PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Portland Design Works’ new Lars Rover is a USB-rechargeable headlight with a Panasonic li-ion battery, CREE LED and Texas Instruments integrated circuit. It is available in 450- and 650-lumen models.

Both lights have alloy construction with a delayed power switch to prevent accidental on and off, and they wake up in the mode last used.

The Lars Rover 450 has five power and function modes with different burn times: 125 lumens for 7.5 hours, 250 lumens for 3.75 hours, 450 lumens for two hours, and fast flashing or pulse for 10 hours.

The 650-lumen light also has five modes: 175 lumens for 7.5 hours, 340 lumens for four hours, 650 lumens for two hours, and fast flashing or pulse for 10 hours.

Both models also provide an additional 15 minutes of low-power safety mode after the low-battery indicator light comes on. The lights fully charge in 5.5 hours with the included USB cord. They come with three mounting options, including a helmet mount and quick-release rubber mount.

MSRP: $85 (Lars Rover 450), $110 (Lars Rover 650).

More information: www.ridepdw.com.

RAPID CITY, SD (BRAIN) — Strider Sports is giving away seven balance bikes every day between Oct. 13 and Dec. 12 as part of its Strider Gives Back promotion. The holiday campaign is designed to help children with special needs learn to ride.

Families must go to www.striderbikes.com/stridergivesback to submit a photo, write a brief story, and name the special needs organization to which the applicant belongs to for consideration.

Strider says its balance bikes help a person with special needs because they break down the task of learning how to ride. With feet safely on the ground, a rider is easily able to maneuver.

Although not originally designed as adaptive bikes, Strider says its bikes are suited for children with Down syndrome, autism, low muscle tone, poor balance, arthrogryposis and cerebral palsy.

Strider’s balance bikes come with 12-inch, 16-inch and 20-inch wheels to suit kids ages 18 months up to early teens.

More information: www.striderbikes.com.

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (BRAIN)—A Missouri woman has filed a lawsuit against Competitor Group Inc. (CGI) and its series of Rock ’n’ Roll marathons and half-marathons that could upend how the company does business.

Yvette Joy Liebesman claims that organizers of the St. Louis Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon recruited her and others to volunteer as race supporters under the notion they were providing a community service for a variety of charity groups.

In an 18-page lawsuit filed Sept. 23 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Liebesman claims CGI, using the veneer of community service, exploited volunteer labor and avoided paying minimum wages to upwards of 1,000 volunteers who have worked at least 24 such events over the past two years.

Liebesman claims that for-profit companies like CGI must pay volunteers a minimum wage, and in her federal lawsuit points out that “volunteering is merely a pretext for obtaining free labor.”

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) makes a distinction between free labor for nonprofits as compared with for-profit enterprises, the suit notes. It also cites state minimum-wage laws, adding that Rock ‘n’ Roll events have been held in 10 states and the District of Columbia.

The suit seeks class-action status by the court, that Liebesman and other volunteers receive unpaid wages, and that CGI pay unspecified damages and attorney fees.           

CGI plans to fight the lawsuit. In a statement released Tuesday, company spokesperson Maya Pogoda said,  “Competitor Group believes that the allegations in the lawsuit are completely baseless and we are confident that once the facts are analyzed it will be resolved quickly.

“The company could not be more proud of the work it has done with over 100 charities nationwide, including St Louis’ Team Activities for Special Kids, and of the millions of dollars it has helped those organizations raise for a wide variety of important causes.”

CGI has organized the St. Louis event for four years, working with some 100 charities. Team Activities for Special Kids has raised more than $2.5 million through the events and has built a facility with the money raised.

CGI is owned by Calera Capital, a middle-market private equity firm with more than $2.8 billion of capital under its management. It has offices in San Francisco and Boston.

Calera acquired CGI in 2012. CGI currently operates 83 events, publishes a number of magazines—Competitor, Velo, Women’s Running and Triathlete—and owns a digital race registration platform, Raceit.com, as well as a number of websites.

