BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Accell Group N.V. of the Netherlands has announced it is in talks on the acquisition of all outstanding shares in Seattle Bike Supply Inc., a major US distribution company based in, er Seattle.

1m spectators? 3m? 5m? Nobody's sure but everybody at today's star-spangled event agrees: seeing the Tour de France in London in 2007 will be HUGE for cycling. BikeBiz was at today's impressive launch and has mingled with the great and good of cycling, millions of local politicians and the biggest British cycling champion ever. Yes, Chris Boardman was here, but not him, we mean Ken Livingstone.

The bike builder, bike shop owner and top roadman has died at the age of 83.

Reports from Taiwan say that high-end third-party fabricator MT Racing Inc. ceased trading on first day of the year of the dog.

BBC2 Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson writes columns about running over cyclists if they stray in front of him at traffic lights. Co-presenter James May writes articles about the daft price of high-end bikes. His column in the Torygraph at the weekend complained about Porsche carbon fibre frames but lauds Dawes and Raleigh bikes for being cheaper. May also waxed lyrical about his Brompton, writing that he'd love the company to make cars, too.