BB108

TASTE.REAL.PERFORMANCE.The all natural hydration drink as used by the Pro

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ISSUE 108 BIKEBIZ.COM

F O R E V E R Y O N E I N T H E B I K E B U S I N E S S

COME AND VISIT US IN THE BENTLEY SUITE AT CORE BIKE, JAN 25th-28th

Come and see the Ritte range at Core Bike and join the

Ritte life for 2015.

As used by Mark Cavendish

RITTE Road and CX bikes

Ritte Bicycles was born in 2008 with the goal to produce beautiful, well-made bikes for people who appreciate having something unique. They succeeded.

Today the range covers road, TT, Track and CX with designs that are as eye-catching as they are individual and fast.

From the all-new Ace (pictured) to the Crossberg disc CX bike, Ritte stands out from the crowd. High quality construction - whether in carbon fibre or stainless steel – meets competition focus and unforgettable looks in one stunning range of bikes.

Fresh from the tarmac of California comes Supacaz.

Bold and bright, Supacaz bar tape and grips are all about comfort and control. Supacaz (which stands for Super Casual) like things to stand out but if bright is not your thing, don’t worry, Supacaz offer a range of colours and styles to suit all tastes.

The patented Super Sticky Kush road bar tape is a stand out product from a wide range which maximizes comfort and limits rider fatigue.

Born in the USA, proven in the pro peloton, available to you.

The EVOC Bike Travel Bag has become an industry standard.

However EVOC has stepped it up again with the new ‘Pro’ model

Lighter, sturdier and more ergonomic, with some pretty neat new features such as aluminium slide rails to help you up kerbs and to give the bag more protection. Optional extras such as the Road Bike Converter and Frame Pad are included in addition to a third wheel which clips onto the aluminium tubed handle at the front of the bag to make rolling it an absolute breeze.

Suitable for road, triathlon and mountain bikes including downhill bikes and 29ers. Available in black or lime colours at £399.99 SRP.

p21Merida boss speaks outMerida director Chris Carter chats with BikeBiz about producing frames for leading labels and tailoring bikes for cycle to work

p27Core-ner the bike marketThe decade-old Whittlebury Hall industry-only show is back this month. We preview some of the debuts…

p35Driving tradeSilverstone’s growing Bike Place event promises to pack in more than ever before. We race ahead to see what’s in store…

p13The Grand DepartedTrade to ride out on Le Tour de Yorkshire effect for years

p24Velo-HouseWe dine out with the creators of Kent’s new go-to cycle cafe

p49Store of the monthReally Useful Bikes reveals that cargo bikes are really shifting

p51Tools & cleanersEssential stocking items for shops and workshops…

F O R E V E R Y O N E I N T H E B I K E B U S I N E S S

JANUARY 2015ISSUE 108 @bikebizonline | facebook.com/bikebiz

NEWS

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JANUARY 5

EDITOR’SCOMMENTWHAT HAVE CYCLISTS GOT IN COMMON WITH UKIPPERS? In the five years since the Coalition Government formed UKIP has emerged on the political scene.

Part of the reason UKIP has made gains is, we’re told, because the main political parties have been alienating many voters for whom Farage’s man down the pub schtick has struck a chord. Never mind UKIPs hugely vague policies on many big topics.

Political parties not adequately representing the nation does strike a chord, not that I’m trying to equate cyclist with UKIPPERS you understand. According to the 2011 census, a quarter of the nation doesn’t have a car – so over 16 million of your fellow UK humans don’t give a monkeys about pro-motoring policies. While

we’ve heard some encouraging stuff from the Coalition on cycling it’s

not comparable to the £15bn promised for new roads and motoring. Sometimes it truly does feel like there’s a gaping

hole of representation for cyclists and non-motorists.

But it’s a tricky topic – many bike businesses are affected by fuel duty and pro-motorist policies, so many of us are, perhaps furtively, in favour of car centrism, so long as

it doesn’t adversely affect cyclists. However,

as the nation’s waistline bulges and

air quality declines it’s getting harder to sit on the fence. At the risk of putting it too

simplistically, will you, come May, be using your vote for cars or for cyclists?

MPs draw out the bicycle battle linesPoliticians are hoping to lure in cycle voters with promises to support cyclists with funding, months ahead of the election

While the General Election is five months away, campaigning is already well underway, with politicians keen to attract the cycle vote with promises for the sector.

Deputy PM Nick Clegg got in an early pitch for cycle votes at the end of 2014 when he announced new funding for cycling in England to the tune of £214m. The cash includes £114m for eight English cities plus a further £100m to be spent over six years on roads administered by the Highways Agency.

“The inspiration and legacy of the 2012 Olympics and the Tour de France starting in Yorkshire this year has started a revolution in cycling for everyone, not just in velodromes, not necessarily in Lycra, but for going to school or to work or to the shops. The rewards could be massive. Billions of pounds in savings for the NHS, less pollution and congestion, and a happier and safer population.”

“We could save the NHS £17 billion within 20 years.”

The cash brings the amount pledged for cycling to £588m over the Coalitions five years. Days later the Deputy PM promised £15bn for building roads (see Last Word, page 74).

Hot on the heels of Clegg’s announcement came promises from Shadow Transport Secretary Michael Dugher. While steering clear of putting a

number on the cash he would spend, he promised long-term funding rather than windfalls for cycling, speaking at the Bristol Cycling Summit to Local Transport Today.

Dugher poured scorn on the Prime Minister’s year old pledge to create a “cycling revolution”. He said: “What we need is real action now to ensure that

the country benefits from safer roads, increased levels of cycling and effective road sharing for all types of road traffic. Where this Government has refused to act, a future Labour government will deliver for cyclists.”

While politicians mark out the bike battle lines, the cycle trade and community will no doubt remain highly sceptical about whether promises to fund cycling will translate into reality.

The pledges came against a backdrop of disturbing statistics from the Dft, which found that despite spikes, the long-term trend for active travel is one of decline since 1995.

“It’s a cycle revolution for everyone, not just for those in Lycra.”Nick Clegg, Deputy PM

6 BIKEBIZ JANUARY BIKEBIZ.COM

Bitcoin in the bike trade

BITCOIN has landed in the bicycle business, with London’s 8Ball Bikes James Middleton telling BikeBiz: “I was certainly one of the first retail adopters in the UK, most definitely the first in the bike trade and I think I might even be still the only one.”

For those who haven’t heard of the digital currency before now, in the words of Bitcoin it’s “a decentralised peer-to-peer payment network that is powered by its users with no central authority or middlemen.” In simple terms, it’s cash for the internet.

Middleton, formerly a tech journalist for 15 years, said: “Deciding to back it was a no brainer, but accepting it in practice is a different matter. I build my own websites and ecommerce engines and to start with I had an automated

system running the Bitcoin transactions. They would clear and then would be automatically converted on exchange every evening into sterling. That would

then be automatically cleared to a bank account.”

There have, however, been stumbling blocks when it comes to currency conversion, said Middleton. “While I support the idea and the

system, Bitcoin is useless to me as a (bike) business, because I can’t pay any of my suppliers using it. My main problem was that the clearing house required £1,000 minimum before it would send the balance to my bank account in sterling. That meant my money was tied up for ages. Now I do all the Bitcoin business manually. If I get an order paid in Bitcoin I fulfill it and at some point I’ll just sell the coins on an exchange to get the sterling like that.”

Though Bitcoin is still a foreign concept to the majority of us, 8Ball has benefitted in publicity terms,

with Channel 4 occasionally calling Middleton for background information on digital currency news.

“The Bitcoin community has been good to me. I get a lot of free publicity because of it. The main

issue for businesses accepting Bitcoin is that it’s so unstable. But my position as small fry in the market means I can be disruptive and experimental. You’re not going to get a big retailer in our trade doing this anytime soon. It’s important to understand that with Bitcoin, the currency was never the end game. I don’t think it will be the currency of the future, some other digital currency might, but Bitcoin itself as a technology, a protocol, can enable all sort of other decentralised and secure applications – things which will emerge over the next few years.

“Honestly, the transactions aren’t that much. I’ve sold a few bikes, and a bunch of lower value stuff. It’s pretty quiet. But hey, if it takes off I’ll be ready,” concluded Middleton.www.8ballbikes.co.uk

© NewBay Media 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of BikeBiz are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord.

Executive Editor: Carlton [email protected]

Editor: Jonathon [email protected]: Cash windfalls for everyone cycling over 25 miles a week.

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton [email protected]: Pedal-powered aeroplanes to soar above the traffic!

Design: Dan [email protected]

Account Manager: Richard Setters [email protected]: Only having to ride downhill. Publisher: Lisa Carter [email protected]

Production Executive: Alice [email protected]

Marketing & Circulation [email protected]

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

NEWS

THIS MONTH WE ASK THE BIKEBIZ TEAM: What one thing would boost cycling in 2015?

8Ball Bikes, run by former tech editor James Middleton, thinks his business could be the only one in the industry taking Bitcoin

“As small fry in the market I can be disruptive and experimental.”James Middleton, 8Ball

Steve Garidis has joined the BA team as Operations Director.

NEWS

CYCLE SHORTSDiscs lose 8 seconds over 40km, says SpecializedSpecialized wind tunnel testing has suggested that there is a slight aerodynamics disadvantage to those running road discs over traditional calipers. With a side wind hitting from ten degrees, the bike lost eight seconds over the standard 40km test. You could, however, make this loss up in braking performance, the brand added.

DfT stats put UK cycling rate at 2 per centNew national average statistics by the Department for Transport suggests that just two per cent of people cycle as their main transport. The average distance cycled has increased for both men and women.

Tommy Godwin miles in a year record challengedThe record for most distance cycled in one year is to be challenged by endurance cyclists Steven Abraham. To beat the 76,000 mile record, Abraham must cycle over 205 miles a day on average.

Cycle Systems Academy moves to DevonDevon’s Seale-Hayne College will become the new home for the Cycle Systems Academy. The picturesque new venue is easily accessible via train and nearby motorway links.

Rapha expects £39 million turnover in ‘14Simon Mottram’s Rapha is expected to turnover £39 million in 2014. The brand now commands a chain of eight ‘Cycle Club’ shops, with two in the UK and the rest scattered across Japan, Australia and the US.

Thieves climb through Bikehaus’ roofCheshire’s Bikehaus was hit by thieves in December. The raiders entered the store by cutting a hole in the roof and scooping a haul worth tens of thousands. Anyone with any information is urged to contact police or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For breaking news visit:

www.bikebiz.com

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BIKEBIZONLINE

THE LAST WEEKS of 2014 saw some big changes for the Bicycle Association of Great Britain (BAGB).

After two years of increasingly close collaboration, the BAGB merged with the British Electric Bicycle Association (BEBA). Members of BEBA have been invited to become full members of the BAGB, which is forming an Electric Bike Group as an addition to its Technical Advisory Group. These groups will meet regularly, and members with a interest will be invited to join.

Just days later, the Bicycle Association revealed that it is to close its Coventry office, making manager Pat Morris redundant. Also leaving the trade organisation is company secretary Mel Payne.

Joining the BAGB in the newly created role of operations director is Steve Garidis of Cycle Training Affinity. The changes take effect from February 1st 2015. Phillip Darnton remains as the Bicycle Association’s executive director. bicycleassociation.org.uk

Dawes hits the road

All change at Bicycle Association

Distributor will set up in Weybridge, Bristol, Airth, Harrogate and Birmingham throughout January

DAWES CYCLES is to once again hit the road for a series of trade exhibitions at five venues across the UK.

As well as access to exclusive show-only offers, visitors will also be among the first to see the completely revamped touring range, an all-new adventure-road range and improved builds through Urban, Heritage and Academy models in the Dawes Cycles ranges.

An added draw for retailers comes in the form of a £500 prize draw open to every show attendee. A winner will be selected at random at each of the five locations, acting as an added incentive for dealers to ensure they sign in on arrival. For further information regarding the January 2015 Road Shows, please contact Dawes in the office on 0121 748 8050, or email via at [email protected].

TUESDAY JANUARY 6THOatlands Park Hotel146 Oatlands DriveWeybridge KT13 9HB

THURSDAY JANUARY 8THDouble Tree HiltonCadbury House, Frost hillBristol BS49 5AD

TUESDAY JANUARY 13TH Airth Castle Hotel, Airth, Stirlingshire FK2 8JF Scotland

THURSDAY JANUARY 15THRudding Park, Follifoot, HarrogateNorth Yorkshire HG3 1JH

TUESDAY JANUARY 20THNational Motorcycle MuseumCoventry Road, Bickenhill, Birmingham B92 0EJ (Junc 6, M42)

DATES AND VENUES:


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OPINION

The Rise and Rise of Casual Apparel, or Whatever We’re Supposed To Call It

Few brands have grabbed market share and media attention like Vulpine. Nick Hussey discusses his secret recipe and building enjoyment into cycle clothing...

I LAUNCHED Vulpine in 2012 after I chucked in my film career. I wanted to work in cycling, having raced and ridden all kinds of bikes since I was a kid, and saw a gap for really high quality apparel that worked as well off the bike as on it. We’re about to launch a new brand with Sir Chris Hoy and it’s all going smashingly. Lovely.

Tight bright lycra worked on the bike, but looked awful off it, and stank. I had to have a shower and take a change of clothes with me. Or I wore ‘fashion’ gear that had no performance properties, didn’t fit, and I was soaked and smelly by the time I arrived. Surely I could use performance fabrics to make something stylish that I could wear all day? And most importantly, being a bit obsessive about design and detailing, I could create something highly desirable.

When I say a garment has to ‘work’, there are many, not always obvious, criteria. Riding a bike, particularly on the drops of course, requires a very different fit from walking. Sitting on seams is no fun. None of our shorts, trousers or jeans have seams to sit on. Fabrics should be very breathable, so you’re not a sopping mess when you arrive. So we put breathability above waterproofing, which is practical, but again quite unusual. But this stuff also has to look great. Performance off the bike includes it being stylish. Feeling positive and attractive is a basic need that most of us share. And yellow stretchy plastic rarely offers it!

So here we are two and a half years later, and plenty of other people have said the same idea too, or seen that there’s a huge new

market out there for it* (I’ll define what ‘it’ is in a second). It seems it’s the big new thing to do, as fashion or established racing cycling brands jump in with their take. Some have executed the concept better than others. I think we have captured the imagination and grown so fast because we offer an authentic solution that actually works.

