Cycling Industry News – Issue 03 – 2026

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ISSUE 03 / 2026

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03 Editor CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:14 Page 1

FROM THE

E D I TO R

Cycling Industry Chat @CyclingIndustry cycling-industry-news

NOT JUST THE HIGHFALUTIN’ IT’S not been difficult to come across a discussion about bike prices in the past few years and readers of CIN will have seen a fair few articles chew over the topic. The reason I am trudging back down that particular path is because there are some clear signs that some brands are taking note. At COREbike this year, there were brands that were pointedly targeting the entry level with their accessories lines and launches because, as one rep put it: “We see this is a gap at the market which has been underserved”. By chance, the next distributor I spoke with said much the same thing. Two informal chats do not a trend make, but absolutely stand out when that entry level has very often been the overlooked and maligned corner of the market.

With an economic outlook where corporate and personal budgets are tightish (but not for those that can afford an £8,000 bike, they seem to continue merrily onwards) it seems a logical move to target the entry level. That has perhaps been borne out by Tandem Group which has, as a colleague notes in a feature elsewhere in this issue, seen a resurgence in sales with lines of bikes that resolutely are not pitched at the highfalutin’ top end of the market. For a particular kind of industry like the cycling market, there are myriad reasons why the entry level might not appear an attractive proposition; An existing heavy-hitting player (Halfords), the curse of the enthusiast – of course you’re more inclined to focus on exciting premium kit...

The loss of two significant distributors that provided a wealth of options for the entry level – I’m thinking Moore Large and Raleigh (the latter withdrawing from P&A in favour of bikes only) – was profound for the UK trade. Following that industry rug pull, there was not – perhaps understandably – a sudden rush from competitors to fill that gap, who were busy dealing with their own headwinds and troublesome cash flows in a contracted market. To be blunt, it probably wasn’t the right time to take on a bunch of new lines. Is there still a good-sized space in the entry level available here in Q1 2026? Almost certainly.

But that space is contracting. That’s a good thing and indicates some further balance and indeed normalisation for the bicycle market.

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Jerry Ramsdale jerry@cyclingindustry.news Editor

Jonathon Harker jon@cyclingindustry.news Reporter

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2016 | 2026

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MARKET DATA 2025 AVAILABLE NOW > GET YOUR LICENCE FOR THE LATEST REPORT TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THE 2025 MARKET DATA, PLEASE CONTACT JON@CYCLINGINDUSTRY.NEWS

04 MARKET DATA - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:14 Page 1

2026

OVERHEADS & HEADCOUNTS AI, staff headcounts, overheads and trading… fresh data gleaned from the latest CIN Market Data report provides a window into these topics and more…

WITH PROLONGED CHALLENGING TRADING CONTINUING, WHICH APPLY HEADING INTO 2026?

OVERHEAD COSTS RISING ARE OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN TO ABILITY TO TRADE 62% I HAVE GIVEN STAFF PAY RISES IN LINE WITH OR ABOVE INFLATION

30%

I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GIVE STAFF A RISE 17% I AM HOLDING CASH BACK

19%

I HAVE ADJUSTED MY MAIN SUPPLIERS YEAR-ON-YEAR TO SOURCE GOODS

30%

CONSUMERS ARE HOLDING ONTO THEIR CASH, OR REMAIN DISCOUNT ORIENTATED 65% The jobs market is often used as a reference point for the overall economic health of a nation and the impact of AI on recruitment – if not actively making people redundant but expected to impact future recruitment levels – is pushing the topic even further into focus.

So, what about the cycle market retail frontlines? The data gleaned from the very latest CIN Market Data reveals a downwards trend.

While the vast majority (70%) kept headcount the same in the last 12 months, a sizeable 17% reduced their staff numbers. That decrease wasn’t much evened out by 8% increasing their staff numbers. It seems unlikely that AI is to blame here, but you can tell us otherwise if we’ve got that assumption incorrect (jon@cyclingindustry.news).

Overheads It will come as little surprise that rising overheads are concerning to the nation’s independent cycle dealers and workshops.

A whopping 62% (see above) said that overhead costs rising are a significant concern to continue to trade, in answer to the question ‘with prolonged challenging trading continuing, which apply heading into 2026?’. There’s further detail in more of the answers to the same question, revealing that almost a third (30%) have given staff pay rises in line

04 cyclingindustry.news

with or above inflation. The rise in costs affecting businesses are being mirrored by inflation hitting households, presenting something of a double whammy for employers. 17% of shops said they were unable to give staff a rise.

These challenges are prompting behaviour for stores – 18% are holding cash back and a third (30%) are adjusting their main suppliers year-on-year to source goods. Underlining the state of current trading, a huge 65% said that consumers are holding onto their cash, or remain discount orientated.

With the unwelcome surprise war on Iran following attacks from the joint forces of the USA and Israel, which at time of press looks destined to impact prices in the UK and elsewhere, as well as heap extra geopolitical uncertainty on the world in addition to the considerable human cost, the inflationary picture does not look particularly bright.

If the overall story is of business being cautious, then it would appear that AI is not the main reason, but is instead part of the mix.

New report landing soon The CIN Market Data 2026 report will be arriving with contributors in the coming weeks, bringing findings and insights from the retail front lines. For more details, contact jon@cyclingindustry.news

06 08 09 10 12 ANALYSIS - Werner and Brexit - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:15 Page 1

IN DEPTH BREXIT

THE COST OF FRICTION The borderline: The symbolism of the white cliffs of Dover was heavily used in the Brexit campaign

A decade after the Brexit referendum, the political noise has faded – but the commercial paperwork has not. Werner Müller-Schell speaks with leading figures from both the UK and EU bicycle industries to assess how separation has reshaped trade, influence and long-term strategy…

T “51.9% OF BRITISH VOTERS CHOSE TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION. FEW IN THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY – ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WATER – ANTICIPATED HOW LONG THE AFTERSHOCKS WOULD REVERBERATE”

06 cyclingindustry.news

he Channel is only twenty miles wide between Dover and Calais – but since June 2016 it has come to feel considerably broader. That month, 51.9% of British voters chose to leave the European Union. Few in the bicycle industry – on either side of the water – anticipated how long the aftershocks would reverberate. Of course, nearly ten years on from the referendum, and five years since the UK’s definitive exit from the single market and customs union, Brexit has faded from headlines.

But in supply chains, standards committees and trade statistics, it remains stubbornly present.

“Quite quickly after the vote, there was a sense of the UK not being relevant anymore in European discussions – and vice versa. The reality was that people just moved on. And that is the reality across all layers of the bicycle industry to this day,” says Kevin Mayne. The former head of the industry federation Cycling Industries Europe is one of the bicycle sector’s most experienced policy voices in Brussels and observed the shift from close

range. “Yes, Brexit has left its marks on both the European and UK bicycle industries,” he adds. It is an assessment Mayne is not alone in – a cross-section of executives, association leaders and market observers on both sides of the Channel describe a similar recalibration of trade flows, influence and strategic priorities since 2016.

From political shock to trade reality First, a broader look back. The referendum of June 2016 did not immediately alter trading conditions; rather, it opened a prolonged period of negotiation, political turbulence and strategic uncertainty that weighed on investment decisions across industries. For more than four years, companies operated in a state of limbo, unsure which rules would ultimately govern cross-border commerce and reluctant to make long-term commitments. The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on 31 January 2020, but remained inside the single market and customs union during a transition phase designed to cushion the break. Only at the

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06 08 09 10 12 ANALYSIS - Werner and Brexit - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:15 Page 2

IN DEPTH BREXIT

turn of the year 2021 did the new reality fully and irrevocably take hold.

This reality looks as follows: with the end of the transition period on January 1, 2021, the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement entered into force, defining the new framework for economic relations. While it successfully avoided tariffs for goods meeting rules-of-origin requirements, it simultaneously reintroduced customs declarations, VAT procedures and a range of regulatory formalities. What had once been frictionless internal trade within a shared market became third-country business almost overnight. Since then, goods flows have weakened, particularly among smaller exporters less able to absorb administrative burdens.

Borders function today and processes are standardised, yet complexity and compliance costs remain structurally and permanently higher – Brexit has thus evolved from a political shock into an embedded trade reality.

This is also reflected in economic figures. Since the end of the transition period, goods flows have weakened significantly on both sides of the new border, particularly among smaller exporters less able to absorb administrative burdens. According to firmlevel analysis cited in a 2025 European

08 cyclingindustry.news

Parliament briefing, United Kingdom exports to the European Union have fallen more sharply – by around 6.4% since the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement – than European Union exports to the United Kingdom, with persistent drops below pre-Brexit baselines amid higher compliance costs for small and medium-sized enterprises. That same review of bilateral trade flows through 2024 confirms goods stagnation for both sides, though European Union services exports to the United Kingdom have rebounded past

“TODAY, THE SYSTEM WORKS - BUT IT IS STRUCTURALLY MORE COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE... THE SHIFT REQUIRED MORE CAPITAL AND A MORE CONSERVATIVE RISK POSTURE THAN PRE-2016”

pre-pandemic levels while United Kingdom financial services lag.

