FEATURE
Ortlieb workshop
However, the company doesn’t just manufacture; as part of their efforts to be more sustainable, they also do a lot of repairs. This includes dedicated spaces for Ortlieb, Exbed and La Sportiva. Currently, Lyon isn’t a ‘big player’ in the cycle distribution
world, counting just seven brands in its portfolio. But that doesn’t mean Lyon doesn’t have leverage - the team can afford to be picky about who they work with. When asked what bike brand they’d really like to welcome into the fold, Braithwaite remained tight-lipped but said it would have to be someone special. So, is there something here that other cycle-focused distributors could learn from? “We’ve not got the biggest portfolio, but we punch way
above our weight in terms of who we are,” adds Braithwaite. “That’s due to our stability from working in different industries, being employee-owned and not being in debt. “We’ve done it for 50 years, and we’ve done it pretty well.
We’ve been through foot to mouth, economic downfall, and everything’s changing in the world now, but we’ll just do it differently again. We have got strengths in other areas, and we’re not relying on just the cycle industry now. “I think other companies will look sideways at us, and think,
‘How are they doing such a good job? And also, the bigger companies that are driven by investors might start looking at things differently, or more realistically, because it’s still a tough market.” Larking agreed, “I guess for other distributors, it’s not like
www.bikebiz.com
they can go out tomorrow and say, right, we’re going to branch out into outdoor as well. But because we’ve always been spread across so many different areas, that gives us the opportunity to learn what other industries are doing. “And we can take what La Sportiva or Exbed are doing in the outdoor world, and initiatives they’re taking with their retailers, and ask how we can take some of those benefits and bring them into cycle, and what we do with Ortlieb or HydraPak?” Alongside its diverse portfolio and general day-to-day
operation, Lyon Equipment HQ also houses a dedicated showroom space, which the team is keen to encourage more dealers and retailers to make use of. “Having that showroom space, there are a handful of distributors that have got it, but I don’t think many that are Lyon cycle size have got that in-house space,” adds Larking. “It’s so useful, like when we took on Uvex at the start of
this year, being able to get retailers here and show them the entire range, not just from a catalogue or a dozen samples that the reps can carry, it really makes a big difference. “That space is set up there permanently, and we’re trying to encourage more retailers to drop in, either by appointment or even if they’re just passing on the M6.” It might sound strange to say that a company’s HQ, situated
just off the M6, is actually in a really lovely part of the world. The views from the office are of the fells, the Lakes in the distance and the Dales on the other side. Lyon Equipment
June 2026 | 33
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