*’It’ is casual cycling clothing, or cycling style apparel, or urban cycling gear, or...Does this sector have a proper name? I dislike the use of the word casual, as it implies that the kit doesn’t perform, and the use of urban restricts its usage, as we find our customers wear Vulpine for many different purposes and types of riding...So if someone out there has a great moniker, let us know! I’m going to stick with Casual Performance Style Commuter On Off Bike Wear or CPSCOOBW for short. Snappy, huh?

Another big help for us has been that we’ve focused as much of our attention on women as men. Women are incredibly uninspired by

what they see in the wider market right now. We know this because we did a decent sized survey that simply asked “What do you think of women’s cycling clothing? And what do you want?” ‘Shrink It and Pink It’ thinking from manufacturers came up time and again. Make the men’s in an XXS, dye it fuschia and stick some little flowers on. Bosh. It’s patronising, lazy and above all, bad business.

That thinking doesn’t cut it anymore. Women have major spending power, are more confident and experienced, on the whole, than men in making style choices, and thus more demanding. Most women are also pretty hacked off with being ignored or patronised in cycling marketing. I hope that we don’t do that. And, through our sponsorship of Matrix Vulpine elite racing team, we show we mean it.

My feeling is that new CPSCOOBW brands must have a genuine understanding and love of all cycling to succeed. That way customers buy garments that really work, that they’re delighted by, and will return to. And up against the big online discounters, that loyalty and customer delight is essential to survival, let alone growth.

CPSCOOBW is fast shedding its ‘fad’ status as UK cycling culture outgrows all our expectations. New customers without pre-conceptions are flooding the marketplace, expecting more from cycling clothing. And the established cyclist is seeing that new solutions are out there, with huge new choice. It’s a sector I hope we’ll always be at the forefront of. Above all, if it gets more people enjoying their cycling, it great for us all.

“Against big online discounters loyalty

and customer delight is essential

to survival, let alone growth...” Nick Hussey

Vulpine founder



SEEDING FUTURE STARS

Go-Ride graduates aim for success at London Track World Cup

Go-Ride graduates aim for success at London Track World Cup

Through the British Cycling-run initiative, the industry helps seed the cycle stars of the future. Judging by its current crop of graduates, there will be plenty more of them, writes Carlton Reid…

THE MAJORITY of the riders who competed for Great Britain at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in London in early December took their first steps into racing at Go-Ride Clubs.

There are over 300 Go-Ride Clubs around the country delivering coaching and racing activities for young people each week. The clubs provide a friendly and safe environment for young riders, offering them an opportunity to get their first taste of cycle sport. The Go-Ride programme is supported by the industry via the Bike Hub Fund. The Bike Hub fund is a voluntary levy scheme, which engages Bicycle Association members and independent bike dealers across the country in making a contribution to a national fund to “safeguard the future of cycling”.

Go-Ride is the first step onto the Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Pathway; the success of which is highlighted by the

number of Go-Ride graduates who took to the boards at the home round of the World Cup, staged at the Lee Valley Velopark.

Laura Trott, Go-Ride ambassador, will be aiming to emulate the success she achieved on the same boards back in 2012 and recognises the role that her Go-Ride Club,

Welwyn Wheelers, played in her path to the podium:

“Without support from the volunteers at my Go-Ride Club, it is possible I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“The Go-Ride programme is doing a brilliant job of harnessing the enthusiasm of young people

and encouraging more youngsters to get involved. It really is going from strength-tostrength and it’s great to hear about the increasing numbers of young riders putting power to the pedals.”

Go-Ride’s success in giving young people an opportunity to progress from the playground to

podium was emphasised following the recent announcement of the Great Britain Cycling Team squad for the 2014/2015 season, with over 60 percent of these riders progressing from Go-Ride Clubs.To find your nearest Go-Ride Club go to www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder

GO-RIDE GRADUATES AT THE TRACK WORLD CUP

MEN’S SPRINT- Matt Crampton- Jason Kenny

WOMEN’S SPRINT- Danni Khan- Jess Varnish- Vicky Williamson

MEN’S ENDURANCE- Steve Burke- Ed Clancy- Andy Tennant

WOMEN’S ENDURANCE- Katie Archibald- Elinor Barker- Ciara Horne- Joanna Rowsell- Laura Trott

“Go-Ride is harnessing the enthusiasm of young people.”Laura Trott

interaction | connection | education

24th - 26th February 2015 VENUE - ARENA:MK

MK Dons Stadium Milton Keyneswith ample free parking on site

Features the latest offerings and developments from the very best brands on the planet! Visit www.iceBike.co.uk

to register and automatically get entry to the Sportline Show to see Genesis, Ridgeback, Ridley, Saracen, Adventure and Rapide

Host to major launches from Madison Genesis Pro Team, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International and the Pearl Izumi Tour Series as well as UK show debuts for many ranges from brands such as:

Park ToolEliteShimanoLazerPearl IzumiGarminMadison ClothingHUMPCompressportK-EdgeKryptoniteThule

W: www.cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk • T: 01202 732288

THE BIKE PLACE SHOW SILVERSTONE 25-27TH JANUARY 2015

GRAND DEPART DEBRIEF

‘More than a cycle race’Still banging on about the UK Grand Depart, BikeBiz? According to reports, the economic and cycling impact will continue to make an impact far beyond 2014. Jonathon Harker writes from the official debrief…

DESPITE TAKING place last summer, the full significance of the “grandest Depart of them all” – in the words of ASO boss Christian Prudhomme – is still being felt.

While critics have argued that the impact of the Grand Depart has been overdone, including some of the respondents to BikeBiz’s 2014 Retail Survey (see our last issue), statistics in the Three Inspirational Days report say otherwise.

In December, Tour de France stakeholders invited the media to launch the report detailing the economic legacy of the Grand Depart. Those stakeholders include Welcome to Yorkshire, Leeds City Council, Transport for London, UK Sport and TdFHUB2014.

The report found that the UK Grand Depart budget of £27m, supplemented by thousands of unpaid volunteers, earned £130 million. More than £102 million was generated for Yorkshire, with £30 million for Cambridgeshire, Essex and London. The expected overall economic benefit figure is expected to rise to in excess of £150 million.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s CEO Gary Verity had anecdotes to supplement the official figures, including local hotels having forward bookings for next year up 30 per cent and even an ice cream vendor who sold almost a year’s worth of ice creams in eight hours during the stages.

Councillor Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council, added: “Was it a risk to put on in times of austerity? Of course it was.

But it proved local authorities can work well together with great results, given time and resources.” Wakefield underlined the importance of legacy, pointing to the proposed cycle superhighway from Leeds to Bradford – “had you suggested that three years ago you

would have been laughed out of the county”.

The report provided insight into the nation’s thirst for at least watching cycling. Roadside crowds reached 4.8 million over the three days, including those that watched the event at multiple locations. A total of 3.5 million individuals watched. Those viewing the race on TV amounted to 18.6 million people in the UK. Tourism, in the short term, benefitted to the tune

of £33m thanks to 113,000 visitors from outside the UK. The accommodation sector alone clawed in £24.3m in the host areas.

To read more on the robust Three Inspirational Days report and Le Tour’s economic worth, head to www.yorkshire.com

Leeds city centre still has physical reminders of the Grand Depart, as well as growing numbers of cyclists

BUMS ON SADDLES?While it’s hard to quantify how the Grand Depart impacted on cycle sales, the ‘Three Inspirational Days’ report did have stats on those influenced to get in the saddle after seeing all those pro cyclists riding locally. Around two million spectators felt inspired to cycle more regularly and one million had cycled more frequently since the race. Has that impacted on the cycle trade? Surely the answer must be yes.

Separate British Cycling stats said that 95,000 people had taken part in British Cycling registered events in the regions touched by Le Tour in a year where total participation across all British Cycling’s recreational programmes increased by 64 per cent. And if none of those have bought at least an extra inner tube in the process, then we’re a monkey’s uncle.

“We can take heart from these figures.”Liz Nicholl, chief executive, UK Sport



DAWES TRADE ROAD SHOWJanuary 6th - 20th, five locationsDawes gets in early with this first look 2015 product launch roadshow, revealing the latest on its ranges, from heritage bikes to road, touring and lightweight kids bikes – as well as accessories.

CORE BIKE 2015Sunday Jan 25th - Wednesday Jan 28thWhittlebury Hall, NorthamptonshireThis super show is now in its 11th year, well established as one of the essential trade events. Bringing together dozens of big name brands, Core is trade only and you’ve probably already booked your room.

THE BIKE PLACE 2015Jan 25th - Jan 27th in SilverstoneFast moving up the event rankings, the Bike Place now features some of the larger distributors in the business alongside some of the smaller quirky ones at this trade-only event, held in the swanky surroundings of Silverstone race track.

RALEIGH’S NOTTINGHAM CYCLE EXPOFeb 8th - Feb 10th in Raleigh HQ, EastwoodThe household name brings together its new ranges and those of Diamondback, Haibike, Koga, Dahon, Lusso, OK Baby…and many more, at its Nottinghamshire HQ in February.

WOMEN IN CYCLINGFeb 12th, ExCeLWe celebrate the most influential women in cycling, including those from the trade, the sport and advocacy. We will be launching the list at a drinks reception close to the London Bike Show.

THE LONDON BIKE SHOW 2015Feb 12th - Feb 15th in ExCeL, LondonOne of the UK’s largest two bicycle shows, the London Bike Show brings Cannondale, Scott, Mavic and more to the capital and runs next to the Triathlon Show and the Telegraph Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, drawing in a wide variety of consumers.

Hold those holiday plans…

Before you book your week in the sun, make sure it doesn’t clash with one of the many trade

events taking place in the next 12 months. BikeBiz collates the key dates of 2015 so that

you don’t have to…

2015 EVENT GUIDE

Don’t get stuck at the back, plan ahead with our handy guide


MOORE LARGE GEARED SHOWTBC, Moore Large HQ, DerbyGeared is the distributor’s house show, showing off new product and deals for its brand line-up, including Moda, American Classic, Knog, Proviz, Forme and many more.

ICEBIKE* 2015Feb 24th - Feb 26th in Arena:MK Dons Stadium, Milton KeynesiceBike* is Sportline and Madison’s trade-only house show. It has relocated but will still bring together new product and deals from Shimano, Ridley, Lazer, nuun, GoPro and many more.

TAIPEI CYCLE SHOWMar 18th - Mar 21st in TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, TaiwanYou will undoubtedly clock up the air miles if you go to Taiwan’s capital city, but for the bike trade it is definitely worth it, with Taipei where plenty of cycle trade business gets done. It features deals galore and product prototypes usually way ahead of other shows.

BIKE EXPO 2015Mar 20th - Mar 22nd in Manchester Event CityThe new look Bike & Tri Show is now four events in one and caters for all disciplines. There’s a new venue and even a trade day for the first time in 2015.

WELSH CYCLE SHOW 2015Mar 28th - Mar 29th in The Wales National VelodromeThe Newport event gives Wales its own all-encompassing cycle show, featuring competitions at the Velodrome and large cycle brands together with smaller Welsh companies.

BESPOKED BRISTOL 2015 - THE UK HANDMADE BICYCLE SHOWApr 17th - Apr 19th in Brunel’s Old Station & Arnolfini BristolCelebrating handmade bicycles and those who make them, this fun event is usually very well attended and full of one-off, spectacular builds to gasp at. It’s back in Bristol for 2015.

IRISH CYCLING SHOW 2015Apr 18th - Apr 19th in RDS, Dublin Last year it memorably teamed up with the Giro’s Grand Depart and will be looking to capitalise on that momentum in 2015, providing a focus for Ireland’s cycle trade and consumers.

SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW TBCNow well established, the Scottish Bike Show most recently took place at the EA & Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, again drawing together multiple cycle disciplines at one event.

SPIN LONDON 2015May 8th - May 10th in TBC, LondonTaking a more quirky approach, Spin is a festival-style event, celebrating the culture of cycling and featuring unusual brands with some big names with no doubt plenty of trendy folks with beards in attendance.

EUROBIKE 2015Aug 26th - Aug 29th in Friedrichshafen, GermanyKicking off with a Demo Day on 25th, Eurobike needs no introduction. Oh, OK then: It’s the biggest bike show in the world (probably) and contains more debuts and brands than you can conceivably see over its running time. Essential, despite being in the middle of nowhere.

OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW 2015Sep 15th - Sep 17th in Stoneleigh Park, WarwickshireThis no-frills trade-only show is perfect for those dabbling in the outdoors market, bridging the gap between the bike and outdoor industries.

INTERBIKE 2015Sep 16th - Sep 18th in Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las VegasWith a two-day spectacular desert-set Demo Day starting it off in Bootleg Canyon, Interbike is North America’s key cycle show and continues to attract UK exhibitors and visitors.

BIKEBIZ AWARDS Sep 23rd 2015 in BirminghamAn informal ‘have a beer with the rest of the industry’ event, the BikeBiz Awards celebrate the year’s high achievers and provides chance to hob nob with your fellow bike traders.

CYCLE SHOW 2015Sep 24th 2015 - Sep 27th in NEC, BirminghamThe longest running large scale consumer cycle show and one of the best known, it is set slap bang in the middle of the country. All disciplines are catered for and it has a dedicated trade day on Thursday 24th.

Zyro’s Cycle Vision TBCChance to seek out some product debuts, deals and more from distributor Zyro and brands like Giro, Altura, ABUS and many more.

2015 EVENT GUIDENOT STRICTLY TRADEHere are some additional not strictly-trade-but-still-related events to take note of:

Big Pedal: Mar 2nd - 20th, Nationwide Sea Otter Classic: Apr 16th - 19th, Monterey, California MTB World Cup: Jun 7th - 8th, Fort William Bike Week: TBC (probably June), Nationwide Mountain Mayhem: TBC Tour de France: July 4th - 26th, Utrecht and France

February and September will once again prove the busiest for trade events

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2015

H E L M S Y S T E M E

RIGHT, PAY attention at the back. For those who haven’t been following it, the story so far is that Bike Expo is a significantly revamped Bike & Triathlon Show. In a nutshell the event now stretches over three days, including a dedicated trade day for the first time. And, perhaps most significantly of all, the show has broadened out beyond its road and triathlon roots to include all disciplines of cycling.

