BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

A German product safety lab's testing rig has found axle slippage thanks to disc brake ejection forces. And a Glasgow bike-shop owner with a physics degree stopped a 'real world' QR test after just three days when a disc-brake equipped bike was found to have a QR loosened by a full 10 degrees.

Armstrong is already a one-man industry but Jim Andrews of IEG in Chicago, which publishes IEG Sponsorship Report, believes he could be an even bigger earner when he retires. And it's not just the likes of Coke and Bristol-Myers Squibb that would latch on to Lance, the bike trade would also benefit. A signature line of bikes and accessories would be an obvious move for Trek and there's potential for other spin-off's too.

The ads can only be seen by viewers in North America, but via the cable TV company's coverage of the Tour Cannondale will be seen by 4m consumers. OLN video extracts of the Tour can be viewed on the internet through OLN's own website or the ASO's official Tour site at www.letour.com. The OLN commentators are Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.

Atlantic, operator of antiques markets in London, is starting a Sunday Cycle Market in the E1 area of London. This will form part of the famous Petticoat Lane Sunday Market. 100 stalls are up for grabs, at £25 per stall per Sunday.

Hein Verbruggen of the UCI is an inveterate reformer. But his dictats have not always gone down well in the industry, especially when his back-to-the-basics campaign to prevent technological advances on racing bikes have impacted on sales of high-margin kit. However, in a recent meeting in Switzerland, representatives from Euro bike trade orgs COLIBI and COLIPED met with Verbruggen and UCI tech officials to "open up direct communication."