Posts by Phil Latz
Cyclists Deaths are No Accident
Will Your Customers Start Hiring and Subscribing to Bikes Instead of Buying?
Tech savvy media commentators, futurists and other technophiles are very eager to tell anyone prepared to listen that this is the age of the shared economy. They say that instead of buying products, customers, especially younger generations, are happy to share, hire, subscribe, rent or swap. While this may be beyond dispute for products such…
Letter From America – February 2020
It’s fair to say that most of North America is deep into winter, but winter across this vast continental mass is an iffy calculation. Temperatures in Southern California and across that broad sweep of territory that includes southern Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and into Texas have been generally mild. Good for business. A friend of…
Tariff Case Loss A Multi-Million Dollar Blow to Our Industry
There has been a story, bubbling away in the background that we’ve chosen not to report upon until now, because it has been the subject of a legal case. It’s also a somewhat complex issue, so we’ll start with some background explanation. Australia’s federal government has the power to impose import tariffs on any imported…
Wiggle CRC Posts A Massive Loss After Writedowns
Mapil Topco Limited, which trades as Wiggle CRC, has just released its financial statements for the year ending 30th December 2018. They shown a pre-tax loss of £132.5 million (A$253 million). But as is often the case with large entities, that single figure does not tell the whole story. Wiggles sales rose 15% to £453…
Here’s a Big Market Opportunity!
– Sponsored Content – Electric Cargo Bikes will transform the way people and goods move in urban areas in the decades ahead. Cargo bikes are not a new invention, but new designs and technology including electric power assistance, has seen the global cargo bike market boom. This in turn means a big opportunity for Australian…
Sea Otter Australia Officially Launched
A new cycling festival experience – Sea Otter Australia – is set to debut at Canberra’s Stromlo Forest Park on 2nd to 5th October 2020 following an official launch at the venue on Wednesday 18th December. Sea Otter Australia will offer spectators and riders a contemporary cycling adventure like no other, nestled in Stromlo Forest…
Earlier Dates Mean Closer Trips for Show Attendees
For those Australian or New Zealand bicycle trade members looking to attend both Eurobike and Taichung Bike Week next year, they’ll not have long to unpack their bags between trips. Eurobike is only a fraction later than its traditional dates at 2nd to 5th September 2020, but Taichung Bike Week has decided to move four…
Research Shows that Ebike Riders are Not ‘Cheating’
A research paper published by members of Brigham Young University in the USA has concluded that eMTB riders are working their bodies almost as hard as those on regular bikes. In the study, 33 regular MTB riders aged 18 to 65 formed the pool, with each participant tracked via Strava over a 10 kilometre loop…
Selle Royal Group is Looking for a Major Investor
Selle Royal Group includes not just Selle Royal saddles, but also fi’zi:k, Brooks, Crank Brothers and PedAL ED. It’s not yet clear what percentage of the company is up for sale. 2019 sales are projected to be 130 million Euro (A$211 million) and Ebitda (earnings before interest and depreciation) of 14.6 million Euro (A$24 million).…