a relationship
that remains strong to this day;
we also had a sales force
spanning the whole of the UK.
For many years, the main focus
of the business was parts and
accessories until 1987 when a
major expansion plan found
success with bicycles.
Moore Large is also in the
motorised two wheel industry as
exclusive distributor for SYM,
Taiwan’s premium scooter brand.
In our early history we were
regional distributors for Puch
mopeds and cycles, so in a way
this was back to our roots. The
current association was
established in 1998.
Tell us about the creation of
Today’s Cyclist. What purpose
does it serve?
The Today’s Cyclist brand was
launched last winter in the form
of a consumer catalogue
alongside the Today’s Cyclist
website. Consumers using the
site currently have the ability to
search for their nearest stockist,
but very soon will be able to
benefit from a number of site
enhancements. Of course both
our bicycle and accessory
branded products will be
featured, showing images, selling
features, listing the current RRPs
as well as having all the latest
news and reviews, however our
main objective is to offer our
site users a point of difference.
Registered members will
therefore be able to build their
own unique profile, upload
images of their latest kit and
communicate directly with a
community of people that share
their interest in all things bike.
We will have a members’ forum
with the latest topical
conversations where users can
keep track of all our sponsored
riders, plus they’ll be able to
write their own reviews on
any of the products featured
on the site based on their
own personal experience.
Dealers will also be
invited to contribute
with links to and from
their own websites
and they can upload
images of the shop
and offer a
summary of the
services
available
in store.
We
identified
that social
networking is
something that
plays a key part in
people’s lives, so
incorporating it into our site will
hopefully appeal to a wider
audience and give them another
reason to return to the site.
Moore Large isperhaps thebusiest it’s everbeen in over 35years of businesswith Forme’s sell-out launch, BMXblowing up againand Today’s Cyclisthaving just gonelive to support andupdate retailcustomers. MarkSutton talks to MDNigel Moore aboutguiding thebusiness throughan exciting period…
INTERVIEW MOORE LARGE
Moore good Forme…
24 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
What has the dealer’s reaction
been to the B2B site?
We have had a positive reaction
to the B2B site and dealers have
commented on how easy it is to
use and how useful the
functions are. Dealers can check
stock availability, view and order,
be the first to view new
products and can save time by
using the search function and
Quick Order facility. Product
reviews and features can be
viewed and downloaded and the
latest news from Moore Large
can be read. Orders can be
placed at any time of the day,
any day of the week and there
are also exclusive offers for users.
Forme is entirely of Moore
Large’s creation – why was
this brand developed?
Forme is an in-house brand
developed by Basso brand
manager Adam Biggs.
We identified an increase in
cycling due to social concerns
such as health and fitness and
the environment. Research
suggested that this trend was
set to continue, so with the
value of this segment of the
market increasing we thought it
would be a good time to
respond with a suitable product
line for this segment of the
market. Although the market is
already fairly saturated with
budget road bikes, Biggs felt that
with an eye for aesthetics,
competitive pricing,
componentry and
Moore Large’s
existing
strengths as
a distributor, he could create a
brand that could become a
market leader.
How has initial demand been
for Forme products?
The first range of Forme bikes
has been a phenomenal success
that has far exceeded our initial
forecast. The most positive point
is that Forme has instantly sold
through to the end consumer
which, regardless of sales into
the dealer, is the be all and end
all of a successful product.
At present, the majority of the
range sits under the Cycle to
Work scheme’s limit – is this
intentional?
Yes. The biggest growth in the
market over the past couple of
years has been at this price
point and we didn’t have a
suitable product for the Cycle to
Work scheme within our
portfolio at this price band,
therefore it makes sense to
distribute or create a new brand
to fill the gap. We felt we had
the expertise to create a
successful product and wanted
entire control of the brand. It’s
also great to have a British
brand to push.
What stockist opportunities
are available for your various
complete bike lines?
From August, all 2011 bike lines
will be launched with a series of
events as part of road show
which coincides with the real
launch of Forme, where the
range will be expanded to a
complete range of MTB, hybrid,
urban and road models ranging
from £300 to £1500.
During the road show a
series of packages will be offered
for all of the bike brands we
carry to promote a stock plan
across the ranges. Not only will
we be offering attractive
propositions on terms, but also
POS packages and marketing
support. For dealers to travel to
any show there needs to be an
incentive which they will most
certainly have.
Can you pick out any high or
low points of the past year?
A high point was undoubtedly
our successful dealer seminar in
March. In a few short days we
saw the culmination of many
months of work on our brand
development programme and
enjoyed a magnificent reaction
from our customers. The work
commitment and enthusiasm
from all our brand managers has
been fantastic this year, which
when coupled with the efforts of
our marketing and sales staff
illustrates clearly how we
continue to enjoy success in this
most competitive of industries.
It is difficult not to highlight
one brand and one brand
manager in particular. Adam
Biggs – with virtually no
experience in this field – has
created from scratch the Forme
range. He developed his own
range plan, designed the
geometries and specifications,
sourced out competitive prices
from one of the top factories
from Taiwan and has been
instrumental in sales and
marketing. The promise of the
expansion of this range in late
summer is something to really
look forward to.
How can a dealer open an
account with Moore Large? Is
there criteria to be met?
We get regular enquires about
new accounts – it’s amazing
how many we get. Contact is
made through the sales office
and details are passed to the
area manager who will assess
the dealer’s potential and
commitment level in a field
visit, before making a decision
to appoint.
Is Moore Large involved with
any event sponsorship?
We will be travelling to events
with one of our brands nearly
every weekend over the season.
This year Kenda and Blackjack
are sponsors of the British
Downhill Series, and Kenda also
sponsors Mountain Mayhem and
Sleepless in the Saddle. Onza
sponsors the British National
Trials Series and Haro sponsors
the BMX National Series. We
also attend the Mountain Bike
and Downhill world cups, Bike
Radar and the Cycle Show – so
we have a pretty busy schedule.
On top of all this, we often end
up sponsoring some of the more
unique events with Knog, such
as the European Hardcourt Bike
Polo Championships or
Rollapaluza events.
We like to attend as many
events as possible – being a
distributor and only having day-
to-day contact with dealers it’s
great to have the chance to
interact with the end consumer
directly.
Moore Large is big on BMX
through stock and sponsorship
– what aspirations do you
have for Haro and Premium
Products in the UK?
Haro is recognised as the market
leader in BMX, thanks to many
years of investment and
promotion. The brand supports
products for all ages of riders at
all levels and price points. Last
year we increased sales by 30
per cent, and we anticipate this
dominance to grow.
The complete bikes from
Premium have been well
received this year, so its 2011
range will see more focus on the
bikes, while still covering a fully
comprehensive range of BMX
parts and accessories. In
preparation for this we have
increased the marketing activity
around the brand and have
started supporting riders this
year, too.
Are you still seeking Oyama
stockists? If so, which areas of
the country are available?
Yes we are. The initial reaction
to Oyama was positive following
the dealer launch this year, but
we are still looking for stockists
in some areas of the UK. We
encourage anyone that is
interested in the brand to
contact their area manager or
the sales office to see what
options are available.
“It is difficult not
to highlight one
brand and one
brand manager in
particular. Adam
Biggs – with
virtually no
experience in this
field – has created
from scratch the
Forme range.”Nigel Moore
INTERVIEW MOORE LARGE
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 25
Adam Biggs
26 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
How’s business for Lezyne?
Extremely good. Every time I
speak to our stockists they’re
seriously impressed with how
the product is received by their
customers. Let’s face it, a large
part of most IBD and quality
chain stores’ profit comes from
bikes over £500, so it’s no
surprise that people buying good
quality bikes want to buy great
quality pumps, tools and
luggage, too.
What are your expectations
for turnover over the next six
months for the brand?
Our growth last year was
phenomenal, in fact the turnover
for Lezyne has multiplied many
times since 2008. We’ve already
seen strong growth this spring
and we’ve no reason to suspect
this won’t continue throughout
the year and if so, we expect to
double our 2009 turnover.
The Lezyne name is relatively
young and Upgrade has played
a key part in establishing the
brand in the UK having taken
it on soon after its formation.
Is that fair to say?
Obviously, Lezyne is a massively
innovative company, so it has
provided us with awesome
products and a great base brand
for us to develop in the UK.
It’d be pretty unfair, for us to
claim too much glory for
Lezyne’s success. However, from
the very start we worked
extremely closely with Micki and
Dillon, supplying feedback on
product and marketing. We also
lent our own experience and
creative ideas. In fact, Dom
(creative director at Upgrade)
came up with and developed the
‘White Glow’ stand that we used
to launch the brand in the UK at
Core Bike 2008. Since then, the
theme has spread and
illuminated white
boxes have drawn cyclists to
Lezyne product like moths at
events all over the world.
Another important factor was
the potential we saw in the
brand. Being a relatively small
distributor, we focused a huge
amount of our time, energy and
passion on Lezyne in a way that
a larger distributor may not,
simply because the motivation
to succeed possibly isn’t as
potent when a distributor is
already quite grand in size.
How has growing the brand’s
image been achieved?
Establishing the brand has taken
a huge amount of work and we
have had to be pretty
competitive with our offerings
to dealers, as well as having a
strong consumer targeted
campaign. This strong
communication with end users
through advertising, events and
excellent product reviews has
created a great demand for our
dealers to fulfil.
Although very costly, face-to-
face contact with consumers
and dealers has been a highly
important part of our strategy.
Lezyne’s products are so tactile
and aesthetically pleasing that
sometimes photos just don’t do
them justice. Allowing large
numbers of people to get their
hands on Lezyne’s tools, pumps,
and hydration packs at events
such as the Cycle Show, Core
Bike Show, enduros, sportives
and triathlons means they really
appreciate the quality and feel
that Lezyne is all about.
Innovation seems to be key to
the Lezyne philosophy. What
other qualities are
cornerstones for the brand?
BRAND SPOTLIGHT UPGRADE
Lezyne to manufacture lighting product? Youheard it here first. Jonathon Harker talks toUpgrade’s marketing man Tom Marchment aboutcreating a respected brand image, best-sellers andthe future…
Pump up thevolume…
“Lezyne’s products
are so tactile and
aesthetically
pleasing that
sometimes photos
don’t do them
justice. Allowing
people to get their
hands on Lezyne’s
tools, pumps and
hydration packs,
means they can
appreciate the
quality and feel.”
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 27
The Lezyne team believe face-to-face contact with dealers allows
them to see and feel the quality of products, such as its super-
high pressure Road Drive mini pump (below)
No gimmicks, functionality is
very important. The functionality
of many small and lightweight
cycling accessories is definitely
questionable.
Even our Small Pressure Drive,
which fits into a rear jersey
pocket, will pump up a road tyre
without making your arm drop
off. This may seem like an easy
claim to make, but simple things
like ensuring as much of the
volume of the pump is used for
stroke volume as possible – by
having an overlapping handle and
no large pump head – all aid this.
Coming up with and creating
simple new ideas that solve
riders’ problems, such as being
the first to provide stainless
steel tools that won’t rust in
your pack, is how Lezyne
ensures it stays ahead of
the competition.
Has the sponsorship
agreement with Cedric Gracia
increased sales across 2009
and 2010?
Cedric is somewhat of a legend.
I’d say he probably has more
influence in Europe than the UK,
but it’s always good to have
someone as high profile and
interesting as Cedric adding a
whole new angle to the brand.
Lezyne has a pretty
sophisticated look and history,
but with Cedric alongside our
other Lezyne riders – including
Mark Cavendish of Team High
Road and Sam Reynolds with
the DMR team, Lezyne has a
pretty punk group of riders that
love the brand.
I know that Ryan (Lezyne
product manager) has worked
closely with the supported riders
and we have tried to let the
public know about this with tens
of thousands of Cavendish,
Gracia and Reynolds Lezyne
posters going out in numerous
national magazines over the
past nine months.
Can you highlight any
products that have performed
well above expectation?
All areas have been growing
well, but our mini pumps are the
largest area of our business at
the moment with star
performers including the super-
high pressure Road Drive and
Micro Floor Drive ranges. I think
these do so well because they
combine innovation with great
looks and the key Lezyne focus
of functionality.
What differentiates Lezyne
from its competitors?
Something I have really noticed
is the enthusiasm for the
products that Lezyne initiates
with consumers and shop staff
alike. Before Lezyne came along,
the sector of pumps and tools
was not by any stretch of the
imagination exciting, but Lezyne
has re-invigorated people’s
interest. This passion people
have for Lezyne products and
the premium feel the brand adds
to any shop, are significant.
We work extremely hard to
provide very competitive
margins for a premium product
in this sector, and have
outstanding POS support.
It is also very useful that
Lezyne provides a full range of
spares, which we carry in-stock.
It also has dealer spares boxes,
which are free to most stockists,
so little spares don’t need
ordering each time.
What do you anticipate will
grab the most attention from
Lezyne’s portfolio over the
next 12 months?
I can’t believe how our new
range of soft goods is selling this
spring. The Touring Luggage and
Hydration Packs were designed
by Ryan at Lezyne and he has
done an amazing job. Simple
features like easy-grad thumb-
sized loops on the
zips, full rip-stop
nylon, rain covers
included (on touring
luggage) and great
styling, have really
upped the game.
Lezyne has had a
revamped site
recently – how has it
been received?
A website is a massive
part of any company’s link
with its customers, so
having a polished site has
really allowed that link to
grow significantly.
Getting news about the
latest product, supported riders
and great reviews all helps
towards maintaining the interest
and passion for the brand.
Can you reveal what products
are in the pipeline?
Well, there are definitely a few
additions to current ranges, such
as the new MTB specific floor
pumps that have massive flow to
help with tubeless tyre seating
and pumping up large volume
tyres. Then there is the
lightweight and slimline, but fully
functioning, Travel Floor Drive.
Although I can reveal very
little at the moment, once
people see them, Lezyne lights
might be on many wish lists
this Christmas.
BRAND SPOTLIGHT UPGRADE
28 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Lezyne’s Micki Kozuschek and Dillon
Clapp (above) and Lezyne posters
featuring the likes of DMR team rider Sam
Reynolds (pictured left) have been
featured in numerous magazines over the
past nine months
Below: The Lezyne headquarters
Godfrey Autoparts has been trading since 2001 and has 8 branches. They are predominantly Motor Factors, serving mainly trade customers. In 2006 they acquired two retail branches in Grimsby and Wakefield. The site in Grimsby was already established as a cycle retailer, but only sold budget cycles and 75% of the sales were Christmas related, very few accessories were sold. In 2007 the Grimsby branch became part of the Cyclelife network. Godfrey Autoparts is a member and supporter of the A1 Motor Group and are passionate about the brand association. Raleigh was the perfect partner for the motor parts retail.
Director, Neil Bruce says “the choice to become Cyclelife was simple, either cease selling cycles altogether, continue trading as an independent cycle dealer, or become a Cyclelife Partner. The overwhelming factor was the name RALEIGH . As a company we wanted to become known for selling quality brands and we felt there was no better recognised brand than Raleigh. The cycle’s side of the business has been a nice addition to the store. Cyclelife and Raleigh is
a fantastic draw. Before becoming a Cyclelife dealer it was a 99.9% male environment, we endeavoured to soften this up with music, lighting, better displays, toning down language to make it more welcoming for females and families”.
