DUARTE, CA (BRAIN) — Dahon has plans to expand its sales and business operations in Eastern Europe. The company is appointing a new area sales manager who will oversee partner, product and distributor activity in the region.

"As economic conditions in Eastern Europe improve, its consumers are enjoying increased brand-consciousness — presenting Dahon with an attractive opportunity to develop its business efforts," a Dahon statement said.

Dahon recently moved all production for Europe to Bulgaria. The comapny is considering candidates to fulfill the new position starting in January. 

BROOKLYN, NY (BRAIN) — The bike community in New York is taking action to help Sandy recovery efforts. Among other efforts, sales of a special jersey are benefitting recovery in the Red Hook neighborhood, and organizers of a canceled Staten Island cyclocross race are urging racers to use the day to volunteer, instead.

Red Hook relief

Castelli and Brooklyn retailer Gage+DeSoto are selling a custom jersey with proceeds to benefit Sandy recovery efforts in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn.

"Countless homes, shops, artist studios, restaurants, bars, and workshops have been devastated," Gage+DeSoto said. The special jersey was designed by Jonah Birns and will be sold exclusively on Gage+DeSoto until December 1 and shipped in mid-January.

Profits from these jerseys will be split between the Red Hook Initiative and Restore Red Hook. The RHI is an established community center and RRH has been set up to help the many devastated small businesses.

The jersey is available in race-weight short sleeve in men's and women's sizes, or in thermal long sleeve in men's sizes only. The jerseys sell for $100 for the short sleeve and $120 for long sleeve on the Gage+DeSoto site. 

No race? Volunteer

Organizers of the Staten Cross race decided to cancel Saturday's event, which would have been the fifth annual, and roll entries into next weekend's Super Cross Cup races on Long Island. Those who were registered for the Staten Island race are now automatically registered for next Saturday's race on Long Island.

But the Staten Island crowd is urging 'crossers to use the free weekend to help out those in need after Sandy. On Saturday, people are meeting at NYC Velo in the East Village, 64 2nd Avenue, and car pooling to Staten Island to help. The shop also is accepting donations.  They need the following supplies: contractor bags, batteries, buckets, blankets, water, shovels, flashlights, cleaning supplies, etc.  

Contact NYC Velo for more information.

Editor's note: The following column was written by Judy Amabile, the president of Polar Bottle Product Architect's Inc. and Adeline Bash, public relations associate for Polar Bottle Product Architect's Inc. 

When people look back at the Tour de France race records from 1999 to 2005, the winner’s slot will stand empty — testimony to the widespread doping that has not only pocked the prestigious race’s history, but also threatened to tarnish the reputation of the entire United States cycling industry.

As members of the U.S. cycling industry and fans of the sport, many of us feel sad and disappointed by the recent doping scandal. We cannot, however, let the scandal overshadow the progress we have made in the past decade in fighting obesity, pollution and traffic gridlock by encouraging millions of Americans to take to the streets and trails by bike. 

Winning gold medals in prestigious races put U.S. cycling in the international spotlight and helped revitalize this country’s enthusiasm for the sport, which got more Americans on bikes. Behind the scenes, however, we had other equally important victories. Some of the medals might be gone, but the enthusiasm for cycling should not go with them. 

In 1999, for example, the Bikes Belong Coalition — a national coalition of bicycle retailers and suppliers — formed to advocate for better public policy and federal funding so more Americans would have access to bicycles and safe paths to ride. 

By the end of the 1990s, Bikes Belong and other organizations, like the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking, helped establish new bike paths and trails in communities across the country as well as secure funding for programs like Safe Routes to School and Complete Streets. 

The mountain biking community has developed hundreds of miles of trails thanks to the hard work of organizations like the International Mountain Bike Alliance and funding from the Federal Recreational Trails Program, established in 1991.

Since its establishment, Bikes Belong alone has won $4.5 billion in federal funding for new bike programs and facilities.  

