BikeBiz catches up with Dan Smith of Fox Factory to discuss the future of Ride Concepts and how a switch to in-house distribution will benefit IBDs and consumers.

Founded in the fall of 2018–autumn to us on this side of the pond–Ride Concepts was created with the outcast idea of being the first mountain bike specific footwear company to offer a complete range of technically driven and tailored products for men, women and youth.

Fast forward to 2023, the business which started with a family need for better fitting and performing footwear for aggressive riding was acquired by industry giant, Fox Factory. On these shores, this aligned with Fox Factory UK establishing a new Woking headquarters to strengthen its UK presence and directly serve customers, focusing on suspension service and warranty.

“After Fox Factory acquired the Ride Concepts brand, Silverfish managed the UK distribution, playing a vital role in its rapid growth,” explains Dan Smith, manager of business development EMEA, Fox Factory and UK director.

But with a UK base and wider infrastructure in place, the decision was made to bring Ride Concepts’ distribution under direct management of the newly-expanded Fox UK team.

“With Ride Concepts brought back in-house for direct distribution in the UK, Fox Factory can effectively meet the demands of a changed market by refining pricing and ensuring retailers stay competitive with this high-performance brand,” adds Smith.

“Dealers can anticipate exceptional service and support from a dedicated team of passionate mountain bikers with decades of experience.

“We’re focusing on collaboration, supported by a growing ambassador programme, and offering competitive margins and flexibility. Our commitment to the MTB scene means we’re here to support dealers in meaningful ways.”

This commitment has been bolstered by the appointment of committed mountain bikers and long standing industry professionals, Nathaniel Hall and Jonny Howe.

Hall takes more than a decade of experience in the bike industry, having worked with brands such as Specialized, YT Industries, and Sigma Sports. He’s a specialist in B2B and B2C relationship management, with a deep understanding of the industry.

At Ride Concepts, Hall will oversee B2B sales, manage B2C customer service and lead the grassroots UK ambassador programme. Calling the trails of the Surrey Hills home, he is often found at local Enduro races or enjoying a mid-ride cuppa in Peaslake.

Howe has spent time at Saddleback where he specialised in relationship management with IBDs across the UK and with Intense Cycles as the UK market manager sitting across sales and marketing departments. His role at Ride Concepts will see him manage the B2B accounts across the UK and focus on re-establishing the brand’s presence in the market.

Howe will be based remotely in the South West, near Bristol and can be found out most weekends riding steep-tech in the valleys of South Wales.

“We are thrilled to have Nathaniel and Jonny join the team,” says Smith.

“As core members of the industry who have a track record of building market leading brands and introducing new products, we look forward to the Ride Concepts brand enjoying a return to form in the IBD network under their careful stewardship.”

The product story

While many in MTB circles will be familiar with the product names in the Ride Concepts line-up, the entire range has experienced design and technology updates. And many of these are available immediately to retailers and consumers in the UK.

“We’ve spent recent months preparing by adding dedicated staff and ensuring a comprehensive range of products,” comments Smith.

“The Ride Concepts range has been refined to focus on essential, high-impact models like the updated Livewire and the new Tallac Mid. We’ve also revised our pricing to offer greater value at RRP and increased dealer margins.

“Our stock is now in the warehouse and shipping to select retail partners, ensuring we are the first choice for consumers looking for high-performance riding shoes.”

Particular highlights include the Livewire range and the recently-launched Tallac Mid, which debuted in July.

“The Livewire range, now includes models for men, women, youth, and kids, has been completely revamped for 2024 and is already shipping,” adds Smith.

“The new Tallac Mid has just arrived in the UK, designed to excel in British weather. We’re working with top-tier partners like Boa, D3O, Cordura, and Rubber Kinetics to ensure superior performance and durability.

“Looking ahead to Spring 2025, we have some exciting new products in the pipeline. While we can’t share the details just yet, we’re confident they’ll make a significant impact. Stay tuned for more updates.”

According to Smith, the updates streamline the range by giving each model a distinct purpose and target rider, minimising feature overlap.

“The Livewire range provides a great entry point into MTB footwear with features typically found in higher-end models,” he continues.

“The Accomplice range combines on-bike performance with off-bike style and comfort. The Tallac range offers trail-ready performance with D3O insoles and Max Grip rubber. The Vice range combines skate trainer aesthetics with D3O insoles for enhanced protection and control.

“These improvements ensure each product meets specific rider needs and broadens our market appeal.”

So with the footwear range seeing a host of refinements, and a new parent company looking to develop the Ride Concepts offering, should we expect to see the brand entering new markets or sectors in 2025 and beyond?

“Riding injuries are no fun, especially when they could have been avoided. That’s why we’ve made toe, heel, and sole protection a big part of our footwear design—keeping you safe so you can keep riding hard,” says Smith.

“As well as some exciting new models of shoes to complete our footwear offering, we’ve developed accompanying products to improve the selling proposition for IBDs and help keep Ride Concepts’ riders fully covered.”

So with direct distribution from Fox Factory’s premises in the South East of England, a new team solely dedicated to building the brand and servicing customer needs, and a host of other positives to shout about, all that’s left for Smith and his team to do is to see Ride Concepts on the trails

“If you’re interested in what you’ve read or have had success with Ride Concepts in your store previously, we’d love to hear from you,” concludes Smith.

“Please visit our Dealer Enquiry page to provide your details, and either Jonny or Nathaniel will get in touch to assist with the onboarding process and provide all the relevant information.”

Retailers interested in learning more about the brand, 2025 products or other opportunities, should visit: rideconcepts.co.uk

Daniel Blackham sits down with Peter Mildon, COO and co-founder of VivaCity to discuss the business’s journey to-date and the importance of local voices on local challenges.

Sustainable travel continues to gain momentum across the UK. With a vast range of ways to travel on the cards, it’s now time to harness the right data in order to support decisions on new schemes and promote positive change by measuring what matters. Step forward VivaCity.

Founded nearly a decade ago, VivaCity’s AI solution provides detailed and anonymous data insights to help optimise transport networks, improve urban infrastructure efficiency and save lives.

“It’s been a whirlwind journey,” says Peter Mildon, chief operations officer and co-founder of VivaCity, when discussing the company’s history to-date. “I’ve absolutely loved parts of it. I found other bits of it quite stressful.”

VivaCity sits across two unique areas by being both a venture-backed start-up that works closely with government and local authority.

