Australia
Inside Rapha – Sydney and Beyond
Sydney, NSW I recently visited Rapha’s Sydney ‘Clubhouse’ and was kindly given permission to take the photos that you see accompanying this article. A Global Brand We’ll look more closely at the Sydney premises in a moment, but first a global overview. Rapha was founded in London, UK in 2004 by Simon Mottram. It quickly…
Record Low Bicycle Imports for 2023
Canberra, ACT Bicycle import data for December 2023 has now been made available so we can compare the total imports for calendar year 2023 with previous years. The decline has been dramatic. In total 666,393 conventional (‘analogue’) bicycles were imported in 2023. That’s a drop of almost half a million units, 490,697 to be exact,…
Everything Electric Show Includes E-Bikes
Sydney Showgrounds, NSW Everything Electric returned for their second annual Australian expo, held from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th February 2024 at the Sydney Showgrounds. Last year, the event was branded the Fully Charged Show, matching the name of the YouTube channel founded by British actor Robert Llewellyn in 2010 that now has over one…
Bike Industry Feels the Rush at TDU
Adelaide, SA The Tour Down Under is heading for its 25th anniversary with some renewed momentum after a successful event this January. This article will barely mention the race itself – leaving that for consumer media, but instead will focus upon trade events and related activities that surround the race. From an industry perspective, the…
Want to Upgrade Your Store? Here’s 11 Great Ideas From Trek Sydney
Sydney NSW I recently had the opportunity to visit and take photos of Trek’s flagship store in Sydney. (Thanks to the team and management!) For over 40 years this store was known as Clarence Street Cyclery, which was founded and run by the Cook family. Throughout this time, Clarence Street Cyclery, which sold many different…
Our First Look at Parts & Accessories Import Data
Canberra, ACT Occasionally over the years when reporting on the latest bicycle import data, I’ve made passing references to P&A data, but this is the first time that we’ve taken a deeper look at the data that’s available. In addition to collecting specific data on complete bicycles, Australian Border Force also has tariff codes for…
Bicycle Imports Remain Below Average
Bicycle import data for September to November 2023 has now been released. These are traditionally peak months for import volumes, as wholesalers land their Christmas / summer season stocks. And although the monthly numbers are up compared to the previous 10 months, compared to the corresponding months in previous years, numbers are still well down,…
Should We Make Our Industry More Sustainable?
Adelaide, SA In terms of their environmental impact, bicycles are already far more sustainable than other means of transport so should we bother to try to further lower the footprint of our industry? Some members already think so and attended the first annual Sustainability Forum run by Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) on Wednesday 17th January…
E-Bike Battery Forum Focuses on Fire Risks and Recycling
Adelaide, SA E-Bikes have transformed both the Australian and global bicycle industries in terms of making them larger and, at least potentially, more profitable than ever before. But two serious challenges are threatening to derail this growth. Of these, fire is the most acute right now. The second, battery recycling, is only just entering many…
Bicycle Industries Australia Members Vote to Increase Fees
Adelaide, SA Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) which is the national industry body for the Australian bicycle retail and wholesale sectors held its annual general meeting in Adelaide on Thursday 18th January. Retailers currently pay $99 + GST in annual membership fees, while wholesalers pay a flat rate of $1,800 + GST, regardless of their size.…