In 2000, in San Francisco, the city saw a record high number of bike trips to work — up 110 percent from 1990, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Cities Like Portland and New York City followed similar trends. 

That same year, a record high of 20 million new bikes were sold in the United States and since 2000 the number of people who bike to work has increased by 43 percent, according to the League of American Bicyclists. 

Over the past decade, there have been a rising number of highly successful community bike-sharing programs — fueled by a growing movement of Americans dedicated to environmental preservation through alternative transportation. 

Bike races, events and clubs are popping up around the country in record numbers. 

Most recently, bikes offered an alternative transportation option for New Yorkers after the city’s subway system was shut down following Hurricane Sandy. 

These victories may not make headlines. That does not, however, discredit the work this community has put into making the United States a more bike-friendly place. It is our responsibility to not allow the recent doping scandal to divert focus from this mission. Do not let the actions of a few undermine the achievements of millions of cyclists using bikes every day to improve the health of our environment, this country and its citizens. 

BROOKLYN, NY (BRAIN) — Commuter bike company Brooklyn Cruiser is expanding into Canada, opening dealers in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary for the 2013 season.

The company is selling dealer direct into Canada, offering its bikes and its vintage style wooden bike crates.  

“We have had strong interest in our brand from Canada since we launched Brooklyn Cruiser and we were waiting for the right time to expand,” said president Ryan Zagata.  “With the successful launch in the Northeast and our national expansion in 2013, we had affirmation that expansion into Canada made sense for our next move.

Brooklyn Cruiser was launched in 2011. The bikes start at $399 retail and are available consumer director and through retailers in the U.S. and Canada. 

AIGLE, Switzerland (BRAIN) — Julien Carron is stepping down as technology coordinator at the international cycling union, UCI, at the end of November, the organization announced Friday.

Carron has been central to the UCI's equipment approval program, including its "UCI Approved" frame stickers.

Philippe Chevallier, UCI's sport and technology director, said that Carron "has chosen new challenges and we wish him a lot of success in his future projects."

Matthew Mottet will take over the position on January 3, 2013, Chevallier said. Mottet is a Swiss materials science engineer with experience in composites.

Chevallier said that from November 19 until January 3, bike industry members with technology business with the UCI can send requests about materials or approval protocol for frames and forks to the technology assistant, Johan Kucaba at johan.kucaba@uci.ch.

ISLAND PARK, ID (BRAIN) — Gaining winter access to national parks for fat bikes is a goal of advocates meeting at January's Fat Bike Winter Summit and Festival, to be held at the Sawtelle Mountain Resort here. 

The second annual event has been expanded from one to three days, January 25-27, and will include product demos, races, group rides, and a Saturday-evening celebration for fat-bike enthusiasts. 

"Our goal with the summit and festival is to continue our work to gain access for fat bikes in national parks," said Gary Sjoquist, advocacy director for QBP, an event sponsor and co-host.

The festival was created by retailer Scott Fitzgerald, founder of Fitzgerald's Bicycles in Victor, Idaho.  Last year's summit educated land managers from local, state and federal agencies about the growing popularity of winter fat biking—also known as snow biking.

"There are endless opportunities for single and multi-day riding on groomed trails, complete with frequent directional kiosks and a well-marked trail system throughout," said Fitzgerald.

Jay and Tracey Petervary, nationally recognized fat bike experts and endurance riders, will lend their expertise for clinics, group rides and land management meetings. Additionally, representatives from Grand Targhee Resort, the first ski resort in the U.S. to promote fat biking on their Nordic trails system, will discuss how fat biking fits in their winter business plan.

More information: www.FatBikeSummit.com. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN) — Giro chose Golden Saddle Cyclery in Los Angeles’ hip Silverlake neighborhood to preview its new line of casual and performance road apparel to the cycling media on Thursday evening. 

Selections from the forthcoming line of 14 wool shorts, loose fitting Merino jerseys and windproof jackets were styled on mannequins and hung on racks in the shop filled with media, employees and customers. The crowd perused the collection in between sipping beers poured from a keg out back and munching on burgers grilled in a food truck parked outside the shop. 

