BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
That Tim Johnson of Sideways walked away with best bike shop and best print advert says a lot about his skills as a bulletin board habitue. His omniscient presence on the Singletrackworld forum – the busiest bike forum in the UK – ensured site readers plumped for his tiny little shop rather than the big guns such as Evans or Edinburgh Bicycle.
Skewed? Perhaps, but it shows what can be done by a web-savvy retailer intelligent enough to mix it with an enthusiast-only audience. Another Singletrack forum regular – Steve Baskerville of Real Cycles in Belfast, a relatively new micro-IBD – was one of the runners-up in the best bike shop category.
And being featurfed on BikeBiz.com also seemed to be a good way of influencing the on-site judges who chose the best stand of the show and the best new product. Whilst all the other awards were chosen by 6000 Singletrackworld.com voters, the best stand and best innovation awards were picked by Bob Chicken Snr, Singletrack’s Mark Alker, Cycle 2003’s Elaine Curtin and show director Mick Bennett. Turbospoke won the best stand gong and KMX Karts won best new product.
At an auction after the dinner and the awards, Singletrack editor Chipps Chippendale used a spoon as a gavel and flogged stuff such as rider jerseys to
The award winners – all presented with trophies made by Hope Technology – were:
Best UK Trail:
HELLY HANSEN BLACK V TRAIL, GLENTRESS
Runners-up
The Wall, Afab Argoed
Marin Trail, Gwydyr
Witch’s Trail, Fort William
Personality of the year:
STEVE PEAT
Runners-up
Pat Adams
Tracey Moseley
David Millar
Bike of the year:
SANTA CRUZ BLUR
Runners-up
Specialized Enduro
On One Inbred
Santa Cruz Heckler
Best dream bike:
MAVERICK ML7
Runners-up
Santa Cruz Blur
Seven Sola
Trek 5200 (wot? a road bike?)
Best published image:
LEAPING LE TOUR, SCOTT MARKEWITZ
Best magazine article:
200 YARDS OF SINGLETRACK, VARIOUS AUTHORS, SINGLETRACK MAGAZINE
Best UK cycling event:
FORT WILLIAM WORLD CUP
Runners-up
Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem
Shimano Sleepless in the Saddle
Fat Tyre Festival 2003
Best print advert
SIDEWAYS CYCLES
Runners-up
Race Face SDG saddles ad
Independent Fabrications Snakes and Ladders
Oakley Brian Lopes
Best Retail Outlet
SIDEWAYS CYCLES, CHESHIRE
Runners-up
Big Foot Bikes, Kent
Real Cycles, Northern Ireland
Chelmer Cycles, Essex
PIX:
Top: KMX weren’t at last night’s awards so Phil Liggett handed the prize to BDC’s Tanem Mehmet
Base top: Keith Bontrager hands Phil Liggett a set of Bontrager USPS wheels and praised the road commentator to the rooftops…
Base middle: Chipps at the auction, which raised £2000+ for Cancer Research UK
Base base: Cycle 2003’s Mick Bennett paid £600 for a signed pic of the Dave Watson jump at this year’s Tour de France and here, admiring the print, are BDC’s MD Dominic Jones, Bennett (middle) and BDC owner Jack Morris
