Blog

Sigma Sports has been serving the south-west London and Surrey bike community since 1992, opening their current flagship store in Hampton Wick in 2011 as the brand expanded alongside the corresponding bike boom. Now Sigma has an e-bike only showroom in nearby Kingston-on-Thames to showcase the rapidly-expanding market of battery-powered machines on the market – everything from tiny folders to capable cargo bikes to grin-inducing MTB downhillers. We sat down with deputy manager Jack Ford to see how the relatively new store is getting along, what is cool in the world of two-wheeled electric transport, and how you can experience the Sigma range of e-bikes in person over the coming months. *     *      *      *      *      *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     * CS: How long has the store been open now, Jack? JF: We are coming up to 18 months. And I did three months in the Hampton Wick store before that.  CS: Was the thinking that e-bikes had outgrown the space there and needed their own showroom? JF: Yes, and also to be able to properly display and talk about the huge variety of bikes. They are the future and this is a great platform to establish ourselves as a proper e-bike retailer. Here we can educate people about what e-bikes are, with a team of staff who know everything about all the bikes, all the categories, rather than being an add-on to a traditional space. Are you being served? Spacious Kingston showroom CS: What was the range of stock initially? Predominantly electric versions of the brands that the main store dealt with? JF: Admittedly, it was quite a new area for Sigma when we first opened, so we started with the core brands from our road bike store, then expanded from there. I had sold electric bikes for three years when I was at university so had a good base knowledge of what works well and the brands in general, so we pooled our knowledge and came up with a good portfolio of bikes that is right for the e-bike customer. For example, Reise & Müller and Tern are two brands that I don’t think we did previously. We have a good breadth of options now. Ooh, hello! It's a Pinarello Nytro CS: When a potential customer walks through the door and is unsure what kind of e-bike they require, how do you guide them? JF: That’s what we are here for. The most important question we can ask someone who comes through our door is: how do you envisage riding your electric bike? Some people want a specific bike, in a specific colour, by a specific manufacturer, and that’s fine. But there are a lot who don’t know what they want and lean on us as retailers to know the ins and outs and intricacies of different models, different batteries, different motors.We take it from that initial starting point and narrow down to three or four options, and use our demo fleet too, and hopefully reach the correct decision as to what works best for them. It’s not about who spends the most money, but what is the right bike for that particular person. More expensive isn’t always better. You can spend £1,800 and get the best bike you’ve ever had. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR 2024 Specialized Levo SL – "the most fun mountain bike you can buy" CS: The last time I was riding round Surrey Hills, there was barely an unpowered mountain bike to be seen. It’s a huge growth area, yes? JF: At places like Peaslake and Surrey Hills, local to us, a good 65-70% of mountain bikes are electric. And it’s irrespective of age. There is still some stigma around electric bikes, the idea that they are only for old people. It’s farcical! The new gen 2 Levo SL from Specialized is marketed as the most fun mountain bike you can buy. And that’s really refreshing. E-bikes are cool, and people are coming round to that fact. High flyer... Santa Cruz up in the air CS: Attitudes to e-bikes are certainly shifting, yes? JF: Absolutely. I’m a proud roadie, but equally there’s definitely a side of road riding that is very stubborn, very traditionalist. When disc brakes came in, there was a massive kick back against them, and now almost everyone rides them. We are getting there with e-bikes.I would not be back on my road bike if it wasn’t for an electric version – I was injured for two and a half years, and I had a demo loaner for three months. You can ride with the power off like a normal bike, or switch it on if you need it.We push how much fun they are. It is type 1 fun – you can smile while you are doing it. Sometimes people need