The scene was fitting for the approach Giro is taking with the line, called New Road, as it steers clear of traditional tight Lycra shorts and jerseys and focuses on what it feels is the future of cycling: diversified riders who want apparel that is comfortable, versatile and can be worn on and off the bike. 

Giro hired designer Alex Valdman for the project, who worked closely with Greg Shapleigh, Giro’s senior vice president, on the vision and execution. Valdman, who formerly designed his own label, worked with rap star Kanye West on his clothing line and most recently helped launch Levi’s cycling collection, said the two collaborated and debated on every piece. 

“It definitely takes a village to raise a child,” he said. The line, which will be released in mid-February and initially sold in 20 North American shops and 50 globally, uses New Zealand-sourced wool and 10 of the 14 pieces are sewn in San Francisco at a former’s Levi’s factory.  

Specific details on price and features are being kept under wraps until next year, but the collection is split into two lines: a set designed for 5-mile rides and another for 40-mile rides.  

Giro spokesman Mark Riedy classified New Road as fitting in the apparel spectrum between the high-end road apparel like Assos and true commuter brands like Outlier. 

“There are a lot of people who ride bikes who aren’t pro racers and who aren’t best served by looking like racers,” Riedy said. 

KENT, WA (BRAIN) — Diamondback is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commision on a recall of about 40 cyclocross bikes that were assembled with incorrect headset parts. The incorrect part could cause the steerer tube to fail, although the company has had no reports of incidents.

The model year 2013 Diamondback Steilacoom RCX bicycles were manufactured by Universal Cycle Corp., of Guang Zhou, China. They were sold online through Promotive.com and 3point5.com, as well as through authorized Diamondback retailers nationwide from August 2012 through September 2012 for between $900 and $1100.

The bikes included in the recall are black in color and sold in various sizes ranging from 50-cm to 59-cm. "RCX" is printed on the top tube of the bicycle. 

Consumers are being told to stop using the bikes immediately and contact Diamondback Bicycles at (800) 222-5527 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online at www.diamondback.com.

WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN) — 2012 bike imports reached 14.4 million through September, a 29 percent increase over last year. Suppliers have continued bringing in substantially more kid’s bikes than last year.

Imports of all kid’s bikes — sidewalk, 20-inch and 24-inch  — were up 37 percent over last year; 20-inch bikes were up a whopping 45 percent. These bikes, 8.7 million so far, are headed to mass-market retailers at roughly the same price as last year. It's unlikely parents are buying 37 percent more bikes for their kids this year; some of these bikes are probably going into inventory.

Imports of large wheel adult bikes are up, though the percentage increase cannot match the gains in kid’s categories. Imports of 26-inch mountain and comfort bikes are up 20 percent and the average unit value fell to $112 from $118 last year. Imports of 700c bikes, including road, cross, hybrid and most 29ers, are up 18 percent, but average value tumbled from $310 to $264.

The sharp drop in average value of 700c bikes is partly explained by a larger market for 29ers at mass-market retailers. The low cost bikes headed to that market skew the average value lower. Even 29ers destined to specialty retailers have dropped in cost, according to the BPSA’s September wholesale report. 

IRVINE, CA (BRAIN) — Shimano American broke ground Friday on a substantial expansion to its U.S. headquarters here. The expansion comes on the heels of recently announced expansions at its South Carolina warehouse and the headquarters of its Pearl Izumi division in Colorado.

The Irvine facility is being expanded by 48,000 square feet in distribution space and by 3,000 square feet in office space, said Allen Johnston, Shimano’s senior manager of operations.

Along with Shimano bicycle components and fishing tackle, the company will continue to distribute its G.Loomis fishing rods and PowerPro fishing line from the Irvine location. When the project is complete in August 2013, Shimano will add distribution of its Pearl Izumi cycling and running products.

