BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Verve Cycling’s InfoCrank was one of two brand signings for Moore Large at the end of 2015 and was something of a coup – the Derby distributor was the first to take on the power meter worldwide.
Pinpoint accuracy and making the power market accessible for a wider range of cyclist is part of the InfoCrank philosophy, which is good news for the whole sector. BikeBiz quizzes Verve Cycling’s managing director of distribution, George Galbraith, on what it is bringing to the market…
It seems like one of InfoCranks unique selling points is the fact it doesn’t need re-adjusting once it is fitted…
Not only never adjusted, it never needs calibrating. Batteries are user replaceable and are easily found. Never calibrating is a big point when you look at the impact of data accuracy versus human performance. Without accurate data an individual can improve, but only with baby steps. Given accurate data athletes of all abilities can take strides forward in their riding. So yes, never needing readjusting or calibrating are key unique features but the main one is that the InfoCrank is the most accurate power meter available on the market and that the accuracy is repeatable every time.
Do you think that will lure in less technically-minded customers?
We aim to make the crankset easy for any level of bike user. Anyone who wants to improve their cycling is able to have our power meter fitted and then just concentrate on riding their bike.
What is your take on the power metre market? Is there plenty of growth potential?
The power meter market is a tricky beast. When only half of the field at Kona is using power that shows there is a huge potential for growth even at the pinnacle of sport. However my personal observation is that as many people are put off using power due to bad experiences as join the market as new customers. The biggest challenge to any product entering the market is educating the public on why to use a power meter, its benefits and why those benefits are worth the financial outlay. A traditional cyclist finds it very easy to justify the cost of a £1000 set of wheels as they look nice and they are a recognised bike upgrade, however a power meter is still relatively new to the masses so ours is really an education process first and foremost.
What’s the pricing range for InfoCrank?
The package is priced at £1,149. This is the Dual-Sided power meter, the appropriate Bottom Bracket for your bike and your choice of Chainrings. Both the Chainrings and the BB are supplied by Praxis who is well known for its superior cold-forged products. Our Power Meter has been two years in the making to ensure it is perfect not only in terms of ease of use and affordability but most importantly that it does the job the a power meter should do: Accurately read power data every single time, in every situation.
What’s the reaction been like from dealers?
Bike shops have been taking really well to the product and we are delighted with the work our distributors are doing to help that process. We have been heaped with requests to come into stores to demonstrate the product in the evenings for customers, which we are more than happy to do. We believe firmly in working with local independent stores and helping them in any way we can. I personally have visited every one of our dealers when they join us and help educate them on the product, how to get the most out of it and how to sell it.
Is it true that Moore Large is the first distributor in the world to carry the InfoCrank? That’s quite a privilege…
Yes it is true. We have previously been operating a direct sales model in many countries and we recognised the need to bring in the experts on the ground to help the product reach its potential. We spoke with many different distributors and judged Moore Large to be the best option to pursue. Their enthusiasm and vision for the product matched are own and that was really the key characteristic we were looking for.
Dealers should call their local Moore Large Rep ASAP. We already have a nice network of dealers coming together that we will continue to grow throughout this year but when that gets to capacity we will respect our dealers territories.
Personally I feel like we are the best kept secret in cycling. Our power meter is the first in the market place to achieve accuracy levels that under EU law allow it to be called an instrument. No other product can get near us on accuracy and they are a million miles away from us on consistency. This comes back to the whole purpose our business exists, to help people improve their cycling ability – simple. We will not bring a product to market unless it actually does what it is supposed to do and help athletes perform better. It’s a principle that our engineers believe in, cutting out the marketing speak or to put it another way BS – Bicycling Science.
b2b.moorelarge.co.uk
