Carlton Reid - BikeBiz
Member since 04 Nov 2010
Job title
Executive Editor
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- Recent comments
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Carlton Reid 09/02/2012 09:36:09
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Cyclefit symposium goes social
Good question. But, in the main, bike fitting is for road bikes. Some sportive-style riders want comfort (many bike companies now make 'comfort' road bikes for long distance riding) and so get a bike fitting with this in mind. Many other bike fits are performance orientated, i.e. which angles and which dangles will make me go faster. Most 'blue ocean' consumers aren't fussed about speed but are fussed about comfort. But they wouldn't want to spend two hundred quid on a pro bike fit! Obviously. Bike fitting is a niche of a niche. And that's fine. It's not compulsory.
Carlton Reid 25/01/2012 14:26:26
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ETRA pens blistering response to BA's e-bike letter to DfT
Thanks for spotting that, Will. I blame the typo on all the Belbium deer I grank over Christmas.
Carlton Reid 03/01/2012 12:19:03
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Journo has a go at 'bastards' who work in bike shops
Sad this but as a reader of cycle trade mags going back 100 years, I can tell you that this reaching out to the 'blue ocean' customers has been a constant preoccupation with the UK bicycle business. There were PR campaigns in the 70s that addressed this, although the concept of 'blue ocean' wasn't known then. Competition for a small customer base has definitely accelerated since those days but then the enthusiast customer base has also grown. Some shops are now catering to a female, cycle chic clientele - Bobbin, for instance - but this seems to be most possible in places such as London. I know a few shops who tried to sell the Dutch bike concept to customers in a northern English city and got nowhere. The cry from many quarters was 'stock it and they will come'. They didn't; the shop now sells mostly MTBs, with a few Dutch bikes. Cycling conditions in the UK aren't yet conducive to a truly mass market audience. Ever increasing fuel prices and the creation of a safer cycling environment will see the market change a great deal over the next 20 years.
Carlton Reid 29/11/2011 09:02:49
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To increase cyclist safety, reduce motor vehicle speeds
Provision for cyclists - and pedestrians - in the UK is abysmal. I agree with TRL that a reduction in motor vehicle speeds will do a lot for cycling but if the traffic calming itself is cycle unfriendly (such as build out islands that lead to pinch points, and road cushions that are a jolt for cyclists) that wouldn't be so positive. As in all things in life, it's complicated and I don't think one simple solution will work. And by that I mean segregation. There needs to be a whole raft of pro cyclist and pro pedestrian measures put in place to make our country a better place to live. Sometimes that will involve separating cyclists from motor vehicles. There are lots of other measures, too. In London, there's a growing campaign to get cyclist and pedestrian measures put in place at Kings Cross, on Blackfriars bridge and at the Bow roundabout and other places. Focussing efforts on key locations is a good idea. Lobby to reduce danger at the most dangerous places.
Carlton Reid 29/11/2011 08:52:54
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Proviz appoints Mark Bickerton as UK Brand Ambassador
Well spotted! I was working on a US story at the same time (now online, i.e. the one on CRC and Wiggle) and clearly didn't spot the typo. Thanks for pointing it out.
Carlton Reid 22/11/2011 14:25:37
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Confused.com stirs up motorist v cyclist hate debate
Depends where. The Confused.com 'road safety' campaign is spread over many pages, all with comment sections.
Carlton Reid 22/11/2011 08:44:01
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BMW dealer opens bike store
@dave - info now added re BMW bikes. Yes, some. Shop will explore Olympics angle. @sean - Mechanics are Cytech accredited. Personally, I'd have no problem getting bike checked out in a car showroom. 'Them & Us' thing may actually be lessened if there was more mixing. And this particular garage joins AA, Which?Car and Plain English Campaign in switching from 'road tax' to 'car tax'. As Tesco says, Every Little Helps.
Carlton Reid 31/10/2011 08:29:53
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Carlton Reid 26/10/2011 21:29:39
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Desk jockeys can now ride while they work
Cruel dads - in the US, I hasten to add, not me - have been known to hook up TVs to static trainers, and kids can only watch while they're pedalling. So, should be easy for this desk to multi-task in this way.
Carlton Reid 20/10/2011 12:51:07
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- Recent articles
"We are all lazy" admits MP in retail debate, urging free car parking
Jeff Sorry, which bits are bl**ding obvious? Free car parking is a good thing or bad thing?