BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Ahead of Core Bike 2012, which starts this Sunday (January 29th). We’ve got the fourth part of our guide to some of the brands and products appearing. Find the first part here, the second over here and the third here.
Buff
Dealers unfamiliar with the brand will benefit from a starter package.
The Pack will feature men’s and women’s t-shirts, socks and gloves – plus an additional six Original Buff, the Original Multifunctional Headwear, free-of-charge. There’ll also be a range of POS material to display the products at their best in-store.
New Infinity Buff Headwear will debut at Core. Made of wood (yes, the stuff derived from trees), the headwear is naturally irritation-free and sports excellent moisture management properties. A type of Lyocell, Tencel is a wood-derived fibre made from Eucalyptus wood pulp, from sustainably managed forests, of course. Much longer than the usual tubular Buff, Infinity Buff had been designed for use during any outdoor or leisure activity, with an added touch of style. It has much in common with existing Buff Headwear, including extreme durability, high wicking ability and multi-functionality. Plain, patterened and double-sided designs will all preview at Core and will be available from March.
Whittlebury Hall will also see Buff show its 2012 spring/summer headwear, with the High UV Protection collection featuring the likes of the Cap Buff, a reversible and ultra-light cap made with a double layer of highly breathable Coolmax Extreme fabric, the double layer offering 98 per cent protection from UV rays. Meanwhile, the Headband Buff range includes 11 new High UV Protection designs, 22 new prints and patters in the existing tubular Buff, as well as the introduction of the first High UV Protection Buff collection for babies.
The Visor Buff is back in the High UV Protection collection too, with an improved neoprene peak, similar to the peak of a baseball cap. It hits the £18.00 retail price point.
Upgrade
Upgrade Bikes has plenty for dealers to get their teeth into at Core, including not to be missed new products and stockist packages.
Tektro’s growing after-market range will be on show, as will TRP, the racing arm, the first to market with the Parabox cable to hydraulic brake converter.
Award winning Green Oil has attention grabbing new packaging and graphics. Taking the eco theme one step further, all 100ml bottles are made from recycled multi-coloured plastic, normally used for landfill. Reclaimed fizzy drinks caps are being used on Green Clean, diverting from further landfill. Bike shops and charities interested in collecting caps for Green Oil are encouraged to get in touch.
DMR’s full range of dirt colourful accessories will be at Whittlebury Hall, including Vault pedals, Viral chain devise and Thret rims. Dealers can see the new Bolt frame with tapered head tube and complete jump and dirt bikes.
Kinesis, meanwhile, will show new build kit options on more models and the Crosslight Pro6 disc specific cross frame and a first look at the new XC29er.
Pivot Cycles will be showcased in a separate room – where dealers are invited for one-to-one viewings, supported by Pivot’s head of sales, Daniel Limberg.
Lezyne has a new pump line-up featuring the patented Air Bleed System. Learn more about this feature and many new products from the brand including home shop tools and LED lighting. Complete ranges of multi tools, bags and hydration will also be on display with new stocking packages available.
Reynolds wheels have the new Eighty One wheel set in this year’s line up, offering even more deep section aerodynamic advantage for the road. A new UK road sponsorship with team UK Youth will be announced, backing up Reynolds’ support of the international team AG2R. The Spin-It-Up demo wheel programme has more dealers taking part every year and is a great way to build customer experience, Upgrade says. The MTB wheel line now includes new XC and AM carbon wheels as well as the much anticipated 29er set. X-Fusion Forks and Shocks will be presented with all-new models across the range.
SiWIS
Headed up by company owner Si Watts, SiWiS, will be exhibiting at Core Bike in this year, exhibiting internet solutions for bike-related companies online.
Watts says: “Having worked in the retail environment and later as a rep for a major player at the time, what started as a hobby building websites for a few select customers has rapidly turned into a thriving business catering almost solely for the web needs of bike-related companies.”
The firm offers bespoke web work, providing dealers with the chance to have a dedicated system built to suit their individual needs, or to select the i-BikeShop e-tail system.
This ready-to-go e-commerce solution features simple self management systems to make looking after the content of sites easy for novice users and those more familiar with computers alike. Find out more at Whittlebury Hall this January.
Mojo Suspension
Arriving at Core Bike for the very first time this year, Mojo Suspension is getting in on the Whittlebury Hall action.
Displaying products from the 2012 Fox Racing Shox range, Mojo says its latest ranges are the most comprehensive and technologically advanced yet.
The Mojo Suspension team will be there in person to explain that new technology in detail, whether it’s suspension setup, service, tuning or technologies Mojo Suspension is looking forward to answering some dealer questions.
The company will also be demonstrating its new shock dyno tester. This piece of kit takes Mojo’s tuning service to a new level, they say.
Using software developed specifically for Mojo, this machine allows them to maximise the performance of each tuning job, tailored to a rider’s requirements.
