Imagine you were planning a surprise birthday party for someone special in your life. You hired a band, got a brilliant three-tier cake designed with a little marzipan version of this 'someone special' sitting on top - doughily resplendent in their favourite lycra - and invited all of their best friends. Then the big day rolls around, and it turns out that they'd been filled in on all the details already. No big surprise face, no watery eyes, and actually they'd already eaten the cake and danced to all the band's best tracks.
Bike launches are a little bit like the brand throwing a surprise birthday party. Except, if the surprise gets blown then a load of people have to bust their guts to make up for it. There are very real commercial repercussions too. Small bike shops - many of whom are already feeling the pinch - might even lose money.
