Endurance Translations

Is customisation the next big thing in cycling (again)? I recently stumbled upon an interesting brand called "Obed". Have you heard of them? No, me neither. So I started clicking through their website. Now, that the bikes look cool is not that big of a deal. These days, most bikes look cool. What caught my interest was their customisation options and approach. What do I mean? 🚲 Choice of 4 (their lightweight road bike) to 10 (their performance gravel bike) different paint colours and several graphic/details colours, as well as fork and accent colours. 🚲 Choice of groupset, wheels, tires, saddle, seatpost, storage mounts, handlebar model and width and stem length. 🚲 Aero bike with tire clearance for 35 mm tyres, and the gravel platform - 700x45 or 650x53. 🚲 All their road bikes (climbing, aero and all-road) have endurance geometry. 🚲 Prices seem super-reasonable, considering how much you can customise. Obviously, you need to pay extra for some extra upgrades. 🚲 The brand is D2C, so you get to order online, pick it up at home and assemble in under 30 mins. 🚲 To cover YOUR bases, Obed offers a 30-day-no-questions-asked moneyback guarantee and 6 years of warranty on frames and forks. Many brands have tried selling cutomised bikes in the past, including Rose and Canyon. Trek, Orbea and the big players offer it as well but only for their super expensive models. What I like about this is that you can really chose a build that you like, paint it the way you like and still return it, if you don't like the ride feel or quality. And you don't have to spend 8000 € to get it, most of the bikes are in the 2-3,5k USD price range. Not exactly cheap but not exuberant either. Now, with lengthy supply chains and production in Asia customisation is basically a major pain that doesn't pay off. But the recent economic turmoil is leading many brands to shorten the supply chain and bring production back closer to home. This also opens up a new set of doors for customisation, since more control and quicker lead times can potentially make customisation a viable option for other brands. ❓The big question is: do you think (some) cycling brands should (once again) offer customisation as they bring back production closer to HQ?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #newbikeday #marketing #customisation #translationagency

Campagnolo is back in the game - but what does it mean? A few weeks ago the news hit the fan. Or was it something else? Anyway, we found out that Campagnolo has returned to the WorldTour with a 4-year deal with Cofidis. The Italian superbrand has been conspicuously absent in the 2024 season, despite being a constant part of the peloton since forever, basically. Now we'll see their components, including SuperRecord Wireless (S) groupsets and Bora wheels, on the Look bikes ridden by team Cofidis. What does it mean? A few things: 🚲 Campy will be able to plug into the feedback loop provided by professional riders, which is unparalleled. This may improve and speed up R&D. 🚲 We will once again see beautify configured bikes in the Pro Peloton - Look + Campagnolo is a stunning match. 🚲 The requirements of the WorldTour team can lead to improvements of the top-tier SuperRecord WIreless and SuperRecord Wireless S groups. 🚲 Campagnolo may witness an increase in sales and inquiries stemming from the improved image of a true performance brand. Now, it's unlikely that this will seriously disrupt or change the composition of the component market. But it should have a positive influence on the iconic Italian brand. I, for one, welcome this development. I've felt like something was missing. And it's not just about tradition. Campagnolo hasn't been as present on the market as the quality of their components would suggest. I hope this changes a little bit. ❓What do you think? Will WorldTour presence help Campagnolo's position?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #campagnolo #translationagency #marketing

5 Myths Cycling Brands Cling To Cycling as an industry is not a monolith. It's a mass of brands, users, and various other stakeholders. It's varied. There are, though, some myths that are common. 🚲Myth number 1: "English is good enough for marketing in Europe" In fact, only about 56% Germans speak English to some degree. In Spain that's about 22%, in France – 39%, Italy – 34%. And remember that speaking English and being willing to make purchasing decisions in English are 2 different things. So if you want to do business in those countries, do it in their native languages. 🚲Myth number 2: "AI is good enough for our purposes" That's half-myth. If you really have no budget, using AI can be a solution. But it's short-term and should be mainly used to see if having your content translated increases traffic, conversion or sales. Once you know that, opt for professional-grade translation. It's like moving from a cheap AL bike to a high-grade carbon bike. The difference is immediately noticeable. 🚲Myth number 3: "Our employees can do the translations themselves" Actually, they can. But is it part of their job? Or are you just piling up extra work? Will they do it on time? And is being a cyclist a requirement for EVERY employee of a cycling brand? There are usually more answers than questions here. And the effect is rarely great. 🚲Myth number 4: "There are no translation agencies that understand cycling" Untrue. Endurance Translations is exactly that. We are cyclists, triathletes, bikepackers, mountain bikers. We are translators. We understand our clients' audiences because we are part of them. Which means we know how to shape the message. 🚲Myth number 5: "Outsourcing to freelancers makes more sense, as agencies are overpriced" There are upsides and downsides with outsourcing to freelancers. Usually it's more work on your side, both in terms of pure admin (invoices, POs etc.) and management. But it's also more difficult to scale, add languages, get extra services. A good, specialist agency can consolidate all that and add some extra layers on top (like editing, quality control, glossary building, workflow optimisation). It's not a solution for every brand, though. Mind you, I didn't just imagine all of those. These myths are the result of dozens or hundreds of conversations with various people in the industry. ❓What other myths are popular in the cycling industry?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #translationagency #communication #marketing

