Issue 78 | July 2012

Transcription

Issue 78 | July 2012
Issue 78 | July 2012
EDITORIAL
Issue 78 | July 2012
NEWS 4-6
BikeBiz grills the new Interbike boss, more sponsors sign up
for the Awards and we sneak a look at Diamonback 2013
MYSTERY SHOPPER
Our undercover reporter
quizzes some dead cert
retailers in Cheltenham, but
also gets surprised by a dark
horse on his travels...
FOCUS ON…
26
WIN A BIKEBIZ AWARD
17
Everything you ever wanted to know about lobbying
for the BikeBiz Awards is covered here, with info on
the new categories and prizes available
30 UNDER 30
31
They’re eager, enthusiastic and annoyingly
young – industry rising stars are profiled here
UNION 34
36
Ever wanted a guide on how to create your
own brand? BikeBiz asks Fisher how it’s done
E-BIKES
in association with
Two new brands step deeper into
the electric bike sector, which is
fueling the long arm of the law...
41
OUTDOOR & FITNESS
Show season draws ever nearer in
the sector, with Germany’s
OutDoor taking place this month...
51
BMX
DRIVETRAINS
61
DEALER PROFILE
59 LETTERS
One of the trade’s bike shop characters – Al
Cook – speaks out to BikeBiz this month
PEOPLE
72
55
76
The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain sends
BikeBiz a copy of its open letter to Nick Clegg
SPONSORED BY
NEW PRODUCTS
74
Picture the scene. Your name is Colin
the non-cyclist and you’re stood next
to a bike hire station on a sunny day
with an hour to kill...
The bike hire scheme bug is seemingly insatiable as the
story doesn’t end there. Now we’re seeing ever more reports
from North America. By the time you’ve got this magazine
in your hands there will be around 10,000 hire bicycles set
up in New York, no less, with 600 stations covering
Manhattan, Brooklyn and more.
So what the devil is it all about? How have we done
without bike hire until now?
Is it a flash in the pan? I’d say it’s still gathering steam. Is
it a move that has made bicycles a permanent fixture where
they are installed? I’d argue, yes. Whatever you think of city
(and rail station) bike hire schemes, they’ve upped the
visibility of bikes wherever they’ve been installed.
Picture the scene, if you will. Your name is Colin the noncyclist (bit of a long-winded last name, that). You’re not
especially into bicycles and it’s been a good few years since
you’ve been in a bike shop. You’re stood near a bike docking
station near Hyde Park, it’s a sunny day, you can see a few
cyclists and you’ve got an hour to kill. Suddenly it’s very
easy indeed for Colin to jump on a bike and enjoy the wind
in his hair (Colin is not yet balding) and – here’s the equally
crucial bit – popping into his local bike shop suddenly seems
like something he should do sooner, rather than later.
There are millions of Colins out there, just waiting to be
encouraged to get into biking. If bike hire schemes can boost
that process, then bring them on.
Jonathon Harker, Editor
Trek rearranges its global marketing team, plus
movements at Orange, EBC and Future
Shimano’s Dura Ace 9000 groupset gets our
round-up off to a smooth, yet shifty start
IN THE SPACE of about three years, the
UK and Ireland have gone bicycle hire
crazy. Two years ago this month,
London’s Barclays Cycle Hire launched,
12 months ago Newcastle’s Scratch
hire bikes were put into action and
Dublinbikes will be three years old
already come November.
And it’s not just cities getting in on
the act. Brompton has begun a
programme of opening ‘docks’ at railway stations up and
down the country, the first in Guildford and then Manchester
Piccadilly in March.
As usual, we’ve been beaten to it by a number of other
countries. Paris’ Velib got off the ground in 2007, the same
year that Barcelona’s Bicing started running. Perhaps
predictably, Copenhagen got in there even earlier. Off to a
shaky start in 1995, most of the first bikes got stolen, but by
‘96 they refined the scheme – using distinctive bikes and
parts that were non-standard, thereby reducing the
temptation to strip them for parts. And from there the
scheme has grown and become ever more successful.
SPOKESMAN
94
Believe it or not, but BikeBiz exec editor
Carlton Reid is singing the praises of the UCI...
EVENTS 80 OFF TRACK 92 NUMBER CRUNCHING 90
NEWS
CYCLE
SHORTS
Black Diamond
acquires POC
Safety and protective gear
equipment brand POC has
been acquired by Black
Diamond Euipment for a cool
$43.5 million.
Rouleur links with
Potter publisher
Publishers of the Harry Potter
books, Bloomsbury, are to
assist sales and marketing of
Rouleurs cycling books. The
first to go on sale will be
Coppi by Herbie Sykes and
will be published in
November 2012.
Kent’s Cyclopark
has retail
opportunity
Kent’s newly opened
Cyclopark facility has an
opportunity for a retailer to
occupy a 112 m2 space.
Cyclopark Trust CEO Laurence
Tricker CEO can be contacted
on 01474 338813.
Hell of the West
now in September
The Kinesis-sponsored Hell of
the West cyclocross sportive
has moved to September
30th. Two distances will be
available to those who enter.
Thieves pinch
Road.cc and pro
cyclist test rigs
Road.cc bike tester and pro
cyclist John Whittington has
been targeted by organised
thieves in a raid on his
occupied house. Be on the
look out for a red/black
carbon Merckx EMX3 Athena,
a 26-inch, white name tagged
Orbea Alma G10, a name
tagged Orbea Alma S30, a
blue carbon Obrea Onix, as
well as pinched lighting and
components.
Sponsors come
aboard BikeBiz
Awards 2012
Flurry of announcements as the build-up begins to
the industry prizes More information on page17
By Jonathon Harker
GATORADE, NRG4, and Cycle-SOS have all
signed up to support this year’s edition of
the BikeBiz Awards.
The partnerships come as lobbying opens
for the Awards, with prize night at the Hilton
Birmingham Metropole, NEC on September
26th – the night before Cycle Show’s trade day.
Leading sports nutrition brand Gatorade
has become Platinum Partner of the awards,
which is focusing closely on the cycle trade
with a new distribution deal with Chicken
Cyclekit. The brand is set for a high profile
year with deals in place with British Cycling,
supplying hydration product to the GB
Cycling and Para-Cycling Teams during
Olympic year and beyond, as well as having
its products used by Team Sky.
New distributor NRG4 has signed up to
the BikeBiz Awards 2012 as Event Partner.
The firm supplies MSC Mountain Bikes, MSC
Components, Tumble&Fall Lights, Aerozine
Titanium Components and Super B Tools to
the trade.
Sneak peak:
Diamondback
2013 BMX
Derby Cycle
revenue jumps 17
per cent
In the first half of its FY
2011/2012 Derby Cycle saw
revenues rise to €134.2million
from €114.4million year-onyear, representing a 17.3 per
cent increase.
For breaking news visit:
www.bikebiz.com
4 BIKEBIZ JULY
Finally, Cycle-SOS, The Cyclists’ National
Helpline, has also signed up to the awards as
Event Sponsor.
“Gatorade is delighted to be supporting
the BikeBiz Awards,” enthused marketing
manager Ashley Read.
“With the launch of G-Series Pro in 2011
our number one priority was establishing the
brand with cyclists and triathletes in the UK,
without the support of our launch retail
partners and colleagues at Chicken Cyclekit
our successful launch wouldn’t have been
possible.
“Throughout 2012/2013 we have a
focused plan to support independent retailers
and online retailers and leverage our Team
Sky and British Cycling sponsorships in-store.
“Supporting the awards is a small way of
saying ‘thank you’ to our retail partners for
their hard work and commitment.”
NRG4’s Paul Connor added: “NRG4 is
delighted to support the industry awards in
association with BikeBiz.”
Cycle-SOS’ Paul Darlington commented:
“In 2012, with cycling foremost as the spirit
Frames will carry
laser cut detailing on
higher-end builds
Early bird tickets cost
just £20 before August
31st, and then £30
afterwards. Tickets
include food and free
drinks.
WITH BMX expert Jason Bonness now
directing Diamondbacks progress in the UK
market, BikeBiz was handed a sneak peak into
the 2013 line ahead of an official launch at
Melton Mowbray’s Terminal One skate park
on June 28th.
Having moved away from German
manufacturer KHE last year, the brand is now
back in the hands of a UK design team, which
works closely with the brand’s team in the
United States.
Bonness told BikeBiz: “We’re returning to a
more traditional standover height on each
frame, which the market seems to have
warmed to once more. This year, dealers will
have access to bikes retailing from £160 to
£450, with higher spec models hosting
aftermarket bits from Odyssey and Alienation
(£350 upwards), as well as removable lugs on
butted frames and 25/9 gearing throughout.”
11 models will feature in all, alongside two
signature frames from Ben Hucke and Darren
Reid and a number of aftermarket
components. Complete bikes will land in midJuly, with the frames landing in August.
Dealers are invited to a presentation to be
held at Terminal One from 2pm onwards on
Thursday June 28th. The facility will then
remain open for anyone keen to ride.
BIKEBIZ.COM
NEWS
Boss promises ‘reinvented’
Interbike for next year
Move to Mandalay set to ring the changes for the US event This year’s
event to go ahead in Las Vegas from Wednesday September 19th to 21st
By Jonathon Harker
of the Olympic year, The Cyclists’ National
Helpline is pleased to be associated once
more with the Awards, which reflect the
current mood of optimism in the Industry,
within our athletes and throughout the great
cycling populace with which we work.
“This is cycling’s moment, so Cycle SOS is
happy to be at its core, providing support to
the industry and wider cycling community
through advice that’s right when its needed.”
Early bird ticket prices mean that the
shrewd can get into the BikeBiz Awards 2012
night for less. Tickets cost just £20 before
August 31st, and then £30 afterwards. The
ticket include food and free drinks, as before.
For information on trade tickets and
sponsorship opportunities, please email
Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk or
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk, or call
01992 535647.
The 2012 Awards have new categories
and fresh prizes – for details on those turn
to our article ‘How to Win a BikeBiz Award’
on page 17.
NEXT YEAR will see a revamped and
relocated global Interbike show, with the
event’s boss pledging that it will be more
of a must-attend event than ever.
Interbike was revealed to be moving
from its current home at Sands
Convention Centre in Las Vegas to
Mandalay Bay convention Centre
(MBCC), also in Las Vegas. This year’s
event will still take place at Sands.
Speaking to BikeBiz, Interbike
managing director Pat Hus said: “Our
goal as a tradeshow is the relentless
pursuit of improvement. There are so
many things we’ve wanted to do, but
have not been able to previously.
“This move will allow us to re-invent
ourselves and we’ll be able to add value
to our exhibitor’s investment. We can
create a celebration of cycling, with more
events, and make it a must-attend event.”
The MBCC’s first class facilities will,
Hus said, mean that Interbike can feature
more events and keep people at the
Mandalay after the show with improved
“Our goal is relentless
pursuit of
improvement. This
move will allow us to
re-invent ourselves
and add value for our
exhibitors...”
facilities. As well as providing a blank
canvas, the new location is also closer to
the Demo Day venue and the airport.
“We will be creating new events and
activities all with the idea of keeping us
together and engaged in one location.”
In the meantime, Hus said this year’s
event, taking place September 19th to
21st, is to be the largest in years.
“It will be bigger than last year with
more exhibitors and lot more events and
activities. We have a number of new
initiatives slated that will further engage
the audience and promises to increase
the ROI for exhibitors. Several
manufacturers that were not at Interbike
in previous years have re-committed to
the 2012 show in Las Vegas. Additionally,
a number of highly visible brands are in
discussions to exhibit at the show.”
Hus also stressed the global nature of
the North American show. “Interbike is
called Interbike because of its rich
international history. We are a global
show with strong participation from Asia,
Europe and South America.”
Cycling increase reported around the UK
National Cycle Network reveals18 per cent rise
By Jonathon Harker
Aftermarket frames
and components will
land in August
2011 SAW a 40 million journey boom in
the number of miles ridden by bike.
Four hundred and eighty four million
journeys were made by bike or foot on
the National Cycle Network (NCN),
according to Sustrans. That total equals
an 18 per cent rise on the number of
journeys in 2010.
In the region of 52 million car journeys
were cut by the increase, with 2011
seeing a third of cyclists using the NCN
who could have driven, but chose not to.
“Cycling and walking are the answers
to our rising petrol prices and expanding
waistlines, but we need safe routes to
feel comfortable travelling by bike and
foot,” commented Sustrans’ chief
executive Malcolm Shepherd. “People
across the country are crying out for
routes where they can get off the roads
and make safe, healthy, cheap and green
journeys.
“It’s time the Government had the
foresight to properly fund cycling and
walking.”
According to the report, traffic-free
walking and cycling routes pay back four
times more than they cost in less than
ten years – a far higher return on
investment than for other forms of
transport.
Find out if the NCN runs near your
shop at www.sustrans.org.uk/whatwe-do/national-cycle-network
FREE EPS TRAINING
WITH CHICKEN CYCLEKIT
We are currently booking dates for FREE of charge EPS Pro Shop training, here at the UKs
largest Campagnolo distributor. Please email sales@chickencyclekit.co.uk for more details.
Be part of the success. www.chickenb2b.co.uk
CH CKEN CYCLE-KIT
NEWS
BikeBiz Bible 2013
registration now live
In association with
Businesses can send in their details from today
By Mark Sutton
FROM THIS month, registration for the
2013 BikeBiz Bible directory is once again
open – so if you’d like to feature, or revise
the details previously listed for your
business, get in touch.
Published and mailed with our
December print magazine, the Silverfishsponsored 2013 instalment retains the
categorised A-to-Z format, compiling
business in the following categories:
Services and training
Media and publishing
Distribution and wholesale
E-commerce and Epos
Organisations, charities and associations
Manufacturers, standalone brands,
framebuilders and agents
Event organisers, event hosting,
holiday and hire
Retail, workshops and mail order
Marketing, PR and consultancy
To submit your company’s details, email
BikeBizBible@intentmedia.co.uk and
include only your business’ name, phone
number, website and a maximum of two
categories in which your business is
most relevant.
For advertising opportunities,
including logo placements,
please contact
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
or Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk,
or call 01992 535646.
Madison unveils marketing restructure
FOLLOWING EXPANSION, Madison has
restructured its marketing department to
enable it to deliver its brand goals in the
UK and Ireland.
Reporting directly to CEO Dominic
Langan, Kellie Parson is head of marketing.
With a wealth of experience from stints at
Factory Media and Oakley, Parsons joined
Madison 18 months ago. She takes overall
responsibility for the marketing
department, focusing on event project
management, sports marketing, ad
campaign planning and overall staff
management.
James Champion is a fairly recent
addition as consumer marketing
coordinator. Champion joined from CSG
and is responsible for consumer events coordination, sports marketing and assisting
Parsons in all consumer marketing support.
Madison has reorganised
its marketing department
to enable it to deliver its
goals following
expansion.
Ruth Schofield has also joined the
team, following a four year stint at Future
Publishing. Schofield takes on the role of
trade marketing and events manager,
where she will oversee Madison’s presence
at all trade and consumer events, as well
as the company’s own internal iceBike*
trade show.
Jack Geoghan has been appointed
internally to the role of trade marketing
coordinator and works in conjunction with
Schofield as part of the trade marketing
team.
In addition competitive road cyclist
Chris Snook has become the new Madison
press officer. Finally, the marketing
department is rounded off by Ian Carter as
communications officer. In this role, Carter
is responsible for Madison’s various social
media accounts, websites, email
campaigns and press releases.
0208 385 3385
There is more people news in our
Recruitment section on page 55
Bern releases female
SKU due to demand
Bern’s Lenox helmet,
produced after the Watt
helmet proved a big hit
with women
6 BIKEBIZ JULY
DUE TO popular demand, Londonfavourite Bern has launched the Lenox
helmet – a female version of its popular
Watt model.
This smaller outer-shelled version of the
Watt, with softer lines and vents, is offered
in feminine colour schemes after women
took to the Watt helmet in their droves.
UK distributor Ultra Sport told BikeBiz:
“If you stood on a street corner in London
during the rush hour you would tend to
see quite a lot of women riding by
wearing the Watts.
“We actually did a collaboration version
of the new Lenox with specialist women’s
retailer Cycle Chic and that was first
available in May.”
The Lenox retails between £50 and £60
dependent on colour.
The original Watt helmet was inspired
by skate style headgear.
Bern also serves the snow, ski and
wakeboarder markets with helmets and
features head gear for most genres of
cycling that don’t make wearers ‘feel self
conscious or nerdy about wearing
helmets’, the brand said.
Interested dealers should contact
stuart@ultrasporteu.com
www.bernunlimited.com
BIKEBIZ.COM
CHAIN REACTION
Snap Distribution’s
back yard – no
grass, just ramps
Bicycle MotoX
explained…
Let’s face it, anything seen as ‘trendy’ can be scary
to become involved with for a bike shop. Snap
Distribution co-owner Rich Moore discusses the
Olympics, why cheap bikes turn potential riders
away from cycling and why the rider-owned
business is the future…
BMX HAS been growing pretty consistently
over the past five years or more, with the
industry built on stronger foundations than
it has ever been in the past. Skateparks and
plazas have sprung up in every corner of
the UK. It wasn’t long ago that a new
skatepark opening was big news in the BMX
media, whereas now it goes virtually
unnoticed.
The industry is underpinned by several
solid rider-owned distributors who care
about BMX and put back in to the sport by
sponsoring riders and events. This drives the
long-term growth in BMX and ensures
there are always new riders coming through
who have people to look up to.
8 BIKEBIZ JULY
WHAT’S TRENDING?
The way the majority of BMXers start is with a
complete bike that they either buy themselves
or, if they’re young, their parents buy for them.
There are some excellent entry and mid-level
bikes on the market for riders starting out in
BMX, but the challenge is to get them started
on one of these rather than a pseudo-BMX
from the local non-specialist or supermarket.
It’s all too common for someone to be talked
in to buying something that doesn’t do the job
and gets them laughed out of the skatepark on
their first visit. This can put them off BMX for
life so it’s essential that first-time buyers are
pointed in the right direction by a
knowledgeable BMX-focused shop.
“Once riders
are immersed
in BMX, they
stay for a long
time – caught
up in the
culture and
the market...”
Rich Moore,
Snap
Distribution
BMX riders often have
a strange way of
looking at the world...
Experience shows that once riders are into
BMX, they stay in for a long time – immersed
in the culture and investing in after-market
parts, shoes and clothing. A typical custom bike
costs £800 to £1,500 and is often built up over
time as parts on a complete bike are upgraded
until the point it’s unrecognisable – another
reason a good complete should be fully
upgradeable from the start, rather than
sporting some of the 1-inch quill stems from
the 1980s and oversized seat posts common in
Argos and Tesco, et al.
Good dealers will stock a decent range of
completes from recognised brands across a
range of price points and, preferably, parts that
riders can upgrade to later. Rider-owned brands
that invest back into BMX tend to sell best
with leading UK rider-owned brands doing
particularly well.
When we refer to BMX we mean ‘freestyle’
which encompasses park, dirt and street riding.
What this doesn’t include is racing – the focus
of BMX in this summer’s Olympics. Racing is so
different to BMX that most shops don’t go near
it. This is understandable as the parts are
completely different and riders tend to be
much more fickle about sizing and weight.
Racing is also tiny, but is growing rapidly (albeit
from a small base) so shops with a big local
race scene are embracing it and doing good
business.
We’ll wait and see if the Olympics have a
big effect this summer – though I can’t
remember participation in Javelin or tug of war
increasing massively in the past. Having said
that, BMX also has a big part in the Opening
Ceremony with auditions recently being held to
recruit scores of freestyle riders to backflip in
front of a TV audience of billions – no pressure!
BMX has come a long way in the last ten years,
and long may it continue.
BIKEBIZ.COM
AVAILABLE FROM FEBRUARY 2012
EXCLUSIVELY FROM FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE
BIKEBIZ.COM
WE ARE BIKE MAINTENANCE
weldtite.co.uk/facebook • weldtite.co.uk/twitter
BIKEBIZ JULY 9
BIKE HUB
Safeguarding the
future of cycling
It has been another big year for the industry
levy. Phillip Darnton, Bike Hub executive
director, explains how the bike trade has
been investing for the years ahead…
The Bike Hub shop
finder app in action
THIS YEAR marks the seventh anniversary of
Bike Hub. In his speech in the House of
Commons in March, Transport Minister
Norman Baker expressed his appreciation to
the cycle industry for their continuing support
for initiatives to promote safe cycling,
especially to young people, through Bike Hub.
He singled out Bike It, The Big Pedal, and the
Bike Hub app for special mention.
SO HOW SUCCESSFUL HAS
BIKE HUB BEEN?
Contributions in 2011 have exceeded
£400,000 (£404,993). The final quarter of the
year was particularly encouraging with a total
of £120,300.
In three out of the four last calendar years,
contributions have topped £400,000; at
£439,000 in 2008 – £434,000 in 2009 and
£376,000 in 2010.
Poor weather inevitably depresses retail
sales, meaning a stock build-up with
distributors, and hence a slacking of new
orders to suppliers. So the dip in contributions
in the year 2010 is in part offset by the
increase at the start of 2011. Whichever way
you look at it, the cycle industry has donated
over £3million, mainly to schemes to get a
new generation riding bikes.
The figures are all the more remarkable
since there are few of the biggest retailers
engaged; not Halfords; not Wiggle or Chain
Reaction. The supermarkets are not
contributing, nor the mail-order or internet
suppliers. It’s all the more credit to the famous
10 BIKEBIZ JULY
cycle brands, Specialized, Giant, Trek among
them, and wholesalers like Fisher Outdoor
Leisure – and the hundreds of independent
dealers who have really made the Bike Hub
idea work. At just £1 for every £1,000 of
purchases, the achievement in total is truly
remarkable – and it’s unique to the UK. It’s the
only market where suppliers and retailers work
together, and continue together, ‘to safeguard
the future of cycling’.
WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?
In 2011, Bike Hub once again invested the
majority of its contributions with Sustrans, the
national cycling and walking charity. Inevitably,
since contributions fluctuate quarter-byquarter – and who knows if the retail market
will grow in 2012? – it is appropriate to be
cautious in the forward allocation of funds,
Top left; Bike It
officers encourage
kids to get on their
bike with a
range of activities
and projects
Hands up who cycled
to school: The Big
Pedal in action, 2012
especially since most of our projects are reliant
on people, and so cannot be terminated at
short notice without having a serious impact
on employment.
So far the programme for 2012 has
committed £200,000 to Bike It with Sustrans;
£40,000 also to Sustrans for the Big Pedal, and
£30,000 for Samsung Bike Week which began
on June 16th (with the MPs’ Bike Ride as the
‘trailer’ on June 12th in London).
The bicycle industry is also the prime
sponsor of the ‘Summer of Cycling’ in 2012,
which has the All Party Parliamentary Cycling
Group as its patrons.
Bike Hub has given a tremendous boost to a
range of activities, particularly focused on
young people, the cyclists of the future.
The contributions, and the enduring support
for Bike Hub, are a tribute to the commitment
of hundreds of small businesses across the UK
to their vision of cycling for years to come.
Their achievements, and the backing of the
major brands, have demonstrated that great
schemes can be created with individually
modest contributions: £1 for every £1,000 of
purchases has generated over £3 million so far.
The message is simple: Bike Hub works; it
works well; and it gets results. So please just
keep doing it.
If you are interested in supporting Bike Hub
please contact office@ba-gb.com or call
02476 553838.
Read a more in-depth version of this article
at: http://tinyurl.com/d6by5d5
BIKEBIZ.COM
DISTRIBUTION NEWS
Scoop links with Aussie BMX label
Freestyle brand Tempered now in stock with distributor Barcelona’s Hood Bikes now available to UK
retail WAW Associates gains exclusive deal with folding bike label Swift for the UK and Europe
By Mark Sutton
SCOOP AND TEMPERED
BMX freestyle and race specialist Scoop
Distribution is to take on Australian brand
Tempered, with stock arriving as soon as
mid-June.
Scoop MD Mason Smith told BikeBiz:
“We are proud to announce that Scoop
will be the official distributor for the UK
Tempered Bikes. If you’re not familiar with
Tempered, they have been around for the
last few years based down under in
Australia, run by Mat Lawton. Frames and
bars are super high quality and are set
apart with their image and marketing on
products like the cross bones stem and
Anchor sprocket.”
Scoop is looking to take on a few riders
for the UK Tempered team this summer,
so if you know a talented BMX rider, get
in touch, or send video edits
to mason@scoopbmx.com
12 BIKEBIZ JULY
will handle sales and marketing for the
Barcelona-designed urban brand.
Fisher told BikeBiz: “I am responsible for
the .com and the .co.uk account for hood
bikes and we are targeting wholesalers
and retailers in the UK. We are also
looking for local companies to supply us
with online facilities to sell their
accessories through their websites.”
For information on trade accounts with
Hood Bikes in the UK,
contact infouk@hoodbikes.com
HOOD BIKES VIA AGENT
The Hood Bikes line is to come to the UK,
under the guidance of Mike Fisher, who
SWIFT FOLDING BIKES AND WAW
ASSOCIATES
WAW Associates has been appointed
exclusive importer of American Xootr
Swift folding bikes for UK and Europe.
WAW had been searching for a suitable
folding bike for conversion to electric,
using WAW Associates’ conv-e conversion
kit. Swift Folder designer Peter Reich was
contacted in Pennsylvania and after
extensive talks WAW Associates was
awarded exclusive territory rights.