You’ll be able to see the vast changes for yourself at Bike Expo in March 2015, from 20th to 22nd (Friday 20th is the trade day). Only don’t head to its old location as Bike Expo also has new digs, still in Manchester, but now at Event City. So you’re now in the loop.

How has the trade reacted to the news of the vast changes? They’ve given it the thumbs up, particularly the bit about the show being much broader, says Lucy Dixon of Bike Expo organiser Hamerville Media.

“It’s been extremely well received, which we’re delighted about as it shows we have a huge amount of support for our plans.

“The change has meant we can offer visitors a wider choice of cycling – from mountain biking and road to kids and commuting – which can only

be a good thing for the trade as we bring more and more cycling enthusiasts together.”

But not only has the new Event City location provided the space and opportunity to widen the show, potential exhibitors will be pleased to hear there are cost implications.

“The biggest benefit for exhibitors is the cost – the move here has allowed us to offer a reduced rate for exhibition space, seriously increasing the value for money. Other benefits include the free parking, for both exhibitors and visitors, as well as a much bigger venue that means we

have more space for features such as the Premium Road Test Track. The changes also mean we have the capacity to launch our first trade-only day, on Friday 20th March.”

Naturally the team at Hamerville have their noses to the proverbial grindstone in the build up to the

show, as Dixon explains: “We’ve been exceptionally busy preparing for the new format of the show – it’s all going very well and our marketing campaign is now in full flow, making the most of the extensive advertising opportunities offered by EventCity as a venue. And as the dates get closer, we will be able to confirm more big brands and celebrity names, so do watch this space.”

Let’s get down to brass tacks, what exactly will you be able to see at Bike Expo? As you’d expect there’s still quite a few details to be confirmed (seeing as we went to press before Christmas) with exclusive trade-only offers and attractions still being pinned down. But we can confirm a few of the more consumer-y features to provide you with a flavour of what Bike Expo will be offering, including that Premium Road Test Track. Partnered with Bike Swanky, there will be around £150,000 worth of bikes for visitors to try out.

Bigger, broader, better. Manchester’s Bike Expo looks to be virtually unrecognisable from its 2014 edition as the Bike & Tri Show. Jonathon Harker takes a look at how the revamped show is coming along…

Event expo-losion


BIKE EXPO

“The move here has allowed us to offer

exhibitors a reduced rate for space...”


Aspiring younger cyclists will be catered for too, with a kids’ zone comprising games and challenges designed to boost confidence and improve balance. Last year the show had the likes of Sir Chris Hoy, Jo Rowsell and Chris Boardman pull in the crowds and once again there will be a Central Stage area with cycling stars answering visitors’ questions. Names are still to be confirmed, but we’ll bring you more on that nearer the time.

Bike Expo promises more seminars than its Bike & Tri predecessor too, with a full programme of workshops some of which have something for consumers and trade alike. That seminar line-up includes nutritional advice for fueling cycle rides from USN and talks from Cyclefit explaining how specialist bike fitting can improve the performance of riders. Wattbike will have words of wisdom regarding pedaling technique and Beaconfell will be showing off

their new team as well as shamelessly tapping into the popular BBC series with Beaconfell’s Great British Bike Off.

At time of press we’re over three months away from Bike Expo kick off, but there are plenty of exhibitors and brands signed up, including the aforementioned Beaconfell, Wattbike and Cyclefit. Joining them will be some heavy hitting names including British Cycling, Trek, Cervelo, Cannondale and Schwalbe. Media types like Cycling Weekly and Cyclist will be there too, as will the likes of Cycleguard, Isla Bikes, USN, Swift Scooters, Bike Swanky, Royles, Primal Europe, Starley Bikes and Wheelbase Lakeland, among others.

Also presenting at the show will be WyndyMilla, particularly its latest variants of the Foo Fighter aero bike and Massive Attack SL, with proprietary tubing developed in partnership with its artisan builders in Italy and road tested all the way from Box Hill to Mt Ventoux.

BIKE EXPO

0845 873 [email protected]

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MERIDA INTERVIEW

Rolling with the giantsHaving been in the UK since 1994, but without the shop floor presence enjoyed overseas, Merida UK continues to quietly grow. Mark Sutton catches up with director Chris Carter who, like the far-eastern division, has ambitious plans for the brand in 2015…

Merida now has a deep accessory line to complement bikes such as Warp TT (right)

SHOULD YOUR store fall on Merida UK’s radar, you’ve no doubt already flicked through the 95 bike strong brochure that goes some way to emphasise that the label’s upped its game substantially for 2015, retaining the value for money builds the brand is known for and adding value for retail partners.

If you’re of the belief that customers buy with their eyes, falling for the colour and design of a bike over almost all else, then you’ll be hard pushed to find better looking bikes this year. Having invested $18 million in not just one, but three paint plants in the past three years, Merida’s German designers have been able to go a little crazy with their ideas and the results are quite eye-catching from the bottom to the top of the line.

There is of course much more to Merida than fancy paint, as highlighted by UK MD Chris Carter in this year’s catalogue. He told BikeBiz: “Merida is a manufacturer

with 42 years experience trusted by a limited number of market leading labels to produce their frames. Significant resource goes into frame design and you’ll not catch us bolting a fancy derailleur on at the expense of the foundations of the bike’s performance.”

With three million bikes now produced annually – split among 44 international distributors who serve 77 countries – Merida UK is an admittedly small part of the A-team

brand’s global business. There is, however, a near 40 strong dealer base in the UK and that figure is only going to grow as the brand gains momentum says Carter.

“The perception that we are purely a mountain bike label is changing and with that we expect

interest to continue to develop. There are gaps in our dealer base that we will look to fill, particularly within the south-east and west. The 95 bikes we have chosen from the 250 strong catalogue are perfect for the UK’s worst weather and many have tailored price points to fit with cycle to work schemes. Having said that, the best sellers at present are all coming from the rigid hybrid and traditional lines, which is encouraging for those promoting cycling primarily as a means of transport.”

Spanning £299 through to £8,000, the 2015 adult range goes toe-to-toe with the big brand competition, introducing tube forming at £400 with no prejudice on whether the build be a male or female frame. All of these are

“You’ll not catch us bolting a fancy derailleur on at the frame’s expense...”



MERIDA INTERVIEW

The everyday leisure and commuter bike is Merida’s current best selling category

delivered to the dealerbase inside two days via TNT and with no shop floor commitments.

“We work with partners on a one -to-one basis, listening to ideas and doing our best to earn the best possible margin for partners,” says Carter. “We can also offer a demo programme to get the potential customers on board.

“We‘ll take the pressure off the dealer wherever it is possible. The consumer is looked after too with Merida’s lifetime warranty on everything up to a rider weight of 19.5 stone, as well as a race warranty.”

At the time of BikeBiz’s visit Carter was in the process of signing off a Cycle to Work focused catalogue, written to provide the newbie with a

jargon free entrance into the cycling world. It’s no coincidence that Merida’s current best selling price point sits between £600 to £650.

“The brochure will give our customers a sales tool to keep the consumer engaged in the brand while they make their decision. It’s written to outline in simple terms what certain specification upgrades mean and the benefits that they offer, hopefully helping upsell in the

process. With the best selling price point anywhere around the £600 mark, we’re seeing lots of sales on Cycle To Work, with the remaining

allowance often spent on accessories.”

For the full £999.99 budget, Merida’s bikes offer 6066 aluminium as opposed to the usual 6061. There’s tapered head tubes too, something that Carter believes should have trickle down from the

top-end sooner in order to give those making their first big bike investment some of the same stiffness characteristics enjoyed by competitive riders. Full carbon tapered forks, weighing in at 393 grams with a 300mm steerer, also feature heavily.

Though Merida is investing heavily into research and development for its bikes, resource is also being directed toward a new parts and accessories division, also based in Germany. Also in the pipeline for 2015, Merida UK will be launching a brand new B2B around summer time. The resulting piece of software will offer live stock updates, all the sales tools and marketing material a stockist may need and more.www.merida.com

Merida has plunged $18 million into paint plants in recent years

“We work on a one-to-one basis, doing our best for the retailer...”Chris Carter, Merida UK

Ladies bikes are stocked in equal measure

Kids bikes looking vibrant

Become part of the Chicken CycleKit – Campagnolo familyThe Campagnolo factory visit for me was an essential personal treat as a Campagnolo fan and end user. It was educational from a product knowledge perspective, I learnt many new things about how the product was made. Above all it showed me as retailer that Campagnolo and Chicken CycleKit do care about the customer and that you can be passionate about business.

Adam Roberts – Comtat Cycling Ltd

They believe in investing in long term relationships that enhance the day to day working relationship and the recent trip to the Campagnolo factory in Italy is a perfect example of this. The trip allowed Dassi to spend quality time with the Chicken team, develop new relationships with Campagnolo and better understand the care, attention and passion Campagnolo takes in the delivery of all of its products. Dassi is proud to work with both Chicken and Campagnolo to deliver unique products to its discerning clients.

Stuart Abbot – Dassi Ltd

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For details of how to become a Campagnolo stockist, speak to your account manager.

01525 381347chickenb2b.co.uk

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Velo House has only been open a matter of months and is already troubling awards juries with a nomination for the Society of British and International Design Awards. Velo House founder Olly Stevens talks awards, setting up in the Garden of England and bringing a bit of Australian culture to Kent. Jonathon Harker takes notes…



Our House


IN DEPTH: LAUNCHING VELO HOUSE

The cafe is perfect for ale-ing riders needing refreshments (boom-tish)


Our House

Why did you open Velo House in Tunbridge Wells? I was born and raised in Tunbridge Wells. I learned to ride a bike here and even when I lived in London I would travel back at the weekend to ride here. It has always seemed a great place to ride a bike with the roads south of here much quieter than those of Surrey or north towards the Sevenoaks Weald. You have the hills of Ashdown Forest or flatter roads down to the east coast to ride and stunning views in the Garden of England. Growing up I rode with lots of different groups but never joined a club as they didn’t seem very friendly.

When we returned from three years in Australia, I noticed there were lots of small groups of friends riding together in an informal club but no large cycling clubs in Tunbridge Wells bringing them together. I thought what the

modern cyclist needed was a clubhouse they could visit and feel welcome, meet like minded people and form alliances for new rides. I wanted to create a place that cyclists could call their own and felt like a home for them. For this I

realised you needed to cater for all of cyclists’ needs so we included a workshop with experienced road bike mechanics and a shop stocking a wide range of road bike-focused equipment for all budgets and including many brands that this area had never had before. We wanted the whole thing to feel like

a familiar welcoming experience for cyclists and also a friendly place for people interested in starting cycling to come and learn more.

In terms of floorspace, how big is the café compared to the

workshop and shop? Did you always intend for it to have those rough proportions?The cafe is slightly bigger than the shop and workshop combined which gives us the scope to host largish events. We can seat 45 people inside and another 20 outside which is popular with

cyclists in the summer. The building was always going to dictate the balance of cafe/shop and workshop but we are happy with the space we have.

Is the shop largely for essentials like tubes, etc, or is the product range wider? We stock everything related to road cycling. We stock bikes from Focus, Scott, Boardman, Parlee, Ritte, Kinesis, Colnago and Lightweight. Clothing from Capo, Endura, Cafe Du Cycliste, POC and Vulpine and large range of accessories, helmets, shoes and wheels including lots of hand-built wheels which are proving very popular.

Was keeping the character of the bank important to you and the design team? Particularly as you gave up a job in the City to launch Velo House?

“The response has been much better than I expected.”Olly Stevens, Velo House

IN DEPTH: LAUNCHING VELO HOUSE


Velo House has brought the cycle cafe culture to Kent’s Tunbridge Wells

We definitely wanted to keep some of the character of the building regardless of what building that was. We kept the night safe in the corner as it was in a foot of concrete and couldn’t be moved, but other elements we used just because we liked them from an aesthetic view.

What kind of look and atmosphere were you going for? My brief was that I wanted cyclists to walk in and think ‘wow, this is a great cycling cafe designed for me’ but also for non-cyclists to walk in and go ‘wow this is a great café’ and not feel intimidated.

The look was definitely inspired by our time in Melbourne and the great sunny bright cafe spaces they have there. We wanted it to be welcoming and friendly and also bright and sunny inside. I am very lucky that my wife Sophie has her own Interior Design business, SGS Design, and her sister runs a commercial design business, Kiwi and Pom, so I had a wealth of design talent to use. The whole thing was a family affair with my father working as the architect and now my daughter works in the kitchen. My wife and Kiwi and Pom came up with the design and I just

added some more cycling references like our Velodrome wall and cycling map tables to finish things off. We wanted to make a very strong design statement and people often ask if we are a chain as it looks so professionally done. We got a small branding agency, Mose study, to create our logo and some of the other visual identity elements and these have been really important in creating the look of the Velo House.

Like all design processes some of the things that work well are planned and some are last minute

decisions made out of necessity like the Rouleur musette bags used to hold paper towels in the toilets. I had forgotten to spec anything for drying peoples hands and we were opening in two days so we came up with a hook and called Bruce Sandell at Rouleur and he sent us some musette bags the next day and now everyone loves them.

What has been the local reaction to the launch? People have been amazingly supportive. They love the fact we are local people running an independent cafe and not another carbon copy chain cafe. About 75 per cent of our customers are non-cyclists although we have manage to convert a few and sold some of them nice road bikes for the first time. It is great when people have travelled to visit us and I always try to have a chat with new customers and hear what they have to say. At the weekend we

have more cyclists but we still get lots of locals who just like the cafe.

Has Velo House’s success so far hit your expectations? The response from cyclists and locals has been much better than I could have hoped for. When I am having a bad day I usually find sitting down with a regular or new

customer and having a chat about the place is enough to cheer me up and remind me why we did this.

Would you ever envisage opening up more Velo Houses in Kent or further afield? Definitely. We designed it around what we think cyclists want and need to enjoy their bikes more and spent a lot of time of the design and branding to give it a unique look and feel so that we can open more down the line. We are always looking for possible sites for another Velo House either within Kent or beyond.

