“Bicycle design” by Mike Burrows is a classic how-to book on – you guessed it – the design of bicycles, and it’s had updates via new editions (it’s up to the fifth edition), but until now there hasn’t been a book on Burrows himself, and on all of the many bikes he’s designed over the years. Until now, that is. “From Bicycle to Superbike” is written by cycle historian Tony Hadland, with input from Burrows.

With a foreword by Chris Boardman – boy, does Chris get around – “From Bicycle to Superbike” is a bicycle-biography, a full-colour, fact-packed look back at some of Burrows’ iconic machines. In some ways Burrows could be given a lot of the credit for Team GB’s recent Olympic successes because it was his Lotus superbike that Boardman used to win Olympic gold – the first for Britain in 72 years – at Barcelona in 1992, and which kick-started Britain’s renaissance as a fast-cycling nation. In his foreword Boardman says Burrows is “the godfather of modern bicycle aerodynamics”, and writes about how he was way ahead of his time. (He still is.)

But, of course, Burrows is responsible for more than “just” the Lotus super bike; he also developed – in 1994, for Giant – the Compact Road Bike, the design of which was soon nicked by every road bike company in the world. Today’s road bikes all tend to be based on this 1994 design (and, thanks to its economies of sizes, helped bike companies make more money).

Hadland’s book also has lots on Burrows’ other passion – human-powered vehicles, specifically the low-slung recumbent trike. And also featured in the book is Burrows “shopping” bikes, starting with the Amsterdam in 1989. This was was later developed into the Paris, a (sadly rejected) project by Giant, and has now been developed into the Gordon, a Pinion-gearbox-equipped city bike that Burrows says could be mass-produced in China and could be a highly-practical yet technologically advanced “bicycle for the people”.

Stuart Dennison, proprietor of Bikefix in London, writes in the book:

“To break free from the norm requires some imagination, a critical mind and some stubbornness. It helps if you like to question accepted conventions and are not afraid of a few failures. These are characteristics that Mike Burrows has in bucket-loads. My favourite quote: “That’s a really stupid idea, I know because I tried it.””

If you’ve got “Bicycle Design” you’ll want this book. If you haven't got “Bicycle Design” you’ll still want this book. Because of Hadland’s eye for detail it’s not as idiosyncratic as “Bicycle Design”, but has tons of insider trade information that industry types will lap up.

===

“From Bicycle to Superbike” costs £25 and is available from Hadland Books. For shops wishing to stock the book trade discounts are available.

In an industry of such diversity, a product catering to those who are unable to use a traditional bicycle is nothing to sniff at. It’s a side of the market that in the last ten years has remained sorely underdeveloped, but a small collection of companies are now working to change the way that disabled people ride.

Alternatives to conventional bicycles aren’t a new notion in this industry, but for many, the issue came to the attention of the public when beloved cycling icon Sheldon Brown, due to health issues, became unable to use a traditional upright bicycle. Images of a cheerful Brown riding his Greenspeed GT3 recumbent tricycle made their ways from his blogs into all four corners of the internet, evidencing that physical ailments need not be a damning sentence for cyclists.

In the same vein, ElliptiGO sees the benefit of its unique elliptical bikes to those with mobility problems as just one of many reasons that customers are so enthusiastic about the units. Six years after founder Bryan Pate conceived the idea, ElliptiGO is going from strength to strength.

With a new product in the public eye, their annual profit margin is teetering on the 50 per cent mark. We caught up with sales manager Chuck Day to talk about the brand.

The concept for the bike was conceived in 2005. When ex-marine and Ironman triathlete Bryan Pate suffered an acute medical condition, he lost the ability to pursue his primary source of exercise – running. A vexed Pate turned to the fitness industry to find an alternative source of training, and was shocked to discover that nothing existed which came anywhere close to simulating running. “In his mid-thirties, Bryan had issues with his knee, due to a degenerative condition; he was doing a lot of training on an indoor elliptical and suddenly had the bright idea to bring it outside,” recalls Day.

Pate realised that the answer to his issue would involve a fusion of a running-like motion with the speed and health benefits of cycling. Knowing that the project would require a mechanical engineer, he turned to co-founder and friend Brent Teal. The two set about building the original design for what would become the first ElliptiGO bike, at the time known as Alfa, and in mid-2006, the first prototype materialised.

Both Pate and Teal were delighted to find that the new bike went above and beyond in exceeding their expectations. Pate, who until this point had found outdoor exercise tremendously problematic, rode the ElliptiGO for over 20 miles on the very day that its construction was completed.

“It’s massively useful for those with conditions that don’t allow them to ride a conventional bike,” Day explains. “There’s no seat, so if the user has prostate issues or back issues that make sitting uncomfortable, the bike puts them in a natural position. For a lot of people this is a necessity, not an accessory. This becomes their fitness tool.”

The bike went through various minor design changes, cycling from Alfa through to second model Charlie, and onto the new bike that is now on the market. Despite these tweaks, little has changed since the prototype took shape, says Day: “The product we’re selling today is essentially the same design as the original bike. We wanted to take the idea of an elliptical and make it mobile by putting it on wheels.” The ElliptiGO first went into production in 2010, and the company has continued to gain traction successfully year upon year. “We’re up 50 per cent over last year, and we’re growing fast at the moment, internationally too. We distribute completely independently all over Europe, East Asia and Australia.”

Despite the positive reaction from the community, the applications of the ElliptiGO have caught eyes far beyond the realms of disabled cycling. The model has also attracted the attention of the running world, presenting a far more endurance-heavy, and therefore shorter, training session for amateurs and professionals alike. “In the States’ running world, this is becoming the tool of choice,” Day tells us. “Professional running organisations like the Nike team and Division One college state running programmes are using the ElliptiGO to train athletes.”

Another unexpected reaction to the release of the ElliptiGO has been the use of the bikes in races and long-distance endurance rides. This user-generated subculture of riders sprung out of one of Pate and Teal’s first demonstrations of the bike. The duo rode over 129 miles over three mountain passes, including more than 15,000 feet of climbing roads, and successfully completed the race well within the time limits. They commented that the completion of the race, “The Death Ride”, was the validation the bike needed to be taken seriously, and that people have been completing similar rides ever since.

“A guy came to the States and rode 6000 miles on an ElliptiGO,” says Day. “It took him 90 days and he averaged well over 100 miles a day. Last year we had nine people complete the Paris-Brest-Paris race PBP); six of the nine people who attempted it made it all the way, and everyone gave it an amazing go."

So what does the future hold for the brand? In acknowledgement of the fact that the original model may be challenging for those with limited storage space, or who are short in stature, the Arc hit the shelves earlier this year. The small, lightweight model – the whole unit weighs just 37 pounds – is receiving positive reviews. “We wanted something that was nimble, more agile, and easy to control. It’s a completely different feel: the motion on the Arc is more compact and it’s perfect for those with short strides.” The new bike will no doubt keep the company busy over the next year, but beyond that? Day is staying tight-lipped. “I really can’t say too much, but there are some very interesting things in
the works.”

The Cycling UK initiative, which was started to encourage more people to cycle, has hosted over 500 events in Scotland.