According to the lawsuit, the San Diego company routinely solicits charities to help sponsor its events. The charities then pay for the right to call themselves an “Official Charity” of the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon, depending upon the city where it’s being held.

The participating charity can then use the phrase “Official Charity” in its own recruiting, fundraising and marketing campaigns. The charity can also use the event’s logo, and the organizer will include the charity’s link on its website. Typically, participants pledge to raise a certain amount of money for the charity.

Charities must tell CGI what it estimates its planned net fundraising will be one month prior to the race, and then again one week prior to the event, the lawsuit states.

For example, the suit notes that there are four levels of charity participation within the CGI program, with “Official Charity” being the lowest level.

An “Official Charity” must provide at least 10 race participants paying $165 each, guaranteeing CGI $1,650 in revenue, the lawsuit claims. Whatever the participant raises over and above that amount goes to the charity.

Charities can bring a branded tent or rent one for the Charity Village in the finish area. The tent’s size is dictated by how many people register for a particular charity.

CGI uses various participating charities to create “an impression in individuals who might provide it labor, and the public, that its events are not-for–profit” and that the organizer is a not-for-profit business.

“Instead, the official charities are both a revenue stream and a veneer for recruiting free labor for the defendant,” Liebesman claims.

“Through the use of charity groups and its own volunteer recruitment efforts, Competitor Group, a for-profit corporation, has been able to market its events, increase participation rates, and staff its events with necessary labor without providing that labor the federal or state minimum wage,” she added.

Liebesman served as a bicycle escort for lead runners in the Oct. 21, 2012, St. Louis event. CGI officials required that she bring her bike, a cellphone and a hands-free device so she could use her phone while riding. She was also given an event vest and credentials.

As an escort, Liebesman began the race in front of the lead vehicles. As faster runners broke away from the pack, each bicycle escort chose a runner and remained with the runner until near the finish line. The escorts provided a layer of safety for runners by keeping pedestrians away as well as phoning in with times, she claims in her suit. 

CLARENDON, S.C. (BRAIN) — With South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and Walmart and industry executives in attendance, Kent International opened its new bike factory Monday. Since the opening the factory has assembled 1,500 bikes — 500 a day.

"This is exciting, but it's not like I haven't done this before," said Arnold Kamler, Kent International's chief executive officer, referring to the company's New Jersey bike factory active during the '80s.

"And thanks to the governor's office we are opening right on schedule. We have a great group of employees and other than a few hiccups, things have gone smoothly," Kamler said.

The factory is assembling bikes from imported frames and components and hopes to increase daily production to 1,000 bikes a day next year. Within the next two years the company will produce frames, forks, rims and handlebars at the factory.

The first bikes out the factory door are kids' bikes retailing from $79 to $150; most are shipping straight to Walmart. Kent's investment of $4.3 million in the factory was motivated in part by Walmart's Buy America initiative. The giant retailer is pledging to buy an additional $250 billion in American products over the next decade.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Bonk Breaker bars are now being distributed in South Africa by MCNS Group, which will manage sales and distribution throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We are extremely excited about the market opportunity in Southern Africa," said Chris Frank, Bonk Breaker's co-CEO and chairman. "The large and growing active lifestyle community and world-class sporting events provide a perfect fit for Bonk Breaker's nutrition bar lineup. Most importantly, our distribution partner, MCNS Group, has a proven history of success in the sports nutrition space. With their shared passion for Bonk Breaker products we know that the partnership will be a successful one."

MCNS Group's initial Bonk Breaker product offerings will include four energy bar SKU's and two flavors from the brand's growing protein bar range.

Bonk Breaker already has distribution in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Kinetic's new website includes enhanced product information including videos, technical information, reviews, new page layouts and a customer service portal. The website is now live.

The site also includes a new dealer locator.

Kinetic retailers and distributors will have access to a new dealer tools including an expanded image library, a new ad library, and a customer service portal.