How industry leaders absorbed the shock If Brexit has shifted from political shock to structural trade reality, it is in the day-to-day operations of large manufacturers that this reality becomes tangible. For companies deeply embedded in European supply chains, the change was less about tariffs than about process. “At Schwalbe, the biggest challenge was the shift from an internal market business to full third-country processes,” recalls Steffen Jüngst, Team Lead Communication & PR at the German manufacturer. Customs declarations, origin checks and expanded documentation replaced what had once been routine intra-EU deliveries. Early on, interpretations of new rules varied among companies, customs authorities and logistics providers, causing delays and extra workload. Today, Jüngst says, processes have stabilised.

Yet stabilisation does not mean simplification: compliance is more demanding, supply chains more tightly calibrated, and administrative costs structurally higher than before 2021.

Ortlieb faced similar structural

06 08 09 10 12 ANALYSIS - Werner and Brexit - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:15 Page 3

Policy reversal: Changing UCKA requirements placed further expense upon brands – some later rendered unnecessary

adjustments, though with its own logistical particularities. If Schwalbe’s challenge lay primarily in regulatory recalibration, for the Bavarian equipment specialist, the early disruption was most visible at the border itself.

“The unstable logistics were the most critical element,” recalls CEO Martin Esslinger. Compared to the immediate aftermath of Brexit, the situation has stabilised, he adds, but the level of complexity remains high. “Interestingly, local trade in the United Kingdom has benefited indirectly: since online direct sales from continental Europe have become significantly more difficult, our partners on the ground have been able to strengthen their market position. Despite this effect, our conviction remains clear: free and unhindered movement of goods is always the preferable foundation for healthy market development.”

Brompton, as a UK-based manufacturer, experienced the shift from the opposite side of the Channel. Where continental suppliers had to adapt to a newly external market, the Londonbased folding bike specialist suddenly found itself exporting into its largest trading partner under third-country conditions. “Today, the system works – but it is structurally more complex and

expensive,” agrees CEO Will ButlerAdams with the previous industry voices. In anticipation of disruption, Brompton increased component inventory and scrutinised its supply chain to comply with rules-of-origin requirements under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. “The shift required more capital and a more conservative risk posture than pre2016,” Butler-Adams adds.

Another perspective comes from Hayes Bicycle Group, the U.S. component specialist behind brands such as Manitou, Reynolds, ProTaper and Sunringle. Active across both the EU

“SINCE ONLINE DIRECT SALES FROM CONTINENTAL EUROPE HAVE BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DIFFICULT, SO OUR PARTNERS ON THE GROUND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR MARKET POSITION”

and UK markets, the company felt the impact directly. For Colin Williams, EMEA Aftermarket Account Manager, Brexit can be summed up in one word: “friction”. The shift to full customs procedures added costs and administrative layers, complicating supply to the UK. Changing UKCA requirements created further expense – some later rendered unnecessary. Hayes also had to rebuild its UK distribution after partners exited, now supplying from Munich. Delivery times remain longer than before 2021, though conditions have improved. “Since then, conditions have improved. More brands are adapting to the new trading framework. The government appears to be taking steps to reduce friction,” Williams says.

The numbers behind the friction A 2024 study by Aston University confirms the broader trend. According to the results, the value of UK goods exports to the EU fell by 27% between 2021 and 2023, while imports dropped by 32%. Particularly affected were agriculture, textiles and wood products, with some export categories collapsing altogether. Researchers also note that 1,645 types of British goods disappeared from EU trade flows.

cyclingindustry.news 09

06 08 09 10 12 ANALYSIS - Werner and Brexit - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:16 Page 4

IN DEPTH BREXIT

Smaller exporters were hit hardest, many abandoning EU markets as administrative costs mounted. While tariffs were largely avoided, non-tariff barriers – customs checks, VAT procedures and regulatory compliance – have steadily reduced trade intensity.

Bicycles and related components were, however not mentioned.

If the data illustrate contraction, bicycle industry journalist Mark Sutton has watched it unfold in real time at shop-floor level. “There’s a literal and a sentimental answer to this,” he says. “In the literal sense, I watched on a year-to-year basis big swings in import and export trade that ultimately cut short some very fruitful relationships. In the sentimental sense, seeing first-hand relationships disintegrate and faith lost in trading partnerships has been extremely disheartening. A retail survey he conducted at the time found that “9 in 10 shops said they were doing less trade with Europe year-to-year when the effects started to really kick in, which is a pain felt up the chain.”

Some businesses that later collapsed cited Brexit as a cause. “Now, I think it is beyond doubt that they were telling the truth, though Covid’s arrival clouded things somewhat.”

10 cyclingindustry.news

Beyond the numbers, Sutton describes a loss of confidence and influence. “As far as I can tell, we do not have a single example of the UK having a stronger trading hand than pre-Brexit with any country,” he argues. European brands, he notes, increasingly hesitate.

“We saw many brands withdraw from the UK market,” and even today he fields inquiries that “sadly don’t materialise.” The additional paperwork and import charges “have become a barrier that has made trading more difficult, though not impossible.” While stability has improved compared with the

“OVERALL, BREXIT HAS HARMED THE BRITISH MUCH MORE THAN THE EUROPEAN BICYCLE INDUSTRY”

immediate post-Brexit years, the UK, in Sutton’s assessment, has yet to regain the momentum it once enjoyed within Europe’s bicycle economy.

Institutions on the sidelines From an institutional standpoint, the consequences of Brexit extend beyond customs forms and logistics costs. For Anke Schäffner, Head of Political Affairs at the German industry association ZIV – German Bicycle Industry, the initial phase was defined above all by uncertainty. Questions from member companies ranged from CE marking validity to the introduction of the UKCA label. “As an association, we received a number of inquiries from our members arising from the general uncertainty surrounding Brexit,” she recalls. In the meantime, routines have been established and regulatory questions clarified. Yet her overall assessment is sober: “Overall, Brexit has harmed the British much more than the European bicycle industry,” she observes.

On the British side, Kevin Mayne observes a more structural loss of influence. As former head of Cycling Industries Europe, he watched how the UK gradually disappeared from policy platforms, research frameworks

06 08 09 10 12 ANALYSIS - Werner and Brexit - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:16 Page 5

IN DEPTH BREXIT

Aside from practicalities at customs, Brexit has moved Britain ‘outside the room’ in European level discussions in the trade

and standards discussions. European cycling policy has advanced in areas such as sustainability, smart mobility and funding mechanisms–often without British participation. “You need to stay in those rooms,” Mayne has argued elsewhere. Recently, associations in the UK have begun to reengage through European umbrella bodies, but the dynamic has changed: instead of shaping frameworks from within, the UK increasingly finds itself reacting to rules formulated elsewhere. In Mayne’s assessment, “The UK has become a follower.”

A look into the future If Brexit has become a managed constraint rather than a headline shock, the next question for industry leaders is whether that constraint can at least be softened. Across continental Europe, the tone is less confrontational than pragmatic. Kevin Mayne points to “green signs” as British associations gradually reappear in European umbrella structures – a reminder that influence begins with presence.

At Schwalbe, Steffen Jüngst notes that the ongoing stabilisation of operational processes has created a basis from which simplification would be

12 cyclingindustry.news

technically feasible. The sentiment: for many European executives, the priority is no longer ideological alignment but predictability: clearer procedures, fewer friction and steady regulatory frameworks.

That pragmatic instinct is increasingly mirrored in politics. The Labour government speaks of a “reset” in relations with Brussels, while firmly excluding a return to the single market or customs union.

What remains is the middle ground: selective technical alignment, smoother border administration, and closer coop-

“10 YEARS AFTER THE REFERENDUM, BREXIT IS NO LONGER AN EXISTENTIAL RUPTURE FOR EUROPE’S BICYCLE INDUSTRY. IT IS A CONDITION – ABSORBED INTO COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENTS, SUPPLY CHAINS AND PRICING MODELS”

eration in areas such as sustainability regulation and research participation.

For the EU, safeguarding the integrity of the single market remains non-negotiable; for the UK, economic realities encourage regulatory proximity without formal reintegration. The likely trajectory is therefore incremental rather than dramatic – quiet adjustments instead of constitutional upheaval. In Brussels and Berlin, the prevailing mood is transactional: reduce friction where mutual interest allows, without reopening settled battles.

An overview shows: ten years after the referendum, Brexit is no longer an existential rupture for Europe’s bicycle industry. It is a condition – absorbed into compliance departments, supply chains and pricing models. Trade continues, innovation continues, investment continues, albeit within narrower margins and looser political ties. The Channel remains only 20 miles wide. In regulatory and strategic terms, however, it is still a distance that must be bridged deliberately, shipment by shipment and meeting by meeting.

