BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Our plan was simple: to celebrate the up and coming talents of the bicycle industry. With your help and suggestions we came up with a list of 30 individuals that are not yet sporting too many grey hairs, gathered from all corners of the trade…
Adam Garner
Moore Large
Garner has been with Moore Large for over ten years and is experienced in many areas of the sport, starting out competing in cyclo trials through to BMX and is now regularly out on his road or MTB. Previously working on ML’s BMX range, Garner’s new role sees him work across multiple brands, inc the revised Barracuda, Cuda juniors, Haro, Premium, Social BMX and mass market bikes with support from other team members.
Adam Biggs
Boardman Bikes
Biggs, 27, is UK business development manager for Boardman Bikes. Headhunted in 2013, Biggs has successfully built a strong and continually growing dealer network with Boardman Elite Series exclusively through UK IBDs. With Biggs on board, the World Class Elite range is on target for impressive growth – up to 150 per cent year-on-year.
Alex Rowling
Chicken Cyclekit
Rowling has worked for Chicken CycleKit for little over a year now, and in that time has created a name for himself in the sales team, providing excellent service to customers. With his pro-active attitude and industry knowledge, he is now running the marketing department, organising all press releases, web and media related promotions, editorial, exhibitions and supporting dealers with POS and promotional material.
Adam Stonehouse
Silverfish
Stonehouse joined Silverfish at the start of 2014 and has already made a large inpact on the company’s web presence. Taking up the web administrator role, Stonehouse has a long history of BMX riding and a background in online development and as such has helped the distributor improve its online offering and development.
Adrian Solgaard Janzen
Interlock
It’s not just about established names, as Adrian Solgaard Janzen of crowd-funded Interlock proves. Janzen, 27, had his bike pinched in ‘12 and then launched the InterLock – a lock that hides in a bike. In 30 days he’d had $51,213 pledged and in January this year the first 10,000 pieces were finished and sent out to 13 countries. Taipei Cycle rubber stamped the brand with a coveted Gold Award. Not a bad trajectory over two years.
Emily Brooke
Blaze
Blaze is an LED green laser floodlight that projects in front of the cyclist – giving bus drivers, pedestrians, car drivers and everyone else an early warning a cyclist is coming. Brooke’s safety boosting light took off when it launched on Kickstarter, more than doubling its £25,000 target before Christmas 2012. Built in the UK, the light has earned plenty of media coverage and is one to watch out for.
Anthony Ives
MDI Distribution
A keen BMX racer, 29-year old Ives has spent half of his life working in the bike trade and has already gained 15 years experience in the industry. Ives joined MDI in ‘12, working mainly in the warehouse but had a keen interest in the sales side of the business. He is now an integral part of the team, designing and managing email promos, maintaining the B2B website, as well as assisting with the general trading of stock.
Antonio Fiore
Silverfish
Joining Silverfish’s internal sales department in 2013, Fiore has a strong IBD background having spent years working on the shop floor. With a passion for everything gravity-fuelled and years of cycle experience under his belt he is able to knowledgably back up all incoming sales enquires and support our sales team.
Ben McCabe
Halfords
Integral to Halfords cycle design team, McCabe is Justin Stevenson’s (head of cycle design) right-hand man, responsible for crafting some best selling bikes. McCabe and Stevenson are on the cusp of launching the Carrera and Voodoo 14/15 range, with junior ranges which will ‘have a significant impact on the cycle sector landscape’ we are told. Keen cyclist McCabe commutes by bike to the Redditch HQ from Malvern daily.
Blake Lavelle
Velotech Services
Velotech’s Rotor Product specialist for the UK is one Blake Lavelle. Boasting enthusiasm, great knowledge and passion, this invaluable member of staff is a common sight at bike events and, according to his colleagues, likes bikes and the bike industry more than they believe is strictly healthy.
Chris Snook
Madison
In his fourth year with cycle trade heavy hitting distribution company Madison, Chris Snook started as marketing co-ordinator and is now press officer, handling the PR for Madison’s brands across the board. Aside from the day job, Snook also rides for Madison’s UCI Team, Madison Genesis.
Graeme McKay
Rutland Cycling
McKay (AKA ‘Pozz’) is category manager for P&A. McKay, 28, stepped up to this role during late ‘12 and previously ran the workshop, and remains one of the retailer’s strongest mechanics. In the P&A role, McKay has taken to the more technical aspects of managing stock and sales performance with commitment and tenacity, using his commercial drive and insights with great working relationships within the business.
Tom Dowie
Cycle coach
Tom Dowie Coaching has been established for a good few years now, and Dowie also fits in a role as Chicksands shoveller. Not only that, but the multi-talented Dowie has been making his own beard oil, which is has been stocked in a number of barbers, as well as online via the Bedfordshire Beard Company.
Hannah Freudenberg
Polaris
Freudenberg is marketing coordinator at Polaris. This pro-active exec gets plenty of kit out to magazines and is also a key-supporter of #MTBmeetup. Freudenberg, 24, is said to be doing a great job of getting herself out and about in the trade and pushing marketing activity and organisation forward for Polaris. Our spies tell us to expect Polaris branded events to return soon (potentially).
Jason Smith
Chicken Cyclekit
Smith joined the sales team at Chicken in 2013 and quickly made a name for himself by delivering a high standard of customer service, driving sales and promotions and supporting brands and products through shows and dealer visits. More recently he has had a big impact in the launch of new MTB brand Superior. With MTB expertise, he now oversees all the Superior accounts as brand manager, whilst dealing with his daily sales role.