"The new website is an easy-to-use resource for our dealers to promote Kinetic products in their stores and in their advertising," said Jason Overman, Kinetic's North American sales manager. "We have image and ad libraries with downloadable files of current ads and key visuals that will allow dealers and distributors more autonomy when marketing Kinetic products."

Customer service has been upgraded with the introduction of a ZenDesk customer service portal.

"The ZenDesk interface will make it much easier for us to process warranty claims faster," said Overman. "The new customer service portal will house a library of technical manuals and detailed product information for current and older products, giving dealers a go-to resource they can easily access."

To celebrate the launch of the new website, Kinetic plans to hold a "30 questions in 30 Days" Facebook contest, with answers to each question found on Kinetic's website. The contest will start Monday, Oct. 20, with the daily winner receiving Kinetic's inRide trainer-based power meter system.

For dealer inquiries, contact Overman at (763)-572-4455 or joverman@kurt.com.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — USA Cycling will begin using a removable dome over the 7-Eleven velodrome at the Olympic Training Center here this winter. The organization said the dome will allow year-round training at the track during the build up to the Rio Olympic Games.

"With the quickly approaching 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, we are seeking every advantage to adequately prepare our athletes to compete with the best in the world," said USA Cycling's CEO and president, Steve Johnson. "However, this significant upgrade of the velodrome in Colorado Springs will not only provide the optimal setting for our track cyclists to live and train throughout the year in the run-up to Rio, but also represents a significant investment in American track cycling that will benefit our growing track community well into the future."

USAC did not say what the dome will cost. The organization said its use will save an estimated $10,000 on annual repair work.

The dome will allow more community use of the track, in addition to its use by elite athletes. The track will add an additional 400 hours of community programs, on top of the 600 hours that are already offered. These will include the "Learn to Ride the Velodrome" program, community training and community races.

The 333.3 meter cement banked track was built in 1982 to provide high-altitude training for American cyclists leading up to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The track also hosted events during the 1986 UCI World Cycling Championships and has played host to dozens of international competitions for both track cycling and roller sport.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Clif Bar's seasonal flavor bars are back for the 12th year this fall, and this time the company is donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of the bar to the not-for-profit organization Protect Our Winters.

The limited-edition seasonal lineup includes Iced Gingerbread, Pecan Pie and Spiced Pumpkin Pie. All three flavors are available nationwide while supplies last for $1.39. The bars are sold through speciality and grocery stores.

"Whether it's the first coat of wax on your skis or unpacking the cold-weather hiking gear, everyone has one thing that signals the official start of the winter holidays. For many of us, it's the return of Clif Bar seasonal flavors," said Clif Bar's brand director, Dan Hickle.

Clif Bar will donate one percent of net seasonal sales to Protect Our Winters, which fights climate change through education, activism and support of community-based initiatives.

MADISON, Wis. (BRAIN) — Saris is supplying some Uber drivers in Seattle with bike racks, allowing the taxi-alternative's drivers to carry one or two bikes, for a $5 upcharge.

"If you are in need of a ride, be it due to weather, due to need of bike maintenance, due to sobriety (or lack thereof), your Uber driver can take you and your bike to your destination," Saris said in a release this week. The program began Oct. 10.

Seattle Uber users can now use the Uber mobile app to request a car equipped with a bike rack under the app's "promotions" button. The service is called "UBERpedal."

Not all Seattle-area Uber drivers are equipped with the Saris racks. The organization said the racks will be most prevalent in the downtown area. Uber is asking its users to choose pick-up locations that have enough room for bikes to be safely installed on the rack.

Under Uber's terms of service, the passenger is responsible for making sure the rack is installed securely and the bike is secured to the rack. Uber said it is not responsible for any damage to a bike. 

