BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
I-ride continues to slowly develop its portfolio and with the recent addition of the BikeFit label, now offers dealers an avenue to the complete high-end sales package. But what else has the distributor coming in 2015?
Orro
Never in doubt as a brand that would sell quickly, Orro’s main talking point wasn’t so much the bikes, most of which are pre-sold to the accounts lucky enough to secure them, but the clothing set for launch at the Cycle Show.
Charles Chambers the label’s designer told BikeBiz: “By September we’ll have a pair of jeans that have done six months worth of wash tests and come out the other side with no trouble. Unlike many other options on the market we’ll be fully bonded so there will be no stitching leaks and they’re quite breathable too thanks to the Shola denim used. All that for £90 and we’ve used chlorine free dyes.”
Back to the bikes and BikeBiz was told of another road build, as well as a singlespeed steel bike aiming at around the £500 mark currently in the pipeline.
Strip
New to the stable, ex-Science in Sport co-founder Tim Lawson has created Strip, a race day and cycle skin care brand.
Lawson explained: “If you’ve come through the club system you probably already know the importance of chamois cream, sun blocks and the like. But for all the beginners currently taking to cycling there needs to be an easy way for them to learn about the perks of using creams in store, we’ll be working hard on developing that.”
As a result there’s already some tidy point of sale countertop units, as well as a £49.99 race day package designed to open out and present the range of products. It’s not just skincare goods within either, Lawson has tucked in some other race day essentials such as a pack of wipes and even a tin of racecard pins.
All the products are alcohol free and ingredients include natural oils from coconut, which are naturally antimicrobial.
Bkool
With a revamped trainer boasting a stronger skewer and extendable feet for increased stability, BKool’s new platform is going after the rider who wants to immerse themselves in virtual rides.
Having even taken into account the momentum carried from a downhill into uphill gradient, the trainer is about as realistic as they come, pairing what’s on the screen with the resistance, even allowing the user to tweak a rides difficulty in the BKool editing studio.
There’s voice chat and Spotify connection too, allowing the rider to either put on some tunes, or connect with other users from around the globe, even allowing the rider to join a group ride on a circuit many thousands of miles away. With over 500,000 rides already uploaded there’s no shortage of routes, all of which can be shown in 2D, as a video or map on screen. The trainer’s smart electronics will also sense the surface texture and adjust accordingly, making it an ideal realistic training tool for cyclocross riders, among others.
It’s quieter than the prior version too, as well as becoming compatible with all Mac, Windows and tablets running iOS or Android.
3T
The first thing many would have noted on the 3T booth was a thick legged, full carbon 29er fork with some very tidy and subtle indentation in the carbon allowing for perfect cable routing toward the disc mounts.
On the road front you’ve new Aero Road bars in three versions, each offering internal routing through the carbon. Look out for the Team (£225), Team Stealth (£269) and a limited edition high modulus version (£300) in the i-ride catalogue.
Alpine Stars
With fresh samples having just landed, those who made it along to the multi-stop Velodrome tour would have been among the first to see the new apparel and protective gear.
For the enduro rider there’s fresh shorts and jerseys, including the new Drop line, offering a £45 short sleeve or £59.99 long sleeve garment that’s both lightweight and heavily ventilated. Within the jersey you’ll find stash pockets that double as goggle wipes and plenty more practical features. The matching Drop shorts will retail at £89.99 and come reinforced in all the key areas.
BikeFit
With so much high-end product on board it was only a matter of time before I-ride began to offer a bike-fitting product.
BikeFit’s methods work from the feet upwards, building the foundations and working up through the knees, pelvis and shoulder positioning. As such you’ll find a range of tools to accurately measure the customer when they’re in the saddle, as well as laser guides.
Courses with I-ride also begin in October. Email you representative for more details on how to sign up.
Fulcrum
Aesthetically Fulcrum’s 2015 catalogue is going to turn heads, but as you’d expect the real treat is in the detail.
The Racing Zero series has expanded from one wheelset to three, with the Zero, Zero Night and Zero carbon. A big plus for the dealer will be the reduction in price over last year’s Racing Zero. Each wheelset also runs on ceramic bearings, offering low friction.
Top of the range, the Zero carbon clincher is a totally new wheel, choosing to pair aluminium spokes with a full carbon rim. The result, we’re told, is a boost to the stiffness of the wheel. A tubular version is also set to go on sale when stock lands in October and November.
On the entry-level front, Fulcrum has also added a new Racing 5 and 7, both with increased rim widths and no increase in weight over the prior wheelsets.
Argon 18 & De Rosa
We’re expecting plenty of disc clad road bikes come Eurobike, that’s a given, but Argon 18 surprised us with the addition of a disc version of its popular Krypton, which your customer will soon be able to get hold of for £1,399. The mid-range De Rosa Idol also now comes with a disc option.
For those in search of something a bit sleeker, check out the new Argon 18 Nitrogen aero road build, priced from £3,499 (Ultegra) and hitting £4,149 and £4,999 with Di2 and Dura Ace upgrades.
For the full photoset, see here.
