Michael Dhulst

Phase 1 of our new booking system is live. When there isn’t a solution available, we build it, we’re stoked to see this dev project come to life. Take a quick read below why we couldn’t just use an existing booking tool. It’s been live for a couple of weeks now and already proving to be an invaluable tool added to the RideWrap arsenal. Go check it out!

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it's a continuous work-in-progress with no end in mind. every production run carries the learnings from the past. every iteration has a reason for being.

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The 54th edition of the Alt Goes Mainstream AGM Weekly newsletter is out! The €20M soccer match. I’m still thinking about the electric scenes after attending last night’s UEFA Champions League match at Wembley Stadium between Real Madrid C.F. and Borussia Dortmund, where Real made the most of its chances and lifted the trophy with a 2-0 victory. The Champions League is the pinnacle moment in European club football. It’s why the best players in the world go to Europe — for a chance to play in the match that defines a European club’s season. It also happens to have a lot on the line for the business side of these clubs. Former Blackstone & Airbnb CFO and Founder & Managing Partner of WestCap Laurence A. Tosi said on a recent Alt Goes Mainstream podcast that “scale begets scale.” Well, in sports, that quote could be translated into “success begets success.” That’s certainly the case for clubs that advance through the stages of the Champions League. The prize for winning last night’s match? €20M. A win last night meant that Real would pocket a total cash prize of around €118.5M. A win for Dortmund would bring home €102.1M, according to Diario AS. Add €100M in additional revenues to the club’s income statement and those figures start to look incredibly meaningful. Read on for more about why the quest for Champions League glory can be so impactful for soccer clubs 👇 The AGM Weekly, brought to you by 3i Members covers: 🗂️ AGM Index, an index that tracks the leading publicly traded alternative asset managers. 🗞️ AGM News of the Week, this week covering: 📌 Institutional Investor's Michael Thrasher on how and why insurers are increasing their allocations to private markets and what it means for the future of private markets. 📌 Citywire's Alex Steger on J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon's warning call and comments on the evolving private credit landscape and Goldman Sachs's $20B raised for their senior direct-lending fund, West Street Loan Partners V. 📌 Financial Times' David Stevenson & Emma Dunkley on Hargreaves Lansdown evolution as a business and the recent bid on their business by CVC Capital Partners. 💻 Who is hiring: Senior-level positions from companies Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, Inc., iCapital, Blue Owl Capital, AltExchange, Brown Advisory, LemonEdge, Canoe Intelligence, Allocate, PitchBook. Subscribe 👇 to see the latest trends & navigate this rapidly changing landscape as alts go mainstream. https://lnkd.in/eXEbi6Nd

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We can’t say for certain that our cycling shoes are the most comfortable in the world. However, we can say that we have one of the most complete ranges of shoe sizes, in length, width and volume, within the cycling industry. We can say that we’ve been innovating cycling shoe technologies for over 40 years, and that we continue to strive for excellence in every cycling shoe we produce. Why not take a look at lake cycling shoes for yourself and see why many people do regard us as being one of the most comfortable cycling shoe brands in the world you be the judge. Lake: where comfort and performance go hand in hand with innovation, quality and style. #lakecycling #cyclingshoes #cycling #bikefit #widefeet

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🎙️ New Episode Alert on #SurfingUnicorns coming soon 🚀 This Sunday, we will launch a new episode on Spotify! 🌊 Marc Ebinger shares his journey in big wave surfing, working with two expert coaches, Arron Strong and Antonio Silva, to constantly expand his skill set. Just like in business, growth comes from pushing beyond your limits and surrounding yourself with the right experts. 🏄‍♂️ For the first time Sebastian Geyr then dives into how this idea applies to the business world, especially at RIMASYS. He highlights the importance of company culture and how bringing in global corporate experience—particularly from the medtech industry—can add real value if it fits with the company’s vision. It’s all about finding the right balance between expertise and cultural alignment. Here’s a sneak peek—don’t miss the full episode this Sunday on Spotify! 🎧 👉 Make sure to tune in: Follow Surfing Unicorns on LinkedIn and on #Spotify for insights on company culture, skill development, and building a strong team. #Startups #CompanyCulture #Leadership #MedTech #CorporateExperience #Teamwork #BigWaveSurfing #Spotify #SurfingUnicorns #Growth #Rimasys

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As rowers, we understand the importance of length through the water. And that’s why athletes at the highest level of the sport trust Shimano. The innovative pivot design of our Virtual Pivot Foot Stretcher allows unrestricted ankle mobility, enabling you to compress deeper and transfer maximum power to the boat. More comfort at the front end allows a more efficient blade placement at the catch and a reduction in blade slip as you initiate the drive. Say goodbye to traditional footboards. Embrace a seamless connection with the boat. Engineered for more comfort and efficiency, these shoes ensure a fit that optimizes your rowing experience. This is especially true during the critical first 10% of the leg drive. Don't settle for equipment that doesn't "fit" quite right. Elevate your rowing with an individual ownership solution and experience the difference precision footwear can make. + Like this post + Comment below with the most unforgettable competition you've raced in Shimano footwear.

