Bikes with Hinges
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THE OFFICIAL EUROBIKE NEWSPAPER HTTP://BIKESHOWDAILY.COMSHOW SHOWDAILY SHOW DAY DAY 2 2 1 SEP. 2ND, 2011 PUTTING METAL TO PEDAL WHAT'S THE BEST BIKE MATERIAL? 32 FR ANC-LY SPEAKING 4 SWISS FIRMS HIT BY STRONG CURRENCY GOLD PLATED 6 EUROBIKE NAMES AWARD-WINNERS R ACKING UP SUCCESS PLETSCHER'S OLD-SCHOOL FACTORY 35 TOO SMART FOR BIKE RETAILERS? 9 SMART E-BIKE IS JUST FOR CAR DEALERS BEYOND 'BIKES WITH HINGES' FOLDING BIKES CAN BOOM 47 2 SHOW DAILY SHOW DAY 2 SHOW DAILY SHOW DAY 2 3 EVENT GUIDE CONTENTS WHAT'S ON TODAY FEATURED IN THIS ISSUe … ALL DAY 13:00 Lake. Entrance West Swiss Miss EUROBIKE AWARD 2011 Prize- IXS AUTOGRAPH SESSION MEDIA-ONLY EVENTS winning products presentation. With Darren Berrecloth, Richie 04 Strong currency weakens firms Foyer West Schley, Hans “NoWay” rey and 10:00 Andi Wittmann. Hall B3-100/101 VANMOOF Room Paris, Vox Pop EUROBIKE VISION Aerodynamic Conference Center East Are 29ers here to stay? bicycle construction. Foyer West 14:00 05 11:00 STARS ON STAGE 4-Seasons. EUROBIKE FASHION SHOW Gold Plated TV, live on stage every hour. The latest colors, trends and new DAHON Room Liechtenstein, 06 Eurobike announces top awards Foyer West functions. Foyer East Conference Center West Thinner and Shapelier VICTOR DEL CORRAL MORE COURAGE FOR 12:00 Bike shorts get more high-tech BICYCLES, MR. MAYOR! VSF’s 23 Cross Triathlon European LIMAR Presentation Party champion at Viner. A1-408 Albert Herresthal on lobbying B2-100 Messe Q&A for bicycle traffic improvements 11:00 Meet Eurobike's Julia Glaser (German-only). 13:00 26 EUROBIKE FASHION SHOW Room Prague, Foyer East “GREENER BIKING, GREENER Bulgarian Folders The latest colors, trends and new 15:00 CITY” TAITRA press conference. 31 Dahon moves Euro production functions. Foyer East Room Berlin, Conference CORRATEC—GERMAN BIKE–FIT FOR FUTURE Center East Putting Metal to Pedal DESIGN & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE Velodata hosts A review of frame materials Konrad Irlbacher, Luca Burzio and 14:00 32 German-only discussion of Florian Knebel. Hall B1-300 electronic cash register devices. BMC PRESS CONFERENCE Racking Up Success Room Rome, Conference 15:15 WITH CADEL EVANS 35 Pletscher does it all in-house Center East DAHON FASHION IMPULSE Tour de France winner discusses UCI's McQuaid eyes China CORRATEC—GERMAN Eurobike Show Stage. Foyer East his victory. Autographs and personal interviews to follow. 36 He's wary of Chinese frames DESIGN & ENGINEERING 16:00 With Konrad Irlbacher, Luca Burzio BMC, B3-202 Carbo-Loading EUROBIKE FASHION SHOW and Florian Knebel. 18:00 Magura's new brake generation Hall B1-300 The latest colors, trends and new 44 functions. Foyer East IXS 10TH ANNIVERSARY 11:15 DOWNHILL CUP Chill out with Beyond 'Bikes with Hinges' 18:00 Folding bikes could take off ANDY & FRANK SCHLECK Tour beer and Cuba libres. 47 de France stars sign autographs TERN. HERE. NOW. KICKOFF FG-B8/3 with teammate Jens Voigt. Fashion Show Stage. Foyer East Schwalbe, Hall A5-300 EUROBIKE LAKE JUMP Messe COVER: WHEELING AND DEALING AT THE EUROBIKE FASHION SHOW. © BERNHARD WROBEL 4 SHOW DAILY SHOW DAY 2 SWISS MISS rate is—customers will have to pay in STRONG FR ANC PLAYS HAVOC Swiss francs,” he added. Merahtzakis noted that the sky-high WITH SWISS FIRMS’ eXPORTS Swiss currency is affecting the entire Swiss economy, not just the bicycle The Swiss financial system is one of the world’s industry. strongest—and that’s bad news for Swiss companies. The skyrocketing Swiss franc has cost them dearly. “To give you an idea what we are talking about, currently you can Schlumpf Innovations, a pioneer in making planetary buy an Audi A6 for half of the price gear cranksets, is moving its assembly and servicing in Germany than in Switzerland,” operations from Switzerland to Germany. Merahtzakis said. “Swiss customers buying their Audi in Germany can easily save 50,000 euros.” MTB Cycletech, one of the first Swiss which is needed to accommodate mountain bike brands, is halting sales the growing popularity of Schlumpf One year ago, you got 1.3 Swiss in Germany because it has to lower gearing systems, especially in new FLORIAN SCHLUmpf (left) francs for 1 euro. Earlier this month, prices so much it can’t make a profit applications such as e-bikes,” he said. WITH ROLF HABERSTOCK, GM OF the exchange rate was nearly 1 for 1. there. HABERSTOCK MOBILITY. Spinning off assembly to Haberstock Over the last three weeks, the franc “This is a response to dramatic Mobility will allow Schlumpf to focus com, which owns MTB Cycletech. has weakened against the euro and changes in the exchange rate