GREEN OIL
New Green Oil point of sale. Recycled, of course
Green to the core
Few cycle industry manufacturers set up with a focus on being eco-friendly from their inception, which makes Green Oil something of an exception. Founder Simon Nash speaks to Jonathon Harker…
Can you sum up the ethos/philosophy behind Green Oil, for those bike shops not familiar with it? Performance, British Manufacturing and Sustainability. Many people now know the Green Oil story. I was riding my bike and went riding through the river Quaggy, a small river with a flat concrete section near Elmstead Woods in Bromley. I thought about having petroleum lube on my chain, and that inevitably some would have gone into the water, causing potential harm downstream. There was simply nothing green on the
market, and other lubes were more toxic than the one I had. It seemed insane you could even sell a lube to be used outdoors that said ‘Dangerous for the Environment on it’. Since then health has been a growing issue – mechanics getting dermatitis from greases and oils over the years. Green Oil products are better for the environment, and your health when using them, which is kind of a moral mission for the company. Pushing our plastic bottle supplier to source recycled plastic was nice, I think we were the first company in any industry in the UK to use 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles.
How big is the product range now and what kind of products does it include? The Green Oil range is now 11 products, small enough for any shop to keep some on the shelf, until people inevitably purchase it of course! Our latest products are the Green Oil On Tour – the pocket sized lube, Agent Apple and Ecosponge 3. Agent Apple is stupidly powerful, and designed for products to be immersed in it, working within minutes. I actually ride and clean bikes myself, so these products are based on practicality as well as green issues – Clean Chain
24 BIKEBIZ MARCH “It seemed
insane that you could sell a
lube that had ‘dangerous to the
environment’ on the tube...”
Simon Nash, founder of Green Oil
degreaser for example is sticky so can be applied like a lube and scrubbed off, unlike thinner degreasers, I wanted something for light chain cleaning easier. Agent Apple is however stronger, for more expert users willing to remove the bike chain to clean it, and it doesn’t contain paraffin or petroleum so is healthier and greener. Green Oil products are priced competitively
so most people can buy them – we don’t charge extra to exploit the increasingly green minded consumer. Our lube is still just £5.99 for example
Any key new products launched? EcoSponge started as a simple plant based sponge to form part of the Eco-Rider Deluxe set. It provides employment in the Philippines, especially important after the Typhoon there – which fortunately missed the farm we use. The latest version launched at Core Bike is made from plant based sponge and recycled cotton. Its very useful for frame cleaning, getting between spokes and cleaning the chain too. It’s also probably the first ever bike product you can put in the washing machine. Each is unique, with random print from Philippine rice sacks on the side, and a great seller at £3.99.
Is most of the range still made in Wales? Yes. British manufacturing is important to Green Oil because it’s the right thing to do. So many brands seem to abuse the Union Jack. My Dad, also a keen cyclist, found a bike at The London Bike Show with the British flag printed on, and asking if it was made here found it it wasn’t even designed in the UK. The flag was just printed on for decoration! Patriotism should perhaps go further than flag printing. British manufacturing is important, we have higher environmental standards, labour rights
and the country will be nowhere in 50 years if every entrepreneur just goes to make their product in the cheapest country possible. We also have shorter lead times perhaps, and I get to go riding when I visit the premises too, another important benefit!
And Green Oil is now working with I-ride – is that an exclusive distribution deal? In essence, yes but we’ve agreed to keep supplying certain stores, especially smaller outfits local to us who order small quantities occasionally. i-Ride is a great company and it’s easy for any shop to set up an account. We launched UK distribution with i-Ride at Core Bike, and it was so successful they re-ordered later that week. We’re hoping hundreds of shops will see the light this spring and be calling them up. With i-Ride’s backing Green Oil will reach its full potential later this year. Its really easy to set up an account at
i-Ride.co.uk and they do other quality brands alongside Green Oil, including Deuter bags, and their new carbon bike brand, Orro.
Can you give us a hint of what’s in the pipeline for Green Oil? We will be working with an additive company in the automotive sector to develop new and improve existing formulas to ensure Green Oil keeps its performance edge. I’d like to say a green brake fluid is in the pipeline (pun intended!) but this has been a tricky one to develop. We will also be doing Ecogrease in a tube later this year.
info@GreenOil.cc 020 7274 8725 Via i-ride: 01444 243000
BIKEBIZ.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92