BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Steven Norris, former chair of the National Cycle Strategy Board, said at Wednesday's Cycle Forum for England that Britain's car-centred culture has made cyclists feel invisible, with the result that some exhibit yobbish behaviour. Transport minister Kim Howells, a GT-riding roadie, agreed, saying he'd nearly been knocked down by a cycling 'jerk' earlier that morning.

UPDATED: Compared to Jeremy Whittle, editor of Highbury's Procycling, Tony Farelly, editor of Future's Cycling Plus, has a decidedly different stance on the reliance of audited sales figures...

Revenues for the quarter, which ended 29th February, grew 21 percent to $2.9bn. In the financial results webcast at nikebiz.com, Nike execs talked about rolling out a marketing campaign to coincide with the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong rides in Nike clobber and shoes, and is aiming for a historic sixth yellow jersey.

Earlier this week a topic was started on this site's bulletin board concerning the discounted prices available to the public from wiggle.co.uk. Frames and P&A from American Bicycle Group's Litespeed, Merlin, Tomac, Quintana Roo and Real Design brands were available deeply discounted. The topic-poster warned IBDs who invest time, money and effort into stocking these, and other premium brands, to be aware of the discounts and perhaps vote with their wallets. Trevor Gunning has now written to Wiggle's Mitch Dall warning a beautiful relationship could be about to end...

That's the reading-between-the-lines conclusion reached by most bike bigwigs at the third annual Cycling Forum for England meeting held at the Department for Transport in London yesterday. Dr. Kim Howells, a transport minister since last July, told the assembled great-and-good that despite wearing a cycle helmet himself – he's a GT-riding roadie – he doesn't believe any helmet compulsion law could be enforced in England. Therefore Eric Martlew's private members bill will likely not be supported by the DfT.