What’s coming up next for Velo House? Christmas has been really busy with people hiring the Velo House on Friday and Saturday nights for private parties and we are also fully booked in January too. My job is to spread the word about the Velo House further afield. We will be hosting lots more events, including regular events every Thursday night. We hosted a live podcast with the Telegraph cycling podcast guys just before Christmas and have a Cycling Fox Hunt ride planned for the day after Boxing Day. www.thevelohouse.com

“The cafe’s look was inspired by our time in Melbourne.”Olly Stevens, Velo House

[email protected] hopetech.com

cranks_bike_biz.indd 4 11/12/2014 14:52


CORE BIKE

Northants callingIt’s almost time to make the annual pilgrimage to Northamptonshire for Core Bike. But before you go Jonathon Harker has a few hints at what to expect this time around…

cc

Opening TimesSun: 9.00-6.00 Mon: 9.00-6.00 Tue: 9.00-6.00Wed: 9.00-2.00

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BrooklandsLunch/Dinner

Dinner 7.00 for 7.30pm

S25

S7

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S5 S8

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S1S2S3S4

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Lunch 1:00 to 3:00

S28S29

noitartsigerNEED TO KNOWVENUE:Whittlebury Hall, Northants

OPENING TIMES:Sunday 25th Jan 09.00 - 17.00Monday 26th Jan 09.00 - 17.00Tuesday 27th Jan 09.00 - 17.00Wednesday 28th Jan 09.00 - 13.00Designated Press day: Tuesday (dealers also welcome)

For general and accommodation enquiries please contact the Max Bikes PR team on 0044 7891 951 055 or email [email protected]

Silverfish On display for the first time at Core Bike will be the latest trail fork offering from suspension guru’s DVO. The new Diamond offers riders 140mm or 160mm of smooth travel with externally adjustable rebound, compression and lock-out. Available in two colours and either 650B or 29” options it retails at £799.

Silverfish will not only have Yeti’s Switch Infinity equipped SB5c and SB6c bikes on display at this year’s show but they will also be offering both bikes as frame only options for the first time as well. This means that you can not only purchase your Yeti Cycle as a fully-equipped bike, but you can also offer customers more flexibility with a range of frame-only options as well.

Then there’s e*thirteen. With more and more riders switching to a single ring set-up on MTBs it was never going to be long before component manufacturers come to the aid of 10 speed riders looking

Lapierre’s Aircode

HT Pedals from Ison

661 Gloves


CORE BIKE

for that little extra help on the hills. Machined from aluminium for stiffness and weight saving, the range extender EX cog from e*thirteen is designed to work with your current cassette extending your range of gears from either 34T or 36T max to 40T or 42T. This simple extender ring means you can keep your current drive chain set-up for the most part and switch to a 1x10 drive chain set-up with a narrow/ wide tooth chainring. Available in three colours and in either a Sram or Shimano fitment the EX cog retails at £54.95.

Chicken CyclekitThere are plenty of new saddles with Selle Italia this year, not least a reimagined Ferrari Novus. The Novus 2015 comes in a titanium or carbon fibre rail and is available in black, white and the new team edition featuring the eye-catching red pattern that will be used on all

team saddles for 2015. The firm is also bringing the Butcher to Core, featuring a large cut out in the centre for greater grip when performing tricks requiring a seat grab. It can also be used on uplifts where the bike is mounted on a chair lift. And there’s a subtle bottle opener too (on the underside of the saddle).

Tifosi is one to watch out for too, with more models at competitive price points, many under the cycle to work threshold, including entry level Shimano builds. New designs and logos, complementing the heritage feel of many of the range will mean it’s worth a trip at Whittlebury Hall.

PaligapAmong the goodies from Paligap will be Fast Forward’s F4R DT180 Carbon Silver Edition Tubular Wheelset. Based on the F4R tubular rim this set comes with a special outlined silver logo

matching the hub log (£2,175). Tapping into the commuter market will be Tern’s Verge P9 – a light, fast, efficient and fully-equipped bike that folds small with N-Fold technology, so it is easily stashable. Nine 9 widely spaced gears and a single shifter keep things simple, while the stiff frame is made of hydroformed aluminium (£830).

Selle San Marco’s DiMA Selector tool will be explained in depth, revealing how it takes into account age, height, physical characteristics and – crucially – set up of the bike and style of riding to provide customers with near perfect saddles.

Stan’s Notubes ZTR Valor features the first carbon rim with genuine NoTubes’ Bead Socket Technology for tubeless use. Available in 29er as well as 26”, 27.5” sizes, and with multiple axle options, the Valor features the 3.30Ti Disc hubs, 24/28 spoke

pattern and individually reinforced spoke holes.

Hope The latest from the British manufacturer includes the Hope Tech Enduro, built with the Pro 2 EVO hubs in either straight pull or standard spokes. Available in 26, 27.5 and 29-inches, the wheels’ strength is down to triple cavity construction, which also keeps the weight low. Tubeless compatible, the complete wheel weights start at 911g for a front and 1,020g for a rear. The wheels are of course machine built and hand finished in Barnoldswick. And that’s just a fraction of the Hope offering, head to their stand to see the rest of it.

HotlinesLapierre’s new aero road bike, the Aircode, has been built for competition, tested and approved by Team FDJ.fr’s test riders.

Fresh luggage within Extra’s stocks

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CORE BIKE

Dealers will have chance to see the Aircode Ultimate Red at the show, a model that graces the custom build feature offered by Lapierre Ultimate programme. Leatt’s burgeoning helmet range will be represented with the DBX 5.0, sporting 360 Turbine Technology to protect the head and brain, placing a visco-elastic material formed into an energy displacing button between the head and EPS liner. Show attendees will also be able to see the new top of the line Gaerne road shoe, the G.STILO (£349.99) and Lynskey’s revamped 2015 titanium frames, now using a tapered head tube on the popular Sport level frames.

Upgrade Bikes The all MTB ultimate Axe crank has the strength for the biggest DH hits combined with the weight of a race-ready enduro crank. Using Hollowform arms and a

30mm axle it combines stiffness and that aforementioned strength without incurring a weight penalty (at 890g for the arms, BB, ring and hardware). RRP is £249.99.

Joining the Axe at Core Bike is the Stage1 Seat, aimed at the all-mountain and aggressive trail markets. It also uses the RiderSaver system so tubes can be attached. Retailing at £49.99, the lower profile shape allows for easy weight shifting and the blunt nose provides more climbing space for riders.

Visiting the Upgrade stand also affords you the chance to check out the Zone 27.5 and 26 wheelsets. Wide, light, tough and tubeless ready, the rims are built with double butted spokes and onto the classic lightweight DMR hubs. The Zone wheel is aimed at the rider who wants a wheelset to last all season long and survive the dings and flat landings that riding hard and at speed brings. RRP is

£349.99. For more details you know where to go.

Ison There are new brand signings for Ison at Core, including Siberian fat bike maker Sarma, which prides itself on accessibility and advanced carbon fibre components. Also at Whittlebury will be HT Pedals, now producing pedals under its own name and featuring a new proprietary cleat system - HT has released the new HT-X1 dipless pedal that offers float with adjustable tension. The range includes alloy and composite road and MTB pedals.

Apidura’s ultralight rackless packing systems unencumber the touring rider by neatly distributing packing systems to optimise handling. The brand’s handlebar, top tube, frame mounted and rear saddle bags will be at Core. Gloworms’s New Zealand designed light, featuring

Intelligent Mode Tech, will appear alongside Duck Smart’s cleaning line-up and Cinq5’s innovating product line-up. Look out for Banshee Bikes, MRP, Whisky Parts Co, Mucky Nutz and All-City too.

Extra UKErgon has some stylish packs joining its range in 2015 designed for enduro and all-MTB riding. Two packs – the BE1 Enduro and the larger BE2 Enduro – are being added to the line. The BE1 is Ergon’s first completely focused race pack for the gravity obsessed, developed with DH legend Fabien Barel.

Crankbrothers’ Mallet DH Race pedals hit the DH and gravity enduro market and are now available in black. The open design means they’re not too shabby at shedding mud and four-sided entry allows for clipping in by pushing forward or pulling backwards on the pedal.

bik bi 1141204 i dd 1 12/5/2014 2 57 57 PM

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New DMR cranks now with upgrade

BBB’s new Patron iPhone case


CORE BIKE

Onto bikes and the Skylon, new for Time in 2015, offers 30 per cent more rigidity than the previous ZXRS model. It is available with new Aktiv vibration-damping technology to neutralise vibrations from the road for a smoother ride.

And then there’s Clif Bar, with its full range of flavours in Clif Bars, Builders Protein Bars, Shot Bloks and Shot Gels, with samples a plenty.

Citrus-Lime Citrus-Lime has a Cloud reporting tool up its sleeve. It has been developed from the ground up and will be the first of Citrus-Lime’s new Cloud based modules. The ecommerce expert has focused on what information retailers need to make good managerial decisions and it is currently in use at a limited number of sites and will be beta tested before launch at Core.

The New Year will also bring a completely revamped Citrus-Lime website which will doubtless be shown off at the show too. To find out all about those, Click & Collect and all the other ecommerce options Citrus-Lime provides, head to their stand at Core. We’re assured you might walk out with some locally sourced, fair trade, organic Citrus-Lime branded tea and coffee too.

2pureThere’ll be a Lizard Skins glove giveaway in the build up to Core Bike while at the show itself bike dealers will find the best selling bar tape from DSP available in four new colours as well as new overshoes and gloves.

POC’s 2015 Raceday collection will debut and there will be details on a new stockist plan for Pedro’s tool range. Niterider’s new twin-laser-sporting Sentinel will debut in its 25th year and also

watch out for Feedback Sports’ new workstand.

BuffFor the first time Buff will be launching a hats collection, for the autumn-winter 2015-2016 season, covering the sport and lifestyle sectors and using high tech fabrics. There’s plenty of choice with over 160 models across the collection. For the new range, Buff is using the same materials it’s used on its neck accessories for years but new tech is being employed like ultrasonic seamless welding to increase comfort and precise laser cutting for enhanced breathability and comfort. Some models have reflectivity – speak to the team at Core to find out more.

One IndustriesThere’ll be 2015 glove ranges from both One and 661. 661’s includes the winter and cold weather protecting Storm Glove,

featuring an updated chassis and cut for 2015. The Evo Glove is pitched as the pinnacle of comfort and breathability, with multi panel construction and duel layer Clarino palm, while the Rage has added impact protection and Airprene knuckle. The Recon has been constructed from Dimple mesh material and the Raji is the best selling staple of the 661 collection. 661 also has a brand new all-MTB/trail/enduro helmet to look out for.

Onto the One Glove range and the Vapor has an updated fit and chassis with self fabric closure strap, silicone grip beading at the wrist and a single layer Clarino palm and thumb overlay. The Zero boasts a ‘no bulk feel’ with slip on cuff construction and the Gamma is constructed of Q-span and Air Mesh materials. The Sector features ribbed Spandex with a single layer Clairno palm. The Atom glove is also sporting an updated chassis and fit for 2015.


WindwaveThe new BBB Patron case for iPhone enables riders to safely and securely mount their smartphone to their bike whilst leaving the phone fully functional. It’s made from an impact resistant polycarbonate outer shell with a shock absorbing silicone insert. It also sports a slim profile so it can be used on or off the bike. Summer and rain sleeves are included and the adjustable mount can be used in both portrait and landscape, either mounted to the bar or stem. Take a look at the Patron yourself at Core.

Also on the Windwave stand will be the Morgan Blue Cycle Care Kit, designed to help cyclists maintain their ride through the various rigours of winter and including everything needed to wash, de-grease, re-lube and polish bikes.

The kit consists of a maintenance CD guide, 1L Mud Off, 400cc Polish, 400cc Chain

degreaser, 125cc Extra Dry chain lube, chain keeper, chain brush, sponge, cloth and bucket. The 2015 Cycle Care kit has a contents value of £64.65, but with an RRP of just £42.95 saving the consumer a third.

EBC EBC will have all the 2015 bikes from Ave, Bergamont and EBCO, including the Urban Commuter UCL-30 is a value for money option for commuters and leisure cyclists, a one time star of BBC’s One Show. Fitting under the cycle to work threshold, the low step frame is a boon for those donning office wear on the bike and we’re told the bike sports market leading tech and componentry you’d expect on a much more expensive bike. Decide for yourself at Core.

For the first time in the UK the Bergamont E-Ville C N360 will be appearing. Another urban commuter bike, this 28-inch bike

has a low-entry frame too, sporting a Bosch Performance Line Motor and NuVinci Continuously Variable Internal Hub. Shimano’s hydraulic BR-T445 disc brakes come equipped as does Rockshox’s Paragon Gold Air Spring Fork (63mm).

Polaris The expanded Polaris women’s range comes in two colourways, so you won’t have to pick a side of the fence on the pink debate. The widened line-up includes a Trail range and the Vela Road range, the latter being released in the spring. The female-designed range has been tailored for women, whether a leisurely rider or a racer. Fit was the main area of focus for Polaris, with a contoured design for comfort in the saddle. Attention has been paid to graphics and technical features too, with “no compromise between form and function”.

Storck Markus Storck himself will be celebrating Storck’s 20th Anniversary at Core Bike, bringing a selection of limited edition anniversary models. The Visioner CSL, Aerfast, Aernario Disc and Aero2 will be available in a 20th anniversary paint job with an accessories bundle for customers.

It’ll be the second time Markus Storck has appeared at Core Bike where he’ll be on hand to provide insight into the brand, its development, tech and the newest models. He said: “Nowhere else in the world do you find a trade show like this, a show where you can spend quality time with quality people, it’s fantastic.”

Onto the bikes and the new Aerfast and TIX will be at Core. SRP starts from £3,949 with Ultegra. The TIX (This Is Cross) cyclocross bike is a lightweight offering designed with Thu axel disc brakes and directional dependent stiffness. SRPs start from £2799 with Ultegra. Find Storck upstairs in the Stowe room.

CORE BIKE

Brand managers will be on hand to talk product

Selle Italia’s Ferrari Novus

Northamptonshire’s Whittlebury Hall

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ XXXXXXX XX

The current generation of Sturmey-Archer hub dynamos will add power to your sales. The 6v range includes front hub models combined with 70 and 90mm diameter drum brakes and now there is also a single side model for recumbents. The new type HDS12 2.4w version is for bikes where only the headlamp needs to be powered.