Words: Werner Müller-Schell Image credits: Wolfgang Claussen, Pearse Walker & almathias from Pixabay

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14 EVENT PREVIEW - Local Bike Shop Week - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:16 Page 1

EVENT PREVIEW LOCAL BIKE SHOP WEEK

“THE BEATING HEART OF CYCLING COMMUNITIES IN THE UK” After nine years, Local Bike Shop Day is making way for Local Bike Shop Week by popular request, and the intention remains the same – to celebrate the independent bike sector…

C

elebrating independent retail businesses is a notion that’s supported pretty broadly by the public and the likes of Record Store Day and Bookshop Day have proved long term successes, reminding the general public that they have a role to play if they want to keep their local high streets and shopping precincts vibrant.

Wisely, the bike retail world got in on the act around nine years ago and this year is ramping things up further, evolving Local Bike Shop Day into Local Bike Shop Week.

Running 3-9 May 2026, Local Bike Shop Week will provide a platform and opportunity for dealers. Participating retailers will have access to an assets pack for use in store and online, along with a promotions inspiration book featuring ideas such as bike shop pub quizzes and fastest wrench competitions. Content creation activities including interviews with brands, retailers and riders will help raise awareness throughout the week.

Local Bike Shop Awards Managed by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), the initiative is designed to showcase the personalised service and community spirit that independent cycle retailers bring to high streets and neighbourhoods nationwide.

The week-long celebration will

14 cyclingindustry.news

feature a new element for 2026, the inaugural Local Bike Shop Awards.

These awards will recognise independent retailers who go above and beyond to support cyclists, champion active travel and keep local cycle shops thriving, from expert repairs and welcoming new riders to supporting local events and keeping communities moving.

“Independent bike shops are the beating heart of cycling communities across the UK,” says Jonathan Harrison, ACT Director. “They provide the expert advice, personalised service and genuine passion that keeps cyclists on the road and welcomes newcomers to the sport. Local Bike Shop Week gives these businesses the platform they deserve to showcase what makes them truly special.”

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of bira Group, the umbrella organisation of which ACT is part, says: “[Local Bike Shops] offer far more than just products – they provide expert knowledge, personalised service and a genuine passion for cycling that you simply can't replicate online or in larger chains.”

Independent bike shops across the UK are invited to participate in Local Bike Shop Week and the Local Bike Shop Awards. More information is available via localbikeshopweek.uk or by joining the WhatsApp channel “Local Bike Shop Week 2026”.

OPINION As many parents know, World Book Day is a staple in every primary school’s calendar. Children dress up as characters from favourite stories, vouchers are dished out giving kids a choice of free books to redeem (from independent and national book retailers) and accompanying activity like sponsored reading takes place. It’s the kind of exposure that the bicycle market and advocates can only dream about (and is distinct from Bookshop Day).

But it’s a reminder that engagement with local schools and the communities that use them can be a worthwhile endeavour. The week could provide a good opportunity to get the ball rolling, offer an afternoon of teaching bike puncture skills (maybe a brand would like to get involved?) or similar.

NOW EX CL U S I V ELY D I S TR I B U T E D IN THE U K & I R ELAN D B Y

JONO JONES S A R AC E N A N D M A X X I S A M B A S S A D O R

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Maxxis’ solution for enduro racing. Two 120 TPI casing layers reinforced with a butyl insert provide the enduro racer with the support and protection of a downhill tyre, but in a more compliant package. DoubleDown specs are a great choice for most e-mountain bikes.

Casing consists of two layers of 60 TPI casing combined with a large butyl insert, resulting in the most durable construction on offer. Choose the DH casing for gravity riding applications (downhill racing, bike park riding, freeride, etc.) where maximum durability and support are required.

TRIPLE COMPOUND (3C)

PROTECTION

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Maxxis’ 3C tyres use a firm base rubber to reduce rolling resistance and progressively softer rubber on outer layers to optimise traction.

Casings are supplemented with additional puncture protection layers to suit specific riding disciplines. Material can be added around the bead, in the sidewall, beneath the tread, extended from bead to bead or some combination thereof.

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RAVAGER

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When the road conditions are unknown, choose the Maxxis Ravager. Large side knobs provide extra traction in deep, loose gravel and mud.

With numerous race wins under its belt and untold miles of backroad adventures, the Rambler is our most popular gravel offering. Tightly-packed centre knobs are ramped for rolling efficiency on hardpack roads and asphalt. The cornering knobs are spaced farther apart for control in variable conditions.

The Maxxis Reaver is our “go to” tyre for gravel racing. Its diamond knurling centre tread is low and fast but the Reaver features meaty side knobs for consistent cornering traction. Choose the Reaver when off-road speed is priority number one.

The Maxxis Receptor is a semi-slick gravel tyre designed for riding on pavement, hard-packed dirt roads, and light gravel. With its low profile centre tread, the Receptor rolls easily no matter the surface. Small side knobs provide cornering traction in loose over hard terrain.

Recommended use: Deep, loose gravel

Recommended use: Pavement/asphalt, dirt roads, gravel

Recommended use: Pavement/asphalt, dirt roads, gravel

Recommended use: Pavement/asphalt, dirt roads, gravel

Recommended Installation: Front or Rear

Recommended Installation: Front or Rear

Recommended Installation: Front or Rear

Recommended Installation: Front or Rear

HARD COMPOUND BASE LAYER MEDIUM COMPOUND TOP LAYER SOFT COMPOUND SHOULDER LAYER

Maxxis Mag Talker Cards 995 x 222mm.indd 1

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Maxxis Mag Talker Cards 995 x 222mm.indd 2

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COMPOUNDS

ASSEGAI

MINION DHR II

With side knobs borrowed from the legendary Minion DHF, but widened to provide more support, the Minion DHR II offers excellent cornering and braking traction.

With a tread design that deftly balances rolling speed with braking and cornering traction, it’s no wonder that the Minion DHF is one of the most imitated tyres in mountain biking.

• Supreme braking and cornering traction.

• A top choice for all gravity applications

• Excellent braking and cornering traction in steep terrain.

• The gold standard of gravity focused treads.

Category: Trail, Enduro, Downhill Recommended installation: Front

Category: Trail, Enduro, Downhill Recommended installation: Rear

Category: Trail, Enduro, Downhill Recommended installation: Front

LOOSE/HARD

MEDIUM

LOOSE

WET

MUD

HARDPACK

LOOSE/HARD

MEDIUM

LOOSE

WET

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HARDPACK

LOOSE/HARD

MEDIUM

WET

08/12/2025 10:44 AM

ASSEGAI

Maxxis DPS 420 x 297mm CIN.indd 2

Maxxis Mag Talker Cards 485 x 222mm.indd 3

MINION DHR II

• Intermediate enduro and downhill conditions.

HARDPACK

08/12/2025 10:44 AM

MINION DHF

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MEDIUM

LOOSE

WET

• Mid-spike for deep dust or wet trail conditions.

Category: Enduro, Downhill Recommended installation: Front or Rear

MUD LOOSE/HARD

After gathering years of data and feedback from our World Cup Downhill and Enduro World Series athletes, the Shorty was redesigned in 2021. The knob layout has been altered to improve wet traction, cornering performance, and mud shedding abilities.

The narrower 2.40” casing improves frame and fork clearance for when things get really sloppy and reduces weight.

The legendary High Roller returns with an all-new hybrid tread design, but the same old winning ways. With aggressive tread design intended to find traction in loose conditions. A large channel between the the center knobs and side knobs provides a looser, drifty feel desired by some riders.

• Perfect as a front tyre on 130–140mm trail bikes or a fast rear tyre on 150mm+ setups in dry conditions.

• Pairs great with the Forekaster or Rekon for a balanced ride Category: Trail, Enduro Recommended installation: Front or Rear

LOOSE

SHORTY GEN 2

HIGH ROLLER III

The Maxxis Dissector is back with major upgrades for better control, cornering, and braking. Redesigned side knobs offer a larger footprint for enhanced grip and stability, especially on hard terrain. The centre tread keeps the fast-rolling 2-3-2 layout but now features split centre knobs for better braking and terrain conformity.

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05/01/2026 13:56

18 20 PODCAST - Frame Builders - Paul Gibson - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:20 Page 1

AN AI PROOF CAREER?

AN IN-DEPTH CHAT ON THE BICYCLE FRAME BUILDING CRAFT

Paul Gibson spoke out on the perils of losing frame building skills at CIN Live last September

T

Craft versus manufacture, steel, supply chains, AI, skills and not being able to rely on older clientele indefinitely… all these points and more are under discussion in the latest CIN Podcast, with Ellis Briggs’ master frame builder Paul Gibson…...

he latest Cycling Industry News Podcast takes a deep dive into the craft of frame building, its past, present and future and how it fits into the cycling industry in 2026. Sean Lally once again guides the conversation for this latest CIN Podcast, with a full discussion on the topic with Ellis Briggs’ Paul Gibson. While the broader industry has experienced a tumultuous half decade, the framebuilding sector has received significant blows too, with some big names going to the wall (with a lucky few saved from closure). Likewise the supply chain for the sector is arguably somewhat precarious – a point picked up in the discussion.

Yet the fast-moving nature of the modern world means that a resurgence of craft – and skills that are unlikely to be undermined by AI and US tech barons – indicates the sector’s future might have some interesting potential.

