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Challenge the status quo
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, diversity is defined as “the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.”
There is no doubt that the bike trade is heavily dominated by white men – I am adding to that statistic. But are we doing enough to change that? The reality is no.
In this edition of the mag, we have tried to cover a number of organisations and campaigns working to achieve change, as well as speaking to women in the trade and the challenges that they face.
Rebecca Morley speaks to 2023 BikeBiz Woman of the Year Caroline Goward (P7) and I sit down with Belinda Everett, founder of Bee Pedal Ready, who won Diversity Champion at the 2023 BikeBiz Awards (P20) .
We also showcase London Cycling Campaign’s ‘Women’s Freedom to Ride’ event (P41) and chat to the founders of Vaela (P43) and IRIS (P46).
Elsewhere in this edition, Rebecca Bland speaks to Diane Mulholland of Daisy Chain Mechanics (P16) and we look through the archives of two businesses celebrating important milestones this year in Silverfish (P24) and Muc-Off (P32).
There is no better time than the present to challenge the status quo. Sometimes, this may include having difficult conversations with loved-ones, colleagues and even customers.
But a truly diverse industry offers so many benefits.
We can all – myself included – take further steps to ensure the bicycle trade makes change for the better.
Daniel Blackham,
Editor
7: BikeBiz Awards 2023 Woman of the Year winner Caroline Goward has been in the cycling industry for more than two decades. She speaks to Rebecca Morley on what’s changed in that time
10: The latest developments from across the bike trade
13: Daniel Blackham visits Mamachari in Walthamstow
16: Rebecca Bland catches up with Diane Mulholland, founder of Daisy Chain Mechanics, and winner of Newcomer of the Year at the BikeBiz Awards in 2023
20: Daniel Blackham speaks to Bee Pedal Ready founder Belinda Everett about the need to diversify the cycling industry, especially in the workshop
24: Silverfish celebrates its 25th birthday in 2024. Daniel Blackham speaks to some of the team to learn about what makes the industry stalwart so unique
28: Marketing manager Richard Schofield dives into the archives and takes BikeBiz through the evolution of Silverfish designs
32: Muc-Off marks its 30th anniversary this year. BikeBiz sits down with CEO Alex Trimnell to look through the history books
37: This month’s movers and shakers throughout the cycle industry
40: BikeBiz looks at why London Cycling Campaign’s annual Women’s Freedom Ride is so important
43: Daniel Blackham speaks to Vaela founder and CEO Jo Bole
46: Five minutes with IRIS
50: Simon Cox sits down with Nicola Poletti, global sales manager at Fizik, to discuss new product development, the product lifecycle, sustainability, manufacturing locations, and the omnichannel retail landscape
54: New products and sector guides, including women’s bikes, accessories, and clothing (59) and time trial and triathlon (64)
