BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Raleigh UK managing director Mark Gouldthorp has revealed how he plan to boost Raleigh, following the 2012 acquisition.
Speaking to BikeBiz, Gouldthorp said he wants Raleigh to ‘own the lifestyle cycling sector’ by keeping the brand in the public eye and refining its product line-up post-Accell takeover.
Raleigh recently held its product launch show at Birmingham.
The Raleigh boss told BikeBiz: “Where Raleigh can win commercially is in the lifestyle sector. Again you have to be on trend with looks, finish and specification, but with something like the Red or Dead bikes we are looking to introduce a fashion element. We’ve had partnerships in the past with the likes of Ben Sherman and there are other opportunities there to keep Raleigh in the public domain.
“Look at the Beano Chopper. It’s a bit of fun, we’re not hanging our hat on it commercially, but again it keeps us high in the public domain in a cost-effective way.
“I want Raleigh to own the lifestyle cycling sector.
“There’s a lot of competition in that space with brands that are as good as we are and we’ve got to work hard to prise that market from their grasp. That’s where our heritage is and with a bit of style and engineering we can conquer.
“We have made steps forward, but I think 2015 is when I’ll feel we’re bringing true differentiation in there. That’s bloody difficult to achieve in the bike market. If you look at the German market particularly, the refinements in aesthetics that German lifestyle bikes have is something we can bring to the UK market. I don’t mean transplanting German specifics into the UK market, but the use of new materials to add to a product and give it a distinct personality…I think we’re on the way. We want people to be able to say ‘that’s a Raleigh bike’, not a Giant, or a Ridgeback…that’s the mission of the team.
“Having Haibike in the range gets us back to that credible one-stop-shop status.”
For more turn to page 20 of BikeBiz August, which you can download or read online here.
Local bike shop Wolf Mountain Cycles puts together Team Raleigh event
Today (Friday August 9th) pro riders from Team Raleigh will be training with cycling stars of the future at a special event being held for Wolverhampton Wheelers Cycling Club members.
Local Raleigh stockist Wolf Mountain Cycles helped organise the event where club riders will be able to train with Team Raleigh and get tips about life as a pro. A sneak preview of Raleigh’s 2014 range and prizes will also be on offer.
Wolf Mountain Cycles shop manager Alan Hilleard said: "We are looking forward to a brilliant event with the Wheelers, there are a number of young riders with fantastic potential and they are sure to benefit from the experience of Team Raleigh’s pro riders. We’re really looking forward to seeing the new Raleigh performance bikes in particular, the Militis Race in particular is turning a few heads as its black and yellow colour scheme matches the Wheelers’ club colours.”
Geoff Giddings, Raleigh Marketing Director added: "Team Raleigh have once again proved their status as one of the biggest and best teams on the domestic circuit so it’s fantastic opportunity to have these top-notch athletes representing Raleigh. We’re delighted to be able to support dealer-organised events like these and we are sure the Wheelers are going to have a fantastic time with Team Raleigh.
“Raleigh bike stockists are welcome to get in touch with their account manager for more details on how we can help."
This event is part of Wolverhampton Wheelers Friday night track training session.
