Calling for a different strategy, Van Rysel

I decide to write that post because in 2014 i did a design excersice imagine a rebranding for BBB company, and some time after that they did it, not beacuse of me, just because the tribals design were no longer in fashion.

In an early 2019 we saw the social media channels and some the most influencers cycling culture websites presenting and showing the latest changes under the umbrella of Decathlon from now on #D, the brand new Van Rysel.

Almost ten years ago I was working as collaborator in the Cycling Department in the #D shop from my native Island, Gran Canaria. There I could experience a stigma that many riders had about to being seen riding on a Btwin, especially in performance and sportive level, but if we talk about the entry level riders, frequently they are more than happy with the service at the shop and after sales service.

The moment when I saw Van Rysel as a brand in Bike Radar, CyclingWeekly or in Road.cc I had the feeling that they were doing something great from the perspective of bring the brand out of the #D box. At this moment I started to look for information officially from the brand, like a VanRysel.com or vanrysel.cc , something that help to imagine the new brand independent but it was not possible.

From my point of view, If they create a web independent from #D It may be looks a small detail that seems like a big change.

Knowing how the blue giant works, I think that will be impossible to see the brand Van Rysel out of their four walls, but would be great to have this brand in some strategy and independent bicycle retailers, as a bicycle brand with entry level prices as many others. The graphics designs that they are doing are popular and in line with the market, but the bikes technically are not integrated at all with Di2 systems, something hard to understand if you pusch the new brand in the pro levels and non a single disc brake on the same level.

Recently I look for a web site from VR and at this moment post COVID lock down, where all the brands push their B2C, it is moment especially important to have their own website and ready to sell to end users far from the stigma of the blue giant #D.

When I talk about stigma is just because many people see the multinational company as a supermarket of sports, a supermarket with own brands or third party brands, so the value for the own is representative of what you pay for it. “You know that you are buying a good material with a low price, so is something that you are proud to pay for it but not proud to show it”

From by vision the steps necessary to increase the rider appeal are three:

Create the web vanrysel.cc to enlarge the brand awareness and unlink the Van Rysel from #D
Push that web to sell online like a Canyon and use the #D shops to offer a well performed after sales service offline.
Create a strategy to make new riders and current riders not linked emotionally to another brand desire that brand as new brand.

Today (Sunday 13.07.2020) this seems to me like the same dog with a different necklace, but of course a new necklace more beautiful than before from the design perspective.

Having attractive, competitive and interesting brands in the market helps to activate and stimulate the development of other, but as you may know is better a welldone aluminium bike than a mediocre carbon one.

Long life Aluminatis!

The year to reset

Who would have told us that everything we had worked and fought for in recent years to gain stability was going to falter in 3 months? Who could think that everything we have taken for granted, normalized, and standardized, we were going to have to change, think of a new normal and change our standards? Who was going to tell us ...? And so thousands of questions that if we stop, may come to mind.

Perhaps these questions do not arise for anyone, there will be people who since 2008 have taken the roll that this is "so" that in Spain we have a crisis and that we have to accept it, especially the Millennial generation is something with which in a way or another have tried to educate us, as much or more than "buy a house" before the real estate crisis when it was still possible for many ...

Trying to get out of the negative news loop and the national trend in Spain that basically comes down to the fault of those on the left or those on the right, but nobody looks at their feet ... and when I look at my feet I would like to see my feet with cycling shoes and those of many more people and the reality is that in the post - pandemic era everything seems to be positive.

It has been a time when the giant brick & mortar stores that did not have an online sales alternative have had a hard time and the smaller stores, with less fixed costs and where in many occasions the owner is the person who works it, have been able to adapt much better and be much more flexible.

It has also been a time when brands that had the B2C option developed have encouraged its use, and those that have not, have advanced processes in months that a priori would take much longer. On the other hand, they have also accelerated changes that perhaps were projected for another time, restructuring, layoffs, changes in strategy ... issues that only the bosses will know one hundred percent.

In a more personal aspect, the moment of confinement has served to think about the future and firmly decide to continue training, I have never lost that idea, but now it has taken more strength. I have had the challenge of making Facebook Live connections for the first time with a satisfactory result, I have also had the opportunity to hone my knowledge regarding online meeting platforms such as Teams, Zoom, Skype, Google Meet.

With out doubts, this 2020 is the year to reset and start something new.