Shimano American Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Shimano, Inc. Besides its Irvine, South Carolina and Colorado facilities, Shimano manufactures its PowerPro braided fishing line in Grand Junction, Colorado, and its G.Loomis fishing rods in Woodland, Washington. Beginning in January 2013, it will also handle the sales, marketing and distribution of Jackall Lures in the U.S. and Canada.

COSTA MESA, CA (BRAIN)—The National Bicycle Dealers Association invites its members to a webinar Wednesday by business consultant Tom Shay. The webinar, titled Strategies to Win in a Challenging Economy, is from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific standard time.

Shay, a fourth generation small business owner, will provide concrete ideas for retailers including what to do, what not to do and what to stop doing to adapt to a changing consumer.

Shay has written more than 400 articles on small business management. He also works with small business owner, manufacturers and wholesalers. 

NBDA members are encouraged to register since space is limited: www.nbda.com.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Al Nordin is convinced it’s only a matter of time before the market for electric bikes in North America develops into a thriving category. And as the president of Nuvinci’s bike division, he has been positioning the company for the past eight years to be ready for the inevitable.

“It’s happening,” Nordin said. “Our goal is to be there early and after and not be late to the game.”

Nordin is here in Taichung talking to product managers about Harmony, an auto-shifting system that works in concert with the company’s N360 hub. Harmony, which is in production now, operates through a speed sensor that sends signals to a sealed motor unit based on rider pedal cadence. With the smooth turning continuously variable planetary (CVP) hub, the set is an ideal combination for electric bikes, which riders often tend to forget to shift, Nordin said. 

Since Eurobike, Nuvinci has signed up about 30 OEMs to spec Harmony on 2014 model year e-bikes, including a few European brands that plan to enter the U.S. market. Nuvinci also works closely with other suppliers like Gates Carbon Drive, Bosch and FSA to incorporate their products with Harmony and N360. Gates’ belt drive and Bosch’s popular mid-motor e-bike drive system are natural partners for Nuvinci’s setup, as is FSA’s Patterson sealed front derailleur. 

Nuvinci also plans to sell Harmony retrofit kits through its dealer network, as well as offer pre-laced wheelsets with the N360 hub. Nuvinci is also working to adapt its system to the new generation of so-called speed pedelecs hitting the market in Europe. Those e-bikes generally offer up to 45 kilometer per hour pedal assistance powered by a 500-watt motor, however, the Nuvinci hub is currently covered under warranty for motors up to 300 watts. 

Eight years after first hitting the market under parent company Fallbrook Technology, Nuvinci has inched steadily inched its way into the market as viable competitor among internal gear hub suppliers with spec on 200 bike models globally. It’s lower priced than Rohloff or Alfine 11, but is a premium product that is typically seen on commuter bikes retailing at $800 and higher. At 2.4 kilograms (5 pounds) and a few hundred grams more than Shimano’s Nexus 8, the hub isn’t for weight weenies, but “we’re not in the gram game,” Nordin notes. Nordin said the two-wheeled division is self-sufficient, profitable and takes up about 20 percent of company resources. It doubled its business last year and is on track for record growth this year, Nordin added. 

Fallbrook has multiple financial investors, including private equity and the 100 original angel investors, but no one entity holds a majority share. It recently licensed its CVP technology to automotive manufacturers Allison and Dana for use in next-generation transmissions designed to increase fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and improve vehicle performance. 

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Taiwan’s manufacturing hub transforms into an industry show and tell session this week as product managers and sales teams merge in Taichung to talk about 2014 product and beyond. 

Two events, Taichung Bike Week and Ride On, will pull in about 4,000 people to four downtown hotels between today and Friday as product managers meet with suppliers to make final decision on 2014 spec and start talking about model year 2015.  

 A total of 258 brands are set up in hotel rooms and ballrooms in the Evergreen, Tempus and Splendor hotels along Taichung’s busy Port Road, a main thoroughfare buzzing with scooters, pedestrians and cars. Ride On, a smaller group of 15 brands, is located at the nearby Hotel One. 

