Posts by Phil Latz
New Dates and Bigger New Venue for Handmade Bicycle Show Australia
After two successful years at the historic North Melbourne Meat Markets, the Handmade Bicycle Show Australia (HBSA) is moving to a new venue and later dates for 2020. The HSBA will now be held from Friday 16th October to Sunday 18th October at Seaworks, Williamstown, Vic. Williamstown is a historic waterfront suburb of Melbourne on…
Shimano Files Patent for Artificial Intelligent System to Detect Parts Wear
Could a ‘Check Engine’ light be coming to bikes? Shimano is thinking that way, and has filed a patent application for using artificial intelligence processing paired with sensors to monitor wear and maintenance of bicycle components. US Patent Application 20200010138, published on Jan. 9, gives a glimpse of a system for bicycles analogous to the…
It’s Not Just Bicycles and Toilet Paper in Short Supply
Recently my wireless keyboard started doing thisssssssssss, as they have a habit of doing after 12 months or so in our throw away society where new keyboards start at under $10. So I visited my local Office Works and walked across to the computer and peripherals section, that I hadn’t visited since the pre-virus era.…
Eurobike To Proceed in November with B2B Only Format
Messe Friedrichshafen has announced that Eurobike 2020 will move to November citing that it was “practically impossible” to run on the planned date in September. The organisers will now hold a one-off Eurobike Special show from 24th to 26th November 2020, with a pure B2B format. Stefan Reisinger, Head of Eurobike initially proposed a “Plan…
Continuous Learning
Goal Setting
Life is short and it’s precious. I’ve seen so many people passively drift along through life. Like they’re riding on a log that’s floating down a stream, being buffeted by the rocks, dunked by the rapids, getting stagnant in a backwater. But if you set goals then your log turns into a kayak. You’re still…
Indoor Training’s Revolution
It feels a little surreal to be writing an annual feature about a product that you currently can’t sell because, to the best of our knowledge, all wholesale stock in Australia has been sold out. With the onset of the Coronavirus, indoor trainers were right up there with toilet paper as one first things to…
How’s Business – May 2020
Welcome to my monthly chat with six bicycle shops during which I simply ask, ‘How’s business?’ There’s almost as much significance in what you’re not reading this month as what you are. Firstly, you may notice that for the first time this month I am not including a New Zealand bike shop. That’s because New…
Some Bike Retailers Reporting Sales Boom
At 99 Bikes in Bondi Junction, queues have been snaking out the door over the past few weeks. The queues are thanks in part to physical distancing rules, but it’s also because the COVID-19 lockdown has everyone going gaga for cycling as they look for new ways to get active or alternatives to public transport.…
Why Dealers Are Loving JetBlack’s New Volt
– Sponsored Content – JetBlack Cycling one of a very select group of Australian based companies that is successfully developing and selling their own world class products across the globe. You can read more about JetBlack’s inspiring story here. Of all the products JetBlack has created over the years, none has been as ambitious and…