The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the global cycling industry into disarray. On one hand, creating a mini cycling boom as outdoor exercise becomes more desirable, on the other forcing consumers and cycling businesses to make adjustments both during the lockdown and afterwards. This South African cycling industry wholesaler is ready and says ‘bring on the new normal’.
The Momsen VIPA Trail 2021 is one of the product highlights for TWT over the coming months.
Two Wheels Trading was established in 2007 by Victor Momsen, an ambitious, passionate bike geek that decided to use his bicycle industry expertise and dependable contacts in the Far East to switch from earning a salary to owning his own business.
Having studied Mechanical Engineering at the Port Elizabeth Technikon and completing an internship in Taiwan at Wheeler Industrial Co. Ltd, Momsen started his working career as a bicycle salesman at South Africa’s first mountain bike store (Beachbreak in Port Elizabeth). He then became Product Director at Probike (now Scott Sports Africa) and was responsible for all the design and speccing of the Raleigh brand of bicycles in the early 2000’s.
Two Wheels Trading is a multi-brand wholesaler that imports, markets and distributes category leading brands including:
- Stan’s No Tubes (wheelsets, wheel components, tubeless conversion kits and sealant) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/stans-no-tubes/
- Lezyne (pumps, tools, lights and GPS units) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/lezyne/
- Profile Design ( #1 brand in triathlon and multi-sport , aero bars, hydration, aero wheels and accessories ) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/profile-design/
- KMC (chains and chain tools) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/kmc/
- SunRace (cassettes and drivetrain parts) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/sunrace/
- Momsen Bikes ( Adult and High End Kids’ Bikes) http://www.momsenbikes.com
- Muna Bikes (children’s bikes) http://www.munabikes.com
- Farr (gravel bikes, accessories and clothing) https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/farr/
Lezyne is one of the world’s premier GPS, tools and lights brands
Starting out with a small team in Port Elizabeth, Two Wheels Trading quickly grew to become national and, more recently, international. Victor Momsen is now based in Perth, Western Australia, and travels (pre Covid-19) on a regular basis between South Africa and Australia as the business demands.
Two Wheels Trading has a national sales team and the Sales Director, David Naude, is based in Johannesburg, while the business continues to operate out of Port Elizabeth, with all warehousing and office functions handled from there.
“From very humble beginnings from my garage in Port Elizbeth, this 13-year foundation phase for TWT has been a great ride. A lot has changed within the bike industry – both locally and internationally – and I am very fortunate and blessed to be doing what I love as my career,” says Momsen.
Stan’s No Tubes products have been part of the TWT stable since Day 1.
Apart from an impressive portfolio of leading international brands, Two Wheels Trading also owns and manages two very unique bicycle brands within the South African cycling market:
- Momsen Bikes (founded in 2010): the South African bike brand caters for South African mountain bikers. It started out with aluminium and carbon 29er hardtails before the introduction of the full-suspension VIPA in 2014, the first South African-brand full-suspension, full-carbon XC/Marathon 29er. The appropriate frame design, relevant spec, South African-friendly price and a growing local stage race market saw the brand achieve steady growth. As a result of the VIPA, Momsen has consistently been among the top 10 most popular bike brands at the Absa Cape Epic since 2014. Known for excellent value-for-money and a unique ‘local spec flavour’ the AL (Alloy) range of hardtails is arguably the longest-running South African range of 29ers in the market.
- Muna Bikes (founded in 2013): Two Wheels Trading launched Muna Bikes, a brand of affordable kids’ bikes to offer the local dealer market an alternative to the prevalent (at the time) chainstore kids’ bikes that were of inferior design and spec. Muna Bikes come in 12, 14, 16 and 20-inch wheel sizes, all developed in South Africa with durability and functionality as their foundations.
The ‘new normal’
While some South African-based wholesalers rolled into unknown territory when the hard lockdown was imposed at the end of March 2020, TWT, with a pre-existing B-2-B e-commerce website and mindset, was already enabled to adjust its sails and continue trading, further strengthening its position locally and growing it’s reach internationally.
As the world moves forward, dealing with the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic, direct-to-consumer business in the bicycle industry is becoming not just more widely accepted, but almost expected. TWT is readily equipped in this regard.
Profile Design is a brand that focuses largely on the triathlon market with its premium accessories.
“To say that 2020 has been challenging, would be an understatement of course. However, having seen the massive surge and interest in cycling in Australia and USA during the global pandemic, I knew we had a similar opportunity in South Africa. The challenge was how best to facilitate the supply of product and equipment,” says Momsen.
“We already had an existing website and B-2-B platform which showcased our product range, we just had to adapt it into a public-friendly version that communicated what we had and what the related costs were. Cyclists now have the option of purchasing any of our products, at similar pricing, from either their local bike shop or directly from our website.”
Operating on the principles of being urgent, competitive and ambitious and providing relevant, high-quality product at the right time, Two Wheels Trading has laid it’s foundations as a significant role player in South Africa. These have always been driving principles behind the company’s vision and are as relevant now as they were from Day One as TWT prepares to make an even bigger impact as the world readjusts to new challenges and opportunities post Covid-19.
Check out their full range of products and accessories here: https://www.twowheelstrading.co.za
Paid partnership with Two Wheels Trading.
