BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The cold of winter is now upon us and with any luck the demand for lights and jackets should be on the rise. The following products are set to land with retail this month:
Dare 2b Turbulant Windshell
Dare 2b has a much-expanded catalogue coming into the winter season and is on the lookout for independent retailers to carry stock across the UK.
Based around feedback from the market, the firm has developed a number of new goods at very reasonable prices, including the £45 Turbulant Windshell for men and Blown Away women’s design. The garment takes note of the trend for versatile and stretchy fabrics, all while combining a tough water repellent Teflon coat, mesh overlays for ventilation and stretch bound cuffs. What’s more, the garment packs down to a handy small ball which can be stuffed into an accompanying sack.
The line extends to higher price points too and for £100, the Fullburst jacket comes packed with clever outdoorsy tech and flourescent colours. Made with Ared V02 20,000 stretch fabric, the garment provides protection against foul weather, as well as incorporating reflective piping and detail for greater visibility on the roads.
Dare 2b: 0161 749 1348
Oxford Products: new hand pumps
Oxford Products’ new catalogue features three new hand pumps, costing £9.99, £10.69 and £40.99.
Each is supplied with a handy plastic frame mount, which fixes onto any frame with bottle cage mounts. The most expensive of the trio, the Road CNC Telescopic, is a Presta only, CNC machined pocket size pump ideal for those not wanting to lug around a large unit to achieve a high PSI output.
The cyclist on a budget doesn’t do bad for a shade under, or over £10. For £10.69, Oxford’s hand pump opens out into a mini track pump with foldable pedestal and retractable eight-inch hose inside the barrel.
For just a penny under a tenner, customers can take away a Schrader and Presta valve compatible unit with an alloy barrel, alloy thumb lock, a fold out handle, carriage bracket and other clever features.
Oxford Products 01993 862 300
American Classic magnesium wheelset
For 2012, American Classic continues the development of magnesium wheels, pushed through by advocate, company president and engineer Bill Shook.
The material, chosen for its light weight, strength and ductility. Lighter than aluminium and more resistant to impacts than carbon fibre, the material naturally dampens vibration, even countering high-frequency vibration from typically smooth road surfaces.
Bent into shape in a method developed by Shook, the 2012 wheelsets come in at just 1,107 grams for the £799 wheelset and also in a tubeless road build, retailing for £750 and hitting the scales at 1,170 grams. The builds use American Classic’s unique hub internals.
The tubeless wheelset will be simple enough to work with thanks to a pre-installed inner AC fiber tape layer and outer AC honey-coloured double tape layer. Simply add a tubeless ready tyre and pump liquid sealant in via the included AC tubeless valves.
The wheels should land with UK distributor Eurobike in January.
Eurobike: 01332 774796
XML lights
Mountain bike light battery spare supplier MTB Batteries has begun importing XML lights, which use the latest technology, utilising a single Cree T6 high-power LED.
Delivering a claimed 1,000 lumens over three straight hours on high output, the light also has a medium, low and flash setting, should you be in the saddle through the night.
Coming with a discreet Lithium Ion battery pack with circuit protection, the head unit can be removed from the battery and plugged into a mains charger.
The head unit will indicate to the rider what power remains via the illuminated on/off button that simply glows green and red. The head unit is machined in all the right places to assist heat disapation.
Helmet bands, o-rings and a water-resistant battery pouch with two straps to secure to the bike frame are included in the package.
Trade accounts with MTB Batteries are available and the unit costs just £67 at retail. See mtbbatteries.co.uk for more information on XML Lights.
MTB Batteries: 07527 508273
