BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
With the glut of shows at this time of the year, you’d be forgiven for thinking you could skip a few and not miss much (and for many shops there won’t be enough hours in the week) but it seems the product design teams of the bike trade are an industrious lot willing to prove that assertion wrong, with new products turning up in each and every show.
Moore Large’s burgeoning Geared Autumn show is no exception, unearthing some new gems and serving as a reminder of what’s shortly arriving in stock, particularly if you didn’t get over to Eurobike. It also featured more bikes than it showed off at the NEC Cycle Show appearance, so skipping this house show may have meant you missed a few of the new bikes coming into the ranges. So without further ado…
Bobbin’s Junior range is now coming into stock with Moore Large. The new line includes balance bikes which – in the main – are mirroring the adult ranges in styling, particularly the ever popular Brownie and Birdie bikes.
Haro, meanwhile, is introducing a wider variety of price points to its line-up with the intention of broadening its customer base and making it more accessible.
Cuda has jumped into the competitive high quality junior bike market, facing off against the likes of Islabikes and Frog. The range starts from £220 and runs up to £400 and includes 14,16 and 18 inch bikes. The range comes in just the two unisex colours as Cuda wants to keep the range tight and compact. Sizes run up to 24, 26 and 700 and the bikes come in two types of tyres – cross or road. They’ll be arriving in stock at the end of October.
Onto Moda, which has at least four new models to attract your attention, largely in a classy monochrome styling. The new Stretto is the flagship in the brand’s road line-up, updating what is the most popular in the carbon road range. Featuring full LDC high modulus carbon in the frame and fork, brake and gear cables are internally routed with Press Fit 86BB for improved drive stiffness.
The aluminium TT/triathlon Mossa hits the £1,000 price and will be available at the end of October. This Tiagra-loaded aero double butted aluminium frame is pitched as an introduction to the sector. Arco is Moda’s aluminium track bike (£1,000), with a semi-aero design and American Classic 3 420 track wheels.
Last but not least, the new Finale comes with a fancy retro copper and red design that stands out in the largely monochrome range and was built using feedback from the Bike Place show in January, where it was first shown off to dealers. This top of the range aero carbon bike features an aero integrated full carbon fork running into an over sized head/down tube.
Forme’s new full suspension mountain bike – Lathkill – is a well specced machine that is a self-confessed “big step up” for the brand. Featuring components from Race face, Rockshox, Stealth Reverb, crankbrothers and more, the bike is specced with the kind of components customers would like to have, brand guru Joe Poyzer told BikeBiz. It’s about twice the price of its former nearest model at £2,500 and features 140mm and an exclusive frame. There’s some nice Ordnance Survey detailing of local climbs too.
Forme’s MTBs have all got new graphics while there’s a variation on the Hooklow ‘multi-route bike’ – or gravel bike if you prefer.The versatile ride now comes with a flat bar option which is indicative of the brand’s ethos of delivering what customers want, Poyzer explains, trying to make cycling more accessible with some commuters (who wouldn’t necessarily class themselves as ‘cyclists’) telling the brand they don’t like drop bars. Forme now also offers a disc brake option in the Longcliffe at the £1,000 sweetspot.
Onza is keen to keep to its MTB roots, using steel and blending the old with the new. The brand is to offer a custom build option online. The customer chooses their build and details online, the order comes through to Moore Large and then it is passed onto bike shops to make contact with the customer and go from there. The bikes are UK built over in the Derby HQ with just a two to three day turnaround.
Onza provides a nice segueway into the P&A part of the show, as it now offers an updated version of the super comfortable and popular Ules grip. Now in a lock on version, they come in tan, black and there’s plans for a camo version too.
Sigma’s wearable Activo fitness band has been plugged before but it’s now in stock with Moore Large. It counts steps, calories and even analyses sleep in this growing product category. Sticking with wearables, the RC Move is a state of the art training aid in the form of a watch, with a massive 260-hour log capacity. Sigma also has a natty new brake light that is reasonably priced and comes in a wide range of colours.
Busy Bobbin not only has the aforementioned new junior bikes, but also a broad accessory line up, including vintage style lights, lots of luggage, bells, saddles and much more. That’s all now in stock except for the incoming helmets.
Proviz has refined its tech with the Reflect 360+ range, including a new breathable fabric for the jacket. The reflective material is now perforated and backed with breathable and waterproof film, while the shoulders and sleeves have been changed to a raglan style for improved movement in the shoulders and upper back.
No doubt you are up to date with Knog’s now three-range-strong line of lights where Pop is the new entry level offering in ten designs, including ‘mild or wild’.
Elsewhere there’s been improvements made to the straps, as used by the likes of the Blinder Mob, eliminating breakage issues and with improved tech all for the same price. In short, there’s plenty more Knog lights now at Moore Large, with something available for virtually everyone.
Alpina eyewear is new for Moore Large but the brand best known for its skiwear is an old hand at this glasses lark and has brought over tech and styles from the ski world.
American Classic’s all carbon Carbonators are now in stock with the distributor. The brand’s wide Smokin’ Gun wheels were very popular at Eurobike and they’re now in at ML, while the whole range has been improved with graphics and specs, we’re told.
Onto footwear and Lake has a couple of new additions. The MX180 harkens back to Lake’s enduro and DH heritage, aimed at providing the ultimate upper protection against the elements with a secure fit and sure-footed grip on any surface. That grip is due in part to the Hypergrip rubber sole with Icelock tread inserts. They are vertically injected micro glass fibres that grip virtually all surfaces.
Finally, the MX168 is all about utility, durability, foot protection and long lasting comfort. They are designed for all-round mountain biking, enduro touring and adventure racing.
For more on Moore Large’s latest products, get to www.moorelarge.co.uk
This article originally appeared in the October edition of BikeBiz, which you can download or read online in full for free.