Click here if you want to see more:
Facebook Live - Moterra al detalle
Facebook Live - Topstone al detalle
Facebook Live - SuperSix Evo Neo vs Synapse Neo

The cyclist shoes with laces are here to stay. Not far away the lace in cycling was only used for the "treking" or in entry level shoes. Now almost all the brands that offer cycling shoes have minimum one in the range. (Giro, Lake, Mavic, Quoc, Scott, Shimano, Specialized, Vittoria and more) There are other brands like SiDi that doesn't see the laces as a must on their range.(read more in CyclingWeekly)

If we need to choose a "all rides" shoes, clearly will be with laces. They have an authentic look, and bring back the essence of the cycling. The different closure system are basically 4; laces, velcro straps, ratchet straps, BOA/Dial wheels.
According the "bike and the rider" is a shoes for her/him, and the profile that will shoes a new cycling shoes with laces for road is; a rider who likes to have the trends, that appreciate the handmade products, potentially wears a neutral style or new brands, who think that the important on the ride is not the competition is the company, someone that choose his bike not for a price reason, that maybe, but the important is whats that bikes means for her/him.

At that point is where i come back to reality and maybe the options of laces was the cheapest, but is not the normal. Brands like Mavic or Shimano have a really good option for laces one , the first one 100€ for road (Mavic AksiumIII) and the second for mtbt/touring (Shimano XC5-Mtb/Gravel , and MT4-Touring).

The style or the looks is important, but always the confort should be the first reason why you choose one or other, the most frequently positive point in the reviews that i saw till the moment, is about the wide, i can have my doubts about some models, but in general is something visible for the eyes.

Quoc for me is an reference not because looks nice, that of course it looks, for me is because all the models that they produce are with laces, and they are focus in a minority of cyclist, the vision that they have from the industry is different, the have a value proposition unique.

In conclusion Quoc is a new and cool option and the "brands" that doesn't belive in laces, are just a bit out, not only about laces, in general, with Fizik i don't have that feeling, they dont have a model with laces but also they dont have with velcro straps, but following the trends regarding the design. In other hand is Sidi, that in almost all the models have a tribal on the "design", i can't talk about that brand in terms of comfort because these are to tinny for my feets but "now" i will not look at them as a beautiful shoes, does't captive me.

A referent that has gone, Kinoko Cycles

"Today we have some sad news; Kinoko will be closing on 1st September.

Obviously the decision has not been an easy one, and there are a number of factors affecting it, but ultimately we have decided to wind up the business in order to pursue other interests.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge than you to all the brands, press and assorted creative folks we've had the enormous privilege of working with over the past few years. A special thank you is of course reserved for you, our customers, for your incredible support and enthusiasm for what we've tried to create.

All stock is now on clearance at significantly reduced prices online and in the studio. All in-store sales will be final, and online orders will be subject to a 14 day returns policy, with last online orders being taken on 17th August. Current and future orders will ship as normal.

We look forward to sending out the last few orders, and serving our final visitors before we shut up shop for good.

With all best wishes,

Kinoko

During the last weeks i hear the sad news from two differents brick and mortar shops followed by me that they will close soon, to be exactly, Velocult (Portland, EE.UU) and Fixed&Singled (Galicia,Spain) at the same time. At that moment come to me a strange feeling, we can say is the law of the market, but is sad.City+County Bicycle Co. another shop that i follow for they unique cycling view, will close the shop to change in to a different format, that decision come about the violent changes on the industry.

Is the industry really changing? Of course, is always changing, and if not is in the hands of the brands do it, new trends say hello, new brands arrive, other say bye, but more than a violent change of the industry is a new way to understand the cycling scene, the cyclist needs and the the retail zone.

The brick and mortar shops should have something different to offer than a online shop, must be an authentic place where the customer gets emotions, always touch is funniest than watch and test even more than touch... and this are things that you can not do it in a online shop.

So, if in the online store and in the "physical" store you will found the same, the physical should offer some value added, like mechanical service, or be a meeting point for cyclist, a place reference for take a coffee.... but maybe the on that point of "physical" shop, is not necessary the "shop", but is necessary the coffee or the the mechanical support...

From my point of view the cycling is changing like most of the markets, in resume is something like "go fast, or go home" and not only good intentions and good products are enough to have a "physical" or brick and mortar, are a lot of factors that play on that game, but at the end you as a customer will choose the option that create in you the best experience.

PD: I been in London during March 2014 visiting the Kinoko Store and the Headquarter of Condor, and i remember perfectly how amazing was this two shops in comparison with the rest that i visit, at that time Kinoko had a place for prepare coffee, but not for enjoy it.