Grimsby was a template model for the Godfrey’s branches with retail stores. With A1 Motorstores and Raleigh branding and sales of both motor spares and cycles it means there isn’t a quiet period. In the quieter months for cycle retail, January – March business is usually good for motor spares and vice versa in the run up to Christmas which means there is no downturn in total business,
Three years on Godfrey Autoparts is opening their second Cyclelife store. They have always had a branch in Scunthorpe and going forward they aim to offer a complete cycling experience rather than a small area displaying bikes. A new mezzanine level has been put in to provide a cycle department. Simon Clarke the Cycles Manager is passionate about cycling and is focused on promoting
the store to the local community by providing excellent customer service and advice. An avid cyclist himself who cycles 100 miles a day travelling to and from work Simon will be promoting Cycle to Work schemes to all local businesses. They will be taking part in both local and national marketing campaigns which will include advertising in the cycling press and lifestyle magazines, flyers to residences in the local vicinity and advertising on the local radio,
Finally, Neil’s thoughts on Cyclelife is “Cyclelife is a partnership. Raleigh has a wealth of knowledge, marketing and a superb cycles range all in one package. If Scunthorpe is as successful as we expect it to be we could be looking at opening a third store ”.
New store opportunitiesWe are looking for independent bike dealers in various locations throughout the UK to join the Cyclelife Partner network.
Target Towns – Aylesbury, Bath, Bedford, Brighton, Catterick, Lancaster, Lincoln , Newcastle, Norwich, Oxford, Warminster, Watford,
Target Locations –Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight London, North Nottinghamshire, Somerset West Midlands, Worcestershire, Scotland, Wales,
For more information please contact Paul Wignall at Raleigh on 07730 666647 or email [email protected]
www.cyclelife.com
Cyclelife Membership Benefits• Retain your independent identity whilst
trading under the Cyclelife brand • Enjoy preferential terms• Marketing Support• Store Development including 50%
contribution towards shopfit, point of sale and signage
NEW CYCLELIFE STORE OPENS IN SCUNTHORPE
Red Metal 10
£149.99
Red Zone From £399.99
Red Fire £599.99
Red Metal 1 XL
From £599.99
Red Metal 3£359.99
Red Metal 5
From £199.99
Red Metal Zero (Disc Brake)
£799.99
30 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Hotlines has just picked up
Leatt, which has just released
its first cycle-specific product.
How do you think the brand
will fare in the UK market?
There’s been a great deal of
take up by DH riders, with the
MX versions, so the lighter MTB
specific versions can’t fail to be
popular. Pre-orders have been
phenomenal – riders are highly
aware of the advantages of a
prophylactic brace,
and seeing all
the top riders
using them
couldn’t help
but create
demand for
a cycle
orientated version.
Hotlines has
picked up a
number of new
brands in the last
six months,
including WTB and
Ghost. Was there a reason
behind that burst of activity?
They’ve all done incredibly well,
but Ghost particularly has been
really strong, especially as we
launched the brand in the UK
way after all the other
manufacturers. I think we have a
very special range with Ghost.
WTB is the most recent
addition of those two and is
gathering speed well. It’s an
established name, with great
heritage and superb staff
producing some brilliant cutting
edge products – we’ve been able
to work well with that.
It’s down to great brands in
need of the best representation
in the UK – we’re well
positioned to do the job for
them, so why not? We are
always on the lookout for brands
we think we can do good
things with.
How is 2010 comparing to
2009 so far in terms of
sales/performance?
Great. I think the whole UK
cycle industry would agree, on
the whole. Sure, we’ve added
brands and this has built
turnover, but we’ve also grown
all our brands by phenomenal
amounts through 2009. We grew
by around 300 per cent in the
last year, and 2010 has shown
more growth with no signs of
abating. We’ve invested in
personnel in a big way over the
last six months, which has
enabled us to work better and
more efficiently. We’ve also
upped our marketing spend for
the 2010 season, making
available more advertising,
products in the media, as well as
sponsoring riders and events,
both at consumer and dealer
level. Great response from the
media has led to great coverage
and reviews – this has certainly
helped give us the edge over
our competitors.
Have you settled into the new
offices? Will you be upping
sticks again before the end of
this year?
As soon as we moved in we
added three more personnel and
we’re still looking for one more
addition, so another move may
be needed at this rate.
Hotlines handles a wealth of
own-brands with Ragley, Nuke
Proof, Brand X and X Tools. Are
there any plans to add to that
total? Is it a big investment to
keep developing those?
There are things in development
for sure – we work closely with
Brant Richards at Shedfire and a
dedicated research and
development team to develop
new products for our existing
portfolio of house brands and to
work on new ideas and projects.
It is a big investment, but the
brands are growing so
strongly and it is absolutely
paying dividends.
What led the firm to offer
those own-brands in Europe
and the rest of the world?
It is an obvious progression;
there’s a huge market in Europe
with space for all of our house
brands and some of our other
brands such as Azonic, Deity,
Goodridge and others.
It’s a growing sector of our
business compared to the UK
right now, and it’s developing
fast. We work direct with dealers
throughout Europe, rather than
going through a local distributor.
This gives us a great advantage
as we do not have to rely on
anyone else, giving our
customers 100 per cent great
service.
How has the new website
gone down with your dealers?
For us, it’s the ideal place to
showcase our portfolio. It gives
instant and easy access to
whatever the dealer is looking
“We are always on
the lookout for
brands we think
we can do good
things with.”Andy Gowan
HOTLINES INTERVIEW
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 31
Hot on your
heels…Just four years ago Hotlines took itsfirst footsteps in the trade as a smallbusiness manned by just three staff. Aswe enter 2010, the distributor can quiterightly claim to be an important sourcefor many in the trade. JonathonHarker speaks to Andy Gowan aboutthe blistering pace of the past yearsand the future…
Above: A neck brace from
Hotlines’ new signing, Leatt
for; it’s easy to navigate whether
they’re looking for a specific part
from a specific brand, or looking
for a product category. The
dealers really appreciate this and
we add in extra useful features,
like due date info if an item
happens to be out of stock.
We’ve got staff on hand striving
to keep fill rates high, but
obviously with popular products
things do go out of stock from
time to time, so it’s important
to keep a good flow of info.
We’ve recently been working
on increasing the amount of
general brand info available
through the website to keep
improving on the brand
recognition and profile – our
news story feature, and links to
our blog and Twitter make it
really easy to keep up-to-date
with new developments in
product, reviews and riders. The
dealers are always really pleased
to be kept in touch with our
marketing drives.
You also now supply a
number of brands Azonic,
Goodridge, Lynskey
and Pro-Lite directly
to Europe. Will
you be
offering
those to
the
rest of the world in due
course?
We have many of our suppliers
being so happy with our UK
performance that they enquire
with us about covering other
territories if they have ‘holes’ in
their coverage. It’s going well
and we’re building a number of
solid accounts for various
brands. How far the distribution
will spread is obviously up to the
manufacturer as they’ll have
relationships built in other
territories already. Currently we
distribute our house brands
globally, but we have now taken
up the mantel of Pro-Lite World
Wide Service Centre, and we
don’t envisage stopping there.
Is it tough to protect dealer
margins with your brands?
It can be, especially with import
costs and production costs rising
all the time. Obviously
with some of our
bigger
brands like Lapierre and Ghost
being bought in the Euro zone,
things have been made quite
tricky recently. It’s a balancing
act as you can imagine –
attaining a realistic retail price
to hook in consumers, and
building in enough margin to
keep the dealers inspired, all
while making sure there’s
enough in it for us for it to be
profitable.
What’s going to be the biggest
story for Hotlines in 2010?
It’d be easier to choose the
smallest news story. Honestly, all
our brands have amazing things
happening this year, whether it’s
the upcoming NukeProof
frames, the launch of 2011
Lapierre at the end of this
summer, new
clothing
ranges from
iXS, or any
of the
new
brands that we’re bringing to
market this year.
Is there anything else you’d
like to tell the trade?
Hotlines has grown from just
three staff four years ago to 17
in 2010. This shows how fast we
have developed into being a
serious distributor for the UK
cycle sector. More and more
IBDs are using us as a one-stop-
shop for all their needs, so we
have some exciting times ahead
in developing our current
portfolio of brands to suit
everyone’s requirements. Strong
products, stock availability,
speedy delivery times and great
customer service are what we
have built the foundations of
Hotlines with and we aim to
continue with our high
standards into
the future.
HOTLINES INTERVIEW
“Strong products,
stock availability,
speedy delivery
times and great
customer service
are what we have
built the
foundations of
Hotlines with.”Andy Gowan
Left: Frame brand Ghost has been
really stong in the UK bike
market. Below: The Blue Pig Black
and Blue Pig Skwosh from
Hotlines own-brand Ragley
32 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
For all dealer enquiries contact Hotlines www.hotlines-uk.com | [email protected] | tel:0131 319 1444
P R O T E C TY O U R S E L F
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C O M P L E T E B l K E & W H E E L B A G SB X - L O G O R R P : £ 8 9 . 9 9
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POUND TO a penny you’ve got
a satnav in your car; have used
Google Maps to find a location;
and, to plan a long journey, have
used the planners on the RAC or
AA websites. Now imagine
having all this on a smartphone,
but in cycle-specific form.
Imagine when the POIs – satnav
‘points of interest’ – aren’t petrol
stations, but bike shops.
Such a scenario is coming.
The Bike Hub levy – an unsung
success story which has been
quietly working away for UK
cycling for many years – has
commissioned web developers
and a smartphone app developer
to create an online and mobile
tool that could help customers
find bike shops, which, let’s face
it, aren’t always in prime High
Street locations.
An online journey planner will
be integral to BikeHub.co.uk, the
new levy-themed name for
Bikeforall.net, the website
owned by the Bicycle
Association and the Association
of Cycle Traders.
There will also be a
smartphone journey planner.
Users – especially newbie
cyclists – will be able to plan
routes using cyclepaths and
quiet streets, not something
Google Maps can do in the UK
(the US Google Maps has a ‘Bike
There’ option). Bike shops will be
on this map. Tescos won’t be.
Nor will certain other chains
which retail bicycles.
The Bike Hub journey planner
will be loaded only with
independent bicycle shops, with
data supplied by the
ACT/ActSmart. Think about it. A
newbie cycle commuter is riding
through a town when she gets a
mechanical problem. She’s got
her iPhone strapped to her bike
in a handlebar mount. She has
been following a turn-by-turn
route on a cyclepath, a route
supplied by the Bike Hub iPhone
app. She stops and uses the app
to find the nearest bike shop. It’s
tucked away out of site, but is
easily spotted on the app. Sure,
she could have found a bike
shop by clicking out of, say,
Google Maps (which doesn’t
have cycle paths or cycle
friendly roads marked) and using
Google search, but the Bike Hub
app is an all-in-one solution, the
digital Swiss Army knife of
bicycle wayfinding.
There’s some clever coding
being done on the online and
smartphone versions of this
journey planner. Tinderhouse of
Kent is producing the
smartphone apps; Roundhouse
of Newcastle is working on the
website. However, the mapping
is done by two blokes in
Cambridge. They’re the brains
behind Cyclestreets.net – an
online journey planner for the
FOCUS: AN IBD-BACKING APP
The Bike Hub levy is paying for an online and mobile journey planner that will deliver new customers tobike shops. Carlton Reid drills down into the data that’s powering a project right up your street...
Map application sendscustomers to your door
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 35
whole of the UK. Cyclestreets is
a routing engine using
opensource maps. The map is
OpenCycleMap which is based
on OpenStreetMaps. These
crowdsourced maps are global
and created by enthusiasts.
Cyclestreets.net is run by
Martin Lucas-Smith and Simon
Nuttall, longtime members of
Cambridge Cycling Campaign.
Lucas-Smith is CCC’s co-
ordinator; Nuttall is the events
officer. Lucas-Smith has a degree
in geography and works on web
development for Cambridge
University, while Nuttall has a
PhD in artificial intelligence and
occasionally works for
Cambridge Dutch Bikes.
With 1,000-plus members,
CCC is the biggest UK cycle
campaign group outside of
London.
Cyclestreets.net is an online
journey planner married to a
database of photos. The journey
planner is for newbie cyclists (or
keen cyclists in an unfamiliar
town) and the photo database is
for cycle campaigners to upload
geo-located photographs of
cycle infrastructure problems.
The project launched as a
beta just over a year ago, but is
based on an earlier Cambridge-
only map launched in 2006.
Users of Cyclestreets choose
one of three journey speeds:
Unhurried 10mph; Cruising 12
mph; and Fast 15mph. The route
given depends on the speed
chosen. Somebody choosing
‘Unhurried’ on the app will be
directed on to cycle paths,
where provided, and quieter
back streets. Likewise, somebody
choosing ‘Fast’ would be
directed on to busier roads,
although not suicidal ones. The
journey planner avoids hills
wherever possible.
All three route options are
provided to the user, although
the preferred route is
highlighted. The choices are
given as ‘fastest route’; ‘balanced
route’; and ‘quietest route’.
Users are given a suggested
journey time, a hill profile and
are told how much of the route
is fully classed as ‘quiet’.
“The way I’d cycle somewhere
is very different to where my
mum would want to pedal,” says
Lucas-Smith. “I want to get
places quickly, whereas she
would like somewhere scenic
away from traffic.”
Existing mapping – such as
Ordnance Survey – is detailed
but doesn’t always contain
‘insider’ information such as
non-obvious cut-throughs. As
the OpenStreetMap is
‘crowdsourced’ such local
knowledge is part and parcel of
the dataset.
Further enhancements will
include ranking of routes based
on quality of surfaces. A
standard map would direct a
cyclist over cobbles; CycleStreets
would give such an
uncomfortable road a much
lower scoring and so it would be
much less likely to appear in a
recommended route.
Crowdsourced maps are not
all equal. Some areas are better
mapped than others.
“OpenStreetMap is better in
places where there are lots of
cyclists and lots of geeks,”
comments Lucas-Smith.
Cambridge and London, then, are
extremely well mapped. The
OpenStreetMap of Germany is
now so good, even individual
lamp-posts have been placed on
the map (a map layer
unnecessary for cyclists so easily
turned off for daytime use but it
can turned back on for journeys
due to be undertaken at night).
But what about malicious
editing, the Wikipedia problem?
“The level of vandalism [on
OpenStreetMap] is tiny,” says
Lucas-Smith. “People with an
interest in a particular area
watch maps for changes. Not a
lot can be changed without the
‘crowd’ noticing and quickly
rectifying. OpenStreetMap is not
a cycle map, it’s a general
purpose map. Different groups
have different interests in the
data. The data is robust.”
Ease of editing is an
advantage. Physical changes
make it on to OpenStreetMap
very quickly. While Ordnance
Survey has to send out
surveyors, OpenStreetMap is
done on the hoof, by volunteers.
Newly minted online maps are
produced every few days, not
weeks or months.
