BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The brand is being imported by Van Comfort, the leisure division of Beeversales Components Ltd. MD Dennis Beever set up his wholesale agricultural accessories business in 1971 but, coincidentally, had previously served a technical drawing apprenticeship at Raleigh.
The offering from Sarda is wide: there are Sarda city, MTB, dual suss, children’s and folding bikes. Prices for the adult bikes range from £180 to £300.
The Sarda factory is situated close to Izmir, western Turkey and was built in November 2000. Van Comfort say the factory is “state of the art”.
According to a piece in BikeEurope (Dec 2000) the Sarda factory can churn out 400 000 bikes a year, half of which are planned for export. All its bikes are EU duty free thanks to a high-level of European parts.
Turkey is currently seeking membership of the European Union.
The Sarda factory is owned by the family-run Sarda Group and was originally formed by Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio and the Turkish Key Group in 1992 in order to build bikes for Bianchi Europe. It was called Bianchi Turkey. In 1997 the Sarda Group bought out the shares of the original founders.
Piaggio later sold Bianchi to Cycleurope but Sarda kept the Bianchi name for its Turkish bikes.
Sarda’s Izmir location means bikes can be shipped to Europe far faster than from the Far East. A container can leave Izmir and be in Rotterdam within ten days.
Van Comfort has taken a stand at the Harrogate trade show.
Tel: 01777 701804.