The evolution from that shop was a reference for me, from Tokyo Fixed (online and offline) in to a Kinoko Store, them they push the frames of TF, they close the shop at Golden Square in the Soho to go online and focus in new opportunities, but also from that new way of business they say good bey one year ago.

At the end, Kinoko and a shop Like PAVE(maybe more in another post) will be always a referent but maybe to advance for the moment.

Key elements in a new layout

With out doubts, the biggest bike rental in the Canary Islands and one of the most important in Europe is called Free Motion. The briefing for the layout of that new station was clear, the scene was almost empty, diaphanous with big windows at the from but nothing special to observe or be observed.

The station is located in a transited road directly to the port, in a strategy position for local and foreign customers and with a big potential for business. The station was projected for different stages, rental, bike sale, showroom for apparel, accessories, parts and also with the capacity to develop the connection between cycling and coffee seasoned with emotional elements.

The key elements to play on that design and bring a oportunity to standarized are basically three. And with this elements we have the solution for bike presentation, apparel with cross selling items, shoes, helmets, t-shirts and more items...

One and for me the most important key players is the wall structure in galvanized steel, it has two levels for presentation following standards measurements, and have a wide range of possible position for hangers.

The drawers allow the shop staff to save the products directly in the POS and optimize the time with the clients, but at the same time that works as a bike podium, everything depends is the drawers are located inside the wall structure or out creating a podium.

Combining the materials that we use for the wall structure and for the drawer/podium born the furniture with shelves. This is apparently a normal furniture, but the distance with the shelves is specially design to display different items, and the wide of each shelve give us the possibility to present two size from the same items, like helmets or shoes.
The furniture work individually or in combination with another one and creating an island. In combination of two is possible present a bicycle with long distance between the axes, and just using one still the possibility to high light a road bike. When i say present a bike is necessary use a simple bike stand like Feedback or Pro.

In a typical bike shop, the workshop can looks easily a bit chaotic, but the standard at Free Motion is not be typical, is to be unique, for this reason the workshop have one side open at half height, so you can see what the mechanic is doing and the mechanic at the same time can recommend about the items that you can find on that corner. The mechanics always are a value to trust in the shop, the customers expect from them a more honest suggestion than from a seller.

The most important from my point of view about this furniture is that from three different you can create a wide option of layouts, if you want change the merchandising and work at the same time with different shops in a execution by planogram, the shops will not request accessories for the slat walls or things like this... everything is fix, but everything is mobile. The appearance of the elements will change according the needs.

Photos: Free Motion Bikecenter

Aseptic Love, FINGERCROSSED

In the era of the colorful socks Fingercrossed born to be different. In the last 5 years new cycling garments brands arrive to change the rules.

No matter how you look at it, a sock is a sock. The speech around the socks some years ago was about absorption, compressive, fibers, comfort, breathability, and the design was not the main argument, them start to come a bit higher the socks, not only higher, but also funnier.

Match a neutral jersey with a full black bibshorts and them put a Fingercrossed in your feet and the combo is done. In one side this socks looks like a normal socks, but them you see the small detail that mark the different. They produce what brand like Assos is missing, for Summer2019 the range of this top brand, only have medium and low socks, neutral colors and basics, like in 2010.

Fortunately i can talk from the experience and the design do not compromise with the performance. The first feeling is not special, looks like normal, i can say maybe lighter than i was used to wear, a bit fragile. After some rides they are different for me, never get wet, does not change the density too much and keep my feet perfect inside the shoes, i need to say that with some brands you can have the feeling like the feet swells and is necessary to adjust again the dial/shoes.

So in conclusion the designs from Fingerscrossed with an aseptic style in classic colors can mach with all kind of cyclist and also with all cycling kits.

For me is mandatory to say Thanks to Napa.cc, Vicente make a gift for me with the 100/100 Limited Edition, exactly i have the 74/100

Waiting for news, DSNV

The story of Dosnoventa begins from a fixed boutique in Barcelona, to a International brand for a new generation of urban cyclist. From my point of view the owners are two visionaries, they were in the moment they has the idea and they do it... I can imagine that just a small segment of cyclist know what is Dosnoventa, from where they come and where they will go.

There are some iconics frames, from skinny frames with a clear keirin style, the super elegance oversize carbon frame, or the super pink Houston.

