Business of Cycling Podcast
About the Show
The Business of Cycling podcast takes you inside the cycling world from the perspective of those that work in the sector. Hear from passionate entrepreneurs and professionals from brands, teams, and bike shops.
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Google PodcastsEurobike 2024 Market Update
At Eurobike 2024 I did some short interviews with managers that I know in the industry. The idea was to take the temperature of the market for feedback on how things are looking in July 2024. My conversations included Jayu Yang (HARO), Gaspare Licata (Crank Brothers), Samuele Bressan (Pirelli), Martin Banke (Ceramic Speed), and Gary Fisher.
ENVE Composites CEO Michael Stimola
Michael is a long-time entrepreneur who started out in the early eighties, founding Carbonite, an R&D materials company that supplied carbon fiber tubes for use in manufacturing, healthcare, and aerospace. Michael then went on to found Sandvik Design-Build, a general contracting company that designed and built storefronts in the greater New York City area. In addition, Michael was a board member of Cannondale Bicycle Corporation from 1997 to 2003, during which time Cannondale was a privately held company. He also started a franchise and licensed food concept store called Sandella’s, growing it from zero to 150 stores before eventually exiting in 2016. He then took over as the turnaround Chief Executive Officer for ENVE in 2023. This is where we really get to see some insight into how he was able to come in, get his hands dirty, and help ENVE pull out of the turmoil they were facing in the post-COVID environment.
Vittoria Tires CEO Stijn Vriends
Stijn Vriends is the chairman and CEO of Vittoria group. Vittoria is based in Bergamo Italy and is among the top producers of bicycle tires in the world. Â In our conversation we talk about how he has helped Vittoria grow and flourish since taking over in 2020.
Eurobike Managing Director Stefan Reisinger
Stefan Reisinger is the Managing Director of FAIRNAMIC GmbH, which is the company that runs the EUROBIKE fair. I reached out to Stephen because I wanted to give the listeners a better look inside the largest bicycle specific trade show in the world.
We dive into the reasoning behind the move from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt and why the trade show is important, the evolution of the trade show, their goals and how to best leverage the show for both brands and visitors.Â
This was a great opportunity to kind of see behind the curtain of EUROBIKE.Â
Rapha Founder Simon Mottram
When I started the Business of Cycling podcast there was definitely one person that I had in mind that I was hoping to interview, and it was Simon Mottram. I’ve worked in cycling for over 10 years. And what Rapha did in the cycling business is nothing short of incredible. They truly disrupted the industry, and found totally new ways to look at products like cycling clothing. Â
His story is incredible. What you can take away from it is how he was able to take his really unique blend of experience, and focus his energy on what became Rapha. To this day Rapha is still among the most important cycling brands on the market..
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Trek Italy Closure the Advantages of Being and Outsider in Italian Cycling with Joshua Riddle
Joshua Riddle is originally from North Carolina and and has been working in the cycling industry in Italy for 15 years. He started his career at Trek Italy 2010 which recently closed their doors due to consolidation of their European offices to Madrid.
Joshua has worked in Marketing for Trek, Pinarello, Campagnolo, Basso Bikes, and is currently the Global Marketing Manager at Hayes Bicycle Group.
I spoke with Joshua about the current state of the industry and the evolution of the bicycle market in recent years. We also discussed what he sees as unique about Italian cycling brands that the brands themselves often have a hard time recognizing.
Overstocks Update and COVID Lessons Learned LIVE at Cycling World Dusseldorf
This conversation was recorded at a live panel at the 2024 cycling world event in Dusseldorf on March 15th. The topic of the panel was COVID overstocks and the state of the industry and the aftermath.Â
My guests were ROSE Bikes Anatol Sostmann, Old Man Mountain Products Erik Fenner Schicke Mütze Carsten Wien and provided three unique viewpoints on the causes and lessons learned from the overstocks caused by the COVID pandemic aftermath.
An Insider’s Look at the Taiwanese Bike Industry with Jayu Yang
This conversation aims to give you a look inside the workings of the cycling industry from a Taiwanese perspective.
Jayu Yang is one of the most experienced entrepreneurs in the Taiwanese bike industry. Her grandfather started Kenda Tire tire in 1962. And she carried on the family tradition by taking over her father’s business Kendstone In 2001. Kendstone is among the top premium bicycle assemblers in Taiwan.
In Taiwanese culture, women were not typically considered for running a family business. Therefore her path to running Kendstone was unexpected as her father was in need of a trusted manager during a time of crisis. She grew the company substantially throughout the 2000s and sold the company in 2019 and stayed on as the CEO until 2021.
The Man Behind a Bike Racing Cultural Phenomenon Red Hook Founder David TrimbleÂ
David Trimble is best known for founding the Red Hook Criterium fixed gear championship series. David also founded the Midnight Half, both internationally renowned sporting competitions.
The Red Hook Crit grew to become such an important cultural event that it was archived at the Smithsonian’s national museum of American history.
It this episode you’ll hear the story of the Red Hook Crit and David’s incredible journey. You’ll hear how his passion and unique skillset, was able to create a cultural phenomenon.