Tomi Viiala’s Post

Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of racing cars on ice in Finland. It was more than just a thrilling adventure—it was actually a masterclass in pushing boundaries and expanding mindset. Just like on the ice, the retail leasing landscape can be unpredictable and challenging, requiring us to step out of our comfort zones and push beyond perceived limits. Driving on icy tracks demanded precision, focus, and quick decision-making—skills that resonate deeply with navigating the complexities of commercial developments. Just like a race track, every commercial development has boundaries, but at Marked Property, we're all about maximising them. #property #projectleasing #development #mindset

I had the privilege of working for, and learning from, one of the greatest bike designers of all time, Benno Baenziger. At New Pedal we spend much of our time developing new channels to reach new riders. In our travels we have ample discussions about infrastructure, vehicle features, policy, and incentives. These are all important ingredients to generate true mode shift, but one piece of the puzzle is often overlooked: designing to captivate the human psyche. As the “sales guy” at Benno Bikes, it drove me crazy waiting weeks for Benno to finish something as “simple” as a single line in a decal. I’d think to myself: come on Benno, what are we doing, let’s get this into production! But that attention to design detail made all the difference, and is what I believe will be required to make #micromobility truly mainstream in the US. The proof goes all the way back to Benno’s original bike brand, Electra, a simple cruiser bike. This was not a cutting edge piece of technology, or even a new concept; however Benno was able to rip away the stigma associated with cycling in the US, and make riding a bike cool again. I didn’t know Benno at the time (we wouldn’t meet until 10 years later), but I remember working at a local bicycle dealer and scratching my head at the phenomenon unfolding in front of me. Our mechanics couldn’t build Electra Townies fast enough. Everyone had to have one! The car industry understands this very well, and has spent billions of dollars to tug at our emotions. You have to give them credit. To compete we absolutely need better cycling infrastructure, legislation, and the continued hard work of the entire industry (more to come as we spotlight many of our other amazing bike/scooter partners), but hopefully we can all incorporate a bit of Benno’s creative thinking into our own; no matter if you are designing the next great vehicle, a bike parking facility, or hosting a #tdm webinar. If you have a few minutes to spare, I encourage you to watch this interview with Benno where he shares his design philosophy. Enjoy!

Most people view the competition as a battle to be won at all costs. But my experience in the bike share industry, particularly from 2012 to 2019, was very much the opposite. There was a time when the term “bike share” was unfamiliar to most. Now, mention "bike share," and everyone knows what it is. This transformation was the result of an entire industry working together to innovate and grow. Pitching to cities often meant being in the same rooms with competitors, all vying for the same contract. Through these travels and meetings around the world, I befriended many of our competitors. Some folks that immediately come to mind include Lee Jones from Bcycle, Lauren Isaac from her time at Motivate, Sebastian Schlebusch from his time at NextBike, and Kyle Rowe from his time at Spin (see comments for the full list!). Together, we tackled a shared problem from slightly different angles, benefiting cities, communities, and the environment in the process. Competition, in this light, wasn't a hindrance, but a catalyst for collective progress. The bike share boom brought a wave of competitors, each pushing the industry forward, solidifying the category, and amplifying our impact. This competition spurred innovation, forced us to rethink our business models, and approach problems creatively. This is a testament to how competition can be a force for good, fostering better outcomes for everyone involved. It made me a better operator and, more importantly, showed me the value of viewing competitors as collaborators in a shared mission. I'm curious to hear from others. Is this sense of camaraderie in the face of competition unique to the bike share industry, or have you experienced something similar in your field? Are you friends with your competitors, or is that just me? :)

10 years ago I got the opportunity to join Stromer Bikes company from Switzerland. Back then a small company which focused on 45 km /h category and just launched the first digital e-bike in the world in 2014. Thomas Binggeli and Christian Müller asked me if I want to join the company and help to build the brand up globally. We were in 2014 (picture) at the Interbike in Las Vegas and show cased the ST2 bike with touchscreen and app which was a world sensation in the bike world. Together with Sven Ziörjen from Marketing and the US BMC team we made an impact. Back then the ST2 was 6500 USD today we raised the bar to much higher prices up to 14'000 USD with even more new technology features and more to come but we have as well reduced price for an entry connected bike below 5000 USD. The range started with ST1 and now we have added 4 more models. I started basically with one sales person in Germany which was dedicated only for Stromer. 10 years later we are present in 25 countries, Sales team grew up to 15 people and the whole company went from around 30 people to up to 170 people and turnover to a high double digit mio. CHF. We had in that time many challenges to go for, start up challenges, processes, move production from Asia to Switzerland, legislation changes in 2018, Covid but as well many new product innovations which make us the Nr. 1 Speed Pedelec brand in the world and adding in 2021 Desiknio to our family. I am proud what we all achieved together so far, yes this year is a rough and difficult year for the whole industry, nevertheless I believe strongly that the bikes and e bikes will come back strong as the change in behaviour of mobility choice is happening more to bikes. We see it as well the yearly strong growth of km driven by our customers which is already over 110 mio km last year. The company and team evolved. We got new locations and team members In Hertogenbosch NL with our own EU center, or USA office in Vista, Frankfurt office for Markting Desiknio and Sales DE, Granada Desiknio Design Center and Cljus our new software development hub. Two years ago Dr. Karl Ludwig Kley and myself got the opportunity to run together the company as co-CEO and together with our executive Management team Christoph Lindlein Rolf Frankowski and Franz Reindl I am looking forward to many more years to come at Stromer and work with the team together to create more innovations and exciting products to our customers. Only together we can be strong and turn challenges into strength and success. #heretochange