After an introduction in mid-September, the award-winning programme developed by Cycling UK has been encouraging the use of bikes in Scotland by offering free mechanic sessions, bike safety checks, confidence building classes, led rides, route planning and more.

81 community groups, businesses and charities across the country are currently partnered with The Big Bike Revival, working with many local authorities in the process. Activities have taken place in areas such as Lerwick, Kirkcudbright, Stornoway and Aberdeen.

“The last six weeks of The Big Bike Revival have been amazing. We’ve seen thousands of people attend our events across the length and breadth of Scotland. We've been delighted at the positive feedback and comments from those who have dusted their bikes down and decided to get back in the saddle.

“We’ve worked with a wide range of people to encourage them to get riding, including people with disabilities, those that haven’t cycled for decades, families, members of BME communities and older people. The organisations involved have also seen great benefits from working on The Big Bike Revival, including reaching out to new people, fostering relationships locally and offering cycling activities for the first time. We’re looking forward to building on this success and momentum with community club provisions,” said Shona Morris, Big Bike Revival project manager.

Around two-thirds of journeys in Scotland under five kilometres are currently travelled by car. The Scottish government has publicly announced a plan to increase everyday cycling journeys by ten per cent, with a view to having this implemented by 2020.

Now the milestone has passed, The Big Bike Revival is aiming to support people through the next stage of the cycling calendar, with the winter months targeted as a time in which bike usage decreases. 50 cycling clubs will be developed and supported across Scotland to provide people with ongoing cycling opportunities and activities.

The newly-developed clubs will be supported by five Cycling UK development officers and will include family cycling, confidence and fitness, and all-ability cycling groups. Ride leader training, first-aid sessions and basic mechanic classes will be implemented to help clubs with sustainability.

Humza Yousaf, minister for transport and the islands, commented: “The Scottish Government is delighted to be funding this initiative and to be working with Cycling UK in helping to get old bikes back into use.  With 35 per cent of the population having access to at least one bike, cycling should be a more visible activity, and hopefully The Big Bike Revival will make that happen.”

BikeBiz, the market leading cycling trade publication, has officially completed the move from the tranquil settings of rural Hertfordshire to the heart of the capital.

Following the consolidation of our parent company Newbay Media into new premises, BikeBiz is now located in Southwark, Central London.

As always, we love hearing from our readers, and we're always keen to know what you have to say. Our address may have changed, but BikeBiz remains the same publication you know and love.

For editorial inquiries, contact either Kieran or Hayley on khowells@nbmedia.com or hferguson@nbmedia.com, for advertising or sponsorship inquiries, contact Richard on rsetters@nbmedia.com.

For product samples and post, our new address is:

The Emerson Building

4th Floor

4-8 Emerson Street

London

SE1 9DU

You're also welcome to speak to the BikeBiz team on: 02073546018

Former Dobbies Garden Centre MD Andy King has become the CEO at Evans Cycles. Prior to Dobbies King was the CEO of Notcutts Garden Centres; earlier he was global marketing director at The Body Shop and Mothercare.

He replaces Nick Wilkinson who left the company earlier this year.

King said: “I’m a keen cyclist and can honestly say I have long wanted to work at Evans Cycles, so taking the job was an easy decision for me. I’m a big fan of the company and its aim to be at the heart of UK cycling as both a retailer and a supporter of grassroots cycling. 

"I am looking forward to getting to know the business and its colleagues across the UK."

George Moss, partner at ECI Partners, who invested in Evans Cycles in May 2015, said: “Andy brings great knowledge and experience from a career in specialist retail, and we are looking forward to working with him through this next period of growth.”

Mike Tomkins, Chairman at Evans Cycles, said: “With Andy's marketing background and focus on customer service and experience, he’s just the man to help the company take the next steps forward.

He added: “Evans Cycles is at an exciting stage in the company’s development right now. We’ve seen consistently strong trading since July, especially in the bike category. Our B2B business continues to perform strongly and gain market share in the various employee tax free schemes and our new FWE winter clothing and accessories range has been well received by our customers.

"Our investment in e-commerce is also paying off with our new web platform launched in the spring performing well and strong sales growth through mobile devices. On top of this, Evans Cycles continues to grow its high street presence, with new store openings continuing in 2017.”

Evans Cycles was founded in 1921. The company has 60 stores nationwide.

In June 1995 MBUK gave away a cover-mounted video called “Dirt”. This short but influential film starred Jason McRoy, who would tragically die in a motorbike crash just two months later. The surf-style film was shot by Pete Tomkins at his house overlooking Robin’s Hood Bay in Yorkshire. This house was bought with the help of a slither of injection-moulded black plastic, the iconic Crud Catcher.

“Mr Crud” still lives in this house. In his studio-come-mancave, Tomkins stores memorabilia such as a framed double-page spread from the “Dirt” issue of MBUK, and an advertising sign for the pre-Crud “Peter the Painter” business.

“When I started Crud, I thought the best case scenario would be that I’d only have to decorate three days a week,” remembered Tomkins. “I never set out to make a fortune.”

He started Crud Products in 1991. The manufacturing is still done within thirty miles of Chez Tomkins.

“I’ve never been to the Far East,” said Tomkins. "I’ve got no interest in going there. The tooling and the injection-moulding is done in Pickering.”

He employs five P&P staff in a hamlet outside Loftus, near Guisborough. “I rarely need to visit; it all runs itself,” said Tomkins.

His firm has an annual turnover of nearly £1.5m. Tomkins doesn’t do much to promote it: the recent stand at Birmingham's Cycle Show was Crud’s only second full-on expo. Tomkins attended to promote his latest product, the Mk3 Road Racer mudguard set for road bikes.

“It’s probably going to be my last product,” Tomkins stated, wistfully. “It was a lot of hard work; lots of sleepless nights.”

The Mk3 is a complete redesign over the Mk2, and is attached not with zipties or bolts but with Duotec: Velcro on steroids.

“I saw it at a fastenings show, and knew I had to design a product to use it.”

The plastic guards – CAD-designed by his son, Jamie – are attached with Duotec strips attached to the inside of the seat-stays. The guards float, “but they’re rock solid,” enthused Tomkins.

The Crud Catcher might have been the kick-off for the business but it was the Crud Claw in 1992 and then the DCD in 1993 which really mainstreamed the business. Both were products of their time: the Crud Claw prevented a build-up of mud on rear blocks, and the DCD – or Dave’s Chain Device – was one of the first DH-specific products, a pressed-aluminium clamp housing a roller to prevent shipping of bouncing chains.

Crud benefitted from a lot of media exposure, and here’s how: during the start-up years Tomkins paid riders for product placements.

“There was a gang of riders back in the day that all the mag readers knew really well: people like Jason [McRoy], Martyn Ashton, and Rob Warner. I said to them if you get a front cover with a Crud sticker showing I’ll give you £1000. Every semi-professional rider in the country was hot for that – they all ran Crud Catchers just in case they got photographed.

“I never sponsored any riders – but I supported them.”

This results-based system was in response to the time when Tomkins had been a sponsored rider himself: he rode for Dawes in the 1980s. “We got bikes, we got our travel paid, we got a really good deal.”

It didn’t do Dawes much good. “My race results weren’t brilliant,” admitted Tomkins.