The standard Swift Folder in eightspeed version will be available through
appointed distributors and IBDs from July
2012. The Swift Folder being redesigned
for electric adaptation is expected in early
Spring 2013. sales@swiftfolders.co.uk
BIKEBIZ.COM
We’ve Got Your Back
Year round cycling apparel for every riding style
www.altura.eu
+44 (0)1845 521 742
WWW.ZYROB2B.CO.UK
better
b
etter p
products
roducts &
a si
simple
imple head
headline
dline rreally,
eally
e y, but that’s
that’’s the
t
Showers P
Showers
Pass®
ass® c
clothing
lothing is
is technically
technically engineered
engineered cycling
cycling gear
gear for
for
racers, commuters, messengers and everyday cycling enthusiasts.
yc
hallenging rides
IInspired
nspired b
rides around
around the
the world,
world, we
we have
have been
been
by
challenging
combining topnotch fabrics with innovative, functional design
d
top-notch
elements since 1997. The result?
re
esult? T
rruly superior cycling o
outerwearr.
Truly
outerwear.
TThe
he qquality
uality is
is
evident, the R
RRP is
can
ggreat,
reat, and
and you
you can
make good money
m
money..
S
ometimes it’s
it’s
Sometimes
surprising - the
products are
are
products
eally
t ll re
ll
actually
really
as good
good aass the
the
as
major bran
nds.
brands.
Elite 2.0
A ffabulous
abulous 3 llayer
ayer w
waterproof
aterproof
jacket using ELITE fabric for
man
manyy outdoor uses.
RRP
Club Pro Jacket
Elite Pro
Waterproof
W
aterproof and
and breathable
breathable with
with fully
fully
taped
ta
ped seams and easily accessible
front pockets.
High mileage,
High
mileage, llow
ow profile
profile ELITE
ELITE
fabric 3 layer jacket
£93.99 RRP
£189.99 RRP
Softshell TTrainer
rrainer
Storm Jacket
Feels like
Feels
like a jersey
jersey but
but protects
protects like
like
a jjacket
acket with
with a multi-section
multi-section rear
rear
cargo pocket.
Durable,
D
urable, bbreathable,
reathable, ppackable
ackable aand
nd
bright
bright. PPerfect
erfect for commuting.
commuting
£169.99 RRP
£59.99 RRP
Aiming at top qu
quality,
uality
y, we focus on R&D, and quality-control
quality-conttrro
ol
production.
in pr
ro
oduction. More
M re than 2000 assorted tools and new products
Mor
pro
oducts
llaunched
aunched e
very y
ear, w
em
onitor e
very s
tep ffrom
rom m
anufacturing,
every
year,
we
monitor
every
step
manufacturing,
p
roduction, finished
finished p
roducts tto
o packing
packing until
until the
the products
products are
are
production,
products
sent to our cons
sumers.
consumers.
W
ell only
only
Wee ssell
uality
hhigh-end
igh-end qquality
product
ts.
products.
IIff aany
ny ooff oour
ur
pproducts
roducts aren’t
aren’t aass
ggood
ood as
as yyour
our ccurrent
urrent
s
ones, just send
them ba
ck
back
and we will
w
refund the money
m
money..
£219.00
Workstation
W
orkstatiion
o
The ultima
ultimate
atte toolbox professional or home
mechanic. Superb value.
nrg4
nrg4 is
is growing
growing
ra
rapidly
get
pidly - ge
et on
bboard
oard bbefore
efore they
they
lose the door
cclose
ddoor.r.
£3840.00
RRP
A range of
over 2000
Tools
o
Tools
Professional
P
rofessional Work
Work
Stand TB WS30
17 Piece
Pi TTool
oooll Set
S t
TBA 1000
Perfect ffor
Perfect
or aany
ny level
level of
of capability.
capability. Simple
Simple to
to
store and provides a strong base to work from.
For a hhome
For
ome m
mechanic
echanic tthis
his product
product covers
covers
more than enough of the essentials.
£203.99 RRP
£76.00 RRP
Professional Wheel
TTruing
rruing Stand TB PF30
TTorque
oorrqque Wrench
TB-TW20
he
The bbest
The
est vvalue
alue truing
truing sstand
tand iinn tthe
industr
y. This product turns heads.
industry.
wards carbon this is a
With the move to
towards
tool ever
ybody requires. 3-15Nm
everybody
£417.15 RRP
£99.00 RRP
elative to
s
Both elements of
o our brand name have a meaning rrelative
t our company’
company’s
ROZINE, a rrocket
AER
ocket fuel in former times estab
lishes a link to
philosophy: AEROZINE,
establishes
oducts.
background - aer
ospace engineering for weight optimiz
zed pr
our background
aerospace
optimized
products.
TIT
TA
ANIUM, the most
m sophisticated metal - light like aluminiu
um, tough like
TITANIUM,
aluminium,
steel, plays an im
mportant rrole
ole in our pr
oduct range.
important
product
Bottom Bracket
nrg4 iiss about
about
nrg4
ssupporting
upporting the
the
llocal
ocal dealer
dealer in
in an
an
aarea
rea aand
nd not
not about
about
eevery
ry
selling to ever
dealer na
tionnwide.
nationwide.
A large
range of
Outerwear
94g with ceramic bearing which gives
a prolonged life and enhanced
performance.
X12 2 AD
A 2 x 10 product of
uunequalled
nequalled vvalue
alue aagainst
gainst
performance.
£183.59
£
183.59
RRP
A rrange
ange of
of
more
500
more than
than 5
00
Components
Aluminium
bolt
A
luminium 2 b
olt
post XP1.2
Weighing only
Weighing
only 202g.
202g. This
This product
product will
will
enhance the bike you ride.
£45 00 RRP
£45.00
£44 99 RRP
£44.99
Stem XS1
Quick
TTitanium
itanium Q
uick
Release
An aarray
An
rray ooff pproducts
roducts in
in a variety
variety of
of
colours which maximises weight
with looks.
£45.99 RRP
Superb
Superb lightweight
lightweight skewers
skewers for
for mountain
mountain
bikes. Ideal when racing.
£29.99 RRP
Call
Ca
all us on
n 0870
0
240
0 4219.
bigger margins...
beauty of being successful with us.
Tumble and Fall is a leading light brand
within the UK market.
Specialist
Bikes and
Lights
MSC design high quality bikes which
compete in any market.
1200L Front Light
The most powerful light for the
money. Perfect for night riding.
8/10 MBR Magazine
MSC Blast
£3250.00
RRP
The winner of the d&I
award at Taipei for
best bike.
Long sleeved with
protection for maximum
performance.
£166.00 RRP
900L Front Light
F5 Evo Downhill Bike
A brilliant spot and all-round peripheral
vision. Lightweight for either handlebar or
helmet mount.
£129.99 RRP
RRP
£21.99
RRP
Underwear for
Cycling, Running
and Motorcycling
Has all the usual perspiration qualities
associated with an underwear garment.
This product gives a guaranteed cool
feeling during those hot days
£41.99 RRP
£39.99 RRP
TS 2 Long Sleeve
Base Layer
GLX
£48.99 RRP
C02 Inflator - Elite
Full CNC machined.
Smart valve include presta
and Schrader. Red Dot design
and d&I award winner.
£3500.00 RRP
SMX Sleeveless
Base Layer
Unich Mini HP Pumps - With unique and innovative design,
UNICH provides engineered designed products.
C02 Inflator Pro
An improved version of one of the
world’s best downhill bikes.
TS1 Short Sleeve
Base Layer
An iconic undergarment for maximum
protection against perspiration.
£174.99
A brilliant piece of technology which
brings a stiff, compact superb piece of art.
£149.99 RRP
Original Carbon Underwear - Made in Italy and lead by Marco
Dallolmo with more than 40 years of experience in product and
development in fabric and lingerie, SIXS is offering us an innovative
line of underwear and sportswear made of Carbon.
Pro Bike 4 Kit
Ultra-Light
Carbon Chain Guide
Keeps out the cold but also allows
excess heat to disperse. Perfect
under glove.
£29.99 RRP
More than 50
award winning
Pumps
MP G6 Pro
Floor Pump CNC machined
Weighing just 18.8g this pump is
designed to feel like it’s not there.
Smart value technology
aluminium Pump. Smart valve, air release
and gauge. 260 PSI, Presta or Schrader
£16.99 RRP
£74.99 RRP
MP BV S
MP BV S Orange
183mm in length and weighing just
102g. A perfect addition when
thinking about riding.
183mm in length and weighing just 102g.
A perfect addition when
thinking about riding.
£25.99 RRP
£25.99 RRP
Or email sales@nrg4.co.uk
Aerozine, SuperB,
ShowersPass,
Unich, Sixs, and
Tumble and Fall
are all proud to
work with nrg4.
So you should
be too.
If there was a
time to look at
alternatives,
that time is most
definately now.
Relate the quality
of your product
against the price.
Then rate ours.
You’ll be very
surprised.
Success at the
european bike
shows confirms
the end user
values our
product range.
View the tests we
have undertaken
- the leading bike
magazine editors
agree with the
quality of
our products.
Helium jersey
Fit and
Performance
Helium: Lightweight, highly
technical jersey crafted with 4 high
performance fabrics
www.mavic.com
Front:
fabric with 3D structured fiber for a close but comfortable fit
Shoulders:
tightly woven Lycra for UV protection
Back:
mesh with limited vertical elasticity to support back pockets
Neck:
Higher cut for protection with a light, high ventilation mesh insert
Lightness:
140gms in size Medium
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012
How to win a
BikeBiz Award
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012:
DATES TO REMEMBER
Or, all you ever wanted to know about the BikeBiz Awards but were too
afraid to ask. This is your guide to how to lobby to get deserving retailers,
distributors, brands and associations in the running for a prize…
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, but September marks the
fifth anniversary of the BikeBiz Awards and half
a decade of honouring the industry’s triumphs.
After the launch back in 2008, the awards
became a live event from 2009 and onwards,
providing the trade with the chance to meet
up and celebrate the successes of the industry
together with a beer or two. But while 2012’s
event may be a bit of a milestone for us, the
BikeBiz Awards are really all about the hard
work done by the people in the business.
With that in mind we’ve expanded the
number of awards on offer, with more
categories to honour achievements in
distribution, retail and the wider industry. All
the awards are lobbied for, judged and won by
the trade and we’re now asking for you to
lobby us, telling us who you think deserves one
of the prizes.
All you have to do is suggest who should be
in the running for an award, with a sentence or
two explaining why the company deserves it
and email it to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk.
You’ve got until July 13th to lobby, after
which we’ll compile the list of finalists, which
will be announced later in July. Then it’s time
for the industry judges to choose the winners,
to be revealed at the Awards night on
Wednesday September 26th at the Hilton
Metropole, NEC, Birmingham.
http://tinyurl.com/cx74flj
BIKEBIZ.COM
Lobbying closes Friday July 13th
Finalists announced Monday July 23rd
BikeBiz Awards night takes place on
Wednesday September 26th
Lobby us at:
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
Early bird tickets cost
just £20 before August
31st, and then £30
afterwards.
Contact Carly.Bailey@
intentmedia.co.uk or
Jennie.Lane@
intentmedia.co.uk or
call 01992 535647
for the full details
Say who you think
should be in the running
for an award, plus a
sentence or two on why
they deserve one and
email bikeawards@
intentmedia.co.uk
Sponsorship enquiries should be directed:
to Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012:
THE CATEGORIES
Independent Retailer
Specialist Retailer
Workshop
Star Store
Bike Distributor: Sales Team
Bike Distributor: Marketing Team
P&A Distributor: Sales Team
P&A Distributor: Marketing Team
Specialist Distributor
Consumer Print Publication
Consumer Website
Best Use of Social Media
Bike Brand
P&A Brand
Services & Training
>>>
Cycling Campaign of the Year
BIKEBIZ JULY 17
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012
>>>
SPECIALIST RETAILER
WORKSHOP
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to online retailers and High
Street chains in the cycle retail business.
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any retail bicycle
workshop currently operating in the trade,
whether independent, High Street chain or a
solely workshop business.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
RETAIL AWARDS
INDEPENDENT RETAILER
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any independent
specialist cycle retailer. Entrants for this
category must have ten or fewer stores and
must not carry out their retail business
exclusively over the internet.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Customer service
● Product knowledge
● Range and in-store merchandising
● Marketing activity
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
independent retailer simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the retailer has had an outstanding 12
months.
18 BIKEBIZ JULY
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is voted for by the Judging Panel,
which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Commitment to an orderly marketplace
● Reliability
● Range
● Customer service
● Product knowledge
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Organisation
● Customer communication
● Level of training of workshop staff
● Popularity
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
specialist retailer or High Street chain simply
by emailing their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
online retailer or High Street chain has had an
outstanding 12 months.
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a Retail
Workshop simply by emailing their nomination
to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
retail workshop has had an outstanding 12
months.
STAR STORE
Moore Large’s Dale
Smith walks away with
Knog’s Brand award
(left); Evans Cycles’
Peter Kimberley
collected both of the
retailer’s awards
(bottom left); Aside
from the award giving,
the night provides
chance for the trade to
have a beer and a chat
(bottom and right)
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any single cycle retail
shop, inclusive of independents, High Street
chains or mainstream outlet.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Customer service
● Reputation
● Product knowledge
● Merchandising
● Marketing activity
● Sales performance
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012
The trade expectantly
awaits the results...
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
individual cycle shop simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the specific cycle shop has had an
outstanding 12 months.
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
P&A distributor sales team simply by emailing
their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
P&A distributor sales team has had an
outstanding 12 months.
DISTRIBUTOR AWARDS
BIKE DISTRIBUTOR: SALES TEAM
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any high achieving
distribution sales team, selling bicycles to trade
outlets.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
P&A DISTRIBUTOR: MARKETING TEAM
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any high achieving
distribution marketing team, raising the profile
of their P&A brands.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Creativity and execution
● Impact on sales performance
● Effective communication of product
messaging
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Sales performance
● Over achievement
● Customer service
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
bike distributor sales team simply by emailing
their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
bike distributor sales team has had an
outstanding 12 months.
BIKE DISTRIBUTOR: MARKETING
TEAM
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any high achieving
distribution marketing team, raising the profile
of their bike brands.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
BIKEBIZ.COM
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Sales performance
● Over achievement
● Customer service
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
bike distributor marketing team simply by
emailing their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
bike distributor marketing team has had an
outstanding 12 months.
P&A DISTRIBUTOR: SALES TEAM
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any high achieving
distribution sales team selling P&A to trade
outlets.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Creativity and execution
● Impact on sales performance
● Effective communication of product
messaging
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
P&A distributor marketing team simply by
emailing their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
P&A distributor marketing team has had an
outstanding 12 months.
SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any distributor operating
to a high standard inside a particular sector
within the cycle or outdoor industry.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists before announcing a set of
Finalists on July 23rd.
>>>
BIKEBIZ JULY 19
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012
>>>
Cycling Plus editor Rob
Spedding takes to the
stage to collect a prize
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any retailer, distributor,
brand or cycle organisation that has made the
biggest positive impact on their brand via
social media, including You Tube, Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn or any of the various other
social media channels.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Customer service
● Speed of service
● Fulfilment
● Commitment to an orderly marketplace
● Product condition
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
specialist distributor simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the specialist distributor has had an
outstanding 12 months.
MEDIA AWARDS
CONSUMER PRINT PUBLICATION
Who is eligible for this award?
Any consumer-facing bicycle-based magazine,
general interest magazine or national
newspaper section dedicated to cycling.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is voted for by the Judging Panel,
which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Compelling editorial
● Circulation development
● Design
● Independence and integrity of reviews
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
consumer magazine or national newspaper
section simply by emailing their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 15th
with a brief summary of why you think the
magazine has had an outstanding 12 months.
20 BIKEBIZ JULY
PEOPLE AND INDUSTRY
CONSUMER WEBSITE
Who is eligible for this award?
Any consumer-facing bicycle-based media
website or blog.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is voted for by the Judging Panel,
which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Compelling editorial
● Design
● Independence and integrity of reviews
● Reliability
● User interface
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
consumer site simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the site has had an outstanding 12
months.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Effectiveness in bring the brand/company to
a wider audience
● Engaging with customers and social media
audience
● Innovation in type of communication
● Influence
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
retailer, distributor, brand or cycle organisation
simply by emailing their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
retailer, distributor, brand or cycle organisation
has had an outstanding 12 months.
BIKE BRAND
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any bicycle brand.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is voted for by the Judging Panel,
which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
>>>
BIKEBIZ.COM
Event Partner
2
1
0
2
S
D
AWAR
HILTON BIRMINGHAM METROPOLE
CATEGORIES FOR 2012:
Independent Retailer | Specialist Retailer | Workshop | Star Store
Bike Distributor: Sales Team | Bike Distributor: Marketing Team | P&A Distributor: Sales Team
P&A Distributor: Marketing Team | Specialist Distributor | Consumer Print Publication
Consumer Website | Best Use of Social Media | Bike Brand P&A Brand
Services & Training | Cycling Campaign of the Year
EARLY BIRD TICKETS
£20
Offer closes August 31st
(£30 full price)
For information on trade tickets and
sponsorship opportunities, please email
Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk or
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
or call 01992 535647
BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2012
>>>
CYCLING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the P&A brand has had an outstanding
12 months
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any campaign or
campaigning body that has helped attract new
cyclists to the market or has sought to improve
the reputation or safety of cycling.
SERVICING AND TRAINING
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any service or training
provider operating within the cycle industry.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Commercial success
● Innovation
● Marketing
● Performance
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
bike brand simply by emailing their nomination
to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
bike brand has had an outstanding 12 months.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Sean Lally thanks the
trade for voting as he
collects Cycle Systems
Academy’s award
(top left)
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is then voted for by the Judging
Panel, which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Impact on the industry
● Reach
● Reputation
● Customer service
P&A BRAND
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any bicycle parts and
accessories brand.
How is this award won?
BikeBiz will take soundings from the industry
and consider any direct lobbying from retailers,
suppliers or general readers before announcing
a set of Finalists on July 23rd.
The winner is voted for by the Judging Panel,
which will consist of at least 50 industry
executives taken from all sectors of the
business.
Members of the jury vote in confidence and
are only revealed after voting is complete. They
cannot vote for themselves or associated
companies.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Commercial success
● Innovation
● Marketing
● Performance
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
P&A brand simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
22 BIKEBIZ JULY
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
service or training provider simply by emailing
their nomination to
bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk by July 13th
with a brief summary of why you think the
service or training provider has had an
outstanding 12 months.
Rouleur’s Richard Bean
wins Alienation Digital’s
extra prize (left) while
the rest of the trade get
on with some serious
networking
Judges will consider the following criteria:
● Level of publicity
● Campaign impact beyond existing cyclists
● Campaign impact to existing cyclists
● Marketing
How do I make my opinion heard?
All BikeBiz readers can put forward a particular
cycle campaign simply by emailing their
nomination to bikeawards@intentmedia.co.uk
by July 13th with a brief summary of why you
think the cycle campaign has had an
outstanding 12 months.
BIKEBIZ.COM
S
ER
FF !
O OW TS E
12
IN N IS
Y E K ID W 20
U L C
B B TO I-R NE FOR
T ILA G S
F S
EA VA IN CT S O ON
GR A IST A AIL TI
T
EX N ET MO
D O
CO FOR T PR
C
DU
Photography: ©TDWsport.com
O
PR
MARKETING SUPPORT
FOR ZIPVIT SPORT STOCKISTS
t0ó
DJBMTVQQMJFSUPIJHIQSPöMFQSPGFTTJPOBMDZDMJOH
UFBNTBOEFOEVSBODFBUIMFUFT
t4UPSFMJTUJOHPOMJOFBOEJODPOTVNFSBEWFSUJTJOHGPSBMM
TUPDLJTUT
t0ó
DJBM4VQQMJFSUPNBOZNBKPS$ZDMJOHBOE&OEVSBODF
FWFOUTUISPVHIPVUUIFTFBTPO
t'VMMBOE%PVCMF1BHF"EWFSUJTJOHJOLFZFOEVSBODFUJUMFT
UISPVHIPVUUIFZFBS
t13TVQQPSUJOHBEWFSUJTJOHDBNQBJHO
t1SFNJVNQBDLBHJOH
ZIPVIT™ SPORT fuels male and female elite, amateur and
recreational cyclists and triathletes from around the world with
high performance energy and recovery drinks, nutritional bars,
gels and great tasting energy chews and a complete range
of vitamins and supplements specially formulated by leading
experts leading experts in performance and endurance, and
developed in conjunction with elite athletes from world class
pro-racing teams. Feel stronger, recover faster with ZIPVIT
SPORT, IT’S WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS USE!
PLUS GREAT BUY IN OFFERS AVAILABLE THROUGH I-RIDE
Distributed exclusively by
LIMAR
The helmet that
Limar claims is the
world’s lightest
Safety first…
And also, weight first. Limar has refused to accept that lightweight helmets cannot be safe, moulding and
reworking EPS to find the peaks of both extremes. Mark Sutton asks Moore Large’s Martin Pounder how,
after two and a half decades, the label has come to be known for both clever engineering and style…
How long has Limar been in the cycle
helmet business?
This year Limar is celebrating 26 years of
innovation. The company started in 1986, using
its previous 20 years experience in expanded
polystyrene (EPS) to produce shape-molding for
helmets. From its very birth, Limar could take
advantage of the in-depth knowledge of
polystyrene molding from its mother company
MPE (Manifattura Polistirene Espanso).
Any proprietary tech in Limar’s product that
won’t be found elsewhere?
MPE was one of the first companies in the EPS
moulding sector to exploit in-mould technology
and its applications for use on other EPS
moulded products. From its inception, Limar
was able to transfer such technology into its
helmet production. The knowledge gained from
its Italian production has allowed Limar to
pursue constant innovation targets, achieving
important goals in the helmet sector. Their
primary goal and objective is lightness. Having
the world’s lightest helmet and the world’s
lightest range of helmets is a unique
characteristic of Limar, that no other helmet
manufacturer and designer can boast.
What must a helmet endure in the testing
phase and which standards does the helmet
range meet?
Limar sells helmets worldwide and therefore its
models satisfy the strictest world certifications,
according to the country where the helmets are
distributed, like CE EN 1078, AS/NZS 2063:2008
and CPSC 16 CFR 1203 – the last two being the
standards for Australia, New Zealand and USA.
Each standard has its own specific test
requirements. CE impact tests are done against
a curbstone (simulating the impact against the
pavement) and flat (simulating the impact on a
flat road surface). Limar is equipped with an upto-date internal lab where on-going tests are
carried out for new developments as well as
helmets in production.
24 BIKEBIZ JULY
Limar claims to have ‘the world’s lightest
helmet’, so how do you go about engineering
a lightweight, yet safe helmet?
The in-mould technology, producing a single
body made of an inner and outer shell, allows
the reduction of the quantity of EPS – therefore
limiting the weight of the helmet, without
affecting the safety of the cyclist. Specifically
with the Ultralight +, the world’s lightest helmet,
accurate project studies on the helmet surface,
as well as on the distribution of the materials, is
necessary. That way you can select the correct
way of lightening the helmet, without
compromising its functionality and safety. This is
the result of Limar’s know-how and expertise in
EPS moulding, combined with a strong
commitment towards lightness and safety.
“The 2013 line
has been
reviewed to
enhance the
Italian style
and design...”
Martin Pounder,
Moore Large
Limar now has an eyewear catalogue – what
brought this about?
Limar are able to offer customers a complete
eyewear range that fits perfectly with the helmet
range. It’s a way to give total satisfaction to the
riders that choose Limar for their helmet. Limar
has developed its collection of eyewear focusing
on innovative lense technology and Italian style.
How do you go about designing a helmet for
a city rider where crashes are often of a
different nature to competition accidents?
From the point of view of certification standards
there is no difference in safety requirements for
road, MTB or urban helmets. They all have to
comply to the same standards and are submitted
to the same tests. The main difference is the
desig. The line has to be ‘more urban-oriented’ to
embrace the taste of everyday city cyclists
without compromising their safety.
Are there any exciting products in the
pipeline for 2013?
Certainly, the new 2013 Limar collection has a
new, stronger focus on MTB helmets, with
amazing new graphics and models: A total of
seven models to really satisfy all MTB rider’s
requirements, while maintaining a clear focus
towards the superlight concept.
Limar has also designed a new great urban
model named Velov, which is fitted with
exclusive characteristics that Limar has
developed and applied to its helmets. The 2013
range has been reviewed to enhance Italian style
and design, with great attention to the ‘Slick Fit’
concept – improving comfort and ergonomic fit
further on helmets in the range by implementing
a new fit system, which allows vertical and
horizontal adjustments during riding.
From a retail perspective, why stock Limar
over competitors?
Limar offers a complete range of in-mould
helmets, from children’s to top-end road, BMX,
freeride and commuter. All Limar helmets meet
strict testing standards and a crash replacement
service is available.
Moore Large also offers excellent dealer
margins and an extensive range of POS to help
merchandise the range in-store. What’s more,
large amounts of stock is held, enabling frontline
stock to be replenished swiftly.
Will we see the Limar brand at any trade
shows this year?
Limar has already been shown in its 2012 form
at the Irish Cycling Show, and received a good
reception from the visiting dealers and public
alike. Moore Large will be at most major shows
and events with the label during 2012, including
the Cycle Show at the NEC. What POS and stock incentives are available
from Moore Large for the brand?
Moore Large can offer whatever POS the dealer
requires, from header boards and slat wall
helmet hangers, to free-standing helmet
stands. For a small stock commitment of just
24 helmets from the range, dealers will also
benefit from substantial offline discounts on all
Limar purchases thereafter.
Moore Large: 01332 274252
BIKEBIZ.COM
FRE GE
E 2 T YO
013 UR
LIS
TIN
G!