Gibson picks up the point and also touches on the thorny topic of bike prices: “How are we going to bring young people into cycling generally?

We can’t expect a lot of young people to buy a £6,000 road bike. Maybe we need a more repair and reuse culture. There are thousands of steel frames out there that can be reused and turned into

18 cyclingindustry.news

usable bikes for not a lot of money. Then a whole industry can grow around doing that – repairing them, renovating them… all the things the big corporations aren’t really interested in.”

How to get started in frame building Skills and training is an existential discussion point for many industries, not least framebuilding. Gibson says: “I think where we slipped up as an industry is that we didn’t really train anyone under the bigger workshops… we could have kept it going by training apprentices. But there was a bit of a vacuum…

“The frame building courses that we run [at Ellis Briggs] are something I see as experience course. But if you want to seriously have a career in frame building I really believe you have to do things in depth. Otherwise you don’t build up the muscle memory, learning to see what lugs are supposed to look like… when I was starting, I wasn’t interesting in lugged frames. I thought they were old fashioned and obsolete. Six years later of daily experience I began to appreciate them… that has to be built up, you can’t learn it in an afternoon.

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18 20 PODCAST - Frame Builders - Paul Gibson - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:20 Page 2

C HAS “AS THE DEMOGRAPHI RELY ON THE CHANGED, WE CAN’T AT HAVE A LOT OLDER CLIENTELE TH TO CHANGE OF MONEY, WE HAVE GER THINGS FOR THE YOUN GENERATIONS”

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“Craft is relying on the human’s judgement and skill, unlike manufacturing...”

Sean Lally is the regular host of the CIN Podcast

LISTENING TO THE INDUSTRY “There’s a distinction between what craft is and what manufacturing is.

When you manufacture something you take the human out of the process as much as possible to make it scalable.

Craft is the opposite of that, where you are relying on the human’s judgement and skill. It’s not knocking things out as much as possible.”

The chat unpicks some key points that affect the shifting nature of the business.

Gibson notes: “When we were selling bikes pre-2000, most of the cyclists we were selling bikes to where lifelong cyclists. They all knew the top tube length they wanted, what seat tube size… and all the rest of it. We went through a period where we got a lot more new people into cycling, but when you don’t have the club structure in place, there needed to be something else that sized people up.”

The expanding remit of what is required to do business has also had an effect: “The problem for a solo framebuilder is you also have to be a businessman and most of them out there are

20 cyclingindustry.news

frame builders first… it’s often a different personality.”

Craftspeople have also had to learn to do outreach through the likes of social media to: “Back in time, people rung up and sent letters. Nowadays you have to do more outreach to get customers realise you still exist and see what you’re doing.

“I think we stand for a working class craftsmanship that was supposed to be accessible, so we have shied away from being very boutique,” Gibson says. “As the demographic has changed, we can’t rely on the older clientele that have a lot of money, we have to change things for the younger generations.”

Listen to the fascinating discussion here: https://soundcloud.com/ user-740094534 To find out more about the Cycling Industry Podcast, contact: jon@cyclingindustry.news

The CIN Podcast regularly interviews industry names and panels of trade execs, with recent highlights including:

The blueprint for a successful bike shop Sales is not a dirty word: bikes sales techniques and tips Raising the profile of bicycle workshop mechanics Head to Soundcloud for more: https://soundcloud.com/user-740094534

S TUR MEY ARCH ER R E PA IR SOLUT IONS ! d e t r o S t i f o Pr

01484 665055 sales@thecycledivision.com thecycledivision.com

22 23 24 PROFILE - Prestacycle Expansion - CIN03 2026_LAW.qxp 12/03/2026 08:13 Page 1

PROFILE

“WE CAN SOLVE THAT CHALLENGE” With a new EU warehouse set up in France, and key personnel in place, Prestacycle has a solid footing in Europe and the UK as the firm looks to build sales. CIN speaks with Prestacycle’s President and founder David Finlayson on me too product and innovation in the bike tool sector…

F

ounded in 2006 and headquartered in Upstate New York, Prestacycle is no stranger to the wider UK and European market (thanks in part to a strong OEM background and some high profile pro team partnerships), but lately the firm has been steadily building its infrastructure in Europe and the UK: including bringing European Brand Manager Richard Eakins on board at the end of 2023 and now with a European warehouse set up in France, from where it is centralising is distribution efforts in the region.

This all comes as Prestacycle’s performance has been flying high – a record year in 2024 has been followed by an even stronger ‘25 – passing the previous year’s sales total by August.

With its redoubled efforts in Europe, the firm is looking for a third record year in a row.

“Don’t do something that’s already been done” One throughline from Prestacycle’s early days has been a philosophy to deliver product that can do something better, focusing on a concise range rather than a vast array of me-too products.

“We’re at about 130 SKUs, including parts and service items, and that’s an important point for us,” explains Prestacycle’s President and founder David Finlayson. “When you look at

22 cyclingindustry.news

the bundle for our premium inflator, it includes the optional urethane cover, the optional hose if you want to use any of our premium heads, and an additional urethane rubber. It is a wear item, particularly if you’re putting it on and off threaded valves often, so it’s a good idea to replace it every once in a while to keep things snug. For pretty much all of our products with wear items, we provide kits.

“For the first 10 or 12 years when I came out with something new, it would take off and go down well with the public and I would say to myself quietly ‘oh gee, that’s it, I don’t think I have anything else coming up…’ and then next year ‘oh there it is, there’s the idea’. So, the excitement is there and I’m not dead yet!”

“Someone asked us in the comments of a Facebook post ‘why don’t you make a cassette tool?’ I replied that of course we could make a cassette tool, but there are many available that are essentially the same tool on the end of an arm.

“You could add another 200 products to the range, but they wouldn’t be any different. So having a smaller range that’s improving on things or doing something better or doing something nicer is way more interesting than just going, oh, let’s have 500 SKUs and try and sell them all.”

“It’s always been our philosophy to not do something that’s been done.

22 23 24 PROFILE - Prestacycle Expansion - CIN03 2026_LAW.qxp 12/03/2026 08:13 Page 2

PRESTACYCLE The Prestacycle line-up includes approximately 130 SKUs

The only time we get accused of doing something that’s been done is when we actually did it for somebody else first as an OEM product. When we first came out with the Elite last year, we got a number of comments along the lines of ‘Oh, isn’t that the Feedback tool?’ and the answer was yes, it is. We did that for them.”

Talking of pressures to expand its tool ranges, how does Prestacycle view innovations like Schwalbe’s Clik valve, an alternative to the long established Presta and Schrader? It turns out, Prestacycle had that covered right from the off. “We were actually doing Clik from day one,” says Finlayson picking up the story. “This was a fun day at Eurobike. We visited the Schwalbe booth and that was the first time I had heard of it or seen it. We noticed that Schwalbe had three ball bearings where we had three pincer clips in our Pro Presta Head. So I pulled one out of my pocket, clicked it onto the Clik valve, and it worked perfectly. They were intrigued that our head works on both perfectly and has a zero pull release… so it works on either and it’s

TorqRactchet ELITE Lite is a recent launch

been very popular. It has been a top seller for us, and it’s been on the market now for close to two years.”

Key launches Electric bike pump Prestaflator GO has proved a firm favourite on the bike media review circuit and has since been followed up with the Prestaflator GO Lite. Finlayson says: “When Fumpa’s OG Bike Pump first came out, they approached me at Interbike about helping them with distribution as a brand-new single product company.

We really didn’t see at the time that it was going to be a volume product. It was an excellent product, but pricey, more of a serious mechanic-level product. But we watched the technologies and saw the changes in the market. We accessed a microchip-controlled drone motor that has an exterior that spins and self-cools and also lithium polymer batteries. Those are the batteries you find in an iPhone, and that’s why you never hear about iPhones catching on fire. They’re a solid gel rather than a flammable lithium liquid. And we were able to leverage those technologies to make a pump that is very fast, cool and reliable.

“Generally, when I do design work on products, if there’s anything to compare to, I look at the downfalls. Like with a torque tool and there is the warning ‘do not unscrew’, and I’m the kind of engineer where I say, well, why not?

“With the inflators heat seem to be the biggest issue. You know, they have a hose just because the tool gets so hot, they need to keep it away from the bike to not harm the bike. I said ‘why?’. It shouldn’t be hot. We can solve that.

And we did. And coincidentally, it

cyclingindustry.news 23

22 23 24 PROFILE - Prestacycle Expansion - CIN03 2026_LAW.qxp 12/03/2026 08:13 Page 3

PROFILE

PRESTACYCLE

The Prestaflator overcomes some of the common electric inflator issues, like unwanted heat reaching the tube and tyre

Prestacycle’s philosophy has been to avoid 'me too' and only launch products that solve existing challenges

incorporates one of our existing technologies, our oversized urethane head.

The large urethane rubber absorbs all of the vibrations which generate heat in the first place. So we’re able to simply push that thing on… Really, it’s about tackling the issues to get rid of them, and that is mostly my approach in the design work that I do.”

