BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Steve Lubanski of Open Road Bicycle Shop in Pasadena launched his Side Mount Pedals at Interbike. He said he hopes to capture 10 to 15 percent of the high-end pedal market. The SMp pedal is a tiny oreo-biscuit shaped disc, the cleat as clunky as most others on the market. Lubanski says the SMp system gives a four percent pedal-stoke efficiency advantage and allows cyclists to be fitted to smaller - and therefore lighter - bikes.

The Power Pedal from Tomax of Ireland generates its own power when in motion, lighting up three small orange LEDs. The patent-pending Pedalite pedal from Pedalite Ltd of Surrey, England, stores energy in a similar fashion and powers white, amber and red LEDs. The Pedalite pedal was premiered at Interbike.

Who?

That's how an Israeli innovations specialist is wooing investors in a new bicycle components company. Monotorque is an automatic gear for bikes. The company has attracted seed investment of $300k from Israeli incubator funds and wants to become a $10m-a-year industry player or be bought by Shimano. Mazel tov.

The Borough of Ealing received a Special Commendation in London Cycling Campaign's annual award scheme for its start-to-finish cycling initiative, ‘Marketing Cycling’. This is aimed at both children and adults that incorporates cycle parking, cycle training, workplace information and bike buddy schemes. The judges praised the joined-up thinking in Ealing’s approach.