reminding that cycling is fun! Tern, Tern, Tern CS: Talking of fun, not to mention practicality, you’ve a good range of cargo bikes here. How are they going down? JF: At the Hampton Court Artisan Fayre, I was lucky enough to take the Tern cargo bike out first on the Sunday and was there for a good four hours, with a massive queue of people with big smiles on their faces – kids and parents alike! It was great to see the enthusiasm.We are definitely pushing the cargo bike side of things. They’re not cheap, but probably cheaper than a car – no tax, no ULEZ, no fuel, as well as more fun, and greener. It is a big priority for us. They make so much sense in cities. Walk this way CS: How was the Hampton Court gig for you? A good chance to get potential customers on bikes, presumably? JF: We always say the first 40 seconds is the most important thing, and that’s why we do shows like the Hampton Court show with a big fleet of demo bikes. It’s the biggest hurdle to overcome, getting people on the bikes. A good 85-90% of people who try one end up loving it. They understand it more and know what it really is.Friday it rained, so I don’t count that! But Saturday and Sunday were amazing – it was really hot. We pushed it from a ‘bums on seats’ point of view, rather than a marketing perspective, and I personally think that was a good way of doing it. All the pressure was off both the consumer and us, giving people the opportunity to ride some really nice bikes without the pressure to do anything further.We managed to get over 300 people on bikes over those days and it was an easy event to run. I’ve been doing events since I was six, as both my parents were event managers, and I know when I see a bad one! For us, maybe we could have pushed the sales aspect a bit more, but it was nice to approach it from a different perspective. Reise & Müller - try before you buy CS: Good to hear. What events does Sigma Sport have coming up where people can try before they buy? JF: We are doing the BBC Good Festival at Goodwood in August [18-20] and the Food Festival at Hampton Court [August 26-28], and there are plans to do the Festival of Speed at Goodwood next year. Brands interested in participating in either above events, please contact Alan Parfitt now! Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope Linkedin

Jaw Droppers returned to Ally Pally for a second year and once again wowed the crowd, with a bevy of beautiful bikes built specially for The Cycle Show – each one a unique and head-turning design with flair to the fore. The brief was simple: dress to impress, go large, make a bold statement. And our brilliant bike makers rose to the challenge. The four-strong judging panel had their work cut out, but there could only be one winner. A few of our favourites for your consideration.      MATCHY MATCHY QUINTESSENTIALWe loved this colab between three sets of talented craftspeople. Ben from Teme Frameworks provided the lovely hardtail frameset, Paul of Quintessential Customs oversaw the whole project, while Greenwich-based luggage company Wizard Works put their fine talents to good use, tying the whole look together with matching storage bags custom made for this one-off. The inspiration? Celebrated 1950s textile designer Lucienne Day. Lovely work.SWOON AT SPOONSpoon Customs took the very first frame built by founder Andy Carr back in 2017, handed it to illustrator Sam Dunn to design, then Dan Cole spent 38 hours applying this truly stunning finish – using a paint brush and cocktail stick. Wonderstuff.CIGGY STARDUSTIn the foreground, candy green bling from Handsling, who took their fine A1R0evo road bike and went to town on every custom aspect in their armoury. Those wheels are to die for. And in the background, Ireland’s FiftyOne Bikes raised a smile with their flying fag packet paint scheme, based on the Silk Cut colours from the bad old days of cigarette ads. Their inspiration was actually a 1980’s Jaguar raced at Le Mans. Don’t @ them. Smoking!QUICK QUIRKWhen it came to a fabulous-looking bike that we would be happy to ride and did not scream “LOOK AT ME!” this intricate Kintsugi Mamtor by Quirk caught the eyes of the entire judging panel. Aubergine finish, beautifully applied artwork and Japanese script to finish off. So cool.ALL THAT GLITTERS: FAT CREATIONSAli and Bex from Fat Creations never disappoint, even when too busy to spend a huge amount of time pondering how to follow up on their amazing 2022 Jaw Dropper winner. This time they