“There’s two different worlds there, and trying to get those worlds to combine is always a challenge,” adds Mildon. The Silicon Valley mantra of ‘move fast and break things’ doesn’t cut it in the taxpayer funded public sector.”

Despite the challenges of merging the two, VivaCity has seen significant uptake in its services in recent years with the pandemic seeing a change in attitude from local authority when it came to implementing new schemes.

Recent announcements have seen Glasgow City Council harness AI to improve traffic flow and road safety, as well as Transport for West Midlands looking to new smart sensor technology to increase safety on cycle routes in Solihull.

“The pivotal thing for us that fundamentally enabled the business to leapfrog and become a big enough player to actually impact change and impact the things that we care about in terms of making transport more sustainable and safer, was Covid,” comments Mildon.

“Clearly I would never want to turn around and say that that horrific experience at a human and personal level was a positive thing, but going back to what I was saying a few minutes ago about ‘move fast and break things’, the attitude in government at that time was, move fast.

“You’ve got an opportunity here to try and test new things, and we’ve got a ‘national emergency’, so things moved quicker.

“That helped us become an established and more stable business that has then been able to carry on adding value after the pandemic is a long, not quite yet forgotten, thing in history.”

New opportunities

At the time of writing, the new Labour government has just passed its first 100 days in office after more than a decade in the opposition benches. While it would be unfair to judge success or failure at this stage, Mildon is optimistic about some of the pledges and commitments being made.

“In terms of the manifesto and some of the commitments, I think the objectives are good,” he says.

“The green agenda, trying to decarbonise transportation while providing equitable transport, with a focus on public transport around that as well, and making sure everyone can get access to it – all of those things are politically good.”

Ultimately for Mildon, the goal is about getting people moving efficiently and safely.

“I’ve always said that if you can persuade 10% of people to walk, cycle or get public transport, that’s 10% less cars in the traffic jam in front of you,” he adds.

“So even if you really want to drive, any plan that creates that modal shift is good for you, as well as for the people who are moving.

“We’ll hopefully find out more over the next few months [from the government about its plans], but we are certainly seeing some really positive movement in terms of continued commitment to investment around active travel, but alongside that, more devolution towards the local local authorities making decisions about how that is best enacted in a local place.”

As Mildon explains, the role of local authorities in making decisions for local roads is crucial to get the right infrastructure in the right places.

For example, one city may have the objective of having segregated cycle lanes to make people feel safer.

“So they want to get more timid cyclists into that and see more timid cyclists in that world, rather than as a route to get people to move more efficiently from A to B,” says Mildon.

“A different city might have the objective that the cycling infrastructure is to make it more efficient for someone to cycle from A to B, and if that creates a modal shift, more efficient for people to drive from A to B as well.

“And those are subtly different.

“You’ll see a difference in how you design those networks, in terms of the right of way at crossroads, potentially trying to either slow cyclists down or let them cycle through it at 20/30, miles per hour.

“It’s up to local politicians to make those sorts of decisions. I don’t think it’s right for that to happen nationally.”

In short, a good looking cycle lane in one city will be different to another, and having data that lets you work out if the design meets that level of objective is where VivaCity comes into play.

“We’d never say this particular histogram of cycling in a cycle lane is good or bad,” comments Mildon. “It’s just this is the histogram that you’re getting.

“What was your objective? Was your objective to get everybody, whether they were the most timid cyclist or the most energetic cyclists all in the same lane? Or was your objective to have the energetic one still out in the road while the more timid ones were in the lane?

“That’s what local politics decides, the designers try and deliver it, and we measure whether it’s working or not.”

Rebecca Morley catches up with Domex Bikes – a newly launched mobile bike repair service – on how it started and how it aims to fill a gap in the market.

It’s safe to say mechanics are pretty indispensable in the bike industry – there’s an increasing number of bikes in the market now, so the need for people with good skills and experience in repair is higher than ever.

Becoming a bike mechanic is after all a “future-proof career” – that’s according to Shimano’s European Bike Mechanics Championship, which took place in Belgium in October, which also aimed to promote their role in the cycling industry.

But what about mobile mechanics? Our lives are busier than ever, and people are seeking solutions that offer as much convenience as possible, in every part of life. This presents a real opportunity for mobile bike servicing, particularly when we think about all the struggles the physical retail environment has faced over the recent years following on from the Covid pandemic.

The beginning

Domex Bikes is a mobile bicycle servicing operation based across London and Surrey, with its launch taking place earlier this year with the aim to fill a gap in the market of bike service and repair. But interestingly, its parent company Domex Ltd has already been operating for over two decades in the field of servicing kitchen appliances and white goods, with around 120,000 clients each year.

“Domex Bikes began in January 2024 but our parent company Domex Appliance Services has over 20 years of experience in the kitchen appliance world,” Paul Randall, operations manager at Domex Bikes, recently told BikeBiz.

“Domex saw a gap in the market of bicycle service and repair and brought me in (as the bike guy!) to add my industry knowledge to their established customer service and back office model.”

The bike guy

Randall has been in the bike industry for 11 years now – as a store manager at British cycle retailer Cycle Republic, a self employed mobile mechanic, head mechanic and mechanic supervisor at shared e-bike operator Forest Bikes, and now ops manager at Domex.

“I’ve been obsessed with cycling for as long as I can remember and have some decent palmares in terms of mountain passes conquered on my bike over the years,” Randall continued.

“I was approached by Domex in November last year as someone with industry knowledge, management experience who could set up and lead this new business venture. It’s been a rollercoaster but we are making the right moves and have built some great partnerships in the last nine months.”

Domex’s fleet of mechanics can visit customers at their home, at work, or at the side of the road to deliver its bike servicing – this can range from a simple quick fix like a puncture repair, all the way up to a complete strip down and bike rebuild.

Other services include hydraulic brake bleeds, groupset upgrades, bike building, and e-bike services.

While it launched initially in London and Surrey, Domex Bikes has ambitions to grow across the entire UK, offering services in cycling hot spots such as Bristol and Cambridge and other large urban environments.

High level service

But why is there demand for mobile servicing now – how have consumer expectations changed in recent times in terms of bike servicing and repair?

“Everything changed with Covid, and the landscape of mobile bike repair became filled with various one man bands operating themselves as opposed to in shops,” said Randall.

“High Street bike shops are few and far between now, and finding a really great one is hard. What we bring to this sector is a fleet of top level mechanics in state of the art workshop vans, providing a consistent high level service.

