MCH Embrace a Multi-Channel Strategy

Adam Bonney and James inside their warehouse / showroom

Melbourne, Victoria MCH Sports is one of Australia’s newer bicycle and P&A importers and distributors. It focuses upon high-end Italian brands including ALE apparel, De Rosa bikes, SIXS undergarments, Vision components, BLIZ eyewear and DMT shoes. Having met founder James Kristie previously at the Handmade Bike Show Australia, I recently had the opportunity to visit…

JetBlack’s Zwift Rise to Global Coming of Age

JetBlack indoor trainer

Sydney, NSW Indoor trainer manufacturer JetBlack has “come of age” as it signed a deal to supply its latest smart trainer model to the world’s largest online cycle training system, Zwift. The two companies announced last week that Zwift would be rebadging the new JetBlack Volt V2, to sell as a Zwift trainer in the…

New Pon Team to Distribute Santa Cruz and Cervélo

high-performance bike rider

Adelaide, South Australia Cervélo Cycles and Santa Cruz Bicycles this month announced the establishment of a new team in Australia to directly serve retailers and riders. The two operations will come together under Pon.Bike Performance, based in Adelaide, as a unified group from the 1st January 2023. Santa Cruz Bicycles includes the Santa Cruz, Juliana…

Mixed Response to New Melbourne Bike Show

Melbourne Bike Show demonstration area

Melbourne, Victoria A new consumer bike show was held in Melbourne on the weekend of 10th – 11th September at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, on the south bank of the Yarra River and across from Melbourne’s CBD. The event was organised by Javier Tellez. At just 20 years of age, this was the first event…

Leadership Ambitions Takes Luc’s Career Down New Thread

Luc Gilmore with gravel bike

Melbourne, Victoria A long-serving member of Giant’s Australian team is wrapping up his career in the bicycle industry, for a new challenge in the textiles sector. Sales agent Luc Gilmore ended his 18-year association with Giant Bicycles Australia at the end of last month and will soon begin as General Manager for clothing and packaging…

Chain of Events Attracts New Omnium Distributor

Omnium’s Cargo V3

Melbourne, Victoria Danish cargo bike specialist Omnium is about to gain a much greater prominence in Australia, with former architect Ben Kampschoer drawn to become its national distributor. A long sequence of serendipity has led Ben to establish Omnium Cargo Australia, with his first shipment of bikes soon to depart Taiwan. Based in Victoria, he…

NZ’s Earshots Sets Sights on Australia with Bikecorp Partnership

Earshots

Melbourne, Victoria An NZ earphone company seeking to re-define the adventure wireless earphone market with its patented, world-class technology has partnered with distributor Bikecorp to launch its magnetic earphones in cycling retail stores across Australia. Earshots, based in the South Island town of Cromwell, produces earphones for mountain biking, road cycling, trail running and other…

Bicycle Imports Still Near Record Levels

Parked Bikes

Canberra, ACT Australia’s bike import figures for 2021/22 appear set to remain near the lofty numbers set during last year’s record-breaking period. While import data for June 2022 is yet to confirmed, figures for the previous 11 months are enough to confirm the 2021/22 financial year will finish second only to the previous financial year’s…

‘SUVs’ Bringing New e-Bike Audience

e-SUV Bike

Frankfurt, Germany E-Bike ‘SUVs’ are emerging as the most important e-bike sectors to attract newcomers to cycling, according to industry leaders at a Eurobike workshop. Authorities speaking at the e-Bike: A Game Changer workshop said these ‘sports utility’ e-bikes, combining the sportiness and youth appeal of e-MTBs with practical features more typically seen on urban…

Shimano Adopts Blubrake ABS

Blubrake

Frankfurt, Germany Anti-lock brake technology developed by Italy’s Blubrake is set to become widely available in Australia, with confirmation the fledgling company is partnering with Shimano. A smaller and lighter second generation of the Blubreak ABS system attracted the attention of Shimano, which announced the partnership at Eurobike 2022. Blubrake systems are already being used…