Dice Simone Maltagliati, Brand Manager of Cannondale, that having production in Holland is allowing the American brand to to sail through this hectic market phase with flying colors. Production, he adds, and the warehouse.
«Therefore, if we realise that the groups for the models on order are missing – he says – and the delivery prospect is too long to expect the customer to hold on, groups are dismantled from unwanted bikes and orders are completed. If you have to wait to receive the complete bike, You can forget about this kind of flexibility».
It continues with Cannondale (a brand which, together with Schwinn, Gt and Caloi, is part of the Dorel group, listed on the New York Stock Exchange), the series of meetings, inaugurated with Ermanno Leonardi of Specialized and Cristiano De Rosa, to understand how the main brands in the cycling market – those who supply bikes to WorldTour teams – are managing the post-lockdown boom. The euphoria of the moment is fine. Having resolved the stalemate caused by the total shutdown in two months is fine. But if today we can't meet the many requests, What is the long-term outlook? The orders already taken will be sold out and then we will return to a normal level, or will we continue to break records?
«I believe that this level of market – continues Maltagliati – will continue for years, because there is not only the racing sector and on the other hand a process related to mobility has been started urbana. In this respect, we were quite behind in Italy., from the point of view of bikes and infrastructure. I don't know if you've ever traveled by train in the Netherlands and Northern European countries. Well, when you exit the station, you find yourself in front of those huge bicycle parking lotsWe'll see an end to this situation when we've filled our station parking lots with bikes. Which perhaps will have been built in the meantime…».
How can we say that the Cannondale world is not limited to racing but also explores other areas?
It's there for all to see new consumers have entered and will enter, the process is not exhaustedIt will take a couple of years to meet current demands and in the meantime we are equipping ourselves to increase production capacityAnd that's a very telling sign. If Cannondale were certain this was a flash in the pan, they wouldn't make such an investment.
Are we talking about European production?
Of course, although it's currently held back by the lack of components. And I'm not just talking about groupset, although it's well known that Shimano and SRAM are struggling. We have the frames, but one piece is missing and the chain stops.We can wait, we have the kind of flexibility we were talking about before. Let's try to react like this.
Could one have expected a bottleneck to arise somewhere?
Maybe yes. Component suppliers are at a standstill, but it can't be said that it's all their fault.They found themselves with fewer workers and many question marks. Companies were afraid at firstThey had no idea how people would react, and instead they began to do all kinds of outdoor sports. And the bicycle once again became the center of attention. both for the sporting aspect and for the mobility aspect urbana.
Perhaps you were more knowledgeable about the first one; EF Education-Nippo is a great promotional tool. What about the second one?
The range has been expanded urban, with the valuable reference of the Northern European countries, while also registering an initial response in Italy. The consumer has understood that the bicycle for daily travel must be well made, comfortable and functional, so that going to work and even for a walk is a pleasant experience. Inevitably this means that we are talking about expensive bicycles, in a country where there is a total lack of infrastructure and thefts are the order of the day.
Sad truth…
The station car parks we have already mentioned are a provocation, but only up to a certain point. Would you leave a valuable bike chained up on the street outside your office, exposed to rain and theft? In our cities, they get stolen. And they get stolen even the low-value ones; there's a ring of stolen bikes for as little as €50. So, there's a lack of bike lanes, a lack of secure storage, and those who've invested in a bike, perhaps even an e-bike, are discouraged from using them.
The identikit is that of a completely new cyclist, right?
There are those with a long tradition behind them who have had their habits confirmed and perhaps have added the bike to get around the city. And then There are people who have approached after the lockdown, a potential that has made the current market grow and is forming the basis for the future.
Among the market rumors, at a certain point it seemed the only thing being talked about was e-bikes and gravel…
Gravel has been and still is a huge boomIt gives different stimuli to people who have experienced cycling in the same way for ten years and maybe, no longer able to go out in groups, they discovered a different dimension, made up of other spaces, nature, even bike packing. Last summer, there was a notable increase in independent holidays.
Not just running, then, is that confirmed?
The competitive spirit in Italy is remarkable, professionals are still a point of reference. But if the Gran Fondos don't restart and the races themselves struggle to find continuity, then the pandemic has opened new horizons that are worth investing in. In fact, it would be short-sighted not to.