“We are the only mobile Shimano Service Centre in the country and that banner of quality and excellence gives the customer full trust in us, as opposed to the cowboy country that one man band mechanics sit in.”

So what opportunities and challenges does this sector face? “Honestly, I think that it’s all positive for us,” Randall said. “The sector has an image problem, but we solve that with our quality and our status as an SSC.

“The opportunity is there to change the industry and provide higher quality at greater convenience. I’ve got my sights on the international market after we have expanded further into the national one.”

On what the long-term future holds for Domex Bikes, and others in this sector, Randall said: “Personally, I’d like to have a training facility to develop our own mechanics, get people excited by the thought of being a bike mechanic as their profession.

“Cycling is awesome, and working in this industry can be so fulfilling. I’d love to get people into the industry, harness their passion and change people’s lives. Giving chances to people who need them and developing a workforce based on passion for bikes.”

Zedify is one of the UK’s largest cargo bike delivery networks. Daniel Blackham sits down with CEO and co-founder Rob King to discuss the company’s significant growth, the hurdles it faces, and how the business plans to play a role in diversifying the sector.

The last mile delivery market has boomed in recent times with cargo bikes becoming the modal choice for many multi-million pound companies. Retailers are looking to differentiate themselves and break the mould, and brands are engaging in more sustainable business practices with a focus on delivery, because being sustainable is not just good for the planet, it’s good for customer retention and happiness, which translates to growth.

“It’s great to see companies like HelloFresh, Amazon and Evri all investing in cargo bike delivery,” says Rob King, CEO and co-founder of Zedify, when discussing the current landscape of the cargo bike delivery sector.

“Each big name that remodes to cargo bikes is a big vote of confidence in the market.”

Founded in 2018, Zedify is one of the market leaders in the sector with its tech-enabled, cargo bike first model helping enhance e-commerce brands, reduce cost and is over 80% lower carbon than the next best alternative. Currently delivering in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Norwich and Plymouth, it plans to operate in 51 UK towns and cities within the next five years.

Despite huge growth since its inception, Zedify operating within a young industry presents unique challenges. Legislation and a long-standing car-first mentality are just some of the hurdles preventing a wider adoption of cargo bikes in cities and towns up and down the country.

“Bike technologies are advancing with more variety of models being used, but we need clarity on the regulation of bikes from the government moving forward,” explains King. “And while there is a clear desire from central and local government (and the general public) to have fewer large and polluting vehicles in city centres, it’s still not a level playing field between EVs and cargo bikes.

“More investment and support is needed via government policies to speed up the transition to cargo bike centred deliveries.”

The growth of Zedify as one of the UK’s largest electric cargo bike delivery networks has also created a new sub-sector for the firm to cater to. While the core focus remains on first and last mile deliveries using cargo bikes in city centres – where vans can’t operate efficiently and create congestion and air pollution – as the business has scaled, Zedify has been pushed to develop a “middle mile” infrastructure.

“Big e-commerce brands rely on this middle step to distribute their parcel volumes with incredible pace from warehouse to doorstep,” explains King.

“This has been a huge step up for the business and not without its challenges. Because we’re a disruptor, we’re building a system that doesn’t fit with pre-existing structures and so it’s been important to make the right decisions around cost, sustainability and service. “With retailers under increased pressure from a period spanning the cost of living crisis, political uncertainty, Brexit and the war in Ukraine, it’s often a challenge to get integration projects moving as quickly as we all want them to.”

A year to remember

 When asked to sum up the last 12 months, King simply replies: “Busy.” He continues: “We’ve made incredible progress this year which has included an additional £5m investment from existing investors including Barclays and Mercia.

“We’ve signed up retail giants including HelloFresh, Veja and Selfridges and built a rapidly growing pipeline of top tier retail brands looking to switch to cargo bike delivery.

“We’ve invested in a new technology stack to support our future growth and ensure ecommerce shipping tech integrations are smooth and fast. It’s a big vote of confidence for all our stakeholders – clients, staff and future investors.”

“The investment itself is supporting our growth, improving our tech and customer experience and building the middle mile infrastructure needed to bring the cost to serve down.”

At the time of the announcement, Zedify also confirmed that the funding would enable it to expand into more cities, as well as launch a new Midlands hub.

“It’s known as the golden triangle in the logistics industry on account of how many retail logistics operations are based there and it’s within a four hour trip for 90% of the UK’s population, so forms an efficient part of central distribution,” says King when describing the importance of the Midlands to Zedify’s future plans.

“Currently our footprint is well spread across southern cities including London, Brighton and Bristol, but there’s a gap in central areas, especially in cities like Birmingham and Nottingham which have huge populations, so it’s strategically important for us to expand there.”

Since March 2023, the company has almost doubled the size of its team from 113 to 209 and signed up national brands including Hello Fresh, Selfridges and Veja.

With the latest investment, it expects to create 80 new jobs, including 20 in the new Midlands hub, and to significantly increase its turnover.

“Over the next 12 months, we plan to triple our revenue but it’s likely we’ll only have one more city launch,” adds King. “The focus for us is on building density, improving cost to serve and expanding our client base with UK wide retail giants.

“It’s absolutely key to Zedify’s future success that we nail these elements before moving on to our ambitions to be in over 50 UK cities by 2027.”

Leading the charge

Away from the figures, King recognises that Zedify could play a significant role in other avenues when it comes to transforming the sectors it operates in. Earlier this year, the business launched a recruitment drive to increase the number of women in the logistics industry.

In collaboration with Loud Mobility, Zedify hosted an interactive event titled “Women Delivering the Future,” offering women a unique opportunity to explore careers in cargo bike delivery and the wider logistics sector more generally.

According to figures released by Zedify, the logistics industry in the UK is currently experiencing a significant gender imbalance, with only 19% of its workforce being women. Compounding this, 73% of women in urban areas do not cycle.

With Zedify operating at the intersection of logistics, cycling, and tech – three traditionally male-dominated spheres – it is committed to driving change.

“At Zedify, we recognise that the lack of gender diversity in logistics is not just a social issue, but a commercial one,” comments King. “Studies show that gender-diverse teams are 47% more profitable, and we see the positive effects of balanced teams every day.

“Our own data reveals that our mixed-gender delivery teams are not only more efficient but also report greater job satisfaction. It’s time we address this imbalance head-on.”

The aforementioned event, which took place in Hoxton, offered practical insights into a career in logistics, with participants learning new skills and hearing from inspiring women already thriving in the sector. Four women who attended were interested in trial shifts as a direct result.

