BikeBiz September 2014 by Biz Media Ltd

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BIKEBIZ.COM

E V E R Y O N E

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SEPTEMBER 2014

ISSUE 104

B U S I N E S S

OWN THE NIGHT

WITH THE NEW 2015 EXPOSURE LIGHTS

i n f o @u s e 1. co. uk | ex p os ur el i g hts . com

TAP ACTIVATED POWER (TAP)

OLED STATUS DISPLAY (OSD)

CAPACITIVE SWITCHING

TAP is the latest pat. pend. Exposure Lights innovation. Diablo Mk7 and Axis Mk2 are tuned to recognise a tap to light or helmet to instantly change mode.

OSD advances unique Exposure Lights pat. pend. display technology. The new OLED panel gives program and mode information before switching to a burntime countdown.

Capacitive Switching increases the ease of mode changing. The entire backcap of the light acts as a button so you can touch any point to change mode.

exposurelights.com

ISSUE 104 SEPTEMBER 2014

F O R

E V E R Y O N E

@bikebizonline | facebook.com/bikebiz

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B I K E

B U S I N E S S

p13 Awards Finalists

p23 CSG Bike Launch

p35 Cycle Show Preview

Cast your vote on who should win the cycle industry awards this year

We cover the new bikes from Charge, GT, Cannondale and the rest

Some of the highlights of the forthcoming NEC exhibition

The self-perpetuating myth MTB is playing second ﬁddle to road cycling, but is part of the problem the bike trade’s expectations? BikeBiz takes a look at the positive signs for mountain biking

p29 & 30

p41 Level the playing ﬁeld

p33 Got you covered

p44 Future vision

p63 Winter clothing

Bikesoup explains how IBDs can compete online

Are you boosting your bottom line by selling cycle insurance?

We speak to Recon’s boss who is behind the in-vision brand

We round up apparel and reﬂectives for the coming season

Prestige brands from i-ride.co.uk

BIKEFIT

Your perfect ride deserves the ďŹ nest equipment

EXHIB

ITING

the c ycle show SEE Y OU TH

ERE!

NEWS

EDITOR’S COMMENT A CHANGE? BUT WHY?

Sealskinz has the BikeBiz Awards 2014 covered WATERPROOF, breathable and windproof clothing specialist Sealskinz has signed up to support the BikeBiz Awards 2014. Sealskinz is Event Partner for the cycle trade awards. The brand launched with its famous laminated sock, keeping wet out and warmth in, from which the range grew into hats, gloves and more, all based arounds its motto: “Whatever the weather, whatever the activity, our purpose is to enable you to go further, go longer, leave ﬁrst and return last.” Marketing Manager David Richards said: “Sealskinz are proud to be partnering with BikeBiz on the 2014

Bikebiz Awards. The awards are a great showcase of all that is good in the bike trade and a chance to share ideas with like-minded people. “2014 has been a stellar year for Sealskinz with the new rebrand now coming live, and we are really keen to help support the bike trade and work towards the continual growth of the cycling industry.” Sealskinz joins Platinum Partner Cycleplan, Category Sponsor nuun and Event Partner Cycle-SOS in backing the BikeBiz Awards 2014. www.sealskinz.com

The BikeBiz Awards 2014 take place on Wednesday September 24th at the Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC, just a stone’s throw from the NEC exhibition hall setting of Cycle Show. tinyurl.com/bbawardstickets2014

45,000 HIT EUROBIKE

WHY DON’T you have a redesign,’ they said. ‘It won’t be much work,’ they said. That’s not exactly how it turned out, as our designer could conﬁrm (if we ever let him speak), but yes, we’ve redecorated. Hope you like it. Having had our own Mystery Shopper cheekily criticise the odd bike shop for being in need of a lick of paint, it really did seem like the mag was long overdue a spruce up. Of course, redesigning the mag with our BikeBiz Awards and Cycling Media Awards around the corner, not to mention Cycle Show, Eurobike, Interbike and with the deadline for the BikeBiz Directory looming ever nearer, it might seem like choosing this time to redesign the magazine was evidence that the BikeBiz team is bordering on the insane, but no, I can conﬁrm it was…erm, all part of the ‘plan’. Honest, guv. Whatever your business, a new lick of paint every now and then doesn’t hurt and inevitably ends up chance to take stock of what you’ve got, and what you haven’t. What needs chucking out? How can we future proof ourselves? Ideally, you evaluate and improve as you go along, rather than just wait for a big revamp every now and then. It’s a fact that we should let our inner three year-old out more often – you know the one that always asks ‘but why’ about every bleedin’ thing in the world. Why are we juggling all these wheel sizes? Why are we updating that Twitter feed? Why am I providing some incredibly obvious advice in this column? Should you have any thoughts on the redesign, let us know at BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk. Why? Oh, put a sock in it.

AS THIS magazine lands, around 45,000 bike traders will be returning to 100 countries from Friedrichshafen, Germany, as the super show winds down. Early ﬁgures said 1,280 exhibitors from 54 countries showed off their latest. Kona and Specialized were not among them. www.eurobike-show.com

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 7

NEWS

CMAs announce charity partner THE CYCLING Media Awards are proud to announce that the Specialist Print Writer award will be named the Steve Worland Award for Specialist Print Writer to commemorate the inﬂuential cycling journalist. The Cycling Media Awards (CMAs) will celebrate talent and excellence in cycling journalism in this its debut year and we will honour the popular bike reviewing

legend for his contribution to the cycling world. Steve Worland sadly passed away earlier this year at 58. He started writing for Mountain Biking UK in the early 1990s, before editing What Mountain Bike magazine. Later in his career he was a bike reviewer for road.cc and Singletrackworld.com. The Steve Worland Charity is the Cycling Media Awards charity partner

for the 2014 event. The charity – steveworland.bike – is at present collecting funds for the building of a commemorative bench and to supply deﬁbrillators locally. The Cycling Media Awards take place on Thursday October 16th at The Bloomsbury Ballroom, in London. You can ﬁnd out more at www.cyclingmediaawards .com

Moore Large B2B marks launch with offers A HOST of offers are available to bike shops as Moore Large launches its new B2B site – b2b.moorelarge.co.uk. As well as ‘web-only’ oneday-only deals on certain lines at low prices, Moore Large is offering dealers incentives to promote use of the new website. Throughout the month of September every bike order placed via the B2B with a trade value over £1,000 will be eligible for a free Bumper 12” Sparkle bike. Accessories orders will have a six per cent settlement discount applied when placed through the B2B in September. In addition, the distributor is offering free carriage on online P&A orders over £50. Moore Large’s aim is to enable customers to place their orders at a time and place and in a way that is most convenient for them. Built using dealers feedback, the site has a range of easy to use features: Dealers can save favourite

products and lists to make reordering as quick and easy as possible; alternatively dealers can skip browsing the site and quick order using part numbers or upload orders via CSV ﬁle. Visually the site is more appealing with multiple product images, zoom function and the option to view products in a list or grid format. As dealers often add

“For dealers who add to a basket over many days, the site notiﬁes of stock level changes as they happen.”

to their basket over a number of days and check out once they have a substantial order, the website notiﬁes users when the stock level of an item in their open basket changes. Availability dates are also shown for out of stock items and back orders can be viewed. There are more updates to come and Thomas Peet, a

Digital Media Executive, has been recruited to look after the digital marketing. Moore Large customers have been sent new login details; if you haven’t received yours, contact Moore Large. Alternatively, for those who are interested but are not currently a customer, contact the sales team on 01332 274 252.

THIS MONTH WE ASK THE BIKEBIZ TEAM: How would you describe your riding style, in three words or less? Executive Editor: Carlton Reid carltonreid@mac.com Answer: Catholic

Deputy Editor: Mark Sutton Mark.Sutton@intentmedia.co.uk Answer: Ride to carvery

Editor: Jonathon Harker Jonathon.Harker@intentmedia.co.uk Answer: Highly questionable

Design: Dan Bennett Dan.Bennett@intentmedia.co.uk Answer: Stylistically aloof

Sales Executive: Carole Eagles Carole.Eagles@intentmedia.co.uk

Marketing & Circulation bike.subscriptions@c-cms.com

Production Executive: Alice Sanz Alice.Sanz@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial: Saxon House, 6A, St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire. SG14 1JA

Publisher: Lisa Carter Lisa.Carter@intentmedia.co.uk

BikeBiz is mailed FOC to 4,000+ trade addresses every month ISSN 1476-1505

© Intent Media 2014 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.

8 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

BIKEBIZ.COM

NEWS

CYCLE

The most active cycling age group are those cyclists aged 16 to 35 years, who cycle on average once a week. Read more on SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC on page 26.

SHORTS 9,000 kids take part in TdF Go Ride tour 241 Go-Ride Tour events took place to celebrate this year’s Tour de France. It is believed that 3,800 of the kids involved had never taken part in cycle sport beforehand.

Bike shop owner foils 4am raid attempt The owner of Noah’s Ark, of Stroud, Gloucestershire, confronted four would-be thieves this month, blocking in the loaded getaway vehicle with his own. The four escaped on foot leaving plenty of evidence behind.

Kona quits Eurobike

16 to 35

You’ll not ﬁnd the Kona teepee or any of the brand’s bikes at this year’s Eurobike. It’s the ﬁrst time in 20 years the brand has opted out.

Team Sky and Frog Bikes link

MP Kerry McCarthy opens new Cyclelife store

“Our location at the start of a cycle route allows us to offer free parking to those using the cycleway.”

BIKEBIZ.COM

LAST MONTH a new Cyclelife store opened at the start of the Bristol-Bath Cycle Path. Opening soon after it was revealed that under-40s in Bristol are switching cars for bikes, the new Cyclelife store has taken over a former Carpetright store location, itself one of the former Victorian soap factories

on Straight Street, Broadplains and sits within Gardiner Haskins department store. Cyclelife Bristol will stock a full range of cycling products including road, electric, leisure, kids and classic bikes, but also bikes from Haibike, Diamondback and Dahon, and accessories. Cyclelife Bristol offers

‘try before you buy’, courtesy bikes for commuters while in for repair, a recycle scheme where old bikes are exchanged for a ten per cent discount off a new bike, interest free credit and a coffee area. Site owner Gardiner Haskins MD Shaun Butcher said: “Our business principal for Cyclelife is the right bike for the right discipline offering professional advice and excellent customer service. Our new location at the start of a cycling route makes it accessible with free parking to the many commuters that use the cycle route.” www.raleigh.co.uk

Kid’s bike maker Frog has linked with Team Sky to offer a line of children’s bikes emblazoned with the black and blue of the pro team.

Grimsby retailer invests £750,000 in ‘superstore’ Having outgrown its Pasture Street address, Grimsby’s JC Cook has invested £750,000, 350 square metre superstore in Humberston.

Rusling takes on Tri Industry Association lead role Human Race Group CEO Nick Rusling has taken on the role of chairman at the Triathlon Industry Association.

Drover Cycles hit by theft £50,000 worth of bikes were stolen from Drover Cycles of Hay-on-Wye this month. Saracen Mantra Pro hardtails, Pyga OneTen 29ers and Merida road bikes are among the missing stock.

20,000 complete RideLondonSurrey 100 Over 20,000 cyclists completed this year’s RideLondon-Surrey 100, with 60,000 plus taking advantage of closed road routes.

For breaking news visit:

www.bikebiz.com BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 9

OPINION

Could Urban Racing be the next big thing?

Why being a one-trick-pony is dangerous...