Bike Week has always drawn industry product managers, buyers, designers, owners and OEM sales reps from mainstream markets in North America, Asia and Europe, but it is becoming more global, said organizer Katerina Rejchrtova, noting visitors from Brazil, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Singapore, Malaysia and even Oman. 

“I think people are realizing if they want to see the newest trends, they need to come here,” Rejchrtova said, standing outside the booth of her employer Pro-Lite, on Tuesday morning in Taichung.
The low-key week has become pivotal for the industry, and many use the time in Taichung to also visit factory partners or local distributors. And although many product managers from major North American brands have already finalized spec decision for next year by now, they all come to Bike Week anyway prepared to make last minute changes if something new catches their eye.  

That possibility makes the $1,500 Praxis’ Adam Haverstock paid for a booth at the Splendor Hotel for the week well worth it. Late Tuesday, a product manager from a top brand frustrated with his current supplier paid Haverstock an unscheduled visit to see Praxis’ forged chainrings, a meeting Haverstock was hopeful would turn into an order. 

“That’s a victory for a small company. It’s like the unknown 5^th man on the bench in the NBA being told ‘you’re in,’” he said. Haverstock was showing the company’s new selection of Turn carbon fiber and aluminum hollow forged road and mountain crank arms. The brand was a skunkworks project for owner Dragontech that turned into a vehicle to promote the Praxis chainrings, and now Praxis is selling the rings, bottom bracket and crank as a set to OEMs. 

Haverstock and other exhibitors at the Splendor were pleased this year that traffic was steadier than in the past when the hotel was mostly overflow for obscure brands from the crowded Evergreen and Tempus. This year, Splendor is hosting 75 brands, including SR Suntour, which moved from the Evergreen and is a big draw for OEMs. 

The additional brands, which are all set up in a large ballroom instead of individual hotel rooms, gives more people a reason to make the 10-minute trek from the main two hotels, said Thomson’s David Parrett, who was set up at a small table showing the U.S. brand’s new selection of road, mountain and ‘cross bars and the new dropper seatpost.

Taichung Bike Week falls for the first time before the Thanksgiving holiday this year, a schedule that seems to work for 

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Hutchinson is courting U.S. product managers with a more North American centric line-up designed to jumpstart its three-year goal to break into the top three tire brands in the market.

Leading the charge is Kevin Buchet, who moved from headquarters in France last March to take over sales and marketing for the North American division. Since Buchet came onboard, Hutchinson has already increased its sales turnover by 75 to 80 percent by instituting a new distribution model, lowering retail prices and hiring regional sales reps. 

The U.S. is Hutchinson’s top priority, having already gained strong positioning in France, Italy and Spain. Currently the U.S. ranks fifth in terms of sales volume for Hutchinson, which sells three times as many tires in Spain, Buchet said.

“There is huge potential there for a good brand, produced in France. We control everything and are supported by a company of 3 billion euros with 150 engineers and an R & D budget of 200 million euros,” Buchet said. 

Instead of selling only through distributors, Hutchinson now works directly with shops on larger initial orders, and relies on distributors for fill-ins. It has hired pro racer Rahsaan Bahati to handle West Coast sales and will have an East Coast rep in place by February, Buchet said. It also lowered MSRP on road tires by 25 percent and mountain bike tires by 10 percent to better compete.

“We want to get people riding the tires so we do a big effort this year. We want to make sure price is not a problem for them,” he said. Hutchinson has also revised its offering to include wider XC tires, fit more for North America, five 650B options and a new 240-gram road tubeless tire that is 6 percent faster than its pro tour tubulars.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — U.S. based White Brothers is assembling its newest generation Loop Series suspension forks in Taiwan to serve its OE customers.

The company had previously done all fork assembly at its facility in Grand Junction. It continues to machine most of the forks' innerds in Colorado, then ships them to Taiwan for assembly. Fork legs, steerer tubes and crowns are manufactured in Taiwan. White Brothers' aftermarket forks are still assembled in Colorado.