Europe's strongest bicycle market? Germany's bicycle market maintains strong growth in 2023! In 2023, while the global bicycle market experienced a slowdown in development, the German bicycle industry demonstrated unique resilience and vitality, maintaining a positive growth momentum. An unsaturated bicycle market In 2023, the total volume of bicycles and electric bicycles in the German market reached 84 million units, an increase of 1.2 million units compared to 2022. The market volume of electric bicycles also reached 11 million units, accounting for 13% of the total. The enormous stock of bicycles has brought Germany's per capita bicycle ownership close to that of the Netherlands, known as the "Bicycle Kingdom". Especially in recent years, the growth rate of the German bicycle market has far surpassed that of Europe. Additionally, German consumers have a high demand for replacement bicycles, and the introduction of bicycles for various purposes such as urban commuting, sports, and cargo transportation has stimulated consumer demand for different types of products. The unsaturated market demonstrates enormous potential for development.

The average cost of any given bike on the Tour de France is 15K. - Each rider has 5 to 7 bikes with them on tour. - That is approx 100k in bikes, per rider. - With 8 riders per team ..... approx 800k in bikes per team. - There are 22 teams on this tour ... equalling approx $17.6 Million in bikes. New to the tour in bikes this year is a local Utah brand that I absolutley love, ENVE Composites. Enve even has a rider with a stage win this year! I am obsessed with the Tour de France. Over 23 days the riders will cover 2,170 miles, climbing over 171,653 feet in elevation gain, that is nuts! The most amazing aspect of the race for me is the teamwork and strategy. Team strategies vary from a focus on winning sprints, stage wins, king of the mountain and GC (General Classification) or overall winner as a result of the fastest overall time. Depending on the teams goals, you will find a variety of roles on each team. Pullers, protectors, launchers and more. On any given stage, strategies change and the teamwork takes on different shapes and roles. Teamwork is critical in these stages. A cyclist in the peleton,drafting off of their team, uses 35-45% less energy were they riding or climbing on their own. In a business setting: - High performing teams can boost profits by 29%. - Diversity in teams leads to innovation and productivity increase up to 35%. - Supportive teams lead to higher engagement & job satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/gEPguXjT In the words of Mr. Wallen..."Teamwork makes the dream work"

Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of racing cars on ice in Finland. It was more than just a thrilling adventure—it was actually a masterclass in pushing boundaries and expanding mindset. Just like on the ice, the retail leasing landscape can be unpredictable and challenging, requiring us to step out of our comfort zones and push beyond perceived limits. Driving on icy tracks demanded precision, focus, and quick decision-making—skills that resonate deeply with navigating the complexities of commercial developments. Just like a race track, every commercial development has boundaries, but at Marked Property, we're all about maximising them. #property #projectleasing #development

🚴♂️ Join us in this exciting adventure! 🚴♀️ Would you like to be part of it helping Crow? Contact us to know how Hello LinkedIn community Today, I am thrilled to share a journey fueled by passion and the relentless pursuit of innovation. It's not every day that we get the chance to redefine an industry, but that is precisely what we aim to do when we launched our new e-bike brand, CROW Bicycles. At Crow Bicycles, we are not just creating another e-bike, we are pioneering a new way of thinking and doing things in the cycling world. Our mission is to blend cutting-edge technology, sustainable practices, and a user-centric design to deliver a riding experience like no other. Here's what sets us apart: 🔋 Innovative Technology: Our e-bikes are equipped with state-of-the-art components that ensure optimal performance, reliability, and a smooth ride. 🌍 Sustainability: We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. From the materials we use to our manufacturing processes, sustainability is at the core of our brand. 🚴♂️ User-Centric Design: Every detail of our e-bikes is designed with the rider in mind. Comfort, functionality, and style are seamlessly integrated to offer an unparalleled experience. 💡 Crowd-Powered Vision: We believe in the power of community and collective wisdom. That’s why Crow Bicycles embraces a unique approach, leveraging crowdfunding to engage with our customers from the very beginning, allowing them to be part of our journey and share in our success. This is more than just a business venture; it’s a passion project, a labor of love, and a commitment to revolutionizing the way we move. The road ahead is challenging, but with the incredible support from our community and the unwavering belief in our vision, we are confident that Crow Bicycles will soar to new heights. #Innovation #Sustainability #EBikes #CrowBicycles #CyclingRevolution #CrowdPowered #PassionProject

It was a bumpy road, and one I didn't get to see to the end, but I'm proud to finally see Privateer Gen2 bikes out in the wild. They represent several years of our combined hard work and stress, mostly over things riders probably won't even notice yet make all the difference. After riding my prototype for the last 12 months, it still puts a silly grin on my face. #productmanagement #productdevelopment #launch #mountainbike #bikes #redundancy #newbeginnings https://lnkd.in/eQQPhv9x

🚲 Exciting news alert! KKR-owned Accell is on a mission to regain your trust in Babboe cargo bikes. Check out this insightful article by Financial Times to learn more about our commitment and vision for the future. Join us in our journey to elevate the world of cargo biking! #Accell #Babboe #KKR-owned https://ift.tt/IMZ4WQ3