One of the most frequent questions I get asked When I talk to cycling, triathlon, running or swimming brands, one of the first questions I get asked is: "so how do you charge for your services?". It's really, really simple. We charge fees based on the amount of work required. The more work. The more we charge. It's really that simple. But how do we get at a figure? There are several ways: 🚲 The simplest is when we're just doing translation for our clients. The fee is typically based on the number of words. Words x fee = cost. Easy. 🚲 For other tasks we may charge an hourly fee, like for reviewing your website translations directly on the website. Hours x fee = cost. 🚲 For yet other types of tasks we may charge a flat "per execution" fee. Like when we're doing a long-term copywriting project, we may charge a fee per article. no. of articles x article fee = cost. 🚲 For more complex projects it will usually be a combination of the above that simply results in a single figure. Now, the big question is - why should you care? For the simplest of reasons - to know how much you'll pay for something, I need to know how much work is involved. So if you want your website translated, I need to have a way to count the number of words. A few ways to go about that: 🚲 You can send me a document with website copy (Word, Excel or any other file format). 🚲 You can download a file with website content using your CMS. 🚲 You can provide us access to the website backend/CMS, so we can do that ourselves. 🚲 We can work using your preferred localisation platform, if you have one, or chose one of our own to automate content retrieval and upload. And while with modern, shopify-based websites this becomes a bit more complex, the basic idea is valid: to quote you on a project, we need to know the exact scope in words, hours etc. 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #translationagency #business #running #triathlon

Some bikes just have that X factor This, ladies and gents, is the Sturdy Tara, a custom geometry Ti hardtail MTB that you can configure for racing or rolling around your local single tracks with the family. Sturdy is a British custom bike builder established in 2014. Each bike is built to the unique specification of the future owner, including geometry, handling preferences etc. This means that the Tara can be configured as a full-on XC racing machine or an easy-going cruising bike for off-road fun in a local bike park. What makes it special? Just look at it and you'll instantly notice the beauty and craftsmanship. A few interesting tidbits: 🚲 The frame, stem, crankset, chainring etc. are Ti – either machined or 3D printed. 🚲 The bottom bracket is also Ti – custom machined T47 with Enduro bearings. 🚲 All bolts and through axles are again Ti. 🚲 OK, to make it short - everything that CAN be made with Ti – either 3D printed or machined – is made of Ti. Cool, right? The bike is build around a short travel fork, because that allows to preserve the handling of the frame itself, which in turn is dialed in to the customer's requirements. Tyre clearance of 29x2.4" means that you can ride it basically wherever you wish, but you can also go with 650b+ setup if you want more. Now, the bike does not come cheap at £6000 + VAT, but considering the quality, craftsmanship and customisation options, it seems to be worth it. And since this is Ti, it will almost certainly outlive you. To me it's amazing. The bike confirms that Sturdy's team is all about attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. If you want a bike that is fun AND turns heads, this is probably it. ❓Would you buy a custom Ti 29" hardtail?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #mtb #titanium #3dprinting #translationagency

Some people race. Some become legends It was at the ITU World Triathlon Series finale in Cozumel, Mexico in 2016. After 2 hours of racing (🏊1500 metres, 🚴40 km and 🏃10 km) Jonny Brownlee was comfortably leading with South Africa's Henri Schoeman in second and Alistair, Jonny's older brother, in third. All three were also medalists from the Rio Olympics just 2 months prior, where Alistair claimed gold, Jonny – silver and Henri Schoeman – bronze. But barely 500 metres from the finish line Jonny Brownlee came out of a turn and basically blacked out. His body couldn't take it no more. He stumbled and nearly fell. He was gone. And just when we thought he wouldn't finish, his brother Alistair came around. Picked him up and helped him towards the finish line. It was a moment of pure class and sportsmanship. Alistair not only lost his chance to win gold, at the last moment he also pushed Jonny forward so that his brother was second and he - third. Legendary. That's the only word that can describe this moment. But it wasn't just his actions in Cozumel that made Alistar Brownlee a triathlon legend. He's a double Olympic Champion (Rio and London), 4-time ITU World Champion, 2-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion, 2-time European Champion, 2-time Junior ITU World Champion… The list goes on and on. And on November 21 the 36-year-old Brit announced that he's retiring from the sport. He and his brother Jonny had a profound impact on the sport. The Brownlee brothers inspired thousands of people to pick up triathlon. To move. He's also changed how ITU triathlons are raced. The legendary Javier Gomez called him "the most complete triathlete" that raced in a "supper-aggressive, tactically really good" way. And while his move to long-distance triathlon was only partially successful (successes in 70.3 but not in Ironman-distance races), he is retiring as a true legend of the sport. Hats off, Alistair! We will miss you on the courses. ❓Have you seen any of the Brownlee brothers' races?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #triathlon #sports #translationagency #cycling #running

