Just Riding Along

Same story, different headlines

I think it's interesting how the same story can have such different spin, just by changing the headline.  As an example, check out the following headlines.  They're from newspapers around the country introducing the exact same article.

• Armstrong wants to finish in style
• Armstrong stays on course
• Workin' on a chain gang
• Armstrong getting closer to seventh Tour title
• Armstrong emerges from mountains still in lead
• Armstrong not giving in to rivals
• Armstrong protects lead in mountain stage
• Armstrong feeling better every day
• Armstrong Aiming for Daily Tour Stage Win

Another thing about headlines is that at many major newspapers the person who writes the story doesn't actually come up with the headline.  The writer turns in the finished article and someone else comes up with the title and decides what quotes to pull out as teasers (known as "call-outs").  It seems strange to me that journalists can't choose the titles of their stories, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it.

Litespeed pulls up to Tour PR buffet

Everyone is getting on the Tour bandwagon to get a little PR.  Litespeed (who supplied Lance's Tour TT bike in 1999) landed this nice profile in the business section of their local paper just for "considering to sponsor a Tour team."

Some good info in the article:

"The company [American Bicycle Group] produces about 14,000 bikes a year and will have revenues of about $30 million this year. Last year's revenues were about $28 million.  The company sells about 70 percent of its bikes in the United States and 30 percent abroad."

Don't miss the cool slide show with the awkward captions.

The AP on Trek and the "Lance Factor"

Ryan Foley of the Associated Press [not Forbes, as reported elsewhere] wrote a story that gives a behind the scenes look at Trek Bicycle Corp. and their association with Lance Armstrong.  Because Trek is both privately held and the biggest player in the bike biz, it's always interesting to read their press clipppings. 

The article gives Trek credit for sticking with Lance through his ordeal.  When they asked Zap about it he seemed to be getting ready for Interbike in Vegas with this quote:

"It was like putting a penny in a slot and winning a million bucks."

The story also pointed out that much of Trek's success in high-end road bikes can be attributed to aging baby-boomers and their growing interest in cycling, a topic I touched on recently.

The final quote went to the curator of the Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison.  A museum curator?  What would he know?  I thought the same thing, but it turns out his museum is currently running an exhibition called "WisconsInnovation" that has a whole section devoted to Trek.  I guess in the state that accounts for nearly 20% of the entire U.S. bicycle industry even museum curators know about the bike business.

Charity rides reach tipping point

Most of us have seen it happening for a long time.  But now since the NY Times has written an article on charity rides, I think it's safe to say this phenomenon has reached a tipping point.  Seems like everyone is doing something to raise money for someone.

My next door neighbor trained religiously with her Team in Training crew and had a great time at her first triathlon. The result?  Not only is she in great shape but she's fallen head over heels in love with cycling (and Lance Armstrong).  This weekend I'm helping her decide on a new bike (something all carbon, for around $2,000).

The real irony is that these organizations are doing a much better job at getting Americans on bikes than the bike industry ever has.  I think we should be thankful that these charity organizations are doing so much marketing and recruiting for our sport.  Dealers should stay abreast about charity rides in their area and plan their marketing, promotions and product selection around them. 

This charity riding trend might fizzle out, but once we've hooked people on riding bikes, they'll be enthusiasts for life.

New Pro Cycling Tour event announced

Dave Aiello, who runs the always-interesting Operation Gadget blog, has posted something about the just announced Pro Cycling Tour "Jersey Shore Pro Cycling Grand Prix."

For those of you post-Lance pessimists, this announcement is a great sign that cycling the U.S. will remain alive and well when the big "L" retires.

Personally, I can't wait to see how The Tour of California does.

Mountain biking is not an extreme sport

As part of their SuperStudy of Sports Participation, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) has ranked the most popular extreme sports in the USA.  Mountain biking ended up in 6th place (nearly missing the top 5 and losing out to "Artificial Wall Climbing"). 

Why does the SGMA call mountain biking an extreme sport?  I really wish they'd consider changing it to "Freeriding" or better yet "Downhill Mountain Biking" next time.  As you may remember from a previous post, I am very sensitive to mountain bikers being portrayed as "extreme" in any way.  Why?  Because I know this "extreme" label is what the hiking and equestrian groups try to use in order to get our trails shut down.  By including mountain biking in this list, the SGMA is perpetuating a negative stereotype.

But perhaps I shouldn't worry about this.  After all, any study that shows more people climbing "artificial walls" than mountain biking should not be taken too seriously.

A lot to learn and a correction

One of the things great things about doing this blog is that it motivates me to learn more about the industry.  I want to be able to comment on a variety of issues, so now I've got a great excuse to spend more time researching and reading BRaIN and corresponding with industry contacts.  But, if I'm going to comment on issues beyond my scope of expertise, I'd better know the facts.

Case in point:

The other day I posted something about how Giant and Specialized are working to create retail "experience" stores.  From reading that post you might think they're going into the retail business themselves, which is far from the truth.  Turns out I didn't read the story carefully enough. 

The correct information is that these two suppliers are working with their dealers to offer them everything from improved merchandising and displays to turn-key concept store packages.

Just wanted to clear that up.  And by the way, if you work for a major supplier and you'd like to share your thoughts and insights with other industry insiders, I'm still looking for a good contributor.  Drop me a line if you're interested.

Kinetic gambles on Tour ads

You've got to respect the guts of Kinetic.  They're spending a ton of money to advertise on OLN during the Tour.  This fledgling company must really believe in their stationary trainers to put so many of their eggs into one basket.

Here's a quote from Kinetic's Lee Ann Gustafson:

"We needed to get the name out there...we're really gambling on it."

In my opinion, it was money well spent.  Besides reaching millions of cycling fans, nude images of Bob Roll have been floating around the blogosphere and the ad just got front page coverage in the July 15th issue of Bicycle Retailer Magazine.

Kudos to the Kinetics marketing team for finding a way to get people talking about a product as unsexy and uninteresting as stationary trainers.   This is the kind of bold campaign our industry needs more of.

Best analysis I've seen on life after Lance

There have been a ton of articles recently about what will happen to the bike industry after Lance stops racing.  In my opinion, the best analysis yet comes from blogger Richard Masoner.  He's put together a good sampling of links and quotes from industry insiders that gives a good assessment of the issue.

Retail 'experiences' come to the bike biz

[I've been kicking around this post for a while now and I've been inspired to finally post it after reading Scott Montgomery's (former VP of Cannondale, now with Scott USA) guest editorial in the July 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer Magazine].

According to Bicycle Retailer, Specialized and Giant are planning to create branded retail "experience" stores.  This is good news.  I don't think we can do without traditional bike shops, but I think these branded stores could be an interesting move.

If cycling wants to grow in the mainstream, high-end market, the major suppliers must provide consumers with a branded retail experience that is equitable to what they experience when purchasing other products.  We're not just competing for what they buy, we're competing for how they buy it.  I don't expect to see the cycling equivalent of a NikeTown any time soon, but that would be a good mark to shoot for.

Besides, I'd rather see the big suppliers spend their energy and resources on "concept stores" than have them try and manipulate shops into doing it for them.  Like Scott said in his editorial, heavy-handed dealer agreements that make shops carry certain quantities of certain products are not good for consumers, shops (in the long run), or the industry.

The real question for suppliers is, how will they manage the tenuous relationship with their dealers when they suddenly become competitors?