Another key recent launch is the TorqRatchet Elite: “The original of that elite tool was longer. It didn’t have as much torque range and it had a heavy steel head, but it was still incredibly successful. I went back to the drawing board to cut down the size, increase portability and cut down weight. I was also able to increase the torque range.

For me, two through 12 Newton meters is a magic range. It’s no compromise. If you go beyond 12, you just need a tool that’s so long you’re not going to put in your pocket. Now I feel like we have the perfect tool. It’s a goeverywhere tool in a lot of incredibly positive ways.”

Building presence in the UK and Europe “We started small in the US,” explains the Prestacycle founder to CIN. “I introduced the Prestaflater in December 2006, went to Interbike in 2008, and came back with three distributors selling them into bike shops from that point. We grew, started adding products, and then ended up in the big distributors by 2015… When we got to

24 cyclingindustry.news

a size that we really recognised we need to be global, we started pursuing UK and Europe. By that time, B2C was becoming a big thing, particularly in US markets.

“We started to reach out to the consumers directly with marketing campaigns to make sure everybody knows our name. We made our products available, not in a discounting way, but as a way to publicise and make us more visible. We thought that was going to hurt our retailer market, but it didn’t. It increased it. The more retailers that got asked about our products, the more started to say, well, we better carry some of those things.

People want to buy them. So, it’s been a growth area for us. But we also recognise that our best resource to reach people with modern tools is to simply have a website there, a warehouse there, and approach the latest in multimedia marketing. So we opened that up with Richard in Europe, and in the UK two years ago.

“We did also have a focus of reaching out to Europe. We opened a similar operation in Germany and in Netherlands. These were with third -party distributors. But the only way for us to get all of Europe is to just go there ourselves. So that’s what we’re doing.”

“Although primarily we are B2C, at the moment in the UK we have 20 bike shops working with us. We probably wouldn’t have another distributor in

place in the UK because it’s small enough that you can manage that. But there is certainly room to grow on the bike shop side of things as well.

“We’d like to think that we look after the bike shops. You won’t really find us discounted online. And we’re getting more visibility, too, through the likes of Ribble having a tool kit that is from Prestacycle. It’s an offering with any of their bikes, either in a bike bag or in the down tube. It highlights offering the smallest and lightest with the most capabilities.”

“We’ve been working quite hard in expanding our visibility and our partnerships across Europe. We push forward, we run lean and we’re going local. We aim to meet the needs of the end users themselves. And we do find a lot of mechanics love us for that, but that’s more of a bonus than a focus.” prestacycle.co.uk

The ‘Lite’ joined the Prestaflator Go range last year

EXPLORE THE FULL 2026 HJC RANGE

26 28 OPINION - Recalls - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 16:15 Page 1

OPINION BIKE RECALLS

BIKE RECALLS ARE NO LONGER RARE AND THE RESPONSE NEEDS TO CHANGE Recalls are impossible to completely irradicate and indeed recently seem to be on the increase in the trade. How they are handled is crucial, argues Pete Gillett, CEO of Marketpoint Recall…

T

he cycling industry has seen a number of high profile recalls lately. It’s another reminder that product issues are no longer rare edge cases, but part of the landscape manufacturers and retailers now have to ride through. Each recall puts riders at risk, stretches dealer relationships and puts hard-won brand trust on the line.

And while most businesses handle the engineering fix well, it is the human side of recalls that continues to skid out of control.

Different faults, same crash point For anyone paying attention, this is becoming a familiar pattern. Highprofile brands like Specialized and Orbea have both had to act recently, adding to a growing list of recalls tracked across industry media.

Frames, eBikes, components, batteries. Different products, different faults, but the same underlying challenge. Once a recall is announced,

26 cyclingindustry.news

getting the message to riders and managing what happens next is far harder than fixing the bike itself.

The cycling sector is not alone here, but it is uniquely exposed. Bikes are not disposable consumer goods. They are expensive, personal and often deeply emotional purchases. Riders customise them, rely on them daily, build their identity around them and love them dearly. But more than that of course, if a bike fails when travel-

“PEOPLE SAY THAT YOU CANNOT REINVENT THE WHEEL. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RECALLS, THAT MAY BE EXACTLY WHAT THE CYCLING INDUSTRY NEEDS TO DO”

ling at speed or down a mountain side, the risk to life is real.

Outdated recall playbooks are holding the industry back Recent recalls have shown how fragile that experience can be. Riders unsure whether their bike is affected; Dealers fielding calls without clear answers; Manufacturers issuing updates across websites, PDFs and social posts, hoping the right people will see them.

Too often, communication feels slow, fragmented and reactive. That is not a criticism of intent. It is a sign that the system itself is old fashioned.

People say that you cannot reinvent the wheel. But when it comes to recalls, that may be exactly what the cycling industry needs to do. The current approach was built for a simpler world, one where volumes were lower, supply chains were shorter and customer expectations were far less demanding. Today, recalls move at

26 28 OPINION - Recalls - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:21 Page 2

OPINION BIKE RECALLS

Pete Gillett, CEO of Marketpoint Recall

speed, online, across borders and channels. Trying to manage them with analogue tools is like riding a carbon race bike with rim brakes in a storm.

So what needs to change?

First, be recall ready It is clear that recalls are no longer unlikely events. They are a recurring operational reality for manufacturers and retailers alike. Being recall ready means accepting that fact and planning for it properly. That includes knowing what data you have, what you do not, and how quickly you can act when an issue arises. Brands that prepare in advance can respond calmly and clearly. Those that do not often end up scrambling, losing time when every hour matters.

Second, move on from analogue Posters in stores, static PDFs and inboxflooding emails are blunt tools for a precise problem. Digital recall management allows manufacturers to track products, engage riders directly and see in real time who has responded and who

28 cyclingindustry.news

has not. Done well, it reduces manual effort, cuts administration and shortens recall timelines. With the right digital systems in place, including AI-supported triage and response handling, recall costs, time and admin can be cut by up to 40%. More importantly, it gives teams control instead of chaos.

to return and often essential to daily life. Asking someone to box up their pride and joy and wait weeks for updates is no longer acceptable. Clear communication, visible progress and simple processes are what rebuild trust. Silence and uncertainty do the opposite.

Third, focus on rider reassurance A recall is not just a logistics exercise.

It is a moment of truth. Riders want to know that the brand takes their safety seriously and has a clear plan to put things right. Bikes are large, awkward

Control is what riders remember None of this is about perfection. Recalls will still happen. Components will still fail. What matters is how the industry responds when they do. The brands that come out stronger are not the ones that never recall products, but the ones that handle recalls with confidence, clarity and respect for the rider.

The takeaway for manufacturers and retailers is simple. Recalls are not something to panic about, but they are not something to wing either. Put better brakes on your recall process now, before the next issue sends you downhill fast. Because in cycling, as on the road or trail, control is everything.

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30 32 34 BIKE SALES TIPS - John Styles - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:22 Page 1

BIKE TRADE SALES TIPS WITH JOHN STYLES

SIMPLE SALES TIPS 8

HOW STORES CAN FOLLOW ONLINE SHOPPING DESIGN Being straightforward, clean and consistent are model principles for online stores. John Styles discusses how shops can implement similar best practice in-store…

P

eople used to make their web stores follow in-store shopping design. Nowadays, the reverse needs to be true.

WAY-BACK WHEN Back in the 90s, websites were often designed to mimic shops. Many had an ‘enter’ button when you arrived at the site, sometimes literally representing a front door.

They often followed the physical stores branding and colours, some even had graphic representation of shelves or other aspects of physical store fit. Others referred people back to offline advertising (perhaps in case you didn’t trust the website to be genuine, or they hadn’t found the time to put everything in the “web shop” or weren’t fully transacting online).

Real in-store photos, mixed with

“PEOPLE USED TO MAKE THEIR ONLINE SHOP MIRROR THEIR PHYSICAL STORE’S DESIGN. NOWADAYS, THE REVERSE NEEDS TO BE TRUE”

30 cyclingindustry.news

product shots from manufacturer catalogues featured heavily in many sites.

Many felt that as websites were a new and unknown thing to consumers, that they needed to place familiar visual landmarks to orientate people. The result was less than perfect. Busy, confusing and overwhelming sites that didn’t always make sense. Really just an online version of mail order print advertising. It was fun, while it lasted. (And by the way, for some it did, you still visit ARNGREN if you like!)

It wasn’t really until the early noughties that the people sensed that websites and the digital domain was a thing in and of itself, and the rest is history as they say – consumers have demonstrated a clear preference for online shopping in so many categories. What this means for stores

nowadays, is the reverse of what people did in the 90s. Your physical store needs to mimic a web shop – not the other way around. Why? IN STORE – LOOK TO PACO UNDERHILL (AGAIN) A store needs to create the feeling of safety, control, consideration and cleanliness, a four-step checklist we talked about in last month article from Paco Underhill’s retail handbook “What Women Want – The Science of Female Shopping”.

So many of those 90s sites didn’t really pass that test. But, when people shop online nowadays, they generally feel safe, in control, that the website designer has been considerate to their needs and of course products always look clean, fresh and bright. (I.e. web sales aren’t just about price or the convenience of home delivery, it’s the whole shopping experience). So, here’s a quick checklist: 1) White Backgrounds > Blank Canvas Pretty much every product on the web is shown against white background.