FACE Managing Director James Pope explains how the cycling events company is tapping into underground cycling with Parkour Ride…

How do you stand out in a crowded market? David Jesson, global marketing director for Sealskinz, explains how the apparel brand has tackled the issue…

IT IS hard to avoid cycling’s massive rise in popularity over the last few years. Popularity as an elite sport, an extreme sport, a corporate tool, and of course a hobby. Organisers estimated that crowds were as big as four million across the UK stages of the Tour de France, mountain and BMX cycling is at an all-time high, and we are seeing more and more cycling events popping up. But what the media have not picked up on in quite the same way is the rise in underground cycling. The many grass-route tribes and communities of BMX, mountain and ﬁxed-gear bikes around the UK, but especially in London are also growing and developing at an impressive rate. Trendy, independent bike shops are diversifying into cafes and creating communities around themselves – most recently in London, Soho Bikes backed by former Mountain Bike pro Rob Warner. Local BMX clubs are producing National and World Champions – Peckham BMX nurtured National Champion Quillan Isidore and Tre Whyte and have just featured in a documentary on MTV. Here at cycling events company FACE Partnership, being responsible for the Revolution Series and the

TECHNICAL CLOTHING is a bit of a mineﬁeld. It would be unfair to claim ‘pigeon-holing’ a customer for hardware is easy, but it is a little more straight forward, with the lines of demarcation drawn. For each individual category of rider there will be half a dozen apparel and ‘soft accessory’ brands seeking attention. So how does one stand out? Most brands try and ﬁnd a unique selling proposition (USP) to help them standout from the crowd. Technical advantage, heritage, brand personality (normally gleaned through sponsorship) are all popular ways to pin your colours to the mast. The focus tends to be on a single USP to shout about in an attempt to gain attention and credibility from the competitors. However, at Sealskinz we are adopting a different approach. The ‘unique’ in a USP is a tricky one to claim and we feel it suits our brand and product to communicate the combination of factors that make our brand successful. Does this dilute our marketing message? Probably. However, it does this give us a strong brand that can sit across the many categories. Every rider looks for a different key facet during a purchase decision,

Jupiter London Nocturne, have given us ways to connect these cycling groups. It’s very rare that you see BMX, mountain bike and road riders all in the same place. FACE see urban racing as the potential next big thing and have developed a concept from scratch that they believe has the potential to turn into the biggest worldwide extreme urban cycling event. Enter Parkour Ride. Different tribes of cyclists pitted against each other in a race against time through city car parks. The inaugural event will take place on October 4th in the iconic Tobacco Dock in London. This is a gutsy event and it is a real dive into the unknown for us. It has certainly not been easy to create a concept from scratch. What’s been encouraging is that riders from the worlds of BMX, MTB and road have already signed up to race despite the untested format. “Despite my 20 odd years of biking (trials/BMX/and now MTB) I’m relatively new to racing, only having raced one downhill and one enduro” said Alex from London. “I ﬁgured Parkour Ride could encompass all the skills I’ve picked up in the past and put me in good stead (famous last words) to do OK”.

“Riders from all disciplines are signing up despite the untested format.”

10 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

consciously or unconsciously. At Sealskinz we need to appeal to both ends of the spectrum. We don’t listen to short term sector trends; the rise of CX one year, the decline of gravity MTB, the continued explosion of road. Brands trying to jump on the bandwagon are going to make an incredibly hard life for themselves. We are playing the long game. We recently re-branded. For anyone who’s ever undertaken a full re-brand you’ll know this is not a decision to be taken lightly. However, it was just part of the process we needed to undertake to broaden our appeal. On a technical front we have always lead the way, but the brand may have been a little too sterile and technical. Thus the new branding was developed to give us some ‘edgier’ appeal and has been carried through on all packaging, collateral, POS and marketing. We are also recruiting brand ambassadors to give Sealskinz some personality outside the retail environment. We think it’s not enough to be a one trick pony and although some might say you can’t be all things to all people we certainly believe you can – at least – talk to the masses on their individual wavelengths.

“We avoid listening to short-term sector trends. We play the long game...”

BIKEBIZ.COM

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Wednesday 24th September 2014 t Crowne Plaza, NEC PARTNERS & SPONSORS

t Event Partner

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For more information on trade tickets and sponsorship opportunities,

please email Carole.Eagles@intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535647

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2014

AND YOUR FINALISTS ARE… The BikeBiz team received more lobbying emails from you than ever before. Thanks to one and all for lobbying. Without further ado, and based on those nominations, here are the 2014 BikeBiz Award ﬁnalists…

INDEPENDENT BIKE DEALER (FROM OUR TOP 20 IBDS 2014)

CHEVIN CYCLES, OTLEY The busy Oltey retailer has opened two stores this year, creating 15 new jobs and space for more product. Bike Fitting has been key and Chevin was nominated a Breeze Female Friendly Bike Shop.

WHEELBASE

EDINBURGH BICYCLE CO-OP

VELORUTION

A vast showroom, stocking 600 bikes over 16,000sq ft makes Wheelbase stand out, as do its free bike washes, showers and changing rooms for customers.

A revamped own brand range (Revolution), a second shop in Edinburgh and increased service centre capacity, the co-op supports the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling.

The famous shop is still famed for pushing the boundaries of urban cycling, offering new products to the market ‘like nobody else does’.

EVANS CYCLES

SPECIALIST RETAILER CYCLE SURGERY

CRITERIUM CYCLES, EDINBURGH Offering Trek Project One, weekly rides and more, Criterium prides itself on appealing to novices and newbies alike, with well-trained knowledgeable staffers.

JE JAMES CYCLES This large IBD has invested in refurbishing stores to appeal to the growing women’s market and is experimenting with manufacturerspeciﬁc areas.

Cycle Surgery aims to offer new cyclists and enthusiasts alike plenty of options, with an expanding retail empire and offerings like the regular Women’s Evenings.

EAST COAST CYCLES, HULL Community events is something East Coast Cycles is good at. From a three year shop anniversary Rollapaluza celebration, to weekly ECB Belles rides and more.

The retailer now runs a ‘customer satisfaction’ Net promoter score every week. Recent highlights include a trade-in offer and ‘For the Odd Ones’ campaigns.

ILKLEY CYCLES Formerly known as JD Cycles, Ilkley Cycles this year relocated to bigger and better premises after 20 years in the trade, with a shop that is ‘raved about’.

PENNINE CYCLES Take advantage of the Grand Depart? Pennine did, getting its dotty yellow bikes on stage with the deputy PM and a photoshoot with Christian Prudhomme.

RUTLAND CYCLING A packed event schedule, a vast demo ﬂeet, courtesy bikes, car-free test tracks…and that’s not all. Rutland has scored awards from Total Women’s Cycling and works with schools.

Targeting customers before they come in-store, Halfords has been responsible for eyecatching ad campaigns, putting cycle retail well beyond the niche.

DECATHLON The UK Decathlon empire is steadily expanding, with a widely respected own cycling brand, B’Twin, and bicycles under the same roof as 70 other sports.

GO OUTDOORS Another mainstream retailer growing its cycle presence, not least with an expanding line of own brand bikes.

OUTDOOR Now straddling a number of sectors,

3,000 sq ft of retail space and a reputation to die for, Sigma backs a clean inviting shop layout with a range of services like bike ﬁtting, and own events like the Triathlon 2014 Launch Evening.

NEED TO KNOW

SPONSORS Event Partner

Event Partner

BIKEBIZ.COM

HALFORDS

COTSWOLD

SIGMA SPORT

Platinum Partner

MAINSTREAM RETAILER

Category Partner

You decide who gets their mitts on a BikeBiz Award

Platinum Partner Cycleplan, Category Sponsor nuun and Event Partners Cycle-SOS and Sealskinz are backing this year’s cycle industry awards. The BikeBiz Awards 2014 take place at a new venue, on Wednesday September 24th at the Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC, just a stone’s throw from the NEC exhibition hall setting of Cycle Show. BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 13

Better Than Gold. Clear, Consistent, Simple

The ABUS Security Level system is exclusive to the ABUS locks. Using clear and simplified levels to communicate the locks security, consumers can now choose a lock ranging from standard security (1-4), all the way through to Maximum Security (10-15). With this new system consumers can quickly identify the lock best suited to them, using a grading system that exceeds the Sold Secure Gold rating awarded to many locks in the range.

13 mm square parabolic shackle

12 mm parabolic shackle

Double bolted shackle in the lock body

ABUS power cell technology offers highest protection

The shackle, the case,and supporting elements are made of hardened steel

The shackle, the case and supporting elements are made of hardened steel

ABUS X-Plus cylinder

ABUS Plus cylinder

12 mm parabolic shackle Double bolted shackle in the lock body Good protection at medium theft risk ABUS Extra Classe cylinder The shackle, the case and supporting elements are made of hardened steel

Granit X-Plus 540

Granit Plus 470

Granit 460

SRP £79.99 - £99.99

SRP £54.99 - £59.99

SRP £44.99 - £49.99

U-Grip Bordo £39.99 5 mm steel bars Colour-matching lock body Link construction allows compact folding

Granit Power XS 67 Loop chain & lock £119.99

Premium cylinder for high protection

Strong 10 mm chain with fabric sleeve to prevent damage to the bike's paintwork

Easy transport thanks to practical rattle-free bag

14 mm shackle (17 mm coating)

Transport bag with latching mechanism

The chain, the bolt and the lock body are made of hardened steel ABUS X-Plus cylinder for highest protection

MADE IN GERMANY

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2014 Cotswold has moved beyond camping to include gear for cyclists and other activities.

STAR STORE

(NOMINATED BY MYSTERY SHOPPER)

BIKE DOCTOR, RUSHOLME The busy local bike shop serves the nearby community. Termed warm and friendly, Bike Doctor provides bike ﬁtting, great products and great service through good and honest advice.

BLAZING SADDLES, HEBDEN BRIDGE The generously sized shophas a community feel, a vast product range and, in short: “Everything a mountain bike-centric shop in mountain bike country should be.”

EDDIE MCGRATH CYCLES, URMSTON Its well sorted selection of products in its deceptively capacious interior garnered praise. We found the shop to be family-friendly and refreshingly down to earth.

EVANS CYCLES A centralised workshop facility has doubled capacity and bettered lead times. The dedicated Suspension Service Centre is located in Kendal.

FINELY TUNED RIDE The Devizes workshop is said to be all the ‘f’s’: ﬂexible, ﬁrst rate and fast. Finely Tuned Ride also provides with mobile support at races and events.

GREASE MONKEY CYCLES This Edinburgh business offers free collection and delivery services. Courtesy bikes can be supplied and it also visits workplaces.

HAVEBIKE This maintenance and bicycle ﬂeet management company has grown to 50 staff in four years, responsible for maintaining Boris bikes, Police, Ambulance and Fire bikes.

MOJO SUSPENSION The UK’s only Fox authorised warranty and service centre, Mojo has been in the suspension game for almost two decades.

HOLLOWAY CYCLES,

SRAM TECH CENTRE

ISLINGTON It won praise for its great, common sense store layout and detailed sales briefs from the sales staff, with the shop featuring a tailored lineup for commuters and students.

This Windsor workshop processes warranty and service and boasts eight knowledgeable staff, trained by in-house expert Scott Burris.

PEAK CYCLESPORT, MACCLESFIELD Found to be a modern shop with experienced and knowledgeable service, our Mystery Shopper was unequivocal: “This is how all bike shops should be.”

THE BIKE ROOMS, MANCHESTER This boutique shop is still a shining example of bicycle retail, avoiding that aloof feel and staying friendly despite clearly stocking some top notch, dear gear.

WORKSHOP SERVICES

classes, Evans launched One for the Girls women’s evenings this year, featuring Q&As, talks and more.

