BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Transport for London
It has been a long time coming, but Transport for London finally unveiled its hire bike, which is to be found every 300 metres within central London next year. A 45km squared area should become a hotbed of cycling activity with the addition of 6,000 bicycles. These will be accessed via a Pay As You Go docking station.
BikeBiz can report they offer a comfortable ride, seem sturdy and the three-speed Nexus gear hub feels like it covers a wide range. The sit-up-and-beg style frame is incredibly heavy, yet the ride does offer some agility, though BikeBiz would recommend sticking to the roads and not trying to tackle descending stairs on these.
The build offers the rider a bit of protection too. The addition of mudguards is welcomed, as is the front rack, which would be more than capable of holding a light shopping trip. The bikes will be available to hire to anyone over the age of 14 and can be paid for at the hire terminal via card, or subscription.
The hire bikes and proposed Cycle Superhighway cycle routes are due to launch next summer with the aim of achieving a 400 per cent increase in the number of cycle journeys made in London by 2025.
Surf Sales
Surf Sales had one of the most exciting brand launches of the show with the unveiling of the Transition Bikes brand following a deal struck just a few weeks earlier at Eurobike. The brand sits along fellow Whistler-based brand Dakine, for which Surf Sales is best known for in the trade.
As the ‘hot brand’ in Canada at present, Surf Sales will be stocking the full range, which kicks off with a £360 steel dirt jumper and runs all the way to a £2,000 downhill rig with everything in between covered. There are dirt specific builds, four-cross racers and all mountain builds. So for dealers covering this territory, Transition is a must-see consideration for 2010 stock.
A particular hit with stand visitors was the Blindside, which is an eight-inch travel downhill rig specced with Fox’s DHX fork, carrying a lifetime crash replacement and one-year defect warranty. For those looking for plenty of clearance for fatter tyres, the Blindside is capable of housing up to a 2.8-inch rear tyre.
Surf Sales MD Greame Fuller told BikeBiz: “It was around five years back that Surf Sales began getting involved with the bike market and now we have our first bike brand on board. The product is something we’d definitely ride ourselves, so when we were approached by Transition during Eurobike, we couldn’t resist taking a look. Now here we are at Cycle Show with a distribution deal signed and stock on its way in November.”
Dakine was of course present on the stand too, as well as within the show’s Retail Zone. Fuller said of the brand: “Dakine’s really grown, I’d say around 30 per cent year-on-year and we’ve got as many as 850 accounts with the brand nationwide.”
Among the clothing, the brand had many new items including technical shorts aimed at trail use, gloves built to last and many more garments viewable at dakine.com.
Sugoi
Packed full of technology, the Sugoi Winter 2010 line is more extensive than ever, with solutions for both sexes in a diverse range of sizes and styles. Cycle Show saw the debut of several garments in the UK, including the women’s Majik jacket, set to retail for £110. For this price, customers are getting a highly reflective, waterproof and breathable jacket that comes packed with technical and comfort features. The front zip and pocket zips are sealed from the outside keeping water out, while the lining is perforated for ventilation. Collars and cuffs are engineered to provide a snug fit, while the rear of the coat is extended to protect bums from mud splash.
Various full-length bib tights and knickers were on show too. One such item was the RS Zero Plus bib tight, which is available now and retails for £115.
This garment utilises 3M Scotchlite material and has reflective properties. A four-inch front zip makes for comfortable removal, while several signature Sugoi technologies feature, such as the ‘leg grip’ and ‘flat seam’.
The winter garment also utilises Sugoi’s Formula FX chamois insert.
Wildoo
Pletscher had plenty to show off, on top of developments within its core kickstand and carrier product. The Wingee mudguard was perhaps the highlight of the range, being the first mudguard to offer interchangeable design covers, as well as an integrated carrier.
Special profiled aluminium tubes form a strong frame into which a custom ‘deco-blade’ plastic cover can be inserted. The blades are available as extras in several designs. The wider blade designs can even be used for advertising on special requests.
Among the carriers on show, the new ‘Inova’ will be of interest to those seeking a robust system packed with features and accessories. The die-cast aluminium frame is equipped with Pletscher’s Easyfix system, ideal for securing accessories such as baskets, hard shell cases and baby seats. The model also has a backlight protection with modular backlight holder, which is compatible with all kinds of rear light. A version offering a sidebag holder will also be available via Wildoo.
