News
Continuing Very Low Bicycle Imports are Actually a Positive Sign
Canberra, ACT We’ve just received the latest bicycle import data for the months of January and February 2023. In summary, the number of bikes that were imported was way below average. In normal times, this might be cause for concern, but given our current industry situation of overstocks and discounting at both wholesale and retail…
2023 Micromobility Conference Postponed – A Personal Letter from Phil Latz
Wollongong, NSW I’m writing to announce that we’ve decided to postpone the 2023 Micromobility Conference. We ran the first Micromobility Conference in November 2022 and although it was a great success in terms of fantastic speakers, encouraging reviews from delegates and many other positive aspects, it ran at a financial loss. It’s about a month…
Portugal Return Prompts Albion Cycles Sale
Sydney, NSW Former Australian Olympic team mechanic and national road team manager Frank Conceicao is selling his Albion Cycles store, which has been a feature in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for more than four decades. Frank, who has also mentored elite cyclists and triathletes and ran coaching camps attracting top athletes from Australia and abroad, is…
Push Begins to Elevate Mechanic Training Rating in WA
Perth, WA A push to increase the status of bike mechanic traineeships in WA has been launched by Bicycle industries Australia. The peak industry group last month submitted an application for intent with the WA Department of Training to get the State’s bicycle mechanic traineeship raised from a Class B classification to a Class C.…
New BIA Sustainability Committee to Assess Industry’s Performance
Melbourne, Victoria Bicycle businesses throughout Australia will soon be consulted on their recycling practices, to determine current levels of resource reuse in the industry, after a new Bicycle Industries Australia Sustainability Committee convened for the first time late last month. BIA general manager Peter Bourke said the committee’s initial tasks will include quantifying existing recycling…
OKGO Takes Digitisation Further
Taipei, Taiwan Taiwanese manufacturer OKGO is continuing the progression of e-bikes towards integration and digitalisation, with its carbon-framed Smart E-Bike unveiled at Taipei Cycle. With a futuristic monocoque carbon frame that hints at the technology contained within, the urban e-bike has a handlebar-integrated Smart Bike Display that receives voice commands, can use fingerprint scans to…
How’s Business – April 2023
Welcome to our monthly conversation with retailers across Australia and NZ. It’s always dangerous to define any trends from a sample of, in this month’s case, just seven stores. However, it seems stores with less nearby competition, particularly regional stores, are finding things better than city stores where there are multiple shops nearby. We’ve been…
Hargroves Rebrand Completes 99 Bikes Purchase
Southhampton, UK Pedal Group has begun a rebrand of the UK retail chain, Hargroves Cycles, it purchased recently. The Queensland-based company last week began converting the four Hargroves outlets into 99 Bikes stores, consistent with its retail operations in Australia. Hargroves founder Peter Hargroves said on social media site LinkedIn the rebranding was an end…
Crank’n Sale as Erik Turns Attention to Events
Collie, WA Regional WA bike store owner Erik Mellegers is selling his famously quirky Crank’n Cycles store to focus on spreading the word about the thriving off-road cycling scene in the State’s South West. The one-time theology student has been in increasing demand as a commentator at sporting and community events and will also concentrate…
Repeated Break-Ins as Just Ride Recovers from 2022 Floods
Lismore, NSW A Lismore bike store hit by the devastating NSW floods in February 2022 has now been targeted by a series of break-ins. Just Ride Cycles, in the NSW Northern Rivers region, has been robbed four times in the 11 months since owners Jason and Rachel Sipple relocated and finished fitting out their new…