HARGROVES CYCLES:

CYCLE SURGERY

QE CYCLE FEST The six-store retailer runs QE Cycle Fest, a huge MTB demo day at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, now in its sixth year. It involves a full day of getting customers on new bikes.

Cycle Surgery hosts free in-store events and runs a click and collect service that encourages customers through the door.

JE JAMES CYCLES: TOUR WEEKEND With Le Tour on its doorstep, JE James made the most of it with a weekend of activity across two locations, including kids cycle coaching and selling lots of bikes.

PENNINE CYCLES: TF TUNED Offering ‘great service as ever’ (as one lobbying email put it), TF Tuned offers expert service and repair, including setting up and supplying spares.

PUT YOU IN LE SADDLE Part of the Bradford Festival, Pennine Cycles worked with other businesses to commemorate Le Tour coming to Yorkshire, including a virtual ride of the cobblestones.

RUTLAND CYCLING:

BEST RETAIL EVENT EAST COAST BICYCLES: ECB KNIGHTS A packed event calendar sees East Coast Bicycles put on weekly ﬁxed wheel rides for gents and ladies and themed oddities like ‘Lonely Hearts Club Valentine Rides’. No shortage of imagination here.

EVANS: ONE FOR THE GIRLS Off the back of women’s only Fixit

IN-STORE EXPERIENCE

MUMS AND TOTS RIDES These rides, in partnership with British Cycing’s Breeze, run regularly and alongside the likes of senior cyclist rides, free weekly night rides and many more.

EVANS CYCLES Bike fitting has been a focus, with all shop floor staff now trained in a basic road bike fit: SizeIt! Is a guarantee to fit customers to the right frame size.

HOOPS VELO Termed a ‘ground-breaking’ shop, the interior was put together with retail design agency Stamp Design and w.e hear reps have been taking pics when they visit.

SIGMA SPORT Tipped as a ‘retail experience that’s hard to beat’ and a ‘great shop with really knowledgeable staff who always try to help’, Sigma Sport is famed for its customer focus.

SOHO BIKES Shunning slat walls, Soho has reclaimed timber for its spacious, appealing environment, with an open plan workshop and café.

WHEELBASE: BIG DEMO WEEKEND Eight years old, Wheelbase has the Big Demo Weekend down to a ﬁne art, with 14 qualiﬁed MTB guides, 25 staff and over 250 people each day on 120 bikes.

VELOCAFE, BRIGHTON A hub for good food and cycle repairs, bikes adorn the ceiling above those purchasing spares and cakes. Maintenance classes for beginners have been added too.

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2014

ONLINE STORE ACTION SPORTS Action Sports started back in 1991 and is based over in Germany, but the retailer is no stranger to UK customers, specialising in custom wheelsets and P&A.

a 30-day risk-free test on all bikes and free delivery to any address in the country. The ‘goodstuff’ mantra means only selling product it has no reservation recommending.

BIKE DISTRIBUTOR CYCLING SPORTS GROUP UK

CHAIN REACTION CYCLES CRC is – all together now – the Royal Mail’s biggest customer in Northern Ireland and has a reach that stretches across the globe.

One of the trade’s true one stop shops, CSG UK has a diverse range on offer with Cannondale, GT, Charge, Mongoose, wethepeople and the addition of Hoffman Bikes.

EVANS CYCLES

MOORE LARGE

The retailer has boosted online usability and freshened up the desktop site, while a new gift card solution can be used online and the mobile site has been refreshed too.

New bicycle director Paul Stewart oversees the cycle ranges. The new design, marketing and product team has reshaped ranges with appealing aesthetics, specs and pricing and geometry. New ranges inc Bumper, Barracuda and Cuda.

PROBIKESHOP Probikeshop started in MTB and now runs in BMX and road. It is supported by Swiss co-op Migros, offering more than 350 brands.

PROBIKEKIT Probike is under the retail umbrella of The Hut. This road-focused site aims to provide everything from ‘Italian masterpieces’ to its own PBK branded items to over 100 countries around the globe.

PALIGAP Marin, Cipollini, Ritchey, Tern, Mekk and Avanti all come via Paligap. Marin particularly has grown well – dealer numbers are up 100 per cent since Nov 2013.

SILVERFISH On top of a year of high sales volume across the board, What MTB Magazine gave its ‘Trail

Bike of the Year’ award to the Mondraker Foxy R. Silverﬁsh also saw increased sales with all brands, including Yeti Cycles.

customer in the world, Windwave also brings Dainese, FSA and Ice Toolz to the trade, along with Gravity, Vision, A2Z and Nokon.

SPORTLINE

ZYRO

From home grown goodness in the form of Saracen, Genesis, Ridgeback and Rapide to Belgium’s own Ridley, Sportline has most bases covered for the UK market.

From its new 100,000sq ft warehouse, Zyro brings Camelbak and many others to the bicycle trade. One year into representing Bell, Giro and Blackburn, Zyro won Bell’s International Distributor of the Year Award.

WINDWAVE Taking on Transition Bikes, Windwave has seen pre-sale orders exceed all targets. Boosted by a new B2B website with live stock feed, Conago has been a stalwart for the Windwave bike line-up.

P&A DISTRIBUTOR MADISON From Shimano to Go Pro, Lazer, Pearl Izumi, nuun, Thule, Garmin and many others, Madison supports the lot with show presences and in-house iceBike*.

MOORE LARGE Knog, Jagwire, Super B, Lake and Dare 2b are among the key names, and Moore Large has seen 85 per cent sales growth in P&A over the last ﬁve years.

SDJ SPORTS

PALIGAP

One of the newer kids on the block, SDJ already has a 1.5m turnover business (which started Jan 2013). It runs weekly rides and ships around 1,000 orders a day.

There is CycleOps, Ritchey, Stan’s No Tubes, Fast Forward, CNP and Saris – Paligap is Saris’ number one distributor worldwide, and Paligap is the ﬁrst to implement a Powertap Service Centre outside of its USA HQ.

WIGGLE Only selling ‘goodstuff’, Wiggle boasts

SILVERFISH 2014 saw key brands such as Race Face components, SDG and Formula joined by new brands Supacaz and Ritte Cycles, further diversifying Silverﬁsh’s offering into the road market. Easton Cycling joined in the summer.

UPGRADE BIKES Upgrade has seen big gains with Lezyne in the LED category especially, as well as Reynolds wheels, X-Fusion and ISM. Upgrade prides itself on keeping brands proﬁtable for IBDs. WINDWAVE As well as being BBB’s third best

16 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR BATRIBIKE Their technical support has been termed ‘exceptional’ and boasts good product availability and a willingness to respond positively to unusual requests (they sent a wheel to a Spain campsite for one rider).

SEVENTIES Going for the hat-trick, Seventies has tirelessly worked for the BMX sector, backing the grass roots and supplying the likes of Federal, Subrosa and Dub.

CHICKEN CYCLEKIT Campagnolo, Cinelli, Columbus, Deda Elementi, Strada, Nalini, Tifosi, Vittoria… the Chicken Cyclekit portfolio includes some highly respected European manufacturers and top-end brands.

ELECTRIC BIKE CORPORATION EBC is another e-bike specialist, bringing EBCO, D-Cycles and Bosch-powered Ave to the growing market. Aiming to hit everyone from commuters to those riding for pleasure, the ranges are complemented by KED helmets.

JUNGLE PRODUCTS Bringing some high-end MTB brands to the trade, Jungle provides Santa Cruz and Juliana, plus Niner bike brands, as well as the very well received BOS suspension range.

BIKE BRAND KINESIS UK With success over a number of models in its Racelight, Crosslight and Maxlight (MTB) categories, the Racelight Gran Fondo Titanium recently scoring a memorable ti win

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passionate about cycling and supporting IBDs. An expanding on-road presence is supported by an internal sales department to make sure dealers not only get any questions answered quickly but also receive the support needed.

VERENTI Wiggle’s own-brand road bikes were updated in 2014, and saw a seven per cent increase in sales. The ﬁve frame, eight model range hits commuter and winter road bikes among others.

UPGRADE BIKES

HOY BIKES Now with 19 models, Hoy this year expanded into kids’ bikes, with an accompanying May half term tour starring Sir Chris. It has been a challenge to keep up with demand, Evans says.

CANNONDALE Touted as one of the fastest growing brands in the premium sector, the brand saw its Synapse win the coveted Cycling Plus ‘Bike of the Year’ award as well as road. cc’s ‘Sportive Bike of the Year’.

GENESIS As we go to press, Genesis has just launched its ﬁrst carbon ﬁbre frame, entitled the Zero. The range has been refreshed visually, with a wider range for 2015.

GIANT Giant’s latest launches include the new Avail range, women’s-speciﬁc endurance road bikes as well as the 2015 Defy endurance road bikes, unveiled earlier this summer.

GIRO Proving Giro wasn’t just about the helmets, footwear and apparel were something of a focus this year. Products like the Empire shoe helped, while Giro New Road gave the apparel sector a new option.

LAKE Unusually offering a complete custom ﬁt service for road and MTB riders, Lake shoes are also one of only two cycle shoe brands that use the patented BOA system.

LEZYNE ‘Work great, look great’ is the mantra. Pitched as a key mid-priced offering, with new features like Zecto-Auto and Macro-Duo, the range is backed with strong POS, shows and event sponsorships.

MUC-OFF SPECIALIZED Specialized continues to attract attention, not least due to one Vincenzo Nibali. Recent additions include Diverge carbon models and the Demo 8 downhill bike.

A big year for Muc-Off: Now on sale in 66 countries and gaining road share, sponsorship runs across over ten teams in MTB and road in this, its 20th year in the biz.

Eschewing the model year, Trek has been releasing bikes when they are ready so that bike shops won’t have to discount stock to shift. Bringing Electra under its wing, the ﬁrm aims to offer something for everyone.

P&A BRAND EASTON CYCLING Bars, stems, seatposts, a wheel manufacturing programme…Easton Cycling aims to provide a onestop-shop for off or on road riders. There’s a range of prices to suit all levels and a full technical support programme in the UK.

BIKEBIZ.COM

CSG UK

ZYRO

With dedicated sales people for Cannondale, CSG UK’s core brands and Sugoi Apparel, the team boasts a long-established workforce with a long history in the company and in the industry.

Split between the Peloton and Velocity divisions, the results of the sales teams has seen international awards from BRG and Camelbak, with a ‘putting the customer ﬁrst’ approach to sales and the Zyro Sales Academy, training staffers and boosting their knowledge. Training for retailers is also part of the package.

FISHER OUTDOOR LEISURE The internal and external sales force not only sell in stores and from Fisher HQ, they also attend launches, events and contribute to charities for a range of customers, dedicated to sustaining IBD business in the market.

MARKETING TEAM DARE 2B

MADISON/SPORTLINE Sharing operational facilities for pick, pack and dispatch, the dedicated Madison and Sportline sales teams have been bringing Saracen, Ridgeback and Genesis, and Shimano, GoPro and Lazer (respectively) to the trade.

MOORE LARGE RACE FACE

TREK

SALES TEAM

The efficiencies of a new warehouse have helped an impressive 39.6% growth figure above last year. Further investment in the sales team was made with full time sales representative Mark Robinson joining last October. An additional five sales agents are backed by the in-house sales team. Ian Manning’s heads up the Sales Team.

It’s been difﬁcult to miss Dare 2b this year, whether headline sponsor of the Yorkshire Festival of Cycling, Sponsor of the Tour of Britain 2014 or sponsor of Cycle Show 2014.

