BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Bike training software maker TrainingPeaks has acquired Best Bike Split, a company with technology that predicts bike race times based on the athlete's fitness and the terrain.

"With BBS, athletes and coaches are able to predict the power needed to reach a goal time, plan power targets for optimal training, and create a power-based plan for race day success," said TrainingPeaks CEO Gear Fisher in a Facebook posting announcing the purchase.

BBS was created by Ryan Cooper and Rich Harpel. Following the purchase, Cooper will be relocating to Boulder, Colorado, where TrainingPeaks is based. Harpel will remain in Austin, Texas.

According to Fisher, Cooper was able to predict Alberto Contador's finishing time to within three seconds for a time trial stage of the 2013 Tour de France.

"The next evolution of data-driven training is predictive planning, which will be a driving force behind TrainingPeaks. It allows you to predict your wattage or time, train specifically for your goal event, lay out a precise race plan, and execute when it counts," Fisher wrote.

More information: BestBikeSplit.com

STOCKHOLM (BRAIN) —  POC has been awarded a prestigious Swedish design award for AVIP, the concept behind the brand's road cycling gear, introduced in 2013. The Design S award has been presented every second year since 2006; this year's winners were announced Nov. 26 at a prize ceremony at the Architecture and Design Centre in Stockholm. POC's award was in the Fashion and Textiles category.

AVIP stands for Attention, Visibility, Interaction and Protection. The AVIP line was POC's first road bike gear, building on the brand's product lines for snow sports and mountain biking.

"Moving into a new business area is always challenging but more than anything else, it's extremely energizing," said POC CEO and founder Stefan Ytterborn.

"With POC's history in hard goods, we stepped into the road bike scene with the ambition of supporting the POC mission by developing the most accurate apparel in regards to performance and safety, in tandem with helmets and eyewear. The challenge has been how to apply the thinking and philosophy from 3D, industrial design and architecture, and to construct and build wearable skins with the most appropriate materials and sophisticated making."

AVIP will be a part of the Design S exhibition at the Architecture and Design Centre in Stockholm that opened Nov. 27 and runs through Feb. 8.

Rolo, a German bike manufacturer, also won a Design S award this year, in the Industrial Design category.

More information: design-s.se/en/nominees-2014.

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Rapha North America has hired Sophie Ballo as its new marketing manager, and Matthew Beaudin as its social media and content manager. 

Ballo comes to Rapha from Specialized, where she worked as a marketing communications specialist and most recently as recruiter.

Beaudin joins Rapha after three years at Velo Magazine, where he was a senior writer. Prior to joining Velo he was a newspaper editor in Telluride, Colorado. 

 "Rapha's growth in North America reflects the strength of the brand globally as well as the continued growth of the sport," said Hillary Benjamin, head of Rapha's North American marketing and sales. "We are excited to welcome two very talented people to our team as we look ahead to a year that will include greater focus on event support, an expansion of The Calling, our women's ambassador program, and the Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia. Sophie and Matt are the preseason signings even the biggest teams dream of; we are eager to see them in the office and at the front of the lunch ride."

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (BRAIN) — Selle San Marco North America has added EP Group's Erik Solberg and Bill Carson to its outside sales team.

Solberg's territory includes Washington, Idaho and Western Montana; Carson's territory is Oregon. The EP Group also representents Castelli and Sportful clothing, Feedback Sports, Ortlieb bags, and HED wheels.

"We're pleased to have the EP Group join our sales team," said Selle San Marco operating manager Tom Petrie. "We're looking forward to a successful 2015 season working with the EP Group and the authorized Selle San Marco dealers in the Pacific Northwest territory."

KELOWNA, British Columbia (BRAIN) — A developmental road team coached by Axel Merckx will have a new name and a new bike sponsor for the 2015 season.