“People are sceptical of
crowdsourcing but it’s easily
good enough for most uses,”
says Lucas-Smith. “For routing
we don’t need to know exactly
where an underground
powercable is; we don’t need
that level of accuracy.
“That’s not to say
commercially available mapping
is perfect. We’ve all heard of the
routing errors of car satnavs.”
While OpenStreetMap isn’t
cycle specific, much of the
mapping work done for it has
been completed by cyclists.
Lucas-Smith explains: “Cycling
is the best way to map streets
with on-board GPS devices. It’s
quicker than walking, more
flexible than a car, especially
when mapping housing estates.
If you see a point-of-interest,
you ride in a circle and when
you upload to your computer
you see this turning circle on the
GPS track. Cars can’t do that
and nor can they stop every
few metres.”
The Cyclestreets journey
planning tries to send cyclists
only on waymarked cycle routes
where it’s sensible to do so.
“We take into account routes
with branding. Sustrans routes
are in the system,” says Lucas-
Smith. “We give a bit of
weighting to off-road routes but
we don’t want to emphasise
‘facilities’ for the sake of it.
However, if a route is branded,
there’s going to be some
signage, so it’s silly to verge off
it to save a few seconds.”
Currently, the Cyclestreets
journey planner can construct
journeys up to a maximum of
50kms, though that restriction
will be extended as the coding
matures.
“It’s not designed for Land’s
End to John O’Groats routing.
We’re focussing on commuters.”
The average length of routes
planned to date is four to five
kilometres.
“That doesn’t sound far, but
lots of town planners and the
like thinks that’s too far for most
cyclists and base planning
decisions on such assessments,”
adds Lucas-Smith.
“Our data has information
that can inform policy makers to
the actual journeys being
planned.”
And actual journeys will be
planned with the Cyclestreets
information in the Bike Hub
iPhone app. When news of its
imminent launch was revealed
on Twitter, would-be
downloaders were enthusiastic:
“That will be really useful,” wrote
@cicom. “Sounds amazing!”
enthused @dancromb. And, in a
foretaste of how the app will
transform the commutes of
some cyclists, @JobySp said: “I
could kiss you all over.”
www.bikehub.co.uk
FOCUS: AN IBD-BACKING APP
“It’s not designed
for Land’s End to
John O’Groats
routing. We’re
focused on
commuters.”
36 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Martin Lucas-Smith is part of
the Cyclestreets.net team
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 37
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38 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BRITISH CYCLING 50TH ANNIVERSARY
British Cycling has lived through five decades, surviving potentially disastrous infighting in the ‘90s andthen went on to help usher in a golden period for the sport of cycling – set to culminate with theLondon 2012 Olympics. To celebrate the organisation’s 50th anniversary, Jonathon Harker unearths aneye-watering 50 British Cycling-related facts…
1In celebration of the
organisation’s milestone,
British Cycling inducted cycling
legends into its first Hall of
Fame in February this year. The
honoured inductees included
figures from British Cycling’s
history, from Beryl Burton OBE
to Victoria Pendleton.
2Over 250 cyclists helped
decide who deserved a spot
on that first Hall of Fame.
3British Cycling’s HQ is set
to relocate to the new
National Cycling Centre in
Manchester next year. BC is
currently based in temporary
offices, except for the GB
Cycling Team, allowing them
space to prepare for 2012.
4Handily, the National
Cycling Centre is just off
route 60 of the National Cycle
Network.
5British Cycling’s new HQ
will also be close to the
new National Indoor BMX
Centre – the world’s first
purpose-built indoor BMX track,
costing £24 million (see pic left).
6With 2012 around the
corner, the spotlight is on
British Cycling and Team GB like
never before. One million
spectators have already
registered for tickets for the
2012 Olympics, and with
cycling currently Britain’s most
successful Olympic and
Paralympic sport, expectations
are riding high for results on the
track, and also for the knock-on
effect on the cycle industry. In
the summer of 2008 the GB
Cycling Team took home gold
medals in eight events, silvers in
four, and bronze medals in two.
7Paralympian cyclists also
hauled in the medals for
Team GB in 2008. Their efforts
were awarded with a table-
topping 20 medals: 16 golds and
four silvers.
8Through its support for
competitive disabled
cyclists, British Cycling ran a
nationwide search – Talent 2012
– searching for potential
Paralympians for 2012.
9The record of British
Cycling stars outside the
Olympics hasn’t been too
shabby either recently, with
success in World Cup events and
Track World Championships –
events that are increasingly
visiting the UK.
10While British Cycling is
currently enjoying
something of a golden era, the
1990s saw tough times for the
organisation.
In-fighting threatened the
future of the then British
Cycling Federation in the middle
of the decade, a conflict that
also risked bankruptcy for the
BCF. After the intervention of
the Sports Council and a
resultant major restructure, the
organisation put its problems
behind it in 1997.
11The mid-nineties also
saw the
organisation move to the
National Cycling Centre,
Manchester (in
November 1994).
12The
reorganisation
saw British Cycling
incorporate the British
Mountain Bike
Federation, the English
BMX Association, the
British Cycle Speedway
Council and the British Cycle-
Cross Association.
13Chief exec Peter King
and president Brian
Cookson headed up the
restructured organisation.
Cookson went on to receive an
OBE in 2008, while King became
a CBE in 2009.
14In 2006, British Cycling
president Brian Cookson
famously stated that a British
cyclist could win the Tour de
France within the next 25 years.
A half century of cycling
BMX star Shanaze Reade
at the National Indoor
BMX Centre site
Team GB’s successes in 2008
have placed British Cycling
firmly in the spotlight
15Cookson vocally
stressed British Cycling’s
anti-doping stance in the wake
of doping scandals at the 2007
Tour de France.
16British Cycling is funded
through membership,
Sport England, UK Sport and
BSkyB.
17British Sky Broadcasting
began its partnership
with British Cycling in July 2008,
a move that performance
director David Brailsford called a
‘step change’ for cycling and a
sign of the sport’s increasing
relevance beyond the traditional
cycle world.
18 The mass-participation
traffic-free Sky Rides
were a huge success last year.
Following in the footsteps of the
London
Freewheel event,
the central London Sky Ride saw
65,000 people take part
including bicycle bonkers Boris
Johnson, Kelly Brook and cycle
hero Chris Hoy.
19This year Local Sky
Rides are taking place
in London and Manchester, all
aiming to get Brits in the saddle.
20A first ever British
Tour team, backed by
Sky, looks set to make its debut
in 2010.
21British Cycling currently
employs over 200 staff.
22British Cycling is the
fastest UK-based
growing cycling organisation,
with over 30,000 members at
the last count.
231974 saw the
appointment of British
Cycling’s first full time director
of racing (national coach). Jim
Hendry took the reins of the
new role.
24British Cycling has its
very own YouTube
channel. The current most
popular video in the channel is a
video of the British Cycling UCI
Track World Cup in Manchester
(with 32k plus views). Top rated
is a reel of the Dalby World
Cup Course.
25As governing body for
cycle racing in Great
Britain, British Cycling operates
with Scottish Cycling (Scottish
Cyclists’ Union) and Welsh
Cycling (Welsh Cycling Union).
26Strictly speaking, the
organisation is 51 years
old this year, having formed in
1959. However, British Cycling’s
commemorative dinner took
place in February this year (see
fact 1), so if it’s good enough
for them, it is for us too.
27Beryl Burton won the
first of her seven
World Championships in 1959.
28British Cycling looks
after the full gamut of
cycling disciplines, including
road, track, mountain biking,
BMX, cycle speedway, and
cycle cross.
29British Cycling was
associated with a
whopping 3,000 affiliated
events in 2008.
30Fiat is one of British
Cycling’s latest
commercial partners. The
environmentally-conscious car
manufacturer had the lowest
emissions in Europe among car
firms for the last three years,
according to Fiat.
31Sport England doubled
British Cycling’s funding
from 2009 to 2013, distributed
between the 46 sports, including
all 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic sports.
32Helmets became
compulsory for all
British Cycling (Federation) road,
track and MTB events in 1992.
33Not even volcano dust
could get in the way of
the 2010 Dalby UCI Mountain
Bike Cross-Country World Cup
earlier this year. Riders got
priority on P&O Ferries in the
heat of the transport meltdown.
34British Cycling provided
support to Davina
McCall, Fearne Cotton, Jimmy
Carr and a host of other
celebrities riding John O’Groats
to Land’s End on the Sport
Relief Million Pound Bike Ride in
March 2010. The ride smashed
its target, raising a whopping
£1,337,099.
35The organisation
represents Great Britain
at UCI, the International
Cycling Union.
36British Cycling is also a
member of the
European Cycling Union and the
British Olympic Association.
37British Cycling has been
tackling the disparity in
numbers
between male and female
cyclists, highlighting that just
two per cent of British women
cycle each week, compared with
6.8 per cent of men. The
organisation created a survey to
raise the topic.
38Dave Brailsford was
appointed director of
the World Class Performance
Programme in 2003.
39British Cycling names
stole the show at the
BBC Sports Personality of the
Year awards in 2008; the British
Cycling Team won Team of the
Year and had a victory parade
through the 9,000 members of
the audience, while Hoy picked
up the Sportsperson of the Year
accolade.
40In the seventies, Barry
Hoban notched up a
record number of stage wins in
the Tour de France. His record
held until the recent exploits of
Mark Cavendish.
41Everyday Cycling was
created by British
Cycling’s Ian Drake, an online
cycling community designed to
give leisure riders info on what,
where and when to ride.
42British Cycling may be
half a century old, but
the National Cyclists Union – a
predecessor of the organisation
– was formed in 1882, an
amalgamation of the Tricycle
Union and the Bicycle Union.
43On
its
formation in 1951,
British Cycling
(Federation)
replaced the
National Cyclists
Union and the British
League of Racing Cyclists.
44A couple of decades
before, in 1933, the
first modern style road race in
Britain took place at Brooklands.
45Manchester-based CNP
Professional has
teamed up with British Cycling
to develop a new energy gel.
The CNP range is available to
the trade via Walkers Cycles.
46Ian Drake took on
chief executive duties
at British Cycling from the start
of 2009. Drake has worked with
BC since 1996.
47Drake backed BC’s
campaign to save road
cycling, warning that grass roots
events are in decline and under
threat by growing police charges
and archaic legislation.
48British Cycling backs
the leisure cycling
sector by providing a wealth of
guides for recreational cyclists
online and a local club guide.
49Go-Ride is British
Cycling’s Club
Development Programme,
aimed at improving young riders
and clubs. Go-Ride aims to
improve coaching standards and
increase young rider’s access to
coaching activities.
50Happily for the bike
trade, BC’s aim is to
inspire participation in cycling
as a sport, recreation and
sustainable transport through
achieving worldwide success.
BRITISH CYCLING 50TH ANNIVERSARY
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 39
Not even volcanic dust
got in the way of the
Dalby-set World Cup
British Cycling’s Hall of
Fame features names
from across the decades
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RETAIL DATA
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 41
ActSmart April retail shop sales analysis
BikeBiz has teamed up with leading cycle trade body ACT and ActSmart toprovide exclusive monthly cycle shop sales analysis. This month the associationreveals how April sales saw year-to-date growth move into the black...
-20
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0
5
10
15
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2009 2010 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
% g
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s. pr
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SPECIALIST retailer sales grew by an
impressive 7.6 per cent in April 2010
vs. 2009, wiping out the snow-driven
January deficit, taking year-to-date
core sales into a positive 0.8 per cent
growth rate vs. 2009.
Assisted by improved weather and
the Easter holidays, April sales volumes
grew by 14.3 per cent on March.
Although less than the 20 per cent
uplift in 2009, the overall trend is more
positive, with high end sales growing
fast, as witnessed by the 29 per cent
growth in ActSmart cycle finance
scheme turnover in April. Most
concerning is the ongoing market split,
with 32 per cent of businesses
reporting a 20 per cent-plus growth in
April, whilst 17 per cent of businesses
experienced a -20 per cent shortfall.
For more info visit: http://cycles.actsmart.biz/news/
ActSmart: 0845 6187256
� Cytech is owned by the UK
cycle industry via the ACT.
� The Cytech Technical Skills
Programme was developed over
two decades ago.
� Currently Cytech qualifications
have been awarded to over 5,000
candidates.
� A team of over 20 specialists
deliver Cytech training and
assessment via ATG and PJCS.
� Over 1,500 Cytech qualified
staff are currently employed in
UK shops and suppliers.
� The ATG is expert at accessing
available funding in order to
minimise the cost of employee
Cytech training.
� Cytech Accredited status is
awarded to retailers with a
Cytech Technical 2 Mechanic and
ACT membership.
� Cytech Accredited shops
receive business insurance
discounts through ActSmart
Business Services.
� Cytech trade qualified
mechanics are listed at the
Cytech Retail Directory –
www.CytechRetailDirectory.co.uk
� 54 per cent of retailers say
that recognised accreditation is
more important to them than
the cost of training.
� Rutland Cycles was recognised
as best retail Cytech training
investor in December 2009.
� London, Hampshire and West
Yorkshire are the highest Cytech
qualified counties.
� Leading UK bicycle
distributors put all technical staff
through Cytech training.
� Cytech training is available to
employers, employees, youth and
people development
organisations.
� Cytech is launching a ‘Retail’
training programme for the
Outdoor Pursuits sector in 2010.
www.actsmart.biz/cycles
www.CytechRetailDirectory
.co.uk
www.TheCyclingExperts.co.uk
ActSmart: 0845 618 7256
Just how much do youknow about Cytech?Cytech is the bicycle industry’s only recognised training andaccreditation scheme for bicycle mechanics. But how muchdo you know about it? The ACT/ActSmart fill in the blanks…
April shop sales uplift 14%+
Specialist cycle retailer core sales growth vs. previous year
May 2009 – April 2010
� REBECCA CHARLTONLong-serving Cycling.tv presenter
Rebecca Charlton has now left to
begin a new role at IPC Media.
Charlton told BikeBiz: “After
three great years at Cycling TV I
am kissing goodbye to my
presenter’s chair and taking on a
new role at IPC Media.
“I’d like to take this
opportunity to beg forgiveness
from all the riders and industry
insiders that I’ve forced onto a
turbo trainer over the years, for
what was probably the toughest
training program you could
possibly fit into three minutes.
“I’d also like to thank all the
inspirational guests that have
graced the yellow Cycling TV
couch. I now look forward to
joining the team at IPC to work
on its cycling portfolio
comprising Cycling Active,
Cycling Weekly, Health and
Fitness and Cycle Sport.”
Charlton's role at IPC in
Croydon predominantly focuses
on Cycling Active, though all
associated titles will benefit from
Charlton’s expertise.
� VITTORIA Ralph Prins has
joined Vittoria as sales manager
for the Benelux region. Previously
working for a Dutch
manufacturer as export manager,
Prins has taken on the position
to boost the firm’s international
expansion, as reported by Bicycle
Retailer. Prins has also held a role
with Junkcer Bike Parts as sales
manager. Alongside Codagex,
Vittoria’s long-standing
Charlton waves goodbye to Cycling.tv
42 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT
Send your recruitment news to
Rebecca Charlton
Presenter heads toIPC Media � Prinscomes in forVittoria � Olympicrowing championgets on board JuiceDoctor campaignto improve theUK’s hydration
distribution partner in the region, Prins will
be working to take both of the company’s
brands – Vittoria and Geax – to their full
potential in the local market.