Sometimes i realize my shelf questions about some cycling companies, and one of this is DSNV, Where is going the brand? The fixed market has a limit, they already produce some road frames, but the road market follow a different trends, new more technical information, more facts to believe in a product, and at the end in the market are several brands, big ones or small ones but really focused to offer the best. The standard in the market is a cycling brand who offer a full range between Road, Mtb, Tri, and the actual trend... the Gravel.

Dosnoventa grow in the opposite direction, from the fixed to the Road or CX, so the target is smaller and more or less specialized, their target has a lot of technical information offered by the brands but also a lot of brands or frame builders that are just focus to create the best bike... So, why someone should choose a DSNV road bike?

This is something exclusive!
Yes, it is true, but also a Legor or a frame from Arruegui are more authentic and unic. I like Cannondale and Factor, and nobody will have doubts than in the price that you will pay is the development, the service, the warranty, the marketing, and the next...

Exclusivity have a limit, depends how many people believe in that and love that.

What will be the next from Dosnoventa?

Omata, a jewel for the handlebar

On the road is possible to found hundred kind of cyclist, from the ones who goes with an steel bike not to be cool just because is old and happy with that and doesn't need more, or the ones who spend a lot of their money just to reduce the weight, but only from their bikes.

In the middle of this two example of cyclist is a new generation who really appreciate the details, i start to work in the bike industry at the end of 2006 and i can remember the passion that the color of a klein generate in that kind of cyclist, just that was ten years ago. Omata is a brand for them.

Is really ideal to see new products, limited edition items, or just special collections that are made for the cyclist who love the small details, the originality of a product, and to have something exclusivity, but how profitable are this items, which is the price you should pay to have something like that, or better how much you want pay for that. For me looks really amazing, looks cool as a cucumber, match perfect my dream bike, and combine as you can not imagine with my bottle cages Elite Ciussi inox, or with my old Selle Italia upholstered, but at the end with strava in the phone and an analog watch i still feeling superb.

I didn't have the opportunity to see and no chance to touch it but even like that is at the list of dream items.

Some day

Clubhouses breakdown, Rapha

The last summer i cloud fulfill a dream, I was visiting a Rapha Clubhouse, Mallorca. Some people will not understand how that can be a dream, other will not understand how i can love a brand and not having nothing from them.

This company has been an inspiration for to many people and changes in the last five years, they change the way of understand the cycling. The first time that i was talking with someone about Rapha, the tag for the brand was "vintage", but i think the right tag should be "inspirational". Inspirational from the videos, photography, collections, products... and in the end they even have been changed the concept how to understand a Cycling Club and how to Understand the "retail areas".

The first time that i show on life the Rapha clothes, was on 2013 at the Condor Store in London. I can remember that the Shop was nice and cute in general, but i cant't remember nothing special from the Rapha corner.

On this post i will try to make a description about whats makes a Rapha Clubhouse the dream paradise of a road cyclist. Physically i only visit one, but digitally i can say i has been visit all of them, archive stores, pop up stores, and also some Rapha's trucks.

First the inspirational elements as a piece of art, or a piece of art as an inspirational element is one of the keys, is a balance between the quantity and quality. The heritage of cycling is not only on the goods that you can buy, is around you on each RCH. How are the frames-posters or the jerseys on the walls create a unique touch.

The concept of a normal Bike Shop, is a retail area where you can choose between a lot of bikes and a lot of clothes and on a big percent of the situations the choice for the client will be a balance with the price, quality, season, needs and the desire to have it. What i saw online and offline is different, offline the price is never a reason to buy it (they will shot you with thousands of newsletters for promotions online) a RCH is not a shop, is a place to celebrate the cyclist culture.

For me, the most important different with concept stores, is that they create a high level of expectation online, so you can feel part of a community, be a member of their club and maybe never been in a Clubhouses, the Clubhouse is place like they define...coffee, rides, events, live racing. A concept store have other projection, the important is not the culture or the community, is just the brand.

The presentation of the goods is not focus to have an independence experience, not all the size are out, not everything is touchable, but that doesn't create a cold connection in the shop, my experience in Majorca was great, the girl in the upper floor where the goods are, was pleasant, and she explained to me the promotions that was at the moment in the shop, casually i could remember that promotions from a newsletter but was not "write"on the POS directly.

The coffee culture take a big challenge on the way to understand the Rapha culture or actions. How i see they are a brand really strong online, that create the passion for the apparel online, where you can use almost all the senses , and them the RCH is the place where all this online ideas turn true and fulfill all the senses. In particular with the coffee culture i will go more deep in another post.