In association with
ING
N
R
U
T
E
R
THIS
ER
DECEMB
AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO RETAILERS,
SUPPLIERS AND SERVICES WITHIN THE CYCLE TRADE
Choose your category
SERVICES AND TRAINING
MEDIA AND PUBLISHING
DISTRIBUTION AND WHOLESALE
Legal, insurance, Cycle To Work, sales and
mechanic training, shop fitters, service centres,
printing and prototyping
Web publishing, blogs, magazine,
broadcasting, freelance, books
Importers, wholesalers, distributors
MANUFACTURERS, STANDALONE BRANDS,
FRAMEBUILDERS AND AGENTS
E-COMMERCE AND EPOS
ORGANISATIONS, CHARITY
AND ASSOCIATIONS
ePos, website builders
Trade bodies, charities linked to cycling, associations
Any brands with own distribution,
UK based manufacturers, agents
EVENT ORGANISERS, EVENT
HOSTING, HOLIDAY AND HIRE
RETAILERS, WORKSHOPS AND MAIL ORDER
MARKETING, PR AND CONSULTANCY
Dealers of all shapes and sizes, maintenance
both in house and mobile, online sales
Consultants, freelance, PR, copywriting services
Trail and hire centres, conference, cycle tours,
event organisers, venues
FOR YOUR FREE LISTING OR TO UPDATE YOUR
DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT:
BikeBizBible@intentmedia.co.uk
ADVERTISERS RECEIVE:
e in the cycle trade
4,000+ distribution to everyon
Downloadable digital edition
Print and online promotion dicated DPS advert de
on
iz
eB
Bik
in
o
log
&
ing
list
12 month
dicated Brand Index section de
in
th
wi
ds
an
br
all
list
to
y
nit
Opportu
FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE CONTACT
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk or Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk
Telephone: 01992 535647
MYSTERY SHOPPER
Only fools
and horses?
In 2006 Cheltenham was
said to be the most
desirable property location
in Britain, perhaps that’s why
you’ll find such a wealth of
bike shops to choose from in
the region. Mystery
Shopper visits a handful of
those occupying the town,
as well as a dark horse…
26 BIKEBIZ JULY
Williams Cycles
Leisure Lakes
ONE OF the few stores with customer parking out front,
this visit came during a high footfall time, in which
Mystery Shopper could observe a mother seeking a BMX
being given some advice that gets our thumbs up.
I made a lap of the store prior to catching a staff
member at the till and although still busy, a polite
request happily kept me browsing for another moment.
When seen I was granted his full attention. To pick a
highlight, I was warned of the imminent model year
switch and thus the likelihood that stock will soon be
shifting. This was used to suggest a deposit should I
settle on a bike.
One moment that threw me was the suggestion that
my budget of £900 was ‘too high’ for a hardtail. This led
to our chat, though productive, focusing on a model at
just £600. My emphasis on durability obviously hit home,
as the assistant did do his utmost to re-assure me of
Specialized’s reputation, build quality and support.
The closure of the sale revolved around a catalogue
and while that’s always handy, it allows me to easily
browse the same product online.
ANOTHER HIGH footfall store, with plenty of busy staff,
waiting to be seen in Leisure Lakes is less of an ordeal
thanks to the well labelled bikes, each detailed by spec
and carrying finance details.
One of the town’s two 29er fans, the staffer
contrasted and compared a Cube and a Lapierre bang on
budget well, reading the signals I gave off and thus
settling on the former of the two bikes as the more
likely to satisfy my brief.
I was given jargon-free and valid pros and cons while
discussing wheel size. If it were agility I were after, it
was suggested I opt for 26 and, for comfort, the 29er.
Largely the bike was sold on Cube’s generous spec
over competitor brands, as well as the handlebar
activated fork lockout typically not seen elsewhere at
my price point.
I left with a Leisure Lakes branded catalogue and
suggestion I return to ‘sling a leg over’ come pay day.
Sizing information wasn’t revealed, so buying
elsewhere online would be made more difficult.
BIKEBIZ.COM
MYSTERY SHOPPER
STORE •
ST
AR
AR
ST
S
RE
TO
STAR
STOR
E
• STAR STOR
E
RE • STA
STO
R
ST
AR
OR
ST
•
E
S
R
TA
•
•
• STAR
ST
ORE
OR
ST
E
Halfords
WELL, WHERE do I start. The aforementioned dark horse
has more edged it by a nose. Firstly, this was like no
other Halfords experience I’ve had before. Sure, there
have been pleasant surprises, but this was the Halfords
you see portrayed in the television adverts.
On entry I was stunned to find a staff member facing
anyone coming through the door. This helper, on hearing
my brief, took me to the store’s sales manager for bikes,
who proceeded to take me direct to the Boardman line.
En route I’d noted a new brighter, organised POS, a big
improvement and one which I’d hope will be rolled out
to Halfords stores nationwide.
Back to our bike manager, who by this time was in
full flow reciting the value aspects of the Boardman line
over competing brands. I can’t fault his pitch.
Establishing early a light XC use, a budget, which he
tested once or twice and closing with some good
incentives to buy aftercare, it was top stuff. To round it
off, he checked stock levels and asked if I’d like to secure
a bike with a deposit prior to me leaving.
Flow Store
Cheltenham Cycles
YOU CAN’T help but enter Flow with a smile, the door
handle is an old crank arm. Genius. Though not the
largest shop in the world, presentation and use of space
was top notch, even two central beams were made use
of to display small parts and hats.
The assistant was immediately engaging, striking up
friendly conversation based around the product I’d
chosen to browse, offering opinions and information
when needed and subsequently discussing his own old
school Raleigh as Mystery Shopper took interest.
As sales experiences go, this is best described as
‘friendly service’, not too pushy, not too stand offish.
There was a few good suggestions with phrases such as
‘if you like that, you might like’ effectively used and on
one occasion, a fresh delivery yet to be placed on the
shelves pulled from behind the counter to make the
most of my time in the store.
With a website to go live shortly, the helper passed
me a leaflet on my exit and asked that I check back in
shortly.
CLEARLY A staunch 29er advocate, Cheltenam Cycles big
wheel stock far outweighed the traditional stock, which
it was explained was down to the staff’s faith in the
pros of the larger diameter. That level of trust in product
is, of course, fantastic, but as these things are often
subjective, it seems dangerous to write off the 26-inch
just yet. Especially now 650b seems to be emerging as a
challenger to both.
Mystery Shopper’s opinion aside, it was refreshing to
hear such enthusiasm for a potentially market changing
product. A Trek and a Merida, both under budget by
£150 and £50, respectively, were focused on, with the
suggestion that should I wish to buy higher up the line,
product is quickly available.
Wheel size and brand reputation dominated the
conversation at times, while discussion on fork lockout and
other details were prompted. It’s hard not to be impressed
by the unwavering support for the bigger wheel shown.
Nitpicking, perhaps, but the offer of an earmarked
catalogue and suggestion of ‘more research online’ felt
dangerous to me.
BIKEBIZ.COM
Summary
FIRST AND foremost, none of the independent stores
disappointed, each had their own character, approach
and all very capable in differentiating their offering over
competitors. I have to, on this occasion, give this branch
of Halfords the credit it deserves. I left genuinely
surprised and despite the assistant leaving no stone unturned during my questioning, I have one more – what
if all branches of this national were this strong?
Halfords promised big changes in its last quarterly
report. If this store is an example of what’s achievable
then, like it or not, the competition just got a whole lot
stronger. That’s in terms of customer service, store
presentation and the staff themselves – which on this
occasion were immaculate.
BIKEBIZ JULY 27
options
ore colour
m
,
ls
e
d
o
m
ics!
Seven new
iting graph
c
m
x
e
w
e
n
e sales tea
and
rg
a
L
re
o
o
n.
eM
informatio
re
Contact th
o
m
r
fo
2
74 25
on 01332 2
r
o
f
e
g
n
a
r
w
e
n
a
NEW
bmx
R ANGE
18”
S H R E D D E R
For mor
more
e info
information
ormation call:
01332 274
2 252
20”
2
0
cudabikes.co.uk
cu
udabikes.co.uk
2 5 9
BRYTON
Bryton’s Steven Hsu
with a handful of the
brand’s new products
Bryton up your day…
Fronted by staff who have pioneered technology in the GPS business, Bryton this year hopes to
grab a slice of the cycle market share. Mark Sutton finds out more from Bryton’s Steven Hsu…
BRYTON IS fairly new as a company, but
experience wise that’s not the case?
A team of ambitious and experienced
professionals came together in 2009 and started
a company that aimed to do things differently.
The idea was to break away from the stale
environment of the IT industry and do something
that brings health, fitness and fun together. We
arrived with a mission to create and expand
awareness of the sports electronic category.
We’re still able to utilise our expertise and enjoy
the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.
The Bryton team has over ten years of
experience with GPS products. Our staff were in
fact the first innovators of portable in-car
navigation devices back in 2004. This team has
helped revolutionise the portable GPS market to
its maturity stage now. We have led the
development of hundreds of portable car
navigation devices and in addition, the Bryton
sales and product marketing team has years of
experience developing GPS and consumer
electronic business globally.
What has Bryton brought to market to date?
Bryton brings a line of GPS products made for all
cyclists. Key to the development of the cycle line
was simplifying usage and increasing
functionality to benefit cyclists with instant and
accumulated training results. Bringing in lifestyle
elements to the product with social networking
compatibility has won fans. On top of all these,
to reach more cyclists, we provide a more
affordable product line.
How is the GPS market developing?
From all industry reports, we are seeing forecast
of major growth in the category for the next five
years. Not only in cycling GPS, we are seeing
BIKEBIZ.COM
major growth in sports GPS in general. The
market is seeing demand rapidly growing for GPS
due to social media, which allows cyclists to
download, compete and share ride experiences.
From past GPS product experience, we foresee
a steep growth curve in the next few years.
Although we will see new brands coming into
this space in the near future, Bryton will develop
to have a strong stake in the market with our
expanding product line and marketing exposure.
“Bringing in
lifestyle
elements, like
social
network
compatibility,
has won us
some fans... ”
Where are the goods designed and
manufactured?
All Bryton products are designed in the Taipei
office and manufactured in Asia.
How have sales been over the past year?
In the past year, Bryton has been in the process
of establishing business relations with suitable
partners around the world. This includes Zyro as
our partner in UK and Ireland, who have
increased their sales this year over 300 per cent.
We are starting to have our products present in
a large number of stores in major countries
across Europe.
With more brand marketing activities and
excellent products, this season will be a big step
forward in sales for Bryton. Furthermore, we are
seeing huge jumps in sales in 2012 from all our
partners around the world. The recent launch of
the new Rider 40 computer has been well
received in the market place by retailers and
consumers alike because of its unique test and
training features.
What sets Bryton apart from its competitors?
Speed to adapt to market changes, quality of
service, our excellent products and our
dedication to innovation.
What has improved ahead of the latest
range’s launch?
We’ve got more features, including specific test
and training workouts, better functionality and
durable quality products at more affordable
pricing for all cyclists.
Any plans to move into new sectors?
Bryton already has a GPS sports watch – Cardio
35 – on the market. Our current focus is to
continue bringing new products into cycling and
running sports. We are always looking for new
opportunities, but most likely will be in the
sports/outdoor segments.
How many countries is Bryton represented in?
We’re in over 30 countries around the world
now. Major markets include the UK, Germany,
Italy, Spain, France, Benelux, Australia, Japan,
Korea and China.
How many products are there in the range?
By early 2013 we will have five major models in
the GPS cycling computer lineup (Rider 50, Rider
60, Rider 35, Rider 40 & Rider 20), and with at
least three Cardio GPS watches in the
running/Triathlete GPS lineup.
What’s in it for the dealer?
Bryton GPS powered computers offer retailers
category leading profit margins together with
exceptional retail price points and specifications.
To take advantage of this boom in the GPS
category, retailers can speak with their account
manager for stocking in deals and other benefits
which include top up prom pricing, in-store POS
and catalogues, staff purchase schemes, web
stockist listing and consumer advertising.
customer.services@zyro.co.uk
BIKEBIZ JULY 29
30 UNDER 30
NAME: Adam Biggs
COMPANY: Moore Large
Rising stars
Entirely nominated by our cycle trade readers,
BikeBiz once again compiles a list of some of the
younger movers and shakers in the business…
NAME: Adam Garner
COMPANY: Moore Large
WHEN WE first pitched the idea of a ’30 under
30’ list to the bike industry they said it couldn’t
be done. In fact, ’40 under 40’ would be more
like it, they told us. But here we are, years down
the line, with our latest annual list of some of
the younger members of the trade creating an
impression, destined for greatness in our
thriving industry.
We’ve got names from retail, distribution,
media and brands, representing quite a wide
cross section of the cycle industry. And they’ve
all been nominated by our readers too. Clearly,
if you’re not on the list it doesn’t mean you’re
not up-and-coming (perish the thought), it just
means we physically couldn’t fit you on the list.
So maybe next time – unless you’re over 30…
But enough preamble, turn the page and gaze
upon the future of the cycle industry. Enjoy.
NAME: Alex Pain
COMPANY: Trek Bicycle Store
Trek store in
18-year-old Alex Pain works at the
Cytech infirst
’s
store
the
as
and
es
Milton Keyn
course in record
house apprentice, he completed the
we’re told.
time and produces exemplary work,
BIKEBIZ.COM
All the way back in 2008 Adam Biggs joined
Moore Large after racing in France. Swiftly moving
through the ranks, Biggs is now a key figure behind
the increasingly successful bike brand Forme.
with Center
From securing Haro Bikes’ contract
launch (more
Parcs to working on a top secret BMX
e Large in
Moor
d
joine
er
Garn
,
year)
on that later this
as well as Haro.
‘04 and looks after Premium Products
NAME: Andrea Dovey
COMPANY: Nemesis
As marketing coordinator for Nemesis Active,
Andrea Dovey has already made a big impact to the
brand’s communication strategy, bringing
enthusiasm and creative talent to the team.
NAME: Andrew Spencer
COMPANY: Chicken Cyclekit
Spencer has been with Chicken since ‘08 and has
become account manager for the South West and
some of the Midlands. Not only is he Cytech
trained, but he also has a pet Falcon called Spanky.
BIKEBIZ JULY 31
30 UNDER 30
NAME: Ben Chamberlaine
COMPANY: Chamberlaine Cycles
NAME: Chris Yates
COMPANY: Silverfish
NAME: Damien Gallagher
COMPANY: Chain Reaction Cycles
from his Dad, Ben
Carrying the cycle shop baton on
the 21st Century
into
s
Cycle
ine
berla
Cham
is bringing
a variety of cycle
with
racts
online, has negotiated cont
boot.
to
ed
train
ch
Cyte
is
and
anies
comp
for Silverfish,
Taking care of South West area sales
a past of
from
er
summ
last
rfish
Yates joined Silve
wet MTB racing
competitive road seasons in France and
ng.
in the ‘90s, and a spell with British Cycli
Gallagher is CRC’s in-house videographer, keeping
busy filming and editing for the retailer at global events
and special projects. Lately he’s been shooting action at
Sea Otter and with Vitus ambassador Sean Kelly.
NAME: Danny Lynn
COMPANY: Mountain Mania Cycles
NAME: David Wood
COMPANY: Electrifying Cycles
NAME: Declan Deehan
COMPANY: Hotlines
Lynn, now 23, started with Mountain Mania at the
tender age of 16. Now, via college, he’s full-time and has
worked his way up to manage the shop’s fourth outlet in
Goring, working closely with the local community.
Despite only being in the biz for a
year, Wood has set
up a new brand – Electrifying Cycles
– selling e-bikes
and boosting turnover of its parent by
20 per cent. He
handles strategy, sales, marketing and
product selection.
As sales team leader, Deehan has been key in
pushing through Hotlines’ focus on customer service
and deals that work for dealers. He left a high flying
exec chef role to take the role two years ago.
NAME: Deniz Erkan
COMPANY: Hadron Cycles
NAME: George Scott
COMPANY: Factory Media
NAME: James Horton
COMPANY: CSG UK
Cycles, based on
Deniz Erkan is the owner of Hadron
s up an offering
serve
shop
The
on.
Lond
Hornsey Road in
providing
–
ing
train
of repairs, bike builds and even
pros.
and
ts
usias
enth
ing
budd
to
nce
guida
helpful
32 BIKEBIZ JULY
At 24, Scott is fast, accurate and has a nose for a
good story, working as news editor on RoadCyclingUK
and Bike Magic. With a foot in the road and MTB camps,
Scott has bagged interviews with Cav, among others.
Dealing with warranty claims is a tough job – with
upset customers or dealers with warranty issues. But
Horton is professional and friendly, sporting top
knowledge and his secret weapon of pork scratchings.
BIKEBIZ.COM
30 UNDER 30
NAME: James Braid
COMPANY: Wiggle
NAME: Joe Poyzer
COMPANY: Moore Large
NAME: Johnny Elia
COMPANY: Factory Media
Not only is Braid Wiggle’s recently
promoted
customer services team leader, but he’s
also one of
Wiggle’s sponsored staff riders. The busy
man also blogs
prolifically on his rides for the firm.
Poyzer joined Onza five years ago, then part-time at
Moore Large. Since then he’s become full time as area
sales manager for the firm as well as handling Onza,
sourcing bikes and deciding specs for the brand.
d Factory from a
Elia is Ride UK online editor and joine
edit production,
in
g
ialisin
Spec
UK.
CSG
)
spell with (now
ment, he’s
equip
us
copio
often clogging up events with
for Factory too.
re
sphe
a
medi
l
socia
the
in
key
been
NAME: Jon Woodhouse
COMPANY: Singletrack
NAME: Lauren Smith
COMPANY: Moore Large
NAME: Lauren Vanderplank
COMPANY: Moore Large
In a long association with Singletrack, Woodhouse
came out on ST’s early rides before working at bike shops,
and for Bike Verbier. The aggressive rider has won plaudits
for his riding skills and is now online editor for ST.
NAME: Laurence Boon
COMPANY: Cyclescheme
In Boon’s first year at Cycleschem
e he spent 188
days on the road, spreading the word
to clients and
scheme participants. He now works
closely with brands
and dealers as Cyclescheme’s relationsh
ip manager.
BIKEBIZ.COM
Coach – and 14
After a spell with Cycle Derby as Cycle
e Large as brand
Moor
d
joine
years of BMX racing – Smith
pirit, developing
Frees
and
er
Bump
,
cuda
Barra
of
ger
mana
marketing strategies.
them, plus working on their sales and
NAME: Martin Astley
COMPANY: Hotlines
Before he took the reins as marketing manager, Astley
had worked at everything from trail building to journalism
and bike shop work. Now he looks after marketing for
Hotlines’ brand and he rides for Hotlines-Lapierre.
Vanderplank looks after marketing for 20 brands (she
started with 12), planning, executing and evaluating all
activites for them at Moore Large. With a marketing
background, she also handles events and PR.
NAME: Matt Pryke
COMPANY: Fisher Outdoor Leisure
In his eight years at Fisher, Pryke has moved from
service and warranty to product manager, working hard
at the new Eastway bike brand, which was showcased
at Expo in Feb and will be launching in the autumn.
BIKEBIZ JULY 33
30 UNDER 30
NAME: Matt Cole
COMPANY:Chain Reaction Cycles
t, Cole writes press
Responsible for CRC’s editorial outpu
and much more. He
releases, team updates, event reports
unicates through
also works on special projects and comm
CRC.
for
social media with thousands
NAME: Oliver Green
COMPANY: Polaris
NAME: Matt McDonough
COMPANY: Cycle Systems Academy
NAME: Michael J. Zerinskas
COMPANY: BALMCo
Pictured in classic freeze-frame pose, McDonough is
lead instructor at CSA, teaching and assessing students at
the Academy and in the workplace. He has risen through
the ranks at CSA and scored a QCF teaching qualification.
At 26 years-old, Zerinskas is the owner of BALMCo, a
brand he founded out of frustration as to the lack of
knowledge about chamois creams, embrocation and
recovery products – www.balmco.com.
NAME: Rob Lewis
COMPANY: Avon Valley Cyclery and
Ride IO
NAME: Simon Nash
COMPANY: Green Oil
Green has been at Polaris for two years having started
in sales administrations and now heading up
key accounts and international sales for the business. Its
distribution base has more than tripled in 12 months.
The busy Rob Lewis runs Rideo.io, mana
ges a race
team and heads up Avon Valley Cycle
ry’s web
development and social media campaigns
. Ride.io’s forum
is now huge with the site sporting over
20k readers.
Simon Nash is the founder of eco-friendly Green Oil.
Not afraid to sit in a bath of bottle caps in order to
drum up publicity for the latest green drive, Nash
famously started the business out of his parent’s shed.
NAME: Steve Irwin
COMPANY: Chain Reaction Cycles
NAME: Steve Britz
COMPANY: Fisher Outdoor Leisure
NAME: Tony Jones
COMPANY: Actsmart
As a category manager for the newl
y formed trade
team, Irwin is responsible for sourcing,
maintaining and
promoting thousands of accessories,
workshop and
nutrition products across the website.
Britz has worked on numerous projects over the past
five years, now as the driving force behind Eastway bikes
with childhood chum Matt Pryke. Britz’s skills are also
being used on Kansi, Union 34 and other Fisher brands.
In his business development role at
Actsmart, Tony
Jones has helped independent dealers
connect with the
firm and the wider industry, providing
support to shops
up and down the country.
Exclusive Nutrition Supplier to the BMC Racing Team
UNION 34
Fisher’s got a brand new bag
What goes into the creation of a new brand? Jonathon Harker speaks to
Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s Jonathan Sangan for the inside story on Union 34…
AS THIS magazine lands on doormats up and
down the country, stock will soon be arriving
for Fisher Outdoor Leisure’s new house brand
Union 34. Visitors to the distributor’s February
Expo trade show will have seen the range in
the flesh – albeit in prototype form – with the
line-up including luggage and then clothing
later in the year.
But how will this luggage and clothing brand
differentiate itself from the competition at UK
cycle retail? Is there a section of the market
that is being neglected or untapped?
Union 34 (the number coming from the year
Fisher was established, fact fans) was created
for leisure and cycle commuters – or more
specifically urban office executives aged 28-to35. Fisher brand manager Jonathan Sangan tells
BikeBiz that the firm has done its homework in
pinpointing that market.
“Our extensive research of trends affecting
the cycling market found that there’s core
growth in the leisure and commuter cycling
sector,” Sangan explains. “Bags and clothing
were identified as the categories that represent
both the best commercial opportunity and fit
for our business.
“We studied the needs of the consumer and
found they are not generally being met by
offerings within the market. So for example the
cyclist who wants the convenience of cyclingspecific clothing and luggage whilst on the
bike, but doesn’t necessarily want to scream
‘I’m a cyclist’ – Union 34 solves this problem.”
Sangan adds: “We concluded that there’s an
opportunity for a brand to exist within the
market that offers very technical cycling
clothing and bags that are also highly desirable
and tailored to meet specific lifestyle needs.”
36 BIKEBIZ JULY
“It’s a clear
opportunity
for retailers to
capitalise on
the extensive
rucksack
market.”
Jonathan Sangan,
Fisher Outdoor
Leisure
From the research stage all the way through
to developing working bags and fixings, the
creation of Union 34 took 18 months. Not bad
for a project developed from scratch.
“It was a challenge to design fixing systems
from a blank sheet of paper, which don’t
compromise on the function of incumbent
systems while offering innovative solutions to
existing user problems,” says Sangan. Creating
bags for use on as well as off the bike was a
key test too. Other challenges included picking
the right manufacturing partner to deliver the
range and “creating the brand identity with a
set of clear messages that are totally relevant
to the target consumer”.
BAGGAGE HANDLING
That ability to use the bag ‘during and beyond
the journey’ on a bike is one of the
fundamentals of the Union 34 luggage line-up.
Featuring bags with dedicated storage (for
laptops, clothes, tools and assorted office gear),
Union 34’s range is expandable for increased
capacity. There are also solutions for different
bike configurations, for both with or without a
pannier rack. Year one range comprises four
models, with three colourways for each of
those. Will there be a new range each year?
Watch this space, says Sangan.
So, down to nuts and bolts. What does
Union 34 offer that others currently don’t?
Sangan answers: “Union 34 offers bags you’ll
want to use when not cycling, which you can
put onto your bike when you are cycling.
“There’s dedicated storage options for bike
kit, laptops as well as documents and there’s a
quick release seat post fixing, which means the
system can be used on a variety of bikes.
”It’s a clear opportunity for cycle retailers to
capitalise on the extensive rucksack market
and offer consumers a well thought out
product that answers their business, leisure
and cycling needs.”
So, target market identified, product
researched and developed, challenges
overcome...that leaves just the essential
retailing part of the equation.
As mentioned above, the Union 34 range
will be available for retailers to stock in late
July and start of August.
“So far the response has been excellent,”
Sangan enthuses. “The range has really struck
home with new stockist sign ups every day.
“We have a dedicated team on the Union 34
project and Fisher is committed to lead the way
on progressive commuter solutions.”
There are discounted prices and
programmed pricing for the launch period (to
February 2013). Retailers will also receive one
sleek pannier bag free (worth £89.99) plus the
all-important Union 34 tea mug.
The initial investment is just ten bags and
there’s a complete modular POS system
including pannier and seat post brackets, as
well as a battery powered screen with
instructive video, available. Sangan explains:
“Designed to be the retailer’s silent salesman,
the POS system makes Union 34 a real centre
point of any store.”
And of course there are schemes to get
Union 34 into cycling magazines and online, all
backed by a dedicated site and Facebook page.
Creation of a new brand? Done.
Dealers should contact their local Fisher
territory account manager to find out more,
or phone 01727 798345.
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 37
ACTSMART
What is your
most powerful
sales tool?