A Londoner by birth he lived in Brighton in the 1980s, and became a surfer, a sport he still enjoys. Never one for crowds, he moved with his wife and two small children to the North York Moors in 1986. He made a living painting houses, but by 1990 the decorating work was drying up. “I figured I needed to do something else to make money. I had two ideas: repair surf-leashes or make the Crud Catcher.

“After we’d sold our house in Brighton we had a nest-egg of £2500. I started looking into the mudguard thing early in 1991. I had no background in manufacturing or sales. I figured mountain bikers would buy a splashguard; people had been making them out of plastic bottles for years.”

He paid £250 for a drawing of the tool required, and £2000 for the manufactured tool. He also paid for the production of 2000 Crud Catchers. “They cost 20 pence each, the shrink wrapping cost a bit more, and then I sold them for eight quid.”

He sent one from the first batch to MBUK, which gave it a glowing review.

“I also paid for a half-page ad – in the first week there were all these eight quids arriving in the post. After a month, shops started asking for ten at a time. Then Michael Elson Marketing rang up and said he wanted two thousand. At £3 each. £6000!

"As a decorator I used to earn ten grand a year. In just three months we had turned over fourteen grand, and the profit was something like 60 percent. I stood back: either I could take the money and run, or I could reinvest and redesign the product. A new tool would be six grand, which would eat almost all of the profit. I did it: it was the right move, the Crud Guard Mk 2 was the product that really sold shit-loads!”

But Tomkins stressed: “I’ve never pushed for growth; I’ve just done my own thing.”

This own thing includes “not working,” he said.

“I don’t really have a day job. I go paddleboard surfing, I cycle a bit, I play with the grandkids a lot; I look after the horses.”

As we left for my lift back to the station, two mountain-bikers ambled past, black plastic mudguards to the rear. “Yours?” I asked. “Yes,” replied Tomkins. “I didn’t stage that, honest.”

Lots of cyclists ride with Mr. Crud’s products, and after seeing the sleek and clever Mk3 Road Racer guards in Tomkins’ house-HQ I predict an awful lot more will be riding with them in the future.

“Bicycle design” by Mike Burrows is a classic how-to book on – you guessed it – the design of bicycles, and it’s had updates via new editions (it’s up to the fifth edition), but until now there hasn’t been a book on Burrows himself, and on all of the many bikes he’s designed over the years. Until now, that is. “From Bicycle to Superbike” is written by cycle historian Tony Hadland, with input from Burrows.

With a foreword by Chris Boardman – boy, does Chris get around – “From Bicycle to Superbike” is a bicycle-biography, a full-colour, fact-packed look back at some of Burrows’ iconic machines. In some ways Burrows could be given a lot of the credit for Team GB’s recent Olympic successes because it was his Lotus superbike that Boardman used to win Olympic gold – the first for Britain in 72 years – at Barcelona in 1992, and which kick-started Britain’s renaissance as a fast-cycling nation. In his foreword Boardman says Burrows is “the godfather of modern bicycle aerodynamics”, and writes about how he was way ahead of his time. (He still is.)

But, of course, Burrows is responsible for more than “just” the Lotus super bike; he also developed – in 1994, for Giant – the Compact Road Bike, the design of which was soon nicked by every road bike company in the world. Today’s road bikes all tend to be based on this 1994 design (and, thanks to its economies of sizes, helped bike companies make more money).

Hadland’s book also has lots on Burrows’ other passion – human-powered vehicles, specifically the low-slung recumbent trike. And also featured in the book is Burrows “shopping” bikes, starting with the Amsterdam in 1989. This was was later developed into the Paris, a (sadly rejected) project by Giant, and has now been developed into the Gordon, a Pinion-gearbox-equipped city bike that Burrows says could be mass-produced in China and could be a highly-practical yet technologically advanced “bicycle for the people”.

Stuart Dennison, proprietor of Bikefix in London, writes in the book:

“To break free from the norm requires some imagination, a critical mind and some stubbornness. It helps if you like to question accepted conventions and are not afraid of a few failures. These are characteristics that Mike Burrows has in bucket-loads. My favourite quote: “That’s a really stupid idea, I know because I tried it.””

If you’ve got “Bicycle Design” you’ll want this book. If you haven't got “Bicycle Design” you’ll still want this book. Because of Hadland’s eye for detail it’s not as idiosyncratic as “Bicycle Design”, but has tons of insider trade information that industry types will lap up.

===

“From Bicycle to Superbike” costs £25 and is available from Hadland Books. For shops wishing to stock the book trade discounts are available.

In an industry of such diversity, a product catering to those who are unable to use a traditional bicycle is nothing to sniff at. It’s a side of the market that in the last ten years has remained sorely underdeveloped, but a small collection of companies are now working to change the way that disabled people ride.

Alternatives to conventional bicycles aren’t a new notion in this industry, but for many, the issue came to the attention of the public when beloved cycling icon Sheldon Brown, due to health issues, became unable to use a traditional upright bicycle. Images of a cheerful Brown riding his Greenspeed GT3 recumbent tricycle made their ways from his blogs into all four corners of the internet, evidencing that physical ailments need not be a damning sentence for cyclists.

In the same vein, ElliptiGO sees the benefit of its unique elliptical bikes to those with mobility problems as just one of many reasons that customers are so enthusiastic about the units. Six years after founder Bryan Pate conceived the idea, ElliptiGO is going from strength to strength.

With a new product in the public eye, their annual profit margin is teetering on the 50 per cent mark. We caught up with sales manager Chuck Day to talk about the brand.

The concept for the bike was conceived in 2005. When ex-marine and Ironman triathlete Bryan Pate suffered an acute medical condition, he lost the ability to pursue his primary source of exercise – running. A vexed Pate turned to the fitness industry to find an alternative source of training, and was shocked to discover that nothing existed which came anywhere close to simulating running. “In his mid-thirties, Bryan had issues with his knee, due to a degenerative condition; he was doing a lot of training on an indoor elliptical and suddenly had the bright idea to bring it outside,” recalls Day.

Pate realised that the answer to his issue would involve a fusion of a running-like motion with the speed and health benefits of cycling. Knowing that the project would require a mechanical engineer, he turned to co-founder and friend Brent Teal. The two set about building the original design for what would become the first ElliptiGO bike, at the time known as Alfa, and in mid-2006, the first prototype materialised.

Both Pate and Teal were delighted to find that the new bike went above and beyond in exceeding their expectations. Pate, who until this point had found outdoor exercise tremendously problematic, rode the ElliptiGO for over 20 miles on the very day that its construction was completed.

“It’s massively useful for those with conditions that don’t allow them to ride a conventional bike,” Day explains. “There’s no seat, so if the user has prostate issues or back issues that make sitting uncomfortable, the bike puts them in a natural position. For a lot of people this is a necessity, not an accessory. This becomes their fitness tool.”

The bike went through various minor design changes, cycling from Alfa through to second model Charlie, and onto the new bike that is now on the market. Despite these tweaks, little has changed since the prototype took shape, says Day: “The product we’re selling today is essentially the same design as the original bike. We wanted to take the idea of an elliptical and make it mobile by putting it on wheels.” The ElliptiGO first went into production in 2010, and the company has continued to gain traction successfully year upon year. “We’re up 50 per cent over last year, and we’re growing fast at the moment, internationally too. We distribute completely independently all over Europe, East Asia and Australia.”