Sealed cartridge bearings are standard and all models are CE and EN compliant.

www.sturmey-archer.com

making cycling easier making cycling safer

www.sturmey-archerheritage.com

Lights

HDS12 2.4w front hub

X-SDD single sided for recumbents

City

Now available exclusively from Fisher Outdoor Leisure

A complete range of high quality and value for money P&A

CONTEC is one of the largest P&A brands in Europe. It offers outstanding quality and value for money as well as industry leading margins and in store POS solutions.

All categories covered.

To learn more about in store display stands and order the full range of CONTEC accessories,call our Sales team on 01727 798345 or go to our website b2b.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

Bar Ends

Headsets & Spacers

Mudguards

Bells

Kick Stands

Pedals

Bottom Brackets

Locks

Pumps

Bars, Stems & Posts

Luggage

Saddles & Clamps POP Unit *slat wall option also available

EXHIBITING AT

Dealers have chance to win a track ride thanks to Fisher.


THE BIKE PLACE

Bike trade pitstop

Hiplok’s new DC lock in action

Seasucker Charge’s Grater

Rubena

BIKE PLACE debutant Fisher Outdoor Leisure will have its wide range of brands at the show like SRAM, Santini and LOOK as well as offering chance to win a Silverstone Hot Ride, courtesy of Seasucker Bike Racks. Everyone attending the show on Sunday will automatically have the chance of winning the thrilling experience of being driven around the world-class circuit by a pro instructor in a track-prepared sports car. Seasucker car racks are tested on car tracks at speeds up to 140mph, so they won’t be out of place at Silverstone.

Wildoo cycle clothing, bottles, capes, musettes and accessories will feature too, including its VeloPac sub brand.

Czech Republic brand Rubena will be represented at the Bike Place with its extensive range of bicycle tyres and tubes. The

portfolio covers MTB and extreme, BMX, road race and city and tour with a mind-boggling selection of over 40 different model names, 40 different tread patterns and almost 50 different sizes.

Earlier this year, Rubena launched the Gaadi easy-change, open-loop tube which eliminates the need to remove the wheel when changing a tyre. By removing the sidewall of the tyre from the rim and removing the old tube, the open-loop tube can be inserted into the tyre and

the wheel is then rotated all the way around until the ends meet. Gaadi tubes are made primarily for E-bikes, but can be used on any bike with a size range from 20” to 29er. Rubena and Gaadi are

distributed in the UK by Bike Tyrestore. Head to the stand 44N to see them in the flesh.

Moore Large, another Bike Place newcomer, will bring along a selection of its vast brand array, including American Classic and Lake footwear.

Hiplok’s 2015 range of wearable bike security will appear at Silverstone including the new Hiplok GOLD and Hiplok DC, both of which will hit stores this March. Both the Hiplok GOLD wearable chain lock and the Hiplok DC, D and cable duo, sit at the top end of the range, offering superior protection for high-risk areas while following Hiplok’s unique design approach to portable bike security. Both previewed at Eurobike and Interbike, the GOLD is Hiplok’s highest security lock to date (£84.99) while the DC is a D lock with cable in one characteristically easy to carry package (£59.99)

Vaude has been around for over four decades in the mountain and bike sports sectors. 40 years on, the brand has options for a range of consumers, including heavy duty mountain bikers, long distance

Last month we brought you an assortment of the brands that will be appearing at 2015’s Bike Place show at Silverstone race track. This month Jonathon Harker picks out some more of the products you can expect to see at the trade show (together with the all-important floorplan)…

Jungle is bringing Steve Peat and Josh

Bryceland along.


THE BIKE PLACE

cyclists or commuters, spanning lightweight backpacks to laptop bags to a range for children.

Evolution Imports will take the full Chris King range including new bottom brackets and new Lefty front hubs among the highlights.

CSG UK will be packing the brands into the Bike Place, including GT, Charge, Fabric, Hoffman, Wethepeople, Sugoi and Mongoose. New for 2015 is GT’s Grade adventure road bike, pitched at all-day adventure or sportive rides. Starting at £649 the range heads up to £2,599 for the Grade Carbon Ultegra. Meanwhile the GT Helin is a new 110mm travel 650B lightweight trail bike. Elsewhere, Charge’s Grater is the new urban range, starting at £329 and rising up to £749.

Hoffman is back with a full range of complete bikes for 2015 for the UK complete with new price points (starting at £189) and a high end P&A and pro-level framesets in the

spring. Mongoose, however, has a 2015 BMX line-up starting at £1,999 for the entry level L20 complete bike. The MTB line features an aggressive 26” version of the popular Fireball dirt jump bike, through to the Switchback models from £329 to £399 and the Tyax bikes from £449 to £599,

climaxing with the full sus 27.5” Salve Sports and £999 Comp.

Weldtite’s bike maintenance line-up will be on hand at the show in 2015, including the newer addition Pure, an environmentally friendly range of greases and oils. More established favourites like

Dirt Wash and the Teflon-enhanced TF2 lubes will appear at Bike Place too, with samples on offer to dealers at the show.

The all-new Ceepo Triathlon frame range will be on show with Velotech Services while Met’s new Drone widebody aero helmet will be available too.

Bikesoup will be talking dealers through its offering, which aims to help independent bike dealers compete with the large online retailers on a level playing field, while Reece Cycles will have a slice of the new IBD-exclusive Bottecchia range on display.

Oxford Products will brings its vast selection of P&A (“everything but frames”) to Silverstone for the first time while Greyville will take along Acor accessories, Crazy Safety Kids helmets and Dirt Doc’s Cleaners and Lubes. Iceni Gloves and overshoes will be there too, alongside Momentum Wheels, Rixen Kaul Klickfix and Luggage and SR Suntour. Other Greyville highlights include the latest from YEPP, Velomann and Stronglight.

The eye watering Essax Shark Saddle has been causing a stir for the best part of a year and if you’ve yet to see it in the flesh you should head to nrg4’s stand.

2x2 will be bringing three new Foray commuter models as well as a new Conquest Elite – a hydraulic cross/hack/commuter model at £999. The Land Rover brand has three new 650B models that follow up on a 2014 range that sold out in every model and size, we hear. The brand will also have a new limited

By lap seven you should probably ask for directions

This year will see more stands at the show

2x2 will bring Land Rover


THE BIKE PLACE

edition Dynamic and a new ltd ed disc brake road bike, the Prestige.

Jungle Products will have Santa Cruz and sister brand Juliana Bicycles with new models on display for the first time. Syndicate riders Steve Peat and Josh Bryceland will be attending the show. 29” specific MTB brand Niner will appear with Jungle too, displaying new bikes and all new own brand wheel sets, in both carbon and alloy, covering all disciplines from cyclocross, through to XC and All MTB.

KS dropper posts will be at Silverstone, featuring two year warranties and models to fit every frame configuration and rider budget. Jungle will have the new 2015 range including the new carbon lightweight short drop LEV CI, with models available to try out at the show. BOS Suspension’s awaited Idylle RaRe FCV downhill fork will have its UK debut at the Bike Place.

See the full list of exhibitors at www.thebikeplaceshow.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ XXXXXXX XX


HALFORDS

Cycle Republic returns

Euston branch opens in time for Christmas, with further openings set for early 2015. Mark Sutton

talks to Cycle Republic boss Peter Kimberley

Peter Kimberley, Cycle Republic director

FOLLOWING A fi ve-year hiatus, Halfords has relaunched the Cycle Republic chain with the fi rst of “as many as 100 nationwide” opening in Euston.

Stocking over 1,000 lines not currently present in Halfords, Cycle Republic has a number of differences to its parent company, according to new director Peter Kimberley, himself a daily cyclist.

Talking to BikeBiz, he said: “We’ve spent plenty of time picking ranges, focusing largely on accessible pricing, but with a smattering of performance gear. We’ve a good depth of women’s product, with the likes of Pendleton, Carrera, Boardman and Tifosi offering bikes. I’d like to think we’ve the largest range of women’s product in London at this time.”

The depth of stock is perhaps best shown on a wall dedicated to helmets, with Halfords’ own label Ridge line, starting at £15 stacked alongside top-end lids from Catlike, LAS and Giro.

In the workshop, mechanics are trained to Halfords Gear 3 standard, something we’re told is the equivalent of a Cytech qualifi cation. Training takes place in a specially kitted out workshop environment as part of a four day induction into the business.

For the fi rst time, there will also be the creation of a workshop manager role.

“On the workshop front we’ve decided to offer courtesy Carrera Subway loans for any job where the customer’s requirements will take over 24 hours,” said Kimberley. “It’ll be very personal service, with MOT style report sheets on each service.

Our three tier packages come in at £30, £50 and £80, with the cheapest ensuring the bike is safe for the road and the top package offering a full disassembly down to the bearings and re-grease.”

Cycle Republic branches, like the Euston and the Margaret Street branch to open next month, will generally cover around 3,000 square feet and will employ around 16 to 20 staff each. Should Halfords aim for the ‘potential 100’, the chain could end up with upwards of 1,600 staff nationwide.

Kimberley also told BikeBiz: “We’ve just signed four or fi ve new branches, so they’re a defi nite, with the Margaret Street basement location currently being designed. We’re focusing largely on areas with a high cycling population to begin with. Stores won’t necessarily all look the same. We’ll grow carefully alongside key commuter routes and we’ve some exciting ideas – tube vending machines, ladies nights and many more plans are currently being talked about.”

Halfords currently commands an estimated 22 per cent share of the bike retail market, with cycling making up around 38 per cent of the retailer’s business.

“We’ll grow along-side existing com-muter routes. Four or five further branches are now signed...”

Jungle Products LtdNew York Mills, SummerbridgeHarrogate, HG3 4LA01423 780 088 [email protected] | www.jungleproducts.co.uk

UK DISTRIBUTION FOR THE BEST BRANDS IN MTB

Come and see us at the Bike Place Show

SILVERSTONE25,26,27th JANUARY 2015www.thebikeplaceshow.co.uk

42 BIKEBIZJ ANUARY BIKEBIZ.COM

ELECTRIC BIKES

Electric bike manufacturing is now coming to Britain

Ansmann to concentrate on e-bike systems

New collaborative Batribike and Oxygen build to be hand assembled in Lincolnshire at Batribike HQ

ANSMANN IS ceasing its German production of fully assembled e-bikes by the middle of 2015.

That part of the business constitutes around 25 per cent of Ansmann’s e-bike division’s turnover and the largest proportion of costs in terms of manufacturing, storage, plant and manpower in the e-bike division.

Ansmann is instead to focus on its core competences (the remaining 75 per cent), including electric bike electric systems, motors, battery packs and charging technology.

The company said: “The extra capacity that will be freed up fwill be invested in strengthening and expanding these competences and will allow them to develop the E-Bike Electric Systems to a higher level, by working more closely with the Industrial Solutions team.

“At present, work is being done to develop a new CAN bus smart rear motor system to allow more information to be sent to the user to show, for example – remaining battery capacity at current average usage and remaining distance achievable with the present riding style.

“From Ansmann UK we are continuing to supply our E-Bike Electric Systems in the form of Retro-fi t Kits and we are sure that in the future you will see more of these systems on the European market via our ever expanding OEM customers.

“Ansmann UK would like to point out that this will not affect our commitment to our existing customers with regards to warranties.”For more information on the changes please call 0870 609 2233 or email Ansmann at [email protected]

BATRIBIKE AND Oxygen are joining forces for a “badge engineered” product – a new full suspension mountain bike style electric bike.

Perhaps uniquely, this e-MTB will be hand built in Britain, at the Batribike facility in Lincolnshire.

The two fi rms are said to be delighted at the partnership and the opportunity to create an electric bike that will be built here in the UK.

Available through existing dealer networks, the Batribike Storm and the Oxygen MTB-X will be available from Spring 2015.

The bikes will feature MTB styling, 24 gears, lockout forks and disc brakes. They will come equipped with a 250w rear hub motor and a 36v 10.4 Ah Samsung Lithium battery.

The full suspension bikes will also come with plenty of features including the ability for consumers to set their own PIN number on the display/control panel to stop others using the electrics. The security conscious bikes will also come fi tted with the Datatag Stealth Pro security system, as with all electric bikes leaving the Batribike facility.

Batribike said: “Having bikes hand built in Britain is an

unprecedented and exciting move for mainstream electric bikes in the UK and one that follows in the footsteps of the old traditions of building bikes in Britain.

Director Sue Coulson added: “The whole team at Batribike is very excited about this new project, we have been thinking about being able to hand build our electric bikes for a while. At Batribike we are very proud that our bikes are built specifi cally for the UK market, building bikes here in Lincolnshire underlines this and shows our commitment to the electric bike market in the UK.”

John Camm of Oxygen added: “We are thrilled to be partnering Batribike with this project and proud to be playing a part in bringing bike building back to Britain. Having the bikes hand built in Batribike’s facility will ensure an high level of quality and consistency while ensuring the bike can be delivered at a reasonable price.”

Batribike told BikeBiz that there will be the minimum PDI for bike retailers as the gears and brakes will be set up and spoke tensions checked.www.batribike.comwww.oxygenbicycles.comx

Sponsored by


Above: The Batribike Storm available this Spring

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS over £50

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL BIKES as standard

24/7 ORDERING VIA B2B I www.hotlines-uk.com

www.hotlines-uk.com I [email protected] I 0131 319 1444

RETAIL ONLY

You’ll be glad to hear I’m not about to recite Shakespeare. In all honesty, my delivery is terrible and I’d forget my lines at the crucial moment. But the question remains, what connotations, or lack of, can a product or business name give to those buying into the cycling business.

I’ve always loved Schwalbe’s way of branding tyres up. Racing Ralph – that’ll be a tyre with racing credentials. Marathon Plus – sounds durable, perfect for a tourer. It’s self explanatory stuff. Even the Hans Dampf, not obvious by the name alone, just sounds like the kind of product that is unafraid of a rock garden.