ActSmart, writing for BikeBiz, takes a closer look at
the impact retail finance can make on the businesses
of bike retailers up and down the country…
RETAIL-FINANCED cycle sales grew by over 25
per cent in 2011, but this is just the tip of the
iceberg. Research indicates that cycle finance
sales could easily be increased between four
and five-fold with a recent consumer survey
(by Pay4Later) reporting that 93 per cent of
customers were positively influenced by retail
finance.
So what’s restricting growth? Specialists too
often lag behind corporate-dominated retail
sectors in implementing retail initiatives, but
this needn’t be the case. Retail finance is
possibly the easiest and cheapest form of
promotion a shop can implement. It really can
be as simple as just putting a swing ticket on
a product.
With five different APR rates to choose from,
payment terms from between six to 48
months and entirely flexible deposits, finance
offers far greater flexibility than most other
promotional offers and at a reduced cost to
the business.
SPREAD THE COST
The main attraction of finance to the
consumer is being able to spread the cost and
this has never been truer
than in the current
economy. The survey
reported 57 per cent of
consumers made a
purchase purely because
finance was available.
A 19.5 per cent APR is
comparable to the rate
charged by many credit
cards, carries no cost to
the retailer, but allows the consumer to make a
purchase and spread the cost between 18 to
48 months.
Many retail sectors have become adept at
mixing finance options to not only negate
costs, but to make money from finance.
Offering interest-bearing finance makes larger
purchases of bikes and accessories more
affordable at no additional cost to the retailer.
In fact, offering 23.9 per cent APR pays the
retailer commission. Additional sales, upselling
and higher APRs can offset the cost of
subsidised lower APRs used for promotional
purposes.
Bank loans are costly and not so easy to
come by nowadays, unless you are willing to
opt for Wonga’s 4,214 per cent representative
APR. So, if you offer finance you need to shout
it from the treetops, not hide it under your
counter.
71 per cent of consumers surveyed would
have postponed their purchase had finance not
been ‘offered’.
Finance isn’t an easy subject for many
consumers to broach, the option to spread the
cost needs to be very evident to the consumer,
but the individual finance proposition is under
your control.
TAILOR YOUR POS
The finance offering in your business can look
like whatever you want it to. You can openly
promote ‘finance available throughout the store’
on purchases over £350. Best selling products
can be at higher APRs for consumers who want
to upgrade and need to spread the cost. Large
ticket sales can be upsold by offering 19.5 per
cent APR over 12 to 48 months. Temporary
promotions can be mounted at 9.9 per cent or
even 4.9 per cent APR rather than offering price
discounts that would erode margins far more
adversely e.g. a 4.9 per cent APR 24 month term
or even a zero per cent APR 12 month offer can
be more profitable than a nominal ten per cent
discount offer.
You even have the option to flex the
repayment period,
offering longer terms
for higher price points
to assist the upsell and
increase the deposit to
help the consumer
reduce the repayments.
Zero per cent APR
can be used for
clearance, more
aggressive and seasonal
promotions, including packaging accessory and
clothing offers with a bike to deliver a much
increased transaction value and the additional
margin to fund the subsidy. You can increase the
deposit required at zero per cent to further
protect your margin – after all, it’s comparative
to the cost of a cycle to work transaction.
Retail finance has the potential to fulfil
every promotional offer you might need, all
controlled by a swing ticket. You can even dual
ticket product e.g. 9.9 per cent APR 24 months
or zero per cent APR 12 months.
Staff can be empowered to sell up by
applying your own simple rules as to at what
products and price points they can introduce
finance and at what level certain APRs or terms
can be introduced. It’s a stepped offering that’s
easy to learn and apply.
We’ve all seen it on the High Street, so what
better time to make it core to your business?
“A 4.9 per cent APR 24
month term or even a 0
per cent 12 month offer
can be more profitable
than a nominal ten per
cent discount offer.”
36 BIKEBIZ JULY
THE WAY FORWARD
Retailer calculators, education tools and Cytech
training courses – at www.actsmart.biz
National consumer promotion, consumer finance
calculator and shop finder – NHS promotion live now
Fully compliant, nationally branded point of sale to
enable in store promotion
Partner Finance Promotions – brand owners can
create and help fund their own in store promotions
see www.pfps.biz live now
Coming soon – consumers can choose a brand and
find their local shop and pre-agree finance before
they visit
Zero per cent APR can
be used for clearance
and seasonal
promotions
For more information call
ActSmart on
0845 618 7256
www.actsmart.biz
BIKEBIZ.COM
THEY WILL TURN GREEN WITH ENVY
New For 2012. Also Available In Black/Red/White
£1999
SRP FRAMESET
Facebook.com/irideuk
Twitter.com/irideuk
Proudly Supplies De Rosa in the UK
Bikes from £1699. Frames from £699.
Benefits & Rewards Programme - Competitive Margins, Extended Terms, Free Carriage
in association with
ELECTRIC BIKES
The guide to electric bicycle industry news, products, announcements and events
E-bikes prove they’re
a force for good
One bike shop is enlisted to provide
the long arm of the law with more
power. And not just to get up hills.
Find out more on page 34...
Plus: Eden and Beat Bikes grow
their e-bike ranges (p42)
And: What does the Transport
Minister think about electric
bikes? Find out on page 44
ELECTRIC BIKES
FROM THE UK'S LEADING SUPPLIER
Tel: 01279 821243 | info@PowaCycle.co.uk
www.PowaCycle.co.uk
in association with
ELECTRIC BIKES
New brands tap into e-bike
market potential
Beat Bikes and Eden step deeper into sector
Beat Bikes can be folded
down in ten seconds,
the brand claims
By Jonathon Harker
TWO NEW brands in the electric bicycle
sector are seeking dealers and distribution
in the cycle trade.
Beat Bikes, launched this year at the
London Bike Show, is growing its range
and looking for stockists while Eden Bikes
is in the process of creating its first range,
set to launch in 2013.
BEAT BIKES ENTERS MARKET
Beat Bikes showcased its light lightweight
folding electric bike – pitched at the
commuter and leisure markets – at
January’s London Bike Show and is now
doubling the size of its range with a
folding electric mountain bike, due for
release this summer alongside other
products and accessories later in the year.
In the meantime the brand is looking
to bring its sub-£500 folding commuter
and/or leisure bike to a wider audience
through further trade relationships.
The bike sports a 12-mile range, a top
speed of 12mph and, the brand said, it
can be folded in just ten seconds to
around the size of a golf bag.
Tapping into what appears to be an
increasingly prevalent electric bike trend,
Beat Bikes’ 24v Lithium Ion 6ah battery is
hidden within the frame.
The battery fully charges from the
mains in under three hours.
Beat Bikes operations manager Harry
Newton told BikeBiz: “At the moment we
are online direct sales only, but we are
looking for outlets, so if there any bike
shops or distributors like the look of our
folding electric bikes, we would like to
hear from them.
“The commuter is one of our target
markets but we also feel that our bike is a
good option for anyone in the leisure
sector. Due to the small size of the bike
when folded, it can easily be stored in a
boat, caravan or boot of a car, making it a
good option for leisure use. For commuter
we see the Beat Bike as an ‘each end’
solution to travel so cyclists can ride from
home to the rail or bus station, then from
the station to work, or for people who
wish to park ‘out of town’ they can park
and really ride.”
The bike comes with charger, carry bag,
tool kit and instruction manual as well as
a one-year guarantee and free delivery to
the mainland UK.
Technical specifications can be found
on www.beatbikes.com and the brand told
BikeBiz it can make no obligation visits
by appointment to anyone
interested in stocking or selling
the bikes.
@ twitter.com/beatbikes
www.beatbikes.com
EDEN TO GROW INNOVATIVE ELECTRIC
BIKE RANGE
New brand Eden Bikes is creating its first
electric bike, for shipment in Q1 2013.
The NE:0 – New Electric: One – is a
step-through unisex frame to be followed
up with a diamond frame version later.
The NE:0 is to boast three innovations:
wireless smart key display, 42v twin
battery and a 350W hi-torque motor with
integrated roller brake (capped at 250W
to meet Epac). The bike will be ‘consumer
led’ with a simple ‘plug-and-play’ user
interface, despite a high-tech backend.
The firm is seeking a distribution
partner, ideally well connected to serious
IBDs and understanding after-sales, Eden
told BikeBiz.
“We like to work on setting-up
exclusive distributorships per country and
the bike is targeted at quality IBDs as all
e-bikes require good after-sales service
points,” said Eden’s Ravi Hingorani. “We
aren’t looking for big volumes, it’s more of
a showcase brand for the OEM systems
we are developing.”
The bike has been designed as a fully
integrated e-bike from the ground-up and
not just off the shelf assembly.
Hingorani added: “After the first launch,
we’ve got a few more exciting concepts
for the Eden platform pipe-lined.”
Hingorani believes the future of the ebike in the UK is set to follow upward
trends displayed on the continent.
“Living in Holland I’ve had the
opportunity to see the pedelec market
develop from humble beginnings of the
Yamaha PAS ten years ago to today’s
market share of almost 40 per cent in
revenues. To me, Holland is pretty much
the benchmark for how the pedelec
market would roll out in other EU
markets. Germany is already following the
Dutch trend, and Denmark, Austria and
Switzerland are also showing very strong
growth. These markets have traditionally
already had a utilitarian approach to bikes
but with all the low emission zones, carfree city centres, high cost of running a
car and discomfort of public transport, as
soon as the general public cottons on to
the ease and low cost of the e-bike for
short commutes, pedelec use should take
off in the UK as well.” www.eden-bicycles.com
ravi@atc-company.com
+31-651-822 611
Eden is planning to bring
its first bike to market in
quarter one 2013
42 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
Who are we?
A UK based business who have been at the
forefront of the electric bicycle industry for seven
years. Builders of electric bicycles who have earned
a reputation for quality and service that is second to
none. One of the most recognised names in the world
for quality Electric bicycles.
What do we offer?
A great range of 9 reliable electric bikes that retail
from £999.00 to £1,999.00 with good trade
discounts. Superb back up and service department
in Cheltenham available five days a week to answer
technical questions.
Wisper 906Alpino 28”
Wisper 806Alpino 20” folder
Comprehensive inventory of bikes and spare parts,
normally delivered within 24 hours. Easy to maintain
electric bicycles with modular plug and play
electronic components.
We are looking for
progressive bicycle
retailers who....
Are ready to engage in this exciting, growing and
profitable sector of the bicycle industry. Would like to
open their business to a far wider customer base in
their local area. Are able to expand the lucrative service
side of their business.
Standard high quality bicycle
components such as Shimano
Alfine 8 hubs on the Alpino range
If you would like to discuss this important
new sector in the UK bicycle industry
please call Douglas on 01590 681553 or
email douglas.lawson@wisperbikes.com
for further information.
British Electric
Bicycle Association
Member
Hollow tech main bearings on
our top models
Wisper 706Alpino 28”
www.WisperBikes.com
in association with
ELECTRIC BIKES
NEWS IN BRIEF
Electric Swift folder in
the pipeline
Pencilled in for early spring 2013 is an
electric adaptation of Swift’s folding
bike. It will use WAW Associates’
conv-e conversion kit, following
extensive talks with Swift folder
designer Peter Reich.
WAW Associates has also been
appointed exclusive importer of the
brand to the UK.
sales@swiftfolders.co.uk
Hero Eco cuts prices
to reach C2W market
Three models in bike brand Hero
Eco’s range are now under £1,000,
meaning they are within the allimportant price range to make them
applicable for the cut price bike
purchasing cycle to work scheme.
Dealer feedback helped drive the
change, Hero Eco said, which sees its
Fast4ward 36V e-bikes reduced.
www.heroeco.com
E-bikes drive Derby
Cycle revenue growth
German bicycle manufacturer Derby
Cycle reported strong half year
financials and cited electric bicycles
as a key component in its impressive
performance. According to a
statement from the firm, e-bike sales
were up 35.5 per cent in the six
months to March 2012, up to 44,385.
www.derby-cycle.com
E-bike championships
at Bristol’s Green Week
Ten electric bicycle manufacturers
entered their machines into a series
of races up the steep Park Street in
Bristol as part of a e-bike
championship. The rides took place
for the first time as part of Bristol’s
Big Green Week in June this year.
They were organised by Atmosphere
Electric Bikes shop.
www.electricbikes.org.uk/
Think e-bikes are for
the aged?
The world of electric bicycles may still
be best associated with more mature
cyclists, but the sector may have just
got a new poster child (almost
literally) in Miley Cyrus. While the
likes of The Daily Mail revelled in the
fact she got a puncture on her brand
new e-bike, the sector could be
about to receive a boost following
the hugely influential star’s purchase.
Got any Electric bike news you’d
like to see in these pages?
Then let us know at
BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk
44 BIKEBIZ JULY
Police beats cuts by
growing bike fleet
Wisper and E-Bikes Direct supply e-bikes to the force
By Jonathon Harker
BODIUM, EAST Sussex bike retailer EBikes Direct has been enlisted by
Wealden Police to grow their crimefighting electric bicycle fleet.
The constabulary at Wealden Police
will now have 17 Wisper e-bikes at their
disposal, following a two-bike trial that
began last year.
The electric bikes are marked in police
livery and will have a high visible
presence across East Sussex.
“The initial trial of the electric bikes in
Wealden proved incredibly popular with
officers and residents,” explained a
Sussex Police spokesman. “Due to this it
was decided to roll the initiative out
across East Sussex giving officers another
way of accessing local communities.”
During the trial, the bikes were
instrumental in an arrest on Hailsham
High Street, providing officers with
speedy access to the crime scene from a
rural patrol within minutes without
using a car, with the bike riding officer
beating other officers to the scene.
Sgt Howard Nevill said: “The e-bike
proved an invaluable asset in assisting
me in getting to the area quickly and
directly. The bikes were purchased first
and foremost to ensure local officers can
get access to areas but this time it
proved to have another use as well.”
Commenting on the growth of the
fleet, Inspector Tony Wakefield said: “It
has been well publicised that Sussex
Police are having to making financial
cuts but it is imperative that where cuts
“It has been well
publicised we are
having to make cuts,
but electric bikes were
one area where we
managed to improve
our service to
residents.”
Inspector Tony Wakefield,
Sussex Police
are made, we ensure that our service to
the public is either maintained or
improved. The electric bikes were one
area where we have definitely managed
to improve our service to residents. We
have made the neighbourhood policing
teams more accessible to residents in
Wealden and we are now able to offer
this service to the rest of East Sussex.
“The bikes will enhance Sussex
Police’s drive to reduce carbon emissions
through the reduction in their fleet
usage and by reducing fuel costs
considerably the bikes offer excellent
value for money.”
Wisper’s David Miall added: “Electric
bikes are undoubtedly a superb choice
for police forces wishing to see and be
seen by local people, however that is not
the extent of the benefits. In these days
of financial cuts and the necessity to
meet demands for lower carbon
emissions the deployment of electric
bikes are an obvious choice.”
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Cycling is good for your health, good for the
environment and helps to tackle congestion. We want
to see more people taking to two wheels and this
includes electric bikes, which might be the attractive
option for those who feel unable to tackle steep hills
on a traditional push bike, or who might otherwise feel
daunted by the idea of a long ride relying purely on
pedal power. I have certainly enjoyed and appreciated
the electric bike around the hills of Lewes.”
Norman Baker, Transport Minister
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 45
STURMEY ARCHER
Alan Clarke and the
Sturmey team (left);
Sturmey Archer’s
Coronation advert run
60 years ago (below)
Geared up for growth
Spurred on by the 2001 acquisition by Taiwan’s Sunrace, in the past decade Sturmey Archer have a
renewed focus on the quality associated with the Brit-born label. Mark Sutton speaks with UK
representative Bill Nichols and Sturmey expert Alan Clarke about how a firm like Sturmey handles the
21st century bike market…
NOW IN its 110th year, Sturmey Archer has
seen a lot in its time serving the bicycle
business. From cycling’s first heydey, to the
birth of mountain biking and of course the
major downturn in domestic manufacturing,
for which it and many others were forced to
carefully consider their options.
Sturmey Archer’s European general
manager, Alan Clarke told BikeBiz: “Prior to its
demise in England, the Sturmey-Archer range
had become outdated and quality was
reduced. The range is now much improved
with products applicable to 21st Century
bicycles. Alongside a new range of singlespeed
high-end cranksets, they have introduced (or
re-introduced) the type S3X three-speed fixed
gear hub, dynohubs, fixed/freewheel hubs,
single freewheels and now also the two-speed
range of kick-shift hubs.”
With these new products comes the return
of the old Sturmey logo, revived as part of a
drive to keep the firm’s heritage alive. Some
may be aware that Sturmey has a dedicated
URL, solely to recount the proud history of a
brand, which among other things, has
produced some of the most memorable
advertising the industry has seen.
“The company is conscious of its great
history, which has been made available in
pictorial form on sturmey-archerheritage.com.
Apart from technical information about all old
46 BIKEBIZ JULY
Recent years have seen
Sturmey embrace
customisation trends
with a splash of colour
products; the site is also a great history of
British advertising during the last hundred
years,” said Clarke.
The Sturmey of today benefits from
Sunrace’s policy of constantly making
improvements. In the wake of the acquisition
the popular three-speed AW hub saw over 50
tweaks to its design.
Another perk was a fresh pair of eyes looking
at what people on the ground were asking for. If
any sign was needed that this has paid dividends,
OEM manufacturers such as Trek, Specialized,
Cannondale, GT, Raleigh and many more are
now regularly calling on the firm for components.
The firm has become a whole lot more
accessible to enthusiasts too, reacting quickly
to market trends.
“The last decade was pretty exciting. The next
will be even more so. Sturmey Archer is
increasingly become the hub gear of choice in the
commuter, leisure market and Sunrace is now
being chosen for OE fitment by some of the
largest in the industry. Our presence in the e-bike
market is already significant and will only grow.
Much of the development here is too confidential
to discuss at this point,” says Clarke.
”Not everyone wants, or needs, multiple
gears, so we also have our HBT range of single
speed flip/flop hubs for the fixie market with
fronts to match, each available in five different
colours with cranksets to match.”
Since 2008, Sunrace has invested in
developing its road racing product and OEMs in
this market are now said to be considering the
product’s perks against the likes of Shimano
and SRAM. Furthermore, aftermarket
compatibility with Shimano has made the
product more saleable as a service spare.
“Supplying the aftermarket was an important
part of the SunRace strategy to obtain OE
acceptance, because getting product into bike
shops was the best way of convincing people of
the product quality,” says Clarke.
“Sunrace established stocks in the
Amsterdam warehouse with the aim of fast, exstock deliveries. This made it easier for
aftermarket customers to buy Sunrace because
their investment was small. New Sunrace
aftermarket packaging was introduced in 2009
too. As they were new in Europe, they have
taken time to find the best distribution
throughout the EU and this process continues
to this day.”
Sturmey Archer and SunRace products are
now available through The Cycle Division,
Raleigh, Hykeham Wholesale, Ison Distribution
and Greyville Enterprises.
For further information, trade members can
contact UK agent Bill Nichols on
billnichols1@btinternet.com. Retailers can also
download set-up and maintenance material
direct from www.sturmey-archer.com
BIKEBIZ.COM
Are your fingers gnawed to the bone from building mountain bike wheels that don’t have 4D drilling?
Do you have to tape “tubeless” wheels double-time to seal them up?
Do you have to use a compressor and have a co-worker fiddle with your tyre just to get it to fill and seat the first time?
WTB wants to solve your wheel building problems by providing you with a FREE set of our new Frequency Tubeless Compatible System
(TCS) Rims in 26! (RRP £49.99 ea.) or 29! (RRP £52.99 ea.), and in 19mm or 23mm inner rim widths.
FREQUENCY TCS rims introduce new market-leading technologies that allow wheel builders and consumers to hand-build reasonably
priced high-performance tubeless wheels and replace their current non-tubeless rims with WTB Tubeless Compatible System (TCS) hoops.
WHAT’S THE CATCH? You’re the catch. All we ask is that you fill out a short wheel builder survey and give us feedback during and after the
build. We’d love for you to become part of our inside group of dealers that we’ll give special deals to and count on for future feedback. Let’s
have a relationship!
www.hotlines-uk.com
26” - 475g
29” -530g
FREQUENCY i23
26” - 390g
29” - 435g
FREQUENCY i19
Simply scan the QR code below, or call Hotlines HQ on the number below to be one of the first wheel builders to receive the FREE promotional rim sets.
I
Email: sales@hotlines-uk.co
m
I
Tel: 0131 319 1444
SHOW NEWS: SPECIALIZED, TREK, MADISON, CHICKEN CYCLE-KIT BACK AT THIS YEAR’S SHOW
Meet Lucy Garner 2011 Junior World Road Race Champion
on the Pinarello stand
JOIN US AT
THE UK’S #1
CYCLING EXHIBITION
NEW FOR 2012: TOUR RIDE SPORTIVE • SUPER CRIT ON SATURDAY • MTB PUMP TRACK
BMX ‘SHOP BATTLE’ • E-BIKE VILLAGE • MEDALLISTS/VIP LOUNGE
REGISTER NOW AT CYCLESHOW.CO.UK/BB
50 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
OUTDOOR & FITNESS
The guide to the wider outdoor industry news, products, announcements and events
After a foothold in
the outdoor market?
Then you could do worse than head
to the global OutDoor show taking
place later this month in
Friedrichshafen, featuring over 900
exhibitors. Turn to page 52 for more...
Plus: The UK’s Outdoor Trade
Show opens for registration (p52)
And: Solar backpack solves
battery woes on the move (p53)
NTS • SAILING
E
V
E
•
G
IN
IN
A
R
G
• CLIMBING • TKING • SWIMMING • RUNNIN N
N
O
L
H
T
IA
R
T
•
UIPMENT
ING • WAL
• TRIATHLO
CLOTHING • EQ& SNOWBOARDING • CAMP• CLOTHING • EQUIPMENT WBOARDING
SURFING • SKI BA • KAYAKING • CAVING G • SURFING • SKI & SNO ING • CAVING
DIVING • SCU RAINING • EVENTS • SAILIN G • DIVING • SCUBA • KAYAK • CLOTHING
S • SAILING
T
N
CLIMBING • T LKING • SWIMMING • RUNNIN
E
V
E
•
G
IN
IN
• WALKING
A
G
R
A
T
IN
W
•
M
•
G
IM
G
IN
IN
W
B
S
P
•
M
IM
CA
RUNNING
IPMENT
HLON • CL
OUTDOOR & FITNESS
Global outdoor industry heads
to Friedrichshafen
OutDoor is taking place on the shores of
Germany’s Lake Constance this month
By Jonathon Harker
OVER 900 exhibitors from 40 countries
will be visiting Friedrichshafen later this
month for a record breaking OutDoor
trade show.
Running from Friday July 12th to 15th,
the show will feature over 1,000 brands
with global participation at 80 per cent,
according to organiser Messe
Friedrichshafen.
The Eurobike venue has tied the
international event to remain at
Friedrichshafen following a contract with
the European Outdoor Group – the
European industry association – into 2013
and beyond.
The location has hosted the show since
it began in 1994.
"Collectively, Messe Friedrichshafen and
the EOG have proven that they can build a
first class event for the outdoor industry,
and an extended contract secures this for
the coming years,” said David Udberg,
president of the European Outdoor Group.
“Partnerships of this quality are few and
far between and we are immensely proud
of what we have achieved together.”
The exhibition grounds in the shores of
Lake Constance will feature 85,000m2 of
exhibition space, with product ranging
from backpacks and sleeping bags to
climbing equipment.
Montane – lightweight, multisport
endurance mountain gear brand – has
exhibited at the show for over ten years
and called OutDoor a key event for the
“We’ve collectively
proven that we can
build a first class event
for the outdoor
industry.”
David Udberg, European
Outdoor Group
outdoor industry in Europe and the rest of
the world too.
The brand gave BikeBiz a hint of what it
was bringing to the show: “We have many
new styles for SS13. In particular a hyper
breathable and waterproof anorak that
weighs less than 145g and a new
collection of rucksacks.”
www.outdoor-show.com
PIC CREDIT: Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH
Stoneleigh trade event opens visitor registration
By Jonathon Harker
WHILE THE globe’s outdoor industry
members will be on descending on
Friedrichshafen this month, the UK’s own
event – September’s Outdoor Trade Show
– has officially opened registration at the
official site www.outdoortradeshow.com.
As well as registration via a single
online page, the portal lists the latest
floor plan and exhibitor list.
Over 100 companies have signed up to
exhibit at the show, which is timed for
spring/summer 2013 previews as well as
in time for top-up orders for Christmas.
Last year 135 companies showcased
their ranges at the event.
52 BIKEBIZ JULY
Outdoor Experience’s Steve Harris of
Outdoor Experience said of last year’s
show: “OTS 2011 was extremely rewarding
for our business, with a chance to meet
with existing and new suppliers, as well as
catch up with friends, old and new.”
This year the show incorporates a large
outdoor area to accommodate the Tent
Show, creating what the organisers said is
the largest outdoor trade show in the UK
and possibly even the largest outdoor tent
display area in Europe. From Sunday
September 9th to Tuesday 11th the
indoor and tent areas will be open
concurrently. On Wednesday September
12th the tent area will be open only.
Entrance to the event is free.
0161 9807242
BIKEBIZ.COM
OUTDOOR & FITNESS
Snow industry boosted
by extra ski resort flights
By Jonathon Harker
NEW PRODUCTS
SKI RETAILERS and suppliers could be set
for a boost at retail following the news
that British Airways will increase the
number of flights to European ski
destinations this winter.
From December 18th, two popular
resorts – Turin and Salzberg – will see
flights increased from Gatwick to five a
week for the Austrian resort and ten
times a week for the Italian resort. The
extra return service to Turin will operate
on a Sunday, while the extra return
services to Salzberg will operate on
Thursday and Saturday.