The team — founded in 2009 as Trek-Livestrong and known as Bissell Development in 2014 — will be known as The Axeon Cycling Team next year. Its bike sponsor will be Cipollini, while SRAM will continue to supply the components. The team will unveil its 2015 jersey in the coming weeks.

The squad is registered in the U.S. as a UCI Continental team with the goal of developing the best young talent into pro riders. Since the program's foundation, it has sent 18 riders to the ProTour ranks, including: Taylor Phinney (BMC), Lawson Craddock (Giant-Shimano), Joe Dombrowski (Cannondale-Garmin), Ben King (Cannondale-Garmin), Jasper Stuyven (Trek Factory Racing) and more.

The 2015 roster is similar to previous years, with 10 Continental riders and two “club” riders fresh out of the junior ranks.

The 2015 Axeon Cycling Team roster: Geoffrey Curran (USA), Greg Daniel (USA), Daniel Eaton (USA), Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR), James Oram (NZ), Logan Owen (USA), Chris Putt (USA), and Keegan Swirbul (USA) are returning members. New riders include Ruben Guerrero (POR) and Justin Oien (USA), as well as club riders Will Barta (USA) and Phil O’Donnell (USA).

2015 sponsors include Atlantech, NEON Adventures, Cipollini, SRAM, Bissell, American Proficiency Institute, Specialized Tires, Tacx, Giro, Oakley, Honey Stinger, Ale, DMT, lululemon, Park Tool, Beaker Concepts, Thule, and Groove Automotive Group.

More information: axeoncycling.com.

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (Calif.) — Scott Sharples has joined Bell Helmets as its new marketing manager for its bicycle business. Sharples has more than 25 years of industry experience. A former World Cup downhill racer, he most recently was product manager for Felt Bicycles.

Sharples, a native Australian, is also known for his success as a downhill cycling coach for Cycling Australia, where he created and implemented a downhill race program for the country's national cycling body. His previous stints include global sports and marketing manager, writer, media specialist and brand ambassador.

Sharples is responsible for the day-to-day management of Bell's marketing and branding, in addition to working with its athletes. He will work with Azul Couzens, Bell's director of marketing, to implement the company's strategic marketing initiatives within the bike division.

"Scott has an incredible amount of great experience in the bike industry, both as a competitor and as a marketing and athlete manager," said Couzens. "Scott will be a great addition to the team as we continue to grow. We're excited to have him leading the charge for Bell Bike."

Sharples can be reached at SRSharples@BellHelmets.com.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Gates Corporation, maker of the Gates Carbon Drive system for bicycles, is launching a series of limited-edition red belts called Carbon Drive Red.

The company said that the special color is being offered to capitalize on a recent trend of color matching components and frame accents, while also being a nod to colored chains that have long been popular on urban fixies. 

"Customers have asked for colored bike belts since the launch of the Gates Carbon Drive system in 2007," the company said.

"As an engineering company, our first focus was on the meat and potatoes business of ensuring that our belts and sprockets meet the highest levels of performance and durability," said Todd Sellden, director of Gates Carbon Drive. "Now it is time to bring the sizzle."

Carbon Drive Red is available immediately in the United States for purchase as a belt only or on a complete bike. The first production bikes to feature the new red belts are the Acme and Acme Open from Spot Brand.

Carbon Drive Red launches in Europe on March 1 with the release of the Red Race singlespeed from Berlin's Schindelhauer Bikes. Individual red belts will be available for purchase in Europe after April 1.

More information: gatescarbondrive.com/red.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Organizers at Taichung Bike Week are moving the dates for next year's meetings into October, approximately two weeks earlier than this year's event held during the first week of November. The new dates, Oct 20-23, 2015, were announced on the TBW website. 

Originally, TBW was held in December and has moved steadily forward on the calendar as the industry's pre-production planning continues to start earlier in the cycle. As in years past, the three main hotels will be the Evergreen, Tempus and Splendor.

