EvoCycles

Full Swing

2010-03-15T03:43:00.000-07:00

Well the cycling season is now starting to get into full swing with longer days and nicer weather (we've not had any real rain for over a fortnight now!).

If you've kept up your riding through the winter you'll be relishing the faster trails now and feeling just a little smug about it. As the trails are drying its a good time to think about changing tyres away form those winter specific mud ones to something a little faster and gripper on firmer trails.

We're experiencing supply issues already rather frustratingly. Trek can't keep up with demand for Project One Madones so they've delayed production on other OCLV mountain bike frames to up production on the Madone. This means delays for anyone after carbon Fuel EX and Remedy frames and the Gary Fisher Superfly100, which when I last checked at the end of January I couldn't get a large until June if I ordered straightaway, and that's on a £4.5k bike! Even with increased production the Project One Madones are stating up to 84 day delivery times although I'm assured average is more like 35, how many people want to wait up to 3 months for a £3k+ bike though?

Its not just Trek though, Lapierre sold out of large size Dh720's really early and their Zesty 914, after getting a rave review, has sold out for 2010 in every frame size and the medium Zesty 514 has sold out too (we have one more coming in though).

It's not just high end bikes though, Gary Fisher have sold out of all their 29er hardtails for 2010 already so we know the 29er bug has bitten properly in Europe now. The Gary Fisher DualSports have also proven popular again and the gorgeous HooKooEKoo is gonna be hard to come by this year.

All this doesn't help a small independent bike shop, we don't have hundereds of thousands to invest in stock up fornt and don't have a massive warehouse so we rely on suppliers stocking models through the year but it's just as tough for them to forecast what they will sell.

The answer? Bike 2.0. We could really do with the industry getting rid of model years and running more like the car or motorbike industry where they just make a model and only change them when they have refined the design or new parts are available.

On the plus side road bike stock is looking a lot healthier than last year and Treks Fuel EX range looks good too so some of our main sellers should be okay.

Taste of Spring

2010-01-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

Well we've had a few nice dry sunny days and more sunlight hours so its feeling like an early promise of spring, great riding weather even if we're told the roads are full of potholes.

As is normal for January we've been fairly quiet but steady, the Colnago's have been well received and generated a fair bit of interest, Kyle is back form paternity leave, at least in body if not in mind, and today we received five lovely new Lapierre's.

Lapierre were a brand I've had my eye on for a few years now going back to Nico Vouilloz doing development work for them since he retired from professional downhill. Early last year I decided I'd love to stock them for 2010 and we've been fortunate enough to get them in!

Fortunately all the magazine tests lately seem to put our two main stock brands of Trek and Lapierre at top in just about every test going so we have no excuse not to be able to offer anyone the best riding bikes money can buy at the moment, not to mention the best looking too.

The super popular Zesty is still out of stock and we're expecting them in within the next two to four weeks including a demo 514. For now we have a Spicy 216 and 316, A Sensium 100, Audacio 300 (I think) and an X-control.

Just got to get them all built now!

Italian exotics in the snow

2010-01-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

All this snow means many people aren't cycling or shopping which means we have lots of time on our hands in store unfortunately and I'm sure all this is having a very negative effect on the fragile economy and retail in particular.

Saturday last we had to close as staff couln't get in, contrary to what people up north may think we do actually have some not insignificant hills down here in the south (The South Downs are on our doorstep in Eastbourne). With short steep hills covered in snow and ice and many drivers displaying what is either reckless abandon or simply a complete lack of winter driving abilities the police rush to close many roads preventing staff form getting to work. Sorry if we caused any customers inconvenience but I can't run the shop by myself even when i try really hard, sorry!

Weather induced quiet sales means cashflow is straining in what is already a traditionally quiet month. So in this situation what could possibly lift our spirits? How about a delivery of 2010 Colangos? That'll do nicely.

I'm not too sure how well they will sell but they are a superb brand with a history and pedigree second to none so I'm hoping we get plenty of customers who appreciate craftsmanship and prestige brands.

I'm hoping the weather improves as it's impacting on the amount of riding I'm getting in and I'm starting to feel overweight and unfit. The snow is rideable in places on the downs but 4 miles in 2 hours gives you an idea on the progress you can expect to make.

Snow and Ice

2010-01-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

As we move into 2010 we're having lots of fun with our 'big freeze' so there isn't an awful lot of riding going on, studded tyres are sold out at all suppliers and the snows too deep for a regular bike, cross country ski's are needed really.

Strangely enough we're really quiet and wondering if it's worth opening or whether we should close and go for a nice walk on the Downs or attempt a ride round Friston.

Snow, Ice, Holidays and celebrating newborns

2009-12-22T01:07:00.000-08:00

Well we're in the last few days before our christmas break now. Kyle is looking forward to the birth of his son any day now, it's already overdue and I can't say I envy him.

The run up to Christmas has yet again been completely different for us than in any previous year. We haven't had anywhere near the interest in BMX bikes as we have in previous years and the BMX suppliers continue to be a pain to deal with so I can see us knocking that on the head in the New Year. Rising prices have no doubt payed their part, many parents simply don't want to or can't afford to spend the £280+ you need to spend to get a decent BMX. I could sell cheaper bikes but firstly I refuse to sell any bike that isn't good quality or up to the job of real BMX riding, (I'll let the chain stores and supermarkets do that), and I'm afraid anything £200 or less we simply don't make any money on. After the cost of stocking the bikes and paying trained skiled staff to sell and assemble them, it really is a zero profit situation.

