BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Two North Yorkshire inn-keepers claim their business was kept afloat by cyclists, the only visitors who ventured into the Yorkshire Dales at the height of the foot and mouth crisis

London mayor Ken Livingstone was meant to be the star attraction at yesterday's All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group meeting at the House of Commons, but he failed to show. However there were impressive and passionate performances from former transport minister Steve Norris and bolshy biking MP Ben Bradshaw

Overall sales at Halfords increased by 6.9 percent to £272.1m but in today's half year results to 30th September the 14.2 percent drop in cycle sales was attributed to a "depressed market" (Halfords doesn't have Specialized, Trek or Giant - see their success stories from earlier in the week) and the absence of "a strong promotional programme this year".

Visitors to Continental's UK bicycle tyre site - which is packed with more tyre info, competitions, and up-to-date reviews and news - can now download a PDF of the 40-page 2002 Conti catalogue, which won't be available in the print version until December

Will Red Ken turn out to be Green Ken? Probably not, London cyclists have recently been up in arms (or should that be legs?) about the slashing of the capital city's cycling budget, okayed by Ken. The great and the good from the UK bike industry will be at tonight's meeting.