EVANS CYCLES Starting the selling season early with ‘early bird’ marketing offers, the team has been pushing the taxfree element of its c2w offering in the national press, a cunning social ‘Odd Ones’ campaign and cleverly capitalising on their relationship with Sir Chris Hoy.

The revitalised range now encompasses hardgoods, softgoods and armour, with high performance MTB wheels and ﬂat pedals as well as expansion of their bars and stems.

The internal sales team are supported with the B2B system, in-house shows and road shows, as well as support for dealers and their individual events. A Premium Brands roles have been created to boost service levels to customers.

TORQ

PALIGAP

Torq has over 400 POS units in UK stores and over 300 testing stations, getting customers to try it. Sales are up 64% year to date.

Headed up by sales manager Tony Rose, the team has eight territory account managers. Each of the ﬁve territories has an external and internal account manager, providing good contacts for IBDs on the road and in the ofﬁce.

Rider support is something Hotlines appear to excel at. We’re told they are ‘brutally organised and always happy to help’, going above and beyond. The Evolution newsletter reaches over over 1,000 dealers, Hotlines’ events presence has been considerable ramped up as have bike press launches.

SILVERFISH

MADISON/SPORTLINE

On the road and on the phones, Silverﬁsh’s sales team are

Team sponsorship is an eyecatching consumer marketing

VULPINE Vulpine’s growth has seen team ups with Sir Chris Hoy and House of Frazer, and sales growth up by triple ﬁgures (over 400 per cent in some areas of the business).

HOTLINES

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 19

BIKEBIZ AWARDS 2014 strategy paying off for the companies, backed by a wide ranging ad marketing campaign pushed out through the press.

‘unﬁltered’ brand experience. A reinvigorated house show – Cycle Vision – is more convenient and valuable for trade customers, while POS has also been a highlight.

MOORE LARGE Investment has seen ML’s marketing team grow massively, allowing the team to push products to consumers through events, PR, promos, ads, sponsorship, in-store POS and digital media, engaging with UK customers for their brands.

RALEIGH Having modernised Raleigh’s identity with a new logo, site and ranges, the team has a wide team of brand champions, a gritty Militis campaign and pushes out products to thousands of people to test at events and PR days.

SEALSKINZ It’s been a big 12 months for Sealskinz’s marketing team, with a complete rebrand – a new logo, colour, tagline and identity – marking a fundamental shift for the company, provoking a rise in forward orders and a great reaction from consumers.

UPGRADE BIKES Whether at big public shows like Cycle Show or the London Bike Show or through print and online advertising, Upgrade’s marketing team have been pushing the likes of Lezyne, DMR and Kinesis to the consumer, targeting different sectors of cycling.

ZYRO An expanded marketing team has improved turnaround times while a radically updated B2C website has helped provide an

20 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

alliance and works with some of the nation’s largest workplaces to help get them out of their cars and into the saddle.

CYCLEWORKS

RETAILER SERVICES ACT Looking out for the nation’s independent bicycle retailers, the Association of Cycle Traders links IBDs with ﬁnance options, cycle to work alternatives and much more. Representing the interests of thousands of cycle retailers, ACT also oversees the Cytech training and accreditation scheme.

BIKESOUP The independent bike dealer is on Bikesoup’s hit list, calling on retailers to combine together on its ‘Rightmove for bicycles’ so they can compete with those heavy hitting online retailers and lure customers through their doors.

Cycleworks offers a wide variety of sectors high quality cycle parking, whether retail, schools, councils or workplaces. Cycleworks provides individual lockers, lockable shelters, multi bike stores or the slightly more familiar bike racks.

TRAINING

From running Cycle to Work Day to operating the independent bike dealer network’s largest cycle to work operation, Cyclescheme is also a member of the C2W

#SPACEFORCYCLING, LCC For the local council elections in London, the LCC canvassed every candidate to support a speciﬁc action to create safe space for cycling, a huge task in itself, but resulting in half the candidates to support the campaign.

BIG PEDAL, SUSTRANS

ATG Training offers cycle training courses to mechanics and enthusiasts. Bringing Cytech levels one, two and three, the courses go into varying levels of technical detail, helping raise the industry’s standards of cycle maintenance.

The pedal to school nationwide competition this year ran over a shorter period by request and saw a whopping 1,142,374 journeys made by bicycle or scooter.

BIKE-INN Headed up by Alf and Teresa Webb, Bike-Inn has been teaching bicycle mechanics for many years.

BIKERIGHT! Bikeright offers cycle training, Bikeability, bicycle maintenance courses, cycle instructor training courses and more. Boss Liz Clarke was nominated for a ‘Outstanding Woman in Business’ Award.

CYCLEFIT CYCLESCHEME

CYCLING ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENT

ATG

CITRUS-LIME EPOS and ecommerce is a speciality for Citrus-Lime, helping bike shops introduce key features to their sites like click and collect and star buy, as well as a customer rewards module, which is a bit like Nectar points, increasing loyalty and returning customers to stores.

the retailer holds Bikefest, now in its ﬁfth year.

Cyclefit offers a wide range of bike fitting services to riders and boasts two studios devoted to bike fitting in London. Cyclefit hosts the International Cyclefit Symposium and runs presentations like the Cyclefit Sports Science Series.

CYCLE TO WORK DAY, CYCLESCHEME As if securing over 65,000 incremental bike sales a year for IBDs wasn’t enough, Cyclescheme has also launched Cycle to Work Day to encourage workplaces and commuters to think bike.

DONNACHADH MCCARTHY, STOP KILLING CYCLISTS McCarthy is co-founder of cycling and road safety campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists. The new group has already achieved meetings with Transport for London and the Commissioner for Cycling.

JOHN MOSS, STOLEN BIKES Stolen Bikes is a simple but hugely effective idea, sharing stolen bikes news to a big community within minutes, and a bike checker where you can check if a bike is stolen.

CYCLESYSTEMS ACADEMY Offering ﬂeet maintenance and mobile cycle repairs, Cycle Systems Academy is probably best known to the trade for cycle maintenance training courses. EVANS CYCLES Bringing the bike shows to Evans, staff no longer miss out on education and testing of new products as

KIDS BIKE CLUB, HALFORDS 30,000 children and parents attended free bike workshops in stores as part of the Kids Bike Club. Halfords has also worked with 12,000 pupils in their ﬁnal year of primary on looking after their bikes and safety hazards to avoid.

STU DAWKINS, SEVENTIES The head of Seventies has been supporting the UK BMX for quarter of a century, running underground and mainstream jams sponsoring and guiding countless riders, and building Federal into a world player on the BMX scene to boot. BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk

BIKEBIZ.COM

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CSG UK

SHOW REVIEW

01 Charge now have two fat bikes, with this one just £850

The price is right

WeThePeople’s Helix freecoaster

With currency fluctuations having had a positive influence on this year’s retail prices, dealers who checked in with CSG’s 2015 preview would have been pleasantly surprised. Mark Sutton reports on some of the key new lines… > 01. CHARGE For Charge the top-end remains largely unchanged, but where entry-level is concerned a few new options are now open to dealers. For just £330, dealers can now offer a singlespeed specific Plug or Grater, the main difference being the choice of a flat or bullhorn style bar. The head turner for many will have been the introduction of a £850 fat bike, making the category finally affordable to some of those waiting for a sub £1,000 bike to land. Last year’s higher-spec model is one of many to benefit from a price drop, dipping £150 to £1,099. Coming in at £1,399, the Plug 5 now carries SRAM hydraulic discs, while the label has also introduced a singlespeed version of the Cooker, retailing at £650. At the very top of the pile, the £3,000 BIKEBIZ.COM

Cooker 5 titanium is now specced with 1x11 gearing and comes kitted out with Avid’s new Guide brakes. On the MTB front, everything now carries 29-inch wheels. > 02. GT Another label to benefit from favourable currency changes is GT, where this year you’ll find all offroad going models now sporting 650b wheels. The big news from GT is the launch of the Grade line, touted as “an adventure road” series. With all frames taking at least a 35c tyre, the bikes are extremely capable on light off-road sections and towpaths. For the top two models in the Grade line, Stans specifically made a rim for the application that’ll accommodate up to 125 psi. Each model, of which there are five

aluminium frames and two carbon, is specced with disc brakes. The range topper is something worth a look for any casual or training cyclist spending semi-serious money. At £2,000 the Grade carbon interestingly has no rider weight limit, despite a frame weight of just 963 grams. There’s a clever little removable mudguard fender, which is just one of a few things this frame beats the competition too. GT’s Patrick Kaye told BikeBiz: “We wanted to create something for the regular sportive or fondo rider with geometry that supports endurance. Through two years of development and seven revisions we’ve come up with a frame that uses high modulus carbon where it matters, but long strand glass ﬁbre cores for the seatstays. The result is a combination of comfort and performance.

There’s a large downtube running into a Praxis adapter specced PF30 BB, which irons out any concerns of premature bearing wear. The combination of materials has allowed us to ﬁne tune the torsional rigidity.” Elsewhere the new UK-orientated Helion is one to recommend to the customer who can’t make their mind up if they prefer light cross country or something a bit more aggressive. With 110mm of front and rear travel, the £1,699 build will withstand trail use. Another noteworthy change is that the Sensor line now starts at just £1,500 with a revamped lighter back end on the frame. > 03. CANNONDALE With design inﬂuence coming from the World Cup courses, Cannondale’s new FSI Carbon 2 joins the catalogue, retailing at £2,999. Capable on the BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 23

CSG UK

short aggressive climbs and dicey descents, the rider’s weight has been moved further over the rear wheel thanks to 429mm chainstays. Despite the geometry, mud clearance is generous, making it ideally suited to the UK based enduro rider. The Jekyll continues to evolve with four models available, spanning £2,699 to £5,299. Built around the Fox developed DYAD RT2 rear shock, the frame offers 95mm of active short travel, as well as the full 160mm all with the ﬂick of a switch. Another perk is the adjusted geometry, which makes it extremely simple to alter the chances of ascending or descending the next incline comfortably. The top tier two come specced with Cannondale’s SuperMax Lefty fork, which boasts similar rigidity to some of the market’s dual crown forks, but at a much reduced weight. The Jekyll’s little brother, the Trigger, again uses the Fox RT2 24 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

platform, offering both 85mm and 140mm travel options. For money’s no object customers, the £7,000 Black Inc is well worth a look. > 04. SUGOI Catching our eye in a promotional video, Sugoi’s Zap jacket is as headturning as the marketing spiel may have you believe. At £99 and in black, red or hi-vis yellow, the jacket looks like a fairly standard cycling jacket in plain light, but hit it with a ﬂash of headlights and it lights up like a pixelated Christmas tree. In fact, the only part that doesn’t reﬂect light is the zip. Spec wise, there’s internal mesh, a dipped tail and much more packed in. CSG did suggest that on the back of demonstrations, this is one of Sugoi’s best performing pre-sellers ever, so get your orders in now to avoid disappointment. There’s Zap shoe covers too at £54.99, which this year remove the

zip from the rear, choosing to make it more accessible on the outer side. Commuter items aside, the RSX suspension short will be of interest to many, combining a trail short with a five-point adjustable bib and BOA dial adjustable waist, all for £129.99. The RSX jersey is another trail garment that’s expected to do well during the summer months. Using Icefil fabrics woven with the same cooling Xylotol found in toothpaste, the cooling properties of the jersey are said to reduce body temperature by up to four degrees. > 05. FABRIC Everyone loves a Spoon. We’re talking about the saddle, of course, and we’re not alone, with OEM customers calling on Charge to make it available for their bikes. That’s where Fabric comes in, with a specific pot of funds to develop its saddle technology. To begin with there’s a choice of the 134mm

wide Line, 142mm wide Scoop and 155mm wide Cell saddle. Each has a very specific role, with fluctuations in certain curves tailored to stances. The Line is the narrow option, designed for a slim body type and carrying a pressure relief channel. The Scoop’s role caters for the average body types among us, while the Cell better suits those with wide hips. There’s more too, however, with the ALM providing an ultra light, Airbus engineered saddle that combines 3D printing techniques with alternative carbon lay up techniques. Those behind Fabric describe it as a world first in saddle technology, with even the saddle’s rails tapered for comfort and flexibility. There’s a selection of (Rip) bar tape and (Lite) grips set to land with CSG in the near future too. > 06. GURU With Dorel having made what it calls a strategic investment in Guru’s bike BIKEBIZ.COM

CSG UK

SHOW REVIEW

CALLING ALL CYCLING RETAILERS. BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS AT THE SUMMIT OF THE OUTDOOR TRADE... OTS 2014. WHAT COULD BE NEW TO YOU?

fitting system, CSG UK accounts now have access to the Fit Experience. Paired with software that allows measurements to be taken in motion, the algorithm can quickly pair a customer to an ideal bike based on an extensive database of bikes. The dealer will be trained to adjust riding positions, while the built in power meter records the rises and dips in power output and other variables while the customer pedals away. Motion and video capture is also available and dealers will be able to offer a basic and premium fit package. > 07. MONGOOSE First on the minds of many who attended was to find out what Mongoose has for the independent bike dealer now Halfords has access to the brand. Well the answer is a range spanning £199 through to £299, providing dealers with the entry level BMX bikes.