Sophie McKinstrie, British Airways
Gatwick, said: “These routes are already
very popular with winter travellers and
skiers in particular, so we have taken
the opportunity to boost our winter
schedule with the extra flights.”
BA isn’t the only flight provider
getting in on the act, with Monarch
increasing the number of ski
destinations that it flies to, following
the 2011/2012 ‘bumper’ snow season.
The firm is now offering flights to
Friedrichshafen, Munich and Grenoble
from this autumn, providing access to
nearby ski and snowboarding
BIKEBIZ.COM
Glamping site opens
to public
‘Glamping’ boutique Baker and Bell
has opened to consumers online.
Created after the founder spent
several unsuccessful hours trailing
the ‘net looking for one place where
she could find practical glamping
products, the site includes product
from Scandinavia, the Netherlands,
USA and the UK as well as a few
vintage items. Take a look at
www.bakerandbell.com
Lacoste opens
London store
French brand Lacoste has opened its
largest store so far, in the English
capital. Situated on Brompton Road,
the three-floor store incorporates 600
sq metres of space.
Modest sales increase
for JD Sports
destinations across the Alps and
Dolomites. Austria’s Zurs is 75miles
from Friedrichshafen, Zugstitze is
95miles from Munich airport and Les
Deux Alpes is 67miles from Grenoble.
www.ba.com
JD Sports reported a ‘marginal
improvement’ on like-for-like sales
(1.5 per cent) in the 19 weeks ending
June 9th 2012. JD said margin has
been under pressure and the firm
reported that its new acquisition of
Blacks was seeing a £10million
operating loss and a £5million
‘charge for restructuring’.
New Bodywarmer
range is a Result
Result is targeting the outdoor
market with its Bodywarmers range.
These all-weather garments offer
waterproof, windproof and
breathable performance, while
lightweight Microfleece inner layers
provide additional warmth. One of
the key lines in the range is the R60X
Crew gilt (SRP £24) weighing a mere
25g. Interested dealers should call
01206 865605 for more details.
CROSSKASE SOLAR
15 BACKPACK
IN THE modern age most
of us have a range of
gadgets prone to
running out of
battery when you
need them most,
whether it's a camera
running out of power
before an action shot of
a lifetime, a phone
running out of juice when
you’re in the middle of an
important call, or a GPS when you’ve just realised you
should have taken that last turn on the left. The new
Crosskase Solar 15 backpack – aimed at sports
enthusiasts – aims to make those battery problems a
thing of the past with built-in solar panels that allow
the user to charge their handheld devices while
they’re training for marathons, camping, taking part in
winter sports or going for a picnic. The
25litre bag includes nine adapter
fittings to connect with a wide array
of devices, from iPhones, TomToms,
Micro and Mini USB and various
other brands. Retail price is £139.99.
Matt.thorpe@crosskase.com;
www.crosskase.com
NEWS IN BRIEF
UK and French trade
bodies join forces
SNUGPAK CHRYSALIS
BRITISH manufacturer Snugpak 2012 Chrysalis collection of
sleeping bags feature a reading light in the hood for extra
convenience. Stored in a small pouch, the light has an SOS
function and can be used in situ or removed depending on usage.
Five bags make up the range with a comfort rating 7degress to
Extreme -20degrees.
01535 65447
France’s Outdoor Sports Valley (OSV)
and the Outdoor Industries
Association (OIA) have signed a
memorandum of understanding
designed to pinpoint where the duo
can work together, share information,
promote each other’s events and join
forces on matters including
sustainability. The pairing have also
become associate members of each
others association to further cement
the new bond.
Got any outdoors news you’d
like to see in these pages?
Then let us know at
BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk
BIKEBIZ JULY 53
BE PART OF THE WINNING TEAM
SALES & PRODUCT PROFESSIONALS
Due to our recent acquisition by the Accell Group, one of the world’s largest sports
and leisure groups, Raleigh UK Ltd is looking to capitalise on its continued success and
embark on a progressive expansion programme for bicycles and accessories in the UK and
European markets.
This expansion programme means we need to extensively recruit professional Sales Managers
and Product Brand Specialists to help fulfil our ambitions in the growing sectors of the cycle
industry.
At Raleigh we are passionate about cycling and we can offer you the opportunity to join a market leader in the
cycle industry. With our continually expanding product range that includes the Raleigh, Diamondback and Dahon
bike brands and leading accessory brands like Shimano, SRAM, Schwalbe, Avenir, RSP, Dare 2b and High 5, we
need committed and enthusiastic candidates who are eager to succeed in these challenging roles.
If you have the desire to succeed then this is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and innovative individual
to join one of the fastest growing companies in the cycle market.
SALES MANAGERS
- BICYCLES (ref. ASB01)
BRAND MANAGERS - BICYCLES (ref. BMB01)
SALES MANAGERS
- ACCESSORIES (ref. ASA01)
BRAND MANAGERS
- ACCESSORIES (ref. BMA01)
We are looking to create Area Sales Manager roles
nationwide. These positions will focus on the independent
retail sector a key market for the expansion of our
business.
Candidates must possess the following attributes;
Candidates must possess the following attributes;
• Experience of sales to independent retailers
• A goal setter with personal drive and ambition
to succeed
• An adaptable personality able to deal successfully
with customers
• Account management and business
development experience
• An ability to handle a wide and varied
product portfolio
• A working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Excellent product development skills to innovate and
develop our brands for UK and European markets
• Professional and experienced brand managers with
excellent communication skills and determination to
see projects through to launch
• Experience and understanding of marketing,
purchasing and planning principles
• Capable and dependable project managers with
the ability to handle detailed design and specification
elements and the commitment to bring projects in
on time and to budget
Salary and benefi ts as expected from a market-leading company.
To apply please send your full CV and current salary quoting the relevant job position and
ref number to dianejarvis@raleigh.co.uk. Closing date for applications – FRIDAY 27TH JULY.
NO AGENCIES
PEOPLE AND RECRUITMENT
Send your recruitment news to
mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
Trek reshuffles global marketing
team with Bjorling, Mayer and Ott
TREK To meet modern demands, Trek has
reshuffled its global marketing team.
Eric Bjorling remains the marketing
department’s hub for media enquiries.
Michael Mayer, meanwhile, has re-joined the
firm after an eight year hiatus running his own
marketing and PR firm.
Michael Browne takes on the marketing
responsibilities of Bontrager, having previously
spent time as Trek’s mountain bike manager.
Taking over for Browne on the mountain bike
side of the Trek brand will be Travis Ott, who
previously managed the marketing of the Gary
Fisher Collection and town category of bikes.
ORANGE BIKES Following the departure
of Dave Flynn, Pete Scullion has joined Orange
Bikes to fill the gap in marketing.
Having worked in several roles within the
bike trade, including most recently with
Hotlines, Scullion brings years of experience in
both marketing and riding bikes.
You may, in fact, have seen Scullion recently
ride the No Fuss Events Benromach 10 Under
Pete Scullion
Richard
Fogg
the Ben event. Scullion is now contactable via
pete@orangebikes.co.uk.
EBC Electric Bike Company has announced
the appointment of Richard Fogg as customer
service technical advisor. Fogg is a fully trained
cycle mechanic having spent the last few years
working in cycle retail.
A graduate from Coventry University and
bike geek, Fogg has always been interested in
how systems operate and he has found the
fast developing world of e-bikes a superb
challenge.
Fogg will be on hand to help both EBC’s
dealers and end users with any issues they may
have from electric bike set up to maintenance
and warranty.
Commenting on the appointment, Paul
Stanforth, EBC’s managing director said: “We
are delighted to welcome Richard and he will
have significant impact on the business. We
distribute the finest ebikes in the UK with
Solex, EBCO and AVE in the portfolio, Richard
will be trained by the brand’s own technicians
and is now available to both retailers and end
customers for all their technical support needs.
“His appointment demonstrates our
commitment to working with EBC retail
partners and further strengthens the
company’s position as leading the way in the
fast emerging ebike sector.”
FUTURE PUBLISHING Gerson Barnett
has joined Future as advertising director for the
Sports group, reporting to sales director Clare
Coleman-Straw.
Barnett’s experience includes an illustrious
spell leading Telegraph Group’s digital sales
operation as strategic planner, digital group
head and ultimately head of commercial sales.
He has worked with leading online fashion
network Aigua and also spent four years as cofounder and operations director of awardwinning, international ethical fashion
accessories brand Made.
Gerson’s appointment follows Scott
Longstaff’s appointment as commercial
director for Future Plus.
( *<4 #% '!(#5 *<455 ( 5&5 * 9**&5
9! 5<$9 * #?& 9*4#5 *9( 4#55/
!= =#5#9 9*4#5 #( (# -'(? 9#'5. #>( !#( ( 4(/
<9 9! '(5 * ,4*<#( #%5 #( (# '<! * #9 59#&& #( ,4*< *( 9!
'!#(4? ,<4!5 4*' 9! <4#( 9! +)A35 #5 9! '*59 5#(9#( '<5#( >#&4#( ( !# !&? #(9459#( ?*< >#&& 5/
*<& ?*< &#% 9* 5 &4 5!9 * '9& 9<4( #(9* '55#= &( 9! * !#(1
4 &*( &( 9! * 59& ,&9 9<4( #(9* >!& 4#'1
4!,5 ?*< >*<& #(9459 9* 5 >!9 #5 && 2*,( !49! 4@#( 31
>#&& 9%#(
4*<,5 * ,*,& *4 5=( ?5 *=4#( 9! #9#(44? ?*< 5 <(4/
4 44( #( 9>* =#5#95 ,4 ?4 % # # " ! $ # % %
~ 0Xa R^]SXcX^]TS ?d[\P] caPX] c^Ua^\ 0VaP c^ eXbXc CWT CPY <PWP[ 0VaP
% " ~ EXbXc c^ P [^RP[ \^bc X]cTaTbcX]V P]S P\PiX]V \PaZTc
~ EXbXc c^ ATS 5^ac P]S ^cWTa _[PRTb ^U X]cTaTbc Pa^d]S 3T[WX
(9459 ,45*(5 ,&5 5( ( "'#& 9* *4 >4#9 9* *<4
455 <(4/ <&& #9#(44? !*9& *''*9#*( *595 9 *( 40<59/
>>>/>&#(/*/<%
*4%5!*, 0<&#9? 9**&5 9 ,4#5/ #',*49 *<4 *>( ># 4( * #?& 9**&5/
!#5 (&5 <5 9* 5<,,&? ** 9**&5 9 &*> ,4#5/ =455 <59*'45 5#&? *''*9/
& ( 45 ! & !**&!*<5 4
45! ,&#( #(35 +; 7
& A+A7 :6+;6: "'#& &>&#(/*/<% *4 &#%"#((/*/<%
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 55
RETAIL ONLY
The trade’s guide to sourcing stock, up-and-coming IBDs and the very latest products
RETAIL
COMMENT
IT’S SUMMER, apparently. When even the most die-hard, allweather cyclists are Tweeting pictures of their local track
being used by little more than a few adventurous ducks, it’s
surely difficult to recall what the sun, and the customers
associated with it, look like. Far from the shortages in supply
seen a few summers ago, it looks like stock will be a little
harder to shift this year.
Perhaps it’s the Jubilee celebrations that have made me
come over all British and thus begin by talking solely about
the dire state of the weather, but without further digression,
I have a cunning plan. Pedalos... With a few wheelie bins cut
in half and a bit of elbow grease, we could turn all of the
bikes into the water-going vehicles and still come home
feeling like we’ve done a good mileage. Apologies, I really am
done digressing now.
“The problem was overcome with
the shop’s ‘loan wheel’ and a
Facebook friendship added as a
collateral of sorts...”
Truth is, that after what seems like three months of near
consecutive rain, I mean drought, or whatever it is that’s
happening out there, inspiration is proving hard to come by. I
am, however, determined to make the most of a soggy
situation. With a little help, once again, from our guest dealer
profile, found on page 59, we’re able to offer one of the most
insightful, no-holds-barred stories into a business and a
character run in BikeBiz to date.
Al Cook, or ‘Munger’ as he’s known to many, has
weathered a few storms on the road to setting up Alpha –
now one of the most well renowned niche bike businesses in
the Midlands – at least in BMX circles, for which a good
portion of this issue focuses.
As it happens, I’d heard a lot of good things about Alpha
and Al himself prior to ever visiting Stoke. As fortune had it,
it was an pre-road trip emergency repair job that needing
fixing pronto that introduced me to the store. As is often the
case, the reputation preceded well.
All possible avenues were explored before it was realised
that replacing a snapped axle simply wasn’t going to be
possible on this occasion. Not one to be defeated, the
problem was overcome with the shop’s ‘loan wheel’ and a
Facebook friendship left as a collateral of sorts. Thanks to
Alpha, the road trip continued, even if the rider of said bike did
write himself off with a rolled ankle barely 20 minutes later.
As you can probably tell, I’m a fan of Alpha. I’ve got a story
to tell from my time in the shop and thus, have essentially
used the past three paragraphs as word of mouth advertising
for this great business. If you’re ever in the area, drop in.
Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE
DEALER PROFILE: ALPHA
59
Al Cook talks about keeping kids on the right track, music and
the path to setting up Alpha BMX. BikeBiz finds out more...
BMX GUIDE
61
An increase in the popularity of BMX has led to plenty of
new distribution businesses opening. BikeBiz investigates...
NEW PRODUCTS
74
BikeBiz rounds up the month’s latest product releases, both
new to market and due for delivery shortly.
DEALER PROFILE
Alpha BMX
Rise to Munger
Location: Stoke
Telephone: 01782262908
Web: www.alphabmxshop.com
Email: alphabmx@hotmail.co.uk
Stoke’s Alpha BMX shop is fronted by BMX veteran and ‘Rise to Thunder’ band member Al ‘Munger’
Cook. Mark Sutton finds out what motivates one of the trade’s biggest characters to open up shop...
You’ve got a band – tell us a bit about that:
Yeah, it’s called “Rise to Thunder”. We’re kind of
underground and do our own thing – I’ve been in
the music game too long to want to make a
living out of it, it’s too much like hard work and
there’s so many cheats in the music biz. We do it
for fun. We have had releases and we have labels
wanting more, I just put the shop first these days
as it’s my livelihood. I’d have opened a guitar
shop if one was needed.
How’s business been in the past few years?
We opened December 2008 and it’s just grown.
It’s not been challenging, it’s really been very
enjoyable, especially when I get chance to think
about how far we have come in a short time.
BIKEBIZ.COM
Alpha has a strong following in the Midlands –
what do you put this down to?
Absolute dedication to BMX. Good service and
word of mouth has been good, also. Stickers do
an amazing advertising job and I am a bit of a
character. Kids look up to me as a role model…
I tell ‘em off if they miss school, or abused their
bike. The parents seem not to mind me putting
them straight and speaking sternly. Discipline has
gone out of the window a bit in society.
Most are real good lads, they always listen to
advice with bike parts and maintenance, they
know I know my stuff. It’s cool to have that
respect, it’s one of the things that makes me
want to get up and open the door every day.
Find much time to ride yourself?
Yeah, when I am feeling up to it. I sure know that
buzz from a good session on the bike. I am 41
years old now, so the bones don’t bend as well as
they used to and the bravado has been
overridden with caution.
I was never a massive shredder, or known pro
rider, I just went to loads of jams in the ‘90s, got
to know a lot of heads who are now in the
industry and they trust me to serve BMX as it
should be presented, as a fun and creative hobby
that’s not too serious.
You’re local to a large skate park – does this
help business, or bring in new custom?
Absolutely, I helped get that place built. I was one
of the first in the area to look at opening an
indoor skatepark, but realising I hadn’t the finance
to get it off the ground way back in ‘97, I gave all
my petitions to the local skateboarders and
helped them to rally the council.
Do you put local contests/jams on?
It’s hard to do contests, the council has so much
red tape to get an event running.
© Lee Edwards
How did Alpha come about?
Well I had been looking for a job, with no success
due to me being too straight talking. Clever?
Opinionated. I guess my time in limbo from the
world had made itself show. I had consigned
myself to a life of dole and ill health, then some
money came my way from some shares my
Grandad, Booth Cook, had gifted me and my
brother, so we hocked them and I started Alpha
with that. The Jobcentre/New Deal gave me rent
and dole money for the first six months as I had
been unemployed for a year before since losing a
music industry job.
Stoke bike shops weren’t doing BMX at all, so
it was an easy decision, having Stoke Plaza not
long built and a growing scene.
I started riding in ‘83 when I was 12 and have
owned a BMX since, apart from a couple of years
after it ‘died’. I rode all through the ‘90s and into
the noughties, then backed off a while due to
life’s other avenues. The bike got dusted off in
2008 and I got serious again. I’m still living above
the shop and continue to reinvest profit into the
business to ensure its growth.
“We aren’t the
type of shop
that makes
customers wait
a week for a
repair, every job
is a quick
turnaround.”
Al Cook, Alpha
What tends to happen is we have team trips
come through for meet and greets here and then
take them to the plaza and they will session with
the locals. We’ve had up to 500 kids show up. I
never thought I’d see crowds like in the ‘80s
watching BMX in Stoke.
It was a huge deal to me in the ‘80s when stars
came to do displays – the kids love it. I’m for
anything that diverts kids from the perils of
modern society. I certainly had some
entanglements with the darker side of life, but
that’s not part of my life now. Giving the kids
something to aspire to is a massive part of the
Alpha strategy. Stoke is very much on its knees as
a city and a lot of antisocial behaviour and
poverty exists, so I try to encourage a family vibe
in the BMX community.
You’ve a sort of ‘hangout area’ – do you
encourage people to spend time in the shop?
Yeah, the sofa is really for waiting to get parts
fitted, so Nan or Mum can rest their legs. It’s all
very hands-on here, we aren’t the type of shop
that makes customers wait a week for a repair,
it’s a very fast turnaround. Jamie my mechanic
was a kid who had no prospects. I fully trained
him in all aspects of custom BMX, now he is an
important part of Alpha’s future. It gets very busy
in here, so we have to be as efficient as possible.
My Michelin engineering background has put me
in good stead for working like that.
What’s the long term plan for Alpha?
I guess I had no idea it would take off the way it
has, I just had the plan to put everything into it
for a few years and I guess that’s still going on.
Even though Jamie is here now, I have no
intention of taking a back seat, you’ll always find
me in the shop making sure everything is done
right. Maybe we’ll get some backing with the
indoor skate park idea.
BIKEBIZ JULY 59
BMX
Bicycle motocross…
With the news that the UK’s largest skatepark is currently being built in Reading, it’s safe to assume
confidence in BMX is on a high. Mark Sutton talks to the old guard and some newcomers to the 20inch market about product…
Seventies
IF BMX is currently a big part of your
business, or has potential to be, having an
account with Seventies is a dead cert. As
the one of the largest dedicated
distributors to the sector, you’ll find
complete bike brands designed by the
legendary Matt Hoffman, through newer,
yet immensely popular labels such as
Subrosa and Cult, to everyday sellers from
Kink, and, if you’re after a cruiser, Macneil.
Just landed with the distributor are
Cult’s complete kids bikes. It’s perhaps
rare to see as much attention to detail as
is present in these bikes, which are
designed from the ground up in 12, 16
and 18-inch wheel sizes, meaning children
can start as young as three years of age.
The spec is properly done too, with each
carrying a scaled three-piece crank,
handlebars and a sealed cassette hub
sporting 25-9 gearing.
One of the more popular brands in
recent years is Seventies’ own Federal
Bikes, which alongside sponsored riders
such as Dan Lacey and Bruno Hoffman,
have been shifting signature frames like
there’s no tomorrow.
Then there’s The Make, another label
exclusive to Seventies, again producing
some unique signature frames.
The latest of these is the ‘Chicken’
signature frame, available in a gloss black
or ‘JD Green’. At 4.8 lbs and with a more
traditional standover height, this frame’s
built tough with heat-treated dropouts,
and 4130 Sanko Chromoly tubing.
Apparel and footwear popular with
riders in this market is extensively carried
too. For shoes, you’ve a choice of the
Orchid or Lotek brands, the latter of
which has just had it’s most recent
launches land with the Hastings
Distributor.
Each in Lotek’s line now carry an insole
designed to better take impacts, as well
as a dedicated pad for those using their
footwear as a brake.
0845 3103670
Scoop
LETCHWORTH DISTRIBUTOR Scoop
carries a variety of freestyle and race
brands, from OEM wheel favourite
Alienation, through popular labels like
DK and Demolition.
New to the stable and announced
just last month is Australia’s Tempered
Bikes brand – a producer of frames and
components best suited to trails, park
and street riding.
Scoop MD Mason Smith tells BikeBiz:
"We are proud to announce that Scoop
will be the official distributor for the UK
Tempered Bikes, with stock due midJune. If your not familiar with Tempered
they have been around for the last few
years based down under in Australia, run
by BMX rider Mat Lawton. Frames and
bars are super high quality and have set
themselves apart
with their
image and
marketing on
products like
the Cross Bones
stem and Anchor
sprocket. You got to
love the Anchor Down
sprocket."
If you’re just dabbling in BMX, or
need a budget solution, look out for
Scoop’s own Vocal brand, which
produces everything from investment
cast cranks, handlebars, gyros and
cables, spares such as axle nuts, in a
variety of colours, and soft gods, among
other things.
For competitive race fans, DK has a
new frame dubbed the ‘Professional’,
crafted from 7000 series aluminum and
with unique, tapered tubing. Sizes
spanning 20 to 22 inch top tubes are
available, with 0.5 jumps between each.
The frame carries a Euro bottom
bracket and is carried by Scoop in either
black or white.
01462 650741
CSG UK
CYCLING SPORTS Group UK’s
catalogue goes much further than
Cannondale and Charge Bikes. The
Poole distributor is in fact one of the
premier BMX specialists in the country,
importing complete bike brands such
as GT, WeThePeople and Mongoose.
Alongside its varied bike catalogue,
WeThePeople also makes aftermarket
frames and components – a highlight
coming from the launch of Jason
Phelan’s Irish frame, launched last year
and now available in a stunning brass
finish. Over a year in development,
Phelan’s signature frame comes with a
built in alloy seat clamp. It uses the
best in Japanese tubing and up to the
mark geometry. It bears an iconic Irish
logo CNC’d into the headtube and a
sticker set designed by his friend and
artist Dan Leonard.
CSG also carries WeThePeople sister
brand Almond, which make some of
the most popular riding shoes among
the BMX crowd.
Now in its third year we see the
brand up its game with five different
models. There are some great new
designs such as the Duke Hi and Low,
as well as the new, improved signature
Ben Hucke Belmont shoe and last
season’s Riviera re-introduced as a
mid-top. We also see a stylish,
increasingly popular Vegan shoe in the
range by the name of ‘the Valley’. The
new Summer footwear collection
drops this August 8th.
01202 732288
>>>
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 61
BMX
>>>
Zeal
ZEAL Distribution offers BMX
components, bikes and accessories to
independent bike stores. Supplying some
of the leading brand names and covering
all aspects of riding, the distributor is
knowledgeable of the sector.
Fast and efficient order processing,
warranty and technical support, product
advice and online B2B services make Zeal
a worthy shout for business should you
be looking into 20-inch stock. In addition
to BMX, the firm also offers a range of
complete single speed/fixed gear bikes
and accessories.
We had to mention the Danny
Glovers, as who wouldn’t want to own
a set of gloves with a pair of mock
pistols printed on the reverse. At
£19.99, these are perfect for a
casual glove, have a riding
friendly palm
material and are
carried in four sizes.
For those customer’s after custom
wheel builds, Mankind’s Prometheus
Cassette Hub has a 6061-T6 aluminium
36H hub body, comes with two precision
sealed bearings, a one-piece nine tooth
driver, 14mm nickel chromoly hollow
axle with 8.0mm inner hex and 14mm
alloy nuts and washers. Available in RHD
and LHD versions.
Zeal asks for no minimum order and
will not charge fees for smaller orders.
Furthermore, carriage is paid on every
order over £150.
Zeal: 01977 278167
Ison
PERHAPS ALL you need to know in
terms of Ison’s link to BMX is they’re
the people you go to for the most
popular BMX grip in existence – the
ODI Longneck ST – now sold in
multiple colours. ODI also has more
BMX grips in the range including the
Stay Strong single ply grips, which
support Stephen Murray’s Charity.
Aside from that, you’ll also find the
likes of Gussett, Halo, TSG, Renthal and
Dia Compe, among other brands
dealing in the 20-inch market.
In recent years, Ison has become
something of a BMX race specialist,
introducing race wheels from Halo and
last year, the multi-title winning Krisis
SL Bmx and 4X frames.
Gusset bikes has an extensive range
of BMX parts, including the Woodstock
853 three-piece cranks, which are
made from Reynolds 853 tubing
making them superlight, but still super
strong. FS and Race versions are
available with or without bosses and
they are finished in Black Chrome.
As well as bars, pedals, stems,
saddles, forks, chains, tyres
and chainrings (to list just a few) for
the freestyle market, Gusset has
now released a small range of BMX
Race-Specific parts.
01353 662662
Extra UK
IF YOU’RE in the BMX
race business you’ll
probably already have, or
have considered stock of Tioga
products.
UK distributor Extra carries the
Power Block tyre, As used by Identiti
BMX race team and Identiti’s Joey
Gough, 2012 UCI over 17 women’s
World Champion. Stock of the 60 tpi
tyre is available in either 1.75 or 2.10
widths.
Extra is also able to supply the
Wipperman brand, a renowned brand in
the chains sector. For BMX, look out for
the hefty 1G8, designed with a straight
plate specifically for the extreme loads
applied in BMX racing.
