New Technology Prevents Car ‘Dooring’

Here is a major ongoing issue that has a direct effect on how many people ride and in turn how many bicycles are sold and serviced in Australia. One of the biggest safety deterrents facing cyclists riding on roads where cars are parked is the risk of getting ‘doored’ when the driver or passenger suddenly…

Eurobike Flags Possible Reschedule to November

Europe’s key cycling industry event Eurobike could be set to postpone as coronavirus disruption continues across the continent. Organiser Messe Friedrichshafen has now cancelled the media events – scheduled in the run up to the main event, in Solden and Frankfurt – due to restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic. Eurobike itself is scheduled for 2nd…

Tour de France Reschedules – Will It Be Enough?

After weeks of speculation, the world’s largest annual sporting event has finally announced that they will reschedule from their traditional July date. The Tour de France is now scheduled to start on 29th August and finish on 20th September. When the French government announced that no major events would be allowed until mid-July at the…

What Impact Will Covid-19 Have on Your Business?

Things have certainly been moving fast since my March newsletter. What was already a major concern is now a full-blown global pandemic. Every day, the situation is changing, so there’s little point in discussing the latest news within this article. Instead I’m going to project forward and try to help you get a picture of…

How’s Business? April 2020

In all our years of writing How’s Business we’ve never asked a follow up question about the same topic for two months in a row. But the corona virus is rapidly turning into such a major global threat, not just in terms of health, but for business, that we’ve revisited the topic this month. This…

Announcing The Latz Report Yearbook 2020 – Coming Soon!

A personal note from Phil Latz, Publisher of The Latz Report. Way back in 1996 when I created the first Bicycling YearBook, I had no idea how quickly this annual trade directory would be embraced by Australian bicycle retailers. After selling the Bicycling Australia group, which included the Bicycling YearBook, to Yaffa Media in 2014,…

Google Search Data Suggests Growing Interest in Cycling as Virus Hits

Studying the frequency of Google search terms is an inexact science, but looking at the chart below, there appears to be a significant uptick in the number of Google searches for five key search terms over the past few days. The chart below is looking at searches across all of Australia for the period 1st…

Bicycle Commuting Might Grow Due to Coronavirus

The global coronavirus pandemic is developing so quickly that no-one, including those in positions of authority, can accurately predict what is going to happen next. But with each day it seems more likely that one consequence for larger cities will be at least a temporary increase in the percentage of commuting trips done by bicycle.…

Free Software to Help Bike Shops Through Virus Shut Down

Leading bike industry software solutions provider CykelOS (formerly known asBikeBookings) has spent years developing a highly refined system for workshopmanagement and bike rentals. Now co-founders Kristen and Natalie Britz have decided to provide their software, which usually costs $50 per month, free of charge with no strings attached. “From day one our intention has always…

SRAM is Aiming for 50% Female Workforce and Cycling Share

SRAM has announced that it will join a wider effort to promote gender parity across riding, racing, advocacy and its own employment. For 2020, the component maker has made four commitments to support these efforts; community, work, youth and athletes. “SRAM believes that achieving gender parity in cycling is imperative for the long-term success of…