went with a fairly standard Cannondale System Six as their canvas, then went wild! The harlequin-esque look is based on their feature wall at the Fat studios in Sussex – this we have to see…  We were reminded of the World War 1 dazzle ships camouflage invented by artist Norman Wilkinson. As for the glittering wheels, cranks and decals, out of this world. Bravo!AND THE WINNER IS!Four judges, all in agreement on the outright winner – this doesn’t happen at Eurovision, does it? Pete Muir and Emma Cole from Cyclist magazine, Warren Rossiter from BikeRadar and The Cycle Show’s Ian Cleverly gave the 15 entrants a thorough examination but were all drawn back to this mindblowingly ostentatious Deviate Claymore Artist Edition. Built and designed in conjunction with Scottish-based artist and mountain biker Douglas Roulston, and with exquisite gold leaf finishing touches by JMJ Designs, they left no stone unturned in producing the ultimate Jaw Dropper. Congratulations, all! And thank you to every one of our fine contributors. See you next year.“We had something of a landmark year. The Claymore received fantastic reviews, including being selected as Pinkbike’s ‘Enduro Race Bike Of Choice’. We wanted to create something that celebrated this milestone by combining it with a place of particular significance for the brand”“JMJ Designs worked closely with Douglas to select the perfect finishing touches to the frame, with gold leaf used for the logos and even rear shock spring”“The stunning scene depicted on the frame and forks is inspired by the Cairngorms. This is the work of Douglas Roulston”

The Jaw Droppers are back with a BANG for 2023 This year, visitors to The Cycle Show will see a new line up of incredible bikes created by 15 talented builders from the UK and across Europe. See below for a sneak peek of the entrants that will be joining for the second coming of the Jaw Droppers feature. BOOK NOW A SNEAK PEEK OF THE ENTRANTS HANDSLINGBIKES This particular bike shows the extent of Handsling’s customisation service. They worked with their client and paint shop to choose the deep candy green and incorporate unique design elements, including a personalised top tube logo. The shimmering gold vinyl of the Handsling logo is echoed in the specially-sourced Selle San Marco saddle, Selle San Marco Presa Corsa bar tape and gold bolts used around the bike. FIFTYONE BIKES Drawing inspiration from a 1980’s Jaguar XJR-9 raced at Le Mans, those of a certain age may recognise those iconic purple and white colours with orange trim. Yes, the bad old days, when cigarette advertising in motor sport was still a thing, made Silk Cut one of the most instantly recognisable brands in the world. QUIRK CYCLES –  KINTSUGI MAMTOR Quirk Cycles will be showing their newly updated award-winning Mamtor All-Road bike which sees for the first time their unique 3D printed stainless steel seat-cluster and dropouts, paired to the Enve integrated hidden-cable system. DISCOVER MORE RIDERS AT THE CYCLE SHOW Find out which of your heroes you can meet this April! Click Here 2023 EXHIBITORS Discover the incredible brands in our retail area. Click Here SKILL SESSIONS Learn new tricks with World Champion Scott Wilson! Click Here JAW DROPPERS See the 2022 winner to get you excited for this year! Click Here Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope Linkedin

FEELING THE PINCH? We know you might be feeling cautious about spending money at the moment, so if you’re wondering if a Cycle Show ticket is actually worth it, look no further… Already own a bike? No worries, we have so much more for you to get involved in including demo tracks, skills sessions, and our street food stalls.Worried about cost? We have a whole range of completely FREE activities you can take part in when you arrive! There’s no pressure to buy anything! If you want to enjoy a day of browsing, exploring, and listening to some of the industry’s top experts all for free, then you’ve found the right place! BOOK NOW FREE ACTIVITIES AT THE CYCLE SHOW A FAMILY DAY OUT The Cycle Show really is the ultimate family day out. Youngsters get their own area outside where they can have a blast on the kids’ track and trial skills sessions. Something for all ages and riding abilities.Discover all of our 2023 features below! FIND OUT MORE ARTISTIC CYCLING At this year’s Cycle Show, we are excited to be joined by Viola Brand, one of the world’s finest exponents of the art and an Instagram and YouTube megastar, showing