SAN JOSE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Framebuilder Mike Ahrens is getting serious about selling bike-mounted bottle openers. The San Jose builder first made an opener as a joke prior to the 2006 North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

"Originally I made this to amuse my fellow frame builders ... I'd invite them to my booth for a beer, hand them a bottle and suggest they open it on the bike. It was good for some laughs, but there was a lot of genuine interest, so the next year, 2007, I brought some to sell and they all went on opening day. I realized this could be a good accessory product for my business."

Ahrens is now forming a separate business to sell the WiseCracker bottle opener, which attaches to the steerer tube under the stem. Ahrens has the product made in the U.S., mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is available in stainless steel, aluminum or titanium in a wide range of colors and finishes. Custom engraving also is available.

In addition to individual consumer sales, WiseCracker offers bulk pricing for promotions or gifts.

Single units sell for $15-$28 in standard models, depending on the design and materials used. Orders for single and multiple WiseCracker units can be made at the company website, wisecrackerltd.com

DALLAS (BRAIN) — Hans Johnsen Company has recently added eight new product lines to its offerings, the Texas-based distributor announced Thursday.

The new brands are: Button Hole chamois cream, Fixit Sticks, Jet Black trainers, K-Edge products, Kinetic trainers, Lights & Motion lighting systems, Velowurks, and Vittoria Helmets.

Most of these products are in stock and available to ship now, the company said.

"We are pleased to continue expanding our product offerings available to our dealers so that they can remain competitive and profitable as well as continue to offer them the best service that they deserve," said the company's Steve Mattil.

Editor's note: Ray Keener is a longtime friend ofBicycle Retailer and writes occasional columns, blogs and articles for the website and magazine. Ray's background includes stints as a bike retailer, executive director of the Bicycle Industry Organization, editor of a trade magazine, founder of Growth Cycle and now executive director of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association. Keener created the Selling Cycling staff training program from 1997-2012, used by more than 2,000 bike shops worldwide.

The views expressed here are Keener's own and do not reflect those of the BPSA or Bicycle Retailer.

Are flat sales and participation really, "The single biggest issue facing the bike industry?"

Many say that selling 18 million bikes and having 40 million Americans (the NSGA number) pedaling year after year, decade after decade means we're losing ground when you consider US population growth.

True enough. And I'm here to posit that our flat curves are both a blessing and a curse.

First, I'll tell you why I think flat is phat. Why we should be celebrating our thirty-plus years of 18 million and 40 million, not bemoaning it.

Of course we'd all like to see our numbers go up. See them keep up with population growth and shifting demographics. And given cultural trends beyond our control, I don't see how that can happen in the short-term.

The trend I'm referring to is the fragmentation of people's leisure time and attention spans. Screens have changed everything. As has the content that comes through them.

Remember the Big Three TV networks? Over 95 percent market share for three decades, now less than 30% and declining. Americans have so many more choices about so many things, including their sporting activities.

Look at the golf, snow-sports and tennis industries, for example. They've all lost participants and seen declining sales while the bike industry holds steady.

Specialty retail markets like cameras and sound have all but disappeared, while we still have 4,000 or so retail locations. We're holding our own pretty well, eh?

Does this sound like complacency, rather than optimism? I plead guilty. It's human nature for our industry to both take advantage of and be lulled into inaction by America's century-plus-long love for bicycles.

And so on to the downside of flat: Complacency. We humans don't seem to be able to act in concert without some kind of an imminent threat.

The golf, snow and tennis industries have put aggressive programs in place to reverse their declines. Tennis suppliers started a "buck a shoe, buck a racket" self-tax program to finance growth initiatives.

Golf is addressing their slump with several programs to address their barriers to entry: How long golf takes, how hard it is to learn, its limited minority appeal.

Realize that these self-help programs only got started when it looked like the bottom was falling out. Our 18 million/40 million bottom is too solid to motivate us.

Flat sales encourage battling for market share rather than growing the market.

Examples, ripped from the headlines: Last week's BRAIN stories featured a major supplier calling his competitors to task for their distribution strategies.