“This is not just a one off,” concludes King. “Keep an eye out for upcoming events and partnerships as we spearhead this campaign to get more women into cargo bike delivery and logistics more generally.”

Daniel Blackham speaks to Wattbike CEO Stephen Loftus to discuss the indoor cycling market and how the brand’s latest products will benefit a different audience.

Indoor cycling has often held a unique position in the perceptions of the bike industry and its consumers. Some decry it as the antithesis of the sport, others see it as a necessary option to maintain fitness in the colder months and a growing portion is opting to solely focus their efforts indoors as road dangers, patchy weather and reduced maintenance make it a more attractive option.

Throw in the significant development in product alongside the gamification with software such as Zwift, Rouvy, MyWhoosh and the like, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t at least consider it as a very convenient and fun alternative. But how has it fared post-pandemic?

According to Stephen Loftus, Wattbike CEO, many of the market headwinds faced by most cycling brands are not unique. “At a macro level it’s followed a very similar trend,” he says.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, you could say the indoor market was harder in terms of the peak of the demand. The challenge was familiar. It wasn’t just the demand. It was supply chain commitments suddenly stretching out for a long period of time.

“You had to be a magician to make the right decisions at that time when demand was at such a high, and then you were having to forecast for 24 months when you wouldn’t normally have to.”

With demand pulled forward as people looked for indoor training equipment to stay fit and entertained during multiple lockdowns, the market stalled in a similar fashion to outdoors. Other world events did nothing to ease the situation, merely compounding supply chain and cost of living issues. Despite this, momentum appears to be swinging back in the right direction.

“It’s been really positive in the last three or four months,” says Loftus. “You can look at it on search trends. From a category perspective, the tide is starting to turn. It’s not dramatic, but you can start to see category search, brand search, going up year-on-year, and the movement back into growth, which is great.”

With Wattbike being born in elite sport, – the Pro/Trainer was launched in 2008, and was used by teams across cycling, football and other sports – its proposition spans more than just a cycling audience. Products can also be seen up and down the country in many major gym providers.

“This is a new sector for me,” adds Loftus, referring to gym providers and health clubs. But anyone I’ve spoken to has shown that it’s in rude health with generations Y and Z being even more keen on working out in gyms and looking for that form of exercise, so that area where we have a presence has recovered quickly.

“Elite sport sector [also] bounced back really quickly from the pandemic,

New products for a wider audience

The Atom has been a hero product for Wattbike since its introduction in 2017 before updates came in 2020 and 2022. As a revolutionary home trainer catered to the performance cyclist, with built in power meter and connectivity with training apps like Zwift, it is squarely targeted at the core market of typically male, 35-55-year-old road cyclists.

However, last month saw the brand introduce two new products. The Wattbike Proton smart bike (£1,795) and Wattbike Air (£1,895) bike sit alongside the Wattbike Atom (£2,395).

The launch of the Proton is designed to enable Wattbike to offer its proven technology in a highly versatile format that helps those dedicated to their fitness to train for a variety of goals, on a bike that can be shared easily with different users at home suitable for users from 4’6” to 6’6”.

Whereas the Air brings the platform used in elite sports and gyms worldwide to the HIIT and team sports focused home user. And the demand for each is certainly there. An in-house survey of 2,000 Atom owners found that nearly 50% weren’t keen road cyclists but were high fitness enthusiasts – a surprise to Loftus and his colleagues.

“The existing product [Atom], which is very focused in its design and proposition for the road cyclist, is already pulling in more people,” he says. “We always thought there was an opportunity, and we always wanted to broaden our range, but it highlighted that there’s likely to be quite a demand when we cater for more people.

“The thing we are trying to do with these new products is differentiate between the types of customers and where and how they use the product,” explains Loftus.

“Wattbike Atom is still very male and still follows that profile. I would say a lot of the road cycling for indoor training products are the same, whether it’s a turbo trainer or quite a large amount of the smart bikes. If you went to Peloton, clearly, which is a health and fitness focused product, it’s got a much broader profile.”

The starting point for all Wattbike products is an intrinsically motivated, dedicated fitness enthusiast at home. With the road cyclist catered to, it became about reaching the breadth of Wattbike customer

“Ease of use was a primary factor,” says Loftus. “The other factor was recognising how many of our potential customers were going to be multi users and easy adjustability for not just different sizes, but different use cases.”

Although the introduction of two new products is Wattbike looking to grow its routes to market, the foundation of elite sport remains, as does its relationship with gym providers.

“What we’re trying to do is try and bring all of these channels more closely together and let them work for each other’s benefit,” explains Loftus. “Elite sport as the foundation remains, then into the gyms and then direct-to-home.

“By creating bikes that are trusted by the best sports teams in the world and the best gyms in the world, it sets a standard, which I hope that then gets reflected in the home product.

“We’re not complacent, we have to continue to develop our products for every channel.”

Wattbike Hub

The Wattbike Hub is a training app which has hundreds of workouts and training plans developed by fitness experts, inspired and built from Wattbike’s expertise in elite sports and healthcare. Content on the Wattbike Hub has been overhauled alongside launches of the Proton and Air, including new workouts tailored for runners and an enhanced user experience.

“We’ve slightly hidden our magic, which is the data and our training platform,” adds Loftus. “The free to use Wattbike Hub is a cornerstone of our product offering.

“By continually enhancing our training app we are providing our users with a holistic training experience that’s both highly effective and engaging.”

When asking its customers why they opted for a Wattbike, second to quality and robustness was the quality and nature of the training platform – and the fact it is free.

“It’s a great USP, so we’ve really tried to put that much more front and centre,” adds Loftus. “We want to really accelerate the interface to make it as accessible as possible. It’s a big development area for us, but we already have our existing customers who are using it and really rate it highly. We just have to let more people know about it.”

Development will also see further integration with third-party apps such as Strava and Zwift.

“We want to make it as accessible as possible to improve people’s health and performance,” concludes Loftus.

“We recognise from our research that most people have two or three apps they use regularly with a Wattbike, so we’re really keen to iron out any friction for those integrations. Everyone will have different goals [when using a Wattbike], we just have to make sure we’re ready for whichever goal that might be.”

Daniel Blackham catches up with Ben Sadler, managing director at World Bicycle Relief UK to discuss a busy year for the charity.

How has 2024 been so far for World Bicycle Relief?

