As we coast to the end of 2023, it's time to kick back, grab our handlebars, and cruise down memory lane, celebrating the journey that Bike Matrix has embarked upon this year, puns aplenty! From our humble proof of concept to scoring some investment capital and unleashing a bite-sized version of our product to the world, it's been a wild ride filled with steep hills but also some amazing progress! Back in February, we successfully nailed our proof of concept. It was like the

Recently, Adam (T) and I committed the cardinal sin of the biking world, we bought ebikes! Long has it been known in the biking world that those without ebikes are known to cast the occasional sideways glance at those with, all whilst vowing never to cross to the dark side and give up riding a regular bike. You know the scene – you're huffing and puffing your way up a monstrous hill, sweat pouring, and then, out of nowhere, an e-biker zooms by, grinning like they're on a lei

There's an important issue we need to talk about—the lack of diversity within the cycling industry. This post serves as a continuation from one of our poorest-performing blog posts to date which was a piece on diversity in cycling and whilst it's disheartening to see such important discussions overlooked we will continue to confront this topic head-on. Off the back of the Diversity Perception Survey (DPS) conducted by the UK Bicycle Association, we wish to unpack what diversi

The cycling industry has seen remarkable technological advancements in recent years, with integrated components becoming a buzzword among manufacturers and enthusiasts alike. While these integrated components combined with sleekly routed cables promise improved performance and aesthetics, they come at a hidden cost – one that can leave unsuspecting riders frustrated and financially burdened by costing mechanics additional time and hassle. Integrated components in the cycling

User Experience (UX), the cornerstone of product design and usability, plays an integral role in shaping the success of any digital solution. It's not merely about creating a pretty interface; it's about crafting an experience that resonates with users on multiple levels. UX encompasses the way users interact with your product, their perceptions of its value, the ease with which they navigate it, and the overall efficiency it offers. We hold UX in the highest regard, consider

Within the last year, we have seen several brands emerge with advancing changes in tyre technology, the most exciting of these changes comes from Schwalbe who have partnered with recycling technology company Pyrum Innovations to build a recycling process at a dealership level. This partnership also extends to the recycling of bicycle inner tubes, resulting in a tube that takes only one-fifth of the energy to produce when compared to the same amount of new butyl. With Schwalbe

There are few individuals I have met who are as passionate about the customer's experience as Lyndal is. She has worked directly with customers in the cycling industry for the best part of the last decade, the roles she has held during this time have made her acutely aware of specific customer pain points and she is very keen to sink her teeth deep into solving one of these biggest ones there is, bicycle parts compatibility. Lyndal grew up riding bicycles and vividly remembe

With the recent collapse of VanMoof Bicycles, once hailed as the "Tesla of the bike industry," many have been left wondering about the reasons behind their downfall. Among the major issues that have come under scrutiny is the company's heavy reliance on proprietary components. This diverges from the industry norm, as bicycle manufacturers typically use well-known Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts with extensive aftermarket offerings. The esiest way to understand how

For any bike brand selling direct to consumers, the customer experience is paramount. The journey the customer embarks on to pull the trigger on their next purchase is always special and unique to them, but for customers, this is only the beginning of their journey with their new bicycle. Once the customer receives this bicycle, their opinion of the brand is set by factors that are significant to the consumer, such as how quickly the bike arrives, how easy it is to put togeth

The intention of Bike Matrix is to make selecting the correct replacement parts for a given bicycle a straight forward process! We knew that our product would be key for eCommece businesses, it would be utilised in-store to aid sales staff and mechanics and potentially be used at a distributor B2B level as well. We hoped that manufacturers working in a B2C model might also be interested. What we hadn't expected though, while we were in the very beginning stages of discussing

We have previously touched on the shortage of skilled professionals within the bike industry. In particular, the deficit when it comes to mechanical knowledge and expertise. The more product data we sink our teeth into, the more we realise that it is a fairly unique skill set that is needed to decipher the mountains of data that we will need to process in order to bring Bike Matrix to life. Our team needs to understand all technical specifications, they need to be able to nav

When it's your first time visiting an industry trade show it's hard to really know what to expect. The anticipation of what it could be like was far from what the reality truly was, and the reality of what it truly was, was mindblowing. Eurobike is the biggest cycling trade show of the year and it is spead across five different halls, some as big as your local Westfield shopping mall. This years event drew over 1900 unique exhibitors! The exciting but daunting task of tacklin

The cycling industry has witnessed remarkable growth and innovation in recent years, with new technologies and trends shaping the way we ride. However, amidst this progress, an issue has come to light: a deficit of knowledge and experienced staff within the industry. We are going to deep dive into how this can negatively impact customers during their journey to find the correct parts for their bicycle. Just recently we saw that Quality Bicycle Products closed its bicycle mec

This month, we are attending two prominent cycling events, Micromobility Europe and Eurobike, held in Amsterdam and Frankfurt respectively. As a team hailing from Australian and New Zealand cultures, where cycling is often seen as more of a leisure activity than an integral part of daily life, we were astounded by the sheer magnitude of the cycling culture in Amsterdam. Movies and pictures had failed to do it justice. It lead us to question, what was the drive behind the cyc

"I'll need you to bring it in" these words are so often spoken by sales representative or bicycle mechanic in a physical store when trying to determine the correct parts for a given bicycle. Funnily enough online customer service representatives replace this statement with, "Send me pictures, and I'll try to work it out." Cue example pictures we have been sent in previous roles! This is all due to one reason: bicycle specifications are hard to come by and can often leave a

He has been called a magician, a guru and a bicycle whisperer! When it comes to bicycles and understanding which components are suitable replacements Adam (Townsend) is in his element. He not only speaks bike as a second language, he is also fluent in understanding what truly makes something compatible. This year will mark his 15th year as a bicycle mechanic and there are few bikes that he is yet to work on. Adding to this he comes from a background in engineering and has the

This is our Ikigai. For those no familiar with the team, ikigai (ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that combines the terms iki, meaning “alive” or “life,” and gai, meaning “benefit” or “worth.” When combined, these terms mean that which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. People can go their whole life and not find their ikagai, so it is humbling to know that we have found ours. Loosely, ikigai, is made up of four different philosophical perspectives that overlap, t

As a rider, you want your bike to function properly and perform as intended. One crucial aspect of achieving this is choosing compatible bike parts. Using parts that are not compatible can lead to problems such as poor performance, decreased efficiency, total failure, and even in some cases void warranty. That's why it's essential to know which parts work together seamlessly and which ones don't. Some cyclists might be tempted to mix and match bike parts in order to save mon

Cycling is a sport that can be enjoyed by a wide audience, but there are still many barriers that prevent certain groups of people from participating. Women, people with disabilities, low-income individuals, individuals of colour, and individuals who feel uncomfortable shopping in stores are just a few examples of groups that have been historically disadvantaged within the cycling community. However, there are steps that the cycling industry can take to make the sport more in

As technology evolves customers are constantly drawn to newer, shiner bicycles. Truth be told, their existing bikes have plenty of life left in them, but the attraction of longer, slacker bike, or a lighter faster race machine will always be tempting to most of us. Whilst this draw will always exist, there are plenty of riders who are currently in love with their bike and how it rides, all the remains is the need to maintain the parts that are prone to wear to keep it in goo