The new dates will better accommodate U.S. and some European product managers who have in the past said the informal trade show was too late in the season. But bubbling in the background are quiet moves by some who want to see TBW housed in what could be a future exhibition center near Taichung's airport — a move many companies would resist because of the added cost.

Currently, OE exhibitors rent hotel rooms and hold private meetings with product managers and others. It's informal, inexpensive and offers a level of privacy not found at a typical trade show. However, it's uncertain after recently concluded elections what the city of Taichung's position would be on building a formal center.

National elections last week led to the ouster of longtime Taichung Mayor Joseph Hu, 64, who had been a supporter of the city's involvement in the event and is well-known among bicycle industry executives.

One U.S. executive living in Taichung said the incoming mayor, Lin Chia-long, is unfamiliar with Taichung Bike Week and it's uncertain whether the city would continue its backing of the weeklong gathering. Curiously, Hu beat Chia-long nine years ago in an election for the mayor's position.

Chia-long, 50, holds a doctorate in political science from Yale University. He is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and is a vocal supporter of pro-democracy and human rights activists in China — a position that wins few friends among China's ruling elite.

He is also an outspoken critic of President Ma Ying-jeon and the Kuomintang Party (KMT). Ying-jeon has long sought to ease tensions with China, a stance that in the past has led to quiet support from Taiwanese manufacturers who have substantial investments on the Mainland.

But Ying-jeon's China policies, a weak economy and a backlash among Taiwanese youth supporting the Mainland's pro-democracy movements led to a national upset for the KMT, including the loss of Taichung, long a bastion of KMT support, to Chia-long.

Despite the changes at Taichung's city hall, Pro-Lite's Steve Fenton, one of the event's organizers, told BRAIN that this year's show "was a massive success and we are working hard to make sure we always find ways to improve."

ORANGE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Triathlon Business International is accepting nominations for best-of races in six event categories, as well as the top five triathlon highlights of 2014 for its Triathletes Choice awards. The winners will be honored at the 2015 Triathlon Business International conference, to be held Jan. 25-27 in Los Angeles.

The categories include:

• Best large race (1,000+ athletes)
• Best small race (fewer than 1,000 athletes)
• Toughest race
• Best urban race
• Best race for beginners
• Most scenic race

International events that challenge, inspire and bring out the best in participants, offer exceptional customer service, race day assistance and organization, and raise money for charitable causes will be considered.

Nominations will be accepted online until Dec. 24. The top five nominated events in each category will be announced on Jan. 2, and triathletes will have two weeks to vote to determine category winners.

To be considered for the top five triathlon highlights award, events or accomplishments must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• A record was broken
• A trend was set
• Something new was accomplished
• History was made or changed

Nominations for the top five triathlon highlights of 2014 can be submitted online until Dec. 24 through SurveyMonkey.com.

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MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — QBP's Salsa Cycles is recalling about 2,500 aluminum Salsa Bearpaw forks sold separately and on Mukluk bicycles. 

According to Salsa, the fork steerers can bend or break.

The recall involves all aluminum Salsa Bearpaw forks sold separately and on Mukluk bicycles. The forks have date code 20130524, 20130710 or 20130826 stamped on the steerer, followed by "CWI2201BAN2" and a Salsa compass graphic on the bend of the fork blades (Consumers or the dealer will need to remove the fork from the frame to see the date code and model information).

The forks were sold in "tequila lime" with black paint, "metallic gold," red and black. The bikes were sold in sizes x-small, small, medium, large and x-large. The forks were sold by bike stores and online from September 2013 through November 2014 for about $250 separately and as original equipment on bikes that sold for between $1,850 and $4,400. The forks were made in Taiwan.

Consumers are being told to immediately stop using bicycles equipped with the recalled Salsa Bearpaw forks and contact a Salsa dealer for a free inspection and replacement fork. The replacement forks appear similar but have the Salsa compass graphic on the inside of the fork blades.

More information: CPSC recall notice | Salsa website | Salsa telephone: 877-774-6208.