This has been a landmark year for World Bicycle Relief. In addition to launching the Buffalo Bicycle Utility S2 at Eurobike, where it won the Gold Award in the Bicycle Category, we’ve made significant strides in expanding our Mobilised Community Programmes.Through new partnerships with development organisations and government ministries in our programme countries, we are scaling our impact across education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.

These collaborations are allowing us to reach more communities and provide bicycles that serve as essential tools for access to critical services. The combination of groundbreaking product innovation and expanded partnerships is propelling us toward our goal of increasing mobility for those who need it most.

What have been some of the highlights?

Beyond the launch of the Buffalo Bicycle Utility S2, we’ve signed major partnerships with government ministries and development partners in countries across Africa and Latin America to extend our impact in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.

These partnerships are enabling us to put more bicycles into the hands of students, health workers, and small business owners, helping them overcome transportation barriers and improve their access to opportunities.

Additionally, the industry recognition we received at Eurobike for the Utility S2 underscores how far we’ve come in delivering innovation that directly meets the needs of underserved communities.

Another highlight came earlier this year at the Cape Epic Race in South Africa where Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini raced as Team World Bicycle Relief. Nino and Fini had a few podium finishes during the race and helped to raise funds and awareness for our mission.

How long had the Buffalo Bicycle Utility S2 been in the works before its launch at Eurobike?

The Buffalo Bicycle Utility S2 was developed over two years of rigorous testing and refinement. We collaborated with industry leaders like SRAM, Trek, Giant, and Karasawa to develop an innovative 2-chain drivetrain system that could withstand harsh conditions while remaining easy to maintain.

The two-year development process included extensive field testing in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, with input from riders who face the challenges of long distances and rugged terrain daily.

Their feedback was invaluable in shaping the final product, ensuring that the Utility S2 is not only technically advanced but also highly functional for real-world conditions.

Why was the unique collaboration with SRAM, Trek, Giant Group, and Karasawa so crucial?

The collaboration with SRAM, Trek, Giant, and Karasawa was crucial in bringing cutting-edge cycling technology to a context where durability and simplicity are essential.

The development of the industry-first 2-chain drivetrain, along with the patented AK2 freewheel system, required deep technical expertise from SRAM, while Trek and Giant brought invaluable insights into design and manufacturing. Karasawa played a key role in refining components for rugged environments.

This multi-industry collaboration enabled us to deliver a bike that offers sophisticated engineering in a low-maintenance package—perfect for the challenging conditions in the regions where we work.

These partners, typically focused on high-end cycling technology, applied their skills to a product that is making a tangible difference in the lives of underserved populations.

What were some of the challenges in the design phase?

The main challenge in the design phase was creating a drivetrain that could deliver the benefits of multiple gears without the maintenance issues often associated with traditional multi-speed systems. We needed a solution that would be robust enough for heavy loads and rugged terrain, yet simple enough to maintain in remote areas with limited access to spare parts.

The result was the innovative 2-speed, 2-chain drivetrain, which uses a backpedal mechanism to switch between gears. This system gives riders the flexibility of multiple gears without the complexities of derailleurs, ensuring long-term reliability even in the harshest environments.

Balancing innovation with practicality was key, and the extensive field testing allowed us to refine the bike’s performance to meet the needs of our users.

What has been the reaction from the industry and some of the early users of the Buffalo Bicycle Utility S2?

The reaction from both the cycling industry and early users has been overwhelmingly positive. Industry leaders have praised the technical innovation of the 2-chain drivetrain and the AK2 freewheel system, recognising the Utility S2 as a groundbreaking product for addressing mobility challenges in underserved regions.

Early users, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, have highlighted the ease of use and the bike’s ability to carry heavy loads while navigating difficult terrain.

The feedback has been particularly strong around the simplicity of the backpedal shifting system, which offers a durable, low-maintenance solution to gear shifting—critical for the environments where we operate.

Can you give us an overview of some of the other campaigns?

In addition to the Buffalo Utility S2 launch, we were excited to introduce the Building the Buffalo documentary film, which offers an inside look at the innovation and collaboration behind the Buffalo Bicycle. The film showcases how we’ve worked with partners like SRAM, Trek, and Giant to bring this groundbreaking product to life and its profound impact on the communities we serve.

Additionally, our Pedal to Empower campaign raised over $1.1 million this year, enabling us to provide more bicycles to students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs in underserved regions.

These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to expanding access to reliable transportation and empowering people through the Power of Bicycles.

Shift Cycling Culture has released its first Climate Action Pulse Check, highlighting the progress and challenges in the cycling industry’s climate efforts. Here are some of the key findings.

Shift Cycling Culture is a non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating climate action in the cycling world. The 2024 Climate Action Pulse Check is the first edition of Shift Cycling Culture’s global survey, showcasing how companies in the cycling sector are integrating climate action into their strategies and how these efforts are perceived by the cycling community.

It gathered insights from 84 industry professionals across 16 countries and 240 cycling consumers from 19 countries. The aim of this annual report is to enhance transparency, drive action, and further support the industry’s collective efforts in reducing its environmental impact.

Each industry participant receives a personalised benchmark report that compares their company’s progress with others.

Key findings of the 2024 Pulse Check include: 

• • 80% of industry representatives report that their companies are taking a strategic approach to climate action, with 35% having made considerable progress and being able to track their results.
• • Industry professionals are generally more optimistic about sustainability efforts compared to cyclists, many of whom feel that climate action should be a higher priority for the industry.
• • A significant 77% of cycling consumers have switched brands due to sustainability concerns. They place the highest value on product longevity and repairability.
• • Many companies are concentrating on using materials with a lower climate impact, and engaging the supply chain is seen as a crucial way to scale climate action throughout the industry.
• • Up to 87% of industry representatives recognise real benefits from their climate efforts beyond just reducing emissions. These benefits include product innovation, increased employee motivation, legal compliance, and the development of new business models.
• • Common obstacles faced include a lack of resources, regulations, knowledge, and support from management.
• • 61% of industry representatives are involved in collaborations that focus on climate and sustainability issues.

Shift’s take on the 2024 Climate Action Pulse Check

“Diving deep into the results of this first Climate Action Pulse Check with our team was both inspiring and uplifting,” says a representative from the organisation. Just like the industry representatives that have taken the survey, we feel optimistic about the progress that has been made. And just like the cyclists, we feel that so much more still needs to be done.”

