BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Madison’s showing at the London Bike Show indicated at a few hidden gems brewing away behind the scenes ahead of the distributor’s popular house show. Covering an area worthy of its own post code in product, we caught glimpses of products such as the Genesis Fugio Reynolds steel CX bike and 853 Equilibrium frame set, to name just a few.
Pre-show, the distributor couldn’t let the cat too far out of the bag, but was able to say that retailers with a keen eye for product will see the debut of the Madison Genesis Team bike, the Volare, which will make an appearance on stage with the Madison Genesis team.
On to Saracen and the brand continues to evolve, with the Kili Flyer taking centre stage having waded into the 650b arena. With 120mm travel, this full suspension rig will be the major launch from the Saracen stand.
Garmin are to guide retailers through the newly launched 510 and 810, with regular seminars planned in for the duration of the show, including an active tracking demonstration.
iceBike* is of course primarily focused on new season launches, but has also proved popular with retail in recent years thanks to the seminars schedule, which once again draws on the retail experience of long-term US bike market analyst Jay Townley and retail guru Mercedes Ross, who is profiled earlier in this very magazine. Both speakers will give timetabled talks, but are often happy to take questions post session from retailers large or small on how to improve their business.
Back to product and Giro’s Taylor Phinney collaboration shoe, the Empire, is a must see, as is the Aaron Gwin developed jacket and much expanded women’s specific range.
Meanwhile, Bell remains devoted to protecting heads, with the new Super (Enduro/trail helmet with integrated GoPro mount) and Full 9 (new DH model, based on popular moto helmet, the Moto 9, developed with Aaron Gwin) both being shown to visitors for the first time.
If you hadn’t spotted them already in BikeBiz’s new products pages or at the London Bike Show, Thule has gone into luggage, more specifically backpacks for outdoorsy types. Weather proofed and stacked with compartments for laptops, padded areas for glasses and phones and compression straps among other features, Thule has come straight to market with some highly functional packs in varying sizes.
Demonstrations will also be available on the GoPro stand, with the flagship Hero 3 and its ‘cinema quality’ resolution and high frame rate open to tests by dealers interested in helmet cams. Experts from the firm will be in attendance to discuss full App/wifi functionality, among other new developments.
Those are just a few sneak peaks Madison has passed on, though dealers can also expect new brand launches, including exhibitions on the Chariot, BoBike and MuleBar brands, each of which has just inked fresh distribution agreements with Madison.
iceBike* attendees will receive exclusive access to a huge variety of show offers and pre orders, which are only open to trade visitors.