So, why then do so many labels shun product titles that translate common sense on the retailer’s shelf? During my time mystery shopping up and down the country I had to pretend to have no prior knowledge of cycling or cycling products. No easy task for someone whose shed looks not too dissimilar to your average bike shop’s store room. There were, however, occasions where I was

genuinely struggling for knowledge of why one product differed from another and which was ‘better’. There were no clues in the product name and depending on the store’s enthusiasm, it could be hit or miss if the staff member on hand could give valid reasons, or enthusiasm, as to why a WHL-505 was better or worse

than a WHL-606. My guess is that those are not real product names, but they could quite easily be. If these ‘products’ came past our desks in a press release, no matter how fl ash the engineers had made it look, the enthusiasm has died with the trail of thought; how do I make a sexy headline from that? Come on bike industry, help us get excited, make it easier to buy.

RETAIL STATS

“There were no clues in the name and depending on the staff member, it could be hit or miss whether product WHL-606 drew a trace of enthusiasm or knowledge...”

NEW PRODUCTS:A round-up of some new cycle products available this month.

p46

STORE OFTHE MONTH:

p49

SECTOR GUIDE:Tools and cleaners p51

SECTOR GUIDE:Training p57

IN THE SADDLE:

Guy Andrewsp72

Ever observed a customer sporting a vacant stare as they try to understand

packaging? Us too and without

intervention that’s a sale lost. So why is

some brand marketing still so dire?

OPINION

[email protected]


WHAT’S IN A NAME?

1.4%

250,000

ONLINE: The average order value on Black

Friday rose YOY, says IMRG

HALFORDS: The retailer’s estimate of how many people used its website on Black Friday

THE TRADE’S GUIDE TO SOURCING STOCK, UP-AND-COMING IBDS AND THE VERY LATEST PRODUCTS


RETAIL ONLY

It’s all going downhill this month…

NEW PRODUCTS

MONDRAKER SUMMUM Silverfi sh: 01752 843882

It was only a matter of time before the Summum downhill rig got a carbon fi bre revamp and 2015 will be the year that Silverfi sh has stock. New bearings, oversized axles and a new lower linkage are located with durable conical expansion bolts for maximum stiffness.

SCIENCE IN SPORT

Various distributors

Science in Sport has launched a new SiS GO Energy + Caffeine gel in Double Espresso fl avour, with 150mg caffeine content per gel; twice the amount you’ll fi nd in standard SiS GO Energy + Caffeine gels.

The Double Espresso gel’s 150mg of caffeine per serving is similar to that found in a double espresso coffee.

SEND PRODUCT DETAILS INCLUDING A HI-RES PHOTO AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT TO…

[email protected] or call 01992 535646 for a chat

SRAM POWERGLIDE CX1 Various distributors

The new PowerGlide 1170 11-36 Cassette expands the capabilities of Sram 1X Force CX1 drivetrains. The PG 1170 11-36 Cassette with its 36-tooth cog offers 13 per cent lower gearing than the 32-tooth cog on the WiFLi 11-32 cassette option. It is perfect for challenging climbs, fast descents or sprints and just about everything in between.

LAPIERRE DH PLATFORM Hotlines: 0131 319 1444

Lapierre has revealed its new downhill platform. Following 18 months of testing, the resulting frame is a motocross-inspired suspension platform with 210mm of ultra sensitive and progressive suspension. Each frame size has a 12mm longer reach than the previous bike and the BB also sits considerably lower in relation to the wheel axles.

3T ILLUMINA COCKPIT

I-ride: 01444 243000

Customers looking for quirky ways to stand out? 3T might have just the ticket with the launch of its Illumina hi-vis components. Glossy white in daylight, yet luminous after dark, the line consists of a compact drop bar, stem and monocoque seatpost.

The fi rst products to benefi t from the hi-vis treatment will be the Ergonova bar, Arx stem and Ionic-25 seatpost, a combination weighing sub 500 grams in most sizes.

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X-King 29" 27.5" 26"

Race King / X-King / Mountain King / Trail King PureGrip tyres now available – ask your wholesaler!

New Factory New Compound New Packaging

RRP – £34.95

48 BIKEBIZ JANUARY BIKEBIZ.CO

STORE OF THE MONTH

Weight off your shouldersLast month we reported that cargo bikes have ‘made it’, revealing John Lewis to have taken stock. But what’s it like to specialise in bikes that make everyday tasks via bike a reality? Mark Sutton asks Really Useful Bikes owner Rob Bushill…

Photo by: Jake Wills

Tell us about Really Useful Bikes and what inspired you to startup:When I moved to the West Country my employment changed and I ended up selling a portable woodfi red hot tub from Holland called the dutchtub.

It was when I saw a question and answer piece in The Times newspaper about being able to carry two kids on a bicycle that the penny dropped. My love affair with bicycles was rekindled and that bicycle (a Yuba) was the perfect item to sell alongside the woodfi red hot tub. Since then, the portable hottub business has been taken on by another and bicycles for transport are my biggest passion. The bicycle for transport is defi nitely on its way back, enabling people to move locally, spend locally and meet people again locally. Some dream of the downhill thrill, some the fi nish line sprint...I get a kick out of pedaling 20 kilos of shopping home.

How’s business? Business is good. Over the last few years the number of businesses building cargo bikes has increased, including British brands

like Donky and 8freight. With this increase in builders they are getting a little more sexy too, which helps with getting exposure. I think even the cycle industry is seeing that bicycles that carry more is a niche that really expands possibilities. The cross over into a more sporty cargo bike is aided with the enthusiast-organised Cargo Bikes Championships cropping up in Europe. Bear in mind that the fi rst two-wheeled cargo bike, the Long John, was built in Denmark from at least the 1940s, Dutch 2 wheelers since the late 1990s and only then have they caught the public’s imagination.

How often does a customer come in store who has previously been largely unaware of cargo bikes? People that come in to browse are often incredulous, then generally get the concept of their utility. We are in a yard that is dominated by engineering fi rms, so the design details, hub gears and dynamos create talking points.

The people that come specifi cally to see the cargo bikes (and the Gazelle bikes) have read about them, but

generally have never ridden one, so when they take a ride around the yard, their slightly perplexed look quickly changes to a broad smile. Changing perceptions is a big part of my business.

With everyday cycling on the rise, how has this translated with sales of practical bikes for errands?I think sales are more infl uenced by the increasing drudgery and cost of a trip by car. Sales of Gazelle Dutch bikes are on the up, with low maintenance bikes offering comfortable riding in your own normal clothes being valued more.

Accessories for ‘normal bikes’ to help carrying things are on the up, crates, baskets and racks are selling more.

What models are proving most popular and for what reason?The two wheeled Boxbike is our favoured style of cargobike. They are fun to ride, easy to balance and pretty maneuverable through barriers. We have several models in stock as demo bikes and we have contacts with all the best manufacturers in the world, so can

source and prepare any good cargo bike for the customer.

The Bakfi ets.nl is the bike that started the resurgence of the two wheel cargo bike and is the benchmark which most people work from.

The Gazelle Cabby is the best bike for a new family with good seatbelts, some Maxi Cosi mounts for a baby seat, a very reasonable cost and natural ride. These two are the best for families, while the Larry vs Harry or 8frieght offer a sportier ride for couriers and thrill seekers. Gazelle Dutch bikes are beginning to fi nd their place in the UK too.

What percentage of your business is custom builds?We do a lot of custom builds, Surly Big Dummys, Yuba Mundo and Larry vs Harrys are popular foundations. It’s something we enjoy a lot, working with the customer to mix style and function, mainly with internal hub gears and dynamo lighting at the core. We also improve the original offerings, adapting them to the customer’s needs and environment.

Xxx

STORE INFO:

WEB:www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk

FACEBOOK:/reallyusefulbikes

TWITTER:@bikes4transport

LOCATION:Rodford Elm Cottage, westerleigh Road, Bristol BS37 8QF.

PHONE:01454 319960


Windwave Core 2015 Part 2.indd 2 10/12/2014 15:55:23

Well oiled machine

A strong portion of a bike shop’s revenues can stem from the workshop, so it pays to have

the right tools for the job. Mark Sutton runs down some market highlights from the tooling,

lubrication and cleaning sectors…

DISTRIBUTOR:BOB ELLIOT

CONTACT:01772 459887

As suppliers of both Weldtite and Muc-off, Bob Elliot is a top source for bike care and lubrication goods.

Among the stocks you’ll now fi nd Muc-off’s new X3 Dirty chain Machine, a £29.99 unit that is a signifi cant improvement on prior chain cleaners. The revamped design is patent pending thanks to a new system with 120 contact points on its rotating wheels and a new bath layout to prevent recycling of dirt. A 75ml bottle of Drivetrain degreaser is included in the price.

Also in stock is Muc-Off’s new Carbon Gripper which creates friction between carbon fi bre clamping areas and lowers clamping torque without causing fatigue, internal fractures or shortening component life.

DISTRIBUTOR: CUBE

CONTACT: 0031 103 403505

With a signifi cant expansion in its part and accessories catalogue, Cube now has tools, cleaners and various lubricants available.

The smart mutlitool line offers everything from lightweight 7-in-1 units, all the way up to 20-in-1 units with discreet spoke keys and chain breakers.

For the workshop you’ll also fi nd hard-wearing tools for everyday jobs, as well as a handful of specialist items such as rotor truing tools and specialised wrenches.


TOOLING AND LUBRICATION

DISTRIBUTOR: MADISON

CONTACT: 01908 326000

Park Tool’s gear already adorns workshops up and down the country, but if you’ve yet to deck out your workshop, read on.

Take the new IR-1 internal cable routing kit, for example. With this tool you can easily guide cables down the channels they need to follow with a simplistic guide magnet and three plastic coated installation cables.

Madison also carries Both Finish Line bike care solutions, as well as a new line of tooling options from M:part.



DISTRIBUTOR:CHICKEN CYCLEKIT

CONTACT: 01525 381347

A must for any wheelbuilder, Sapim’s tension meter relays back information on a spoke’s tension, eliminating guesswork. Simple to use thanks to its pre-adjustable marks, whether you want a comfort build or a race build, the tension meter allows you to confi gure the wheel perfectly. For any information on the Sapim range please phone the sales offi ce on 01525 381347.

DISTRIBUTOR:ISON

CONTACT:01353 662662

UK-made Duck Smart joined Ison earlier this year and has proved popular with dealers. The fragranced cleaning fl uid is environmentally friendly and safe for all frame materials.

Ison are also now distributing the innovative bike and rider care brand Purple Harry, as used by the Olympic Champions the Brownlee Brothers and Team Starley.

DISTRIBUTOR:LEATHERMAN

CONTACT:01539 721 032

Available via Whitby and Co, Leatherman has taken steps to boost its bike market offering. One such tool in the range is the £39.95 Mako Ti bike tool. The Mako TI features nine tools, as well as the four piece bit-kit for common gripes making it the perfect travelling companion on cycling trips. There’s a bottle opener too, so an essential tool belt piece.

DISTRIBUTOR: SILVERFISH

CONTACT: 01752 843882

If you’ve a Silverfi sh account Rock’n’Roll’s lubricants and greases will help keep customers rolling smoothly.

The label’s Extreme, Gold and Absolute Dry lubes all penetrate deep into the links, trapping dirt and fl oating it to the surface where it can easily be removed with the swipe of a cloth. At the same time the residue creates a protective membrane that keeps dirt out and the lube in.

DISTRIBUTOR:RALEIGH

CONTACT:01773 532600

As well as offering solutions such as soft workshop fl oor tiling, Raleigh’s stocks also contains premium workshop label Unior.With lifetime guarantees on much of the product, as well as a slick line of consumer facing multitools and everyday repair items, the brand looks as good on the shop fl oor as it does decking out a workshop.

THE INDEPENDENT CYCLE TRADE SHOW

NOW IN OUR FIFTH YEAR WITH OVER 50 EXHIBITORS REPRESENTING 100’s OF BRANDS

SILVERSTONE25,26,27th JANUARY 2015

THE WING, SILVERSTONE RACE CIRCUIT

for more information, opening times and registration details please visit

WWW.THEBIKEPLACESHOW.CO.UKfind us on twitter @BikePlaceShow

2015



DISTRIBUTOR:CHICKEN CYCLEKIT

CONTACT: 01525 381347

A must for any wheelbuilder, Sapim’s tension meter relays back information on a spoke’s tension, eliminating guesswork. Simple to use thanks to its pre-adjustable marks, whether you want a comfort build or a race build, the tension meter allows you to confi gure the wheel perfectly. For any information on the Sapim range please phone the sales offi ce on 01525 381347.

DISTRIBUTOR:ISON

CONTACT:01353 662662

UK-made Duck Smart joined Ison earlier this year and has proved popular with dealers. The fragranced cleaning fl uid is environmentally friendly and safe for all frame materials.

Ison are also now distributing the innovative bike and rider care brand Purple Harry, as used by the Olympic Champions the Brownlee Brothers and Team Starley.

DISTRIBUTOR:LEATHERMAN

CONTACT:01539 721 032

Available via Whitby and Co, Leatherman has taken steps to boost its bike market offering. One such tool in the range is the £39.95 Mako Ti bike tool. The Mako TI features nine tools, as well as the four piece bit-kit for common gripes making it the perfect travelling companion on cycling trips. There’s a bottle opener too, so an essential tool belt piece.

DISTRIBUTOR: SILVERFISH

CONTACT: 01752 843882

If you’ve a Silverfi sh account Rock’n’Roll’s lubricants and greases will help keep customers rolling smoothly.

The label’s Extreme, Gold and Absolute Dry lubes all penetrate deep into the links, trapping dirt and fl oating it to the surface where it can easily be removed with the swipe of a cloth. At the same time the residue creates a protective membrane that keeps dirt out and the lube in.

DISTRIBUTOR:RALEIGH

CONTACT:01773 532600

As well as offering solutions such as soft workshop fl oor tiling, Raleigh’s stocks also contains premium workshop label Unior.With lifetime guarantees on much of the product, as well as a slick line of consumer facing multitools and everyday repair items, the brand looks as good on the shop fl oor as it does decking out a workshop.

maram e d i a

ROAD MOUNTAIN BMX TOURING TRIATHLON

tel: 00353 74 9548936email: [email protected]

www.irishcyclingshow.com

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Training exercise

Qualifi ed, experienced, trained staff can sort out the wheat from the bike workshop chaff.