01933 672 170
>>>
62 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
TESTSIEGER*
CANNONDALE
SUPERSIX EVO ULTIMATE
Heft 3/2012
Das beste Rad der Welt
*notengleich mit Storck Fascenario 0.6
SUPERSIX 105 “A lightweight superbike that we’d be happy to put up
against bikes costing three times the price”
SUPERSIX EVO “We can’t find any fault with it, our only regret is we have to give it back”
*Voted “Best bike in the world” by Tour Magazine, March 2012.
KING OF THE ROAD
CAAD8 TIAGRA “Inspiring, involving ride with just the
right level of comfort. There’s something in the essence of
the CAAD8 that urges you on”
From the multi award winning EVO all the way through to the sublime ride of the Synapse,
Cannondale’s product creation process ensures that the essence of every bicycle provides a truly
world-class experience. Whether you’re a racer or weekend rider, everyone deserves to feel like a
king (or queen) out on the open road.
YOU CAN WITH CANNONDALE.
CAAD10 105 “Fast, fun and beats most carbon bikes
at this price for performance”
SYNAPSE ALLOY TIAGRA “If all Aluminium bikes were as
good as the Cannondale Synapse I’m not entirely sure
we’d need Carbon at all”
SYNAPSE CARBON 105 “The bike is truly great for
mile-eating endeavours as well as occasional racing”
BMX
>>>
Moore Large
Madison
SINCE THE Saracen takeover by
Madison, the brand has branched out
significantly and the catalogue now
includes BMX bikes.
Designed by Simon Wild, in
collaboration with experienced riders,
the bikes are largely aimed at the
value for money and beginner end of
the market, though price points and
spec levels are creeping up with each
model year.
A highlight of the line is the
Pressure. Built around a Hi-Ten steel
frame, the 25-9 geared bike has a
sealed cassette hub and mid bottom
bracket. For more on the Saracen BMX
line, visit Saracen.co.uk.
AS DISTRIBUTOR for perhaps the most
household name in BMX, Moore Large
can offer plenty for the shop seeking
both race and freestyle goods.
The model pictured is the 2013 Haro
Bikes 500.1 and for 2013 this model has
been stepped up a level with a lighter
weight 100 per cent full Crmo frame,
with smaller diameter tubing and
tapered seat and chain stays. The bike
also carries 8.25 or 8.5-inch rise bars
depending on frame size, a new Haro
alloy top load stem, full Crmo forks with
a one piece CNC steerer tube and
tapered legs. Female axles feature on
both the front and rear hubs, 48-spline
full Crmo cranks provide a rigid footing,
while aftermarket Odyssey Aitken tyres
and Premium’s Samsara rims make up
the build front and rear. Retail Price on
this bike will be around £599.99
Moore Large also carries the entire
Premium Products complete line, as well
as aftermarket components, from plastic
pedals, through sprockets and
handlebars.
Furthermore, if you’re looking for ona-budget component stock, the
distributor’s own Savage Components
catalogue spans as far as full face
helmets, as well as all finishing kit in
many colours.
01332 274200
Avocet
AVOCET IS able to offer dealers a
catalogue of 12 Piranha BMX bikes,
among other brands this year. Eight
‘street’ builds span £199.99 to
£279.99 and four ‘park’ bikes span
£209.99 to £279.99.
You’ll also find Skyway products,
previously the must have product in
BMX’s heyday, under Avocet’s
portfolio. To compliment this, BikeBiz is
told that a further iconic label of the
80s is soon set to join the distributor,
though you’ll have to wait until next
month for more information on that.
At the affordable end of BMX
complete bikes, Avocet’s Rooster brand
continues to progress. Combining ‘Big
Daddy’ frames with Skyway wheels,
the entry-level range comes in with
the Wicked and the Zombie, both
available in 16, 18 and 20-inch wheels.
But this year also see an extension to
the range by adding the Werewolf,
Vampire and the Cool for the girls, all
available early July.
For those investing more in their
bikes, the distributor carries the
Blackeye brand, as well as Pilgrim Bikes.
0161 727 8508
Oxford
Products
FOR QUIRKY components, popular
with beginners into customising their
rides, try Oxford, who have ‘marble
effect’ grips for £7.99 in six shades,
among other things.
Pocket money items such as the
Darxide saddle in seven colours at
£12.99 will help give kids bikes a bit of
identity. Alloy Wellgo Darxide pedals
are also carried by the distributor and
sell for £22.99 at retail.
01993 862 300
>>>
64 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 65
developed by itms.com
BMX
Make Your EStand Out From The Crowd
>>>
Tiger Cycles
TIGER HAS a concise BMX offering,
comprising five models, each in a
few colour options. The firm has
even introduced 25/9 gearing this
year and expects further progress
from the brand once the limited
edition ‘Bawbag’ and ‘Urban
Revolutionary Descent’ bikes are
introduced shortly.
An 18-inch wheel bike also
features in the new catalogue.
Full details are available from
Tiger Cycles Europe 01683 220837
Split Second
FOR THOSE riders looking for the feel
and weight of a plastic pedal, but the
tough steel pins of a metal unit, Stolen
have introduced the Thermalite.
At £15.99, it remains one of the
cheaper pedals available, features a
recessed end to prevent damage to
bearing cover and comes in black, blue,
green, orange, purple, red and white.
If you’ve BMX riders coming through
your shop now and again, you’ll no
doubt have spotted a Union Jack saddle
– a product from Split Second carried
Total BMX. The very same brand
sponsors Mark Webb, a big name on the
competition scene and a man with a
new signature bar from Total. At £59.99,
the #GS bar comes in black or chrome
and has an 8.6-inch rise. Split Second
also produces the Blank brand in-house,
offering dealers a good range of entrylevel bikes. This year, BikeBiz is told, the
line is to broaden to include higher-end
builds, to be dubbed the Blank Select
line. The Select range will feature –
pivotal seats, seat/post combos, CNC’d
stems, sprockets, grips, pegs, bars, and a
very exciting crankset featuring an
internal clamp on the crank-arms,
which takes away the need for pinchbolts, thus offering pleasing kneefriendly rounded ends.
Split Second now has a B2B website
at splitsecondimports.co.uk
Mint
GROUNDBREAKING AUTOMATIC GEAR TRANSMISSION
Take the trigonometry out of shifting gears for your e-bike
customers with the fully-automatic gear transmission AGT from
TranzX PST. The revolutionary, 7-gear AGT system chooses
the right gear intuitively, or shifts to semi-automatic mode
for traditional riding fun at the touch of a button. Compatible
with coaster brakes, AGT guarantees top comfort, best per
of the newest generation.
An e-bike with AGT – always the right choice
www.tranzxpst.com
66 BIKEBIZ JULY
2012 LOOKS as though it’ll be a big
year for Mint, which in a short space of
time has established itself as one of the
main BMX specialists in the UK.
Bagging brands such as popular
headwear and clothing label Quintin
has helped raise the firm’s profile and
BikeBiz was told by Mint boss Phil Davis
that the brand “has gone mad. It sells
out every time it lands and we have
tripled what we order recently.”
Mint is the distributor for Stereo
Bikes, a label which this year has a
seven bike range, offering dealers a
IMG
IMG DISTRIBUTION carries another top
‘household’ name in BMX, Odyssey and
off-shoot G-Sport.
Aside from an assortment of rims,
hubs, brakes, sprockets, bars and much
more, Odyssey also carries a vast choice
of t-shirts, from three-quarter length
sleeve Raglan shirts to classic American
Apparel designs.
There’s also a clothing range from
the second sister brand, Sunday Bikes.
Odyssey also offer hoodies,
windbreakers, backpacks, a range of
variety of spec and price points to pass
on to the customer.
The flagship of Stereo’s catalogue is
perhaps the Flash – a 2013 model built
from tough laser cut 4130 Sanko
Chromoly tubes. It’s a competition
ready bike, sporting cranks from
Odyssey, pedals from Fly and Stereo’s
own tyres, seat and post, sprocket and
sealed hubs.
Davis also confirmed that Mint is
currently working on and testing its
own in-house brand, set to be called
The Vandals.
01274 418608
gloves, and one-off collaborations with
brands, such as hat suppliers Quintin.
The distributor is also home to the
Proper brand, which is designed inhouse and continues to be at the
forefront when it comes to colour coordinating components – big business
in the BMX world.
New from this label is the
Trawlerman frame, a signature model
made for the UK’s Max Wood. Max
rides fast and loose and this is reflected
in the geometry. It’s perfect for trails
and roasting bowls.
0845 8725446
BIKEBIZ.COM
2.0
.0
POC VPD 2
LONG
L
ONG KNEE
E
S
State
tate of the art shock absorption
offering
less
bulk
more
lk and mor
e
off
ering les
s bu
protection.
pr
otection.
CRANKBROTHE
CRANKBROTHERS
ERS
CAND
Y1
CANDY
NEW
New
New pop colours,
colours, ne
new
w pack
packaging
aging
pedal.
and same great
great peda
al.
POC TRABE
TRABEC
EC RA
RACE
CE
CRANKBROTHE
CRANKBROTHERS
ERS
LEVER
SPEEDIER LEV
ER
With extra Aramid
reinforcements
combine
reinforcements that
that c
ombine
functionality and
and performance.
performance.
K
Knuckle-saving
Knuckle-sa
kl
ving
i
tyre
ttyre lever
lever that
tha
th t
cycling tyres
tyres
rremoves
emoves and installs
installs cycling
ease..
with ease
POC D
ANNY MACASKILL
MACASKILL
DANNY
RECECPT
OR FL
OW
RECECPTOR
FLOW
FEEDBACK SPO
FEEDBACK
SPORTS
ORTS
PRO-ELITE W
O STAND
ORK
A
WORKSTAND
All the benefits of the standard
standard
Receptor
Flow
some
R
eceptor Flo
w
w with
Danny
power!
added Dann
y po
ower!
The
The standard
standard for
for a full
full function,
pro-quality, portable repair
repair s
tand.
pro-quality,
stand.
NEW
As part
p
of our c
commitment
ommitment tto
o
sup
pporting independent bik
e
supporting
bike
sho
ops we
we now
now have
have products
products
s that
that
shops
ar
e exclusively
exclusively available
available to
to IBD’s.
IB
BD’s.
are
CLIF BAR & C
CLIF
CO.
O.
‘CLIF
‘CL
LIF BARS’
NEW
Three
Thre
ee delicious ne
new
w flavours
flavou
urs and
ba
a bar
increase
ar size
size incr
ease of 36%.
FORKS
Fork in the road
There is plenty of fork brands in the market for bike dealers to negotiate. Jonathon Harker takes a
look at some of the latest ranges to emerge from some of the best-known names in the business…
Chicken Cyclekit
A FULL Deda carbon forks range is
available from Chicken for all
disciplines. Dedacciai decided 20
years ago to research alternative raw
material usage which led to the use
of raw carbon and now it is highly
regarded in of carbon frames and fork
production. The Black Fin Road fork
(pictured) absorbs rough road
surfaces well, Chicken tells BikeBiz,
with it comfortable yet precise and
stiff. It has a 44mm offset and is
suitable for most head angles and
weighs in at 390g. RRP is £199.99.
01523 381347
Ison
Distribution
ISON CARRIES a wide range of fork
brands, including Society, which started
in lightweight, high quality and
inexpensive forks for the dirt market.
Since then, it has expanded into XC, allMTB, 29er, enduro and trail forks. There
are new jump forks available too.
The White Brothers Loop fork
features air preload while the Aura
damper is a new and refined unit inside
the fork which features rebound and
compression adjustment, providing a
solid platform to ride on until rough
ground when the fork compresses.
Identiti has a range of cromoly rigid
forks for dirt jump, fixed gear and
mountain bike, with the Rebate range
featuring several models to suit all
types of hardcore riding.
Gusset has released the DJ26 fork – a
budget cromoly jump fork. The everpopular Jury trials/street fork has been
updated for 2012 too.
Genetic is Ison’s lightweight road
brand and the Karyotype race forks have
a high spec.
Salsa’s fork line-up now includes over
ten Cromoly models from road forks for
calipers, cantis and disc brakes, touring
forks for cantis and discs and a growing
range of MTB forks. Surly produces a
wide range of forks for almost all
possible bicycle styles, while All-City has
produced a lugged crown and tipped
Track fork. All forks are ED coated to
improve the quality and durability of
the paint as well being a fine rustproofing agent.
01353 662662
Fisher Outdoor
ROCKSHOX CREATED the first MTB
suspension fork in 1989 and the fork
and shock tech specialist covers
product from the lofty heights of WC
racing to entry-level trail riding. The
brand has a host of new offerings for
2013 including the Revelation 650b
in XX, RCT3, SID 120mm 29er, Reverb
Stealth and the Reverb 34.9.
There’s now consistent branding
across fork and rear shocks. The fork
range for retailers to stock has been
consolidated and there’s a smaller
range of SKUs too – but with more
models. 01727 798 345
Greyville
Hotlines
Mojo
SR SUNTOUR’S 2012 suspension forks
are in stock, including the MTB XC
race fork SF12 Axon RL-R LITE 26-inch.
For 2012, the left fork leg houses a
new progressive air spring while the
right has a lighter, improved damping
cartridge complete with hydraulic
remote speed-lock and external
adjustable rebound. Weight is 1540g
(£339.95 SRP). The XC/All-mountain
fork Epicon is available in a number of
different models, while the SF12
Epicon X1 TA-LO-RC 15QLC 26-inch
is a travel adjust fork, meaning riders
can change the travel from 150mm to
110mm on the fly. It weighs 1,820g
with an £349.95 RRP.
01543 251328
MANITOU’S XC/ light trail Marvel Pro
fork sports 120mm of travel, with
stand-out features like the TPC (Twin
Piston Chamber), a shim-based
damper that uses two independently
adjustable pistons: one optimised for
rebound, the other for compression.
Absolute is a platform-style damper –
the fork can be set to remain rigid
until a certain impact threshold is
exceeded, the benefit being pedalling
efficiency, so suspension doesn’t hurt
pedalling efficiency by compressing
the fork rather than propelling the
bike forward. The Match Comp fork is
an ultra stiff 32mm stanchioned, coil
sprung, XC/trail fork. Weight is 2314g.
0131 3191444
AVAILABLE FROM June, the 2013 Fox
forks will see the introduction of the
new CTD (Climb Trail Descend)
system, integrating the adjustments
of the fork, shock and new DOSS
seatpost, providing riders with easyto-understand settings, consistent on
front and rear suspension. Combined
with the new DOSS dropper seatpost,
the 2013 CTD system offers redefined
ride dynamics, says Mojo. The new
line-up sees the introduction of the
34mm chassis for 26-inch wheels. For
big travel riders the Float and Talas 36
160 get a performance boost with
the addition of the race proven RC2
damper. Visit www.mojo.co.uk or call:
01633 615815
Madison
M:PART COMPONENTS’ road bike
carbon bladed forks retail at £119.99
and feature an aluminium steerer. The
clear lacquer finish provides a high
quality look and feel, while the
375mm crown to axle height will fit
most road bikes. It also features a 1
1/8 ahead steerer, while brake fittings
are standard, not deep drop.
Find out more directly from M:Part
distributor Madison at
www.madison.co.uk or on the number
below.
0208 1300598
>>>
68 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
70 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
FORKS
>>>
Silverfish
SR SUNTOUR’S Epicon range features
forks suitable for XC, All Mountain
and Trail including 29er options. The
Epicon has been rated very highly by
What Mountain Bike with testers keen
on the forks staying smooth after
months of hard winter use and over
their reasonable RRP – £219.99 to
£319.99. By providing a progressive
air sprung curve, the fork absorbs
bigger hits easily, but still stays
sensitive on the smaller bumps. New
models offer QSP damping cartridge.
sales@moorelarge.co.uk
THE NEW Formula ThirtyThree line of
suspension forks were developed with
World Championship experience. The
ThirtyThree QR15 features custom
developed low-friction polymeric
bushings to ensure buttery smooth
function and minimise the impact of
excessive seal friction found in many
air sprung forks. Compression and
rebound damping adjustments allow
for precise setup and a unique
lockout with integrated blow-off
threshold adjustment allowing riders
to choose how rigid or soft they want
their fork to be. Air sprung travel
ranges from 100 – 120mm travel, it
comes in white or black and retail
price is £699.
01752 843882
Velocite
Windwave
VELOCITE JOINED the Red Cloud
Marketing fold in November and
includes a range of accessories and
components alongside the bikes. The
Bora S fork is one of the mainstays of
the range. A light and stiff tapered 1
1/8-inch – 1.5-inch steerer fullcarbon monocoque fork, the Velocite
Bora S is available to buy separately
as well as on Velocite’s framesets. It is
characterised by stiffness and
minimal weight, with the special
narrow frontal section profile
designed to carve through the air.
Weighing 360g for a finished fork
with decals, it’s available in gloss and
matt black. RRP is £200 with strong
margins, says Red Cloud. A straight 1
1/8-inch version – the Zephyr – is
also available with an RRP of £180.
01767 692831
IN 2000, Gary Fisher worked with
Marzocchi’s R&D team to create their
very first 29-inch fork, the Marathon.
Fast forward to 2012 and the
forward-thinking brand has the Corsa
Superleggra, an all-new 29er fork.
Optimised for the big wheel, it is
super lightweight with a carbon fibre
crown and steerer tube. Marzocchi
developed a fork that is dedicated to
the performance requirements that
big wheels demand and the Corsa
Supe Leggera comes in three models
to suit all budgets. Starting with the
Corsa Superleggera LR at £379.95,
Corsa Superleggera TST Micro with
forged alloy hollow crown at £649.95
and the range topping Corsa
Superleggera TST Micro with carbon
crown and steerer tube at £949.95
0239 521912
Moore Large
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 71
DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS
Crank up your sales
These days the great and the good all seem to have something to offer the drivetrain sector, from
chains through to cranksets. Jonathon Harker lists some of the options open to dealers…
Chicken Cyclekit
Clarks
STOCKS of Campagnolo EPS Electronic
groupsets have landed at Chicken and the
firm is offering free training to interested
dealers. Contact Andrew on 01525
381347 for details. Campag’s EPS has, the
brand says, advantages over rivals. The rear
derailleur allows super-quick multi-shifting
up and down the block, so just one press
can equal 11 shifts. Campag has replicated
the throw of its mechanical thumb shifter,
so EPS shifting feels comfortably familiar,
and the EPS groupset has been tested
under water so handling the British
weather should be a breeze.
01525 381347
CLARKS has overhauled its chain range,
featuring improved durability and
strength. It offers a chain for every level,
including ingenious Self-Lubricating
Chains, an Anti-rust Chain tested to
withstand 500hours of salt spray, the
Half-link Chain with a high tensile
strength ideal for single speeds and the
PTFE Coated Chain in a range of colours.
Plus, the robust and reliable Standard
Chain is available in different speeds.
CEO Tony Wright says: “We have a chain
for every rider, whatever your
experience, style or size of your wallet.”
01827 382 800
Extra
THE Wippermann 1G8 is a mega-tough
chain designed with German precision
to cope with extreme grinding. Heavyduty straight link plates with 15 tons
breaking load are fully nickel-plated.
Built with straight plates to withstand
extreme loads the breaking load is at
1.5t - 1/2" x 1/8". Pin length is
12.4mm, weight is 659g and the 96
links include spring clip.
01933 672170
Fisher Outdoor
ALREADY winning Flanders and Roubaix
in 2012, the superlight Red 2012 –
sub-1,750g – uses a new design for the
front derailleur, giving a 'Yaw' angle
following the natural chain line. The
rear derailleur has a new shape too, a
Greyville
SUNRACE has a wide range of drive chain
components such as cassettes, chains,
shifters and rear derailleurs. Cassettes are
available with different gear ratios for
either road or MTB and for 7, 8 or 9 speed
gears. Sunrace also sells 8, 9 or 10-speed
specific chains from £10.95 for eight
speed gears up to £39.95 for the top of
the range light weight ten speed chain
featuring hollow pins. The twist gear
shifters can be used with either 5/6/7/8
speed gears and start from £5.95.
Contact Greyville to order or for more
details sales@greyville.com
01543 251328
72 BIKEBIZ JULY
Ison Distribution
GUSSET’S 3-piece Woodstock 853
cranks are made from superlight and
superstrong Reynolds 853 tubing and
finished in black chrome, ideal for DH,
Jumping, 4X and BMX. The TAF24
cranks are ideal 2-piece alloy cranks
for MTB or BMX racing, while the
brand also has a chainrings to suit all
lower-profile mounting bolt and inner
carbon fibre pulley plate, new pulleys
that again rotate on hybrid ceramic
bearings, and a longer upper knuckle
that now clears 28-tooth cogs. New
and in stock from July, is a 32tcompatible WiFli version.
SRAM Apex was designed as a bestin-class sportive groupset. It has won
Grand Tour Stages with the WiFli rear
derailleur, tech based on the compact 2
x 10 - two front chainrings and 10
gears in the rear allowing for a larger
rear derailleur to accommodate 32t
cassettes – design delivering a wider
range of gears than your standard
triple. Find out more from Fisher:
01727 798345
drivetrains from singlespeed to 11speed road. Aside from chainguides,
MRP also has DH-fave Camber cranks
– tough, light and able to withstand
the rigours of pro DH. Renthal SR4 4arm chainrings are choice for single
front ring set-ups, while Salsa has a
range of alloy chainrings to suit most
crank set-ups for road and MTB. Surly,
meanwhile, has a range of stainless
steel chainrings and the Mr Whirly
7075 alloy crankset. Sunrace also has a
gear train components and a line of
quality cassettes for workshop repair
use. Driven has high-end cranksets for
MTB and road. Sturmey Archer also
provides top drivetrain components.
01353 662662
BIKEBIZ.COM
DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS
Madison
Moore Large
THE Lightweight HollowTech II 105 10speed chainset uses hollow forged and
anodised aluminium crank arms,
minimising flex and keeping weight low.
HollowTech II allows the BB bearings to
be spaced wider apart, allowing for the
use of larger bearings and an increased
axle diameter (SRP £164.99). The wide
link design 105 10-speed front derailleur
features wide link design 105 double front
derailleur for increased rigidity and
improved shifting response (SRP £31.99).
0208 385 3385
KMC produces over 80m chains a year
for a wide range of companies. Brand
new to the UK are ltd ed X10sl chains
in black and red with diamond-like
coating. The Xsl super light range sits
at the top of the road range with 9, 10
and 11 speed compatible chains. KMC
also offer a wide range of chains for all
types of bikes including coloured,
heavy-duty BMX chains. Microshift’s
newer gear additions are the Bona and
Centos 10 speed road group. Find out
more via sales@moorelarge.co.uk
Raleigh
NRG4
RALEIGH’S range of parts for drivetrain
needs include KMC, Shimano, SRAM,
Sunrace and Sturmey Archer, with
everything from chain pins to chainsets.
KMC has a new, specifically formulated
lube to look after their chains perfectly
and the complete range of X-Series chains
offering ‘Double Durability’. Sturmey
Archer is now regenerating its image with
coloured chainsets. Sunrace’s range has
new freewheels and cassettes. Raleigh
also offers its own replacement chainsets.
01775 532600
AEROZINE Titanium has been
manufacturing OEM product for years,
but now has its own branded range.
1 X12 2AD, XTR equivalent, is available
in three colours, weighing 760g with BB.
The 2. X13 road crankset is the DuraAce equivalent. Both have Aerozine’s
ALS system – an insert to change crank
length without having to change the
crank – also meaning dealers can stick
one product but three spacers for
different lengths, reducing their stock.
0870 240 4219
Silverfish
RACE Face says the Next Carbon cranks
are among the lightest, strongest, 100 per
cent carbon fibre cranks ever. The arms are
hollow with top strength-to-weight ratio.
Available in 2x10 and triple ring as well as
a full Ti axle SL version, the Next retails at
£499. The Turbine aluminium crank
features a signature I-Beam arm profiling
and comes in 2x10 and triple ring, as well
as a full Ti axle SL version (SRP from £179).
The second gen Atlas cranks feature
updated EXI (external ISIS) interface and
are lighter too (SRP from £199).
01752 843882
SRAM
LIKE most of the drivetrain ranges
listed on these pages, it’s tough – nay
impossible – to do justice to all of the
brands’ ranges. Suffice to say, however,
Windwave
THE FSA K Force 386 Evo crank and BB
system brings together popular BB
standards in a one-crank-fits-all solution.
The 386 Evo combines the lightness and
stiffness of the BB30 design with the Q
factor of a traditional set up. BBB’s
AluBoys are derailleur pulleys made of
7075 aluminum, making the pulleys
even more stiff for fast shifting, and
come in two versions: BDP-21 standard
version and BDP-22, using high-quality
sealed ceramic bearings.
01845 521700
BIKEBIZ.COM
Zyro
BASED in Osaka, Japan, Izumi chains
are used by track and keirin racers,
provide tough quality chains for fixie,
that SRAM has a huge line-up for the
sector, covering most of the bases.
That range includes the PC Chain
range and the Rival crankset, the latter
featuring ‘open core technology’
meaning the crank arms are hollowforged out of AL6066 alloy for
maximum strength. The Apex Crankset,
meanwhile, tips the scales at less than
890grams and uses SRAM’s cold
forging process to acheive that
minimum weight without scrimping
on top notch stiffness.
For more on the entire SRAM range
visit www.sram.com or call:
01727 798345
track and urban bikes. The
Japanese NJS-approved SuperTough is the most formidable
chain, in a tasty gold and black
finish. Izumi’s Standard
1/2x 1/8 chains are now
available in new
Gold/Black or Silver/Black
colourways, as well as the
standard Black, Silver and Gold, at a
more affordable price for a funky and
functional upgrade to an urban warrior
or track speedster.
