BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Geared Autumn closed its doors towards the end of last month, after seeing many dealers over the course of the week-long event hosted at the distributors Derby HQ.
Geared is the only show at which the comprehensive Moore Large portfolio of brands and products can be viewed all in one place, providing an excellent opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the key people behind the brands.
A big focus for Moore Large and the main attraction for many visitors was the new Forme line up, consisting of 48 new models, marking the beginning of a more logical product lifecycle. The vast amount of bikes launched covers additional high-end categories, such as adventure road models and the performance road flash series. Also revealed for the first time was the full supporting Forme P&A range. Road.cc talk about Forme’s shining stars of the show here.
It isn’t just the Forme range that has grown, the showrooms have been re-designed and re-vamped to cater for an expanded Cuda range too. This thriving kids bike brand from Moore Large specialises in quality bikes from £100 first bikes to £800 performance models – a bicycle collection covering all bases without compromising on fit and durability
With most stock now available from Moore Large Tern was a prominent brand. Designed with a focus on ride quality, Tern bikes are ideal for commuting, storage and theft prevention, with their fast and small fold. The talk of the show was their new compact utility e-bike – designed to carry two kids and a week’s worth of groceries or 180kg of cargo, but only 180cm long – shorter than a Dutch city bike. Tern bikes get built to last, plus they’re serviceable and covered by a ten-year warranty.
RooDol is a recent addition to the Moore Large portfolio – a foldable trainer range consisting of two models that can be quickly dismantled into a shoulder bag. The ‘Compact’ version features smaller cylinders for use with mountain bike or road and the ‘Track’ has larger cylinders allowing more inertia, stability, balance and lower resistance. Also available is eRooDol bluetooth equipped Compact and Track cylinders that record both speed and cadence directly to a mobile phone. RooDol products complement pedal training with the option of specific routines including sprint series, high-speed pedalling or pedalling with resistance.
Another new brand was Mudhugger with a small but accomplished range consisting of four MTB models for your 26er, 650B and 29er needs. The brand has some of the world’s fastest downhill and enduro racers as ambassadors, from the likes of tomorrows champions in the rippers’ category to world champion Loic Bruni and team mate Finn Iles choosing Mudhugger when the conditions require maximum protection. But it’s not just racers that are fans of this British born product; the press is also fond of it, as the products have already received a great deal of inarguably positive reviews.
The apparel displays from SaKO7, Lake and O’Neal were bustling, with the release of new ranges for the season ahead. SaKO7’s stylish new kit is going to be the next big thing for the style conscious cyclist – a carefully designed assemblage of bib shorts and jerseys.
O’Neal’s new MTB collection sees new products across the helmet, riding gear, goggles and protection ranges, developed with riders and racers to bring advanced racing technology and innovation to everyone from local grassroots riders to top World Cup racers. Look out for the Blade full-face DH race helmet, developed in conjunction with Greg Minnaar as well as his trademark Legacy Pants offering the optimum balance of freedom-of-movement and durability to create the perfect race and DH pant.
There were many developments in Lake’s 2018 range, the new ’Heritage’ range, one of the most notable. A modern version of the CX1, the brand’s first ever road shoe, available in retro colours, with carbon soles and leather uppers. The styling of the new triathlon shoe range a nod towards a more classic design; however, the technology is futuristic with the top-end model featuring an internal Thermaform Carbon Fiber heel counter and 40mm hook & loop strap with fast transition forefoot L6 BOA closure – a shoe designed for very high-cadence riding.
On top of the usual show only deals on offer exclusively to those dealers attending the event, each dealership to walk through the doors benefited from a £50 voucher towards any branded stock-in package ordered at the show. Plus, show orders were eligible for a minimum of 90 days payment terms –subject to credit status – and individual brand enrolments offering up to 150 days payment terms.
To see the full gallery, click the link here. To hear about the rest of the range, check out part two, coming soon.