Despite the positive reaction from the community, the applications of the ElliptiGO have caught eyes far beyond the realms of disabled cycling. The model has also attracted the attention of the running world, presenting a far more endurance-heavy, and therefore shorter, training session for amateurs and professionals alike. “In the States’ running world, this is becoming the tool of choice,” Day tells us. “Professional running organisations like the Nike team and Division One college state running programmes are using the ElliptiGO to train athletes.”

Another unexpected reaction to the release of the ElliptiGO has been the use of the bikes in races and long-distance endurance rides. This user-generated subculture of riders sprung out of one of Pate and Teal’s first demonstrations of the bike. The duo rode over 129 miles over three mountain passes, including more than 15,000 feet of climbing roads, and successfully completed the race well within the time limits. They commented that the completion of the race, “The Death Ride”, was the validation the bike needed to be taken seriously, and that people have been completing similar rides ever since.

“A guy came to the States and rode 6000 miles on an ElliptiGO,” says Day. “It took him 90 days and he averaged well over 100 miles a day. Last year we had nine people complete the Paris-Brest-Paris race PBP); six of the nine people who attempted it made it all the way, and everyone gave it an amazing go."

So what does the future hold for the brand? In acknowledgement of the fact that the original model may be challenging for those with limited storage space, or who are short in stature, the Arc hit the shelves earlier this year. The small, lightweight model – the whole unit weighs just 37 pounds – is receiving positive reviews. “We wanted something that was nimble, more agile, and easy to control. It’s a completely different feel: the motion on the Arc is more compact and it’s perfect for those with short strides.” The new bike will no doubt keep the company busy over the next year, but beyond that? Day is staying tight-lipped. “I really can’t say too much, but there are some very interesting things in
the works.”

The Cycling UK initiative, which was started to encourage more people to cycle, has hosted over 500 events in Scotland.

After an introduction in mid-September, the award-winning programme developed by Cycling UK has been encouraging the use of bikes in Scotland by offering free mechanic sessions, bike safety checks, confidence building classes, led rides, route planning and more.

81 community groups, businesses and charities across the country are currently partnered with The Big Bike Revival, working with many local authorities in the process. Activities have taken place in areas such as Lerwick, Kirkcudbright, Stornoway and Aberdeen.

“The last six weeks of The Big Bike Revival have been amazing. We’ve seen thousands of people attend our events across the length and breadth of Scotland. We've been delighted at the positive feedback and comments from those who have dusted their bikes down and decided to get back in the saddle.

“We’ve worked with a wide range of people to encourage them to get riding, including people with disabilities, those that haven’t cycled for decades, families, members of BME communities and older people. The organisations involved have also seen great benefits from working on The Big Bike Revival, including reaching out to new people, fostering relationships locally and offering cycling activities for the first time. We’re looking forward to building on this success and momentum with community club provisions,” said Shona Morris, Big Bike Revival project manager.

Around two-thirds of journeys in Scotland under five kilometres are currently travelled by car. The Scottish government has publicly announced a plan to increase everyday cycling journeys by ten per cent, with a view to having this implemented by 2020.

Now the milestone has passed, The Big Bike Revival is aiming to support people through the next stage of the cycling calendar, with the winter months targeted as a time in which bike usage decreases. 50 cycling clubs will be developed and supported across Scotland to provide people with ongoing cycling opportunities and activities.

The newly-developed clubs will be supported by five Cycling UK development officers and will include family cycling, confidence and fitness, and all-ability cycling groups. Ride leader training, first-aid sessions and basic mechanic classes will be implemented to help clubs with sustainability.

Humza Yousaf, minister for transport and the islands, commented: “The Scottish Government is delighted to be funding this initiative and to be working with Cycling UK in helping to get old bikes back into use.  With 35 per cent of the population having access to at least one bike, cycling should be a more visible activity, and hopefully The Big Bike Revival will make that happen.”

BikeBiz, the market leading cycling trade publication, has officially completed the move from the tranquil settings of rural Hertfordshire to the heart of the capital.

Following the consolidation of our parent company Newbay Media into new premises, BikeBiz is now located in Southwark, Central London.

As always, we love hearing from our readers, and we're always keen to know what you have to say. Our address may have changed, but BikeBiz remains the same publication you know and love.

For editorial inquiries, contact either Kieran or Hayley on khowells@nbmedia.com or hferguson@nbmedia.com, for advertising or sponsorship inquiries, contact Richard on rsetters@nbmedia.com.

For product samples and post, our new address is:

The Emerson Building

4th Floor

4-8 Emerson Street

London

SE1 9DU

You're also welcome to speak to the BikeBiz team on: 02073546018

Seven years after the closure of the brand by parent company Halfords, Cycle Republic has been revived and rebuilt from the ground up. Kieran Howells catches up with managing director Peter Kimberley, who affirms that with openings all over the UK and more on the way, the company has no intention of stopping...

Can you give us a brief history of Cycle Republic?

We started by opening our first store in Euston two years ago this December. We’re now at 12 shops and recently we have opened our latest one in Birmingham, which is doing well. In the last year we launched our own dedicated Cycle Republic website. We’ve carried the vision we’ve always had all the way through.

What was that vision?
Our customers come first and that’s what the business is set up around. It’s created for cyclists. We want to get people into cycling. A lot of work went into talking about what it was that we were going to build. 12 months worth of work. I felt that there was space in the market for an accessible bicycle shop that wowed customers. I mean really wowed them.

What were the key things you set out to achieve?

One was a good location. Where were we going to be based? Where is an optimal location and what does a good shop look and feel like? The other priority was the proposition. What are we trying to offer our customers? How are we going to be different? We decided that service would be the driving force. That meant doing things like offering free puncture repairs and courtesy bikes, things that, for me as a cyclist, are important.

What training does your staff go through before they start serving and interacting with customers?
We have an in-house training department that solely works for Cycle Republic. We focus on brand training and new products, but it goes back further than that. Everyone who works for us rides a bike, everyone who works for us is a passionate cyclist and that’s very important. We’re training people, but we’re also trying to attract friendly and helpful bike experts. All of the knowledge and passion is already there. All of our shops independently, and every manager operates their own shop.

How have things changed since the Euston shop opened?

I wouldn’t say it’s changed massively, I’d just say that we’ve pushed things further as we’ve learned more. The most exciting changes are the new partnerships with brands. We like to test things out, like the new Garmin play table, which has been a big success. We’re announcing a really big development in the workshops very soon, which will quickly be taken over by a specialist brand. We can’t say which brand yet, but we’re very excited to be working with them.

You’ve mentioned the Garmin station – tell us about its origins.
It came about because we keep in constant contact with Garmin, and we both were curious about how to best to give the customer an exciting experience. With technology constantly changing, people need a chance to really get to grips with the latest stuff. It’s
no fun if we don’t let people interact with the products. 

One of the biggest developments in the last few months is the website. What went into putting that together?
We took the same approach that as was taken in building the shops. We stepped back to think about functionality and layout. We didn’t want to rush it; we wanted a very specific feel to the whole thing. It’s built on a modern platform, which means that it’s easy to update in order to keep it looking and feeling excellent. It’s not just about what works now, it’s about being able to do brilliant things in the future as well.

