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

In some more bad news for the industry, GT Bicycles, which separated from Cycling Sports Group/Cannondale to a stand-alone Pon Holdings brand in 2023 with its own design team, is reported to be pausing releasing new products while streamlining its operations.

In a recent statement to the cycling press, GT Managing Director Jason Schiers said:”There will be layoffs before the end of the year but the brand will continue to sell bikes in 2025.

“To ensure a sustainable and successful future, we are implementing a strategic reorientation to align with evolving customer preferences,” according to a statement by GT.”

The brand will focus “on core strengths, and refining our strategy to position GT for long-term growth. We will continue to sell our current range from existing inventory,” GT said in the statement.

Warranty and customer service will be handled by Cycling Sports Group.

“GT Bicycles remains a brand with strong potential, and this decision has been taken to lay a solid foundation for its next chapter,” the brand said.

Schiers was hired in 2022 after leading R&D for Selle Royal brands and focusing on Crank Brothers product development and quality. Schiers told BRAIN in February that GT was amid a transformation back to its IBD and off-road roots. Speaking from the UK’s COREbike show then, Schiers said he had been spreading the word about the brand’s renaissance at the B2B show, held by local distributors who invite brands they service for dealer facetime.

Nearly two years ago, GT announced its move from Wilton, Connecticut, to Aliso Viejo, not far from the brand’s original Southern California headquarters. It was one of the first changes for GT after Pon Holdings completed its purchase of the brand’s former parent company Dorel Industries in 2022.

British cycling company Spoon Group, the owner-operator of bespoke bike brands Spoon Customs and WyndyMilla, as well as custom paint business Gun Control, has entered liquidation, following extensive efforts to adapt to what the group’s owner described as the ongoing “challenging market conditions” affecting the bike industry in recent years.

At the start of 2020, Surrey-based bespoke steel bike brand Spoon Customs merged with fellow British custom bike specialist WyndyMilla, established in 2009 by Henry Furniss and Nasima Siddiqui, under the Spoon Group umbrella.

Spoon founder Andy Carr took over the new company as CEO during the reorganisation, which saw Spoon and WyndyMilla continue to operate as separate brands, while WyndyMilla’s in-house paint facility WM Paintworks was rebranded and repositioned as its own standalone business, Gun Control Custom Paint.

But despite the company’s reputation for designing and producing high-quality, eye-catching handmade carbon and steel bikes, the turmoil affecting the cycling industry since the Covid pandemic led to a number of cost-saving measures in recent years, including closing its premises in the Surrey Hills and adopting a more streamlined operational model.

However, due to the increasing pressures placed on the business by falling demand, rising costs, and cash flow problems, this week Spoon Group announced that it has instructed FRP Advisory Trading to place the company into liquidation.

“This is an incredibly sad day for everyone involved,” Spoon founder and director Andy Carr said in a statement. “Spoon and its brands have earned loyal support over the years, becoming known for championing better fit and the highest standards of fabrication and finishing.

“Despite concerted and sustained efforts to adapt to challenging market conditions, the business has found itself in an impossible position.

“In a market where demand has dropped significantly and costs have risen, the decision to enter liquidation was necessary to address these challenges, though it is wholly regrettable. We remain committed to supporting the liquidation process during this difficult time.”

He continued: “This decision will of course impact our customers. I deeply regret the challenges this situation may cause for everyone affected. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through this process.”

The news of the group’s liquidation comes over a year after Spoon Customs was forced to suspend its production of carbon bikes, including the award-winning Vars Disc, in a bid to manage the long wait times caused by what the company described as a “perfect storm of parts and supply chain issues.”

No official press release has yet been issued. Those with further enquiries or wanting updates about the liquidation process should contact FRP Advisory Trading Ltd via this email address: cp.orpington@frpadvisory.com

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.”

GripGrab, a leader in premium cycling apparel and accessories, proudly announces its partnerships with Team Visma | Lease A Bike and UNO-X Mobility as the official supplier for gloves and shoe covers for 2025. These collaborations bring GripGrab’s cutting-edge weatherproof gear to two exceptional cycling teams, equipping them for both training and racing in the toughest conditions.

A shared commitment to excellence

Both Team Visma | Lease A Bike and UNO-X Mobility are renowned for their dedication to cycling excellence and impressive achievements. These partnerships underline GripGrab’s philosophy that success is built during rigorous training sessions as much as on race day.

“We are thrilled to partner with Team Visma | Lease A Bike and UNO-X Mobility to equip their riders with gear designed for the toughest conditions,” said Martin Krøyer, CEO of GripGrab. “These collaborations highlight our shared passion for cycling and our commitment to empowering riders throughout their journey. Our mantra, Ride All Year, reflects our dedication to supporting athletes who demand the best from their equipment, no matter the weather.”

Gear designed for champions

Both teams will rely on GripGrab’s high-performance products, including:

• Weatherproof gloves and shoe covers: Providing protection, comfort and grip during training sessions in cold, wet and windy conditions.
• Custom-designed race day gloves: Combining professional functionality with team-specific designs to ensure top performance and unity on the starting line. 

Partnering with Team Visma | Lease A Bike

Team Visma | Lease A Bike, celebrated for their relentless pursuit of excellence, will benefit from GripGrab’s innovative products designed to withstand year-round riding challenges. Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance at Team Visma | Lease A Bike, shared his enthusiasm: “It is essential for our riders to rely on equipment that supports them in every situation. GripGrab supplies us with gloves and shoe covers that ensure grip, warmth and comfort in the most challenging conditions. With this partner, we take our equipment to the next level.”

Partnering with UNO-X Mobility

As a Scandinavian team with a strong Nordic identity, UNO-X Mobility’s riders face demanding training sessions in harsh weather conditions. Thor Hushovd, General Manager of UNO-X Mobility, emphasised the importance of this collaboration: “We are excited to have a Scandinavian partner joining the team. GripGrab’s commitment to quality and functionality aligns perfectly with our values. Reliable gear during training is crucial for maintaining focus and performing at our best, and we’re confident GripGrab’s products will give us an edge in all aspects of the sport.”

Several of the UNO-X Mobility riders also expressed their excitement to be getting GripGrab on board as sponsor. Rider Søren Wærenskjold says: “I’m looking forward to using GripGrab gear. For us northern riders, it is crucial to have warm hands and feet during training. GripGrab’s products are important for us riders who train in cold winter climates. “ 

Inspiring the cycling community

The partnerships between GripGrab,Team Visma | Lease A Bike, and UNO-X Mobility represent a fusion of innovation, excellence and a shared Scandinavian heritage. Together, they aim to set new standards for performance while inspiring riders worldwide to embrace the preparation and passion that drive the sport forward.

About GripGrab

GripGrab is a Danish brand specialising in premium, timeless cycling apparel and accessories. Known for its dedication to functionality, comfort and style, GripGrab equips riders with the gear they need to perform at their best in all conditions.

For more information about GripGrab, Team Visma | Lease A Bike and UNO-X Mobility, view this article which features a Q&A with GripGrab CEO Martin Krøyer:
https://www.gripgrab.com/pages/partners_in_performance