It’s clear, it’s simple, it allows the products features and colours to pop.

Stores need the same neutral background, from ceilings, walls and floors – a blank canvas. It doesn’t mean the kind of sterile ‘all white’ environment that you might find in Boots the Chemist.

But it does mean a stores ceiling, walls of floors need to be consistent, well maintained, uniform colours with good lighting. Of course, many stores have historical or uneven buildings which makes the challenge harder. But if you get this bit right, other steps follow more

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30 32 34 BIKE SALES TIPS - John Styles - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:22 Page 2

BIKE TRADE SALES TIPS WITH JOHN STYLES

Clean, but not sterile: Stores need the same neutral background but don’t necessarily have to go for a sterile ‘all white’ environment seen elsewhere on the high street

easily. (And if you get it wrong, with poorly maintained, busy or distracting surfaces – especially combined with poor lighting – your consumers will notice. They might not even realise that they notice and certainly not communicate it, but they do.)

2) Routing On the web, it’s easy to see where you are going. In store, routing and navigation can be become compromised over time. So good practices include having the till at all near the front, enough space for consumers to move easily between aisles and ensuring sight lines can support good navigation. And in a bike store it’s also important to establish where service bikes will come and go. Because as soon as the aisles or till points become cluttered with service bikes, a certain proportion of shoppers will find this off-putting.

“NEW PRODUCTS ARRIVE AND GO 'WHERE THERE’S A SPACE’. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT – YOU HAVE PEDALS MIXED WITH GLOVES, BARS NEXT TO HELMETS AND SERVICE BIKES RACKED UP WITH NEW BIKES. THESE THINGS CREEP UP OVER TIME”

(Overleaf is an AI image of how a “tidy but slightly confusing store” looks – and it’s all too familiar!)

To get around this problem and sense check whether your store has fallen into this trap, try taking photographs of all your merchandising and taking them home to look at.

When you’re outside of your shopping environment, you’ll have a much clearer view. Plus, you can show them to family and friends, people who might give you a fresh, honest perspective.

4) Navigation and Signage Internet shopping provides structured navigation. It’s very clear how to navigate between departments, categories and subcategories in a website. It’s also clear how to do that in Boots the

X MARKS THE SPOT – HOW YOUR CONSUMERS JOURNEY INFLUENCES THEIR PURCHASING BLIND SPOTS

32 cyclingindustry.news

LANDING GATES BLIND SPOTS

3) Category Merchandising Online, it’s easy to see the broad-brush strokes of bikes, apparel, accessories and then drill down into subcategories. In-store, I often see situations where the lines have blurred, often over time without anyone really noticing. New products arrive and go “where there’s a space”. And before you know you it – have pedals mixed with gloves, handlebars next to helmets and service bikes racked up with new bikes. These things creep up on stores over time, which is natural.

X TOUCH DOWN

SIGHT LINES

RUNWAY STRIP BLI ND S

PO TS

LANDING GATES

LANDING GATES

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30 32 34 BIKE SALES TIPS - John Styles - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:22 Page 3

BIKE TRADE SALES TIPS WITH JOHN STYLES

An AI interpretation of a “tidy but confusing store”

Chemist or any large supermarket.

Because they have category, and often subcategory signage. Now many smaller stores, steer away from that because they don’t want to look like a supermarket, which is fair.

But at the same time this creates a challenging environment for many infrequent consumers, who want to feel in control navigating your store.

Many don’t want to feel compelled to ask for help navigating to the right area of the store. Signage doesn’t have to be a big deal or ever present, it can just start with the main headers, Bikes, eBikes, Components, Clothing, Accessories, Service Reception, Bike Fit Studio (for example). If you notice that starts to help, you could add headerboards above main categories for Helmets, Locks, Lights etc.

5) Seating And lastly, why not provide some seating. People sit down when they shop online, why wouldn’t they sit down when spending time in your store? As this image clearly shows, people want somewhere to sit… even when it’s not ‘officially’ provided!

(Reddit: There’s a special place in retail hell for people who sit on the clothing tables.)

34 cyclingindustry.news

REFRESH TIME? Of course, much of this retail good practice predates the Internet and can be found in many other retail handbooks and source of advice. I guess what I’m saying here is that, whether or not you sell online, you could use online shopping as your benchmark and inspiration.

From time to time, every store decides to have a refresh. Whether that’s the product lines, the merchandising, the in-store layout or decor, or even an entire shop move. So, when you’re next in the mood for that, I hope the above helps. It’s not a case of trying to turn the clock back to the 90s, just being the best store you can be.

John Styles is a veteran of the cycling industry, having worked with leading distributors and brands across the sector. With a well-rounded perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, backed by a Bachelors Degree in Economics, John Styles is an expert consultant for the bike trade. Get in contact via johnstyles2002@yahoo.co.uk

TRAIL TO TARMAC We’ve got your back when it comes to all your cycling needs.

36 38 40 42 OPINION - Marks Column - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:31 Page 1

OPINION MARKET MUSING | PART 3

FIND YOUR PERFECT PARTNER How could the bike industry of the future support the kind of scale that private equity investors dreamed of, but ultimately failed to convert, let alone structurally sustain?

Mark Sutton explores scale in business and the importance of customer creation…

I

n nature, there are laws. An animal or species can only grow as large as the environment that supports it will enable. A succulent will spiral outward in a pattern that is supported by the Fibonacci sequence – each element is the sum of the two elements that precede it; an evolutionary support structure. This is how things grow sustainably, not ahead of a rate that can sustain the growth and ultimately lead to collapse.

In business, we don’t like to hear that growth cannot happen now, that it cannot happen fast and with a sharp trajectory that will sustain. Eventually, gravity catches up to such things, often just as the euphoria has reached fever pitch. This is something that one might argue fell on deaf ears when private equity took an interest in the bicycle industry during Covid’s early days, as it has done with the broader outdoor industries beforehand.

Unlike many other industries, where supply chains were more organised, coordinated and the product perhaps less technical, the bike industry is its own beast. Run by lifelong enthusiasts who, for the most part, landed here because the child inside never really left the bike shop, the dirt jumps, or the tarmac descent where skin in the game meant very literally, skin committed.

To this day, it’s broadly agreed that we are an enthusiast-run industry, rather

36 cyclingindustry.news

than largely governed by businessfolk.

That meant that when worlds collided, not just during Covid, but certainly more so during, growth targets seemed other worldly to those of us that have been here more than five minutes.

From decades of experience, we knew the backroom requirements of growth.

Had we not been so stunned by the upward trajectory of mid-2020, some of us might have said something. Like a bike that hasn’t had its pre-sale PDI, this isn’t going to work unless you back it up with the service it needs.

Enough has been said about Covid by now. As of this year, signs of normality are returning. Shimano reported a growth in its bike components sales for the first time since 2022, and many would argue that there’s few greater bellwethers than the component brand that, still, even after all we have been through and the lessons we have learned about having all of our eggs in one basket, dominates the supply chain.

The lesser-known Hgears, small parts supplier extraordinaire to many of our European eBike motor labels, had its CEO boldly hint in recent financials at a bottom being reached. It needs it; the business listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange to get support for its e-mobility ambitions in 2021 and, like Shimano, has suffered its share price cratering since. In hindsight, an IPO on a steep upslope might

have looked amazing, but normal conditions did not apply. A savvy investor needs to know the industry, as well as the company mechanics.

Seeing is believing, however, upstream of these suppliers, the Tandem Group registered bike division performance some 37.6% up year-onyear in the last quarter, with electric bikes delivering a 30% lift, much of which was attributed to a big overhaul of ranges, bringing the diversified distributor’s goods in line with the modern market in terms of design norms, quality, but also pricing expectations.

The Covid era nostalgia clings to us like a battle scar, but it is time to move on and try to get a view on what comes next. What is the new normal? And what will be the recipe for the rise of the next Trek, or Specialized? More importantly, how can a brand reach those lofty heights without imploding along the way? Because let’s face it, we’ve seen more than a few of those private equity darlings collapse under their own weight lately. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall during some of those early investment discussions between bike trade lifers and the investment world.

Economic reality What is interesting, to me at least, about The Tandem Groups’ quickly improving bike market results is the space that it steadfastly occupies. It is

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36 38 40 42 OPINION - Marks Column - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:31 Page 2

OPINION MARKET MUSING | PART 3

“TANDEM IS PLAYING TO ITS STRENGTHS AND ITS STRENGTHS JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE ALIGNED VERY NEATLY TO THE ECONOMIC REALITY IN BRITAIN”

neither bells nor whistles. It is diversified and, I imagine, on account of its scale and history, somewhat wellversed in managing its supply chain and leveraging its economies of scale.

