Amen brother, amen! I’d throw in a Hallelujah too… but…

Excellent comments- all of them- but the best one is about the bigger pie. The constant infighting is actually hurting the industry, not helping it. Sure it sounds too altruistic to believe, but if we do work together to grow the industry, we’ll all profit. Supporting advocacy groups is one big thing- we need to get more people thinking of cycling, at what ever level they want. Advocacy helps provide the infrastructure new cyclists want and need.

Skipping advocacy, simply working together as a more unified group, we’ll all work to bring more people into the marketplace and then all make a little more money… and, bonus, we’ll get to be friends again. I can remember when it was common to call the dealership down the street/ across town to see if they had a bike in stock so we could sell it to a customer. Many times, the other shop would even deliver it to us. It feels like those days are largely gone as we fight and fight for marketshare in this downward marketplace. I don’t know about you… but it bums me out. I look forward to getting back to those “better days”.

So, David, thanks for your comment!

My partner, Chip Smith, wanted me to make sure I disclosed the fact that he and I run, SOAR Communications, the PR agency for Interbike.

So . . . consider it disclosed.

Sincerely,

David (“Poppa P”) Politis
Poppa.p@soarcomm.com

This ongoing Interbike/Bikes Belong interplay is obviously a topic of great interest to the entire cycling industry – manufacturers, dealers, cyclists, advocacy groups, etc. – whether the individual players know it or not. And it’s very clear that this is an evolving, multi-faceted situation with multiple players (and competitors), some wearing multiple hats with allegiances that can at times seem to be at cross-purposes.

For its part, I recognize and applaud “Bicycle Retailer” for its attempts to keep its readers informed on all matters it deems to be most important (even if we might, at times, wish that we had greater control or influence over what is written and how).

The truth is that freedom of the press is one of the marvelous inventions that makes America great. The same can also be said for free enterprise.

At the end of the day, my two-part advice to all participants in this matter is this: Get more people on bikes and get them riding more often.

If, collectively, these are the overarching objectives of what Interbike, Bikes Belong, the manufacturers, dealers, other advocacy groups, etc. are trying to accomplish, then we (as an industry) will be headed in the right direction.

To me, it’s that simple: Get more people on bikes and get them riding more often.

If, however, these are not our overriding goals – in other words to “grow the pie” – then we as an industry will continue to be stuck in a virtual rut, with annual growth of two percent or less and everyone scrambling to steal market share away from competitors.

That’s a null sum game, and it’s a game with very few winners.

“Grow the pie,” people. Get more people on bikes and get them riding more often.

Sincerely,

David (“Poppa P”) Politis
Poppa.p@soarcomm.com

It’s wonderful that you guys are working with the Vegas transportation people!

Very well put, my friend.

I really do hope that a peaceful resolution comes to this. I’d prefer to see improvements to Interbike, as opposed to a competing show materialize.

I love both Interbike and Bikes Belong. I feel like a child in the middle of a divorce… but I love both you guys.

Needless to say, I will be following this whole thing closely- as all of us in the industry should.