WOBURN, United Kingdom (BRAIN) — U.K. brand AbsoluteBlack has announced that Bicycle Technologies International will distribute its chainrings, hubs and other components in the U.S. starting in January 2015.

"It is hard to hide the fact that U.S. sales are a big part of our business. Initially we wanted to trade only from our website, but we realized quickly it's becoming more challenging with orders increasing every month. It was time to look for a serious partner who could help us expand in the U.S. market and serve our customers and shops better. BTI was a natural choice from obvious reasons," AbsoluteBlack founder Marcin Golec said.

The company will also continue to sell consumer direct through its website, absoluteblack.cc.

"AbsoluteBlack drivetrain products are almost beyond category," said John Salomonsen, purchasing manager at Santa Fe, New Mexico-based BTI. "Marcin constantly pushes the boundary between aesthetics and physics and somehow manages to do it without compromising performance. BTI is truly excited to help expand AbsoluteBlack product availability to U.S. bike dealers."

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BRAIN) — The Tiber is one of four steel-framed, disc brake-equipped road/gravel models in Brodie Bicycles' newly introduced 2015 line.

The 4130 butted chromoly frame and carbon fork have room for fenders with the stock Clement Strada LGG 28c tires on an Alex CXD5 wheelset. A Shimano 105/Tiagra drivetrain, Hayes CX Pro cable-pull disc brakes, Easton EA50 stem and post, and Selle Italia Nekkar saddle round out the spec.

Suggested retail: $1,999.

To view Brodie's entire 2015 line, including the b-Team premium road and 'cross models and Journey Series city bikes, visit brodiebikes.com.

AURORA, Ontario (BRAIN) — BionX is supplying the kick for a concept electric kick scooter produced by Mini, a brand of BMW.

The folding Mini Citysurfer Concept, which marries a kick scooter to an electric drive, is designed to fit in the trunk of a car (like a Mini, for example) or on a train or bus, while providing transportation for the last mile.

BionX makes motor systems for electric bicycles. It previously teamed up with BMW on a folding e-bike that was featured at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

BionX has ties to the automotive industry through Magna International, a big Canadian automotive supplier. It was formerly part of Magna and is now owned by Magna's largest shareholder, said Paul Gingl, vice president of business development for BionX.

"We're on the top of the list many times when an automotive company thinks about alternative forms of transportation," he said.

Mini presented the scooter at the L.A. Auto Show.

The Citysurfer "fits quite nicely into the e-bike space, since we already manufacture systems for folding e-bikes," Gingl said.

The Citysurfer Concept weighs 40 pounds and uses a BionX motor in the rear hub. The motor allows a top speed of 15 mph but won't activate until the rider manually reaches a minimum speed. Mini and BionX say the Citysurfer Concept has a range of 10 to 15 miles on a charge.

It's built for comfort and stability with a low foot board, pneumatic tires that are larger than typical kick scooter tires, and adjustable handlebars.

The BionX motor is an adaptation of a front hub motor that it sells in the Benelux countries, Gingl said.

Although Mini has not released production plans or suggested pricing, Gingl said BionX is expecting a "potential low-volume order coming soon" that could pave the way to higher volumes. Gingl also said he would like to see the scooter priced a little less than a premium e-bike.

"If this thing comes just slightly under a good-quality e-bike, I think it's got great potential," he said.

BURNABY, British Columbia (BRAIN) — Fox Factory Holding Corp., the parent of the Fox suspension brand, has purchased Race Face Performance and Easton Cycling, the companies announced Friday.

The purchase price was approximately $30.2 million, according to a Fox press release.

Chris Tutton, who owned Race Face and Easton Cycling, said, "Fox is the perfect fit for Race Face/Easton. All three brands complement each other with our distinct high-performance product lines. The added operations, marketing and engineering support from Fox will allow us to innovate faster while remaining focused on our core businesses."

