BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The April edition of BikeBiz is now live. Read the digital edition online here.
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Regular BikeBiz readers will know that I often try to introduce each edition of the magazine with an injection of enthusiasm, a dash of optimise, and some food for thought on how we can improve this brilliant industry.
But unfortunately this month’s magazine must start with a hard fall back to earth, following the closure of a major UK distributor Moore Large.
While I dive in-depth into what happened at the Derby-based company (p31), the loss of a such a previously successful business starkly reveals the severity of the challenge currently facing the bike trade.
The issues of overstocking, rising operation costs, and the dramatic tail-off in bike sales post-Covid are now being felt in the bones of many cycling businesses, and Moore Large will not be the last of the casualties.
Of course the loss of a historic distributor is awful for the trade, but we must also recognise the impact business closures have on staff and their families.
Dozens of Moore Large employees have lost their income overnight, and while many will no doubt find new roles quickly, we may also lose some outstanding talent from the industry for good. My best wishes go out to all of the staff impacted.
Here at BikeBiz, we’re proud to welcome a new staff writer in to the fold, as Daniel Blackham joins us. You can find out more about Daniel, along with all the other cycling industry appointments over the past month, on p42.
Daniel recently attended the UK launch of Norco bikes with distributor ZyroFisher after a three year absence for the brand (p50).
Elsewhere in the mag, freelance writer Rebecca Bland explores the challenges women in the industry face (p11) for our diversity edition, and I speak to the new chair of the UK time trial governing body Andrea Parish, about how to get more women interested in the discipline.
While we much prefer to report on the positive developments in the bike trade, reality is there is never quite as we’d like it, but through thick and thin BikeBiz will be here to help guide the industry.
Alex Ballinger,
Editor
 Included in this month’s magazine:Â
- The latest developments from across the bike trade
- Women in cycling face challenges not experienced by male counterparts, Rebecca Bland takes a deep dive on equality in the trade
- A look at what you can expect from this year’s show as it returns to the iconic Alexandra Palace
- Cycling Time Trials chair Andrea Parish tells Alex Ballinger about her plans to grow the discipline
- BikeBiz catches up with Jordan Lunn, cycle market manager for Cumbria-based distributor Lyon
- The UK bike trade took a significant blow last month, when Moore Large went into administration. Alex Ballinger details how events unravelled.
- Bike Matrix co-founder Adam Townsend on how the brand is aiming to simplify component compatibility for mechanics and consumers
- Graham Willgoss sits down with Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams to discuss sustainable urban transport
- This month’s movers and shakers throughout the cycle industry
- Target Composities director Philip Leah on how his company is improving sustainability in the carbon bike market
- Alex Ballinger speaks with Hindsight founder Alexander Macdonald and backer Callum Skinner to find out more about the brand
- As Norco relaunches in the UK, Daniel Blackham hears from international sales manager Chris Hennessey on the brands past, present and future
- New products and sector guides, including women’s bikes and accessories, and energy and nutrition