BIKEBIZ.COM

> 08. HOFFMAN Into the mid-range and CSG UK has added the Hoffman catalogue, which for 2015 will start at £180 for an 18-inch wheel Imprint and hit various price points right up to the signature Ben Hennon bike, retailing at £339. 20-inch wheels start at £239.99 with the Immersion. Things really advance from the £300 Crucible, which upgrades the frame with a chromoly front end and fork legs, as well as a tyre upgrade. Integrated headsets feature on all bikes over £250. > 09. WETHEPEOPLE For the BMX rider after a freecoaster clad bike, WeThePeople has specced a switchable hub on the £499 Crysis. For those buying in at the very top, the £899 Envy is an eye catcher, built with components from Eclat, including the new Stevie Chuchill signature Fireball tyres, as well as Eclat’s Blind freecoaster. 01202 732288 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 25

Outdoor Trade Show Stoneleigh Park Exhibition Centre Warwickshire CV8 2LG (SatNav Postcode) outdoortradeshow.com Enquiries: 0161 437 4634 Opening times: 9am – 5pm (halls open until 6pm) Tuesday 9th September: Wednesday 10th September: 9am – 6pm (halls open until 7pm) Thursday 11th September: 9am – 5pm

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SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC

CAN YOU give us some background to SMS INC? You are well established elsewhere… Sports Marketing Surveys is an experienced sports research business – and we work only on sport and leisure. We focus on servicing the sporting goods, sports lifestyle, sports facility and sports tourism industries. Working alongside major manufacturers, professional bodies, venues and tourist boards, Sports Marketing Surveys INC are leaders in understanding the sporting population; who they are, what they want and what needs to be done to appeal to them. We work internationally with Sports Marketing Surveys USA to provide a full service of investigation, insight and considered action for the sports industry. We have a vast portfolio of research spanning over 30 years, and an impressive list of clients and partners. We work with brands such as TaylorMade adidas, Callaway, Titleist and Nike in Golf, with Babolat, Wilson, Head Sport in tennis, with Brooks, New Balance and Mizuno in running, and now in cycling with Giant, Scott, Specialized and Trek, to name a few.

CHARTING THE MARKET

Sports Marketing Surveys INC is attempting to provide the bike market with some valuable accurate statistics. Jonathon Harker asks cycling business manager Kevin Burton how the experienced ﬁrm is planning to crack this difﬁcult task where so many have failed before…

26 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

Why is the information important? The information will allow the industry to make strategic business decisions based on robust data. The cycle industry has recently experienced a boom, and in order to continue expanding we must better know the trends and factors affecting the different categories, and in understanding the consumer – “research is creating new knowledge”. Any messages for the trade? We are here to work with the industry and to help cycling compete and grow in the leisure market across Europe. Gaining initial trust with the market took time – but now with several of the leading names in cycling as our clients, brands are taking note of what we are doing, and so are further exploring our knowledge and asking for more. It is great to see that the industry is responding, and is conscious of what research and insight can offer.

SMS INC is planning to collate sales data from the UK bicycle industry – what information are you seeking? We are collating data for cycles and P&A; evidently this includes clothing. The cycle industry is hungry for robust, reliable research and data across all sectors, and accordingly many of the major brands have already signed up to the programme. We operate these research studies in many other sports markets, and so know that they will be just as commercially valuable and operationally viable in the cycle market to enhance business decision making. What are the challenges to collating the data? The main challenges have been educational and operational with the brands, rather than challenges around the process. Brands want and need this information in order to maximise their growth potential – it is a case of explaining the value, and then ensuring they prioritise their support and involvement in a timely manner. We have a skilled team of research experts that have made the gathering and analysis of the data a simple process. Education has been key – and many brands now recognise the power and potential that this data can offer to their business.

Companies have tried to achieve this before, so are you conﬁdent you can crack it? Why? We have been in comparable situations, and faced similar challenges in the past with other sports, and through our knowledge and expertise proved its value. We are working in the same way in the cycling market. We have a dedicated cycle manager with many years of experience in the trade, supported by a committed team of leading sports researchers.

“The cycling industry is hungry for robust, reliable research and data for its many sectors. We’ve already signed with several of the major brands in order to further our research...”

Why did SMS INC get involved in the market and how do you beneﬁt? We made a concerted effort two years ago to evolve cycling into one of our key sports and we subsequently appointed Kevin Burton who has over 20 years’ experience in the bicycle industry. Through our international, multisport, participation projects we know the size of the cycle market, and its demographics, and the potential that the sport presents. We want to offer vital information to brands, and bodies, to enable them to understand the market place, and essentially allow the sport to continue to develop. You can ﬁnd out more about the business through our website sportsmarketingsurveysinc.com or contact Kevin Burton – our cycling business manager – directly at: Tel +44 (0) 1932 345 539 kevin.burton@sportsmarketing surveysinc.com

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MOUNTAIN BIKE REVIVAL 120,000 visits were made in six months to the new trails in Northern Irelands

NORTHERN IRELAND:

Not content with opening 110km of purpose-built trails open across ﬁve locations last year, Northern Ireland has plans to bolster its mountain biking credentials still further. Jonathon Harker hits the trail...

TRAIL BLAZER NORTHERN IRELAND has just launched a ten year strategy for mountain biking with one key aim – to raise NI’s profile as a world class mountain biking destination. Benefiting the local economy to the tune of £25 million by 2024, that strategy envisages five new national trail centres, three new regional trail centres and six long distance rides, and that’s without mentioning Phase II developments in Rostervor, Castlewellan and Davagh Forest. That ambitious target comes after a year that saw Northern Ireland open over 110km (almost 70 miles) of trails across five locations. Over 100,000 visits were made to those new trail centres in less than a year. So is Northern Ireland now the world’s fastest growing MTB destination, and set to remain so for the foreseeable? Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland (formerly Countryside Access and Activities Network) is responsible for this new decadelong strategy. BikeBiz speaks with the organisation’s own Chris Armstrong… What has sparked this surge of interest in mountain biking in

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Northern Ireland? There has always been a strong interest in mountain biking here in Northern Ireland with people for years travelling over the border to the Republic of Ireland or by ferry to Scotland in the search for purpose-built trail centres to satisfy their mountain biking urges. Even as far back as 2003, Dafydd Davis (Trails Wales) produced a report, endorsed by Joey Klein (IMBA), highlighting Northern Ireland’s potential to become a world class mountain bike destination and

of mountain bike trails across Northern Ireland in 2013. How has the MTB community responded to the plans? Last year was an incredible year for mountain biking in Northern Ireland with over 110km of purpose-built trails opened across five locations including Ireland’s first official dirt jump park in Belfast and much anticipated downhill trails in Rostrevor. Needless to say, these developments had been long awaited amongst the mountain bike

“Last year was an incredible year for mountain biking in NI.” Chris Armstrong from then Outdoor Recreation NI (formerly CAAN) has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this vision a reality. In 2009 the ﬁrst network of cross-country trails were opened on the private grounds of Blessingbourne Estate in County Tyrone and it was really the success of this initial compact trail centre that paved the way for the substantial development

community who are now immensely proud of their own trails and enjoy now welcoming visitors to ‘their trails’ from the rest of the UK and Ireland. Of course opening ﬁve trail centres in six months clocking up over 120,000 visits can create the feeling of ‘let’s keep going …where next’ and so we’ve had to manage and harness this enthusiasm through working with the local MTB

community to set realistic targets for the development of mountain biking moving forward. You hope to bring international MTB events to Northern Ireland. What’s your timescale? Despite only being open eighteen months, Northern Ireland’s ﬂedging trail centres have hosted the mountain biking elements of the World Police and Fire Games, the Single Speed European Championships and the Red Bull Foxhunt as well as various Ulster and Irish XC and DH championships. With this experience already under our belt our aim is for Northern Ireland to host at least one European standard mountain bike event by 2018 and to host an event of International status by 2020. Have you any ﬁnal thoughts to leave us with? The vision to make Northern Ireland a world class mountain bike destination will only be realised through a consolidated effort from public sector, private sector and the mountain bike community and we are really looking forward to driving this forward over the next few years. outdoorrecreationni.com

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 29

MOUNTAIN BIKE REVIVAL

Stooge aims to provide an easy way into mountain biking

ANDY STEVENSON lives in Oswestry, Shropshire. He has been in bicycle retail for the last 12 years, working back when MTB was “as huge as it’s ever likely to be,” says Stevenson. “Fast forward a decade or so, and of course Bradley Wiggins and the tour created a similar explosion in road cycling, which continues unabated to this day,” he rues. BikeBiz is talking to Stevenson 12 months after he created Stooge Cycles. The ﬂedgling brand has so far produced one frameset – a rigid steel 29er with progressive geometry and twin top tubes – a frameset that Stevenson says is “a back to basics alternative with the best geometry in the game”. In the last month Stevenson has sold twenty frames and found a number of outlets to take on his brand: Charlie the Bikemonger and Keep Pedalling in Manchester, and a US distributor that he shares with Singular Cycles, Colorado Speciality Velo. “In the last 12 months I have gone from having an idea for a bike company, through designing a frame, getting a prototype produced by Maxway Cycles in Taiwan, to ﬁnally getting stock in one month ago.

30 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

“The feedback I have had from buyers has been 100 per cent positive. I’ve more models planned and I believe that the ‘simple’ MTB will see huge growth as riders look for something simpler and less maintenance-heavy. The bike’s geometry is truly forward thinking.” When it comes to mountain bikes, Stevenson is not one to shy away from a strong opinion or two, believing that the industry-wide ‘road is king’ thinking is harming MTB prospects.