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Trendwatching: 🇫🇷 the rebirth of the French cycling industry. The French government has been cooking up a nationwide support scheme for reshoring the cycling industry to benefit from its growth since before the launch of the European cycling plan. As much as France has a powerful car industry, they see the prevailing winds of lightening mobility and have looked enviously over the border to the juggernauts in Benelux and Germany - who also own a large share of their high-end bike mobility market at the moment. A result of this initiative just opened up, and is likely to be just one event in this greater strategy of onshoring to watch: Cyclab, Owner of the Culture Velo (high-end sport), Bouticycle (generalist upper mid-range), and Velo Station (urban mobility), chains just opened its' own assembly factory with a target production capacity of 15'000 units (and future expansion likely). cyclab provided €1.4M and the government €1.8M for this initiative. They're not kidding around with near-shoring; France means business. Though its short-term goal is to assemble for multiple brands; it is probable that in these times of margin compression a major vertical integration will be at the forefront of cyclab's goals, with Deathlon now also directing its vertical integration strength into mobility and high-end recreation. Home brand bikes will likely be created and assembled here in not too long. Although the French mobility marketplace is growing, it isn't a golden goose just yet (Recreational bikes are still where most turnover is, hence this factory doing that primarily as it opens). The ASP of city bikes in France was under €350 last year... compared to some €1500 in the Benelux. All the same, Moustache has proven that French brands can not just follow the quality import brands; they can take a workable share of the high-end game. YoY mobility growth is still notable in France, in both units and ASP. As things are going, France may resemble BNL & DE a lot more in 7-10 years' time... and they have a big potential city bike consumer market, with high overall urbanization. Quote by the founder of the group: "Currently, this unit acts as a subcontractor and responds to requests from startups, local authorities, and major brands who need a solution to diverse their assembly geography and complete their units for new models and/or additional volumes,” Briscadieu continues. If the targeted volumes seem moderate, this new factory has been designed to be able to produce mid-range, regular bikes and e-bikes, and even very complicated models linked to mobility, cyclologistics, using new frame materials. Currently, 80% of the first assemblies are sport and mobility bikes, with a wide range of models from gravel to high-end road bikes, cargo bikes, longtails, utility bikes, etc. The e-bike segment will be strongly represented in the production process." Read this Bike Europe article for 36h here. #onshoring #cycling #mobility #verticalintegration #france

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🏆 Introducing the BPT National Rankings – A Game-Changer for UK Padel! 🏆 The Britain Padel Tour (BPT) Rankings bring a well-structured and internationally proven system to the UK padel scene, aligning us with the standards of the world’s top circuits. This ranking system doesn’t just elevate competition; it creates clarity and credibility for players, spectators, and businesses alike. For spectators, the rankings provide a thrilling way to follow the progress of top players and rising stars, making each match even more meaningful. For sponsors and business partners, the structured rankings offer a solid foundation for investing in the sport, as it paves the way for stronger, more competitive events and a vibrant, growing padel community in the UK. With every match and tournament, players earn points and advance in the national rankings, adding a new layer of excitement to the British padel landscape. Join us as we build a stronger, more recognized platform for UK padel! #BritainPadelTour #BPTRankings #UKPadel #ProvenSystem #GrowingTheGame

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"Digital" Helmets are coming. Life Guard included. It is not David Hasselhoff :-). This little Quin guy is only about 1,5cm tall, weighs less than 20 Gr, is 60h up and running, can be beaten. In case you cannot call for help anymore after a crash, he will do it it for you. 40% of the motorcycle riders ride alone. Even more on the bicycle side, especially MTB in remote areas. If you have have an Iphone 15, it even does not need cell phone connection anymore. This small device is a life insurance in case something is happening during your ride. Other than an Apple watch, it is made for 2wheel applications, it detects the impact, measures the impact to your head, detects, if you are moving or not and reports exactly where you are. If you sign for the 24/7 emergency service (with monthly fee), you have a human operator in an emergency center sending you help. Otherwise one of your three emergency contacts in your app, that receives the crash alert, will be your emergency operator. From autumn available for 1 MC Adventure Helmet (A-SRS), 2 MX Helmets (3SRS and EX-SRS), one Fullface MTB helmet (Blade) and 1 open face MTB helmets (Trailfinder). More models are in preperation.

