2011 | RETROSPECTIVE
Review of the year
More shows than ever, 29ers and riots. Whatever you say about 2011, it certainly wasn’t dull for the bicycle trade. Jonathon Harker picks out some of the stories that made the headlines…
WHAT A 12 MONTHS. Familiar bike shows became bigger than ever – step forward Eurobike, Core Bike, iceBike*, Expo and Interbike – while other shows for the trade also cropped up around the country – including the London Bike Show, the Scottish Bike Show and even Gadget Show Live’s Professional day. Was it a sign that the bike market was booming in 2011? While anecdotal reports said that retailers were finding bike sales slow in 2011, the year
January
2011 saw Victoria Pendleton launch
Cycletta, rioting on the High Street and
Red or Dead team up with Raleigh. These weren’t all
necessarily related
saw 2010 sales info trickle in with some encouraging statistics. Bike sales reportedly rose by seven per cent to 3.6 million units, while accessories sales hit the £853m mark. But how well 2011 has fared we’ll have to
wait and see. Things were far from rosy on the aptly named front lines of bike retail in August, when riots across the country, predominantly in London, saw bike shops targeted by looters, affecting multiples and independents alike.
February
London Bike Show makes its debut at ExCeL, London Bike fall in shop in Ireland sees girl awarded €10,000 VAT rises to 20 per cent The Albion BMX mag created by ex-Factory Media staff Global bike comms agency Shift Active Media forms, representing Colnago, fi’zi:k, FSA, Santini and Orange Work begins on Kent’s Cyclopark facility UK economy contracts
40 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER
Northern Ireland Assembly members vote in favour of bill to force cyclists to wear helmets Specialized teams up with the CTC to report potholes Cyclists get behind calls to stop the National Forest sell off Bob Chicken MBE sadly passes away London Cycle Hire sees ten million kms ridden on Boris Bikes – the equivalent of riding to the moon and back 13 times Spanish dealers launch anti-Chain Reaction Cycles site Singletrack celebrates a decade in the trade Kona reveals it will go dealer direct in the UK
On happier matters, 29ers became not so
much a trend, but a seemingly indispensible part of a bike range this year. Filling the halls of Eurobike and Interbike, Genesis, Whyte and Transition were some of the many brands to introduce 29ers to their lines this year, with the likes of Cube’s 29er offering going into double figures, and Merida telling BikeBiz some of its 29ers were among the most sought after bikes in the brand’s history. But what else went on in 2011? Read on…
March
2010 statistics are revealed to see bike imports jump almost 25 per cent, tempered with a sharp year-on-year decline in December Race Face confirms it is to be liquidated Over 260,000 school children begin the Bike Hub-funded Big Pedal Factory Media buys BikeMagic and
RoadCyclingUK.com from Magicalia Bikeability Scotland launched ‘Dangerous Cycling bill’ proposed in Parliament Victoria Pendleton voted one of the most influential women of 2011 by Red Magazine
BIKEBIZ.COM
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