In the race for innovation, the sector has become remote and expensive, Stevenson argues: “From my point of view, one of the real problems is that they’ve become so expensive and so technologically advanced that there’s no easy, or ‘cheap’ way in for younger riders without a lot of money. My own thoughts were also that bikes had got so good that riding was no longer a challenge, anything was possible within reason. So I deliberately set out

“MTBs have become so advanced, there is no easy way in.” Andy Stevenson “I’m a dirt bike rider ﬁrst and foremost,” he tells BikeBiz, “but I love all avenues of cycling. My other place of work is a bike shop in Chester, a retailer that has all but turned its back on MTBs. In many industry circles it seems to be a common belief that MTBs are over, and in many cases I think it’s been self perpetuating. Shops no longer carry the stock as they want to spend their money on road bikes.”

to design a rigid bike that was A: visually exciting, B: affordable, and C: more than capable of keeping up with the so called superbikes, but without the car level of servicing required for modern suspension bikes.” That philosophy has been justiﬁed by the results, the Stooge founder argues: “The feedback I’ve received from riders has been phenomenal. The bike is addictive

and incredibly accomplished across very technical terrain, in many ways more so than many full suspension bikes. It’s also designed to be extremely versatile and can be built up in many ways (with drop bars, for example). The bike has been particularly popular in the bikepacking scene, which is where old school MTBers seem to be hanging out these days, and is certainly a huge growth area.” Recent retail experiences have only cemented his belief that the MTB market is alive and kicking: “I’ve just spent the last ten months working for One Planet Adventure in Llandegla and it convinced me that MTBs are far from dead. If anything, the money being spent on them is at an all-time high, but again, there lies the problem for me. But I think the last generation of mountain bikers grew up and then discovered road bikes. This latest generation of new cyclists on road bikes will move on and discover MTBs and the joy of cycling far from the madding crowd. Because they are used to simple, well-engineered machines, this new form of simplicity will appeal to them, as will the relative safety of trafﬁc-free tracks and trails.” stoogecycles.co.uk

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CYCLEPLAN

Got your bike covered? Is the bike insurance message getting through to consumers? And why should bicycle retailers care? Managing director of Cycleplan John Woosey provides the answers for Jonathon Harker HOW HAS Cycleplan’s ﬁrst year in business been? As a company, we’ve worked in sport insurance for 17 years and the take up of cycling insurance is unprecedented. We’ve certainly exceeded expectations and I think there are three main reasons for this: One, we spent a lot of time and effort researching the market and we think our insurance product hits the nail on the head. Secondly, due to the rise in popularity of cycling and, three, the increased amount cyclists are spending on their bikes and accessories. But we know we’ve just scratched the surface as the majority of cyclists still don’t have specialist cycling insurance. Are most new bike purchases accompanied by bike insurance policies? No, most cyclists aren’t taking out specialist insurance. That’s because there’s an assumption they are covered by their home insurance and that’s often not the case. Yet, with one bike a minute being stolen in the UK it makes sense to take out a policy. It’s not

just the bikes themselves that need cover, but also accessories. Cyclists are investing more and more into equipment, which can be costly to replace if they are damaged or broken in an incident or stolen. In addition to protecting the bike and accessories, cyclists can insure themselves. Sadly, in 2013 serious bike related casualties had risen to nearly 19,500 per year. By taking out cover cyclists who unfortunately get injured or cause an accident can get assistance at this difficult time. It’s often only when the worst happens, people realise they should have been insured. What are the benefits of signing up to Cycleplan for consumers? For first time customers, there’s a 20 per cent year one introductory discount. We also offer the same

premium for different types of bikes, road, mountain, electric and so on – we don’t discriminate. Plus we can put more than one bike on a policy and accessories as well. Feedback from customers tells us that a key feature they like about cycleplan is that they can personalise their cycle insurance by building a tailor-made policy online that meets their needs exactly. How does cycleplan work with bike shops? We work with bike shops by listening to what they want. One of our key messages is that ‘we sell the insurance’ ‘leaving you to sell the bikes’. It is our marketing strategy that helps the bike shop win the business, especially with promotions such as four weeks free insurance, which can be offered to

“It’s often only when the worst hapens peopel realise they need insurance...” John Woosey, Cycleplan

customers who purchase a bike or accessory. We think we offer unprecedented marketing support for our retail partners and of course we also offer an attractive commission rate. This runs from the ﬁrst year and right through the duration of the policy. So each year the customer renews the retailer receives commission providing the partner agreement is still in place. If a claim is made, can customers use their local bike shop? With each new retail partner of Cycleplan we continue to grow our preferred suppliers list for repair and of course replacement. We like to give the policy holder the option of replacing the bike from where they originally purchased the bike from. The average turnaround is just 3-5 days. How can retail get in touch? Best to speak to Steve Lewis, our business development manager, on 0161 902 2696, or email steve.lewis@thejrwgroup.co.uk . We’ll both be at the BikeBiz Awards on September 24th and we’d be more than happy to chat on the night or the following day at the Trade Day of the Cycle Show event at the NEC.

(L) Steve Lewis – Business Development Manager, The JRW Group and (R) Michael Grimshaw – On Yer Bike, Sales Director

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BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 33

BUYER BIKES & ACCESSORIES NOTTINGHAM We are Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading retailer of Tools and Machinery with 65 Superstores Nationwide, and thriving web and mail order sales. Having launched a great range of Mountain, Road, and Town Bikes, we now have an exciting opportunity for a professional Bikes Buyer to develop and take full control of this range. Currently employed as a Bikes Buyer, you must have an in-depth knowledge of this growing market, including Electric & Folding Bikes. Range selection, pricing policy and tough supplier negotiations to ensure your ranges are highly competitive, will all be areas in which you have proven experience, and are indeed central to this role. If the opportunity to put your extensive experience to good effect, running the growth of this category within our business and in turn reaping the rewards, is attractive to you, then please send your c.v. to:

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34 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

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CYCLE SHOW 2014

SHOW PREVIEW

OPENING TIMES: Thursday September 25th (trade and press) 9.30am to 6pm Friday 26th to Sunday 28th (consumer) 9.30am to 5pm

LOCATION: Halls 10,11 & 12 NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT

The stage is set The NEC-set Cycle Show draws nearer, so what kind of brands and products can we expect to see there? Jonathon Harker previews... and help endurance athletes reach their goals, we hear. There are more details on that over at www. powerbar-nutrition-lab.com and on stand D61 at Cycle Show.

Nuun The original portable hydration tablet will be found on stand D65. Sugar-free and non-sticky, the nuun packs in electrolytes and no carbs, which basically means riders can manage their energy needs with their favourite choice alongside nuun hydration. They’ve been in the game for over a decade, so to beneﬁt from that experience head to over D65. BIKEBIZ.COM

PowerBar The PowerBar Nutrition Lab is a concept where athletes get to meet nutritionists, trainers and experts from PowerBar to discuss taste, product concepts and packaging. The Nutrition Lab is now being thrown open to athletes in the UK, to exchange ideas and participate in the development of sports nutrition. The exclusive community gives athletes the chance to join creative online workshops, home test exciting product prototypes or meet for group discussions to exchange ideas with other athletes, trainers, nutritionists and PowerBar staff members about new products, nutrition and sport in general. This constant exchange of ideas will lead to products that match the nutritional requirements for optimum athletic performance

Bob Elliot The Funkier TPU Windproof Jacket will be among the Bob Elliot highlights at the NEC. Featuring Quick Dry Active Protection, the jackets are waterproof, windproof

FREE TRADE TICKETS VIA: www.cycleshow.co.uk/trade

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and breathable. The single back waterproof zipped pocket boasts inner lining, while the two front pockets are closed with a zip. Front and rear reﬂective piping aid visibility, while TPU microﬂeece collar lining help keep temperatures reasonable. For more on those, head to stand M71.

Chicken Cyclekit It will be Chicken’s biggest ever NEC show presence, we’re reliably informed, with dedicated areas for Campagnolo, Datatag, Deda Elementi, Selle Italia and Vittoria. The completely redesigned Cinelli range, starting at the entry level Experience, right the way through to the top end Very Best Of, will be on show. Four new models are BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 35

CYCLE SHOW 2014

being added to the Tifosi line-up, mostly under the ÂŁ1,000 cycle to work threshold. Carbon specialists Dedaccai will be bringing in a number of new models for 2015, including their ďŹ rst road aero frame, the Atleta. For the ďŹ rst time Deda will also be introducing a sub ÂŁ1,000 bike, the AP01, assembled with top name brands. Attendees will have a chance to see and try on the latest clothing and eyewear from brands Briko, Nalini and Vermarc, the latest helmets from LAS and shoes from Vittoria. Also displayed are the successful Miche SWR wheels that were launched in conjunction with the Wheel Test Programme. Start your run at the Chicken brands on stand D21. Rubena The Gaadi is an easy-change tube from Rubena, which enables cyclist on the go to change a tyre without the hassle of removing the wheel. How so? The new Gaadi tube features an open-loop system that allows the rider to simply

)* " ! $ 2) & * )*%& - 2"" * ! /%+ $ /%+( ! ! %$ * *( ! $ $ $ 9 $$ ( *+ ) , (/ )/ $)* % +"* - " %( $ + ( #%+$* $ 9 *+ $ ) "/ &+* $*% * */( ( %. ) ( ! ) %( ( , )/)* #) ( $% &(% " # *%%

9 / " + * ) / " *+ # % '+ " */ %#&%+$ $ , $ *-% $ ) , " " %( "" - " ) 0 ) (%# *% $ ) * $ " , ( - * +$"%& , ", %( - * " , ( $* , ", *+ ) . "" $* )%"+* %$ %( ! ) $ " ) +* )+ * " ")% %( %##%$ / " )

remove the sidewall of the tyre from the rim, remove the old tube and insert the open-loop tube into the tyre. The wheel is then rotated all of the way around until the ends meet. The tube will retail for around ÂŁ12 and although made primarily for E-bikes, can be used on any bike with a size range from 20â&#x20AC;? to 29er. Trade enquiries should be directed to Rubenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UK distributor Bike Tyrestore on Freephone 0800 281413. Or over on stand A7.

September, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re informed. Head over to stands K61 and J43 for more on those.

Fisher Outdoor Leisure Fisher Outdoor will be joining a vast collection of names at the Cycle Show this year and has a wider ranging group of brands for all attendees to see. Along with big names such as SRAM, LOOK, Santini and Troy Lee, there will be some new and exclusive names presented for the ďŹ rst time in

Citrus-Lime Citrus-Lime has been specialising in retail systems for cycle retailers for a number of years and is constantly developing its platform with the aim of being the most complete offering from a retail services provider operating in the trade. The most recent addition to the huge list of features is version

Greenover Greenover will be bringing the New Rocky Mountain 2015 range to the NEC, but the distributor is being tight-lipped so far, revealing nothing despite us asking very politely indeed. We can tell you, however, that the distributor will also be bringing along the Nutcase helmet range, including one of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular designs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Watermelon. Find all that on F39.

two of the Customer Rewards loyalty scheme â&#x20AC;&#x201C; based around the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;points mean prizesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; loyalty concept, and now retailers can determine how many points their customers earn based on things like departments, categories, brands and even speciďŹ c products. Citrus-Lime says the scheme can increase proďŹ ts, retain existing customers, attract new custom, encourage repeat business, capture customer data and increase brand awareness, so probably worth considering. J147 is the stand to head for if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering the ďŹ rm. This is, of course, but a small selection of the brands and companies appearing at Cycle Show 2014. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be covering some of the remainder in our October issue, so if you missed out this month and want to be included next time around, email us at BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk

CYCLE SHOW EXHIBITORS LIST 2014 L28 H141 K13 J145 L67 M21 J45 J42 K130 F45 A70 J71 K190 G61 C35 B57 F37 H101 A15 H125

1partCarbon A2B Academy Eyewear ACT (Trade Day only) Active Traveller Aftershokz Sport Headphones Aguesport Alpine Cadence ANSMANN UK LTD. Arc Carbon Wheels AshďŹ eld Special Needs Ltd ATB Sales Batribike BBB Beaconfell & Protool Cycleworks Beet It Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain Bianchi Bicicielo Bicisupport Srl