12 shops have sprung up all around the UK in under two years, where’s next?

We’re going up into Scotland. Edinburgh will be our next location, which will be just fantastic. There are many other places that I feel are great cycling cities, but it’s about finding the perfect shop in the perfect location. Anyone can have a shop, but we want to be in the heart of our customers’ cities. Other places I can see us heading to are Southampton, Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield and Cardiff. There are lots of opportunities out there, but Edinburgh is next!

Do you think that, within the next year, there will be a Cycle Republic store in each of the cities mentioned?
Yes, I’d like to think so. They’re definitely on my list of places we’d like to be, how soon it’ll be until you start seeing those stores pop up will depend on availability. The UK is an amazing place for cycling and there are so many opportunities for us. We had a very strong summer, which is going to do us a lot of good.

How close is an Edinburgh store to being open to the public?

I’d like to think we’d have something open about February time, maybe even January. You never know, these things can change, but I’d like to think that by February we’d be opening the doors.

You’re a veteran of the industry, where do you see the e-bike market heading?
You can really see where the electric bike market is going to grow, and I think it’s mainly based in the commuter market. The standard commute for most cities is about five miles, and an e-bike can take you to about 20 miles on the same input from the rider. When I think e-bike, I think power-assisted, because you can pedal those bikes, you can have assistance, or you can go full electric. It’s about giving those people more assistance to be out and about.

A lot of people are still reluctant to spend large sums on an e-bike; is that something you’re investing in now?
We’re definitely investing in e-bikes now. We have an entry point of £700 which is doing extremely well for us, but the range will always vary all the way up to the Gocycle at £3500, which again has been a huge success for us. You’ll never take pedal cycling away, but e-bikes aren’t trying to do that. They’re introducing new people to cycling. That’s always been the heart of Cycle Republic.

What about the e-MTB market?
I can talk from a personal perspective about that, as mountain biking is completely my bag. I had the pleasure of going out a few months ago on a Haibike and it was phenomenal. I went down to Afan Forest Park and there were loads of e-bikes around. The majority of mountain bikers like coming down the hill, and that bit of assistance helps you to get up quicker and easier. I think the reason it hasn’t taken off is because until now, there hasn’t been a massive range of great e-mountain bikes. If you look at the brands that are coming out with bikes now, they’re really great.

Layout is a struggle for some bike shops. What’s your approach?
When you walk into one of our shops, everything is organised. Every different type of bike or gear has a dedicated section, and those sections are clearly marked. We always display bikes from good, better to best, which helps people stay within their price range and gives them and idea of what they’re getting for their money. All the header boards around the shop are very deliberate, they help the customer navigate their way around the shop.The headers that we use may not always correspond to the conventional name for the product, but it’s the terminology the customers use. If that’s what they call something, that’s what we call it too, regardless of what the rest of the industry says.

Where do you see the industry going?

I think we’ll continue to see cycling grow, whether that’s through events like the Olympics, or due to increased infrastructure. The big question for me from an industry standpoint is how well we’re doing at getting people on bikes. You
can put the infrastructure in, but you need to help people pick the right equipment, and feel confident and safe. The retailers will determine how successful cycling
is in the future. 

In 2011, fresh Cambridge graduate Andy Li identified a broad gap in the cycling market. Over the following year, the young entrepreneur developed, then prototyped, a jacket with integrated LED lights and turning indicators – the resultant product line is now known as Visijax. 

Since the company’s inception Li has gone on to explore other opportunities, including pursuing further education, but remains associated with the parent company as a shareholder. In that time, the Visijax brand has really taken off, with the introduction of a number of new products and updates to the equipment that fuels them.

The commuter jackets have, meanwhile, undergone two evolutions. The fabric technology has been improved alongside electronics, though the wiring remains fundamentally unchanged from the first update.

“The main thing that’s really changed is the technology in the batteries – they’ve become lighter, and altogether better,” says Kevin Burton, national sales manager. “The LEDs have also been upgraded to a higher quality.”

The turn signals are patented, ensuring that Visijax have exclusive rights to that technology. “In terms of LEDs in jackets, many brands have a similar type of product. But what you’ll find is that they’re not hardwired into the jacket, whereas with ours, all you need to do is remove the rechargeable battery,” Burton expounds. “There are quite a few unique selling points, but the most obvious one is the turn signals. We’re seeing similar products, but nothing with lights integrated in a jacket.”

Although the idea is applicable across the board in outdoor industries, Burton tells me that Visijax is choosing to focus on cycling at the minute. “We’ve not really attacked what products we’ve got, yet. My appointment has been about cycling knowledge, and the sales side, of course. Now we want to establish our brand and promote the business to consumers.”

Commuters have been established as the target market, as opposed to more serious cyclists; the product isn’t aimed at the road market, and certainly not at mountain bikers. “It’s really designed for the 45-plus bracket who want to cycle more, but are worried about their safety. If you give somebody a waterproof jacket with integrated lighting, you also give them a sense of safety.”

This target market is relevant across all of Visijax’s operations, including distribution. “It’s important that we ensure anybody who’s involved the brand is onboard with what we’re trying to achieve. We’re never going to be a Gore-Tex equivalent – we’re a little bit more niche than that.”

Distribution is quite a simple process: the company remains very much involved, offering to interested parties what its representatives consider to be a good margin and price point. “It’s really a case of dividing up the areas to make sure that dealers have a protected network. We don’t necessarily work with all the shops in one area, because we don’t want to dilute their network.

“We go direct to retailers, but use various distribution angles across the world. For example, we’re currently looking for distribution in Germany. But it has to be the right partner. Like our retail network in the UK, it needs to be someone who understands what we’re trying to achieve. That’s a critical part of whatever we do. Whether we’re working with a retailer or distributor in another country, they have to ‘get’ what we stand for.”

The company is choosing its friends carefully, and while Burton is keen to spread its message, he’s intent that it’s on Visijax’s own terms. “What we’re looking for is partners – but the term ‘partner’ gets thrown around quite a lot in business. We’re particularly interested in working with retailers, but other areas of the industry as well, like working with brands, and bespoke products for companies. There are lots of different things, but the most important part is getting retailers onboard, and we just want to build the brand.

On the subject of events, Burton is tentative. “Getting involved in events would also be great, but these would need to be night rides. We want to partner with people on those lines – industry connections, industry leaders.” 

With every intention of relocating manufacturing from Taiwan to the UK, Visijax has high hopes for the future. “We think we might have found someone we can work with, and are looking to explore that angle, because we’ll ultimately be cutting down on delivery costs. This would have a knock-on effect; the manufacturing in the UK is pretty much gone, nowadays.” 

Although the company is growing now, Burton expects that in terms of staffing, it’s likely to stay small, with the senior management team remaining as-is. They are, nevertheless, in the process of recruiting an agent for the southwest, Northern Ireland, and also several agents in Scotland and the north of England.

“We need to support retailers, and I can’t physically get to all of them. We’ll also be recruiting at some stage in the coming few months for someone to look at our marketing. At the moment, we’re all trying to take lots of different angles on the job. Social media is so important these days!” 