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🚲 The tale of 2 premium brands caught my attention this week 🚲 Colnago and Rapha need no introduction nor explanation from me about their products - Neither, unfortunately, is it news that a top company in the cycling sector is experiencing difficulties in the current climate 🚲 Maybe the question should be 'why is Colnago enjoying so much success?', after all they are selling some of the most expensive road machines at a time when: - Shimano sales are down - Specialized announces big discounts - Trek are discounting like crazy - Van Rysel enters the market with a very-competitively priced quality road machine - Probably every other company you can think of is cutting prices to clear inventory 🚲 So how can Colnago keep its prices high and increase turnover by over 100%, while Rapha closes its US store? - Both companies have long-term presence in the pro peloton, Colnago are currently supplying Team UAE, while Rapha have worked with Team Sky/Ineos, and now EF Education First in the men's peloton 🚲 On the face of it they should both be enjoying some business success, as a result of good publicity gained through their sporting and performance successes 🚲 But that's obviously not the case, so what do you think are the reasons behind the great, and not-so-great results of these firms? Is it: - The Tadej effect - The problems of a UK firm trying to break the US market - Colnago has deeper pockets - People are simply more invested in certain brands - Or is it just that bikes are more important than clothes? - Something else entirely 🚲 DM or let us know in the comments below 👇👇👇 #cycling #premiumbrands #businessenglishcoach ________________________________________ I'm a Bike fan and a Business English Communication Skills coach, and regularly post on both topics. Follow or connect if you don't want to miss any updates https://lnkd.in/dc9tC9Mb

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Where is the Bike/Ebike 🚲 Industry Going?! 🙈👀 After Eurobike, I found myself thinking about the future of the bike and ebike industry. The show was good, filled with friends, discussions, and interesting new products. However, it's clear that the current industry efforts are not enough to ensure a prosperous future. Many expected miracles from this show, but relying on one event to change your business is a problem. I liked seeing new, innovative brands stepping up and challenging established players. These newcomers are not just offering fresh products and services but also redefining business models. This is the kind of disruption the market needs. The 🌍 future of bikes and ebikes is undoubtedly bright. The question is: who will seize the opportunity and make this planet a better place? ⭐ I hope it will be you! ⭐ Don’t be a spectator, don’t expect miracles to happen. Instead, be proactive, change old ways, innovate, disrupt, and create a positive future. #ebike #industry #opportunity #eurobike #business #innovation

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The golf ball is probably the most important part of the game. Imagine this: you never lose a ball on a round (we’re dreaming here). By round 3-5, you’d probably start noticing that the ball doesn’t look or play quite the same. So, like most golfers, you’d throw it in one of the bins on the course and grab a fresh one. But here’s something we don’t usually think about: what happens to that ball after it hits the bin? Chances are, it ends up in a landfill, where it will sit, slowly breaking down over hundreds of years and leaching microplastics into the environment. With over a billion golf balls made every year, that’s a lot of waste piling up. At Verta Golf, we’re on a mission to change that story. We’re working with recycling partners to give used balls a second shot at life. Through our circular program, balls are collected, recycled, and brought back into play, keeping them out of landfills and lowering the environmental impact of the sport we love. Golf is evolving, and we think the equipment should too. #SGW2024 #SustainableGolf #GolfForCommunities

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At the CIE Summit Rosanne Vanpée from the KU Leuven showed interesting numbers from Belgium which should be picked up from other countries as well to be more pro active to support cycling and its not only about more cyclist its as well to support the climate target which the EU states declared to follow. Without a change of the behaviour in the way of mobility those target will be hard to reach. The numbers below shows that even the economic side benefits from it. On the leasing side, Belgium is the leader together with Germany and it shows in both countries that more people choose a bike and leave often the second car behind them. As Rosanne Vanpée shared: "We calculated the additional net value and employment generated for 1,000 additional bicycles, and these are the results": • Each 1,000 additional shared bikes generates €2.9 million in net added value per year and 29 full-time jobs. • Every 1,000 additional leased bikes generates €2.8 million in net added value per year and creates 27 full-time jobs. • Each 1,000 additional cargo bikes used in bicycle logistics generates €8.9 million in net added value and approximately 1,000 full-time jobs. its possible, we just need to continue to work all together.

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🚀 Exciting Update on the DeepGolf App Development! 🚀 The DeepGolf app - a smartwatch-based golf trainer designed to give you personalised insights into every Golfswing - has just passed its first review for the Apple App Store! 🎉 This brings us one big step closer to launch. Right now we're polishing the final details and fixing a few small issues before the app goes live. For me, this milestone is particularly meaningful as it's my first time going through the App Store review process. While it may be routine for some, waiting for the result was nerve-wracking. I was anxious to see what feedback might come back, but it turned out to be just a minor adjustment - a checkbox, a quick clarification, and suddenly we're 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 away from the App Store! I can’t wait to hit the “𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲” button and bring DeepGolf into the hands of passionate golfers everywhere! 🏌️‍♂️💪 If you’d like to be among the first to experience DeepGolf when it launches, sign up for our waiting list! You'll receive a special 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 as soon as the app is available: 👉 www.deep-golf.de Get ready to take your golf training to the next level with DeepGolf's real-time feedback, right on your wrist! #DeepGolf #GolfTraining #SmartwatchApp #Golfers #AppLaunch #AppleAppStore #JoinTheWaitlist #Golf

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More driver related content from me today.

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