Launched in 2021, the Shift Cycling Culture Climate Commitment provided a crucial starting point in the cycling industry. More than 80 companies committed to measuring and reducing their climate impacts in line with the Paris Agreement and global goal to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. Two years later, in 2023, Shift introduced the Climate Action Roadmap, an open-source self-assessment tool designed to guide organisations from ambition to action.

The annual Climate Action Pulse Check is seen as a tool to monitor the progress of the industry in these areas.

“Only a few years ago, when we launched the Climate Commitment with a group of progressive CEOs in 2021, very few companies in the global cycling industry were actively measuring and reducing their climate impact,” adds the Shift team.

“Now, only three years later, 64% of responding Climate Commitment signatories have delivered against their pledge, 80% of industry representatives report that their companies are taking a strategic approach to climate action, and 35% have made considerable headway and are able to track their results.

“How’s that for progress?”

But it’s the future that drives the non-profit and many of the companies who have joined the journey. Shift Cycling Culture needs more brands and their suppliers to step up, start measuring their impact and become transparent about their efforts.

“We want to support more companies to rethink how their products are designed, and how their businesses are run,” they conclude.

“And we hope to see more cyclists leveraging their power as consumers, pushing the industry forward, as real impact happens when bikes and apparel become more durable and longer lasting, easier to maintain and repair, and are made of circular materials.”

The full free report was released last month and can be downloaded at: shiftcyclingculture.com.

BikeBiz catches up with Peter Kimberley, Group CEO of Tandem Group Trading Ltd, to discuss Electric Life, the retail landscape in the UK, and how the retailer is adapting to consumer demands.

Can you give us a little background on Electric Life?

At the heart of our long-term vision has always been a commitment to driving innovation and providing direct access to high-quality e-bikes and e-scooters for consumers.

After months of careful planning and development, we proudly launched Electriclife.co.uk in early 2022, a fully transactional e-commerce platform that marked a new era in Tandem Groups e-bike and e-scooter proposition for customers. 

To further enhance our growth, in November of the same year, we opened a state-of-the-art showroom in Birmingham, with distinguished guests; West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Cycling and Walking Commissioner Adam Tranter in attendance.

This purpose-built facility serves as a category-leading space, providing an immersive in-store experience. Complete with a fully equipped workshop, it supports our mission to offer a seamless multi-channel approach to e-bike and e-scooter retail.

Conveniently located in Castle Vale, just outside Birmingham, the showroom was designed as a destination for all e-bike enthusiasts. With an expansive selection of models available for test rides, customers benefit from the expertise of our passionate, experienced team. Our aim was simple: to create an inviting and accessible environment where customers could explore the future of urban mobility.

Since its opening, Electric life has rapidly expanded its portfolio to become one of the most comprehensive e-bike and e-scooter destinations in the UK. Today, we proudly partner with world-class brands, Orbea, Cannondale, Whyte, Tern, Gocycle, and Swytch, along with the award-winning Pure e-scooters. We also offer the full range of VanMoof’s stylish urban e-bikes and continue to lead with our own brands 2024/25 ranges across Dawes, Claud Butler, Falcon and Boss. 

With a growing portfolio of leading brands and an unparalleled retail experience, we are committed to redefining urban transport shaping the future of e-bikes and e-scooters across the UK.

What type of consumers do you target?

Since our launch just over two years ago, Electriclife.co.uk has seen remarkable growth, both in the range of products we offer and in the breadth of our customer base. Our proposition has evolved to reflect the ever-expanding landscape, with a diverse portfolio that now includes 11 e-bike brands and three e-scooter brands.

Recently, we’ve further enhanced our offering by adding a selection of traditional mechanical bikes and e-scooters to our website, this expansion gives customers access to over 4,000 bikes.

At the heart of this growth is our commitment to staying in tune with market trends and, most importantly, listening to our customers. We continually adapt to meet their needs, which is reflected in the broad range of e-bike categories we stock, spanning mountain, urban, hybrid, folding, and cargo bikes.

Many of the brands we carry excel across multiple categories, offering options that cater to various preferences and price points, from premium models exceeding £11,000 to budget-friendly bikes starting at £599.

No matter the price, every customer at Electric Life receives the same exceptional service, from the moment of purchase to comprehensive after-sales support. Our showroom remains a destination for e-bike enthusiasts, offering an unparalleled selection all under one roof. As we continue to refine our focus, we’re investing in emerging categories to anticipate future trends. In particular, we are closely watching the anticipated surge in demand for e-scooters, which is expected to rise once the government enacts new legislation.

Electric Life is a hub for innovation and customer-centric solutions in this sector, with a constantly evolving product range and a focus on future growth, we are committed to shaping the future of sustainable transport in the UK.

What makes the business unique?

Located just off Junction 5 of the M6 and only 20 minutes from Birmingham city centre, Electric Life’s showroom offers both convenience and a warm welcome.

With free parking for all visitors, customers are greeted with friendly service and a freshly brewed coffee upon arrival. As a destination location, our showroom is designed to provide an exceptional experience for anyone looking to explore the world of e-bikes and e-scooters.

We take pride in offering free personalised, one-on-one consultations for customers who need specific advice and product recommendations. Our expert team is dedicated to finding the perfect bike for each customer, and we offer a “try before you buy” policy on all products. Customers can test ride e-bikes and e-scooters in a safe, dedicated space on private land, ensuring a secure and legal experience away from public roads.

In a significant development for the wider business, Tandem Group was proud to announce in September our exclusive distribution partnership for VanMoof’s highly anticipated V Generation S5 and A5 e-bikes. This exciting collaboration will see the latest in urban mobility innovation added to our extensive portfolio, allowing us to bring these state-of-the-art e-bikes to both our nationwide dealer network and Electric Life customers. With this partnership, we continue to strengthen our commitment to offering a diverse and cutting-edge range of products for our riders.

At Electric Life, the backbone of our business is our team of passionate, knowledgeable experts. Every one of our bike builders and service specialists is a cyclist themselves, offering in-depth knowledge across all models. We provide comprehensive after-sales support, including a free six-week check and adjustment on all bikes and e-scooters, ensuring our customers enjoy peak performance long after their purchase.

We understand that accessibility to e-bikes and e-scooters is crucial, which is why we offer flexible financing options through trusted providers such as V12 Retail Finance and Klarna. Customers can also take advantage of the Cycle to Work schemes we provide through partners, Cycle Solutions, Cyclescheme and the Green Commute Initiative.