Fox's chief executive officer, Larry L. Enterline, said, "We are very excited to complete the Race Face/Easton acquisition and welcome their team to the Fox family."

"This transaction demonstrates the execution of our strategic initiatives to increase Fox's product penetration into both existing and adjacent product categories to help drive our bike sales and profitability long-term. We look forward to leveraging our global marketing, engineering, distribution and supply chain resources to collectively develop next-generation, high-performance bicycle ride dynamics solutions."

Tutton said Race Face/Easton operations will remain at their current British Columbia location with Tutton at the helm into the foreseeable future. No changes to the operation are planned, he said.

Fox Factory Holding Corp. is traded on NASDAQ under the FOXF symbol.

According to Fox, Race Face/Easton generated approximately $23.6 million in unaudited net sales in its fiscal year that ended Oct. 31, 2014. The company said it expects Race Face/Easton revenue growth in the high single-digit range, and expects to invest in Race Face/Easton to strengthen its infrastructure and maximize the long-term potential of the business. Fox said it anticipates the transaction to close by the end of 2014.

Fox was part of Compass Diversified Holdings, along with CamelBak, until Fox was spun off in an IPO in the summer of 2013. Easton Cycling was part of Easton-Bell Sports until Tutton bought the brand in April of this year. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN) — The League of American Bicyclists has launched a survey of retail stores to find out how shops are attracting and retaining female customers. The initiative is part of the League's Women Bike program, launched in 2012, to encourage more women to ride and engage in leadership opportunities in the bike industry.

Specialized is sponsoring the report and contributed to discussions about the report's format.

"When the League first started examining bike advocacy through a gender lens, we heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggested the bike retail experience could be improved for women," wrote Liz Jones, Women Bike manager, in a blog announcing the research. "Could a poor bike retail experience be a barrier to getting more women on two wheels? With women controlling 80 percent of household spending, and women poised as a growth market in bike retail, it's time we explore how to empower retailers to make bicycling better for everyone."

The League wants to get a sampling of ideas on how shops are making their environments more female friendly.

"We're looking for ideas that range from events to sales training that improves the retail environment for women and increases sales. We want to show that you don't have to always conflate women with beginners to get them in the door. We want to show that practices that improve sales to women most likely improve sales to everyone. But we can't do that without good examples straight from the bike shops themselves," Jones wrote.

Retailers can take the survey at SurveyMonkey.

The League plans to share the results as part of a comprehensive Women Bike report next spring. Its first report, Women On a Roll, can be downloaded from the League website.

KENT, Wash. (BRAIN) — Jim Anderson, a long-time bike industry sales rep and the SoCal territory manager for Accell North America, died on Dec. 1.

"Jim made an indelible impression on all of us from the first day he joined ANA and he cultivated many wonderful friendships in the cycling industry throughout his career. The entire ANA family is deeply saddened by the loss of Jim," said George Simone, ANA's vice president of sales.  "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim's family at this difficult time."

Friends are helping the Anderson family by donating to YouCaring fund set up in his honor. All funds donated go directly to Anderson family.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (BRAIN) — Finish Line is looking for a great photo of a dirty bike, to use on the packaging for its Super Bike Wash.

"After eight years, the current photograph is out of date and an upgrade is in order, said Hank Krause, the president of Finish Line.

The bike care brand is running a contest through its Facebook page to solicit photos of dirty bikes. Facebook followers are being asked to submit photos of dirty bikes, the Finish Line staff will pick a winner to use on the bottle. The person who submits the winning photo will win a $250 collection of Finish Line products.

You can also enter by using the hashtag #SBWContest when you post your picture on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or visit the contest page.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (BRAIN) — Rotating Mass Media, the publisher of Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times magazines, says its saw a nearly 5 percent increase in total revenue in 2014 versus the prior year. The company, which also said it saw a 61 percent increase in web and e-news revenue, has promoted the editors of both titles.