Vittoria commercial director René
Timmermans said of the appointment:
“With Ralph’s in-depth knowledge and
network within the bike industry, he is one
of the most respected local leaders who
will develop our potential tremendously.
“I’m delighted to officially announce
Ralph’s appointment and to welcome him
on board.”
� JUICE DOCTOR The services of
Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave
have been acquired to raise awareness of
the ‘Keep It Light!’ campaign, aiming to
improve hydration health across the UK.
The initiative, launched in last month, is
working with hydration drinks brand Juice
Doctor. It is aiming to boost hydration
throughout the nation through a number
of methods, including a downloadable
personal ‘Y’urindicator’ chart (from the
‘Keep It Light!’ website) – a pee-tone
colour chart that helps identify the stages
of hydration.
Five times Olympic Gold medallist Sir
Steve Redgrave said: “Improving hydration
habits is an easy way to improve
performance in everyday life. It’s the same
message for athletes, taxi drivers, office
workers and busy mums alike.”
The ‘Keep It Light!’ campaign aims to
tackle some startlingly poor statistics. In a
survey with over 1,000 office workers, two
in three Brits were found to be dehydrated.
The survey also found that a huge 75 per
cent of office workers would take a tablet
rather than drink more water as a first
response to a headache.
You can find out more about the
campaign at www.keepitlight.org.
PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 43
People & Recruitment is Sponsored by Halfords
RETAIL ONLY
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUETEA, TV AND A WORKSHOP 47That’s how newly launched London retailer Look Mum No
Hands plans to draw its cycling customers...
WHICH EPOS BEST SUITS YOU? 55BikeBiz gets in touch with the cycle market’s primary
sources for EPOS to find out about the latest services...
OTAGOCYCLESPORT 68Manchester-based Otago discusses demo programme
opportunities for its new brand - Ciamillo...
RETAILCOMMENT
The trade’s guide to sourcing stock, up-and-coming IBDs and the very latest products
GRAB A CUPPA and get comfortable; as usual, there’s plenty
for me to rant about in this short space.
During the past month, on numerous retailer visits, it’s
become apparent that a portion (wait no, five out of five visits
isn’t a portion...), of the bicycle trade still is well behind the
times. Back when I joined BikeBiz, nearly three years ago now,
the Spokesman columnist of the time would frequently stress
how many retailers had little to no grasp of the internet, let
alone a website of their own. He had to be joking, I thought.
Seemingly not.
In this day and age, having a dated address registered on
Yell.com doesn’t cut it, much the same as not being listed in
the Yellow Pages would likely have been harmful to business
ten years or more ago.
What’s the harm in at least having a holding page online
with a telephone, address and map? It’s half a day’s work at
very maximum to log onto Blogger and at least give your
business a chance of appearing on search engines.
Given that many retailers aren’t fortunate enough to hold a
High Street location, working on the assumption the locals
will assist your marketing with word of mouth promotion is a
dangerous mind-set to have.
Electric fever leaving trade quesy?
You learn many things while on the road, meeting those on
the front line – some attitudes sink in via osmosis, others
become apparent very quickly. One such realisation this
month is cause for great concern.
Being on the receiving end of marketing hype relating to
electric bikes and the potential for the UK market, I was, until
recently, very much of the belief that there seemed to be a
cautious optimism for ongoing steady turnover on the front
line. But the picture painted to me during a few anonymous
visits of late (you guessed it, mystery shopping), revealed to
me that the independent sector is still very, very reluctant to
offer an electric bike, even if the customer believes this could
be the best fit for them.
Excuses ranged from, “electric bikes are still far too heavy
for most people to handle”, to “the return rates are very high,
so we rarely deal with them”.
These are perceptions that the manufacturers have had a
hard time shifting over the past few years, though I know many
believe these complaints to no longer be an issue. Evidently,
retail still feels differently. Whatever you may think, many out
there are reaping the benefits from this niche in its infancy.
Evidently, retail is still wary of the e-bike.
Whatever your feelings, many out there
are reaping the rewards of this niche in
its relative infancy...
46 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Look Mum, No Hands!
Telephone: 020 7253 1025Web: www.lookmumnohands.comEmail: [email protected]
Address: 59 Old Street, LondonOpening Hours: 7.30am until 10pm
Time for a brew…
MANY YEARS ago in the music
business, as mp3 downloads
became prevalent and CD sales
began to decline, it was not
uncommon to find independent
stores diversifying their business
with sales of clothing, DVDs and
electrical goods. With the likes of
Virgin Megastores crumbling
under the pressure, things were
not looking good for the
specialist. The thinking behind
diversifying into goods not
necessarily specific to the market
was simply to give customers a
further reason to step into the
store and so, over time, the face
of the business changed
drastically.
The bike trade has its own
distractions, with many
independents now carrying
skateboards, satellite navigation
and in some cases, video
cameras. So, why not coffee? In
built-up areas where commuting
by bike is rife, it seems like there
are good opportunities to be a
one-stop shop for the
workaholic. Most commuting
cyclists will desire a caffeine
boost before work, but probably
wouldn’t want an energy gel
sachet first thing in the morning.
On the off chance that your
store is open at morning rush
hours, what more reason could
customers have for popping in
aside from needing a quick fix on
a puncture? This begs the
question, has the bike trade
rolled over and accepted that
some points during the day will
be quiet periods?
Not Look Mum, No Hands.
Imitating some of the mixed
purpose stores cropping up on the
continent, the Old Street location,
which opened at the end of April,
is as much a coffee shop as it is a
workshop and cycle retailer.
Manager of the coffee side of the
business Lewin Chalkey tells
BikeBiz: “From experience I can
tell you it’s not easy running a
coffee store, despite there being
quite a strong scene among the
connoisseurs, particularly in
London. The same applies to the
bicycle business.
“As London has both a strong
cycling and coffee scene, we
wanted to unite the two. With
London as saturated as it is with
large bike shops, there would be
no point in opening just another
store. Marrying the two trades
gives cyclists a further reason to
swing by.”
The concept has, in fact, gone
far further than originally planned.
Starting with a desire to create a
workshop and café combination,
Matthew Harper, Sam Humpheson
and Lewis Chalkey soon realised
that showing televised cycle sport
was also something they wanted
to do. That inevitably lead to an
application for a licence to also sell
alcohol. Upon finding a prime
location at a surprisingly
reasonable cost, the vision
escalated further, until it was
decided bicycle parking could be
installed on site, furthering the
appeal to passing punters. Perhaps
the most significant part of the
business was the decision to have
greatly extended working hours.
Opening at 7.30am and closing at
ten pm, it is believed that the store
will have the longest workshop
hours of any store
in London.
Cycle retail is perhaps the most
discreet part of the business
model, yet carries the greatest
scope for expansion. Sam
Humpheson explains: “We’ve had
tremendous support from local
firms like cycle storage firm Cycloc
and Plantlock and in the near
future we’d like to retail a few
items. Odd bike sales aside, sales of
components will sit on the
backburner to the workshop trade,
which we anticipate will grow as
people discover us. We’ve created
something we are incredibly proud
of and something that surpasses
our original vision, so it’ll be
interesting to see where the
business goes from here.
“We’ve no plans for world
domination, instead we simply
hope to be a place where the cycle
and coffee culture comes to rest,
all while customers are able to
park securely, grab a drink or a bite
and have repairs made if needed.”
Ever been into a bike shop that grows its own tomatoes? Or one that could serve you a mocha in-between servicing your bike? Mark Sutton visits London’s freshly opened Look Mum, No Hands andasks whether this business model could become mainstream in time…
“We simply hope
to be a place
where the cycle
and coffee culture
comes to rest, all
while customers
are able to park
securely, grab a
drink or a bite and
have repairs made.”Sam Humpheson
IBD PROFILE
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 47
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THE FIRST 2X10 MTB GROUP SET
I f ti / d 2 10 © 2010 SRAM LLC
Marco Aurelio FontanaCannondale Factory Racing2010 XX Maremma Cup winner
Julien Absalon – Team Orbea 2009 World Cup Champion
Nino Schurter – Scott Swisspower 2009 World Champion
ExtraPARTICULARLY useful to retailers
and in stock at Extra, are
Connex’s chain reels. These 25
metre reels of chain offer a large
margin when compared to
regular boxed chains as they can
be cut exactly to size, sparing
stock for the next job.
Eighteen special Connex links
are included with the package,
which is simply a reel of 1,689
links. Reels of 900/908 and 10S0
variants are also available. Trade
can get hold of reels for £172
and price jobs individually,
boosting margin.
Alternatively,
the Wipperman
brand sits
among Extra’s
catalogue. At £94.99 a pair,
the Wipperman Connex
10SG chains carry hardened
pins of only 5.9mm in length
for compatibility with all
commonly used
ten-speed drive trains.
Specially designed rollers
decrease the risk of
chain suck.
Selected raw materials
and a uniquely designed
outer plate guarantee long
life and outstanding shifting
performance.
All plates are coated with
a high-grade brass layer to
provide the eye-catching
gold colour, while ensuring
good protection against rust
and corrosion.
01933 672 170
GEARS, BRAKES AND CHAINS
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 49
The UK’s largest Cycle Show returns to Earls Court from October 7th to 10th 2010.Call Upper Street Events on 0207 2886443 for booking details.
Geared up?
ClarksDESPITE rebranding under the Clarks
Cycle Systems moniker to escape being
labelled as a firm that only specialises in
brakes, there’s no escaping the fact that
the company has a firm grounding in
stopping power.
One of the more attractive things
about Clarks though, is the competitive
prices at which the firm is
manufacturing some top performing
items. The Skeletal system has proved
one of the firm’s product highlights this
year, packing great value when
compared to the competition. Coming
with a tray full of spares and also in a
variety of colours, the Skeletal holds
plenty of features that you may not find
on brakes costing far more cash.
Manufacturing over 300 products
spanning brake callipers, pads, hydraulic
hose, bottle cages and grips, Clarks is
worth a little research for those looking
for mainstream alternatives. The firm has
also brought 70 new items to market in
the past year and plans to push its
business beyond just braking product.
Fisher: 01727 798345
Walkers: 01162 833885
Cycle DivisionTHE CYCLE DIVISION is committed as
ever to the supply and distribution of
Sturmey Archer in the UK.
The distributor offers
technical advice, can
arrange special wheel
builds on any hub in the
range and is always keen
to introduce new
products that
come along.
Hot on the heels of the
Sturmey Archer S3X
three-speed
fixed hub
are the S2
and S2C
hubs. These,
which are soon to be
available, are two-
speed ‘Kick Shift’ Hubs. They have been
developed for the small wheel market,
in particular folding bikes. They are
also suitable for single speed
enthusiasts who perhaps want that
little bit extra without clogging their
bikes up with extra gear cables
or shifters.
Further developments in the
Sturmey Archer range will be coming
online soon, too. Attractive colour
options on hubs and cranksets offering
an integrated look and three-speed
internal gear cassette hubs offering
extraordinary gear
ranges, are just a
few examples.
0845 0508
500
Looking for the most margin-efficient service goods on the brakingand transmission market? Mark Sutton takes a look at whichdistributors can assist in propelling your customers out the doorwith smiles on their faces...
50 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Moore LargeNEW TO Moore Large for 2010 is the
Micro Shift component catalogue, which
incorporates a new ten-speed road
derailleur system in carbon and white, as
well as a range of shifters for MTBs.
Moore Large is also a trade source for
KMC goods. One of the product
highlights this year, squarely aimed at the
top-end road market, is the X10sl Gold
chain, compatible with ten-speed
transmission. Nine and 11-speed versions
are also available.
Fitting is a doddle with the KMC
missing link system, and the gold finish of
the blinging X10sl is not only good
looking, but also has a titanium nitride
coating, which improves wear. The real
bonus of the X10sl is the weight. At
243g out of the box, it is light and
retails at £63.99.
KMC also offers a wide range of chains
for all types of bikes, including coloured
heavy-duty BMX chains, which are new to
Moore Large for 2010.
Finally, Jagwire
offers a range of
coloured cable
kits for road, MTB
and BMX. The new
coloured cables
don’t just look good,
but are estimated to
be 30 per cent lighter
than standard models, incorporate very
clever detailing and their performance is up
there with the best. Each kit comes with
enough cable to fit most bikes and all the
necessary connectors.
New for this year are DIY Hydraulic
brake kits available in 11 colours: simply
select a HyFlow Quick-Fit hose in your
desired colour and match it with a
compatible HyFlow fitting kit.
01332 274200
Kool-StopAVAILABLE FROM various distributors in
the UK, including Scoop, Spa Cycles,
AMBA Marketing, Jim Walker and
BikeStuff, retailers have plenty of
sources for Kool-Stop gear.
Kool-Stop has developed a special clear
compound for the Supra 2, for use in
freestyle or trials riding. This compound
should only be used by an experienced
rider who understands immediate braking
techniques and can safely handle such a
high
performance
compound.
Kool-Stop has always kept older
model brake pads in production for
the daily rider and for classic bicycle
restoration. Even the original Campagnolo
pads are still available.
The company is also responsive to the
wishes of the consumer and due to great
demand it has now produced the Mafac
replacement pads in black and salmon.
Starting this spring, Kool-Stop is
supplying replacement pads for Magura
brakes in black, salmon and ceramic. Also
under development are special
compounds for Rigida rims and for
freestyle, which will be available in
autumn.
All Kool-Stop compounds are
thoroughly tested and meet or exceed
CPSC, BA1 and EN braking standards.
Various distributors
IsonISON CARRIES probably the most
rcognised brand when it comes to
brakes in Dia Compe.
The manufacturer has been around
for a very long time and has an
extensive range of brakes suited to
more-or-less all sectors, including
BMX, MTB and road. If you have ever
had a BMX then chances are it had
Dia Compe brakes fitted as standard.
Also available are brakes and
spares from SST Oryg, Genetic,
Fibrax and
in-house brand Gusset –
which has recently released
Hydro-Chute hydraulic disc
brakes, to much acclaim.
Chain-wise, the
distributor carries just about
everything you need from
coloured BMX and track chains
to eight, nine and ten-speed race
chains. Brands include KHE, 4Jeri,
Rohloff and Gusset (which has a very
large choice of quality yet affordable
chains for
all disciplines).
When sourcing gearing product,
bear Dia Compe in mind, as the brand
has a great range of shifters, as well as
the Gran Compe groupset.
01353 662662
MadisonSHIMANO’S big boast this year has
revolved around Dyna-Sys and the
improvements to shifting components.
As a completely new drivetrain for
the modern mountain bike, this latest
technology utilises a ten-speed
cassette, but it’s not about just adding
an extra sprocket or the total number
of gears, Dyna-Sys is a ground-up
redevelopment to improve durability,
increase efficiency and allow you to
ride faster.
