BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Kool Stop
Braking brand Kool Stop had one of the most striking stands of the show and certainly drew attention with its handmade ‘bike jewellery’. Kool Stop sales representative Bert Van Djik told BikeBiz that offers had been made for the handmade items and some were well into the hundreds.
Product wise there were plenty of reasons to swing by too. Kool Stop has tailored a pad exclusively to the cyclocrosser just in time for the new season kick off. The long-wearing pad gives an immediate bite that works just as well in wet conditions as in dry, something particularly important to CX riders.
Elsewhere there’s a new pad developed exclusively for Magura’s popular hydraulic HS33. There’s also a separate version tailored to freestyle use, which is slightly softer and as such offers a firm bite. Retailers should also look out for the super trendy Vans collaboration pad in the shape of a shoe, which Van Djik said has been a constant performer across all Kool Stop’s distributors.
Cube
BikeBiz didn’t dare count how many bikes there are in Cube’s range so we asked – there are 162 in total this year, all designed, tested and assembled in Germany.
The show stand obviously couldn’t hold all of those, but all the highlights of the range were there, including the Carbon Stereo Super HPC. The frame’s produced with an advanced twin mould process, which gives it an incredibly rigid feel. Despite sharing the geometry and ride characteristics of Cube’s Stereo HPA, the HPC is far lighter. Attention to detail has been made with regards to the remarkably clean internal cable routing.
Also on show was clothing and a few aftermarket items such as custom Schwalbe tyres printed with the Cube logo. Sales manager Bart Van Den Biggelaar said: “The brand’s grown significantly in the past 12 months, having achieved a whopping 85 per cent growth.”
There are currently around 85 Cube dealers in the UK, but some areas are uncovered, so if you’re interested in stocking the brand, call 0031 180 441 351. Orders arrive direct from Germany within one to four days and can be placed at www.cubeb2b.co.uk.
Extra
Extra’s customers got a welcome surprise at Cycle Show with the news that action-sports clothing brand Alpinestars has joined the distributor’s roster.
Alpinestars UK brand manager Simon Ford told BikeBiz: “About three years ago we were looking at our product portfolio, identifying what we did not offer. Among other things, gloves came up. We spent some time at trade shows looking at what was in the market, but never managed to be 100 per cent satisfied with what we were being offered. We then started to notice Alpinestars’ products being used by professional riders at World Cups and the like. Knowing the quality, technical expertise and overall ability of the brand, contact was made with Alpinestars and then followed a two-year dialogue to take us to where we are today.”
Following two years’ development in conjunction with top riders like Greg Minnar, Alpinestars launched its 2010 MTB range at the Crankworx Festival in Canada. It’s the brand’s first specific MTB clothing and protection range. It is a purposely-tight range of gloves, race shorts, race pants, two jerseys, body protection and the ‘Bionic’ neck supports.
The neck supports were creating a lot of interest, too. The BNS system is designed to work with a helmet to reduce the risk and severity of a catastrophic neck injury. Extra has two in the range for 2010.
Stock arrives in the UK between early December and January with Extra aiming to be fully stocked by mid-January. The full range will be on show at Core Bike on January 24th to 26th 2010.
Green Oil and Pedalite
There was a major buzz around this stand throughout the show, and it’s where BikeBiz caught retailers in the act begging to place orders. The fuss was about Pedalite’s Anklelite and Baglite products – two impressive, low-price, impulse buy items.
The Anklelite is a solar powered light, which can be attached to anything via a velcro strap and is the ideal indicator for the nightime cyclist. Pedalite MD Simon Theobald said: “The great thing about Anklelite is that you’re guaranteed six hours of light in total darkness and it gives out a 360 degree visibility.
“The Anklelite charges off artificial light and the best thing of all is that it literally pays for itself. Because there’s no battery cost, the £12.49 retail price is quickly made up, making it a perfect impulse counter-top item.”
The Baglite is a £24.99 universally mountable set of lights that fix to any backpack, while a red rear light can be slung over the riders back. This went down well with the national press. The Guardianrated it in the top five products of the show, and The Times said it’s highly suitable as a child safety item.
The products are distributed by Raleigh, Green Oil and Coyote.
Moore Large
Moore Large revealed at Cycle Show that it is to carry a new premium wheel brand, BlackJack. Manufactured by wheel specialist Rodi, the distributor is carrying an extensive range covering on and off-road terrains.
Moore Large’s Martin Pounder said at the show: “Rodi produces OEM wheels for just about everybody. It was our goal to add a premium wheel line to our catalogue and BlackJack has a superb and diverse range. Just last week I rode 350 miles on a freeride set and they’ve come back completely unscathed and unaffected.”
Pounder also said that the return rate on BlackJack wheels was incredibly low: “Perhaps one in a thousand.”
All wheels are laced to Formula hubs. The BlackJack range has bolt-thru options, something for the fixie guys, as well as what Pounder describes as ‘wheels aimed at the Ultegra end of the market’.
Knog also had a few new items on show, including another light, this time called the boomer.
Costing £22.99, the 50 lumen front and 30 lumen rear light runs off a half watt LED and utilises the same polyurethane silicon strap as seen on existing models.
A variety of new multitools were also revealed to the trade. The line-up consists of a seven, 12 and 18-function set of multitools retailing at £22.99, £28.99 and £32.99 respectively. What is more, each is magnetic and compact, making them stackable with the foldable plier also unveiled (£21.99).
Lake was displaying a previously unseen shoe at the show – the CX236 – which is due to land in February 2010. The carbon-soled shoe will cost £120, is made from leather and uses the same lacing system as the current top end model.
Part One of the report is here.
Part Two of the report is here.
