As we foreshadowed in our coverage of the first Australian Bicycle Summit in Canberra this March, Bosch have now entered the Australian market.
From September 1, Eurocycles will be the Local Service Partner for Bosch eBike Systems and Cameron Burke has assumed the role of the Regional Technical Manager.
In a press release dated 29th June Bosch said, “Both implementations are key in the company’s strategy to deliver excellent services to Independent Bicycle Dealers (IBD) and distributors. Bosch’s market entry highlights the eBike opportunity in Australia and the investment in local resources reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to the market.”
Newly appointed Regional Technical Manager, Cameron Burke, has just returned from training at Bosch eBike Systems facility in China. He said, “Bosch have been driving eBike markets world-wide and my role will enable best in class and sustainable service in Australia. Implementing the role of Regional Technical Manager means that retailers, manufacturers and consumers can now have confidence in an effective service offered locally.”
Meanwhile the newly announced service partner Eurocycles, is already importing a number of ebike brands into Australia. Most recently, we reported in Bicycling Trade that Eurocycles had become the Australian distributor of Peugeot.
The press release continued, “Eurocycles will work closely with Bosch to provide service peace of mind to customers and retailers through a dedicated dealer technical hotline, ordering and delivery of spare parts, warranty claim processing, training and diagnostics as well as cycling and e-cycling advocacy.”
Eurocycles owner Dr Rick Krassoi is a relatively recent entrant to the bicycle market.
In the press release Rick said, “eBikes bring to Australia environmental and transport solutions as well as health benefits – and not to forget the growing commercial opportunities. We are excited to partner up with Bosch as their service partner to drive the uptake of e-bikes by retailers and consumers.”
In a separate interview with Bicycling Trade, Rick shared a little more background information.
“I’m a marine biologist PhD by training,” he explained. “That’s where the ‘Doctor’ title comes from. I wouldn’t be much use to you if you had a heart attack in front of me!”
“From the end of 2000 we set up a pollution testing lab called Ecotox Services Australia. We measure the output of various industries, making sure they’re not putting damaging chemicals into creeks, rivers and that sort of thing.
“That business is continuing and employs about a dozen staff. My bicycle business, Eurocycles currently employs seven staff. In bicycles, we’re the agents for Gepida, Peugeot and a cargo trike from Denmark called Butchers & Bicycles.
“We’re also the Australian Service Centre for Magura brakes, NuVinci hubs and now Bosch. We also import parts and accessories including Tubus and Rack Time (racks) Klickfix (baskets), Speedlifter (suspension seatposts), Axa (lights and locks), Squire (locks) and Hebie (mudguards, chainguards etc).
“We concentrate on the commuter / leisure cycling end of the spectrum. We look for products that are stylist but also utilitarian.”
Rick said that he was delighted to be appointed as the Bosch Service Partner and explained briefly how the system would work.
“We’ve employed Abraham Wile who has a university engineering background and about 10 years experience with ebikes, having previously worked at Glow Worm Bicycles. He’ll be the one that bike shops talk to when they call the service hotline. Retailers will be given Bosch diagnostic software and they’ll be able to email the diagnostic information to Abraham while they’re speaking to him and hopefully get immediate help.
“We also have a training facility set up here and dealers will be able to come in for a day for specific training.”
“The way I’m expecting things will work is that retailers will usually call us and importers or manufacturers will call Cameron (Regional Technical Manager).”
Eurocycles is based in Lane Cove, a northern suburb of Sydney NSW.