Supporting our showroom is a vast 160,000 sq. ft. warehouse on-site, stocked with a wide range of bikes and spare parts. This ensures quick access to products and minimises any delays in servicing. Additionally, we are committed to sustainable practices, with the adjacent warehouse powered by solar panels and a recycling facility for packaging, allowing Electric Life to operate in an eco-friendly manner from material sourcing to waste management.

How has business and the industry been for you in 2024?

The UK bike market has faced its share of challenges in 2024, with the cycling season delayed by poor weather and an early-year surplus of stock. According to the Bicycle Association, e-bike sales volumes in the UK fell by 9% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Despite these headwinds, Electric Life remains focused on growth and innovation in the e-bike sector. We have developed a comprehensive range of affordable and competitive products that cater to a wide spectrum of customers. Both our physical showroom and the website continue to perform strongly in their second year.

We’ve seen significant success online, with website conversions growing by 105% and transactions increasing by 167% year-on-year as of August. This growth reflects our ongoing commitment to providing an outstanding multi-channel shopping experience. Our product portfolio has also expanded, with new partnerships and brand offerings including Cannondale, Gocycle, Swytch, and Tern. Most recently, we became one of the few selected dealers in the UK to offer VanMoof e-bikes.

In parallel, Tandem Group Cycles has launched some of the best-in-class e-bikes under the Dawes, Claud Butler, and Falcon brands, bringing fresh innovation, affordability and variety to the Electric Life line-up.

Looking ahead, we remain optimistic about the remainder of the year. With exciting new product launches and the addition of further third-party brands, Electric Life is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory. As we move into 2025, we are committed to driving further growth, reducing costs, and delivering the highest levels of customer service across both our retail and online platforms.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with other retailers?

The bike market continues to face significant challenges, driven by a complex mix of economic, political, and global factors that have directly impacted retailers and dealer networks. While these external forces are largely beyond our control, the industry must focus on what we can manage: mitigating the impact and delivering exceptional value to customers.

At the heart of this strategy is a steadfast commitment to a “customer-first” approach. Listening closely to customer needs is essential, as is offering a seamless experience, from first-class service to comprehensive after-sales support. Providing flexible financing options and a robust “try before you buy” programme not only enhances the customer experience but also helps reduce return rates, ensuring that customers feel confident in their purchases. In today’s fast-evolving market, agility is key. Staying attuned to trends, pricing, and promotions, while carefully managing stock levels, is essential to remain competitive

Additionally, evaluating delivery options is critical to customer satisfaction. Offering a variety of courier services and considering premium options like white-glove, door-to-door delivery can set a business apart, enhancing both service quality and the overall customer journey. Quality and trusted brands are more important than ever in the e-bike market. It’s important to give riders the latest technology with cutting-edge features and innovation, while ensuring customers also receive true value for money.

In a challenging environment, it’s clear that success will come to those who place their customers at the centre of their business, remain agile, and offer both quality and value in equal measure. By doing so, the industry can navigate these turbulent times and continue to thrive.

As omnichannel becomes the norm for today’s customers and retailers, solutions that enable IBD to compete for business on the internet are needed. The challenge, for many IDBs, is the perception of what is required to do this successfully: Skills, budget, time, and resources – all in short supply for staff working in a customer-facing brick-and-mortar environment. How can a local bike shop compete with online giants, and win new customers? Simon Cox talks with Andrew Richardson of Avelon Network to find out.

Andrew, can you share a little of your background, to give readers some insight into your cycling industry experience?

Sure. I’ve ridden bikes as a journalist and for results, which also means I’ve worked in local bike shops, for national-level retailers, and for a global bike brand.

My desk-based work focused on writing copy and creating digital content, then progressed into campaign management.

I’ve been involved in setting up and establishing a digital agency, then co-founded an award-winning, sport-specific, affiliate platform which looks to put businesses and brands back in control of their online sales generation efforts.

Can a single-store, owner-run, business make modern online marketing work for it, genuinely driving clearly attributable sales?

Short answer: Yes. Getting into a little more detail, if your store has a good web presence, and by that I mean a website that’s on say, Citrus-Lime, Push Retail, or Shopify (we work with a host of others as well) then we definitely can make attributable sales work for your business, significantly improving the value you generate from your online presence.

Does this take IT and digital marketing skills to set up and maintain?

Short answer: No. Longer answer: Definitely not. The solution is designed to integrate seamlessly into a shop’s web system. We designed the service in a way that sees us take care of all of this for our partners. Depending on the web system, this could take only a few seconds to set up. The maintenance of your program is also automated, so you don’t have to worry about much.

You mentioned that what you deliver with Avelon is called ‘affiliate marketing’ – doesn’t that require relationships with publishers – the BikeRadar and Cycling News of this world – to work?

Yes. We’ve already got these in place, and enable our retailers to have direct conversations with the media outlets via a chat or messaging function within the Avelon platform.

Building these relationships is a critical part, which makes it possible for a single, owner-run, shop to make this a financially rewarding and successful means to generate new and repeat sales.

Affiliate marketing, in practice, is really easy. An affiliate promotes your product and if a sale comes off the back of their advertising efforts, then they earn a commission.

These efforts are predominately reviews, buyers guides etc – and links are placed on these articles automatically, depending on price, stock and commission.

You make it easy to see what has driven a sale? Which makes it clear what making the sale cost?

Yes, and Yes. We track exactly where sales come from and provide this information with an easy-to-use and very understandable web-based dashboard.

We don’t run a last-click attribution model, instead building out a split attribution which is much fairer for the publisher. What this means is when we can see that a customer has visited your site via 3 or 4 different locations – articles on different websites – we then share the commission across those sites, rather than just rewarding the last location which resulted directly in the conversion.

Critical to highlight here: We purposefully don’t work with discount code websites for this reason, as we want to drive as many close to full RRP sales as possible.

We see this as a better, more reflective, more rewarding, model. It’s rare (but can happen in specific situations) that only one source drives a sale, or generates an immediate conversion.

Cost is also something we are totally transparent about. Subscribers know exactly what they are paying for our services.

Are you paying for a service and then paying additional for listings?

Our subscription costs £49 per month and gets you access to everything on the platform. Listings are free and you just pay the commission once a sale is confirmed.

We make the whole process incredibly simple and unlike Google Shopping, there’s no cost per click payment required upfront. You only pay a commission if a sale is confirmed.

