South Australia
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…
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.…
Patrick Jonker Joins TEBCO as SA Rep
Adelaide, SA One of Australia’s highest general classification finishers at the Tour de France, South Australia’s bike industry veteran Patrick Jonker, has been appointed as the State’s sales agent for TEBCO. The Melbourne-based brand confirmed last month it has appointed Patrick, who has just clocked up four decades working in the bike industry. He was…
It’s Time for the Tour Down Under to Say No to Santos
Adelaide, SA If you look back through the Opinion section of The Latz Report, you’ll see I use my prerogative as publisher to voice an opinion very sparingly. There are only a couple of dozen opinion pieces since we started in 2019, most of which are non-controversial and two of which were written by guests.…
Three to One … Transformation for Unley Bike Store Scene
Adelaide, SA A previous abundance of bicycle retailers in the inner Adelaide suburb of Unley has been cut to just one store in recent weeks. Long-standing store East End Cycles, previously known as Standish Cycles Unley, finished winding down its operations last month. It comes a few months after Reid Cycles closed its Adelaide outlet…
Euride Closes After Championing Italian Thoroughbreds
Adelaide, SA An Adelaide bike store that established Italian brand Bottecchia in Australia has closed its doors. The Euride store, in the eastern suburb of Cambelltown, had been on the market for the past two years and officially shut shop late last month. A spokesperson said Euride’s five partners had other businesses demanding their time…
E-Bike Retailer Rebrand as Leon Cycles Owner Faces Fraud Charges
Adelaide, SA Three Leon Cycles stores in Australia will soon revert to their original branding, Hi5 E-Bikes. Their owner, Jamal Raad, said he is just waiting for the signage to arrive to convert his stores in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. The switch follows the arrest of the China-based owner of Leon Cycles, Lijun Ding, who…
Pon’s Global CEO is Upbeat About Industry’s Future
Adelaide, SA At the start line of Stage 3 of the 2023 Tour Down Under, all eyes of the huge crowd were on the elite professional cyclists. Few people would have noticed the casually dressed Janus Smalbraak unobtrusively visiting some of the teams. A study of his online media shows that Janus likes it that…