Dirt Rag editor Mike Cushionbury and Bicycle Times editor Gary Boulanger have each been promoted to editor-in-chief of their respective titles and brands, giving them responsibility over their respective print, digital and events. 

"This has been a tough year for many of our competitors," said RMM founder and publisher Maurice Tierney. "Since last January Paved, Privateer, Switchback and Urban Velo have all ceased publication, citing various reasons. Competition is healthy and good, and we miss their presence on the newsstand. But, we're coming off a healthy year, and it's important to let the industry know we've been here for 25 years and have no plans on stopping or resting on our laurels. We will continue to serve our hard-worked content to readers who value it enough to pay for it. We don't plan to start giving that content away any time soon."

"I recently appointed Mike and Gary to the newly-created positions of editor-in-chief for both titles, which have really become brands in their own right: each produces a print and digital publication, has it own website and social media channels, merchandise and events," Tierney added. "There aren't many competitors who offer what we do to both our readers and advertising partners. I felt it was time to choose top content gatekeepers to lead us into an even bigger 2015."

NEWBURY PARK, Calif. (BRAIN) — Liv has announced two additions to its global team.

"Moving forward, we're expanding our Liv brand team and enhancing our marketing, business development, and consumer research efforts," said Bonnie Tu, the founder and CEO of the Liv women's cycling brand. "Our first move is to strengthen marketing deliverables to grow the brand, so I'm very excited to add these women to our marketing team."

Amy Stanfield has been hired as Liv global senior marketing manager. The outdoor industry veteran will be responsible for setting the marketing strategy and execution plan to elevate the Liv brand globally. "With a strong foundation in global marketing leadership formed with brands such as Patagonia and Teva, Amy is a proven leader with a keen understanding of the women's market," Tu said. "She will combine her marketing acumen with her passion for cycling to take Liv to the next level."

Janette Sherman has been promoted to Liv global communications manager. Sherman started with Liv in September 2012 as the brand's retail trainer and event coordinator in the United States, and shortly thereafter was promoted to Liv USA marketing manager. "Janette's passion for growing women's cycling, and her enthusiasm in general is infectious," said Tu. "Her career in journalism, health care and outdoor industry public relations make her the perfect candidate to lead Liv's marketing communications on a global scale."

Jen Audia has been promoted to the new position of Liv USA marketing specialist, implementing strategies to grow the Liv brand in the United States. Audia also began her career with Liv as a retail trainer and event coordinator, joining the brand in early 2013.

"We knew from the start that Jen had great potential to fill many roles for Liv," said Brad Klipping, Giant USA's senior marketing manager. "She's proven us right time and time again. She's energetic, honest, and no doubt will continue to surprise us with fresh ideas and thoughtful analysis."

CARLSBAD, Calif. (BRAIN) — Campagnolo North America is hosting its seventh annual holiday toy drive and fun bike ride this Saturday, Dec. 13. The event benefits Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.

To participate riders will need to bring an unwrapped toy for any age child. Riders will meet at 8 a.m. for snacks and roll out at 9. The ride will follow the same route as previous holiday rides, head south to Torrey Pines State Park and then back to Campy's offices for more conversation and snacks — an estimated 36-mile roundtrip.

"This ride continues to grow in popularity and I could not be any happier. The joy and happiness on the kids' faces is priceless. These kids are in the hospital trying to survive and it is an awesome feeling to bring them a little comfort and help make their holiday season brighter," said Tom Kattus, Campy North America's general manager.

Last year more than 150 cyclists and industry pioneers participated in the ride. Starting with a variety of pastries and hot coffee, everyone has a chance to network and catch up before starting an easy paced ride.

"It's no wonder this ride has become the 'must ride' of the year and it gives our cycling family the chance to show the community how much we care and what we can do to help during the holiday," Kattus said.

The offices are at 5431 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, CA, 92008. For further information, call (760) 931-0106.