SRPs start from £11.99 up to
£29.99. Contact Zyro for more details.
01845 521700
BIKEBIZ JULY 73
FRESH PRODUCTS
New gear
This month BikeBiz checks in with Shimano’s new highend road group, comes across a book to help us
maintain it and much more...
Shimano Dura Ace 9000 group
Madison: 0208 385 3385
FOR THE model year of 2013, Shimano has lifted the
lid on a new high-end road group – Dura Ace 9000.
With 90 per cent of the information now
confirmed, we do know that it’ll be an 11-speed group,
that’s rumoured to tip the scales at 77-grams under
its predecessor.
Key to the upgrades, shifter performance has been
designed with efficiency in mind, with a reduction in
distance that each lever need be pushed to change
gear, as well as improved adjustability in the reach by
up to 10mm.
Switching to 11-speed has prompted Shimano to
design a completely new, wider hub. The drive-side
flange has been repositioned to allow for this change,
while the non-drive side has shunted 7mm outward to
ensure the wheel remains laterally stiff.
Seven 9000 series wheels will be made available,
with both clincher and tubular options in production.
Feedback has largely related to the crank design,
which takes on a four-arm design, said to be as stiff as
the prior five-arm layout. The design is reinforced where
the most force is likely to be exerted in the pedal stroke.
Two new climbing mid-compact chainring combos
52/38t and 52/36t are to be available.
3T ‘London’ finishing kit
Haynes: The Bike Book
Kool-Stop
i-ride: 01444 243000
Haynes: 01963 442030
i-ride: 01444 243000
I-RIDE WILL take stock of limited ‘London edition’ 3T
finishing kit from Mid-June.
Designed to celebrate the Olympic champions
who have won on 3T bars in the past 50 years,
the high-gloss white finishing kit bears a striking,
asymmetric motif, suggestive of the prestigious
rainbow colors: yellow, green, red, black, and blue.
The ‘London Edition’ parts are sold as a package of
bar, stem, and seatpost, one for road, one for MTB.
The road set comprises Ergonova Team, Arx Team,
and Dorico Team. The MTB set comprises Xida Team,
Arx Team, and Doric Team. A range of sizes is to be
carried in the UK.
3T chief executive René Wiertz said of the
product: “At the last Olympiad, in Beijing, 3T had
medal winners in Fabian Cancellara and Gustav
Larsson riding our Ventus TT bar. We’ve come a long
way since then. Four years on, in London, there will
be numerous riders on 3T – in road-racing, time-trial,
and track events. The new London Edition gives 3T
fans something really special to mark this year.”
IT’S NOT always easy to sell repair guides, what with
Google providing articles and videos detailing each step.
Customers will, however, be more easily persuaded
to purchase when a household label such as Haynes
brings a title to market. Bike shops now have access
to the 6th instalment of the Bike Book from the
renowned publisher of step by step repair guides.
To date, prior versions of this title have sold over
900,000 copies and with this edition now in stock,
that figure should soon surpass one million sold.
This edition compiles all prior material and adds
details on all the latest technology and developments
to hit the industry in recent years, as well as
information on bikefitting, how to use tools and what
bike to purchase for various types of cycling.
With over 1,000 photos and a difficulty rating
attached to each job, the classic format remains,
talking the reader through the job in the signature
way that all Haynes manuals do. Haynes has stock of
the Mark Storey-written title now and the retail price
is £16.99.
THIS SUMMER Kool-Stop International will be
releasing its next generation V-brake holder.
New to the catalogue, the holder is lighter than
previously and comes in a tasteful titanium finish. In
addition Kool-Stop has developed new V-brake
inserts that are almost twice the thickness of the
first generation. The inserts are available in black,
salmon, ceramic, as well as dual and triple
compound.
The distributor in the UK for these particular
braking products will be I-ride.co.uk.
Further Kool-Stop goods are also available in the
UK via wholesalers Scoop, AMBA and Spa Cycles.
74 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
FRESH PRODUCTS
GET YOUR NEW PRODUCTS FEATURED IN
Send your product details including a hi-res photo and brief description of the product.
Email mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk. Or call Mark on +44 (0)1992 535646 for a chat
Cicerone cycle guide books
Cicerone Press: 01539 562069
PUBLISHERS OF outdoors-y literature Cicerone has a
number of new guides for mountain bikers. Costing
£14.95, three of the highlights now available to bike
and book retail cover the Pennine Bridleway, Yorkshire
Dales and the popular European region of Chamonix.
Each is illustrated with photography, with the first
two carrying Ordinance Survey mapping and
information on everything from how long you’ll be
off-road, the elevation you’ll cover and details of pubs
and cafes along the way. The Chamonix guide, which is
targeted at all outdoor enthusiasts, even details the
locations of lifts and routes up rock faces for the
climbers out there.
All come with a tough laminated cover, so each will
remain pristine when thrown into rucksacks.
Cube pumps
Singletrack II glove
Time Trial cranksets
Cube direct: 01905 798692
Endura: 01506 497749
Campagnolo: Various distributors
CUBE HAS a number of new pumps this year, from
snug in a backpack hand pumps, through to full-on
high pressure floor pumps that wouldn’t be out of
place, and more importantly, will last the abuse of
workshop use.
If you’ve an account with the Dutch bike brand,
look out for the HPA pump and the Floor pump. The
latter of the two is the lighter unit, at 1,100 grams
and comes with the Schrader and presta reverse
head that you’d expect. Then there’s the large basemounted gauge for keeping track of your PSI, of
which you can unload 160, during inflation. Look in
your catalogue for product number 40408.
For customers seeking a new hand pump, Cube
has produced an ever-popular extendable hose unit,
capable of hitting 80 PSI. and CNC machined in a
tidy blue and black colourway.
MADE FROM breathable four-way stretch mesh and
featuring pre-curved fingers, this pared down
performance glove is easy to pull on and off thanks
to the elasticated Jacquard cuff with pull-off tab.
There’s a double layer of fabric on the palm for
durability, and a silicone overlay provides extra grip.
The index finger and fore finger have silicone
detailing as well, to ensure safe and precise handling
of brake and shift levers. What’s more, the light
padding at the heel of the palm takes pressure off
the main contact point between hands and bars and
reduces trail buzz. Perforations allow for ventilation,
so hands don’t get sweaty in the saddle.
The new Singletrack II Glove is available in two
colour ways (black with ultramarine details and black
and white with green highlights) in sizes small
through extra large and retails at £26.99.
CAMPAGNOLO HAS unveiled a raft of new
components for the triathlon and time trial markets.
Among the new goods are two cranksets. First up,
the Bullet Ultra Crankset (weight 815g) features a
full carbon fibre spider, with the shape of the
chainring mount designed for maximum
aerodynamic efficiency as well as boosting the
overall stiffness of the crankset. XPSS is touted as an
exclusive design of eight up-shift zones and two
down-shift zones of the chainring, with profiled teeth
and zones dedicated to upward and downward chain
movement for fast and precise shifting.
Additionally, the Bora Ultra Crankset (795g)
features XPSS and CULT tech (see above) but also
boasts titanium axle and screws with left-handed
thread, reducing the overall weight of the crankset
by 40 grams. Ultra-Hollow Tech hollow cranks and
spider also shave weight off (and maximise weight to
stiffness ratio).
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 75
LETTERS | YOUR SAY
Mail to:
Saxon House, 6A St. Andrew Street,
Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA
SPONSORED BY
Email:
Jonathon.Harker@
intentmedia.co.uk
BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether they’re from
letters, emails or via BikeBiz.com...
STAR LETTER
Why are the
Netherlands so cycle
friendly? 40 years of
investment hasn’t
hurt...
STAR LETTER
Whether it’s a hand-written, sent-throughthe-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
the Oxford Wordlock
‘Seize the chance’
Last month cycle advocacy group wrote an open letter to Deputy Prime
Minister Nick Clegg, imploring him to invest in cycle infrastructure to get
the country moving. Here is that letter, in full...
Dear Deputy Prime Minister,
WE NOTE with interest your suggestion that
the Coalition Government has plans to
increase state-backed investment in
infrastructure to kick start growth in the
economy. We know that in this country
‘infrastructure’ is generally taken to mean
such things as roads and railways. We would
like to put in a plea for another kind of
infrastructure spending, one too often
overlooked despite providing the same jobs
and business for construction firms in the
short term as conventional projects – with
the added long term benefits of serving to
reduce congestion, pollution and climate
emissions, while improving the health of the
nation: Cycling infrastructure.
You must know yourself, being half Dutch,
what streets, roads and routes designed for
bicycles look like. You may have considered it
to be something uniquely Dutch and
irrelevant to the UK where so few journeys
are made by bike. Yet the Dutch cycle
network has been developed through
sustained investment over 40 years after the
people of the Netherlands realised car-centric
development was ultimately unsustainable,
both financially and environmentally. The
Dutch took another path: building roads
where roads were needed, but progressively
re-prioritising their towns and cities towards
the needs of pedestrians and people on bikes.
The UK stands at a crossroads. We can
continue to invest massively in roads and gain
a short-term boost from lowered congestion.
However, it is already well understood that
building more roads ultimately creates more
traffic, and with more traffic comes pollution,
carbon emissions, urban sprawl, casualties and
an increasingly sedentary and unhealthy
population. Alternatively, we can take the
path the Dutch chose and invest in cycling
instead of – or as part of – conventional road
investment. As with roads, building more
cycle tracks generates more cycle journeys.
But in contrast with motorised traffic, this
brings only benefits: quieter cities, cuts in
emissions, reduced social exclusion, and a
healthier, potentially happier, population. It
seems obvious to us which investment
Easy to remember word or letter
combinations
Up to 10,000 possible combinations
(4 dials)
Easy to set and reset your own
combination
Heavy duty flexible Hexagonal steel cable
All weather vinyl coating that minimises
scratching
Black dials with easy to read white letters
Bike Mounting Bracket
produces greater returns – without coming at
the expense of drivers. Transferring just ten
per cent of short trips from car to bicycle can
cut journey times for cars by up to a fifth.
Congestion would be eased, even if road
space was taken from cars.
We urge that when you consider
investment in transport infrastructure, all
modes – including bikes – are given serious
consideration. We suggest you look at the
research which shows that of all areas of
infrastructure investment, active travel
produces the greatest return in terms both of
the economy and people’s quality of life. And
we ask you to take your colleagues on a
study tour of the Netherlands to show them
what a world-class cycling network looks like.
You have the opportunity to transform the
UK and leave a real legacy that would benefit
the country for generations to come. We urge
you to seize it now.
Jim Davis,
Chair,
Cycling Embassy of Great Britain
www.cycling-embassy.org.uk
Step Up Your Game
Brake better, shift better and look better. Upgrade your original housing and
cables to our universal DIY kits for mountain and road bikes. Hyper Brake
and Derailleur Kits* deliver improved performance, bold colors and 100% style.
www.jagwireusa.com
*Brake and derailleur kits are sold separately.
To become a Jagwire stockist contact Moore Large on:
T - 01332 274252 F - 01332 274203 E - sales@moorelarge.co.uk
PUNCTURE REPAIR KITSBY
The world’s most comprehensive range
of two wheeled puncture repair kits
• Popular Kits Containing all the basics needed for simple puncture repair
Box of 25 01012 Box of 12 01002 Box of 25, printed with dealer’s name and address 01025
• Cure-C-Cure The world famous Cure-C-Cure kits with automotive quality feather edged patches
Box of 25 01003 Box of 25, printed with dealer’s name and address 01026
Box of 10 Motorcycle Repair Kits 01004 Box of 12 Narrow Profile Repair Kits 01006
• Cure-C-Cure Kits with Tools High quality Cure-C-Cure kits with additional tools
Box of 10 Kits with Tools 01007 Box of 10 Kits with Tools and Inflator 01024
• Airtite Kit A quality repair kit at a budget price
Box of 25 01016
• Red Devil Self Seal Patches Strong and reliable patches for quick, clean repair
Carded Patches 04006 Carded Repair Kit with Tyre Lever 06011 Carded Kit 01021
Dispenser with 25 Kits 01022 Display Jar with 36 Kits 01023 Flat-Fix Kit 01020
• Jetvalve Tyre Inflation System Instant C02 inflation for all valve types
Carded Inflator 07008 Carded C02 Cylinder 07007 Box of 5 C02 Cylinders 07009
MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY
WE ARE BIKE MAINTENANCE
www.weldtite.co.uk
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 77
in association with
The new BikeBiz Bible is out now,
providing the industry with a
must-have guide to the UK’s
retailers, distributors,
manufacturers and related
businesses.
If you’d like to find out more,
contact Carly Bailey on
01992 535647 or email
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
The BikeBiz Bible is now
available online.
Visit www.bikebiz.com
2PURE
46c Bavelaw Road
Balerno, Edinburgh. EH14 7AE
Tel: 0844 811 2001
www.2pure.co.uk
2X2
Unit 6, Hall End Business Park
Dordon,
Tamworth, Staffs. B78 1SX
Tel: 01827 331099
www.2x2worldwide.com
FAT SPANNER
Tel: 07966 401165
Web: www.fatspannerworld.com
BM7 DISPLAYS
Unit 7, Metro Centre,
Toutley Road
Wokingham,
Berkshire. RG41 1QW
Tel: 0118 977 2814
www.bm7displays.com
BUA SPORTS LTD
Sandyford Office Centre
17 Corrig Road,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18. ROI.
Tel: +353 8799 78859
www.buasports.com
BUFFERA LTD
Cranborne House,
Cranbourne Road,
Potters Bar,
Herts. EN6 3JN
Tel: 01707 852244
www.buffera.co.uk
C3 PRODUCTS LTD
Tel: 0754 564 2931
www.c3products.com
CARRADICE OF NELSON LTD
Westmoreland Works
St. Mary's Street,
Nelson
Lancashire, BB9 7BA
Tel: 01282 615886
www.carradice.co.uk
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO RETAILERS, SUPPLIERS AND SERVICES WITHIN THE CYCLE TRADE
CHICKEN, RJ & SONS LTD
Unit B2, Cherrycourt Way
Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire. LU7 4UH
Tel: 01525 381347
www.chickenb2b.co.uk
CHOCOLATE DISTRIBUTION LTD
2 Flint Cottages
Oxford Road,
Stokenchurch
Bucks, HP14 3SX
Tel: 0871 231 9966
www.chocolatedistribution.com
CAMBRIAN TYRES/CONTINENTAL
North Parade,
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion. SY23 2JR
Tel: 01970 626777
www.conti-tyres.co.uk
For additional copies please contact
Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk
CYBERTILL LTD
2 Dovecote Court
Stanley Grange, Ormskirk Road
Knowsley,
Merseyside. L34 4AR
Tel: 0800 030 4432
www.cybertill.co.uk
CYCLING SPORTS GROUP
Vantage Way,
The Fulcrum
Poole, Dorset.
BH12 4NU
Tel: 01202 732288
www.cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk
CUSTOM SPORTS CLOTHING
Tel: 07580 495881
www.customsportsclothing.com
DAWES CYCLES LTD
35 Tameside Drive,
Castle Bromwich,
Birmingham. B35 7AG
Tel: 0121 748 8050
Web: www.dawescycles.com
www.dirty-bikes.com
www.barrosabikes.com
EUROBIKE LTD
9 Portico Road
Littleover, Derby.
DE23 3NJ
Tel: 01332 774796
www.eurobike.uk.com
FALCON CYCLES LTD
Bridge Street
Brigg, Lincs.
DN20 8PB
Tel: 01652 656000
www.falconcycles.co.uk
FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE LTD
8/9 Brick Knoll Park
Ashley Road,
St Albans,
Herts. AL1 5UG
Tel: 01727 798345
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk
GREEN OIL UK LTD
Green Oil House
12 Rolvenden Gardens
Bromley,
Kent. BR1 2TN
Tel: 020 8313 9074
www.green-oil.net
HIGH FIVE LTD
Unit 4 Ash Court,
Forest Business Park
Bardon,
Leicestershire. LE67 1UD
Tel: 01530 835873
www.highfive.co.uk
HOTLINES EUROPE LTD
Unit 17 The Loan
Viewforthbank Industrial Estate
South Queensferry.
EH30 9SD
Tel: 0131 319 1444
www.hotlines-uk.com and www.hotlines-europe.com
HYKEHAM WHOLESALE LTD
7 Earlsfield Close,
Lincoln.
LN6 3RT
Tel: 01522 801550
www.hykehamwholesale.co.uk
I-RIDE.CO.UK
7-8B Mid Sussex Business Park
Ditchling Common Industrial Estate
Folders Lane East,
Ditchling, Sussex. BN6 8SE
Tel: 01444 243000
www.i-ride.co.uk
Specialist | Cycle | Distribution
DISTRIBUTION
AND WHOLESALE
E-COMMERCE
AND EPOS
ISKUTE LIMITED
Tel: 01803 752225
www.gritscooters.co.uk
JOHN JORDAN LIMITED
Unit 3 Toll Bar Estate
SEDBERGH
Cumbria. LA10 5HA
Tel: 01539 751125
www.buzzrack.co.uk
www.bike-cases.co.uk
JUNGLE PRODUCTS LTD
Unit 3, The Cedar New York Mills,
Summerbridge. HG3 4LA
Tel: 01423 780088
www.jungleproducts.co.uk
www.santacruzbikes.co.uk
KOOL STOP EUROPE
Kool-Stop Europe bv,
Kostverloren 21
NL 9684 TB Finsterwolde
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 597 522 944
www.koolstop.eu
MAVIC SAS
Amer Sports UK,
Theta Building, Lyon Way, Frimley,
Surrey. GU16 7ER
Tel: 01276 404870
www.mavic.com
MIKE DIXON IMPORTS LIMITED
Unit 4 Wellington Point, Amy Johnson
Way, Blackpool Business Park,
Blackpool. FY4 2RG
Tel: 01253 343090
www.mikedixonimports.co.uk
MOJO SUSPENSION HOODOO LTD
2 Rbf Business Centre
Pontymister Industrial Estate
Risca, Newport. NP11 6NP
Tel: 01633 615815
www.mojo.co.uk
EVENT
ORGANISERS
MEDIA AND
PUBLISHING
MARKETING,
PR AND
CONSULTANCY
POWACYCLE
Akhter House,
Perry Road, Harlow,
Essex. CM18 7PN
Tel: 01279 821243
www.powacycle.co.uk
PUNCTURE PROOF TYRES
Unit 1, Barons Court Gardens,
Bromsgrove. B61 9ET
Tel: 0844 800 6493
www.puncture-proof-tyres.co.uk
RAM-MOUNT UK LTD
Unit 5, The Lion Cente,
Hanworth Trading Estate,
Hampton Road West
Feltham. TW13 6DS
Tel: 020 8894 1234
www.ram-mount.co.uk
RED CLOUD MC
2 Merlin Drive, Sandy,
Bedfordshire. SG19 2UN
Tel: 01767 692831
www.redcloudmc.com
REECE CYCLES PLC
100 Alcester Street,
Birmingham. B12 0QB
Tel: 0121 622 0180
www.reececycles.co.uk
RUBENA
Bike Tyrestore (Sole UK Trade Distributor)
Tyburn Trading Estate, Ashold Farm Road
Erdington. Birmingham. B24 9QG
Tel: 0800 281 413
www.worldofbiketyres.com
SADDLEBACK LTD
Unit 10, Easter Court
Woodward Avenue
Yate, Bristol. BS37 5YS
Tel: 01454 285285
www.saddleback.co.uk
MOORE LARGE & CO LTD
Sinfin Lane Industrial Estate
Sinfin Lane, Derby. DE24 9GL
Tel: 01332 274252
www.moorelarge.co.uk
SCHWALBE UK LTD
Schwalbe Centre
Hortonwood 30, Telford,
Shropshire. TF1 7ET
Tel: 01952 602680
www.schwalbe.co.uk
NEMESIS GB LTD
17 Great Western Business Park
McKenzie Way, Tolladine Road
Worcester. WR4 9GN
Tel: 08707 775530
www.nemesisgb.com
SEVENTIES LTD
Unit 1, 25 Moorhurst Road
St Leonards on Sea,
East Sussex. TN38 9NB
Tel: 0845 310 3670
www.seventies.co.uk
PALIGAP LTD
Unit 2 Danbury House
Great Western Park Armstrong Way,
Yate, Bristol. BS37 5NG
Tel: 01454 313116
www.paligapltd.co.uk
SILVERFISH UK LTD
Unit 3C and 3B Woodacre Court
Saltash Parkway Industrial Estate
Burraton Road, Saltash,
Cornwall. PL12 6LY
Tel: 01752 843882
www.silverfish-uk.com
PARKLIFE (HAVANT) LTD
Unit 5, Butterick Building
New Lane, Havant. P09 2ND
Tel: 02392 475895
www.parklifeparts.com
PELICAN PR
No.1 Holly House,
Mill Street,
Uppermill,
Oldham OL3 6LZ
Tel: 01457 820807
www.pelicanpr.co.uk
SONIC CYCLES
PO Box 39804,
London. W11 4WQ
Tel: 020 7243 2848
www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b
STORMFRONT TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Unit 1B,
The Newton Centre
Thorverton Road,
Exeter. EX2 8GN
Tel: 0800 612 1044
www.stormfront.co.uk
MANUFACTURER,
STANDALONE
BRANDS
RETAILERS,
WORKSHOP
AND MAIL ORDER
SERVICES
AND TRAINING
SURF SALES LTD
Point Break
North Road,
Shorncliffe, Folkestone
Kent. CT20 3UH
Tel: 01303 850553
www.surf-sales.com
THE CYCLE DIVISION
Unit 27,
Gatehouse Enterprise Centre
Albert Street, Lockwood,
Huddersfield,
West Yorkshire. HD1 3QD
Tel: 0845 050 8500
www.thecycledivision.com
THE CYCLE SHOW
Upper Street Events Limited
58 White Lion Street
Islington, London. N1 9PP
Tel: 020 7288 6733
020 7288 6010
www.cycleshow.co.uk
UPGRADE
PO Box 688
Horsham, West Sussex.
RH13 8XQ
Tel: 01403 711611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
USE LTD
(ULTIMATE SPORTS ENGINEERING)
Unit 6,
Hampers Common Industrial Estate
Petworth,
West Sussex. GU28 9NR
Tel: 01798 344477
www.use1.com
www.exposurelights.com
VELORBIS LTD
Peter Bangs Vej 53
DK 2000 Frederiksberg,
Denmark
Tel: +453 111 0030
www.velorbis.com
WALKERS CYCLE COMPONENTS LTD
22 Holywell Road
Leicester.
LE2 8SG
Tel: 0116 283 3885
www.walkerscycles.co.uk
WILDOO LTD
39 Barton Road
Water Eaton Industrial Park
Bletchley.
MK2 3HW
Tel: 01908 374555
www.wildoo.co.uk
ZIPVIT LIMITED
7-8B Mid Sussex Business Park
Ditchling Common Industrial Estate
Folders Lane East,
Ditchling,
Sussex. BN6 8SE
Tel: 06 283 3885
www.zipvit.co.uk
ZYRO LTD
Thirsk Industrial Park
York Road, Thirsk.
North Yorkshire,
YO7 3BX
Tel: 01845 521 700
www.zyro.co.uk
ORGANISATIONS
COMPANY PROFILE AND EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPOTLIGHT
COMPANY PROFILE
BOB JACKSON CYCLES
Tel: +44 (0) 113 2551144
Email: Factory@bobjackson.demon.co.uk
W: www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk
How long has Bob Jackson been
established? It was set up in 1935, originally as
JRJ Cycles.
frames, this gives us a great deal of
flexibility.
For example we had a customer the
other month who had been looking
around for a fixed wheel frame so his
son could ride grass track. The problem
was that all the mass-produced frames
did not have clearance for grass track
tyres. He looked at ours, which had the
best clearance he had seen. Simple; we
built him one of our off-the-peg
models with oval chainstays instead of
the standard Round-Oval-Round. This
gave him about 5mm more clearance.
For us it was just building the same
frame but with a B/B Shell for oval
stays and a different pair of chainstays.
By this flexibility we got the sale.
This also applies to our painting:
Because we build and paint our offthe-peg models can be painted in any
of our colours of which there is
approximately 100. Again this flexibility
sells frames and re-sprays.
RELENTLESS NASS
July 6th to 8th
Bath Showground, Somerset
www.www.nassfest.com
July 2012
DEALER CAMP 2012
Tuesday July 24th to 26th
Deer Valley Resort,
Park City, Utah
www.bikedealercamp.com
August 2012
ISPO BIKE 2012
Thursday Aug 16th-19th
Messe Munchen, Munich
www.ispo.com/bike
EUROBIKE DEMO DAY 2012
Tuesday Aug 28th
Friedrichshafen, Germany
www.eurobike-show.de
EUROBIKE 2012
Saturday Aug 29th to Sept 1st
Friedrichshafen, Germany
www.eurobike-show.de
September 2012
INTERBIKE DEMO DAY
Monday Sept 17th
Las Vegas, USA
www.interbike.com
INTERBIKE 2012
Wednesday Sept 19th to 21st
Las Vegas, USA
www.interbike.com
CYCLE SHOW 2012
Thursday Sept 27th to 30th
NEC, Birmingham
www.cycleshow.co.uk
October 2012
BIKE BRNO
Thursday October 4th to
Sunday 7th
Brno, Czech Republic
www.bike-brno.cz
BIKE MOTION BENELUX
Friday October 12th to
Sunday 14th
Utrecht, Netherlands
www.bikemotionbenelux.nl
November 2012
GADGET SHOW LIVE XMAS
Friday November 30th to 2nd
December
ExCel, London
www.gadgetshowlive.net
January 2013
THE LONDON BIKE SHOW
Thursday January 17th to 20th
ExCel, London
www.thelondonbikeshow.
co.uk
For more cycle trade dates: www.bikebiz.com/events
THE BIBLE
IS BACK!