36 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

M20 J36 J144 N16 M33 L82 M71 H133 N25 L69 H151 M27 C73 F3 K145 D1 G111 F71 D21 M34 L47

Bike Lights UK Bike Register BikeBiz Magazine (Trade Day only) Bikeklox BiKLOX LLP Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Bob Elliot & Co Body Geometry Fit Bosal British Cycling Brunton - Rosker Ltd Buhel UK Bushnell Performance Optics BWT Ltd BYOCYCLES LTD C Originals Ltd Campagnolo Cherry Marketing Institute Chicken Cycle Kit Chilli Technology Cicerone

P24 J147 H81 G101 C67 A25,A31 G31 J146 J34 B54 F81 M35 N17 K73 L33 D77 H81 M72 D67

Cicla Citrus-Lime Ltd (Trade Day only) Colnago Condor Cycles Ltd CTC Cube Bikes Custom Performance Kit Ltd Cycle Show (Wales) Ltd (Trade Day only) Cycle Works Ltd Cyclescheme Cyclesure from Butterworth Spengler CycleWiz Ltd Cycling Buddy Cycling Costa Daurada Cycling World Cyclist Dainese / Marzocchi / Transition Dare 2b Dassi

D23 D24 L31 H11 B41 A55 G41 H131 L17 L57 K166 K150 K22 F63 J140 L73 K72 G91 A51 M15 J32

Datatag ID Ltd Deda Elementi Diamond Back DMR Doom Bar Dynamic Bicycles Early Rider Limited EBC Ltd EDZ layering Electra Electric Bicycle Company Electric Bike Magazine Equisafety Ltd EuroRaxx Evopos UK Ltd (Trade Day only) Exodus Travels Ltd Explore! Extra UK Ltd Extreme-Eyewear Ltd Fat Lad At The Back Fibrax Limited

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CYCLE SHOW 2014

SHOW PREVIEW

CYCLE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: TRADE DAY: A number of stands will be available to visit for one day only, including ACT, Citrus-Lime, Cycle Show Wales, EVOPOS, Kettler, Northern Flags, Nutrition Works, The Hooky, Vaude and (ahem) BikeBiz.

THE STAGE: not just for consumers, the stage will also play host to numerous tradefocused seminars, including one from Bikesoup, hosted in partnership with ACT.

B51 ﬁreﬂy™ Sports Recovery K61 Fisher Outdoor Leisure Ltd J31 Four4th H61 FSA J121 & J131 & K142 FWG Freego Wisper Group G71 Gear Club Ltd M30 Get in Gear Ltd N13 Ginger & French Ltd F5 Golden Eagle Enterprises K71 Green Jersey Cycling Tours F39 Greenover Ltd F7 Grit.cx L84 Gwynedd Council - Visit Snowdonia D11 Halfords Ltd K26 Halo Headband C1 HardnutZ L81 Headwater B52 Help for Heroes Trading N26 Henty G31 Hersh Bike srl B32 High 5 G42 Hope Technology

L12 B21 B31 M32 G154 H15 P14 F49 L83 M31 G73 K25 J155 D13 G21 C2 H121 N23 L15 F48 G143 K140 C11

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i-ride i-ride - De Rosa i-ride - Orro Icetagg Ltd Immediate Media Impact Cycle Trading Ltd Intrepid Apparel Ltd Italy Cycling Holidays Jet2holidays Jura Cycle Clothing KALAS WEAR LTD. Keela International Ltd KETTLER (GB) Ltd (Trade Day only) Kiddimoto Kinesis Kool-Stop Europe BV KTM Bike Industries Lightrider Lucas Bike Lights Lusso Sportswear Lyon Equipment Ltd Madhog Madison - GoPro, Garmin and Lazer

TRADE FACE-OFF: An industry cyclocross race will take place on the 28th, raising money for Wings for Life, the spinal cord injury charity that Martyn Ashton is raising money for.

B11 L11 L65 K123 A41 K200 N10 J151

Madison - Shimano, PRO and Elite Magicshine UK Malta Tourism Authority Momentum Electric Limited Moore Large/Todays Cyclist Moustache BIkes Northern Albion Northern Flags Ltd (Trade Day only) B56 Nurishment Active J143 Nutrition Works (Trade Day only) D65 Nuun H97 O’Neal / Azonic / DIRTY /San Marco G51 Onda G131 Bioracer J38 Optimum Cycling World Champs Cafe Ordnance Survey H51 Paligap Ltd - Marin Bikes A56 PediBal Limited K230 Peugeot Cycles M14 Piga Cycling J49 PitBitz Ltd H12 Pivot / X-Fusion

FRAMEBUILDING EXPO: If live brazing and framebuilding demos ﬂoat your boat, get yourself to the Expo, hosted by Prestige Cycles and The Bicycle Academy.

P28 K154 K121 D61 G150 K76 H154 H91 M18 L63 B55 A77 M22 D41 D51 D29 C71 J33 H41 F79 K74 P20 K51 M36

Plain Lazy Powabyke UK Ltd Powacycle PowerBar Pragmasis Ltd Premiere Velo Prestige Primal Europe Ltd Pro Vision Cycle Clothing Ltd Protect Your Bubble Pulsin Quest 88 Rackshack.co.uk Raleigh UK Ltd Raleigh UK Ltd Raleigh UK Ltd RAM Mount UK Rearviz Pty Ltd Reece Cycles Plc. Reid Bikes Rendezvous Hotel Ride UK BMX Magazine Rock Machine Bikes Rockets

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 37

CYCLE SHOW 2014

SHOW PREVIEW

SHOW CHECKLIST

1. QUIRKY BRANDS 2. BIG BRANDS 3. BRANDS YOU’VE NOT HEARD OF (YET) 4. BRANDS EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF

5. INNOVATIVE BRANDS 6. BRANDS YOU ALREADY STOCK 7. E-BIKES BRANDS 8. AWARD WINNING BRANDS

CYCLE SHOW EXHIBITORS LIST 2014 K220 D17 J37 F77 K127 G152 A7 A21 D5 K24 C61 J43 D84 G115 B53 D79 L71 D25 H95 K155 C59

Roodog Ltd Rose Bikes Roswheel UK Rouleur Magazine Royal Dutch Gazelle RSPB Rubena Tyres Rudy Project/Giordana SALICE SAM Wear Scimitar Sports SeaSucker Selev Helmets Selle Italia srl Shok-Box Sicleri Silent Wolf Silverﬁsh SiS (Science In Sport) Ltd smart Birmingham SMP 4 Bike - Dillglove

38 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

G33 P26 F35 N15 F1

So Cycle Sorrymate.com Spitﬁre UK Distribution Ltd Sportif Magazine St John Ambulance Cycle Response Unit G121 Starley Bikes P16 StayStrong A52 Stebles Bikes H27 Stique G125 Storck Bicycle UK G151 & G35 SUB-4 Health & Wellbeing Centre F67 Success Cycling Ltd C65 Sure Clinic A53 SURE SPORTS D85 Surf & Turf L41 Sustrans J111 Tannus Tyres L16 TCL Sports C70 Tenn Outdoors G153 The Bike Bag

L45 J150 D81 C21 C51 D63 J61,J51 C77 G140 A57 G32 G147 J153 A54 F69 J41 G40 C63 D22 H21 L55

The Bike List The Hooky (Trade Day only) The Sock Mine Moore Large/Todays Cyclist Torq Ltd Tour Rides Trek Trillion Cycles Ultimate Sports Engineering Ltd Universal Cycles Ltd Valke Ltd Van Nicholas Vaude (UK) Ltd (Trade Day only) Veglo Velosure Velotec Limited Velotech Services - Rotor Visualsoft Vittoria SpA Vitus Vulpine

H31 H25 L77 D71 H155 A11 K14 G45

Wattbike Limited Westfalia - Automotive Woodland Trust Wosskow Brown Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance Yellow Ltd Zero 50 Retail Ltd ZipVit

BIKEBIZ.COM

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 39

Only the D lock has passed the Sold Secure test.

Secured by Design Master Lock® has successfully achieved accreditation with the Association of Chief Police Officers’ ﬂagship project for reducing crime, Secured by Design. For further information visit: www.masterlock.eu and www.securedbydesign.com facebook.com/masterlockuk twitter.com/masterlockuk

Speak to your Fisher Account Manager or phone Telesales onUK 01727 Distributed in the by 798345 Visit Fisher b2b.fisheroutdoor.co.uk Outdoor Leisure www.ﬁsheroutdoor.co.uk

BIKESOUP

‘Combine and compete online’ Bikesoup ‘s proposition has taken a while to sink in for some, but it seems the online marketplace, not dissimilar to the likes of Rightmove and Autrotrader, is gathering momentum. Jonathon Harker asks Bikesoup founder Antony Auty if this really is a chance for IBDs to level the internet-shaped playing ﬁeld…

FOR THOSE unaware of Bikesoup, can you give us an explanation of what the site offers? Bikesoup is a cycling specific marketplace which caters for both the independent dealer network and private sellers too. Every bike shop in the UK now has a searchable shop profile on the Bikesoup Store Finder and for an additional subscription the dealer can list an unlimited number of bikes for sale. The upload process is very simple as we have data for every bike from over 70 manufacturers stored in the website. Currently over 3,200 bikes from 2014 with the new 2015 bikes going up on the site now. You founded Bikesoup a few years ago now, has the Bikesoup offering changed in that time? We now have a number of key tools on the site that direct site visitors to dealer adverts on the site, like the Store Finder, Cyclopedia and the Magazine. We’re mobile and tablet friendly with 50 per cent of our traffic coming through touch screen devices. Since we got a significant investment in Bikesoup late last year we have been able to complete the website build to the specification required for today’s online users and optimise our SEO so that dealer adverts are easily visible through organic Google searches. We think that launching ‘Click & Collect’ and

BIKEBIZ.COM

‘Click & Reserve’ for every dealer in the UK will deliver signiﬁcant returns, both in trafﬁc to store and in direct sales, especially for shops who struggle to get visibility on Google.

start listing on Google Shopping too.

Tell us more about Click & Collect – how is this driving footfall? We believe it will be a very strong driver of new customers into the bricks and mortar shops but that the measure of its success shouldn’t be only in direct sales through ‘Click & Collect’. Our research suggests that ‘Click & Reserve’ will be a much stronger selling tool as the bike

Does Bikesoup really level the playing ﬁeld for IBDs, potentially? We can genuinely deliver a much more consistent and equal ﬂow of customers based on dealer territory, rather than what is happening at present, in which online search results are dominated by about 10 or 12 dealers – single unit or multiples. If the industry, brands and dealers, fully engages with Bikesoup we can make life much easier for the dealers by increasing revenue and more satisfying for the consumer because

“Paid ActSmart subscribers enjoy a discount on packages.” Antony Auty, Bikesoup buying public is, generally, more reluctant to commit to purchase a bike online, but are more comfortable buying in store. What’s the potential for Bikesoup? Many of our bike listings exceed over 100 page views per month and we expect that trafﬁc ﬁgure to keep increasing as more people get to hear about Bikesoup and our search engine visibility gets even better. Once we have enough sign up, we’ll

everything is in one place. Very soon we’ll be releasing our Store Finder database populated with all of the top cycling brands to other publishers, so that product reviews can direct readers directly into their local retailer, rather than straight back to Google. Are you still working with the ACT and are there still discounts available to ACT members? Yes, we’ve been working directly with the ACT since we launched in 2010

and they remain a very important partner of Bikesoup. We’ll be starting to promote their retail products – RideItAway finance & Fetch insurance – to Bikesoup users very shortly. All paid ActSmart subscribers – Silver, Gold & Platinum – enjoy a 17 per cent discount on all Bikesoup packages. What is the pricing structure for bike shops? Our full e-commerce platform with ‘Click & Collect’ is available with ‘The Awesome Plan’ and includes unlimited adverts from £25/month. ‘The Deluxe Plan’ which includes an enhanced dealer page with extra features and shop image gallery is available from £10/month. All subscribers will enjoy a no quibble 30-Day free trial. What is next for Bikesoup? The next major upgrade will be integrating with EPOS providers so that shop stock is automatically listed on Bikesoup and removed when the product is sold. By the end of September we will have launched analytics and traffic reporting for dealers so that they can identify which bikes are generating the most traffic. Of course, the Bikesoup website is being developed to improve the user experience for both buyer and seller. See us at The Cycle Show where we’ll be doing a trade presentation on Thursday 25th September at 3pm.