When that same supplier rolled out a grow-the-pie program last Spring they met with a mixed reception from dealers.

And last week the head of our dealer association called out Amazon on BRAIN, questioning its business practices and its ethics. This may play well with the base, but it doesn't solve IBD malaise.

Not to criticize individuals, we all suffer from "good enough" syndrome. Sure, we can keep doing the same things over and over, you know the result. And without a healthy dose of sales-decline panic, we probably will.

Retailers are the canaries in the coal mine for our industry. And many are responding strongly, fighting back against the Internet tide with creative approaches to products and services.

Suppliers are caught in the middle, wanting to support their IBD customers and at the same time wanting to make their products available to the maximum number of consumers.

This is not to say we haven't done anything to help ourselves. Industry heroes like Leslie Bohm, John Burke, Mike Greehan and Chris Kegel weren't complacent. They got Bikes Belong started in the late '90s.

Now PeopleForBikes, they're addressing the #1 issue that keeps sales and participation from growing: The perception by most Americans that riding a bike isn't safe.

PFB has invested $20 million in industry dollars to leverage $8 billion in Federal spending for bike facilities. Protected lanes and off-street paths are sprouting up across the land.

Bike sharing programs are succeeding beyond all expectations. While we don't have strong national data to support it, urban cycling seems to be up strongly over the past decade.

We clearly need better information. The 40 million NSGA number is commonly used and widely questioned. PFB has launched a nationwide consumer research initiative to get a better handle on participation levels and trends. Results are eagerly anticipated next month.

Better research may give us a clearer picture of where we stand and how to stay strong. We can live with Flat quite nicely... for now. Let's find a way out of our comfort zones before market forces give us no option.

KETCHUM, Idaho (BRAIN) — Club Ride Apparel says its sales were up 43 percent in the third quarter of 2014, to $428,000.

The privately held clothing brand, which releases quarterly financials voluntarily, also said it has secured a new $1.5 million credit line through Mountain West Bank to meet cash flow requirements.

Year to date sales are also up, by 42 percent over the prior year, to $2 million. However, the company's gross margin fell a bit, from 35.75 percent to 35.04 percent, a drop the company attributes to more export sales to Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico. 

The company noted that Cycles Lambert has begun sales and marketing efforts in Canada and is on target to expand the brand's Canadian retailer locations from 26 to 75 for 2015. Club Ride also said pre-booking for its 2015 Spring-Summer collection is up 36 percent over last year's pre-bookings. 

Scott Montgomery, Club Ride's CEO, said, "We are proud of another strong quarter in terms of sales and seeing an increased demand outside our borders. We ended the quarter with almost no obsolete inventory, leaving the warehouse shelves clear and the balance sheet strong. These factors will support continued growth in the coming year. Our goal is to be the leading casual-performance cycling apparel brand in North America and around the world. We will continue building our future orders for the balance of the year in anticipation of a strong 2015."

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (BRAIN) — Marc Pro is introducing a new version of its electronic muscle conditioning device. The new versions, called the Marc Pro Plus, is said to aid recovery from activity and provide relief for aches and pains.

Marc Pro uses a proprietary waveform that contracts and relaxes muscle fibers in a way that does not fatigue the muscle while it conditions it for optimal recovery.

"We launched Marc Pro Plus as a response to what our athletes and trainers were looking for," said Ryan Heaney, the president of Marc Pro. "They were pleased with the recovery and conditioning benefits that Marc Pro offered but asked if we could address the residual pain that some athletes deal with."

Marc Pro and Marc Pro Plus are available at Marcpro.com. The company also offers a monthly payment plan to consumers. 

The original retails for $649.50 and the MarcPro Plus is $949.45. 

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. (BRAIN) — Chris Lombardo will lead technical support services for BH Bikes and Easy Motion electric bikes, the company announced.

Lombardo has 25 years in the cycling industry, with 10 years as a senior mechanic. His credentials include comprehensive training and certification, fittings, troubleshooting, builds and professional coaching.