Jonathon Harker lists some from the training options…

BIKERIGHT

CONTACT:www.bikeright.co.uk

BikeRight is best known for offering cycle training like Bikeability, but has now branched into cycle maintenance, offering a ‘Level 2 Professional’ qualifi cation covering use of tools, practical skills in replacement and repair, wheel building, removal and replacement of gear systems…as well as many other essentials. The courses run in Manchester or Kirkdale.

MOJO SUSPENSION

CONTACT:www.cycletraining.co

The Fox Suspension Training course aims to give mechanics the skills to perform shop servicing on a range of Fox components. The course is a collaboration between Mojo Suspension and ATG, delivered at the Aylesbury training centre, now being rolled out across other ATG training locations. Mojo’s Tim Williams said: “Demand for the course has lived up to our expectations and ATG have proved the right choice in consistently delivering the course.

“Service is something that can’t be sold online, so by offering service in-store dealers are encouraging footfall. A majority of mid to high-end bikes come equipped with Fox Suspension so the potential for service work is huge. This isn’t intended to replace the service that we offer at Mojo. With so many generations of Fox forks and shocks our technicians have 1000s of replacements for a more specialist service. Cleaning and re-lubing fork seals is simple and should take a similar amount of time to replacing a chain or disc brake pads. This is where the dealer can make a difference.”

GREYVILLE

CONTACT:www.greyville.com

Greyville offers a full service/warranty facility on all SR Suntour products including suspension forks for aftermarket and O.E. To back this up Greyville provides training days FOC at the Lichfi eld offi ce for any shop staff, whether a customer of Greyville or not. Also included is a goody bag and a free lunch. Interested parties should get in touch via the site.

MADISONCONTACT: [email protected]

The Park Tool School is a hands-on programme to make it easy for dealers to host in-store repair and maintenance clinics for customers, helping to build customer loyalty and sales. Park Tool has compiled easy-to-follow lesson plans and all the retailer needs in the Park Tool School Teacher Guide (£89.99) and Student Text Book (£24.99). All Park Tool Schools will be promoted by Madison via social media, on www.madison.co.uk and D2C comms.

CYCLE SYSTEMS ACADEMYCONTACT: www.cycle-systems.co.uk

From January 2015 CSA will run its bike maintenance and wheel building courses from its new home in South Devon, at Seale-Hayne College. Housing the new workshop and training facility, the college’s surroundings will provide an added draw for trainees to kick back and relax in, with Dartmoor on the doorstep. The same courses that have been serving the trade for years will be offered, as well as some new ones like a frame-building course.


TRAINING

VELOTECH

CONTACT: 07802 758 469

Velotech offers a fully modular, step-by-step route to a manufacturer-led accreditation which fulfills the knowledge, competence and skill requirements of a Level 3 accreditation under the National Qualification Framework. The latter stages are developed hand-in-hand with manufacturers and all courses are fully approved and supported by the manufacturers themselves, including the Campagnolo ProShop modules, with several others up and running or in development. The early stages of the accreditation can be followed at Chesterton, Staffs, or a number of partner workshops around the UK.

QUEST CONSULTING

CONTACT: [email protected]

Quest Consultants incorporated in 1976, providing marketing advice and graphic design to a range of different companies including Barclays and BT. In 1980, the company began a training division which today, through MD Colin Rees, provides a specialist sales and management training and business consultancy service to the bike industry. Started in conjunction with the ACT, Quest developed a training course for bike shop floor staff which has been presented in over 500 stores across the UK and Ireland. In addition, Quest has trained Madison reps, Chicken tele sales people, Cycle Surgery managers, Specialized, Giant, Gill, Raleigh/Cyclelife staff as well as many more and is still providing a cycle-specific range of sales courses specifically for bike shops into 2015 and beyond.

ATG AND CYTECH CONTACT: 0845 873 8440

Cytech is owned by the UK cycle industry via the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and was developed over 25 years ago. Over 8,000 technical courses have been delivered to over 3,500 candidates including staff working for some of the world’s leading bicycle distributors. Over 2,000 Cytech qualified staff are currently employed worldwide.

Cytech courses teach and promote the highest standards of technical skills to the industry, inspiring customer confidence and allowing workshop staff to realise their knowledge and ability with industry qualifications. The Cytech journey consists of a comprehensive range of technical courses designed to take even the most inexperienced mechanic and mould them into a master professional cycle technician.

Theory one is the first step toward becoming qualified and consists of a newly developed, fully interactive online learning course that provides a strong foundation for candidates to build a upon. Technical one is a practical course that will see candidates able to work safely and efficiently in a professional workshop environment. Technical two is the industry standard for professional cycle technicians worldwide. Technical three represents the pinnacle of technical proficiency. This level can be attained only by experienced cycle technicians with a full understanding of the advanced engineering principles behind high-end performance bicycles.

ATG provides the largest number of Cytech courses in the UK. It has been providing apprenticeship training for over 45 years, with three pro training centres in Stafford, London and Aylesbury.


TRAINING

Cycleguard is a trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Lloyd’s Broker. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority A JLT Group Company. Registered office: The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AW. Registered in England No 00338645, VAT No. 244 2321 96.

Tel 01452 222120Email [email protected]

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COMMUNITY

Straw Poll: Does whether a bike is made in Britain help it sell?

WITH UK manufacturing back in the headlines at the tail end of 2014, thanks to David Cameron hoping to bring jobs back to Britain and the sector seeing unexpected growth amid concerns over the state of the world’s economy, we thought the time was right to poll the trade on their thoughts on the sector’s impact at retail.

We asked: “Does it help a product sell if it is made in Britain?” and the majority of respondents said yes, it does help. At time of press the vast majority – 57.14 per cent were in the affi rmative.

It was those more doubtful of the impact of UK-made fare that had the most to say on the topic. A quarter of respondents said it didn’t make a difference one way or the other, with respondents making points like “It’s quality, not origin” and “It is on the approach to the customer that you can sell the item or not. Not about where it is made.”

The minority – 21.43 per cent – fl atly said that whether a product was made in the UK didn’t help sell a product. While perhaps aspirational,

the added cost was off putting, one commenter said: “People like the idea but are not willing to pay the extra.”

Meanwhile another respondent made a broader point about the importance of product made for the UK, rather than in the UK: “Designed in the UK is a better selling point.”Share your thoughts with us at [email protected]

End of story Regarding Carlton Reid’s article in last month’s BikeBiz (December, page 82). I feel I must comment on your obsession over the years with Dutch style bikes. The UK lacks the cycling infrastructure available in Holland, consequently our customers are not looking for this type of cycle. However we do sell lots of bikes that the public do require.End of story, I hope.Best regards.Andy Wilkins, A W Cycles

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STAR COMMENT

“Just received @BikeBizOnline #2015Directory essential reading! Thanks guys. Great to be in your list.”(@splashmaps)

“If you missed it yesterday, we were featured on a full page in @BikeBizOnline – we’re super proud! #MTBMeetup”(@MTBMeetupUK )

“Surprisingly two articles about leisure cycling in the magazine @BikeBizOnline the family (P45) and lady (P82) are not wearing helmets!”(@ChasShrosbree)

“BIG NEWS! “@BikeBizOnline: Bobbin Bicycles ramps up with Moore Large bikebiz.com/news/read/bobb… @bobbinbicycles @TodaysCyclist”(@bobbinbicycles )

@CycleSystemsAc: As UK bike industry makes more ££. How do we translate this into liveable salaries for skilled, experienced mechanics?

@bikebizonline

BikeBiz is keen to publish your opinions, whether you send them via email, Facebook, Twitter, BikeBiz.com or post…

25% - It doesn’t make any difference one way or the other

57.14% - Yes, it does help sell a product

21.43% - No, it doesn’t help sell a product

YESNO

MEH

In association with

FROG BIKES Tel: 01784 557300 Web: www.frogbikes.com

HARDNUTZ Unit 8 Rocheview off Millhead Way, Purdeys Industrial Estate, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1LB Tel: 01702 530090 Web: www.hardnutz.com

HOTLINES EUROPE LTD Unit 17 The Loan, Viewforthbank Industrial Estate, South Queensferry, EH30 9SD Tel: 0131 319 1444 Web: www.hotlines-uk.comwww.hotlines-europe.com

I-RIDE 7-8B Mid Sussex Business Park, Ditchling Common Industrial Estate, Folders Lane East, Ditchling, Sussex, BN6 8SE Tel: 01444243000 Web: www.i-ride.co.uk

JUNGLE PRODUCTS LTD Unit 3, The Cedar, New York Mills,Summerbridge, HG3 4LA Tel: 01423 780088 Web: www.jungleproducts.co.uk andwww.santacruzbikes.co.uk

LEATHERMAN Aynam Mills, Canal Head North, Kendal,Cumbria, LA9 7BY Tel: 01539 729573 Web: www.whitbyandco.co.uk

M & J DISTRIBUTORS LTD Unit A, Hanix Buildings, Windmill Lane, Denton, Manchester, M34 3SP Tel: 0161 337 9600 Web: www.mjdist.co.uk

MARA MEDIA Unit 5 Teach na Rosann, Annagry,County Donegal, Rep of Ireland Tel: 353 (0) 74 954 8935 Web: www.maramedia.ie

atg training

for your future...

ATG TRAINING - HEAD OFFICE Future Centre, Smeaton Close, Aylesbury,Bucks, HP19 8SZ Tel: 01296 737815 Web: www.atg-training.co.uk

ANSMANN UK e-BIKE centre, Unit 12, RO24, Harlow Business Park, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5QB Tel: 0870 609 2233 Web: www.ansmann.co.uk

BIKE SOUP 55a North Wharf Road, London, W2 1LA Tel: 020 72982784 Web: www.bikesoup.com

BOB ELLIOT AND CO LTD Unit C4 Binary Court, Matrix Park, Western Avenue, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, PR7 7NB Tel: 01772 459 887 Web: www.bob-elliot.co.uk

BUFFERA LIMITED Cranborne House, Cranbourne Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 3JN Tel: 01707 852244 Web: www.buffwear.co.uk

BTR DIRECT LTD 148 Portland Road, Hove,East Sussex, BN3 5QL Tel: 01273 205945 Web: www.btrdirect.co.uk

CONTINENTAL North Parade, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion,Wales, SY23 2JR Tel: 01970 626777 Web: www.conti-tyres.co.uk

CUSTOM SPORTS CLOTHING LTD Tel: 07875 095 793 Web: www.customsportsclothing.com

CYCLEGUARD INSURANCE Southgate house, Southgate Street,Gloucester, GL1 1UB Tel: 0844 826 2297 Web: www.cycleguard.co.uk

CYCLEPLAN The Royals, Altrincham Road,Manchester, M22 4BJ Tel: 08000 92 92 68 Web: www.insure4sport.co.uk/cycleplan

proudly presents

CYCLING SCOTLAND 24 Blythswood Square, Glasgow, G2 4BG Tel: 0141 229 5350 Web: www.cyclingscotland.org

EBCO 5 Pegasus House, Olympus Ave,Warwick, CV34 6LW Tel: Tel +01926 437700 Web: www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk

DARE2B Unit 8-9 Mercury Park, Mercury Way,Urmston, Manchester, M41 7LY Tel: 0844 811 2939 Web: www.dare2b.com

EVOLUTION IMPORTS 27 Widmore Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1RW Tel: 0208 290 0807 Web: www.evolutionimports.

FAT BOY IMPORTS Unit 10, Weavers Corner, Hampson St, Horwich, BL6 7JH Tel: 07966 401165 Web: www.fatboyimports.com

FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE LIMITED 8/9 Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5UG Tel: 01727 798345 Web: www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

If you’d like to find out more or require additional copies please contact [email protected] or call him on 01992 535647

DISTRIBUTION AND WHOLESALE

E-COMMERCE AND EPOS

EVENT ORGANISERS, HOSTING, HOLIDAY

AND HIREMANUFACTURERS MARKETING, PR AND

CONSULTANCYMEDIA AND PUBLISHING

ORGANISATIONS, CHARITIES AND ASSOCIATIONS

RETAILERS, WORKSHOPS AND

MAIL ORDER

SERVICES AND TRAINING

MAVIC Theta Building, Lyon Way, Frimley, Surrey, GU16 7ER Tel: 01276 404870

MEALOR-CLARKE CYCLE SPARES LTD Unit 1, Eastlands Road, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4LL Tel: 01728830055/01728605970 Web: www.mealorclarkecyclespares.com

MERIDA BICYCLES LTD Unit 13, Nottingham South and Wilford Industrial Estate, Ruddington Lane, Wilford,Nottingham, NG11 7EP Tel: 0115 981 7788 Web: www.merida.com

MOORE LARGE AND CO LTD Sinfin Lane Industrial Estate, Sinfin Lane, Derby, DE24 9GL Tel: 01332 274252 Web: www.moorelarge.co.uk

cc

PALIGAP LTD Unit 2 Danbury House, Great Western Park, Armstrong Way, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5NG Tel: 01454 313 116 Web: www.paligapltd.co.uk

PARKLIFE (HAVANT) LTD Unit 5, Butterick Building, New Lane, Havant, P09 2ND Tel: 02392 475895

PEAK DEVELOPMENT 2 Flanders Park, Hedge End, Southampton,Hants, SO30 2FZ Tel: 01489 796979 Web: www.peak-uk.com

POWACYCLE Akhter House, Perry Road, Harlow, Essex, CM18 7PN Tel: 01279 821243 Web: www.powacycle.co.uk

RALEIGH UK LTD Church Street, Eastwood, Nottingham, NG16 3HT Tel: 01773 532600 Web: www.raleigh.co.uk www.cyclelife.com www.diamondback.co.uk

RED CLOUD MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Delfan, Llangyniew, Welshpool,Powys, SY21 0JS Tel: 01938 810873 Web: www.redcloudmc.com

REECE CYCLES PLC 100 Alcester Street, Birmingham, B12 0QB Tel: 0121 622 0180 Web: www.reececycles.co.uk

SCHWALBE TYRES UK LTD Schwalbe Centre, Hortonwood 30, Telford,Shropshire, TF1 7ET Tel: 01952 602680 Web: www.schwalbe.co.uk

SEE.SENSE (LIMEFORGE LTD) Sketrick House, Jubilee Road,Newtownards, BT23 4YH Tel: 02891 800536 Web: www.seesense.cc

SILVERFISH UK LTD Unit 3C and 3B Woodacre Court, Saltash Parkway Industrial Estate, Burraton Road, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6LY Tel: 01752 843882 Web: www.silverfish-uk.com

SQUIRT Unit 10 Quadrum Park, Old Portsmouth Road, Peasmarsh, Surrey, GU3 1LU Web: www.in2dust.co.uk

THE CYCLE DIVISION Unit 27 Gatehouse Enterprise Centre, Albert Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3QD Tel: 01484 456137 Web: www.thecycledivision.com

CYCLE SHOW, THE 58 White Lion Street, Islington, London, N1 9PP Tel: 020 7288 6733 Web: www.cycleshow.co.uk

VELOTECH SERVICES LTD 26-27 Western Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 0AH Tel: 0845 475 5339 Web: www.velotechservices.co.uk

WALKERS CYCLE COMPONENTS LTD 22 Holywell Road, Leicester, LE2 8SG Tel: 01162 833885 Web: www.walkerscycles.co.uk

WELDTITE PRODUCTS LTD Unit 9 Harrier Road, Humber Bridge Industrial Estate, Barton-on-Humber, Lincs, DN18 5RP Tel: 01652 660000 Web: www.weldtite.co.uk

WINDWAVE Unit D2 and D3 Heritage Business Park,Heritage Way, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4BG Tel: 02392 521912 Web: www.windwave.co.uk

ZYRO LTD Roundhouse Road, Faverdale Industrial Estate, Darlington, DL30UR Tel: 01325 741200 Web: www.zyro.co.uk / www.zyrob2b.co.uk

The BikeBiz Directory 2015 is out now, providing the industry with a must-haveguide to the UK’s retailers, distributors, manufacturers and related businesses.

