BIG INTERVIEW


Russ Downing during his time with Sky ProCycling THE CYCLE NETWORK


Former professional rider Russ Downing and his business partner Tim Hammond have been linking cycle retailers together through a new business venture. Alex Ballinger hears more about BikeFlex and how it works


Times are changing From television to food, the way consumers pay for services is changing.


Subscription business models are ubiquitous in the modern world, and hire services are nothing new in the cycle trade. But as the trade has begun to adopt more continuity


payment methods, a number of brands are helping to carve out their place by offering flexible services for bike riders. Enter BikeFlex, a new venture by former professional rider


Russ Downing, entrepreneur Tim Hammond, and Olympic medal-winning track rider Ryan Owens. BikeFlex, which recently rebranded from the name Ride Up, is a subscription service designed to give riders flexible access


24 | March 2023


to premium road, gravel, and electric bikes. What makes BikeFlex unique is that the brand partners with retailers across the country that also form part of the Cycle Espresso coffee network, also run by Downing and Hammond.


Cafe culture “We’ve been on a bit of a journey from Cycle Espresso,” Hammond told BikeBiz, “where we put together a network of cycle cafes. The initial idea was to make them cycle cafes that have a bit more to it - great coffee and a great community. So it’s been an evolution to add bikes into the mix. We’re only running one venture, which is Russ and I in partnership doing products for the cyclists, but using cycling cafes where you go


www.bikebiz.com


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