off her fabulous routines every day of the show. This will be her debut appearance in England.This is one not to be missed! FIND OUT MORE EXPLORE YOUR SURROUNDINGS Whether you want to pack a picnic or just take a stroll around the grounds – there’s plenty to explore at the iconic venue – Alexandra Palace. MORE INFO LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS Talks on the Experts stage will cover the whole range from beginners to experienced cyclists: mechanics, fitness, nutrition, the works. Whether everyday riding or extreme adventuring, we’ll have the best in the business passing on their valuable hints and tips. CHECK OUT THE LINE UP DISCOVER MORE RIDERS AT THE CYCLE SHOW Find out which of your heroes you can meet this April! Click Here 2023 EXHIBITORS Discover the incredible brands in our retail area. Click Here SKILL SESSIONS Learn new tricks with World Champion Scott Wilson! Click Here JAW DROPPERS See the 2022 winner to get you excited for this year! Click Here Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope Linkedin

We're getting ready to meet our star-studded riders at The Cycle Show 2023 - read on to find out exactly where you can catch some of the most influential figures in the sport at the show. BOOK NOW BETH SHRIEVER Catch the BMX Olympic gold medalist, World champion and European champion holder – Beth on the Tubolito stand on Saturday at 1pm for a meet and greet session. TUBOLITO STAND KRISS KYLE  Join BMX freestyle legend and MTB YouTube star at the show on Sunday. This Red Bull sponsored Scotsman loves nothing more than taking on the seemingly impossible and making it a reality. NEVONTAII STAND RACHEL & DAN ATHERTON Winning eight downhill world titles and 49 world cups between them – they still find time to run their own bike company – Atherton Bikes. Meet them and see the bikes up close too on Sunday. ATHERTON RACING STAND TRACY MOSELEY Tracy is former downhill World Champion, multi-time World Cup winner and three time winner of the Enduro World Series. Catch Tracey chatting about the joys of electric bikes on the Bosch stand – Sunday. BOSCH STAND SHANAZE READE BMX made its Olympic debut in 2008 at Beijing and Shanaze was the sport’s undoubted star. Shanzee is now an ambassador for the Glasgow 2023 World Championships, catch her on all three days. UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS STAND JODY CUNDY CBE  Jody is one of Britain’s most decorated cyclists and one of the country’s foremost Paralympic athletes. Meet Jody on Saturday at the UCI World Championships stand. UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS STAND OLLY, BEN & ROB Professional Mountain Bikers Ben Deakin, Rob Warner & Olly Wilkins will be on the Oi Oi stand on Sunday. OI OI STAND DISCOVER MORE RIDERS AT THE CYCLE SHOW Find out which of your heroes you can meet this April! Click Here 2023 EXHIBITORS Discover the incredible brands in our retail area. Click Here SKILL SESSIONS Learn new tricks with World Champion Scott Wilson! Click Here JAW DROPPERS See the 2022 winner to get you excited for this year! Click Here Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope Linkedin

MEET THE TEAM AT FLYING DUTCHMAN BIKES, THE LONDON STORES WITH A DIFFERENCE BOOK NOW We dropped in at the Notting Hill branch of Flying Dutchman Bikes to meet Harry and Rich, the guys behind the brand, and find out what they’ll be bringing to the show. They may be backing our cargo bike area, but there is so much more to the Flying Dutchman experience, as we discovered. CS: This a rather lovely, spacious store, congratulations. How long have you been here, and why Notting Hill? Rich: Just six months. We had a lot of customers in west London already. We know most of them, Harry remembers most of their names, and I remember some of them! It has probably been the coldest, wettest six months, but it’s been a brilliant start. CS: You also have the original Flying Dutchman shop in Camden’s Eversholt Street, yes? Harry: Yes, for almost 10 years now. CS: That is pretty early in the whole electric and cargo bike explosion we have witnessed in recent years. Were you seen as outliers back then? Harry: Things always seem weird until you’re ready for them. Scandinavia, Germany, The Netherlands – they’ve been doing this for years. I used to live in Amsterdam and absorbed what they were doing. I had no intention of opening a bike shop, but it was obviously missing from the UK. Once I’d seen it and understood the