BikeBiz Directory 2015 is now available to view online at

www.bikebiz.com

12-15 FEBRUARY 2015


BIKEBIZ.COM BIKEBIZ JANUARY 2014 65

So most will be aware of Praxis, but for those who aren’t, how can they make a dealer’s life easier?Praxis fills the gap between Shimano and all other chain rings with an affordable, credible alternative.

Praxis rings also make a perfect upgrade to any other chainset that uses the typical stamped and post machined alloy production.

These common rings are fine when new, but quickly wear and shifting quality is lost.

Shimano aside, they’re the only ones cold forging – what are the benefits to the rider?Shimano’s chain rings have always been a cut above, but Praxis now offers same quality shifting from the only other cold forged rings on the market, but a replacement price far better than Shimano’s.

Praxis’ forging process adds incredible detail into every tooth profile, each carefully optimised for each ring set combination, making their shifting quality and speed a cut above.

Each ring combination requires a different set of ‘rules’ to get the best shifting and its very technical to optimise that. Praxis’ chief engineer David Earl is a genius at this kind of thing.

Making a new forging tool for every outer ring needed to complete a range is very expensive, ($70k+ per tool) which is why others have not achieved Shimano quality until now.

What BCDs are available and for what uses?For road 110 or 130 BCD and for mountain bikes 104/64 Duo

Sister brand Turn also has some unique answers to mountain bike and road cranks. Tell us more:

The 30mm axle. Shimano sticks with 24mm steel axle. By using a 30mm alloy axle the Turn crank has achieved greater stiffness and higher performance. Coupled with the hollow forged technique for the crank arms, the weight is reduced and yet stiffness is high.

Praxis BBs are used for the Turn cranks and the hugely respected BB30/PF30 converter system is now available in the 30mm axle size, called “M30”.

There is also a BSA threaded M30 bottom bracket and OSBB for Specialized bikes. They are working on a PF86 solution too.

The road crank is the Zayante M30 (think

Ultegra level) and for mountain, there’s the Girder M30 (XT level).

Praxis as an OEM business is expanding nicely – where will we see the brand’s goods in 2015?Praxis rings might be found on a few niche bike brands with specific needs like Factor, but we are not aware of any big chain ring deals as yet.

Turn cranks however are specced on seven models of Specialized road bikes already and that shows confidence to the consumer and dealer that these really are highly approved products.

I am sure other OEs will follow and any UK interest can be directed to Praxis via Upgrade Bikes Ltd.

Praxis and TurnRory Hitchens01403 711 611

COMPANY PROFILE

“Forging adds incredible

detail to each tooth profile.”

BIKES & ACCESSORIES

DMR Bikes 01404 711 611 www.upgradebikes.co.uk

Kinesis 01404 711 611 www.upgradebikes.co.uk

M&J Distributors Ltd 01613 379 600 www.mjdist.co.uk

Madison 01908 326 000 www.madisonb2b.co.uk

The Cycle Division 0845 0508 500 www.thecycledivision.com

BIKE MAINTENANCE

Weldtite 01652 660 000 www.weldtite.co.uk

CLOTHING

Wildoo 01908 374 555 www.wildoo.co.uk

COMPONENTS

Pace Cycles Ltd 01751 460 599 www.pacecycles.com

Sonic Cycles 0207 2432 848 www.soniccycles.co.uk/b2b

USE Ltd 01798 344 477 www.use1.com

DEALER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Evopos 0845 644 9424 www.evopos.com

DISTRIBUTION

2Pure 0844 811 2001 www.2pureb2b.co.uk

EPOS & ECOMMERCE

Bike Rental Manager +33 686 451 310 www.bikerentalmanager.com

Citrus Lime 0845 6039 254 www.citrus-retail.com

Seanic Retail Software 01926 338 932 www.seanicretail.co.uk

RACKS

Pendle 01282 699 555 www.pendle-bike.co.uk

SALES TRAINING

Quest 07540 351 530 www.colinrees7.wordpress.com

TYRES & TUBES

Rubena 0800 281 413 www.rubenacycle.co.uk

WEBSITE SERVICES

SiWis Limited 01709 511 766 www.siwis.co.uk

MARKETPLACECONTACTS

GET YOUR COMPANY FEATURED IN THEBIKEBIZ MARKETPLACE BY CONTACTING:

Richard Setters on 01992 [email protected]

TO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] OR CALL 01992 535647

MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THESE PAGES PLEASE [email protected] OR CALL 01992 535647


EPOS & ECOMMERCEDISTRIBUTION

EPOS & ECOMMERCE BIKES & ACCESSORIES

Calendar management . Barcode scanningTrue multi-user support . Point of sale Online booking . Integrated maintenanceClient database . Transaction histories

2PURE/WWW.2PUREB2B.CO.UKSIGN UP TO OUR B2BTO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR REGULAR SPECIAL OFFERS AND PROMOTIONS.

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BIKES & ACCESSORIES BIKES & ACCESSORIES

FREESHIPPING on all parts via www.madisonb2b.co.uk

Hangers, BB solutions, Bearing presses, Sealed bearings and Workshop solutions

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OFF TRACK


I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H E R G O N

What bikes do you own?I have an Independent Fabrication XS, a Colnago, a Pinarello,

a Pegoretti, a Condor, a Masi, a DeKerf mountain bike and

an old Gazelle track bike. There’s more, probably way too

many, but I love bikes and it’s hard to resist that +1.

What’s your favourite race?I’ve never been a huge fan of working at the Tour de France

because it’s so big, I prefer the Giro d’Italia and the Spring

Classics, especially Flanders and Roubaix. In the UK it would

have to be the Three Peaks Cyclo-cross and the Rutland-

Melton Cicle Classic. I am always blown away with how much

passion has to go into organising a race in the UK. Guys like

John Rawnsley (3peaks) and Colin Clews (R-M) are the real

superstars of British cycling.

What projects are keeping you busy nowadays?I’m working on a few book projects and really enjoying it –

just researching and writing again.

Name one cycling product that you’d not be without and one that you feel revolutionised cycling at the time:Look clipless pedals would probably answer both those

questions. Although I think tubular tyres are still worth

mentioning because that technology is the same as it was

100 years ago and it’s yet to be bettered.

If you could develop your own product, what would it be?Magazine-wise I would hope that people realise that, like any

product, good writing takes time and that’s becoming a rare

thing in journalism these days, especially online. As a result

everyone is watching each other for news because everything

‘has’ to happen so quickly, that’s a shame because you can’t

beat getting out on the road to cover a story properly.

The cycling media are all too willing to cut corners and do

things just to get them out there, perhaps that’s just the way

things are now, but as that tread-mill speeds up the more you

run – and the faster it goes, the more is missed. Maybe I’m

a dinosaur, but I think it pays to stop and be mindful of the

quality, rather than the speed at which it can be published.

IN THESADDLE

Guy Andrews, Cycling author

NUMBER CRUNCHING

The UK’s cycling population has hit close to nine million (8.7 to be precise), making cycling the third most participated sport in the UK, behind swimming and running. Good job Clegg is giving cycling some more money then.(Source SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC)

9MILLION

20YEARS

AW Cycles hits 20 yearsThe Reading bike shop

brought out the birthday cake and balloons in

December to celebrate its 20th year in the bike

business.

£214MDeputy PM Nick Clegg promised £214m

funding for cycling, with £114m for eight

English cities and a further £100m to

spent over six years on roads by the

Highways Agency.

CRE

DIT

Tim

m K

ölln


OFF TRACK

Sponsored by the brands ofMoore Large 01332 274252

“[It’s] a revolution in cycling for everyone. The rewards could be

massive. Billions of pounds in savings for the NHS, less pollution and congestion,

and a happier and safer population.”Nick Clegg,

Deputy Prime Minister

ETAPE CALEDONIASELLS OUTThe ever popular Marie Curie Cancer Care-supporting Etape Caledonia sold out of general entries in just three days for 2015. Latecomers can still get involved with the closed road sportive with a limited amount of Charity Pledge Places. The event takes place on Sunday May 10th on the pretty roads of Perthshire - fi nd out more here at www.etapecaledonia.co.uk

DAME KELLY RIDES FROM LONDON TO PARIS

Ride25, the round-the-world-one-stage-at-a-time company is working with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust for its fi rst charity overseas event, the #DoubleGoldTour from London to Paris. The charity works with 16-25 year olds who aren’t in education to fi nd new routes into training and employment. Find out more atwww.ride25.com/dkht/

QUOTE UNQUOTEFor more on these stories, head to www.BikeBiz.com

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

Daniel Gillborn is director of Cyclescheme, the UK’s leading provider oftax-free bikes for work. You can reach him on Twitter @cycleschemeltd

A RICH, visual and informative web

presence is one of the most powerful

assets available to businesses.

Regardless of size, location or

technical prowess there is very little

that can compete with the reach,

engagement and results on offer.

We understand that IBDs come

in all shapes and sizes, which is

why we’ve worked incredibly hard

to create a space on our very own

website that you can control. We

want to help level the playing fi eld by

offering all Cyclescheme-partnered

retailers the same opportunities, and

making the most of our store profi le

pages is a great place to start.

Stores with rich, up-to-date

and informative profi les on the

Cyclescheme website are more likely

to sell bikes, fact. That’s not just

because people get a chance to peek

inside your store before making the

journey to visit you, but also because

the mighty Google will get to know

your store that bit better. From an

SEO perspective the more you put

into your online presence the better.

As a result, this generates more

web traffi c, more brand awareness

and, ultimately, more sales. The

Cyclescheme website averages

350,000 unique visitors each month,

so that’s a lot of potential customers.

So, if after reading this, I could ask

you to do one thing it would very

simply be – add a photo to your

profi le. After all, a picture really does

paint a thousand words.

To log into your B2B account

and edit your profi le, head to www.

cycleschemeb2b.co.uk.

Daniel Gillborn,Director

LAST WORD

IN NOVEMBER the Department for Transport invited the great and good of cycling to Bristol to hear the Deputy Prime Minister announce the coalition government would be giving £214m of new cash to eight English cities to bolster their efforts in promoting cycling (and walking). Nick Clegg said he was passionately in favour of getting Brits out of cars for their health and well-being. He told a receptive audience that the NHS could save billions of pounds if more people cycled to work. Just days later Clegg was seen on TV being passionate about lavishing £15bn on “the biggest road building programme in a generation”, a plan that can only but lock Brits into car-dependency, and bad health.

Bike engineer Keith Bontrager has a famous aphorism: “Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick Two.” Here’s a new version of that: “Motoring. Cycling. Walking. Pick two.” If the Government was truly in favour of getting more people travelling actively it would rein back car-use. This won’t happen for the obvious reasons that building more roads to “cure congestion” seems to be a no-brainer to most people; the Treasury is addicted to the money that motoring generates; and we live in a democracy where the majority are motorised.

Despite its popularity as a solution, building more roads will not solve the problem of congestion. History teaches us that adding more facilities to drive creates more reasons to drive. The theory of induced demand has been proved right on so many

occasions it’s as solid, although not quite as well known, as the theory of gravity.

Induced demand ain’t all bad – it could work for cycling and walking: build it and they will come. But it’s not good enough to build wider pavements and oodles of kerb-protected cycleways, motoring would have to be restricted in towns and cities at the same time.

(I don’t mean blanket bans, I mean equitable roadspace reallocation.) So, should we pin all of our public realm hopes on the expectation that the coalition government will get booted out at the next election? Sadly, it seems a change of administration will make little difference to the matter.

Michael Dugher, the new shadow transport secretary, criticised the government’s road building plans for not going far and fast enough. Dugher, too, has made positive noises about cycling (and walking) but by buying in to “predict and provide”, the DfT’s long ago discredited plan for clogging up the nation’s roads, he has shown himself to be yet another politician without a fi rm grasp of what the future holds if car dependency is so lavishly encouraged.

The overwhelming number of daily journeys are pitifully short (most are less than fi ve miles, and a truly amazing amount are less than one mile) but the majority of people still drive everywhere. In the long-term this is unsustainable. Think traffi c is bad now? If all the new roads get built congestion will get a whole lot worse.

This industry of ours manufactures one of the solutions to gridlock. Transportation cycling would grow faster (and be more friendly to newcomers) if the Government truly supported it, and supported it with the same sort of long-term funding that motoring is now being promised.

I live in hope that one day we will get a bunch of politicians who will champion mobility instead of motoring. [email protected]

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“The Treasury is addicted to the

money that motoring generates and we live where the majority are

motorised.”

When will politicians wise up to gridlock?The Government has promised motorists consistency of funding until the year dot. Carlton Reid wonders why cyclists haven’t been promised the same.


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