It is, in essence, playing to its strengths and its strengths just so happen to be aligned very neatly to the economic reality in Britain. It isn’t doing anything outlandish, nor risky, nor going all in on one idea or sector. It seems, from an outsider’s perspective, to have a strategy of market-appropriate products, targeting the often quirky British non-enthusiast customer surprisingly well without doing anything overtly sexy. Said tongue firmly in cheek, we can’t all have a ten as a partner, it’s mathematically impossible, and that’s fine. It takes all sorts to make a market, and the sooner we all stop chasing the same perfect customer, arguably the better. That’s even more true if that customer is already happily wed and not actively in the market. Please leave them alone if they already have a new bike, or three. Seriously, there’s plenty

38 cyclingindustry.news

more fish in the sea just waiting to learn how to ride a bicycle.

Getting out there, meeting lots of new people, listening, learning, observing trends and norms outside of your bubble, adapting one’s thinking; these qualities will make you a superb partner. I’m still talking about bikes.

Has the Tandem Group rebounded sharply this year by working with local bike shops, or perhaps it has come with having products for sale in Argos and Curry’s? Either way, it’s fair to assume a broader pool of customer feedback must have helped the group’s decision to go all guns blazing on overhauling its bikes and eBikes.

Knowledge, from a diversified pool of sources, is power. Echo chambers are less productive, because doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is, by definition, madness. This, to me, is how the pitch of much of the bike industry’s marketing has felt over the past decade; that is to say, chunks of the old guard are still targeting the same people, with the same imagery, rather

than normalising cycling to the masses, focusing on rider replenishment rates and the next generation. Unless a customer can see themselves in the story you are trying to sell, they will not buy in. There are, of course, progressives, but as with all things cycling, critical mass is desirable for sustained results.

So, what can we observe from the results of our consumer pitch to date?

We know that the average UK nonenthusiast customer looks at the price of a bike and says, almost every time, ‘I could buy a car for that’. The temptation is to slow clap, I know, but to take the time and have the patience to understand this customer is to unlock a gold mine.

Why, nine times in ten, is this exact customer profile riding a £400 hardtail mountain bike to work? Is this why some brands are beginning to put a pannier rack on the back and market a category badged as ‘SUV’?

To observe how the non-enthusiast shops, to see the bikes they invariably end up on and to listen to how that

36 38 40 42 OPINION - Marks Column - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:31 Page 3

OPINION MARKET MUSING | PART 3

“THE BRITISH CUSTOMER’S PERCEPTION OF CYCLING IS DIFFERENT TO WHAT WE MAY HAVE IN OUR MIND'S EYE, AND OF COURSE, MOST OF OUR BIKES ARE IMPORTED FROM AND DESIGNED OVERSEAS...“

came to pass is arguably to have the recipe for unlocking all of those brand new customers that we have needed for a decade or more. The conclusion I’ve begun to draw from being in London more frequently and also from hosting Cycling Electric’s nationwide Demo Day series is that the British customer’s perception of cycling is different to what we may have in our mind’s eye, and of course, most of our bikes are imported from and designed overseas, so some nuances are just outright missed because separate production runs make no sense.

Customer profiles vary from person to person, but environmental factors govern the usage and selection of bikes arguably more than anything else.

Infrastructure unlocks interest, convenience (see bike share) sets the wheels in motion. Then come the next hurdles: price and a record rainy January.

Our economy has not bounced back as strongly as much of Europe’s since the Brexit separation. In fact, our GDP is 6-8% smaller than it should have

40 cyclingindustry.news

been by 2025, if you consider that a measure of economic health. From a consumer perspective, what was historically a lower average sales price for bikes is only a gap that has widened in sales data trends. Perhaps this in part explains the broadening gap in eike sales data between Britain and other similar European economies.

Top three barrier to entry We know that price, in almost every survey, is a top three barrier to entry.

Those brands that have acknowledged this fact, designed bikes and marketed accordingly, seem to be those having success at the moment, versus those that are still pretending that the largest viable customer pool out there is those who are already enthusiasts (and probably already bought a bike in the last five years). Recent economic data would tend to suggest that many people are holding back large purchases like eBikes longer and instead repairing what they have to hand. How busy workshops remain is a testament to this.

So, there is an economic reality to

consider and meet head-on, even accounting for the lead time it takes from design to the shop floor and the variability in pricing along that journey. Brands that have met the consumer where their budget exists are still selling bikes. Those who are going for the mid-market have to fight harder for each sale. The very top-end of the market is a smaller pool, but here customers are less price sensitive. This is just one factor at play in the consumer buying journey, but it’s a timely one.

Our job in the marketing sense is to take a broader view, rather than tunnel vision on one customer profile. Casting a net wide to see what you catch is arguably a bit more expensive than focusing in on a known target, but the bike industry direly needs to broaden its customer base. In large part due to the press, cycling remains a fringe idea and is unjustly demonised too often. This means we have a narrative to get back control of. To normalise cycling as a transport form, to actively sell its money-saving, congestion-

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36 38 40 42 OPINION - Marks Column - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:31 Page 4

OPINION MARKET MUSING | PART 3

“LET'S SEE THE COST OF A SEASON TRAIN TICKET PUT SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH AN ELECTRIC BIKE IN SHOP WINDOW PROMOTIONS NEAR COMMUTER TOWN TRAIN STATIONS”

To build an ecosystem that supports growth, one strand, one customer profile, will not support this

busting, climate-improving qualities.

Selling the appeal, the story, not so much the product itself. Let’s see longtail cargo bikes with kids on the school run. Let’s see the cost of a season train ticket put side-by-side with an electric bike in shop window promotions near commuter town train stations. Let’s sell the ability to get healthy again with sunsets at the top of local summits that would previously have been hard to reach by bike.

Did you know you still use the majority of the lung capacity that you’d put to work on an electric bike versus a pedal

cycle? This is a cheat code to health and a line to recite to anyone in your store chasing a ‘new year, new me’.

Why did I start this article talking about sustainable growth in spiralpatterned succulents? Because to achieve sustainable, exponential growth, we must build an ecosystem that supports such a growth rate. One strand, one customer profile, will not support this. As enthusiasts, we know why we cycle, so why aren’t we selling stories and more market-appropriate bikes? Perhaps you are, but what about HGears’ CEO noted the market appears to be turning around, so what comes next?

42 cyclingindustry.news

those around you? To unlock the next generation of enthusiasts, a major reset at the grassroots level is required.

The UK has, for decades now, has had a nationwide cycling modal share average of 2 to 3%. The only way we will move toward 5, 10, 15% is to have a much broader appeal. To build a critical mass that demands infrastructure, that becomes a feedback loop for the next 5%. This has to be in your face, visible on the street. London proves as much.

We must, finally, solidify cycling as a transport form, on the back of which we can build the next enthusiast sector.

Only then can we talk about sustainability at scale and support the kinds of businesses that the private equity folk dreamed of. Until such time, I would prefer to be small, agile, growing on a linear trend and paying very close attention not only to those who are my customers, but those that are not yet.

This article was inspired by the book Scale, by Geoffrey West, which explores the natural limits of the world, including those in business.

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Cycling Industry News Live is returning to NAEC Stoneleigh this September, with more exhibitors, new seminars, networking opportunities and more…

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his issue of CIN lands as the UK’s traditionally busy Q1 of house and trade shows is just about wrapped up. Hands have been shaken, new brands and products have been explored and retailers have returned to their local areas ready for peak selling season.

In recent years, the industry has had to wait a full year before it got back in the same room together, but the handily timed CIN Live has changed all that.

Scheduled for September (Sunday 20 to Monday 21 to be precise), it’s chance for the whole cycling industry to get under one roof to assess the market, see new products and brands, reinforce or forge new working relationships and partnerships as well as sit in a few seminars designed to help retailers and workshops with their businesses.

Education 2025’s seminar line-up included everything from tips on handling carbon fibre in the workshop, bike shop sales tips, mechanic training, retail panels, bike shop layout tips and a keynote from one of the biggest names in the business, to name a few. 2026 will be

44 cyclingindustry.news

working towards a similar mix and promises to be a solid reason for bike shops and workshops to make the trip (feedback indicated that some visitors came along primarily for the seminars).

FIND OUT MORE...

Prospective exhibitors can register interest at Lloyd@cyclingindustry.news Visitors should watch this space for when pre-reg opens later this year

Networking As noted above, the UK industry has a limited number of opportunities to come together and research has indicated how valued these opportunities are.

This year, CIN Live will include dedicated networking events like an industry BBQ as well as plenty of “bumping-intoin-the-show-hall” moments.

Larger halls: Products and brands Distributors sign new brands outside of Q1 and not all distributors and suppliers are able to be represented in the Q1 shows, so CIN Live is a fine opportunity for visitors to see a greater breadth of brands and products as well as catch up on developments in the fast-moving sector in a traditional trade show element. The vast majority of exhibitors are returning and there’ll be new-for-the-show names too. Stay tuned to the site and mag for the latest on those.

