Specialty Sales Rebound from Recession Lows
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Dutch tire maker looks for Beyond racks: Th ule Group Q&A: Marin’s Bob Buckley growth in U.S. bike market. acquires Chariot Carriers. looks back on years. bicycleretailer.com July , Vol. Number ANNUAL STATS ISSUE RETAIL RECOvERY: he retail bicycle market re- Aero road turned to fl at in 2010 signal- Ting signs of a recovery from the economic hardships of 2009. Specialty sales takes off as “It’s clear to me it was a come- back year from 2009, which was a poor year,” new shapes noted Fred rebound from Clements, hit market executive di- By Nicole Formosa rector of the Nation- recession lows SUN VALLEY, ID—In a product devel- al Bicycle Dealers Associa- By Nicole Formosa opment timeline of bicycle innovations, tion. “We still have a ways to go to Adrian Montgomery thinks the hash get the market to a bigger size.” mark for 2011 will signify the year aero Industry revenue rose to $5.94 road bikes arrived for good. billion in 2010, up from $5.68 bil- Montgomery is so confi dent in the lion the year before, an increase of viability of the up-and-coming category 4.6 percent and a return to 2008 that he believes aero-shaped tubes will revenue levels, according to the replace round tube bikes in the future. 2011 U.S. Specialty Bicycle Retail “I think aero road is here to stay. Study compiled by Jay Townley of Right now it’s at the high-end, but it’s the Gluskin Townley Group. going to trickle down to lower models Continues on page 28 over the next couple years,” said Mont- Continues on page 30 gomery, PR and marketing director for Scott Sports, which debuted its Foil aero road bike this year aft er testing an ear- lier version in the 2010 Tour de France under then Scott-sponsored pro Mark U.S. suppliers hope to impact new CEN standards Cavendish. Although Cervélo is credited with By Matt Wiebe Suppliers consider CEN a global stan- “with CEN, ISO, ASTM dard because it is the most comprehensive initially putting aero road bikes on WATERLOO, WI—While Europe is fast set of technical standards at this time, and the map, a bevy of brands have logged and possibly CPSC— becoming the dominant market for U.S. the European bike market is the largest glob- countless hours in the wind tunnel fingers crossed—working suppliers, most have taken a back seat al market. developing aero road bikes of their own when it comes to infl uencing European bi- CEN released most of the current bicycle in the past several years, bringing the to mirror each other, a cycle standards that determine what they standards in 2005, and the governing body concept to the forefront. global standard may sell. But that’s changing. is required to review them every fi ve years. With mainstream companies like Th e European Committee for Stan- Based on this review, it determines whether Specialized and its newly minted Venge, become a reality within dardization (CEN) is in the process of re- revisions are in order. For this round, CEN is Scott and Felt with the AR series now in the next five to 10 years.” vising its standards for a range of goods— revising EN 14781 (racing bikes), EN 14766 the market, aero road has been validat- from toys, pesticides and equipment in (mountain bikes), EN 14765 (kids bikes), ed as a legitimate road sub-category. — Stefan Berggren, head of Trek’s nuclear installations to bicycles. And U.S. EN 14764 (city and trekking bikes) and EN Montgomery believes the interest global standards and compliance suppliers are counting on playing a bigger 14872 (bike accessories, luggage racks). of late speaks to the progression of en- department role in the revision of current bicycle stan- One of the key areas of revision is the gineers’ carbon fi ber expertise. It used dards. Continues on page 26 Continues on page 32 26 Continued from cover Berggren expects the revised stan- CEN standards dards to be published sometime in 2012 Co-founder of or 2013, and many components that pass treatment of composites, including car- the current standards will mostly likely bon fiber, as well as various component pass the revisions, he said. Niner Bikes tests. Berggren doesn’t expect changes to “The standards are OK for the most the standards to greatly impact the way part, but some specific standards need bikes and components are manufactured moves on tweaking and review of testing proto- or disrupt the flow of supply. col,” said Stefan Berggren, who heads “There is a composite working TORRANCE, CA—For Niner Bikes Trek’s global standards and compliance group, WG8, which I am part of that co-founder Steve Domahidy, the deci- department. provides suggestions and information to sion to leave the company was one of Since he’s an ISO (International the CEN working groups that will revise the toughest he’s ever had to make. Standards Organization) member, Berg- and update the standards,” Trek’s Berg- “To this day, it’s like, ‘Did I really gren is allowed to be a member of CEN’s gren said. “There will be additional tests make this decision?’ Domahidy said. TC333 Cycles committee, an umbrella and some specific to composite materi- “For the first time in six years I can for all cycling. But he’s the sole U.S. rep- als. The biggest ones to be reviewed are breathe at the pool with my kids, and resentative on a CEN committee. Gener- wheels and forks.” have a little time for my family, which Steve Domahidy ally, U.S. suppliers are able to influence Composites behave quite differently is really fantastic. standards through a petition process. than metal components. For example, “I just felt like I’ve come to a place Sam Pickman, who spearheads it’s possible for a carbon part to survive in my life where it was time for the next hands from a design perspective, with CEN issues for Specialized, and Berg- an ultimate strength test but have torn adventure,” he added. “There’s a poten- engineers like George Perry, who gren agree that specific areas like road internal layers that are impossible to see. tial opportunity for me outside the bike came to Niner about a year ago from seatpost and handlebar testing require A metal component would show exter- business that I might be looking at. But GT Bicycles, leading the way. changes, but that composite testing re- nal cracking. The revised standards will I’ll be weighing options inside the in- “The thing that sticks out to me mains the single largest area that needs address differences between metal and dustry as well.” the most is the joy that people have substantial revision. composites behavior. Domahidy, who left the company riding my creations,” Domahidy said. “Carbon fiber is found on bikes of Beyond the U.S. market, CEN stan- last month, formed the 29ers-only “It’s truly remarkable.” all kinds, but the current standards don’t dards impact bicycle makers worldwide. company with co-founder and friend Sugai said Niner would miss really address its use. CEN developed a China defers to CEN as its standard and Chris Sugai in 2004. He worked out Domahidy’s energy and contribu- very rigorous composite fork standard the global International Standards Orga- of Niner’s Fort Collins, Colorado, of- tions. “Steve is a big part of our cur- and that has been hugely positive,” Pick- nization (ISO) is using CEN standards fice, which opened just over a year ago. rent success,” he said. man said. “But composite frames haven’t as it creates international bike standards. Niner also has an office in Torrance, Domahidy said Niner Bikes has received similar attention. For example, “With CEN, ISO, ASTM and pos- California. Each office has seven em- benefitted from the growth trend in there is a very good fork front impact sibly CPSC—fingers crossed—working ployees. the 29er category, posting substantial test but nothing corresponding for a to mirror each other, a global standard Domahidy, who headed up R&D sales increases each year since it’s been frame, like a headtube impact test,” Pick- may become a reality in the next five to for the company, said Niner is in good in business. —Jason Norman man added. 10 years,” Berggren said. 28 ANNUAL STATS ISSUE ANNUAL STATS ISSUE Continued from cover The study takes into account results from 392 retailers out U.S. Bicycle Market Channels of Trade of 2,146 polled. Sales in the specialty retail channel accounted Apparent consumption 2008, 2009 and 2010 Estimated Units and Market Share of Dollars for about $3.62 billion of that number, up from $3.12 billion the year before, a jump of 18 percent, and the highest figure since Channel Est. 2008 Est. 2008 Est. 2009 Est. 2009 Est. 2010 Est. 2010 Gluskin Townley started the study in 2004. Units Share Units Share Units Share (In Millions) (In Millions) (In Millions) The number of specialty retail storefronts decreased by 78, or 1.5 percent, bringing the number of retailers to 4,256, and Mass 13,747 74% 10,868 73% 14,970 75.5 marking a continuation of the last decade’s steady erosion of Merchant storefronts. From January 2001 to January 2010, a total of 1,327 Chain Sport 1,115 6% 595 4% 1,187 6.0 shops have closed in the U.S., a contraction of 24 percent. Goods Some of that is due to retail consolidation with multi-store Bike Shops 3,158 17% 2,977 18% 3,067 15.5 chains closing one or two locations, Townley said.