inevitability, you can’t ignore that idea. Neither of us have driving licences, we have always relied on bikes as the solution.Rich: What Harry brought was based on what he saw and experienced in Amsterdam. And it has slowly adapted and changed based on London’s needs. I’d been in the bike industry for 17 or 18 years, selling high-end road and mountain bikes, and got somewhat annoyed with it. This is what London needs, rather than what a rich person wants. It’s about getting people out of cars, changing their lives and seeing what is possible on a bike. BOOK NOW From little acorns... where it all began CS: Looking around the store, there’s a lot more than just cargo and e-bikes on offer. Harry: Cargo bikes are still a good proportion of what we do, but we are about utility bikes, whatever that might be.Rich: We are focussing on the cargo bike section at The Cycle Show but we are a bike shop first and foremost – we also sell normal ‘acoustic’ bicycles with classic steel frames and high-end componentry that will last a lifetime. And then we do e-bikes, folding bikes and cargo bikes, because that’s what makes sense for London. CS: Who is the Flying Dutchman customer? What is the FD experience? Harry: We work by appointment only so we can spend time with them. We talk about how they want to use the bike, where they want to use it, and stuff they don’t even know about yet – how we have seen previous customers’ lives change because the bike has become so useful to them. Then we narrow it down to three or four options and do a test ride. It is a very constructive process. I want to give people the benefit of our experience. We have sold literally hundreds of these bikes, and we will always be honest. Flying Dutchman Camden CS: How do you decide which brands to stock? There’s some very cool and unusual bikes here. Rich: We are very picky about the quality of bike we sell. There are cheaper brands out there, but we choose cautiously and carefully what we would be happy to ride ourselves. Everything you see here is a test bike. We book out an hour or two with our customers and ride with them to get the hang of it, especially going onto big cargo bikes or carrying kids.We are not an e-bike store. That is not our mindset. We sell lovely handmade steel rides alongside the cargo bikes. I ride a non-electric bike to work every day. If it’s the right tool for the job, it’s the right tool for the customer.Harry: We value a simple life with a happy customer. They really trust us and keep coming back after 10 years, which is a wonderful thing based on a good relationship. SIGN UP TO NEWSLETTER BOOK NOW DISCOVER MORE RIDERS AT THE CYCLE SHOW Find out which of your heroes you can meet this April! Click Here 2023 EXHIBITORS Discover the incredible brands in our retail area. Click Here

INTERVIEW WITH CLAIRE BEAUMONT FROM CONDOR CYCLES: ONE OF LONDON'S OLDEST BIKE SHOPS BOOK NOW Claire Beaumont is marketing manager for Condor Cycles, founded in 1948 and still going strong in London’s Grays Inn Road today, albeit in a much larger premises that the original store. Ridden by the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Tom Simpson, as well as the successful Rapha-Condor pro team in the 2000s, celebrities and royal family also feature in the brand’s long and illustrious history. Even Mick Jagger owned a Condor!We are delighted to welcome Condor back to the show for 2023. After all, we go back a long way… BOOK NOW *     *      *      *      *      *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     * CS: Claire, you’d be too young to have been at that very first Cycle Show in 2002, but what is the Condor link over those 20 years? CB: We were at every one apart from the last one at Ally Pally, and the Covid-affected cancelled years. It started at the Business Design centre in Islington and just kept getting bigger.  