In conclusion a Rapha Clubhouse is where the heritage and the future trends mach to create an atmosphere unique of elegance, culture and passion.

Mavic Comete Ultimate at Free Motion

The Mavic Comete Ultimate are for sale exclusively at Free Motion Bikecenter for the Canary Islands, in Playa del Inglés, if you are interested in knowing more about the shoes that changed the rules of the game you can make an appointment on the Riding is Believing platform of Mavic choosing the shoes and depending on where you are, they will recommend the closest retailer.

In the case of the Canary Islands, Free Motion will be your retailer and the person in charge of taking you to an unbeatable experience, if you want to know something more prior to your appointment, I invite you to read my experience with them, but above all to try them and have your own opinion and of course your own Ultimate Comets that will make you fly.

There are opportunities that happen once in a lifetime, and one of them is having experienced the launch of "The Slippers" that will change the rules of the game. After the relevant flights Gran Canaria-Copenhagen-Nice we finally arrived in Monaco to attend a presentation of a novel / revolutionary product, under a halo of prior secrecy, the only thing that was known was that they were exclusive shoes.

The secrecy was such that the displays themselves that introduced you to the presentation only showed the silhouette. From Spain the stores with representation were only five, and that makes you think of the magnitude of what we were going to present, and so it was. First of all, those responsible for the development of the product, present how it has been reached up to here, and what really makes this product great is a mix between the final result, the process and what is to come. It took four years to get the first cycling shoe that will make you feel like a real pro. Developed hand in hand, with Dan Martin you have everything a winner wants. Take full advantage of the effort, not lose energy and fully connect with the bike.

The Comete Ultimate are Dual built, consisting of two parts, a carbon shell and a bootie. In this way, the distance between the interior contact point and the cleats is reduced to just 4.5mm, thus obtaining three major fundamental benefits. 15% energy saving by the rider, saving 4.2 watts per pedal and a delay in fatigue to be 100% ready for the final sprint. By being fully connected to the bicycle, a more fluid movement is achieved, a completely round peeling thanks to the low profile around the ankle, 3º of angulation, which means a + 19% in mobility and thus reducing the deadlock.

The Comete Ultimate are to conventional shoes what Lamborghini is for passenger cars. They will not be the most comfortable shoes for everyone, but they will be the shoes that best transmit strength, "the most powerful". They are compatible with all road cleats.

In the first place, we must make an approximation to go to our size, perhaps it coincides with the usual size used or perhaps we have to go to a higher size, they are not developed to be 100% conformable, they are designed to be 100% effective in its function, to use all the power in a fixed point and not to lose any energy. Each carbon shell and booty have two sizes range, changing the template we will achieve our desired fit. If when testing the shoes we do it with a Mavic Cosmic sock or with a Mavic Comete a priori we will not feel a great difference, but if it will increase over time thanks to the plantar pads that this new range of socks incorporates. (Available in Mavic yellow or in black with corporate rear vertical line)

It is the most rigid footwear of the moment, the feeling you experience is totally different from what you have tried. The sensation when introducing the foot in the booty is unique, you start to feel its stiffness until you get the fit and turn the MavicErgoDial, the sound of the Dial with carbon is very characteristic, I would say it is the sound of the Comets. The fit is unmatched it might seem that covering a shoe in two size ranges would lose comfort, but based on the sole of normal shoes, the same sole / sole works for two sizes. In case of wearing special insoles it is better to compare between different sizes always looking for a superior one.

In conclusion, it is a unique shoe, with which to transmit all your strength, with which you will take connectivity to your bicycle to another level and in which you will have to find your comfort point. Basically it is carbon, and although what you are looking for is the stiffness, it can be "adapted" to our foot.

They are not intended to be thermoformable, but at rest I have achieved what I was looking for with them, adapting the contact points where I lost comfort, one of them was the ring finger of the left foot where it produced friction and the area of the heels in general.

The issue of the toe is something that was not new to me, each new shoe produces it for me because a direct pad to the toe solves it, what missed me was the pressure on the heel. It made me go to sleep on some longer outings. The solution I keep trying but it is very effective, it consists of filling the booty in the heel area with some textile garment, always with the uncertain booty in the shell, since what you have to give up is not the booty, it is only the shell .

Every time the sensation of power and comfort are increasing so that at each exit it is the perfect shoe, not only designed for power, but also aimed at comfort.

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