"Our customers will experience an enhanced level of service and technical support with Chris Lombardo. As a seasoned mechanic, he brings a
vast array of technical skills and knowledge to this position. He is very customer focused to tackle the unique needs of every customer. Chris truly understands bike components, and more importantly, what is needed to get our customers rolling," said Steve Lindenau, the CEO of BH Bikes.

Lombardo is certified with Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo, Bosch, UBI (United Bicycle Institute), Barnett Bicycle Institute, and Retül. He has also served as a certified and licensed U.S. Cycling Coach for 12 years, and worked with the Sho-Air Cannondale Factory Team, BiciSport and Tri la Vie Triathlon team as a mechanic.

Lombardo said, "The bike industry is my calling and I love all of the components. I enjoy the silence and freedom of the bike and being able to see more of the world from on a bike. As a previous bike shop owner, I can relate to the needs to our dealers."

INDIANAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Silca is now working with the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com team to develop new Silca inflation devices.

"Over the last year, (team manager Stu Thorne) and the team have given us amazing feedback as we were developing SuperPista Ultimate, the Hiro Locking chuck and our new valve extensions," said Silca owner Josh Poertner. "The attention to detail and feedback provided by the team have really been second to none and we feel that our customers directly benefit from team input, so it only makes sense to formalize a working relationship moving forward."

Thorne said, "Silca pumps have been the premier pumps for decades and we are super happy to have them supporting our team. The new floor pump is a work of art and we look forward to helping them develop more products in the future."

MADISON, Wis. (BRAIN) — PowerTap is accepting old power meters for a trade-in toward a new PowerTap wheelset. The program runs from Oct. 15 to Nov. 14 and provides up to a 30 percent discount on select wheelsets.

"This trade-in program offers an ideal opportunity for cyclists to upgrade to a better product with better accuracy," said Justin Henkel, PowerTap product manager. "With over a decade in the industry, PowerTap offers a long-standing record on being tested, trusted, true. It's our slogan for a reason, after all."

Power meter owners interested in trading up will need to contact the PowerTap customer service team at (800) 246-5975 and let them know what power meter they'd like to exchange. From there, customers will be given a discount code for use on PowerTap.com and will be provided a return authorization to ship the exchanged power meter back to PowerTap.

Power meters that are eligible include iBike, Garmin Vector, Pioneer, Power2Max, Quarq, Rotor Power, SRM, Stages, PowerTap, PowerCal and older PowerTap models. The offer is available to U.S. residents only.

Full trade-in program details at powertap.com/tradein.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — MTBparks.com has launched its second annual Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Survey. The survey is designed to recognize and highlight the top North American lift-served mountain bike parks, as well as promote the continued improvement of park development based on rider feedback. The results are also used to build a wide-reaching and up-to-date downhill bike park resource for the 2015 season, which is housed on MTBparks.com.

Topics included in the online survey include: where and why riders ride, where the best trails are, which park has the best technically challenging trails, which resort has the best lift-accessed and enduro and XC trails, which is the best new or most improved park for 2014, and which park has the best amenities.

Prizes will be available for participants who complete the survey, which is open until December 31. The prizewinners will be announced the first week of January 2015.

To see the results of the 2013 survey click here. To take the 2014 survey, follow this link.

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — Bicycling Magazine is a finalist in AdWeek's Hot List in the category, "Hottest Sports/Outdoor Magazine."

Bicycling joins Field & Stream, Sports Illustrated and Outside as finalists in this category. The full list was announced in the Oct. 13 issue and online.

"Bicycling's consideration for the Hot List has been earned in part by our tremendous year-over-year advertising growth, and we thank our partners in the cycling industry for this tailwind," said Bicycling's publisher, Zack Grice. "We take very seriously the trust that cycling's leading brands place in Bicycling to deliver their best customers, and we're proud that our best-in-class editorial celebrates the sport and culture of cycling for millions of enthusiast riders."