A PR campaign is one of the key components of a successful product launch But it usually sounds easier than it actually is. There are many moving elements behind it and one of them includes the press release. I was hoping to write a post about this, but it turned out too long, so here's an article. Hope you enjoy it. ❓Did I miss anything? Got any other tips?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #PR #translationagency #translation #marketing

Are we witnessing a revolution in cycling apparel? A few years ago, you couldn't walk out of your home without stumbling over a new wheel brand. These days, apparel brands are all the rage. But not all of them are created equally. True, many offer outstanding designs, great fit and many cool features. But in recent years I've noticed that more and more of them make an effort to ensure that they don't just offer jerseys and bibs. That they do something more. Worthwile. One such brand is called Label and was set up by Julian Roberts with the idea of not just offering premium cycling apparel, but also making an impact on the world. OK, so many brands say that. But what makes Label unique? A few things, and here are some examples 🚲 LS Jerseys from their latest collection, The Act of Balance, use up-cycled materials, so basically leftovers from other brands. Hence these odd seams. Although they do look cool. 🚲 The same applies to their bibs – upcycled polyester. This means that those off-cuts don't end up on landfills. 🚲 All products are manufactured in Italy and the labels are hand-stitched locally. No shipping from Asia. 🚲 The collections are manufactured in small batches to minimise unsold, wasted products. That also adds an air of scarcity, since they sell out quickly. 🚲 Separate chamois for men and women. Not a sustainability feature, unless we're talking the fact that it's recycled. Which it is. 🚲 10% of their profits go to charities tackling social causes, while 1% goes to organisations that help the planet. I love what Label is doing here. They're not just offering great-looking jerseys, bibs, gilets and base layers. They're also trying to do that in a sustainable, transparent and responsible way. It's great that they're re-using scraps from other brands that would otherwise go to landfill. And I feel that many other brands could follow suit. Interestingly, such products often look great, because reusing materials sometimes requires you to be more creative with design, stitching etc. I keep hearing that more and more companies in other spheres are backing out of their sustainability pledges. That's why I value those brands, for whom sustainability and responsibility are not just a buzzword. Or part of the latest marketing campaign. Rather it's the foundation of who they are. Because those brands don't back out, they push forward. Making an impact, one jersey at a time. ❓What do you think? Can brands sell products, be profitable AND make a positive impact at the same time?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #apparel #sustainability #business #translationagency

Life is not like a box of chocolates – it's like a gravel ride It's often bumpy and sweaty. Sometimes fun, sometimes hard. With loads of obstacles. And sometimes however hard you pedal, you get stuck dead in the sand. So what does that teach us about life and gravel riding? Well, mostly that I need fatter tires for my gravel bike. Currently running Vittoria Terreno Dry 700x35. ❓What do you recommend in terms of brands, models and widths?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com #cycling #gravel #tires #tips #translationagency

Is this the future of classic Italian superbikes? A few days ago the web got inundated with leaked images showing, apparently, a new Colnago bike that is in development. And thus the rumour mill has started. What do we know so far? Not much. The new platform is supposed to be called Y1Rs. That's a mouthful to pronounce, I admit. The bike is also supposedly designed around the needs of its number 1 user, that is Tadej Pogacar. As you can clearly see, there are evident similarities between it and the Cervelo S5 that team Jumbo has been racing this couple of years. It's also clear that the bike makes use of the relaxation of UCI frame regulations that took palce in 2020. We can also see that the seat post is way in front of the seat tube, which in turn hugs the rear wheel closley. Obviously, the bike looks fast and aero. There are a bunch of other details, but it's all speculation really, until we hear from Colnago themselves. The biggest thing, I think, is that te Italian bike brand is boldly stepping away from their more traditional-looking bikes. Much like Bianchi did in 2023 and 2024 with their Oltre. I personally quite liked the old Colnago bikes. They were modern but not over the top. Obviously, they're fast. However, when even the most traditionalist Italian bike brands embrace new shapes, it seems to suggest a shift in bike trends. The bike is supposed to be unveiled on December 9. So I can't wait to see the detailed images and learn about its features. ❓Do you like the new Y1Rs? And what od you think of this design direction?❓ 🏊🚲🏃Endurance Translations – multilingual translation agency for cycling, running, swimming and triathlon brands. By athletes. For athletes. 🌐www endurancetranslations com\ #cycling #newbikeday #translationagency #design #innovation