CYCLING INDUSTRY NEWS LIVE 2026

the exhibition will run over 20-21 September at NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

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46 48 49 50 ASK THE EX-BOSS - Xavier Brice - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:34 Page 1

ASK THE (EX-) BOSS Walk Wheel Cycle Trust

In 10 years as the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s CEO (formerly Sustrans), Xavier Brice brought the National Cycle Network (NCN) back from the brink, jettisoning a quarter of the worst bits in 2018, before plotting a course for its renewal. After overseeing 500 miles of new or improved routes, and the removal of 3,000 barriers, Brice is stepping down. He reflects on his time as CEO, the future of the NCN and what the industry, and advocates, can do to support cycling growth in the UK. Brice also believes Britain can and should have a true national network mapped out within three years – 50,000-odd miles of it – with plans to get building. He speaks with Laura Laker…

X

avier Brice’s approach to active travel is, in part, a philosophical one. He’s long talked about the power of paths to bring people together in an increasingly divided time. How we get around shapes our mental wellbeing as well as our physical – and key to this are the paths themselves.

I meet Xavier Brice at Via, an upmarket bike shop and cafe, in Kings Cross.

He wheels his endurance bike in – with panniers – on his way to visit family on the South coast. As we tuck into hot drinks and spinach and feta pastries, with the UAE Women’s Tour on a big screen, Brice appears weary but cleareyed about the future of the NCN, and about his time at its helm. While he’s sad to leave, he acknowledges a decade is a long time, and he feels the organisation needs new blood.

He tells me “we’re in as good a place as we’ve ever been” in terms of funding certainty for active travel (the policy wonk term for walking, cycling and wheeling, aka using a wheeled device at walking pace). He also believes the cycling lobby needs to coalesce behind route construction, and hold the government to account on its delivery.

46 cyclingindustry.news

Xavier Brice joined Sustrans in June 2016, having led the development of London’s walking and cycling strategy.

The National Cycle Network was, he says, in a “moribund” state – and conversations around it tended towards its abandonment – even staff questioned if it was still a viable asset.

At the time, supporters’ donations went on path maintenance work, but beyond a map left by John Grimshaw, Sustrans’ founder, over a decade earlier, he recalls: “There was no work plan, there was no strategy, there was no action plan, it just was.”

Then there was the public perception.

The cycling lobby need to coalesce behind route construction and hold the government to account, says Brice

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46 48 49 50 ASK THE EX-BOSS - Xavier Brice - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:34 Page 2

ASK THE (EX-) BOSS Walk Wheel Cycle Trust

In 2022, the Trust drew up a Masterplan for the Network to reach almost every settlement of 10,000 people or more

“YOU’D GO ON GOOGLE AND THERE WAS LOTS OF ABUSE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE NCN; ’WHAT’S THE POINT OF THE NCN? WHO WANTED TO CYCLE FROM ABERDEEN TO DOVER?”

48 cyclingindustry.news

“You’d go on Google and there was lots of abuse about the quality of the NCN; ‘Why is a charity doing this? What’s the point of the NCN? Who wants to cycle from Aberdeen to Dover?’,” he recalls. That said, its thousands of quirky miles were used – and beloved – for millions of journeys nationwide.

Among Brice’s proudest achievements are steering the organisation through the pandemic – an easier task than he thought because in a crisis, “everyone comes together”. The pandemic also showed how important the NCN was, with 19% growth in users in 2020, compared with 2019, to a peak of 4.9 million journeys. https://bit.ly/4bxU7oD Following a review of the NCN’s 16,000odd miles, and the ‘de-designation’ of around a quarter of those (busy roads, inaccessible paths), came 55 “activation projects” to repair or build key links. This, Brice says “was taking seriously our role as custodians and setting out what we would do.”

Brice was confident they’d find the money, because “people don’t fund ideas, they fund something that’s concrete.”

Those 55 projects were completed

in 2023, part of 500 miles of improved or new sections of NCN over the decade.

An analysis of 30 route improvement projects in Scotland, delivered in 2020/21 showed on average a 37% increase in active travel trips after a year. https://bit.ly/4rgW2Td “Frankly it’s what a charity should be doing, which is not getting the begging bowl out… it’s actually ‘we’ve got this really cool idea, and people will want to fund it’ – and I still believe that,” he says.

In 2022 the Trust drew up a Masterplan for the Network to reach almost every settlement of 10,000 people or more, bringing it up to 20,000 miles. The Trust acts as a ‘custodian’ that owns less than 5% of the Network, so regional and local councils deliver their elements of the national network, as with roads, with varying levels of Trust support. Brice also acknowledges landowner partners, like the National Trust and Canal & River Trust, “without which the NCN would be nothing”.

Brice’s core regret was that he didn’t move faster, get the Masterplan out earlier and start to improve the network sooner. It’s sobering to remember there’s still

46 48 49 50 ASK THE EX-BOSS - Xavier Brice - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:34 Page 3

6,000-odd more miles needed to meet the Masterplan target. At the current rate, that will take 100-plus years to complete, and barrier removal half a century. This is where bigger plans come in.

Late last year, along with the Walking and Cycling Alliance (which includes Cycling UK, British Cycling, Living Streets and more) the Trust was among 50 signatories calling for the planning and delivery of a national “Network of Networks” for cycling, putting it on a par with roads and rail. This followed a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy consultation that Brice says was “woefully unambitious”.

He calls it “fanciful” CWIS3’s aim that everyone could make every journey they would want, actively, within ten years, without a strategy to get there. ‘Outcomes’ like this are hard to measure, he says, and therefore harder to hold the government to account over. By comparison the equivalent Road Investment Strategy talks about routes, i.e. ‘outputs’, and there’s even a map.

Those 50 signatories reached beyond cycling to include the British Medical Association, the National Trust and even

the AA’s Charitable Foundation. Speaking with a common purpose is crucial, he says: “If you look at the noise out there, including from the lobby if you like, and cycling activists, we’re not all cohering behind what [a cycling future] would look like. What are the outputs we need? And so consequently the money gets spread a bit everywhere. The fundamental thing you need, which London is living proof of, is you need a network that’s safe and easy to use” “The London Lime bike explosion wouldn’t have happened had there not been a really good network,” he adds.

Last summer’s announcement that England’s 13 regional mayors would build a National Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Network is a start, he says. “The mayors’ network exists, in concept rather than on a map… but there’s a commitment to do it now, which is great. So, everything is coming together now, together with our plan for the NCN.” In a national ‘Network of Networks’, Brice says, the NCN would act as a strategic spine, with regional and local governments delivering local routes. This would be a network “that connects up communities,

Brice label’s CWIS3’s aim that everyone could make every journey they would want actively in ten years as ‘fanciful’ without a strategy to get there

“FRANKLY IT’S WHAT A CHARITY SHOULD BE DOING, WHICH IS NOT GETTING THE BEGGING BOWL OUT...IT’S ACTUALLY ‘WE’VE GOT THIS REALLY COOL IDEA, AND PEOPLE WILL WANT TO FUND IT”

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46 48 49 50 ASK THE EX-BOSS - Xavier Brice - CIN03 2026.qxp 12/03/2026 08:34 Page 4

ASK THE (EX-) BOSS Walk Wheel Cycle Trust

England’s 13 regional mayors have now pledged to build a National Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Network, with the NCN acting as the spine of the network

“THIS WOULD BE A NETWORK THAT CONNECTS UP THE COMMUNITIES, THAT ENABLES KIDS TO GET TO SCHOOL, PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK... TO FRIENDS ...TO SHOPS. AS CHRIS WHITTY PUT IT ‘HUMBLE, EVERYDAY JOURNEYS’”

50 cyclingindustry.news

that enables kids to get to school, people to get to work… to friends… to shops, to make those, as Chris Whitty put it, ‘humble, everyday journeys’. The fact it’s nation-spanning is “an important imaginational point, but fundamentally what you need is a national network that is essentially local networks stitched together with a national spine, much like you’ve got for the road network.”

Brice believes that, within this Parliament (i.e. within three years), the mapping work should be done, and the target mileage set. “Let’s say for argument’s sake it’s 50,000 miles: 20,000 miles for the strategic network, 30,000 for the local network – and it may be way more – then you can start to plot delivery.” In many places it will simply be a case of linking up and improving existing routes.

Amid this optimism, the Trust may still face a longstanding cycle of feast and famine. In 2025, ongoing funding uncertainty forced a 14% staffing reduction – leaving 559 employees of 640, with a further 6% turnover. Then, in the current financial year the Trust was allocated £28.1m, with £3.1m for maintenance. In 2025 a new strat-

egy and rebrand focused further on the NCN and accessibility, in particular routes to schools and public transport.

Brice feels positive about the future, nonetheless. “I think we’re in as good a place as we’ve ever been in terms of getting some certainty of annual funding.

As we’ve seen before in politics, things change and the funding gets cut, but I think there’s also a recognition of the returns on investment in the NCN.” The challenges ahead include mitigating against extreme weather events, with flooding and even bridge collapse an increasing phenomenon. As many NCN paths hit 30th birthdays, and old railway structures reach their 200th years, maintaining the network means not just repairing but futureproofing it. Then there’s the signage issues that dog the NCN; Brice reveals mapping work is in its “nascent stage”.

These ideas, if realised, will be taken up by the next CEO. Brice joins SLR, a global sustainability consultancy, leading the growth of an integrated sustainable built environment business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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