I remember being at Earls Court with Condor, and then the show moved to the NEC [in Birmingham] which worried us because we were a very London-centric local brand, but it was really good. We talked to so many different people. But Alexandra Palace is a great venue too, so we are also happy to be back in London. BOOK NOW CS: What would Condor have shown on the stand 20 years ago? It would have been one carbon bike, lots of aluminium – because it was very popular then – and then some steel. It was going out of favour but Grant [Young] was fighting to keep steel in the range. We went to Dedacciai in Italy because they had a better supply. I think that first show in 2002 was the first time we showed an Italian-made Condor bike.And of course, the internet was not ‘a thing’ in 2002. You had to order a catalogue and look at that – it’s not the same, is it? There’s a lot you don’t see online. So a bike show was your only chance to see all these bikes in one place.CS: The ‘meet and greet’ aspect must be important too? People come and talk to you and get a feel for what we are. That’s what you get when you go into a shop in person. And going to a show gives you that same experience.Some people research their bike purchases for years. It’s not a small amount of money and it might be their bike for ten years. I remember one guy from a bike show who came back two years later and said ‘I’m ready to make my purchase now’.We surveyed a thousand customers and so many replied saying they had seen Condor bikes at an event or race. We had the race team [Rapha-Condor] for ten years and didn’t really know what the effect was, but it was huge. FULL EXHIBITOR LIST CS: Your frames are handmade in Italy. What is the appeal? Handmade anywhere, like Bromptons are made in London, certainly adds to the experience and perception. And Italy is seen as the home of handmade bicycles, a tangible effect.CS: The Fratello, a handsome steel all-rounder, is your best seller. What’s lowdown on that model? It means ‘brother’, because it’s the Italian version of one that was made in England, the Pendio. It has been in the range since 2003. Before disc brakes, it was the only bike that could take really wide tyres and still have mudguards. But now with discs, you can have both, but it is still really popular. It’s a fairly upright position, made with high-end steel so should be nice to ride. CS: It is, I have one! It’s the one bike I ride where people pull up next to me at the lights and say “ooh, that’s nice”. People like the skinny tubed classic look of the Fratello. Gravel bikes can be quite industrial-looking in comparison. From the 2002 Cycle Show guide CS: So what’s new in the world of Condor, Claire? We are introducing a new product in July which has taken a long time for various reasons. We didn’t want to make an ultra-aero bike, or copy what other brands are doing. Integrated cables have eventually become more consistent, flowing in through the handlebars, so that is a bonus. It will be a carbon race bike all-rounder, still made by hand in Italy, with customisable geometry. When Ed Clancy used to ride for the Rapha-Condor team, he had a really long body and needed a longer top tube. It’s great to have that level of adaptability. CS: What else are you bringing to Ally Pally? We’ll have a new update on our gravel bike, with more bottle mounts for added versatility. And we have changed the seatstays to give added clearance if you want to run the 650b smaller wheels. They can now take up to 55mm tyres, huge!We are also introducing a bike for smaller riders. If you are around 5 foot tall or less, toe overlap can be an issue with a 46cm frame, so this model can also be fitted with the 650b size wheels. There isn’t much out there for shorter riders, so it should prove popular. We’ll also have some custom colours and various colourways we have designed. BOOK NOW CS: Do you ever have to say a polite no to some of the wackier custom paint design ideas? One guy wanted a version of Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady With Ermine on his frame, which is a horrible painting. That’s quite a big picture to put on a bike! Ben [Spurrier, head designer] did something with it, using elements of the painting on the toptube, but he also wanted Da Vinci’s famous signature on there, which we drew the line at – we didn’t want to get sued.CS: Fair enough! Thank you, Claire, see you and the gang in April. BOOK NOW SIGN UP TO NEWSLETTER DISCOVER MORE RIDERS AT THE CYCLE SHOW Find out which of your heroes you can meet this April! Click Here 2023 EXHIBITORS Discover the incredible brands in our retail area. Click Here SKILL SESSIONS Learn new tricks with World Champion Scott Wilson! Click Here JAW DROPPERS See the 2022 winner to get you excited for this year! Click Here Facebook Twitter Instagram Envelope Linkedin

World champions, Olympic champions, Tour de France jersey winners and YouTube superstars – we have a host of talented and inspirational…

We’ll have the best e-bikes in the market at The Cycle Show. From compact commuting folders to cargo-carrying utility machines, through…