The latest Cycling Industry News mag is now live

Bike retail trends, how to boost customer satisfaction in shops and combating electric misinformation… it’s all in the latest edition of Cycling Industry News, which is on its way to subscribers and live online now.

This issue includes:

• More retail input on bike prices and the long slow return to RRP…
• Retail trends that are proving hard to shift
• Ananda on its open eBike drive systems and increased support in Europe
• Token appointments: One columnist provides a scathing view on token diversity hires
• Get fit with fizik: We speak with the brand where correct fit is paramount
• Fighting misinformation: The car industry is fighting it’s own electric misinformation battle. Can the bike industry pick up some tips?
• Taking care (of staff) in the workshop: Weldtite on market changes and the benefits of foam degreasers and cleaners in the workshop
• The next best time is now: The latest in our series of future tailwinds and headwinds predicted to affect the industry
• More on Bob Elliot’ diversification into manufacture, and how IBDs help guide the evolution of KX Wheels
• And more!

Don’t get a copy in the post and would like one? Head to our subscription portal, where you can also ensure you receive our regular email newsletters.

FROM THE EDITOR

THE DUST IS (STILL) SETTLING

After a seismic 2023, shows like COREbike at the start of 2024 were a good opportunity for shops to become familiar with which  distributors were now handling which brands.

And we’re in a similar situation 12 months on. There are still notable absences in the market and it’s likely there are brands negotiating behind the scenes with potential distributors. Forums and closed Facebook chat groups are still chock full of posts along the lines of “so, who does x brand now?” and “how do I get hold of x now y has gone under…” Even heavy hitters like Cannondale have adjusted their approach to the UK and only recently (December) pinned down a new route to the British market, with Saddleback.

It’s probably no surprise it is taking so long for the dust to settle in the market. The strength of the headwinds the industry has endured have been huge. The overstocks, the holes left where Brexit slammed the brakes on some UK to Europe trading, investors pulling their backing for big retailers and brands… Clearly not all companies have endured, and the industry has lost talent and been thinned down. Against that backdrop, the rise of the eBike in the UK has been a big success story, but also undoubtedly a new set of challenges for the industry to absorb. Tying up more value on the shop floor, the misinformation challenge (page 44 in the latest CIN) and a new set of skills for mechanics to acquire, the advent of eBikes has been a big change.

But what an industry, eh? Cycling is hardly alone in experiencing a disrupted few years, but the sector has gone through some extreme highs and lows lately and has (largely) come out of the other side. Next year promises to be challenging for sure, but there’s a whiff of change and a touch more optimism now that we’ve “survived to 2025”. There’s also a good deal of built-up appetite to do more than just survive, so we look forward to 2025 with a keen interest. See you then.