As an example, for a smaller business, you will likely find they list 10 or 20 products, whereas the likes of Sigma Sports will have 10,000 + items listed. We have a smaller business that, with this approach, is seeing 10 bike sales a month with zero in-store team time or effort.

How does a business decide what prices it sells at? Are single stores competing on price with big national retailers?

The price and commission percentage you reward the publisher with is totally up to you. We automatically fill the price on listings from your stock feed and it updates every 60 seconds, so if you decide to have a sale on a specific product whereby the price is the best on the internet, the listing will update in a matter of minutes.

It’s a great way to clear through stock without giving your money to Google. It does give smaller stores the ability to compete with big national retailers without any upfront risk, but also affiliate marketing is hugely reliant on the relationship with the publisher, which we take care of.

Some publishers don’t want to prioritise a national retailer on their listings, as they offer deep discounts but low commission rates.

Is it possible to make this work on a regional level, focusing on local areas, or is it most effective with a nationwide reach enabled?

It’s more effective with a nationwide reach, but smaller stores can definitely see a return if they work within the local area. We do have the ability to geographically target users on publisher sites, but we recommend diving into nationwide shipping – especially if you’re looking to clear through stock.

Brompton has launched the G Line as the biggest innovation in its history. Daniel Blackham speaks to chief design and engineering officer Will Carleysmith about the product’s origin and development.

When a brand as storied as Brompton markets a product as its “biggest innovation in 50 years” it certainly peaks interest. Step forward the G Line. From a distance, you could be forgiven for wondering what the fuss is all about. When folded, the bike looks the same as its predecessor with the folding mechanism identical and creating a similarly compact form factor. On two wheels there are many commonalities with the frame’s silhouette almost identical. But a closer look reveals an entirely new frame, bulkier 20 inch wheels wrapped in Schwalbe custom-made rubber, a Shimano 8-speed hub gear, and the first Brompton to feature disc brakes from production.

“It started as a bit of an engineering and design experiment eight years ago,” explains Will Carleysmith, chief design and engineering officer at Brompton on the origins of the G Line. For the last 10 to 20 years, people have taken the Brompton and done more and more, pushed it further and harder, so we thought: ‘How capable could you make the bike? How far could you take it?’ That took us to the wheel size that we have.

“The first test was ‘does it have a purpose?’, because if it had felt the same as a 16-inch bike, there’d be no point in it.”

When considering the design, the fundamental DNA of a Brompton had to remain, keeping the tri-fold which has become so synonymous with the British brand. However it still had to be distinct. “It had to have its own personality,” adds Carleysmith. “And it did. It felt different. It felt capable.”

In short, the concept of the G Line is “one bike to do it all”, but Brompton has not moved far away from what has made it a success so far.

“It’s the most capable Brompton yet, with the ability to deliver on all sorts of surfaces, with the feel of a full-size bike,” explains Carleysmith. Yet it transforms into a compact package that stores and travels easily. The company has not changed its focus, but it has broadened its view,” says Carleysmith.

“We started as urban and [were] seen as a commuting tool for London. We’re now about 84% export so most of our products are going overseas and I think 40% of them are in Asia. People aren’t just commuting in those markets, they’re using them as leisure bikes.

The hidden work

The first hurdle for any new Brompton is ‘does it fold?’ which the designers resolved with 2D jigs, bits of cardboard and simple CAD sketches. After that, it was geometry.

“We started with a blank sheet of paper,” says Carleysmith. “We didn’t look at the existing bike, particularly, but we did look at full size bikes. We built some quite specialised prototype rigs which were fully rideable and completely adjustable and went through every aspect of the geometry, adjusting it, going too far, bringing it back, ending up with something that we wanted.

“So [for example] we made a bike that was so stable and boring that it stopped being fun. It didn’t feel like a Brompton. So we tuned it back to something we thought was fun. As it’s one frame size, it then had to work with different parts to still feel good whether you’re 5’2” or 6’5”.”

Gearing up for mass production also took lots of effort with the brand planning to have a manufacturing capacity of between 15,000 and 20,000 a year.

“It’s always harder than you think it’s going to be,” says Carleysmith. “The mainframe has a bigger bend to wrap around the bigger wheels. On the surface it looks the same as the current bike, but actually we had to bring in new production methods. Production is a series of processes, you change one thing here, then all the downstream processes have to change.”

As an example, Brompton had to purchase a number of new auto brazing machines, each taking a year to build and costing several hundred thousand pounds each.

“The product is the tip of the iceberg,” says Carleysmith. “Under the water is a huge amount of hardware, equipment, testing and validation.”

The Electric G Line

Alongside the launch of the G Line, Brompton has also debuted the Electric G Line. It sees an all-new electric system, and features new advanced software and hardware for optimal performance, self-diagnostics and latest features available through future software updates.

There is also a completely fresh 250-watt rear-hub motor with three levels of assistant which was put through its paces on a 24/7 durability rig, with 20+ motors going through a combined mileage of more than one million kilometres.

“The first generation [system] launched for us seven years ago so this was a big, big programme,” explains Carleysmith. “If you can buy Bosch, and you can fit Bosch, that’s great, but you can’t for a Brompton and Bosch have got very little interest in making a tiny little system. Neither have Shimano, Mahle, Brose etc.

“If we wanted an e-bike, we had to make our own one and that was quite a job.”

But with new software, new electronic hardware, Carleysmith believes this offers lots of potential for the future.

“There’s a lot of flexibility,” he adds. “As a business, electric is a big priority for us in terms of where we put our R&D money and investment.”

The results

While Carleysmith and his colleagues have been riding an iteration of the G Line for three or four years as part of its development, it has only just come to market and the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been like cooking an enormous dinner,” he says. “By the time you have made Christmas dinner, you’re starting to get sick of the site of sprouts. But what’s really cool is when other people experience it and you get the reaction. What’s been awesome over the last few weeks is that we’ve exceeded people’s expectations.”

Last month the brand hosted a dealer event for the G Line over two days, one with sunshine and the other in pouring rain on a 20 kilometre off-road route.

“It really sold the bike and you saw the dealers responding to that,” says Carleysmith. “We really wanted this launch to be in partnership with dealers so we’ve been working hard to support them with promotional materials and demo bikes as well.

“We’ve done the titanium bike and the electric bike, but it’s still speaking to the same consumer, maybe a consumer that’s willing to spend more. But I think this is the first time in a long time, if not ever, that we’ve said ‘we think we can bring a different consumer to Brompton and to your store.”