With Dyna-Sys, the wide range 3x10
gearing will let you ride everywhere.
Dyna-Sys retains a 32-tooth middle
chainring. With the added benefit of
ten gears at the rear, Dyna-Sys allows
the rider to run on the middle ring for
even longer. So, what’s important
about the middle ring?
Most rear suspension pivot designs
are based around a 32-tooth middle
chainring position. Staying in the
middle ring means the suspension
system is working at its most
efficient. When the time does come to
change either up or down from the
middle ring, Dyna-Sys features a new
compact chainset with 24-tooth inner
and 42-tooth outer chainrings. These
closer ratios mean there’s less negative
effect on rear suspension designs.
0208 385 3385
GEARS, BRAKES AND CHAINS
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 51
HotlinesGOODRIDGE’S cycle-specific hosing is
the same as you would find on Formula
One racing cars and is designed to
prevent the hose from swelling under
pressure. This means improved lever feel,
braking performance, strength, flexibility
and durability.
Complete kits are available from
£34.99 and come with all necessary
fittings for both ends of the hose and
one long length of hose suitable for front
or rear use.
If customisation is what your
customer is after, then the fittings (which
are reusable) that are available for every
major brake system on the market, come
in stainless steel or aluminium for the
weight weenies. They are also available in
a multitude of colours such as black,
blue, gold, red, and silver.
Hose is available from £8.99 per metre
and also comes in black, blue, carbon,
clear, dark green, light green, orange, red,
white and yellow.
To top it all off, the hose kits and
fittings are guaranteed against
mechanical failure for life – meaning that
you can continue to use the hose long
after your current brakes have died.
0131 319 1444
OtagoCycleSportOTAGOCYCLESPORT is currently looking
for dealers to take part in its demo
programme, as well as stock
Ciamillo and Zero Gravity
components.
The Demo programme is based around
the Negative G-SL Tuned brakeset, which
offers the optimum balance of weight,
power and cost in the Ciamillo range.
Only 12 demo centres are sought
initially, rising to 20 with a wide-ranging
geographical spread. Dealers can manage
their own demonstration programme,
including the timescales on which the
customer may get used to the system.
An advertising campaign also
began in April to support those
involved. Stock requirements can also
be tailored to the individual dealer.
Demo callipers will be made up of
varying coloured components, which
should put off all but the most
particular customers from
wanting to buy the techicolour
demo kit, which is supplied free of
charge to the dealer. What the
demo kit does do, however, is
highlight the wide variety of colours
available to purchasing customers.
07939 543016
Reece CyclesHANDLING the diverse catalogue of
Promax braking components, Reece
Cycles can meet the needs of retailers
specialising in BMX, MTB and road.
Promax’s 160a top mount lever,
costing £19.99 at retail, is likely to go
down well with the fixed
gear crowd as a front
brake lever. The clamp is
designed narrow with
limited bar space in mind.
In fact, many will close to
tuck the lever up next to
the stem. Designed for
use with cantilever or
caliper brakes, the design
carries all the typical
fixings, including reach
adjust, barrel adjustment
and a return spring.
Budget levers are offered
throughout for both BMX and
customers with mountain bikes
needing a quick fix. Costing £11.99,
both the BMX and MTB levers are
ergonomically designed and weigh
under 90 grams.
Reece also carries Promax’s tidy
carbon fibre road callipers, which
weigh 165-grams up front and 162 at
the rear. For just £49.99, the body is
constructed from a
cold-forged aluminium,
while the outer is
carbon wrapped.
0121 622 0180
BohleWITH 40 YEARS’ experience, Taiwanese
firm Taya has a rich background in bicycle
chain manufacturing.
A decade ago the firm introduced an
anti-rust treatment to its product, which
still features on the chains today, making
even the most budget of chains durable
and long-wearing.
Like many others, the firm has also
become very eco-aware and now gives
high-end products what it calls a ‘Greener
Surface Treatment’.
Of the new items to roll off the
production line this year, the firm now
manufactures 30-metre chain rolls, which
are particularly useful
to retailers requiring high margin
service items.
Of the boxed chains, the firm has
introduced a high-spec eight-speed chain
called the TB-600. Suited to both on and
off-road bicycles, the chain sits among the
toughest and slickest in the catalogue.
Coloured chains are quickly becoming
a vital feature of the customisation
market and Taya offers plenty of products
to satisfy these customers. Through
surface treatment, Taya offers a number
of eye-catching chains that are tough
enough for freestyle, yet striking enough
for the customer seeking a bit of bling.
Bohle carries a large portion of
Taya’s catalogue, so retailers
seeking workshop or sales
items should get in touch on
01952 602680.
ZyroHAVING RECEIVED plenty of praise
since its debut with Zyro, Ashima’s
product catalogue is only getting
more impressive and wide-reaching.
The much-hyped PCB Pancake
Brake is now on sale. The PCB is the
world’s first pistonless hydraulic brake
system. By simplifying the caliper and
effectively removing the pistons, the
PCB becomes light, efficient,
economic, low profile and virtually
maintenance free.
The strong Viton rubber diaphragm
seals push the pad and as there are no
pistons to stick, the pad retraction is
guaranteed every time. Extensively
tested throughout Europe, the US and
Asia, the PCB has received great
reviews from Pro-XC racers and
downhillers alike. Supplied with Ashima
Ai rotors, Ashima pads and Ashima
adapters, the complete brake weighs in
at around 330 grams. The PCB is sold
as front and rears separately.
Retailers who are unfamiliar with
the brand should also be aware of the
budget-friendly AiRotor, sold for
£24.99. Super light and ultra durable,
this 410 stainless steel rotor weighs in
at only 85 grams for the 160mm,
though is available in five sizes –
140mm, 160mm, 180mm, 185mm
and 203mm.
01845 521700
UpgradeUPGRADE became one of
the UK’s wholesalers for
MicroShift in January,
giving the firm’s
customers a real alternative to
the main three transmission parts
manufacturers.
The production standards are high
too, while the price fits with
varying budgets. The rear mech
is an all alloy construction with a
CNC cage weighing only 229-
grams. Research and development
has allowed the company to offer
great performance too.
For example, the
standard nine speed
trigger shifters are
solid and smooth
and feature an alloy
up-shift lever for a
truly positive action,
all for just £29.99 and
weighing 229-grams.
What’s more, all the
parts are Shimano
compatible so you can mix
and match.
Upgrade can offer some
top-end braking solutions
too, with TRP sat
among its brands.
TRP arrived on the
high-end braking
scene just a couple of
years ago and is
producing some
serious high-end
road, MTB and
cyclo-cross
brakes. The
performance arm of Tektro,
TRP uses the latest design
and testing procedures to
develop brakes that are not
only light, using the latest
materials including titanium, magnesium
and carbon, but that also deliver serious
performance. The R920 road callipers
retail at £129.99 a pair and are the
starting point in the TRP road
range, but still manage to
feature full dual pivot
braking performance,
titanium finishing kit,
weigh 37 grams less
than Dura Ace and have
received some
awesome reviews,
including a nine out
of ten in Cycling Plus.
01403 711 611
GEARS, BRAKES AND CHAINS
52 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Tilled up?
AscendHAVING TAILOR-made its in-store
EPOS for the bike industry, Ascend’s
software can be found in over 650 bike
shops globally.
Though only made available
exclusively to Trek Dealers, those with
an account can benefit from what the
firm says is unrivalled support seven
days a week from its dedicated team.
The software is ready to roll straight
from a simple, smooth installation.
Following installation, early and
ongoing training comes as part of the
package to ensure dealers get the
most from their system. Online
assistance is offered too, with easily
navigated quick reference guides live
on the web.
Once rolling, dealers can benefit
from a full range of transactions,
including modules designed around
the workshop. The software is
integrated with Trek’s own Dexter
website, streamlining your transactions
with the firm.
A purchase order function provides
instant view of both items needed for
stock and outstanding customer
special orders. Dealers will be able to
maintain control and visibility of items
all the way through, from order to
receipt of goods.
In order to help keep a smooth cash
flow, the system offers powerful
reporting based on the needs of bike
retailers, which provides the relevant
data needed to drive their business
forward.
All system development is guided
and based on feedback from the firm’s
650 cycle store customers, meaning
future developments will always be
relevant to your business.
07967 583690
Electronic point of sale software has come along way and many firms now tailor theirsystems to the cycle trade business. MarkSutton looks at the market, the add-onmodules that can assist workshop managementand more…
ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 55
The UK’s largest Cycle Show returns to Earls Court from October 7th to 10th 2010.Call Upper Street Events on 0207 2886443 for booking details.
HTEC INDEPENDENT bike shops may feel they
are too small to be able to implement
any kind of EPOS loyalty programme.
They may have been doing nothing to
prompt purchase of additional lines.
Alternatively, they may be using some
kind of paper-based transaction such as
stamps on a card, or product free with
purchase. Both of these are easily open
to abuse.
While easily implemented and
apparently inexpensive, these
unsophisticated loyalty schemes can end
up costing a small business a great deal
more than anticipated and may not add
to the bottom line. It is simple for the
counter assistant or till operator to give
extra stamps or more product than
allocated to favoured customers.
Jeff Dakin, director of HTEC believes
his firm can solve these issues. “HTEC
can deploy its online loyalty systems
(OLL) cost-effectively for even the
smallest retailer. These transactions are
completely secure – fraud is prevented
because there is no duplication of
vouchers. Our audit trail means that
staff can’t abuse the scheme by giving
away too much free product – the
transaction is always linked to a receipt.
“Benefits of an EPOS system are
considerable: they’re customer focused,
which allows marketing initiatives to be
delivered through a choice of
communications channels including till
displays, receipts, text and email. It
provides consumers with the promotion
at the point of purchase. It can be
quickly ‘tweaked’ if needs or market
conditions change and it is suitable for
all retailers.”
HTEC equipment processes £8bn
transactions each year, including those
through 3,500 petrol stations in the UK.
02380 689200
56 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE
J D YoungHAVING BEEN selling EPOS systems to
bicycle retailers since 1990, J D Young
works primarily with the US market, but
has tailored its Bicycle Bundle package to
UK retailers, offering add-ins for the
Microsoft RMS-EPOS platform.
Although the firm’s EPOS system itself
is not sold directly here, those already
running a Microsoft system may purchase
J D Young’s add-ins directly from their
Microsoft RMS reseller in the UK. Example
add-ins include a ‘service manager’, which
offers quick service estimates with
customer claim stub, automated
scheduling, and resource planning.
Paperless assembly control tracks which
bikes are assembled, when, and by whom.
Add-ins vary in price, though are
accessible for a relatively small
investment. JD Young’s applications
include detailed help files with step-by-
step quick guides, online recorded
tutorials, online chat support and a self-
help service centre that is available
around the clock – 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
800-322-9471 x86 CybertillAS A HOSTED solution, accessed via an
internet connection, Cybertill claims to
offer something no other cycle EPOS
system can in real-time access to sales
data from any location.
With Cybertill, all data resides in a
single database. This gives ‘live stock’
visibility across all channels, in-store,
online and mail order. When a
customer enquires in-store about a
£1,000 bike, staff immediately see if
they have it in stock, in another store,
in their warehouse, as online stock or
on back order. And, because stock
figures are live, they are accurate.
Cybertill benefits for cycle retailers
include a workshop module for repairs
and builds, images and detailed
technical descriptions at point-of-sale,
as well as sales transactions recorded
against client accounts. Setting up
client accounts takes seconds and
builds a client base that equips retailers
to swiftly carry out marketing tasks.
Adding a new point-of-sale is as
simple as plugging an internet cable
into the till. All points-of-sale point to
the same stock and client databases so
all records are visible from any
location. And, when retailers want to
sell online or through mail order,
Cybertill can easily add these
functionalities. It is flexible enough to
link to an existing e-commerce site or
the firm can design one for you.
With 100 plus client locations,
Cybertill is well ‘road-tested’ within the
cycle industry, too. As prices depend
upon individual requirements, retailers
should contact Cybertill for a quotation
on 07836 550764.
Citrus-LimeCITRUS-LIME offers a complete ‘Clicks +
Mortar’ solution for IBDs, with EPOS,
ecommerce and workshop module. The
system can also integrate with suppliers
and distributors to create products
directly in the store’s stock file and
provide price updates and stock checks.
The workshop module is something the
firm has had particular praise for with its
customers. Each job booked in can be
calendared and tracked through to the
customer’s pick up. Each job is recorded in
fine detail, with parts used easily listed
and labour time easily tracked. Once the
job is logged as complete, the system will
either text or email the customer to
advise them to collect their bike.
“We have continued to grow over the
last year and have remained committed
to our cycle customer base by bringing
out new services and continuing to invest
in research and development. Our aim is
to provide our customers with the best
technology and service available to help
them run their businesses," says Neil
McQuillan, MD of Citrus-Lime.
The supplier integration module is also
something that will go down a treat with
those who are meticulous about stock
tracking and checks. The system allows
retailers to check their suppliers’ stock
instantly, as well as their your supplier’s
actual stock listings running in line with
their website’s own, meaning customers
can only order obtainable product.
The core of Citrus-Lime’s solution is
Microsoft’s RMS EPOS system – a stable
and secure EPOS and Stock Control
system that can scale from a single store
to a chain of shops.
0845 603 9254
BarclaysBusinessSystemsFOLLOWING a golden rule to ‘keep it
simple’, the Barclays Business System
software – Evopos – has been designed
to be an all-in-one solution for bicycle
retailers. Sharing many properties of
Window’s Vista system, the software
can be integrated with any computer
currently on the market, or anything
likely to come to market.
Having drawn on 22 years of
development and experience, the
software draws on input from retailers
nationwide and thus has all bases
covered when it comes to sales, stock
control, barcode printing and reading,
among other things.
One example of the firm’s unique
simplicity is its ‘point only sale’ device.
Instead of using a combination of a
barcode scanner, keyboard and mouse
as in most other systems, it can do
everything on a sale just by pointing.
Point the scanner to an operator card,
then the items, then the method of
payment. You can even point to a
customer’s loyalty card produced by the
built-in loyalty system to automatically
select the customer details.
Another example is the firm’s
‘Intelligent Search’, which helps you
quickly search for items without
knowing the part number. Even with
just a few letters matching the system
will pull up all relevant product.
Having stock well presented and
clearly priced makes a massive
difference to customers browsing.
Evopos automatically produces great
looking bar-coded labels. With the
software retailer you can also create
LCD customer display screens to
keep customers informed and
to show special offers or
related items.
01202 430956
Abacus RetailerSolutionsABACUS CLAIMS to be the market
leader of point of sale material in the
cycle business, having been in the
business for over 25 years. Retailers
that purchase their IT equipment from
Abacus, the firm says, are buying into
a partnership with its dedicated team,
who strive to ensure customers sees a
maximum return on their investment.
The Abacus software gives the user
round-the-clock access to stock data
in multiple locations, all centralised
into one system. This coupled with
efficient barcode utilisation means
trouble-free sales ordering and till
management. What’s more, the firm
provides intuitive customer tracking
and contact management for keeping
tabs on customers, sales and suppliers.