of the more on research and development. yesterday stood at 1.17 francs to Swiss currency, which have made Haberstock will begin assembling He said the move would help protect one euro. But Swiss officials are still exports into the EU and elsewhere as Schlumpf’s Mountain Drive, Speed dealers in the company’s home nervous. much as 35 percent more expensive Drive and High-Speed Drive on Nov. market. over only a few months, without gen- 1. The German company is involved “I don’t see any chance for us to erating extra profits for the exporter,” in prototyping and manufacturing “Customers went to Germany to buy do any sales outside of Switzerland, said Florian Schlumpf, the founder automotive components. their MTB Cycletech, or they showed instead of going direct,” Merahtzakis and CEO of Schlumpf Innovations. up with our German price list that they said. “Then not only are we on the His company’s products will soon be For MTB Cycletech, the decision to downloaded from the Internet and safe side, but we can protect our assembled by Haberstock Mobility, an quit Germany carries drawbacks. wanted to pay in euros,” Merahtzakis valuable home-country dealers.” engineering company in Lauchringen, said. Germany, close to the Swiss border. “Believe me, it was a tough decision. ■ JB But due to the strong Swiss franc, “From now on, European MTB Schlumpf said his Swiss factory is we could not make any profit in the Cycletech sales will be only done operating at capacity. “It cannot be German market,” said George Mer- directly from Switzerland. And it expanded beyond present capacity, ahtzakis, managing director of Velo. doesn’t matter what the exchange SHOW DAILY SHOW DAY 2 5 VOX POP ARE 29ERS HERE TO STAY? EAMONN global market trends. not sure if they are ANDERS MARREY faster than 26-inch STADLIN KIANG wheels or not. OWNER, But it is fun SWITZER- MARREY CHEN LAND BIKES, TAIWAN because it gives BALLINROBE, the market a I think it is IRELAND I think it is new direction. natural for already popular things to evolve. I think people are in the United States DONALD Otherwise things will intrigued by them! I think they and many European countries not improve. However, personally I are the way forward. & ELIZABETH but it is still new to Asia and HOLSTEIN am happy with my 26-inch mountain needs more time to become bike. A lot of the big brands at the moment established. OWNERS, ALPINE BIKE, are bringing in 29ers. Manufacturers CELERINA, SWITZERLAND are also developing components JACOB ANDREAS Yes! For sure, they are here to GR ATH specifically for them. stay. APPEL R ADSPORT WEER ASAK GREINER, I look after a marathon champion and GERMANY YOUNG- he has three bikes: a hardtail 26, a CHAR- suspension 26 and I am sure they ERN PEDALWERK, a 29er. For many are ready for the BAUNATAl- conditions, the market. They are a GENER AL ALTENRITTE, 29er is the best. new, wonderful thing. M ANAGER, GERMANY BIKE STATION In the past it Many people come to our shop and CO. LIMITED, I don’t know exactly, but we was difficult to ask for 29ers. Yes! They want them! I BANGKOK, THAILAND have a lot of people asking get high quality want one myself. components that I think it’s going to be the next about these new mountain were compatible with ERIK SCHMAUSS big thing. However it has not bikes from the USA. the larger wheel, but now this is no really reached Thailand yet. OWNER, BIANCHI I think it is a big trend coming from longer the case. I think the future is CONCEPT STORE, MUNICH, GER M ANY I expect it is only a matter of time America. In the last five months we the 29er. before some try it. It will all depend on have had many, many questions. I’m Yes I think they will become more 6 SHOW DAILY SHOW DAY 2 WITH NEW OWNERS, GAZELLE EUROBIKE HONORS 10 PREPARES FOR EXPANSION PUSH WITH GOLD AWARDS Gazelle, the Dutch bicycle maker, will dig into the vast The delighted winners of this year’s Eurobike Awards strode coffers of Pon Holdings, its new owner, to push ahead on stage last night to collect their prizes. The awards have with international expansion in the coming years. garnered a fair amount of cachet over the years and they can be a real boon for marketing products. Pon Holdings, one of the largest Gazelle currently 2H- family-owned companies in the focuses on Germany, 200 A panel of experts selected a total Biketec’s Flyer Cargo-Transport Netherlands, imports cars and trucks Belgium, the United of 59 entries as prize-winners this Bike, and Theo de Rooij’s TDF FluxX and owns several car and truck Kingdom and France, year in the competition conceived pedelec. dealerships. It acquired Koninklijke and it will open a subsidiary in and organized by iF.