Endura clothing has been great again, with our long wet spell putting many riders off for a while our cold snap certainly seems to be getting everyone in for warm baselayers and jerseys and especially gloves!

Strangely though we've still been getting high end mountain bike sales with the Trek Session 88, Fuel EX8 and 9 going well and the excellent FX range we normally only sell Easter time onwards with the better weather.

We'll be closing from Christmas day until the 2nd January. I'm reading in the press that as small businesses we should be staying open all the way through the holidays in order to serve all our customers as best as possible, and I can see their point.

There is another side to the coin though, firstly it's easy for people who don't work in a retail environment to say we should be working 24/7 but lets face it, who wants to work shifts covering 8am to 8pm over 7 days of the week? You can never plan your life and spend the time you want with your loved ones.

I know we're a service industry (isn't everything these days?) but I want to attract the best staff I can in order to provide as high a level of service as possible and I can only do that through offering the right wokring conditions which includes giving everyone a break to spend with their families and loved ones. I could go down trhe route liek the big retail chains and employ far less knowledgeable young staff on minimum wage who, lets face it, don't really care as long as they get paid. This just wouldn't work in our kind of shop where we need and value experience, skill and knowledge.

Anyway, Happy Holidays to all our customers and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year, if you have an urgent enquiry whilst we are closed over the festive period please email us on info@evocycles.co.uk and I'll see what I can do to help.

The run up to Christmas in a bike store

2009-12-10T03:56:00.000-08:00

All our customers expect us to be super busy this time of year but it's just not the case. We're busiest in the months when the sun is shining, the trails are dry and the evenings long.

That's not to say we haven't been keeping busy(ish). We're slowly moving through the last few remaining 2009 bikes, Dave's been building wheels to wile away the lonely wokrshop hours and we're getting plenty of clothing enquiries to keep everyone cycling through our rainy season.

We are still getting lovely new 2010 bikes in, Trek's Session 8, the gorgeous Project One Madones, and Haro's interesting slopestyle bike 'The Porter'. This keeps the shop looking fresh which is as good for us as it is visitors.

I spent my day off yesterday experiencing customer service from the automotive industry in the form of Alfa Romeo warranty, all I can say is we're light years ahead in our shop if not the industry as a whole.

Whilst I had a courtesy car to drive round I thought I'd visit a couple of new local bike shops and an old established one. Firstly, as I was in Tunbridge Wells I popped into Wildside Cycles, I used to shop here for decent stuff before I was in the bike trade and must say it hasn't changed much if at all, not sure whether that's good or not though.

After this I popped down to Lewes to have a look at two brand new shops. Lewes is a lovely old market town which has lacked a bike shop for several years and has just had two open in the same week! Cycle Shack is small but perfectly formed and is situated inside the sports shop in Cliffe High Street, very knowledgeable member of staff, Danny. Future Cycles is a second branch of a store that's been in Forest Row for as long as I can remember. They always specialised in Recumbents but this store is a Dawes stockist with a range of family, town and kids bikes including a Pashley or two.

Well, running into christmas we'll no doubt have plenty of BMXs to build and more customers getting their partners the odd item or two, looking forward to our store christmas meal on the 22nd, a good friend is back from his first tour of duty in Afghansitan so should be a fun evening.

Well the Endura display is looking sparse so best get back to ordering stock and filling hangers...

Rain, rain and more rain...

2009-12-01T03:22:00.000-08:00

...but lots of shiny new bikes!

It's been an on and off week, quiet workshop but lots of wet weather clothing going out and now we've got some cold weather, much prefer it cold than wet myself.

We've just built our new Madone 6 demo bike and it's a gorgeous looking machine and only 15lbs with entry level drivetrain. It would be a shame to take it out in the rain for a first ride so I'll wait until I get a dry day off.

Very informal relaxed Tuesday evening rides are well and truly back on, 7pm at the bus stop by the Tally Ho pub in Old Town for a ride out and back on the Downs and a pub stop somewhere along the way or at the end. Out with them tonight and it's due to be very windy and heavy rain so should be fun, thanks Endura for great clothing.

We've also just received a Session 8 in large which probably represents the best value DH bike around at the moment.

Anyone interested in getting a BMX for Xmas, I'd sort it out asap, just about every supplier is out of stock of nearly everything and have been for a few weeks now so there really isn't a lot of choice left.

Friday fun

2009-11-20T02:40:00.001-08:00

We've got quite a lot on today all of a sudden.
We've received our long awaited Trek Madone 6.9 demo bike so dave's busy assembling that.

First however he's got to put together a customer's Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL. It's looking lovely too with all Sram XX kit and carbon rims etc.

New Blog

2009-11-17T08:32:00.001-08:00

Welcome to our new blog. We're a rider owned and run specialist bike store in Eastbourne, England. We're an authorised dealer for Trek, Gary Fisher, Lapierre and Colnago amonst many more.

It's late in the day here now so might not get time to post much to day but bear with me.

Kevin