Burton keeps schtum when I ask what’s next, but assures me that it’s tremendously exciting. “Something I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks has been in the works for quite a while. It will make so much sense once we get it to market, but it certainly won’t be for this season. We’ve got a lot of testing to go through before the item’s actually ready, and a bit of feedback to gain.”

With a team of engineers “constantly developing new technologies,” Visijax is confident that whatever’s in the pipeline will make a very real impact.

It’s time to accept that e-bikes are here to stay. The battery-powered pedal bikes already account for the fastest growing area of the cycling industry, and new products are hitting the market seemingly every day. Still, sifting through the mire of EU legislation to define what is and isn’t technically legal, and therefore what will sell well in the UK, is an incredibly daunting prospect.

Those who have been following the developments in the market will be aware that as of April 2015, the British e-bike laws were altered to create stronger and more unified EU-wide regulations. In this move, which came into effect in early 2016, the bare bones of these new regulations centered on increasing the maximum power of an EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle) motor from 200 watts, up to 250 watts, whilst simultaneously setting the new nationwide pedal-assist speed limit to 15.5 miles per
hour, as per the standard on the continent.

Beyond the 15.5mph (a direct conversion from 25 kph) speed limit for pedal assist bikes, any assistance must automatically cease, rendering the bike once again a purely pedal-powered machine. This is also the case for throttle control (or twist and go) bikes. The new laws do not affect twist throttles with walk-assist mode – which powers the bike to
a 6kmh limit, or “walking speed”
– while pedals are in motion. Legally however, twist throttles beyond the walking speed limit may only be in use when the pedals are in a forward motion. For those of you raising your hands in despair at the prior purchase of an expensive e-bike, these laws are not backdated – your bike is legal so long as it pre-dates the introduction of the January 2016 changes.

When these laws are abided, the bike is classified as a normal bicycle, and therefore can be used both on roads, and on any ground legally branded a cycle path. A major exception to this rule is the age laws, which prohibit anyone under the age of 14 to ride an e-bike anywhere apart from on private land. Users above this age limit do not require any form of license or road tax.

Disabled users, or those who simply enjoy riding on three wheels, fear not, trikes are very much included in these laws and as such EAPCs are permitted to have three or more wheels with no legal complications. In fact, owning an e-trike has become simpler, with the removal of a 60kg weight restriction.

Obviously, safety standards
are extremely important, and
the official safety standard for pedelecs in force across Europe is EN15194, which when followed, deems e-bikes to be safe and fit for public purpose. This however only applies to the electric part of the vehicle (for the rest of the bike, the safety standard is EN14764). It’s worth noting that all bikes that pass the legal requirement for testing are issued with a certificate of compliance from the testing house, which is a good quality assurance sign when purchasing.

As demonstrated by the mass of high-powered e-bikes on display at the 2016 Interbike convention in the USA, the regulations over the pond differ greatly to those in Europe. In 2001, a bill was passed that officially defines and categorises e-bikes in federal law. This new bill exempts electric bikes with operating pedals and a motor under 750 watts (limited to 20mph) from the legal definition of a motor vehicle. The e-bike definition set out in this bill is significant because this means that unlike motorbikes, the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates production.

Whereas this system may seem relatively straightforward, dealers and riders in the US are also governed by individual state laws, which massively vary depending on state and governing body. According to a recent study, up to 30 states are still in the processes of technically defining e-bike regulation. Lobbying bodies such as the People-For-Bikes Product Suppliers Association are currently partnering with local advocacy groups, and are working towards streamlining state regulations, but this process is far from completion.

The mire of baffling US legislation is made even more confusing due to the introduction of various other classifications for bikes, such as a speed pedelec, which technically meets the bicycle definition for a 20mph e-bike,
but is designed to max out at 28mph. This classification is due to a loophole of sorts, which states that e-bikes can achieve speeds of 20mph “on motor alone.” As such, a speed pedelec achieving speeds of 28mph by applying leg power to the motor assist isn’t breaking the law, regardless of how little this is contributing to the motor.

In Europe and the UK, the future of the e-bike market is bright. Policed legislation is ensuring
the production of a high-quality output, which looks set to instil confidence in those who are on
the fence about the concept, as demonstrated by the rising number of active users on the continent. However, the concept of unified legislation is still to be completely embraced in the US, as electric bike companies do their best to feel out the mire of federal versus state legislation. Regardless of the current confusion, lobbying groups are making significant headway into strengthening state law, and by doing so, helping thousands of people enjoy what is fast becoming a culture of cleaner, more efficient transport. 

Retail expert Phil Chang writes in from B2B network Hubba with news for what’s expected to be big in the US in 2017.

_____

Cycling is an addictive sport. All over the world, folks are getting on bikes and never getting off. Whether it’s for fun or exercise, or relied upon as a source of transportation, bikes are undoubtedly well-loved.

In the US, the bike market makes roughly $6 billion in sales each year. While the market numbers have been stable, the cycling industry as a whole hasn’t remained idle. For one, the number of specialty bike shops has declined rapidly. In the year 2000 there were 6,195 specialty bike shops – in 2015 that number dropped to 3,790. Add to that the innumerable changes happening in the sporting goods market and this makes the industry anything but calm!

So, what’s in store for 2017? Here are three things to watch:

Sporting goods stores will continue to be volatile. While this may not radically change the cycling industry, it certainly will have an impact. Notable sports retailer Sports Authority went bankrupt earlier this year. Meanwhile, Bass Pro Shops, which doesn’t sell bikes, recently acquired Cabela’s, which does. As sports retailers continue to rise and acquire or fall behind, brands will have to keep quick on their toes.

The rise of the e-bike and alternative transportation. While still just a small segment of the market, e-bikes represent mass recognition that bike lanes are a great alternative to sitting in traffic in one’s car. While cities like Austin, TX and Portland, OR are continually recognised for embracing cyclists, it is surprising that a commuter-heavy city like Philadelphia managed to top Forbes’ list of bike-friendly places in America. Nevertheless, as the number of bike lanes rises and protected intersections become commonplace, e-bikes will continue to grow as an alternate means to cars and pedal bikes.

Bike sharing. In a recently conducted survey asking respondents why they wouldn’t cycle to work, 13.6 per cent of them indicated not having a bike as their primary reason. Bike sharing is currently in 50 US cities and still growing.

These three points speak to a larger market that is on the brink of emerging. Cycling is becoming a lifestyle, not simply a weekend sport or childhood method of transportation. Bike-sharing in particular will enable consumers to be able to choose when and where they want to ride, while smart placement of bike-sharing stations will continue to move the momentum of a bike-centric lifestyle.

Of course as a result, cycling accessories are on the rise. In countries where cycling is far more prevalent, like Britain, £1 billion was spent on bikes, whereas £1.35 billion was spent on parts, accessories, and clothing. More specifically:

Helmets. Statistics show that fewer than half of bike-riders wear helmets. However, as cycling becomes a lifestyle, this is bound to change. Not only will more cyclists wear helmets, but helmets will become a fashion item. Nutcase Helmets has already tapped into the fashion-forward cyclist demographic. Ranging from iconic Americana to a watermelon-patterned helmet, it’s not hard to imagine a future where cyclists own more than one helmet to better match their outfits.

