BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

According to the marketing magazine Precision Marketing (3 July 2000) the American car building giant General Motors is to invest $1.7bn in its E-commerce operation, e-GM, which it hopes will see the manufacturer sell up to 80 per cent of its cars custom-built over the internet by 2003. But they will still be delivered via dealers. Will all high-end bike manufacturers follow suit?

A former IBD, now working for a major IT company, has set up a bike registration service that is said to be backed by Halfords, Dawes, Moore Large and others. And, says bikeregister.com, the site is produced in association with Raleigh. Bike Register will also be CoBRs product of the month for August.

Channel 4s coverage of this years Tour de France is a bit erratic. The programme schedulers seem to be playing with our loyalties: do you set the video or watch the extra programmes that few will hear about?

P&A has moved already (see the story from last week) but Raleigh Bicycles is still on Triumph Road until new premises are found. What progress is being made?

There has been much speculation of late about whether Cannondale was about to shuffle off this mortal coil thanks to financiers pulling the plug. This has not happened.