Posts by Phil Latz
Sub 7kg Ebike Sets New Guinness World Record
Mechanical engineer Dennis Freiburg from Germany has set the Guinness World Record for the lightest ever e-bike prototype with a design that weighs just 6.8kg. The ride – named the Freicycle – reportedly took Freiburg almost a year to design and build, serving as part of a project for his doctorate. Unsurprisingly, the Freicycle is…
Mountain Bikes – Will the MTB Sales Boom Continue?
There’s no doubt that mountain bike sales have been going through a boom over recent years. To our industry’s collective disadvantage, unlike the USA and Europe, in Australia we don’t collaborate to produce sales statistics broken down to type of bike. Therefore this article can only be based upon anecdotal evidence from within Australia and…
National Battery Stewardship Scheme Will Lead to Levy on Batteries
On 4th September 2020 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) granted to the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) the two authorisations necessary for the implementation of an industry-led stewardship scheme that aims to significantly increase the recycling of batteries and end the wasteful and dangerous practice of landfill disposal of batteries. The BSC (www.bsc.org.au) is…
First Data of Covid Bike Boom in June and July Import Figures
Bicycle import figures are now in for June and July and the expected surge is starting to appear in the data. June was strong with 99,554 bicycles imported. That’s 46% up from 67,937 in June 2019 and the second highest June total over the past decade. July saw a record number of bicycles imported into…
Further Data Confirms Scale of Bike Sales Surge
As every bicycle industry member knows, demand for bicycles has surged since March. But with the vast majority of bike businesses being privately owned, they are not required to reveal any sales data, so it’s hard to get an accurate read on what is happening. Halfords Group PLC is a large, publicly listed retailer of…
BIA to Lobby for Faster Ebikes in Australia
In April this year, Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) requested feedback from importers on the preferred maximum speed for power-assisted pedal bicycles in Australia. With 75% of the 52 responses indicating 32kph as the preferred speed, the BIA has commenced lobbying the Federal Government to modify the Australian Design Rules to increase the limit from the…
Giving Back
Chances are that somewhere in your list of reasons for starting your own business there was something about helping others, whether they be members of your local community or a certain cause that you’re interested in. But have you ever noticed that if you’re a business owner, you’re automatically assumed to be wealthy? You’re bombarded…
Three Retailers Share Why They Offer Consumer Finance
– Sponsored Content – Should you be offering consumer credit in your store, and if so, through which provider? We recently spoke to three Australian bicycle retailers who could hardly have been more diverse in terms of their geographical spread and business formats. One business has been built around bike hire and hosting rides on…
World Class Wheels With Superior Service and Margins
– Sponsored Content – For more than eight years, Brisbane based Craftworx has been steadily building its reputation not only as a top quality wheel builder but as an Australian wheel manufacturer. But many dealers across Australia may not be aware that Craftworx also design their own wheels from the ground up, all of which…
Taking Collective Action
As business owners we’re often very ‘self reliant’ and ‘self made people’. But in any industry, individual businesses do best when they understand that they’re part of a wider ecosystem and need to stay connected, just like a branch and its leaves will die unless they’re connected to the tree. Yes, this does mean speaking…