Bags. Sure, any old backpack will do, but when it’s a lifestyle accessory, why would customers settle for just one? Bags like the Timbuk Pannier, designed specifically for cyclists, are set to grow, as well as courier bags in communities where bike-sharing is particularly strong.

Clothing. With the athleisure trend taking over the apparel industry, there’s no shortage of athletic clothing, shoes, and accessories on the market. But those with a keen eye should look out for bike-friendly streetwear to emerge on the market as well. In-office, our media relations director Wendy Bairos will ride to the office in style, complete with high heels, to cut out any outfit changes during the day.

All in all, 2017 looks to be a big year for cyclists. While major trends are brewing, look for local market adaptations, better suited to your brand. Like picking the right bike for the right kind of cycling, you’ll have to meet a cyclist’s needs if you want your brand to be hand-picked to be a part of their lifestyle. 

This month Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, announced her pro cycling team, Podium Ambition, would fold.

In the middle of Women’s Sport Week, Storey said the team had failed to secure the sponsorship it needed, and would take a step back to “create something more sustainable”.

Some believe women’s cycling is at a crossroads, in crisis even, and though there are good news stories – the success of Wiggle High5 and Boels Dolmans teams included – teams without big money behind them still struggle to pay their riders enough to develop, and to win medals.

This year’s Prudential RideLondon Classique race offered female competitors the same prize pot as the men for the first time - £100,000 - making it the best paid women’s race, while the Tour of Yorkshire offered more cash for the winner of the women’s one day race than the men’s overall winner.

Women’s cycling is as exciting as men’s, with riders who train as hard, race as hard and are just as driven to win. Investing in inspirational women should be a no-brainer for the cycle industry, and yet, it’s not.

While men competing at the very highest level of the sport are guaranteed a minimum wage, and TV coverage, women aren’t - a baffling concept in 2016.

A sponsor’s dream?

Take Podium Ambition, a team boasting top class riders, including Joanna Rowsell Shand and Katie Archibald, both of whom won Gold at this year’s Olympics.

Storey said Podium Ambition isn’t the only team, male or female, struggling to get the sponsorship it needs, and she’s not the only team manager struggling to make enough money for her athletes to concentrate on their racing full-time and progress in the sport. The issue is one that has plagued the sport since women’s cycling was recognised as a professional sport in 1984.

Victoria Pendleton, another of our most successful female cyclists, and a Gold medallist in the women’s keirin at the London 2012 Olympics, told BikeBiz she avoided road racing because of the funding disparity. BikeBiz caught up with Pendleton in Soho last month.

“People always said: ‘why don’t you go to road riding?’, because I was always a bit of a hybrid, I was never a pure sprinter,” she said.

“But the fact of the inequality between men and women in road racing is so extreme it would drive me to distraction; there was no way I could train comparative hours to my male counterparts, watch them get a million pounds and more contracts and live like a student myself.

“It’s just not something that appeals to me, in fact it’s something that makes me feel rage!”

Track cycling is more equitable, but still, Pendleton recalls winning the same races as her male counterparts, but a third of the prize money.

“You’re not going to sustain any kind of training or lifestyle, or have enough to eat on that”, she said. “You have to find sponsorship.”

Although she was successful with sponsorship contracts, some didn’t understand why she needed sponsors.

“I was criticised for over glamorising the sport, especially from females,” said Pendleton. “But I was like: this is making me a profile, and so I’m going to do it. I would like to have a mortgage, eventually, and I wouldn’t mind a pension to be honest, because this isn’t going to last forever.”

Like it or not, sponsors are a vital part of a woman’s cycling career, but sponsorship is dependent on the exposure a company gets for its investment.

Chris Boardman, Olympic Champion, TV commentator and British Cycling Policy Advisor, was one of the sponsors of Storey’s Podium Ambition team (Boardman bikes provided the bikes). Although he welcomes equal prize money, he calls it “token”, as it costs less than funding equal salaries.

Boardman put together a TV piece on the subject for the Tour de France, interviewing female pro riders, event organisers and supporters of women’s cycling, which Ned Boulting presented. They discovered nobody could agree on the way forward for the women’s sport.

“That was interesting in itself,” says Boardman. “You had one person saying you’ve got to have proper, minimum salaries so people can rely on it, then you’ve got Rochelle Gilmore [owner and manager of Wiggle High5], Brian Cookson [UCI president] saying the last thing you want is minimum salaries.”

“I think the only thing that got any kind of consensus was TV coverage [should come] first. Get the visibility, then your sponsors can invest, then your riders come along, so there’s several things you need, but the TV is probably the thing that pulls it all together.

“It means TV companies have got to stop doing articles on it and start covering it.”

Keith McRae, a mechanic turned women’s cycling promoter, who is currently trying to set up a women’s cycling team, agrees TV coverage is the key.

 “The lack of coverage is the biggest stumbling block to getting sponsorship,” he says. “If you cannot get coverage of national races, by national press, how are companies going to see the benefit and reward in sponsoring you?”

“On the domestic scene, often teams can only pay riders’ expenses, meaning athletes need to work to cover living expenses, which hampers racing calendars and training.”

While the men’s sport enjoys broad coverage, this can’t be said for women’s cycling.

McRae: “While TV coverage [of women’s events] is getting better, it is a long way behind what the men are getting; you can tune in to Eurosport most of the summer and see some men’s race somewhere in the world. Try and find a women’s race and you’ll be lucky to even get highlights on the TV.

“Some races are providing their own live steaming, often poor quality, but this is better than nothing.”

Boardman points out while it may not be financially viable for TV companies to cover a sport still in its infancy, an incentive has got to be made.

He said: “The UCI, whether they like it or not, they’re the people that they issue licenses to teams, they define the terms of those licenses, I think they’re in a position to say: you have to do something with this part of the sport, or event organisers: if you want this status or if you want top status, then you have to have a women’s event as well.

“[TV companies] will just go with what’s commercially viable for me right now and they won’t think: ‘Well if we do this and make a loss for five years then there’s a good chance it will become viable’, they just won’t do it. If the UCI says you’ve got to do it then they’ll just knuckle down and get on with it.”

Stefan Wyman, owner of women’s cycling team Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling, which boasts Laura Kenny (nee Trott) among its riders, says the structure, and what he describes as a lack of regulation of, women’s racing, is creating a “massively increasing gulf” between the top and the bottom of the field.

He told BikeBiz: “I have been involved for 12 years in the sport and I created the first women’s UCI team.

“I have seen the development of the sport, and I think women’s cycling is in one of the most dangerous positions it has been in.”

He said: “The top of the sport is great for teams like Orica Bike Exchange, Wiggle High5 and Bigla Cervelo, but there is no middle ground, no pressure [from up and coming teams]”.

While men’s racing is split into World tour, Pro Continental and Continental divisions, with only the first two professional, the only division for women is Continental, with the same non-professional rules as the men’s Continental racing. That includes no set minimum salary.

This, Wyman points out, means “the biggest team in the world can turn up [to a race which includes amateur riders trying racing for the first time] and drop everyone.”

Development is learning to win, he says, something up and coming riders cannot experience under the existing model. Wyman believes women’s racing needs at least two tiers, to help new riders develop and to put that pressure on top teams.

