BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Friends of the Earth, Transport 2000 and many local campaign groups are furious that the government this afternoon gave the go-ahead for a £5.5bn package of road widening measures, yet offered little new for public transport schemes and cycle/pedestrian initiatives (although, as a smokescreen, cycling made it into the first paragraph of the transport secretary's speech to parliament this afternoon).

BEN as in Benevolant Fund, the motor and allied trade's charity (and the bicycle trade is one of those 'allied' trades).

The US corporation has bought the Villiger, Arrow, Tigra and Diamant brands from Villiger Sohne AG of Switzerland, a cigarette manufacturing company (slogan: "In love with tobacco")

The Goude Design Group can't get hold of Phat choppers and cruisers (designer: Gary Silva) so has inked a distribution deal with 3G bikes (designer: Gary Silva). 3G is Silva's new bike brand, formed after a fall-out with Phat. And because Silva - an ex-bike shop chain owner and one-time sponsor of Lance Armstrong - now lives in Taiwan and has formed a business relationship with a Chinese factory, there will be no problems with supply.

Wise words there from American Business Media. And naturally enough, ABM recommends companies should increase their ad spend with trade mags. Sensible stuff, especially in a downturn. And at a recent B2B sales conference, UK publishing industry bigwigs stressed the increasing relevance and cost-effectiveness of advertising in business magazines. And, for IBDs, there's similar advice from Randy Kirk...