Purchase order processing, sales
order processing, quotation delivery
and kit selling are all made pain-free
tasks for you and your staff with the
firm’s clever kit.
Furthermore, your marketing will be
given a boost with the text and e-
marketing module. Abacus can
communicate with your customers
using messages to drive sales, turn
stock and also to reduce staff time
spent in the workshop.
An example instant message is:
“Dear Customer, your bike is ready for
collection!”
Perhaps most importantly of all,
the system offers easy-to-use profit
and loss tracking and balance sheet
data. Abacus also looks to the future,
with stock forecasting based on best-
sellers and slow movers, allowing you
to turn latent stock into cash at
important times.
Abacus is a supplier to over 150
cycle shops in the UK and the firm
says the average length of its
customer relationship is in excess of
ten years.
0151 342 9799
SeanicRetailSoftwareSEANIC RETAIL Software
provides cost-effective EPOS
stock control, with the latest
broadband technology. Using
software that is stable,
scaleable and very easy to use,
the firm can supply all the functions that
bike shops need, such as repairs and
servicing information, customer texting
and an email facility, as well as a
workshop module and frame number
capture.
SRS is a family-run company, which
enables it to keep costs down, while also
guaranteeing a personal level of service.
Following installation and training,
telephone support is available seven
days a week, 24 hours a day.
The number one advantage of
installing Seanic’s software is that it
provides a user-friendly and flexible tool
that can help you to improve your
customer information, cash
management, stock utilisation and
profitability.
For a one-shop installation, costing
£3,587.55, plus VAT, the retail customer
will receive free maintenance for the
first year, a system that instantly
updates sales information, offers
simplified stock control information, a
full library of business reports and what’s
more, these can be accessed remotely,
even via a mobile phone.
Established in 2000 and based in the
Midlands, Seanic now has a nationwide
customer base.
01926 338932
ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 57
After 25 years of development in the cycle industry, The Abacus EPOS solution has truly come of age.
The Abacus System is extremely stable and in addition to the 160 cycle installations, our software is used by accountants and
distribution companies.
The Abacus website design and build facility is the leader in the field.Abacus powered websites feature stock look up for easy admin, plus acontent management system allowing easy user updates to key areas.
In the world of EPOS, Abacus is the market leader.
Abacus Online: PO Box 79,Heswall,Wirral, CH61 1WF
Tel: 0151 342 9799Fax: 0151 342 9433
Along with the rise of urban cycling, the marketfor cycle storage and baggage has grownsignificantly. Mark Sutton takes a look at a few ofthe best-selling solutions to goods transportationby bicycle, as well as bags and carrier racks…
On themove…
Moore LargeQUIRKY AS Ever, Knog has
introduced what it calls 'Dog
bags'. The new luggage is
handmade from heavyweight
waxed cotton canvas with water
resistant construction.
The range includes two sizes of
saddle bag, two sizes of messenger
bag, a rack pannier bag, a handlebar
bag and a universal messenger and
pannier bag. Backpack, pannier and
handlebar attachments are available to fit
the Leading Dog and Franks Dog, which fit
straight into a universal hub on the rear
of the bags, converting your urban bag
into a bike bag.
The bags start retailing at £17.99 for
the saddle bag and finish at £124.99 for
the pannier. There is also
a fully waterproof bag –
the Dry Dog, this is available
in a messenger bag and two different
sizes of pannier, retailing between £89.99
and £109.99.
Also exclusively available from Moore
Large, the Outeredge luggage range
includes panniers, handlebar bags,
hydration bags, seat bags, rack fitting
bags, bike bags and fully waterproof bags.
01332 274200
ExtraWITH BOTH
Topeak and
Brooks sat
within its
catalogue, Extra can provide some
functional, as well as extremely
trendy items.
Starting with Brooks, which has
been manufacturing cycle luggage
since the 19th century, retailers
should look out for the Devon
panniers. Though expensive at £224
each, the 22.5-litre bag comes with all
the leather trimmings you'd expect
from the firm. The Devon panniers
allow for 'suitcase style' opening,
making them ideal off the bike,
especially given
the bags’
trendy looks.
Topeak's 2010
collection offers
a few pannier
solutions, which are
fully sealed at the
seams, thus totally waterproof,
especially with the addition of roll top
closure. The Topeak Hook and Lock
system attaches securely to racks and
makes fitting and removal a snap.
At £94.99 for the 850 Denier bag,
the bags are built to last and have
numerous features suited to urban
cycling, such as reflective trim and
straps, as well as slidable hooks for
perfect positioning on the bike.
01933 672 170
CYCLING LUGGAGE AND CARRIERS
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 59
The UK’s largest Cycle Show returns to Earls Court from October 7th to 10th 2010.Call Upper Street Events on 0207 2886443 for booking details.
Ultra SportEuropeAS THE Atherton's bike bag of
preference, UltraSport's Ultra Bike Bag is
said to be as much a hit with the
retailers of the product as it is the
customers.
Designed and developed in the UK,
the bag is now sold worldwide and
often comes out top of magazine tests.
Dan Atherton had this to say of the
bag: “The Ultra Bike Bag is one of the
best around, which is why we use it. The
whole team agrees that its top quality
and durability make it the perfect way
to protect our bikes and it’s easy to
transport them to and from our riding
spots. I would definitely recommend it -
if you care about your bike, this is the
bag for you.”
The bag itself includes two separate
padded wheel bags, carry straps, skate
wheels at one end for easy
transportation, and the unique 'quatro
zip' system, so that you can hang your
bike (in bag) on the back of the car or
your garage wall. Best of all, it fits all
MTBs or road bikes.
Internally the bag is made of black
'wipe clean' tarp, so it's easy to keep it
mud-free. Coming in three colours and
costing £100 at retail, the bag is
affordable too.
01332 813150
CYCLING LUGGAGE AND CARRIERS
MadisonAMONG MADISON'S luggage solutions
you'll find brands dedicated to the sector,
such as Ogio and Hydrapak, and plenty
more off-shoot goods from many other
brands in the distributor's stable.
A highlight of Ogio's 2010 line is the
800 Helmet Bag, retailing for just £29.99.
The fleece lined 800 Helmet Bag will keep
your full-face helmet snug and scratch
free. Constructed from hard-
wearing 1680 ballistic nylon
and 840 dobby nylon with
reinforced stitching, it
also comes with a
limited lifetime
warranty.
New from
Hydrapak is the
Morro bag – an
incredibly lightweight, 13-litre backpack
featured in the 'Pro Series' range. Costing
£79.99, the bag is ideally suited to long
days at the trails, is waterproof and is
available for £79.99 at retail.
Madison's customers should also look
out for AGU's pannierbags, of which the
450 Klick-Fix model has a whopping 42-
litre capacity.
0208 385 3385
RaleighAVENIR from Raleigh has all bases
covered when it comes to cycle
luggage. From padded bike bags
for both folding and standard
bikes, to handlebar bags and
panniers, Avenir has a
comprehensive catalogue.
Of the panniers, Raleigh handles
single and double pannier rack bags,
waterproof solutions and large volume
solutions, as well as a mixture of all of
these higher in the range.
One of the panniers particularly of
interest to the urban retailer is
Avenir's Briefcase pannier. Designed
around the needs of the typical
commuter, the bag will easily
accommodate
laptops and folders
within its main zip-up compartment.
Raleigh also carries the Vaude
range, which serves roughly the same
demographic. Many of Vaude's items,
however, come with great reflective
properties on the majority of the
range.
01773 532600
ChickenPLETSCHER has recently appointed
Chicken Cyclkit as its
distributor in the UK.
Pletscher is a
family business,
started in 1919,
specialising in high
quality aluminium die-
casting. For many years
Pletscher produced
kickstands and carriers
under the ESGE name, which
Chicken first represented in the
UK some 40 years ago.
The core products are still made
in Marthalen, Switzerland, marketed
under the Pletscher brand – a name
renowned for longevity.
They’re fitted as OE equipment by
some major bike manufacturers on their
top-of-the-range models. Recent
additions are the Comp integrated
kickstand, fitted by Specialized, the Easy-
Fix integrated carrier/luggage system and
the Quick Rack.
Prices for the comprehensive Pletscher
range will be published shortly and found
on the Chicken Cyclekit website.
01525 381347
HotlinesTHE BRAND X Complete bike bag is
perfect for keeping your beloved bike
safe in the hands of airport staff. This
padded bag features eight separate
internal compartments to allow for
safely stowing clothes, pedals, seat,
seatpost and other items separately and
safely away from the bike, eliminating
the chance of loose components
rattling around inside the bag.
A tool roll has also been included
for safe storage of your essential
spanners, allen keys and screwdrivers.
The padded shoulder strap is attached
to the bag by metal QR clips, which
are secured into metal eyelets on the
main bag for added security.
The bag features four horizontal
zippers at the top of the bag (two on
either side), allowing the bag to be
safely hung on a bike rack for easy
transportation.
0131 319 1444
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 61
Fisher OutdoorsBASIL OFFERS a range of high quality
bags, bolstered with a long and proud
heritage as being one of the original
suppliers on the market.
With funky, eye-catching design and
sizes to meet all needs, the Jada range is
made of water repellent polyester and
includes reflective branding to aid
visibility. Spanning from a 16 to a 32 litre
capacity, the Jada line for the most part
has strong water repellency properties, all
blended with styled printed design.
Top of the Basil Jada range is a tidy
double pannier solution, which sits over
all rear racks and drapes two 16 litre
capacity bags down each side. The
baggage offers front and side pockets,
reflective stripes throughout
and stitched cut outs
for luggage straps.
For those
favouring a basket,
Fisher carries a
front bag basket
with a steel inner
frame. This
model is
compatible with
any BasEasy
system, though a
bracket is not
included. An
expandable rain
cover is located
in a zippered
pocket.
01727 798345
IsonSURLY'S Nice Racks
are constructed from
cro-moly, a material
easily repaired when
necessary, even by
somebody with the most
basic welding skills. It's for
this reason the
manufacturer has shied
away from using aluminium
in favour of the longevity of
cro-mo.
The Nice Racks are height
adjustable, allowing the rider to better
a bike’s center of gravity, or to carry
larger items. Lowrider mounted
panniers provide a more stable ride,
but can be a burden when riding rocky
or rutted roads and trails. The upper
rails on Surly's rack provide an
alternate pannier
mounting position for
these type of
conditions. The wide
platform construction
means that
the carrier is
capable of
accepting
anything from
shopping bags to
boxes of goods. A
powder coated black
or silver version is
available from
Ison now.
Ison also carries Adie
baskets in both mesh and wicker
ranging up to £19.99, as well as a
whole host of spares, from leather
fixing straps to supports.
01353 662662
GelertFOR 2010, Canyon brand cycle
luggage has been expanded and now
Gelert carries the Oregon range, too.
Both rear pannier ranges feature a
fully integrated quick release patented
fitting system. A unique feature with
the front Prestige handlebar bag is
where the bag can be interchanged
with both wire and wicker baskets to
the handlebars using the same
fitting system.
The Prestige range comprises two
sizes of panniers and handlebar bags
with sealed seams and waterproof
lugged fittings.
The Oregon range features two
pannier sizes; the smaller pannier is
suitable for either front or rear carrier
use and both bags come with full
shower covers.
Canyon also has available two
saddle bags: under seat tunnel bag
with wrap around fittings and wedge
bags with quick release.
0208 459 9970
CYCLING LUGGAGE AND CARRIERS
ZyroABUS, Altura
and Dahon all
offer either
luggage,
panniers, or bike
bags, so Zyro
could well be your
one-stop shop.
Borrowing
technologies from its
clothing line, Altura's luggage
range range has grown quickly in to a
comprehensive collection. The entry-level
Arran and waterproof Dryline bags
continue as best-sellers.
The recently launched Fuse and Arc
waterproof welded panniers feature a
lightweight construction, contemporary
curved design and fresh bright colours
combined with the high-quality Rixen-
Kaul fittings and neat
detailing seen
throughout the
Altura luggage
range. With a huge
growth in cycle
commuting in the
UK the Urban and
Metro briefcases
are proving
very popular.
Recently
announced
by Dahon,
the folding
bike brand has a new line of carriers.
Beginning at £59.99 for the Stow bag and
XL Stow bag, the line tops out with a
'Airporter' model, which is designed to be
very robust and to carry wheel sizes up to
20-inches.
01845 521700
UpgradeFIRST SEEN back at CoreBike in
January, Upgrade's portfolio now
includes Lezyne hydration
backpacks, as well as a series of
luggage items.
First of the four item
hydration backpack range is
the Firebreak, retailing for
just £39.99 and including a
two-litre bladder. Packing a
2.5 litre capacity for non-
liquid items, the Firebreak
is an ideal solution for less
epic journeys where only
the basics are required.
Price points are separated
by £20 a pop, right up to
the 'Great Divie', which
retails for £94.99 and
packs a whopping 24 litre
gear volume and a three-litre bladder.
For the money, customers get a
backpack with a custom fit internal
spine that adapts to the rider’s spine,
plenty of easy grab waist pockets,
a separated bttom section for
holding shoes and mucky
items, as well as a fleece
lined music pocket,
among other things.
Other new items in
the Upgrade
catalogue include
various wallets suited
to carrying tools and
repair kits and also a
number of pannier
racks, which team up
with a new series of
luggage solutions from
the brand.
01403 711 611
Ortlieb/LyonequipmentORTLIEB’S new Vario offers versatility and
convenience to anyone who cycles
for transport.
With its easy and secure Quick-Lock 2
mounting system, the Vario attaches to a
rear rack as a pannier would, while its
fully waterproof roll-top closure means it
performs this function perfectly.
Made from tough tear resistant nylon
fabric, it features two external neoprene
pockets (not waterproof) and an internal
pocket, while its 20-litre volume and its
dimensions (50cm high x 28cm wide x
20cm deep) make it the perfect size for
A4 documents or a 15.4-inch laptop. A
matching padded laptop sleeve is
available as an optional extra.
The Vario can very easily be
transformed from a pannier into a
comfortable and easy to carry daysack,
simply by removing the rucksack style
straps. An optional anti-theft device is
also available as an extra that works
with the Vario’s Quick-Lock 2
mounting system.
015396 25493
Oxford ProductsOXFORD offers a range of first-time
cycle luggage whose sturdiness is derived
from the company’s motorcycle roots,
but whose practicality is pure cycle. The
name denotes that this is a great first
step into cycle
luggage
without
having to
spend a
fortune.
The
range
includes two sizes of pannier and wedge
bags, plus a bar bag, all of which are
made from 600-denier polyester and all
the necessary fittings supplied. The one
or two-litre wedge bags are expandable,
with LED loops and reflective
components and you can choose
between quick release clip or Velcro
attachment. Retail price begins from
just £8.99.
The panniers use a top grade quick
release system to make them as user-
friendly as possible. Their rubberised back
panels repel water and are easy to clean,
while the mixture of a drawstring
closure, weather flap and high-visibility
storm cover keep the rain out. The bags
can clip together and have carry
handles, more LED loops and reflective
strips. Prices are £54.99 for an 18 litre
capacity and £64.99 for 22 litres.