Global sales director Paul Aieta said Taiwanese assembly reduces costs and leadtimes for OE customers, who include Jamis and Salsa.

White Brothers is part of Mountain Racing Products, which also owns the MRP, Kreitler, Tamer and Power Grip brands. At the Taichung Bike Week here this week, MRP is showing its wide array of chain guides, chain tensioners and bash guards — and two-in-one and all-in-one products for OE use.

Aieta noted that recent changes by drivetrain component makers have kept MRP engineers on their toes. SRAM's Type II and Shimano's Shadow Plus rear derailleurs reduce the need for extra chain tensioners, while dedicated single- and double-chainring cranks for mountain bikes require bash guards to be attached to the frame, rather than the crank spider. SRAM's 1x11 drivetrain, not in wide use yet, might reduce the need for tensioners and guides (but not bash guards). 

VISTA, CA (BRAIN)—Electra Bicycle Company recently relocated to a larger office space and distribution center. Company CEO Skip Hess said the new global headquarters in Vista, California, offer 25 percent more space and will help the company meet higher product demand and accommodate its growing staff and product lines.

Electra also ships from two other distribution warehouses in the U.S. and operates a European office that supports sales in 25 countries. 

The Vista, California, headquarters employs 36 people.

The new address is 3275 Corporate View, Suite A, Vista, California 92081. Phone numbers remain the same.

WATERLOO, WI (BRAIN) — A new book written by Trek president John Burke becomes available Wednesday through Trek retailers, Amazon and iBooks. “One Last Great Thing” is a tribute to the life and lessons of the company’s founder and John’s father, Richard Burke, who started the bike company in a red barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

John writes about the history of Trek and his father’s role in the success of the company in this 144-page hardcover book published by Simon & Schuster. In an announcement, Trek describes it as an intimate portrayal of a relationship between father and son from which readers will take away lessons on how to succeed in life and in business.

“I wrote the book for my children but the further along I got, the more I thought that what my father left behind could benefit more people than just the family he loved,” said John. “I hope readers find this message as inspirational as I still do.”

Profits from the sale of the book (list price $19.99) will be donated to DreamBikes, a nonprofit bike shop that provides job training skills and affordable bikes to at-risk youth and communities.

CARLSBAD, CA (BRAIN) — Spy, a supplier of eyewear to the cycling, motorsports, snow and action sports markets, reported an 8 percent increase in net sales during the third quarter and 10 percent uptick through the first nine months of the year.

Sales revenue for the quarter ending Sept. 30 totaled $9.9 million, compared with $9.2 million for the same quarter last year. Most of the growth was seen in its core Spy brand products, which surged $1.4 million or 17 percent compared to last year. Licensed eyewear — it designed, manufactured and sold eyewear under the O’Neill, Melodies by MJB and Margaritaville brands — is no longer a focus for the company, so sales have dropped off significantly. They made up only $0.1 million for the quarter.

Through September, Spy said sales revenue totaled $27.5 million, up from $24.9 million in 2011. Its core Spy products accounted for $27.1 million of that total. Licensed product sales dropped from $1.7 million last year to $0.4 million, for the same time period.

"We are happy to have achieved our sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth,” said Michael Marckx, Spy’s president and CEO. "We are especially pleased that we were able to grow our North American snow goggle and sunglass businesses because of such a poor snow season last year that we believe caused many of our retailers to have relatively high inventory levels going into this 2012 fall snow goggle buying season."

The company said it was able to trim its net loss for the quarter significantly. Operating expenses—including general and administrative costs—were down compared to 2011, when the company paid more in legal and consulting costs associated with the restructuring of management.

Spy said that it has also reduced the number of employees as it changed its European business from a direct sales model to a distribution model. It anticipates that this change, as well as less spending on marketing programs, will lower its future breakeven point.

The company sells through a select number of independent bicycle dealers, as well as Sport Chalet, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.