80 BIKEBIZ JULY
What services do you offer? We are not a retail shop, we are a
factory which specialises in frame
building, frame repairs and frame
resprays. We can repair almost
anything so long as it’s made from
steel. We modify old frames to take
modern components and we can fit S
& S couplings to new or old frames.
In the last few years we have had a
large up turn in people wanting steel
forks with one-inch steerers. Since
most things now are carbon or 1 1/8inch retail shops cannot find anyone to
supply these.
What’s your most popular service? By far the re-spray and frame
repair/modify side. On an average year
we will turn around approx 700 frames.
Are you seeing an increase in the
numbers of people after a custom
frame, or are numbers steady? No, totally the opposite. Fifteen years
ago all we built was custom-made
frames. Today, I would say that 85 per
cent of our frame building is our offthe-peg range of which we carry six
models.
The simple fact is that today most
people have no idea, or care, what head
and seat angles, bottom bracket
heights or chainstay lengths do. They
are just happy to leave it to the builder.
I also think that because we build and
paint in-house and do not buy in from
China and just stick our name on
Is there anything you’d like to tell
the trade?
Stop turning away customers with old
bikes they want to do up, or trying to
sell them modern alloy and carbon
bikes they don’t want. They will only
walk away.
The trade we already deal with do
very well out of the re-spray service.
Think of this: The customer comes in
and wants a re-spray. You charge to
strip the bike down, you charge and
send frame to us. We do all the work
and give you trade discount and then
you charge to re-build his bike. Also in
most cases this will involve some new
parts cables, headset, bottom bracket,
cassette and chain, etc.
For additional copies please contact:
Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE
TO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL JENNIE LANE 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 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
Its associated online version, has been
designed to offer readers a directory of all
products and services in the bike trade.
Company details listed in the BikeBiz
Marketplace Contacts
Your presence in this section ensures that
your company’s details are easily found,
keeping you one step ahead of your
competitors.
To get your company featured here contact:
Marketplace
Quarter PRataes:
ge
Jennie Lane on 01992 535647 or
Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk
£175
(minimum
six months)
MARKETPLACE CONTACTS
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
WATER BOTTLES
B&W International (Cases & Bags)
01539 751125
www.bike-cases.co.uk
Bottlesport
Bob Elliot & Co Ltd
01772 459 887
www.bob-elliot.co.uk
WEBSITE SERVICES
DMR Bikes
01403 711 611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
M&J Distributors Ltd
0161 337 9600
www.mjdist.co.uk
Madison
01908 326 000
www.madisonb2b.co.uk
Seventies
0845 310 3670
www.seventies.co.uk
01652 660 000
www.weldtite.co.uk
Independent
01299 400008
www.independent100.com
Lezyne
01403 711 611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
Pace cycles Ltd
01751 460599
www.pacecycles.com
Pivot Cycles
01403 711 611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
SiWis Limited
0845 602 9267
www.bottlesport.com
01709 511766
www.siwis.co.uk
LABELS
BIKE MAINTENANCE
Weldtite
COMPONENTS
Reynolds
01403 711 611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
Sonic Cycles
020 7243 2848
www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b
Speedfil
1404 711 611
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
Lusso Clothing
0161 724 5222
www.lusso-clothing.co.uk
Wildoo Ltd
01908 374 555
www.wildoo.co.uk
0845 644 9424
www.evopos.com
0845 603 9254
www.citrus-retail.com
01494 530761
www.adcal-labels.co.uk
Exposure Lights
01798 344 477
www.exposurelights.com
USE Ltd
01798 344 477
www.use1.com
01444 243 000
www.zipvitsport.com
01282 699 555
www.pendle-bike.co.uk
CLOTHING
DEALER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Evopos
EPOS & ECOMMERCE
Citrus Lime
LABELS
Adcal Labels
LIGHTING
NUTRITION
Zipvit
RACKS
Pendle
RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
Argos
0117 972 4730
www.argoscycles.com
Bob Jackson Cycles Ltd
0113 2551144
www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk
0207 6082577
www.cycle-systems-
TRAINING SERVICES
Cycle Systems Academy
academy.co.uk
82 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKEBIZ JULY 83
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKES & ACCESSORIES
BIKE MAINTENANCE
BIKE MAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCE:
WE’VE GOT IT
COVERED
Workshop quality tools for the home
mechanic – precision engineered by Cyclo
• Chain Tools Including wear indicators and rivet extractors
Chain Wear Indicator 07902 Rivex Chain Rivet Extractor 06003
Universal Rivoli Chain Rivet Extractor 06300
• Spanners Workshop quality spanners for all parts of your bike
Single Headed Cone Spanners Available in sizes from 13mm-22mm
15mm Pedal Spanner 06382 Forged 15mm Pedal Spanner 06371
Plus a wide range of Open/Ring, Bottom Bracket and Headset Spanners
• Sprocket Removers With long cushioned handles for ease of use
5,6,7 & 8 Speed 06383 9 & 10 Speed 06385
• Torque Wrench Ensures nuts are tightened correctly
3/8” Drive, 3-25 Nm Torque Wrench 06317
• Multi Tools Folding allen key and screwdriver sets
Multi Tool 06320 Deluxe Multi Tool 06321
• Basic Tools All the essentials that no toolbox should be without –
including pliers, screwdrivers, cable cutters, hammers and files
BRANDS BY
WE ARE BIKE MAINTENANCE
www.weldtite.co.uk
84 BIKEBIZ JULY
CLEANERS:
WE’VE GOT IT
COVERED
The ultimate range of mechanic
approved total bike cleaners
• Dirtwash Bike Cleaner Cleans safely with minimum scrubbing
1 Ltr Spray 03028 5 Ltr Refill Tub 03031
• Citrus Degreaser Specially formulated to degrease oily parts
400ml Aerosol 03002 75ml Liquid 03017 1 Ltr Refill Tub 03022
250ml Spray 03023
• Metal Polish Unique formula polish suitable for all metals
75g Tube 02007
• Disc Brake Cleaner A heavy duty disc brake cleaning spray
250ml Aerosol 03029
• Chain Degreaser Machine Chain driven four sided brush action
Machine and 75ml bottle of Citrus Degreaser 06017
MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY
WE ARE BIKE MAINTENANCE
www.weldtite.co.uk
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
BIKEBIZ.COM
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
BIKEBIZ JULY 85
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
86 BIKEBIZ JULY
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
CLOTHING
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
CLOTHING
DEALER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
j^[Ykij
e
if[Y_Wb c
_iji
EPOS & ECOMMERCE
BIKEBIZ.COM
LIGHTING
BIKEBIZ JULY 87
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
88 BIKEBIZ JULY
LIGHTING
NUTRITION
RACKS
RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ | MARKETPLACE
RESPRAYS & REPAIRS
TRAINING SERVICES
London's first professional cycle mechanic training course.
EAL & City and Guilds Approved centre
Industry Standard QCF qualifications
Apprenticeships & Learner Responsive funded packages
New Level 3 qualification now available
A fully-equipped, professional workshop in Central London
Experienced teachers
Lots of hands-on learning
State of the art training material
Employment opportunities
On-going support and community
Become part of a global growth industry.
Telephone 0207 6082577
Mobile
07786 636771
E-mail
info@cycle-systems-academy.co.uk
Website
www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk
in association with:
HAVERING
C O L L E G E
The Cycle Systems Academy is very proud to be sponsored by:
WATER BOTTLES
WEBSITE SERVICES
CUSTOM PRINTED BIKE BOTTLES
WWW.BOTTLESPORT.COM
쎲 Wide choice of sizes from 300ml to 1000ml
쎲 Low minimum orders from 100 pcs!
쎲 Wide choice of bottle & cap colours
쎲 UK manufactured – so quick lead times
For prices, samples and further information
call us on 0845 602 9267, visit our website or
contact us at sales@bottlesport.com
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 89
OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING
Let’s get
statistical
How much dirt do you need to contruct a BMX racing track?
What birthday will the Tour de France be celebrating next
year? And how many women are shunning the gym in favour
of cycling and other outdoor exercise activites? It’s all here in
our monthly brain dump…
¼
Adam Coffman,
MP and All Party Parliamentary
Cycling Group member
A quarter of children are expecting a new bike this summer, while 70 per cent
say they expected to play outside ‘loads’ this holiday season (source youth
research specialist Dubit).
What bikes do you own?
Too many! I’ve got a steel Pearson I ride in London that must be
30 years old. I’ve an Ambrosio training bike that’s been getting a
lot of use lately because the weather’s been so bad. My ‘best’
bike is a Colnago and I’ve got a nice Trek as well. I’ve also got a
Ridley cyclo-cross bike and a Dolan track bike – neither of which
get the use they should. Finally, there’s an old MTB too.
We’ve been to Majorca for our family holiday for two years
and I think there’s nowhere better than the lanes and
mountains in the north of the island. There’s a brilliant shop
run by Bruce Griffiths who hires bikes out and organises rides
every morning. I’m a member of Stourbridge CC and we’ve
organised a trip to the Alps each year – usually to coincide
with the tour – and that’s always phenomenal.
Tell us a bit about your background in cycling and politics:
I’m the MP for Dudley – the town I grew up in and the
borough I live in. It’s a huge privilege to represent the place
you grew up. Before that I worked as a political adviser to
Gordon Brown and prior to that I worked for the Labour Party,
and before that for housing associations and PR companies in
the West Midlands.
What’s your dream vision for city cycling in the UK?
We need better infrastructure. That means more dedicated
and safer cycle routes, lower speed limits for other vehicles, a
focus on tackling dangerous junctions, and better facilities for
parking bikes and getting changed at work. Earmarking just
two per cent of the Highways Agency Budget for next
generation cycle routes would have a huge impact. In London,
where cycle investment is five times the national average, the
benefits and the growth of cycling are obvious. I also want to
see cycling on the curriculum, with every child learning to ride
safely at school. Cycle safety should also be a core part of
driving tests, so everyone is aware of cyclists.
99
Le Tour is just one year shy of a century.
This year the prestigious event’s Grand
Depart is in Liege, Belgium.
What can the trade do to influence decision makers?
Work together, agree a set of priorities and keep pressing your
case. Changing things takes time and effort, so it’s important
not to be despondent if things don’t change immediately.
Lobby your MPs and encourage customers to do the same.
90 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
OFF TRACK | NUMBER CRUNCHING
34
Road.cc hit 34th spot in the Top 100
Social Brands listing, which was
designed to identify those brands
leading the way in the ‘social age’.
OUR BIGGEST TEN STORIES ONLINE IN
MAY 2012
3,000
Over 8,000 pallets and 3,000 tonnes of
dirt were sourced to construct the BMX
racing track specially constructed for the
UCI BMX World Championships, held at
the National Outdoor Area in May.
1. Prepare for redtop hate: IAM says half of all
cyclists run red lights
www.bikebiz.com/news/read/ready-for-red-top-hateas-iam-says-half-of-all-cyclists-run-red-lights/013042
2. Video: How a Raleigh bicycle is made (1945)
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/video-how-araleigh-bicycle-is-made-1945/013025
3. Wiggle, Raleigh, Cervelo...who next?
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/wiggle-raleighcervelo-who-next/012982
52%
Increasing numbers of women – up 52 per cent on 2007 – are taking to exercising
outdoors instead of in the gym. Better surroundings and fresh air were among the
reasons cited, rain nonewithstanding (source www.shockabsorber.co.uk).
7. Spotted: Audi electric bike concept
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/spotted-audielectric-bike-concept/013049
€50,000
Shimano Europe donated a whopping €50,000
to Make A Wish Foundation this year. The
charity was chosen by Shimano staffers to be
this year’s recipient of the brand’s regular
charity donation.
BIKEBIZ.COM
5. Antitheft GPS bicycle tracker launches
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/gps-bicycletracker-launches/010301
6. Bicycle Association boss slams IAM for "bogus"
red light press release
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/bicycleassociation-boss-slams-iam-for-bogus-red-light-pressrelease/013052
£934
Quarte
rr
rack, m e’s Branchline
ade wit
bike
hb
hand-cr amboo and
a
leather
cradles, fted
r
e
tails
and can
hold tw at £930
o bikes.
4. Addison Lee pull out of bus lanes
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/addison-lee-pullout-of-bus-lanes/012992
8. IAM boss hits back at BA's claim that red light
release was "bogus"
/http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/iam-xx/013064
9. How to buy eight bikes for $2
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/how-to-buy-eightbikes-for-2/013039
10. Grand Scheme: bike share for the rest of us
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/grand-schemebike-share-for-the-rest-of-us/012999
BIKEBIZ JULY 91
OFF
OFF TRACK
• saddleback teams with endura
Cyclescheme’s
charity commute
from Bath-to-Tring
Veho shoots new BMX
GOT NO video evidence of your
amazing cycling skills? Then there’s
no glory for you, young fella me lad.
That’s the thinking behind video
camera specialist Veho’s ‘No Proof
No Glory’ campaign.
The latest part of Veho’s push is a
team up with SIN to produce a very
special, and very limited edition No
Proof No Glory (NPNG) bike, to
celebrate the launch of the site with
the same name.
Veho is also working with no less
than Sam Pilgrim, Grant Fielder and
Ryan Taylor as part of its athlete
team in this latest marketing push.
www.noproofnoglory.com
Facebook fight!
The summer of sport is well underway, but
which is most popular? Will Wimbledon serve
an ace? Or will the Tour de France put the
boot into Euro 2012? Facebook fight!
1. Wimbledon
857,180 likes
2. Tour de France
692,180 likes
3. Euro 2012
430,931 likes
ON AN uncharacteristically warm summer’s day in May, a group of riders
took on a special 100-mile commute starting from Cyclescheme HQ in Bath
at 6am. Ten hours later the riders arrived at Cyclescheme parent company
Grass Roots Group HQ in Tring, having raised an impressive £4,052 for
charity – a sum that will provide over 200 hours of nursing care for Marie
Curie Cancer Care.
Twenty riders made the trip, including Cyclescheme staffers Daniel
Gillborn, Jeremy Persad, Simon Old, Libby Baggett, Chris Waters, Adrian
Warren, Laurence Boon, Andrew Brodrick, Richard Grigsby and Gary Cooper –
plus Grass Roots staff Dave Burrage, Danny Attias, Iain McGrattan and Wayne
Faithfull. Rob Penn, author of It’s All About The Bike, was among the other
industry riders taking part.
Cyclescheme head of commercial operations Daniel Gillborn said: “Our
second Bath-to-Tring charity ride was a great success. It seems to have
gained momentum year-on-year and I hope this continues as our key fund
raising day for Cyclescheme.”
Cyclescheme director Richard Grigsby added: “It’s very impressive to hear
of people riding more than twice as far as they have done before – and still
being able to speak and stand afterwards. I’m very proud of being part of
what appears to becoming established as a classic annual event and look
forward to struggling less next year!”
www.justgiving.com/100mile-commute
Endura is the
ENVE of others
ENDURA RACING has
teamed up with
Saddleback-distributed
brands to kit its riders out
with ENVE, Chris King, Bont
and Qoleum. At home and
abroad, the team will race
on Smart ENVE System 6.7
wheelsets built on Chris
King Hubs, Bont Vaypor
shoes and use Qoleum rider
care products in races at
home and abroad.
Directeur Sportive Julian
Winn and Service Course manager Richard Bowen paid a visit to Saddleback’s
HQ to meet marketing manager Andrew Griffiths and ENVE product manager
Ash Matthews to receive the new Smart ENVE System 6.7 wheelsets (pictured
above). The wheelsets feature custom-made, colour-matched, Endura Equipe
green ENVE decals and Chris King R45 road hubs in black.
Griffiths said: “We are delighted to be supporting such a high profile UCI
Europe Tour team, who consistently win races in the UK domestic racing scene.
Saddleback’s partnership with the Endura Racing team provides a great
connection between our company and the brands we represent.”
www.saddleback.co.uk
Likes
92 BIKEBIZ JULY
BIKEBIZ.COM
OFF TRACK
Send your pictures to
mark.sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
• cyclescheme staffers take the long way to work • riders get bowled over
2,872kms and 896
punctures later...
Dallaglio and
Flintoff saddled
up to raise over
£2m for charity
LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO and Freddie
Flintoff ditched balls and bats for two
wheels in an epic 2,872km challenge
across Europe, featuring 3,000metre
climbs and tough terrain in Europe to raise
over £2.012m for charity.
The duo, along with 13 other core
riders, crossed the finish line at the
gateway to the Olympic park in London’s
Westfield Stratford City, having started at
Olympia, the ancient birthplace of the
Olympic Games in Greece.
Flintoff said: “It’s been a long struggle,
but worthwhile to go through half of the
quote
unquote
“IT’S TIME the government made the
justice system fairer for cyclists who are
hurt or seriously injured on our roads.
Urgent action is needed to support bike
riders, to give us the confidence that we
are being supported and protected by
the law. We want safer roads. We want
them now.”
Robert Garbutt, Cycling Weekly editor.
“We know that many people would like
to walk and cycle for their daily
journeys, but feel that the roads in our
communities are just not safe enough.
Everyone should respect other people
on our streets, no matter what form of
transport they are using. We all deserve
suffering the people we’re raising money
for go through every day.” The team has reached their target of
£2.012m to support some fantastic British
causes through the Dallaglio Foundation,
the AF Foundation and Virgin Unite, with
the help of each and every rider. Official Cycling Partner Halfords
supported the riders as they rode the
route, providing mechanical support and
spares for all the riders throughout the
entire ride – which saw a patience-testing
896 punctures. www.dallaglioflintoff2012.com
Sponsored by the brands of
Moore Large 01332 274252
to be safe when getting around.
However, we need to do more to
protect the most vulnerable road users,
and it’s time our justice system
reflected that fact.”
Malcolm Shepherd,
Sustrans chief exec.
Shepherd and Garbutt joined a
chorus of voices from the likes of
British Cycling, Brake, LCC, CTC and
more in calling for the government to
stiffen bad driving penalties, May 31st.
“Cyclopark is a world-class, state of the
art facility that will encourage more
people of all abilities to take up sport. It
will leave a fantastic legacy for Kent
from London hosting the 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games.”
Hugh Robertson MP cuts the ribbon
on the newly opened Cyclopark,
May 31st.
“This is exciting news – CTC has a
hugely important role to play as the
champion for cycling and cyclists in the
UK and the move to become a
registered charity is a key milestone in
strengthening that.”
CTC's CEO Gordon Seabright on the
news that the Charity Commission for
England and Wales had approved CTC’s
application to become a charity,
June 8th.
For more on these stories, head to www.BikeBiz.com
BIKEBIZ.COM
BIKEBIZ JULY 93
OFF TRACK | SPOKESMAN
SPOKES
UCI tech bods are winning me over
Carlton Reid has had many runs in with the UCI over the years
but – shock, horror – he’s warming to the Swiss organisation and it’s
all because of the infamous stickering programme...
I NEVER thought I’d say this but I think the UCI is doing a
good job. In many respects it’s still a micro-managing
busy body with its governing org nose in places governing
org noses need not be, but on the technical side – once
the UCI’s weakest link – it is now much more responsive
and, dare I say it, adaptable.
The bicycle industry is keenly focused on the rules and
regulations created by the UCI. The organisation’s dictats,
done wrong, can have huge financial implications for
manufacturers. Amazingly, the organisation did not have
an engineer on staff until the appointment of Julien
Carron in october 2010. He’s the UCI’s technological
coordinator and is an expert on
carbon composites. Crucially, he
talks the same tech language
as the engineers at bicycle
companies.
Carron may have been with
the UCI since 2010, but he
only really started to become
visible in 2011, with the
creation of the UCI’s
homologation programme – the
approvals process for certifying
frames and forks prior to mass
manufacture.
The approvals programme kicked up a lot of stink in
2011, with manufacturers large and small (but mostly
small) complaining about the costs of the process.
However, with the approvals process now in full swing,
manufacturers’ fears about spiralling costs have not
materialised. The costs of the programme are a lot less
than the losses that would accrue if products already in
the shops had to be withdrawn following a UCI decision
at a race, for example.
Carron is proving to be a key hire, somebody bike
companies can go to with concerns, and get them
answered by an expert.
The all-important stickers – i.e. frame decals – certify
that frames and forks are compliant with the UCI’s
technical guidelines. The complex and open-to-
interpretation rules on the weights and diameters and
shapes of bicycle frames were first codified in the 1996
Lugano Charter, with technical regulations spelling out the
charter’s concepts completed by 2000. These rules have
been policed poorly over the years with some UCI
commissaires banning certain bikes in some races, and
other commissaires allowing the same bikes in other
races. Manufacturers have produced costly frame and
component innovations only for the UCI to forbid them.
To prevent such on-the-starting-line rule confusion, the UCI
consulted a select group of bicycle manufacturers to create
the homologation programme.
The programme’s introduction
was handled badly, with the UCI
underestimating the number of
players in the global bike industry,
which meant the costs of the
programme wre more expensive
than they needed to be.
“Our original study was
based on getting frames from
20 manufacturers,” said Carron.
When the homologation process
went public, many more manufacturers
said they would require approvals, too.
“We made the calculation with the wrong number,”
admitted Carron. “We needed to add many more
manufacturers, so we corrected the numbers, and the
costs came down.”
The UCI’s approvals programme now consists of 71
manufacturers with a total of 119 different models
approved, from Argon’s E-118 to Wilier’s Twin Foil, via
Ridley’s Noah and Trek’s Madone.
Carron, formerly of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de
Lausanne, works with another engineer at the UCI HQ in
Switzerland. Where before tech queries went into the
abyss, now there’s an intelligent and knowledgable answer
in reply. Carron is always available at the end of a phone
line, and promptly answers his emails. The UCI’s tech
dictats are still loopy, at times, but at least we now have
somebody sensible to talk to about it.
EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 | ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 | FAX: 01992 535648
Executive Editor: Carlton Reid
Carlton.Reid@intentmedia.co.uk
Production Executive: Kelly Jones
Kelly.Jones@intentmedia.co.uk
Editor: Jonathon Harker
Jonathon.Harker@intentmedia.co.uk
Design: Dan Bennett
Dan.Bennett@intentmedia.co.uk
Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton
Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk
Managing Editor: Lisa Carter
Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk
Sales Manager: Carly Bailey
Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk
Publisher/MD: Stuart Dinsey
Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk
Account Manager: Jennie Lane
Jennie.Lane@intentmedia.co.uk
Marketing & Circulation: Lindsay Banham
Lindsay.Banham@intentmedia.co.uk
Finance Director: Hilary Cole
Editorial
Saxon House,
6A, St. Andrew Street,
Hertford,
Hertfordshire.
SG14 1JA
BikeBiz is mailed FOC to 4,000+ trade
addresses every month
ISSN 1476-1505
LATEST NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE | BOOKMARK US: MOBILE.BIKEBIZ.COM
94 BIKEBIZ JULY
Wondering what the Twitterati have been up
to this month? Look no further...
Looking forward to seeing what
issue 1 of @unchainedmag is
like, a Scottish cycling mag, they have
real hills up there!
@TennOutdoors
Some very important samples
arrived this morning, I could tell
you more, but I would have to
kill you.
@PolarisBikewear
Phew! Just booked in over
$250,000 of Shimano and over
€150,000 of Campag. The warehouse
is rammed so get your orders
in now! Team Ribble.
@RibbleCycles
OK, hands up who had 3 days in
the 'time until Lance
threatens legal action' pool?
@Velocentric
Sodium loss is the most
significant electrolyte
lost in sweat.
@ScienceInSport
SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90
BikeBiz is published 12 times a year by Intent Media – Saxon House,
6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA
Intent Media Subscriptions Department
PO Box 35, Robertsbridge, TN32 5WN
Tel: 01580 883848, Fax: 01580 883849
If you or one of your colleagues would like to
request a subscription to BikeBiz, please email
bike.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.
Please note that this is a controlled circulation title and
subscription criteria will be strictly adhered to.
Intent Media is a
member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulation
and the Periodical
Publishers Association
© Intent Media 2012 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.
Printed by The Manson Group, AL3 6PZ.
RIDER: KIRT VOREIS PHOTO: ADRIAN MARCOUX © SRAM LLC 2012
RELENTLESS
FORCE OF NATURE
Riders continue to raise the stakes, pushing their bikes harder
and split times faster. At this level of performance, you need a
derailleur that can match your intensity. A derailleur that controls
your chain with absolute precision. A derailleur that keeps
your chain tight, whether you’re shifting or railing a descent.
A derailleur that never lets up, unless you tell it to.
SRAM X0 TYPE 2 rear derailleur with Roller Bearing Clutch™ and
Cage Lock™ technologies. Available for X0 and X9 families.
ROLLER BEARING CLUTCH™
CAGE LOCK™
Distribution in the UK:
FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE LTD
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk
I really enjoyed the course & learnt
a lot. Things were explained clearly
and I had a wealth of practical
knowledge to draw upon.
Liz Collinson, Surrey
UÊÊÊand City and Ո`ÃÊ««ÀœÛi`ÊVi˜ÌÀi
UÊÊIndustry Standard QCF qualifications
UÊÊ««Ài˜ÌˆViň«ÃÊand i>À˜iÀÊ,i뜘ÈÛi
funded packages
UÊÊ iÜÊiÛiÊÎʵÕ>ˆvˆV>̈œ˜Ênow available
We are very proud to be sponsored by:
Checkout our website at www.cycle-systems-academy.co.uk
or call 0207 608 2577 for a chat about what we can offer you and
to arrange a visit to our state of the art workshop in London, N1.
In association with:
HAVERING
C O L L E G E