01993 862 300
Silverfish DEBUTED to the UK trade
at Core in January, Evoc's
extensive bag and backpack
line has gone down a treat
with many retail customers.
The backpacks in
particular boast some
interesting new features for
2010. Evoc's CC backpack,
costing £64.95 at retail, is
designed for all those who only
want to take with them what
is absolutely necessary: keys,
raincoat, spare jersey, repair kit, tool
kit, a few energy bars and a hydration
system.
The backpack is simply made up of
a slim-cut main compartment, an
outlet for a hydration system, a
convenient lid style top pocket with a
key clip, a vertical exterior
compartment and two elastic easy-
to-reach side pockets.
However, the bag’s special
feature is a roll-out, elastic
helmet flap, which can be
clipped easily to the
backpack via four loops
and which is suitable for
half lid or full-face
helmets. Designed with
ventilation in mind, the
mesh flap can dry even
when it is rolled in.
Also shown off at Core
was the brand's bike
travelbag. Offering 100 per
cent protection for your bike and its
components, the travelbag requires
the user to remove, or loosen only the
handlebar, pedals and wheels, then the
bike is ready to be tidily packed away.
01752 843882
62 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 63
BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether they’re fromletters, emails or via BikeBiz.com...
Mail to:Saxon House, 6A St. Andrews Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA
Email:[email protected]
Star LetterWhether it’s a hand-written, sent-through-the-
post letter, email or a comment made on the
BikeBiz forum, the best letter of the month wins
a prize from Oxford Products.
This month the lucky winner will receive Oxford’s
super duper new Magnum U Lock with £1,000
anti-theft guarantee.
STA
R L
ETT
ER
A minimal investment
LETTERS PAGE
64 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
MY FEELING is that this
scheme is introducing a large
number of people to cycling
and higher-end bicycles who
otherwise wouldn’t be
interested. I know many people
who have purchased far
higher-end bikes, from proper
bike shops, than they would
have without the scheme.
It is important to remember
that the bike purchase should be
viewed as just the start of the
relationship with the customer.
Even at the point of purchase,
ensuring the rider is comfortable
on the bike is paramount and
add-on sales are the order of the
day, such as selling appropriate
accessories, allowing them to
trial other products and making
them comfortable in what may
have been an alien environment.
I work for Ergon –
manufacturers of Ergonomic
grips – and it is add-on
products that should be the
focus of the retailer once the
paperwork for the bike scheme
programme is in place. There
are significant margins which
can be earned here, while the
products genuinely enhance
the experience for the end user
– this is someone who you
want to retain as a customer.
It’s generally accepted that
it’s a lot easier to retain a
customer, than to find a new
one. With these schemes
introducing new customers to
cycling, it’s the job of retailers
to capitalise on them, making
sure the service and the
suggested products fit their
needs – which in turn will
make that ten per cent that
the scheme charged seem like
a nominal investment.
Richard Todd
Ergon
From the Forum...Below the VAT threshold…
THAT WAS an interesting
article in last month’s BikeBiz
regarding running a business
below the VAT threshold. One
question for the guys who
wrote it though – what
happens if you have such a
storming start to the year and
you either hit the threshold or
look as though you are going to
do so, long before the year is
up? Do you close up shop, and
refuse to sell people products?
Paul Coombs
I HAVE OFTEN joked that I
would do the sensible thing and
close in January, and if
necessary February. After all it is
cold, wet and miserable – and
working when the income
barely covers costs does seem a
bit silly. Only problem is that
you have not made enough
money on the sub VAT route to
take a Caribbean cruise.
The more sensible answer is
that any business operating
without any active promotion
will have natural limit to its
turnover. What I have found is
that for our circumstances this
is around the VAT limit,
allowing the challenge of
operating the business in such
a way that a living can be
made from the profit that can
be made on that turnover.
My view is that it would
take active promotion to
expand my business, but
personally, I do not want the
downsides of doing it, all of
which are well expressed in
Jake’s piece. Going over the VAT
limit is only one issue involved
in expanding.
I’m only slightly joking when
I say that I am too old and
knackered to want anything
other than a low risk, hassle
free business where I can enjoy
myself helping a nice group of
customers to get the most out
of their cycling. I go home
happy and if I have only dealt
with a couple of customers and
got the work done quickly so
that I have time to spend on a
forum then it is not the end of
the world.
It’s interesting to see that
Jake, who I suspect is a bit
more youthful than myself, has
also found that contentment
can be found by going the
simple route. I always say that
it is not for everybody, it is just
one way of doing things.
Doc B
It was with interest that I read Carlton Reid’s article inBikeBiz (May 2010) about Cyclescheme and the feelingfrom some retailers is that this service is nothing morethan a racket...
Mace Caliber gloveWindwave02392 505320
STICKING WITH its tough-garment reputation,
Mace has introduced the Caliber glove with carbon
fibre knuckle protection on the third and fourth
digit. Caliber also carries a carbon Kevlar palm patch
for extra protection in the vulnerable spot.
Priced at £39.95, it packs in plenty of features,
including grippy silicone fingertips, spandex to keep
things tight where needed and a cotton terry cloth
thumb for sweat absorption. Its fade-free graphics
are geared up for frequent washes, while sizes range
from small to double XL. Designs include a lively
Punk theme, or a Charcoal/sky theme.
Airace pumps and toolsFisher Outdoor Leisure01727 798345
AIRACE, the brand new range of pumps and tools
launched at Fisher’s Expo 2010 show, is now in stock
and available for shipping. Manufactured by one of
the most respected manufacturers of pumps and tools
in the world, this feature-rich range of high spec
product is aimed at the more discerning rider.
The Infinity AS floor pump has an integrated shock
pump adaptor, capable of providing 300psi. The
patented pump head also easily switches between
Schrader and Presta valve for complete flexibility. It
features a shielded stainless steel tube, a two to three
psi fine control and a large, highly visible gauge.
PRO Missile Evo aerobar and stemMadison0208 385 3385
DEVELOPED alongside HTC-Columbia and Scott for
use on its team bikes, the PRO Missile Evo aerobar
and stem are top-level, UCI-friendly cockpit parts.
The 40cm wide uni-directional carbon monocoque
construction incorporates integrated cable-routing
for the brake and shift cables (compatible with
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 cables). The carbon
extensions and armrests are mounted to widely
adjustable alloy ‘chimneys’, with a total 595g weight.
Pro’s stem utilises a monocoque carbon
construction, which carries integrated cable routing
for both the brakes and gears.
Dahon Midtown Mini lineZyro01845 521700
THOUGH not available until 2011, Dahon’s new
Midtown series is based upon a new folding frame
design that uses Dahon’s patented LockJaw folding
tech. Designed for urban mobility, Midtown Mini
bikes combine the ease and convenience of a folding
bike with the performance of a sleek diamond frame.
“Because of its ultra-light wheels, efficient frame, and
agile geometry, we feel there’s no better bike for
accelerating from traffic lights or dodging buses and
cars,” explains Dahon’s vice president, Josh Hon.
Four models based on the Midtown Platform are
due next year, including the Silvertip (pictured).
LATEST PRODUCTS
Alpina helmetsMerida0115 981 7788
ON THE BACK of Merida Multivan’s sponsorship deal
with Alpina helmets, the brand quickly became part
of Merida’s distribution arm.
Coming to the UK is a line of helmets priced from
just £19.99 for the Comet 2 kids’ model, up to a
£129.99 Team Issue carbon reinforced Pheos model.
Adult and road ranges start at £39.99 with
margins up to 50 per cent, while the lower priced
models average at 43 per cent. For a limited time,
dealers get a first come, first served deal where £2k
of product can be obtained for £1k trade price, with
15 free Alpina helmet slat wall fittings thrown in.
ODI extra long gripsIson Distribution01353 662662
ODI HAS released an extra long version of its
popular Longneck ST grips specifically for fixed gear
riders and BMX riders who want longer grips.
The Longneck XL grips are a whopping nine
inches (230mm), featuring a slimmer profile with an
option of trimming them to whatever length suits –
ideal for fixed gear and BMX riders.
Available in nine vibrant colours, the Longneck XL
grips come in unique triangular-shaped packaging
(made from recycling grips), which include bar end
plugs and a fixed gear cog keyring. They will be
available from early June and will retail at £11.99.
Featuring recently released products of the highestCaliber, BikeBiz looks at the latest pumps, foldingbikes, grips and much more...New gear
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 65
July
To advertise call Carly Bailey on +44 (0) 1992 535647, or email her at [email protected]
For editorial contact Jonathon Harker on +44 (0) 1992 535646,or email him at [email protected]
� CYCLE COMPUTERS, HEART RATE MONITORS,
NAVIGATION AND MORE � BMX FOCUS
AUGUST 2010� Bicycle Lighting � Complete Bikes
Editorial Deadline: July 9th Advertising Deadline: July 14th
SEPTEMBER 2010� Children’s Bikes and Accessories � Carrier Racks
Editorial Deadline: Aug 6th Advertising Deadline: Aug 11th
OCTOBER 2010� Clothing and Accessories � Cycle Show Special
Editorial Deadline: Sept 3rd Advertising Deadline: Sept 8th
NOVEMBER 2010� Stocking Fillers � Trailers and Trailer Bikes � Cycle Review
Editorial Deadline: Oct 8th Advertising Deadline: Oct 13th
DECEMBER 2010� Review of the Year � Retail Survey � Core Bike Preview
� Wheels, Tyres, Inner Tubes and Pumps
Editorial Deadline: Nov 5th Advertising Deadline: Nov 10th
JANUARY 2011� Lubricants and Tools � Cycle training � Show guide for
Core Bike
Editorial Deadline: TBC Advertising Deadline: TBC
Editorial Deadline: June 4th
Advertising Deadline: June 9th
Editorial Planner SPOTLIGHTUPCOMING EVENTS
ORIGINAL SOURCEMOUNTAIN MAYHEM 2010Friday June 18th – 20thEastnor Castle, Ledbury osmountainmayhem.co.uk
TEAM GREEN BRITAIN BIKE WEEK 2010 Saturday June 19th – 27thNationwidewww.bikeweek.org.uk
CTC YORK CYCLE SHOWSaturday June 19th – 20thYork Racecoursewww.yorkcycleshow.co.uk
PRESS CAMP 2010Tuesday June 22nd – 25thDeer Valley, [email protected]
VELO-CITY GLOBALTuesday June 22nd – 25thCopenhagenhttp://welcomehome.dk
TOUR DE FRANCESaturday July 3rd – 25thHolland, Belgium, Francewww.letour.fr
BIKERADAR LIVE 2010Saturday July 10th – 11thBrands Hatch, Kentlive2010.bikeradar.com
ICEBIKE* WINTERTuesday July 20th – 22ndMadison MK centrewww.icebike.co.uk
BIKE EXPOTuesday July 22nd – 25thMuenchen, Germanywww.bike-expo.com
BIKE DEALER CAMPThursday July 29th – 31stDeer Valley, Utahbikedealercamp.com
AUSBIKE – AUSTRALIA CYCLETRADE EXPO Saturday August 21st – 23rdMelbournewww.ausbike.com.au
EUROBIKE 2010Wednesday Sept 1st – 4thFriedrichshafen, Germanywww.eurobike-show.de
INTERBIKE 2010Wednesday Sept 22nd – 24thLas Vegaswww.interbike.com
CYCLE SHOW 2010Thursday October 7th – 10thEarls Court, Londonwww.cycleshow.co.uk
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
EVENTS AND EDITORIAL PLANNER
66 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
September 2010
October 2010
For more cycle trade dates: www.bikebiz.com/events
For additional copies please contact:[email protected]
THE BIBLEIS BACK!
CTC YORK CYCLE SHOWSaturday June 19th - 20thYork Racecoursewww.yorkcycleshow.co.uk
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 67
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACETO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL CARLY BAILEY ON 01992 535647
The BikeBiz Marketplace offers a complete
marketing package of print, online and
editorial visibility, allowing companies the
opportunity to maintain contact with
readers each month without the associated
cost of full display advertising.
The BikeBiz Marketplace, and its associated
online version, has been designed to offer
readers a directory of all products and
services in the bike trade.
Your presence in this section ensures that
your company’s details are easily found,
keeping you one step ahead of your
competitors.
The standard package includes:
� A quarter page advert in each issue
� Regular editorial coverage in the
dedicated column
� Company details listed in the online
directory with web link
� Company details listed in the BikeBiz
Marketplace Contacts
To get your company featured here contact:
Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 or
Marketplace Rates: Quarter Page
£175 (minimum six months)
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE CONTACTS
BIKES AND ACCESSORIES
Madison 01908 326 000 www.madisonb2b.co.uk
Paligap 01454 313 116 www.paligapltd.co.uk
BIKE MAINTENANCE
Weldtite 01652 660 000 www.weldtite.co.uk
BMX PARTS & ACCESSORIES
Seventies 0845 310 3670 www.seventies.co.uk
COMPONENTS
Bob Elliot & Co Ltd 01772 459 887 www.bob-elliot.co.uk
Otagocyclesport 07939 543 016 www.otagocyclesport.co.uk
Pace cycles Ltd 01723 867 919 www.pacecycles.com
USE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com
EPOS
Abacus 0151 342 9799 www.abacusonline.net
Citrus Lime 0845 603 9254 www.citrus-retail.com
Evopos 0845 644 9424 www.evopos.com
LIGHTING
Exposure Lights 01798 344 477 www.exposurelights.com
RACKS
Maxx Raxx Trading Ltd 0845 230 3799 www.maxxraxx.co.uk
Pendle 01282 699 555 www.pendle-bike.co.uk
REPAIR & STORAGE
2pure 0844 811 2001 www.2pure.co.uk
RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
Argos 0117 972 4730 www.argoscycles.com
TRAINING SERVICES
ATG 01296 737 815 www.atg-training.co.uk
Cycle Systems Academy 0207 6082577 www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk
WATER BOTTLES
Bottle Sport 0845 602 9267 www.bottlesport.com
Wildoo Ltd 08709 771 550 www.wildoo.co.uk
WEBSITE SERVICES
I-Bikeshop.com 01709 511766 www.I-bikeshop.com
SimpleEshop 0116 267 5145 www.simpleeshop.com
68 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
BIKES AND ACCESSORIES BIKES AND ACCESSORIES
Tell us a bit about Otago CycleSport:
I started Otago CycleSport in January
2003. It seemed to me that people who
were successful in business and were
enjoying their working lives were either
very passionate about their sector, or
very knowledgeable about it, or both.
I moved into a sector which I had a
passion for, but at the start there was no
clear definition of where the business
would actually go. It took me several
months before securing Stella Azzurra as
my first brand in 2003 and several more
months to persuade a number of dealers
to trust me and stock its components.
Of those first dealers who agreed to
work with me, all of them have remained
regular customers and many I consider
friends, as well.
I have now been trading for eight
years and I’ve grown the business steadily
at a rate of adding one brand per year, as
I now have seven brands on board.
Why did you move into distribution?