Joe Poyzer
Poyzer’s time in the industry extends all the way back to when he learnt to walk – working in his father’s cycle store. His background at Moore Large was as an area sales manager while simultaneously developing the Onza brand, purchased by the distributor in ‘13. He has since moved from his area sales role and is now the Forme / Onza bicycle product and brand manager. He’s recently been developing the new Forme range and the new trail- friendly MTBs models for ‘15.
Rebecca Charlton
Cycling Active
Charlton works with IPC Media in both deputy and assistant editor roles across its cycling titles. Also a presenter for ITV4 and BT Sport, Charlton recently stepped into the book world, authoring Get on Your Bike with Robert Hicks and Hannah Reynolds. Charlton also worked in a presenter role with Cycling.tv and races with Mule Bar – Sigma.
Joe Stevens
Silverfish
If you’ve had your Formula brake bled by Silverfish then the chances are that Joe Stevens in the Silverfish warranty and technical department was the man who did the business. Years of racing and shop work mean that Stevens is perfectly placed to know what customers need and what level of services they require from Silverfish.
Josh Lowe
Blockhead Team
This Elite downhill MTBer is a mere 19 years old and races in National, European and World Cup events. Supported by some big teams over the years, including the Ancillotti UK Development Team, Madison Saracen Downhill Team and now the Blockhead Energy Downhill Team, Lowe has had a few highs, including winning two rounds of the British Downhill Series in Expert (2013) and finishing second overall in the series.
Kirsty Ho Fat
Velovixen
A recent high profile hire for Velovixen, Ho Fat first came to the trade’s attention taking on the editor role of (then) newly-launched Total Women’s Cycling. Since then she’s made a big impression with the site and now, with VeloVixen, works as comms manager as the brand seeks to expand reach and engagement. Ho Fat is also editor of Women’s Cycling’s online presence and was singled out as among the trade’s 50 Most Influential.
Lauren Smith
Moore Large
Smith, 27, has worked for Moore Large for four years, with a background in racing that extends back 18 years in BMX, culminating is a third place in the 2010 UCI Worlds in the Championship Female category in Durban, SA. Smith is also a level 2 certified British Cycling coach and uses her experience when developing the Cuda junior bikes as well as the new Barracuda, Free Spirit, Cuda BMX and the Bumper children’s ranges.
Lauren Vanderplank
Moore Large
With ML for five years, Vanderplank works mostly in the P&A division and all areas of UK marketing. She started with 12 brands and now looks after 23 as well as Moore Large PR, creating and maintaining the corporate identity. She looks after a significant budget, juggling advertising, events, sponsorship, websites and PR. The marketing dept has significantly grown and Vanderplank now manages a marketing and design team.
Mark Bailey
SDJ Sports
A great example of an unsung hero in the industry, hardworking Bailey gives up his spare time to help others. Over more than a decade in the trade, he started as a workshop technician and then moved to online sales. This hard worker is praised for his great customer focused view point and can be relied on for a “can do” attitude. He’s usually first in and last to go home and this dedicated cyclist organises group rides for all levels.
Tom Byers
nuun
Byers, 20, is the fresh-faced UK rep for nuun hydration. He has a remarkable ability to keep UK cyclists hydrated even while keeping up University research in sports nutrition, running two cycling teams and regularly swanning off for luxurious cycling holidays, we’re told. A sports science student at Bath Uni, Byers has impressed the firm with his communication and organisational skills.
Martin Johnston
Thomson’s Cycles
Store manger Johnston, 29, joined in ‘11 from IKEA and a spell in the original Thomson’s Cycles in the ‘90s. With a platinum Velotech certificate and specialist training in Tacx, Sella Saddle Fit, Look Keo Fit, Oakley optics and Shimano Di2 diagnostics to name a few, he’s been instrumental in setting up the retailer’s own team. With the retailer he’ll provide Pearl Izumi mechanical support at the Edinburgh Tour Series Stage.
Phillip Finden
Wiggle
With spells at Hargroves Cycles – where he managed the Winchester, Fareham and Chichester stores over the last ten years – Finden has also worked for Cell Bikes in Australia as a buyer out there for 18 months. Since then he returned to the UK a few months back and is now trading assistant for Accessories for Wiggle. Finden is exclusively a mountain biker and has plans to get back on the DH and Enduro Racing Circuit this year.
Rob Andrews
Moore Large
BMX specialist, Andrews (27) has been with ML for three years. Andrews works with Haro and Premium, developing BMX brand Social alongside Garner, which launched in 2012. Andrews has ridden BMX for over ten years receiving sponsorship during his riding career from such brands as Superstar, Odyssey Flow, Loophole and Premium and now gets to sponsor himself after retiring from the Premium team in 2013.
Scott Bannister
Silverfish
Internal sales exec Bannister loves bikes and everything to do with them, so has a vast and deep reserve knowledge of all things related to the sport. Years working in shops, spinning spanners and guiding in Whistler make Bannister the perfect person to have on the end of the phone supporting the dealer network.
Tessa Jones
Paligap
Jones has been at Paligap for three years and amongst other things, heads up brand management for VDO Computers, Bryton, Muc Off and Alé Clothing as well as key account manager for Halfords.
Trevor Hughes
Storck Raddar
Hughes, 27, is one half of Storck Raddar UK as director. He joined the cycling world three years ago to start up Storck Raddar UK with industry veteran, and father, Ian Hughes. Former telecoms executive Trevor now looks after everything from finance and logistics to the company website and supporting its growing dealer network.