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 41

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GO-RIDE

Levy-supported Go-Ride to take 300 kids to Tour of Britain Thanks to support from the Bike Hub levy fund 300 young cyclists will have the opportunity to emulate their cycling heroes during the Tour of Britain. There are now over 300 Go-Ride clubs

“We look forward to seeing the crowds lining the streets cheering on our future stars.”

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BRITISH CYCLING’S Go-Ride programme is giving young people the chance to ride on the Tour of Britain course, as the penultimate activity on the ﬁnish straight before the elite race arrives. Teams of riders from Go-Ride Clubs and local schools involved in the Go-Ride programme have been invited to take part in the opportunity, with young people aged under 16 getting the chance to experience the thrill of racing in front of the crowds. Go-Ride has been sponsored by Bike Hub since February 2014. The Go-Ride activity will take place on eight stage ﬁnishes. Joe Fisher, who was involved with the Skoda caravan at the UK stages of the Tour de France, will provide

commentary on the day to add to the excitement. British Cycling’s director of coaching, education and development John Mills, said: “This year has been an incredible time for cycling in the UK, with the ﬁrst Women’s Tour of Britain, the Tour de France visiting our shores and most recently the Commonwealth Games. The Tour of Britain is now offering another chance to watch elite cycle racing live. “Once again, this is an opportunity to inspire the next generation of cyclists and we hope the young people will enjoy playing a special part in the event. We look forward to seeing the crowds lining the streets once more and cheering on our future stars.”

Go-Ride is British Cycling’s youth development programme, with a network of 300 Go-Ride Clubs across the country providing entrylevel coaching and competition for young people. The programme provides the first step on the ‘Performance Pathway’, with over 60 per cent of riders on the Great Britain Cycling Team having progressed from the GoRide Clubs. Starting on Sunday September 7th in Liverpool, the eight stage Tour of Britain road race will this year travel to various locations in England and Wales, including a summit finish on The Tumble in Wales and a time-trial finale in the City of London. britishcycling.org.uk

BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 43

RECON INSTRUMENTS

SECOND SIGHT Recon Instrument’s futuristic ‘direct to eye’ ride technology raises the wearable tech sector to new heights in the bike world. Mark Sutton speaks with Recon Instruments CEO Dan Eisenhardt…

TELL US about the Recon story, where did the idea come from? Dan co-founded Recon Instruments in 2008 and has been CEO since day one. Having swum competitively at an international level, both in his native Denmark and in the United States, his athletic background was a key inspiration for founding the company. One of the big problems in swimming is that you are totally cut off from any information, save for the pace clock that you can glance at every 50 metres or so. Dan’s a data junky so this was a real problem for him on a very personal level and it was with this in mind that Dan first got the idea for a swim goggle Heads-up Display (HUD). There were challenges associated with executing the swim goggle HUD (form factor constraints at the time, waterproofing challenges and cost) so along with his fellow co-founders they switched their sights to the snow-sports market and built the first consumer heads-up display in the world. We’re now well north of 50,000 units shipped and have partnerships with the likes of Oakley and Apple. So what performance data can be relayed back to the rider? Recon Jet is a flexible computing platform that delivers all the processing power of a modern smartphone.

44 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

It comes loaded with software customised for cyclists. The key “7 deadly metrics” Jet delivers are speed, distance, time, vertical, heart rate, power and cadence. Some of these are generated, of course, by HR sensors, power strain gauges and cadence sensors, communicated to the smartglass via Jet’s ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart protocols.

Recon has beneﬁted most notably from the emergence and scale of mobile/smart phone technology. The entire suite of capabilities, driven by the smartphone industry, has made possible the miniaturisation of sensors, huge leaps forward in CPU processing speed, dramatic improvements in battery performance and advances in measurement accuracy of GPS.

It’s not just ride data that can be relayed – mobile messages, the weather and more too? You can also see the caller ID and messages in the display. This is a major safety beneﬁt; we’ve all seen riders reach for their phones in their jersey pockets to check a message or answer a call, which is super unsafe. Jet also has a HD video camera, which is incredibly convenient for grabbing quick photos and video.

What developments could we theoretically expect in future? On the software side, Jet is built on an open platform with an open web API and SDK. This enables app developers to build new apps and address new use cases where hands-free, instantly accessible information would be useful. We’ll be nurturing the development of the app ecosystem as a core initiative.

And it’s Ant+, Bluetooth and Wiﬁ linkable too, so compatible with most heart rate monitors around? Deﬁnitely. Third-party sensors like power meters, heart rate monitors, and speed & cadence sensors can connect to Recon Jet via ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low Energy). What advances made it possible to get so much tech into a small space?

Do you foresee a day when the retail price could come down to make the tech more accessible to all? Yes, for sure. As volumes rise, costs will drop. But, even today at 579.99 BPS, Jet is actually a very competitive product when you think about it. The eyewear alone is on par with $200 offerings from established brands. Combine that with a very high-end computer, sensor suite, HD camera and display and the price starts looking more than reasonable.

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The Jet is just 60 grams, all in

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SHOW PREVIEW

OUTDOOR PREVIEW The Outdoor Trade Show at Stoneleigh Park, one of the key bike/outdoor crossover events on the calendar, is almost upon us. Jonathon Harker speaks with organiser Alasdair Scobbie…

Stoneleigh Park hosts the OTS

FROM YOUR perspective, how is the outdoor business faring so far in 2014? We visited the European show, OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in July (the same venue as Eurobike) and you can normally get an indication how the trade is doing – that show was vibrant, suppliers seemed pleased with current business and attendance was slightly up on the previous year. Of course that is a European perspective – here in the UK everyone looks for an excuse for poor trading and blames the weather especially! Good weather doesn’t suit everyone but it’s great to get people outdoors and enjoying camping trips and outdoor pursuits. The waterproof and protective outerwear suppliers would of course prefer it was wet but you can’t have it all and so far this summer we have experienced some balanced weather conditions. 46 BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER

In general, exhibitors that we have talking to seem fairly conﬁdent about the state of their businesses but of course the outdoor retail market is largely dominated by the large chains and they seem to be getting larger with even more consolidation and sadly we are continuing to lose the smaller

an earlier commitment, but we did have an early bird incentive to book and get a reduced space rate. Perhaps more exhibitors decided to take advantage of that offer this year. Bookings tend to slow down after that cut-off date, although we did extend an offer to members of the

“Stoneleigh is cost effective, as well as having great wheelchair access. That was important for our exhibitors.” independents as they simply cannot compete. Exhibition space has sold quicker this year (the 100 exhibitor milestone was hit in May) – can you put your ﬁnger on why that is, exactly? Perhaps that suggests a bit of conﬁdence in the market to make

Outdoor Industries Association and maintained the special rate if booked by a certain date. I think also that exhibitors are very often keen to secure the same stand location within the halls year-on-year and by making an early commitment to exhibit, they have ﬁrst option to keep the same stand space.

You’ve been set at Stoneleigh for a number of years now – what are the beneﬁts of the location? We launched the show in 2006 at Stoneleigh after researching other venues. As we had been running a show for tent suppliers for a number of years at Stoneleigh we were familiar with the venue, the facilities and the staff and it just seemed to offer the best of both worlds with good quality exhibition hall space and outside grass areas for the display of tents and caravan awnings. We also wanted a location in the centre of the country, hence the Midlands was ideal. Stoneleigh has other beneﬁts as well – it is cost effective (and that was important for our exhibitors), with very easy access for buildup and breakdown. The towns of Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick are on the doorstep so there is plenty of accommodation nearby and the motorway and rail BIKEBIZ.COM

SHOW PREVIEW

PRODUCT PICK: The Outdoor Trade Show is pitched as a great opportunity for retail buyers interested in crossing over into other markets due to the wealth of accessory products on display, being showcased by the main outdoor suppliers.

2 5

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THE OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW RUNS SEPTEMBER 9TH TO 11TH AT STONELEIGH PARK EXHIBITION CENTRE, CV8 2LG WWW.OUTDOORTRADESHOW.COM a cyclist myself and every year you can just see the selection of available products that would sit nicely within a cycling store. Perhaps not too much available for the traditional road cycling market but if you think of the recreational, touring, hybrid, mountain and commuting markets there’s lots on offer. There is such

networks make it relatively straight forward to get there. It just ticked all the boxes and the show is now entering its ninth year! Is the cycle element of the show getting bigger? I think the show presents an ideal opportunity for savvy retailers to come and have a look and see what products might ﬁt wither existing product offering. I’m BIKEBIZ.COM

1. SUGRU The small London-based team behind the self setting rubber, Sugru, will be inviting their resident ‘sugru guru’. Stand Number: 74, sugru.com 2. HANDLEBAND The Handleband can be positioned where wanted, allowing for full functionality of the smartphone while it is in place. Stand Number: 66 3. COMMUTE COMPLETE Silva’s range of multi-sport lamps and visibility clothing will feature heavily at OTS. Stand Number: 28 www.silva.se 4. KELTY’S CAPTURE 25 SMG Outdoor brings Kelty to the outdoor market (as well as F-lite, Wenzel and Sierra Designs). Stand Number: 337 5. MINI FLOODLIGHT Find out how devices featuring COB LEDs offer several beneﬁts over standard LED devices at Stand Number: 39

encourage retailers to come and have a look and for suppliers to visit and see if they feel that there is an opportunity to tap into that wider market. How can retailers get the best out of OTS 2014? I would suggest that they do their homework in and advance and

“Many exhibitors will have ordering incentives at the show, so it could be a great opportunity to earn discounts... ” a cross over between outdoor / camping and cycling and at the show you can ﬁnd anything from hydration systems, GPS, socks, insoles, base layers and protective outerwear to bike lights, stoves and lightweight tents and a plethora of everyday gadgets such as torches and knives. I would

plan their time effectively – have a look at the website at www. outdoortradeshow.com and identify the exhibitors that they want to go and visit (there are web links to each exhibitor). Make sure they visit the brands that they want to see but also allow time to wander around and identify that

‘must have’ new product – to gain that competitive advantage. Also many exhibitors will have ordering incentives at the show – this could be a great opportunity to obtain a discount on forward orders. Any ﬁnal thoughts on OTS? It will be ten years of OTS next year and whilst we recognise that the trade has different requirements and the retail landscape is changing, we are in a position to remain ﬂexible with things like timing but need to appeal to the majority and match the needs of retailers and suppliers. We also still have space to grow and would be interested to hear from suppliers that might for example want to develop a cycle trade section within the show. There seems to be such a cross over with elements of the outdoor trade it would be good to capitalise on this. BIKEBIZ SEPTEMBER 47

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