I wanted to work with small niche
brands and manufacturers and
concentrate on supplying specialist
dealers. I saw a gap in the market to
work with smaller brands that had
limited exposure to the UK market, or
who were previously under-represented
and to supply these brands to the
specialist dealers who would appreciate
the opportunity to offer something
different to their customers.
How many staff do you employ and
are many cyclists themselves?
I handle the day-to-day running of the
business myself and call upon the
support of my partner Francesca (who
has experience of working in the bike
trade in Italy) to help with seeking to
run things more efficiently and to act as
a sounding board for new ideas.
Are you looking to expand your
product offering in the future?
I am currently looking for at least one
new brand for this year. I’ll probably
have decided before Eurobike and Las
Vegas, and it will be another niche brand
to complement what I already suppply.
You’re seeking dealers for various
brands, what opportunities are
available and where?
I am always open to discussing
opportunities with potential dealers who
share my passion for niche product
offerings and who are keen to support
my particular desire to bring different
brands to the market. Because my focus
is heavily skewed towards components
and not complete bikes, it is rare that
geographical reasons come into play
when deciding to work with a new
dealer. The ethos of the shop itself is
more important to me.
Do you intend to remain loosely tied
to the road cycling sector, or will
you diversify?
Road and cyclocross-friendly
components dominate the Otago
Cyclesport product portfolio and this is
undoubtedly down to my passion and
knowledge about the road sector.
It is not through any lack of enthusiasm
towards mountain biking, which stops
me focusing more on that sector (I’ve
been mountainbiking for over twenty
years now), but more a realism that my
knowledge and my ability to understand
the road cycling market is where one of
my main strengths lies.
SCOTT GREENWOOD
OTAGO CYCLESPORT
TEL: 07939 543016 EMAIL: [email protected]
WEB: www.otagocyclesport.co.uk
COMPANY PROFILE
“I saw a gap in the
market to work with
smaller brands that had
limited exposure to the
UK market.”Scott Greenwood
COMPONENTS
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
COMPONENTS
BIKE MAINTENANCE
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 69
BMX PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS
EPOS EPOS
70 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
RACKS RACKS
LIGHTING
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 71
EPOS
TRAINING SERVICES
REPAIRS & STORAGE RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
TRAINING SERVICES
72 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
WEBSITE SERVICES WEBSITE SERVICES
WATER BOTTLES
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 73
WATER BOTTLES
NUMBER CRUNCHING
74 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
Let’s getstatistical…So just how dangerous are bicycles for postmen and women in theUK? And how much is Best Buy planning to charge for the set-upand delivery of its electric bike range? Read on for the answers...
£49.99 The amount Best Buy reportedly
plans to charge for full set-up and
delivery of an electric bicycle, once
the US giant establishes its
presence in the UK.
23,500: Out of 24,000 Pashley
bicycles, 23,500 will be scrapped –
leaving just 500 in the country.
5th: The position bicycle accidents
and injuries come on Royal Mail’s own
accident books. Animal attacks, lifting
and handling injuries, and simple trips
and falls all placed higher.
32kg: The weight of the load a
Pashley Mailstar bicycle can carry.
33% The percentage of Americans who
consider Lance Armstrong to be
influential, placing him among the
most followed celebrities in the
USA. 46 per cent said they “like
Armstrong a lot”.
(Source: E-poll market research)
Royal Mail to
scrap bikes?
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 75
NUMBER CRUNCHING
684 The number of
Parliamentary
candidates who had,
by May 5th, pledged
support for the CTC’s
Vote Bike manifesto.
$26,130 The impressive amount Cane Creek’s
World Bicycle Relief limited edition
headset raised for the charity.
The money will be invested in Third
World countries, providing people
with bicycles. Cycles make a huge
difference to the lives of those who
have no other means of travel to
access food, water and education.
230,000The number of cyclists riding daily
in New York – up 28 per cent from
2008, according to Transportation
Alternatives.
(Source: BikeRadar.com)
53% The percentage of respondents
to an easyroommate.co.uk
survey that were seeking space
in their prospective house or flat
for bicycle storage. One in five
landlords using the site now flag
up ‘bicycle storage’ as a perk of
a property.
5 The number of Giant concept
stores now set up in the UK,
following the opening of the
Normanton store on the South
Shore of Rutland Water.
A MARKED-UP Haro BMX bike has been
donated to the Leicestershire police force
by Moore Large in an attempt to break
down the barriers between the youth and
the police.
PCSO Vince Preston, from Oadby and
Wigston local policing unit,
said BMX bikes had definite
advantages when dealing
with younger members of
the community. He added:
“It’s a size the children can
get on, and it helps build a
rapport with them. Kids are
more open to speaking to
you than if you are on a
larger bike or on foot
patrol. In the majority of
cases, a BMX is quicker
than a mountain bike –
it’s easier to manoeuvre.”
Preston said his experience using bikes
showed how valuable they were for
catching criminals.
“In a car, they can hear you a mile off,
but on a bike you are virtually silent. This
area has lots of alleyways, so often I can
get to an incident at least as quickly as
colleagues in a car. And
while you’re on patrol, you
can communicate with
members of the public,
which you can’t do if you
are driving in a patrol car,
and you can see and smell
more than being in a car.”
Moore Large supplied the
bike free of charge and
brand manager Adam
Garner believes the donation
will make a positive impact
within the local community.
OFF TRACK
• bikes and kites fly high in
OFFTrack
Dalby XC WorldCup draws 11,000
Bike and Kitefestival – ‘a warm upfor Bike Week’AS A PRECURSOR to the national Bike
Week, which kicks off on June 19th,
Lewisham Council is once again holding
a Bike and Kite festival at Blackheath
during this month.
Beginning on Saturday 12th and
lasting until 7pm the following day, the
festival is supported by TfL and is free of
charge to attend.
Attractions planned for the event
include trial displays from Team MAD, a
BMX track – which can be accessed by
the public and activities such as bike
slaloms and skill sessions. Kite making
workshops will also be on offer to
further keep the kids amused.
Dr Bike will also be present at
Blackheath and is on hand to carry out
bicycle repairs throughout the duration
of the event. There are no parking
facilities at Blackheath, so attendees are
advised to travel by bike.
The Bike and Kite festival
at Blackheath has
numerous activities for
all the family to enjoy
BRITISH CYCLING
has told BikeBiz
that over 11,000
visitors were
present – a record attendance – over
the three days of competition at Dalby
Forest for the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike
Cross-Country World Cup.
Nino Schurter was the victor in a
nail-biting finish in the men’s elite
race, just one memorable moment in
a weekend that also saw Great
Britain show a glimpse of things to
come, winning two bronze medals in
the Junior Men’s and Women’s Elite
Leicestershire police‘down with the kids’
76 BIKEBIZ JUNE BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JUNE 77
Send your pictures [email protected]
OFF TRACK
OLYMPIC GOLD medallist Jamie Staff
and the UK’s number one downhill rider,
Steve Peat, raised £1,120 for the Stay
Strong Fund, simply by spending a day
manning the phones at Fisher Outdoors.
The distributor based its donations
around any retailer taking up specific offers
on KaaBoom!, Vavert and Kansi, or anyone
who spent over £500 with Jamie or Steve.
From their 11am start, the duo were
extremely popular on the phones, with
many retail customers asking to speak
with them directly.
“From the moment we sat down we
didn’t stop. I’ve never learnt so much
about so many cycling products in such a
short space of time before,” said Staff. “To
raise extra money for Stephen
feels fantastic.”
Fisher Outdoors sales director Mike
Cook commented: “We were blown away
with the number of retailers who called in
and pledged
money to
the
Stephen
Murray
Family
Fund,
either via
taking us up on our offers
or pledging money directly when talking
to Jamie and Steve. Thank you all.”
Celebral Palsy lad raises£1,000 for charity by bike
Sponsored by thebrands of Moore Large
01332 274252
“INTERNET SALES of stolen
bikes are out of control.
Imagine if this was stolen cars
we were talking about?
Something needs to be done
about this theft epidemic.”
LCC communications officer
Mike Cavenett lamenting the
spiralling numbers of
stolen bike sales online
“While I do not propose we will
stop using the terms ‘car tax’
and ‘road tax’ online, I will
endeavour to make sure these
are used with the appropriate
reference to the full name of
the tax. We have no political
axe to grind by using the
phrase ‘road tax’.”
Richard Headland, Which?
Car editor, responds to
criticism of his publication
using the erroneous
‘road tax’ phrase
“Everything that constitutes
the Bohle Group with the
Schwalbe brand today exists
due to his efforts, his ideas and
his vision.”
Frank Bohle, speaking on the
sad death of Bohle and
Schwalbe founder Ralf Bohle
“Electric Bike will be the first
full consumer magazine
worldwide, to the best of our
knowledge, dedicated to the
fast-growing market in electric-
assisted cycles.”
Peter Eland, editor and
publisher of consumer quarterly
magazine Electric Bike
“Honey Stinger works for me
because you want to eat them
and they work.”
Lance Armstrong on the
Honey Stinger brand, which he
became co-owner of at
the end of April
quoteunquote
Lance Armstrong
races. Jonny Clay, Cycle
Sport and Membership
director at British Cycling
said: “This inaugural event
has been everything we
could have hoped for. The
response of the public, the
teams, the UCI, and all our
key partners has been overwhelmingly
positive. Even the Yorkshire weather
held out.
“Dalby was the perfect setting to stage
the return of the Cross Country World Cup
to England for the first time in over a
decade. It’s the latest in a string of major
cycling events in the UK that will help us
to develop the sport of cycling here from
grass roots through to the world’s best.”
Steve Peat manning thephones at Fisher
OutdoorsThe UCI Mountain
Bike Cross-CountryWorld Cup in Dalby
attracted a record11,000 visitors
HARVEY HARPER, cerebral palsy sufferer
and son of TV doctor Dawn Harper, has
completed a sponsored charity ride from
Cambridge to Ely and back, raising
£1,000 though Channel Four’s
Embarrassing Bodies website.
With the assistance of a Viewranger
sat nav, complete with GPS BuddyBeacon
location device, those logging onto the
website were able to track Harvey’s
progress and make donations to the
cause – a celebral palsy Charity. This
feature proved very useful when 13-year-
old Harvey, his mother TV doctor Dawn
Harper, and her co-presenter Pixie
McKenna, set-off on their sponsored
cycle ride. Harvey completed the course
on an electric tricycle from Powabyke,
which gave him a boost over the trickier
sections of the route.
Inset: Harvey Harper and Pixie
McKenna before setting off on
their charity bike ride
Peat and Staff raise £1,120manning Fisher’s phones
lewisham • distributor helps police connect with today’s youth in leicestershire
SO, WE’VE got a commuter
cyclist for a Prime Minister. No
doubt he’ll now be persuaded
to drive everywhere in a
Government limo. Well, it’s
hard to protect the PM from a
terrorist attack when he’s out
in the open, vulnerable and
easily spotted.
Of course, David Cameron
would probably be far more at
risk of being killed by an
inattentive motorist than the
actions of an Al-Qaida suicide
cyclist.
London may be becoming a
global cycling city – and this
will sky-rocket come July when
TfL’s cycle hire scheme kicks off – but, in perception
terms, it can still be a dangerous place for cyclists.
With the incoming Government having to radically
reduce the deficit (a poisoned chalice if ever there was
one), there will be less largesse for ‘fringe safety
projects’ such as building more cycle facilities
nationwide. There will be less cash for mainstream road
building projects, too, but cyclists would argue that
diverting just a fraction of the road building budget to
cycle projects would make economic sense. An
economist commissioned by Cycling England found that
for every pound spent on cycling, the result was a
benefit to society of four pounds.
It is good that the bloke in charge of the country is a
bike shop customer, and knows what it’s like being a
cyclist in modern Britain. But Cameron’s cycling
credentials can’t be wheeled out very often. To pander
to the electorate he will need to be MondeoMan, not
MarinMan. So, if Cameron won’t be partisan to the
cause of cycling, who will be?
Enter, stage left, the APPCG. This is the All Party
Parliamentary Cycling Group. The then Shadow
Transport minister Theresa Villers attended an APPCG
meeting last year. At the last meeting, former minister
Charles Clarke was the highest profile member of the
group to be present. A few weeks later he was ousted as
Labour MP for Norwich. Also voted out was Gwyn
Prosser, the hard-working Labour MP for Dover. He was
the chair of the APPCG.
Most of the other cycling MPs got voted back in.
There were also some newcomers, such as Julian
Huppert, the new Lib Dem MP for Cambridge. He’s so
pro-cycling he turned up at the election vote count on
his bike. These cycling MPs don’t always have a lot of
direct clout, but they can apply pressure from within.
The APPCG is run by Adam Coffman of the CTC. This
secretariat is paid for by Sustrans, British Cycling,
London Cycling Campaign, CTC and Cyclenation: it’s
money well spent. And who is the APPCG’s highest
profile member? David Cameron.
Executive Editor: Carlton Reid [email protected]
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What bikes do you own?
I have a few bikes: a Dialled Bikes Prince Albert, a Felt
road bike, a Haro Beasley SS, a Haro Race Lite BMX
race bike and a nice Dutch shopping bike.
In your opinion, what’s the biggest rush achievable
on a bike?
Sitting on the start gate before a big race gets the
heart beating. I’m sure there’s a lot more but I’m just
too scared to try them.
How long have you been cycling?
I’ve been riding since I was a little kid, but BMX racing
since 1996.
What’s your business background?
I started at Moore Large in January this year, so haven’t
been in the industry very long. Previously I worked for
the Cycle Derby project as a projects officer for schools
and clubs, promoting cycling in Derby.
What are some of your favourite places to ride?
I love riding in the South of France – good tracks,
sunshine and cool people. You can’t beat it.
What’s your role at Moore Large? Which areas do
you work on?
I am the product manager for bicycles – including the
Barracuda, Cuda, Freespirit and Bumper brands. I am
working on the new ranges for summer and 2011 so
watch this space.
OFF THE RECORD
78 BIKEBIZ JUNE
SPOKES IN THE SADDLE
EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648
A coalition of the willing Lauren Smith Product Manager for Bicycles,Moore LargeThe MPs and Lords who hold the (tyre) levers of power can smooth
the path for cyclists and the bike trade, says Carlton Reid...
The bike-advocating All Party
Parliamentary Cycling group.
for your future...
We are looking for Cycle gurus in Aylesbury and Manchester to inspire Cycle technicians. Cycling is more popular than ever and looks
set to grow and grow. ATG Training has been
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become sky high. As a result we are looking to
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and Manchester.
There has never been a better time to be involved
in cycling; with the successes of the Cycle to Work
Scheme, hosting the 2012 Olympics and Boris’
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Delivering the world renowned Cytech training for
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To succeed in this role you will need skills including
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You will be rewarded for your skills with a
competitive remuneration package, including
a range of valuable benefits.
This is a very exciting opportunity to take on a
new and challenging role. So if you believe you
have what it takes, send a CV and covering letter
outlining why to:
or call 01296 737800
Cycle Stars Wanted
atg trainingcycle academy
Choose a new path...
and see your career race ahead.
