Meet Piers: Reid's New Product Manager

We are delighted to announce that Piers has joined Reid as our new Product Manager! With a wealth of experience and a track record of delivering exceptional results, Piers is perfectly positioned to lead our projects to new heights.

His dedication to excellence and passion for fostering innovation makes him a fantastic addition to the Reid family.

We are confident that Piers will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our projects and deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients. Please join us in giving him a warm welcome to the team, and keep reading if you want to find out more about his journey.

Piers, tell us a little about yourself…

Hi, my name is Piers, I'm 29 and live in Staffordshire, UK. I have been a product manager for another UK based bike brand for a couple of years and before that have worked in design, engineering and manufacturing within the cycling industry since I graduated from university. I studied Product Design & Management and have always had a love for cycling - I've ridden bikes since I can remember and my first job was fixing punctures and building bikes in one of Birmingham's well established bike shops at age 14. Like many young kids, I owe my love for cycling to my Dad who himself has been a lifelong cyclist, and I've always wanted to be involved in bicycle design ever since I was at secondary school.

How did you get involved with Reid?

I knew about Reid from being in the industry - in the UK you could consider Reid as one of the new bike brands on the block compared to the many whose heritage stretches back 100 years or so - however, they come to the market offering something different and that is something I admire. Their sustainability pledge means they have planted over 360,000 trees which goes someway in offsetting the CO2 emissions of producing bikes and the shipping required for global trade. You can also see the whole business believes in moving to a greener, cleaner future and at the very heart of that is of course good value, well designed and accessible bikes, eBikes and eScooters. For a bike brand who has only been around for just over 15 years, they've made an incredible impact and it's exciting to be a part of that.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Everything! Myself and Leon (Head of Product) have the best job in the house - working on our own portfolio of fantastic bikes and servicing a range of PLP clients who come to us for our knowledge of good product and how to deliver it to the market. When you've been interested in cycling and worked in shops and the industry for years, it's a real privilege to work in a small, progressive and diverse team designing the best bikes we can to serve the needs of riders of all abilities. If I was to pin it down to one aspect, it has to be the journey of refining the spec, geometry and design on paper and seeing that come to life in samples and production bikes, and then of course getting out and testing them! The other thing is working with a really good group of people who enjoy what they do and want to have some fun along the way. Bikes and cycling shouldn't be taken too seriously - they're meant to be fun and enjoyed by all, so working on them should be the same!

Where do you see Reid going in the future?

Without doubt Reid will continue growing and establishing themselves as a bike brand who punch above their weight and help make the planet a better place along the way. Being a small, knowledgeable and dynamic team gives strength to be reactive to the ever changing market on a global scale. At the very centre of the business is a drive to do things right and Rob does a superb job of that both internally within the team and externally with suppliers and clients.


What is an average day in the life of Piers Riley?

Well, it's an early start at between 5:30 - 6:00am to either go to the gym, jump on Zwift or walk the dog. I'm at my desk at 7:00am with a coffee in hand and begin by setting out what needs doing for the day. Emails also come early in the day, as most of our contact comes from factories and suppliers who are on the other side of the world, so the morning provides a good window of communication with them. Once all the critical communication is done to keep projects rolling, it's on to developing new ranges or making updates to existing bikes for our own portfolio or working on clients projects.


How do you like to unwind after work?

The first thing I usually do is take the dog out for a walk, and an early start means an early finish, so it's great to be walking the dog at 4pm in the winter and seeing some daylight! Depending on what I've done in the morning, I may either head out on a bike ride or do a quick session at the gym before coming home and cooking dinner. I've always enjoyed cooking since I was a young teenager, so usually I'm in charge in the kitchen which usually rids me of the washing up duties!


Finally, what advice would you give to non or novice cyclists out there?

Cycling is just a fantastic sport. It's not only beneficial for your health and wellbeing and can be enjoyed on your own and with others, but it's also an incredibly practical tool for getting around. Jumping on a bike can be daunting if you haven't ridden since you were young, and there can be a lot of snobbery and focus on equipment at the top end which can be off putting. However, just remember it's about getting out and riding, and the most heartwarming stories of people discovering their love for cycling nearly always come from those just starting out and on the most basic of bikes. A basic, entry level bike can almost always achieve 99% of what a top end bike can do, so remember, it's not about the bike, it's about you getting out and riding. For some practical advice, whether riding at night or during the day, I always have a good quality set of day time lights on my bike. With all cars now having DRL, a cyclists can easily become less noticeable if they don't have lights on their bike, so a set of decent lights is the first step to helping you stand out to other road users.

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