This, he believes, would help teams pitch for sponsors - if the requirements to become a top tier team are a minimum wage for riders and a budget of, say, £400,000, team owners can go to sponsors with that figure, and promise a set level coverage in return for that investment.

Wyman doesn’t agree women’s races simply need to be tacked onto men’s races, because women’s races are put on so early to clear the roads for the men that neither the TV crews nor the spectators are out on the course.

“What happens is we have photos of the race with no crowds behind it and then people say: ‘well there were no women out watching that race, there’s no audience for women’s racing, therefore we shouldn’t back it’.

“We’re splitting the media down. I want to see women’s racing being the main events.”

The solution? “I think women’s sport needs to find its own pathway it doesn’t necessarily have to follow the men’s. Women’s sport needs a good structure that’s strong enough to bring in its own sponsors,” he says.

Women are leading the way…

Within women’s cycling, Cyclocross superstar, Helen Wyman (married to Stefan), is among those fighting for equality. In her role on the UCI’s Cyclocross Commission she equalised Category 2 prize money and doubled Cat 1 pay out for women and has started her own development programme, New Wyman, to nurture younger riders. She’s still battling to equalise World Cup prize money, however.

Wyman has seen the effect of TV coverage on sponsorship first hand.

“There were 24 televised [cyclocross] races last year live on TV. That was huge [in terms of attracting sponsorship]. As soon as a company can sell us as a commodity they can promote, they make more money.”

The Strongher movement is being led by women cyclists from pros like Marianne Vos, to amateur riders, encouraging and inspiring more women to get into the sport, whether mountain biking, road riding or track cycling, from weekend events with pro riders like Manon Carpenter, to online forums providing advice.

Heather Bamforth, founder of the Racing Chance Foundation, a charity set up to promote women’s amateur cycling in the UK, believes more is needed at grassroots level to get more women into sport and give women’s cycling a bigger audience.

“There needs to be a big push in participation in women’s cycling so we increase the numbers racing and then by definition it becomes easier to attract corporate sponsorship, because you are then reaching out to a larger demographic,” she says.

Bamforth believes British Cycling has a role to play, to bridge the gap between entry level Breeze rides, a hugely popular countrywide network of women’s social rides, to competitive cycling.

A British Cycling spokesperson said: “Across sport, women’s participation levels are well behind men in almost every area. British Cycling recognises that this gender gap is something that we desperately needed to address.

“In 2013, we set ourselves the ambitious target of inspiring one million more British women to take up cycling by 2020.

“The current situation in Britain is positive: our strategy’s two-year update, released in the summer of 2015, showed that 254,000 women had so far taken up cycling as a result of the strategy. We are no strangers to setting and meeting ambitious targets, and we will ensure we do everything we can to hit the million mark.

“In order to get more women cycling, we are focusing on inspiring more women at grassroots level, providing opportunities to race, coaching opportunities to grow the numbers taking part in events organically. We are seeing more women take part at all levels so it is on an upward curve.”

“We would, of course, encourage the UCI to address this issue [of improving equality between men and women’s racing] but it is for the UCI to come up with a strategy.”

You can now read the digital edition of BikeBiz online.

This month, we printed a roundup of the brands exhibiting at Interbike and the Cycle Show. 

Also in this issue: 

• Our sector guides featured stocking fillers, bottles and cages, and triathlon gear
• Our mystery shopper visited Milton Keynes to see where a newbie can find a commuter bike
• We researched what’s new in 2016’s products
• We caught up with American company ElliptiGO
• Carlton Reid visited Mr Crud
• We spoke with Visijax about their product portfolio
• And a whole lot more!  

E-Bikeshop has announced its latest expansion as part of an ongoing plan to cater to the fastest-growing sector in cycling: e-bikes.

In early 2014, E-Bikeshop expanded from two bike shops to include a new sales and distribution centre based in Surrey. The space was built to accommodate electric bikes, offering large showroom facilities, and a specialist workshop, warehousing and parts centre.

Within 12 months of moving to the new site, the company said that it had become clear that it had already outgrown the property, which was initially set up with 25 per cent more space than required to allow for growth. One year on from this expansion and after months in the planning stages, a new site is now complete and in use.

The UK Electric Bike Company’s director Martin Brown, commented: “We are really excited about our new expansion and are confident we are set up as the UK’s leading independent electric bike supplier to cater for this ever-growing market.

“We started with a range of four bikes and now offer more than 80! We wanted an electric bike to suit everyone and due to this, the product base has grown rapidly. With our recent expansion, we can continue to be more focused on our clients' needs.”

As part of the new 5,000 sq ft expansion, the sales and distribution centre is now offering larger demonstration areas, a bigger range, workshop facilities that have doubled in size, built-in specialist workshop equipment, a larger selection of spare parts held in stock, and more room for warehousing. 

Winter 2016/17 marks the tenth season of the downhill mountain bike racing series Mini Downhill.

This season will see four races take place in the Forest of Dean, held on the popular trails at PedalaBikeAway.

The first race will be held on December 4^th 2016. Those wishing to participate can enter via the British Cycling website here.  

The race aims to offer the chance to compete in an accessible and affordable event that doesn’t require overly expensive equipment or years of previous racing experience. Competitors in previous years have ranged from children a young as ten years of age to downhill world champions such as Danny Hart and Manon Carpenter.

“It's about racing for fun. The thing about the Mini Downhill is that we have a really good friendly vibe; everyone has a good time. It's great for new riders who want to get into the sport.

“It’s also great fun for the more experienced who just want to race in the winter and not have to stress over series points. We just want to give our riders the best experience and keep the entry fee at £30, which we’ve maintained for the last five years,” said Chris Roberts.

Roberts started the races following a visit to Chicksands Bike Park. The races quickly grew in popularity with as many as 300 riders participating at each event. Information on the 2016 races can be found via the Mini Downhill website here. 

Northern Ireland cycling technology company See.Sense is showcasing its smart cities expertise in India as part of the Prime Minister's trade mission.

The Newtownards firm is one of only 11 UK businesses - and the only from Northern Ireland - to have been invited to take part in a special Connected Cities entrepreneurs mission from November 6-12.

The initiative is a joint project between Innovate UK, the Department for International Trade, Enterprise Europe Network and Future Cities Catapult, and will form part of a series of trips between the UK and India.

See.Sense CEO Philip McAleese will spend 10 days in India where he has been invited to be a guest speaker at the major India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi, which will be attended by Prime Minister Theresa May and India PM Narendra Modi.

Philip will also visit other cities including Pune and Kochi where he will pitch to potential customers, partners and investors.

Each of the 11 UK companies attending was strategically chosen because of what their technology can bring to India’s 24 billion pounds smart cities industry.

“India is investing £24bn in the next five to seven years to create over 100 smart cities, and See.Sense would very much like to be part of that,” said McAleese.

“Our technology is advanced, and it would allow companies in India to leap forward faster, beyond some older technologies that require big spends, or big commitments on lots of infrastructure to support it.

“Our low-power wide-area tech on bikes enables them to do it much more quickly, and at a lower cost than many of the other opportunities.

“India is very ambitious when it comes to becoming a world leader in smart cities technology, and we think there is a phenomenal opportunity for growth.”