CANBERRA, Australia (BRAIN) — Australia-based Today's Plan is expanding into the U.S. and Canada with its customized training plans and analytics that it offers for specific bike events. The company already has plans for the Leadville 100, Sea Otter Classic, Tour De Palm Springs, all Rocky Trail Entertainment events, and the Bailey Hundo, for example.

"Our vision for Today's Plan has always been to offer intelligent training systems for riders of all levels to produce highly specific and custom-tailored training plans," said Ben Bowley, managing director of Today's Plan. "We not only produce custom training plans, but we can structure them around specific events, and I think any event organizer recognizes that having cyclists show up who are well trained produces a better event for all. We're looking forward to building a strong database of North American events over the next few months.

The target event information, combined with specific input from the rider about their experience, availability for training, goals and equipment allows the clever Today's Plan algorithm to design a customized training plan for every rider's personal goals. Accessed via the web and mobile apps, Today's Plan software integrates with power meters, heart rate monitors and indoor trainers from brands such as Garmin, Wahoo Fitness, CycleOps, SRM and others.

Any event promoter wishing to have their event listed in Today's Plan's database should contact info@todaysplan.com.au.

BERKELEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — GU has announced two new flavors to its Energy Gel and Roctane Energy Gel product lines.

Cucumber Mint Energy Gel is said to offer a refreshing lightness, with GU's formulation of 450mg of amino acids, 125 mg of sodium, 20mg of caffeine and 100 calories. The calories come from both simple and complex carbohydrates to help maximize absorption and utilization while diminishing stomach distress. The light combination of cucumber and mint is ideal for training during hot and humid conditions, the company said.

Chocolate Coconut is the newest addition to the expanding line of Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gels from GU Energy Labs. Designed for longer or particularly difficult races and training, Roctane Chocolate Coconut fights flavor fatigue and delivers amino acid supplementation and energy. The combination of chocolate and coconut is ideal for crisp early morning workout sessions, GU suggests. This new flavor includes 1425mg of amino acids, 125mg of sodium, 35mg of caffeine and 100 calories of GU's performance carbohydrate blend.

Magdalena Boulet, the 2015 winner of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and an Olympic marathoner who is also GU Energy Lab's vice president of research, development and innovation, said, "We were able to test a wide array of potential new flavors for our landmark gel lines, and got tremendous feedback from not just our consumer testing, but also from our sponsored athletes. These are two winning flavors that really offer a new taste profile for the Roctane and Energy Gel lines."

More information: guenergy.com.

ADELAIDE, Australia (BRAIN) — The new Canyon/SRAM Racing women's team is holding "tryouts" for a new team member via the Zwift online cycling application. 

Starting in March, female amateur riders will be invited to try­out for a professional contract by riding Zwift in a winner­-take-s­all talent contes.

"Unfortunately the development pathways for female riders don't compare to the men's side of the sport," said team member Tiffany Cromwell. "But rather than swim against the tide, we're taking the bull by the horns and shaking things up with Zwift. Cycling's stars possess extraordinary physical attributes and we're confident one or two of those rough diamonds are out there to be unearthed on the Zwift platform."

Zwift and Canyon/SRAM staff are currently developing an initial series of tasks, likely to comprise of group rides and structured training programs, to identify the physical attributes and potential of riders who enter the program. The field will be reduced through 2016 until a final selection of three riders will compete on virtual and real roads for the opportunity to become a pro rider in 2017.

"This isn't a marketing gimmick. Zwift is a global, reliable and data­driven platform," said Zwift CEO, Eric Min. "We're truly accessible and, with tens of thousands of users, we're confident we can be a development platform for professional cycling. We've been working on a similar concept for some time so we were blown away when (Canyon/SRAM Racing director) Ronny Lauke suggested it to us."

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — The mobile bike shop franchise operation Velofix will provide support for races and recreational rides at this year's Subaru Sea Otter Classic.

"Velofix will be providing pro-style mobile service at the start/finish line as well as en route to assist with repairs before, during, and after the Gran Fondos," said Chris Guillemet, co-founder and CEO of Velofix. "We are proud to sponsor Sea Otter's Gran Fondo rides and we look forward to providing a premium and pro style service for all of the riders."

Velofix has entered into a multi-year partnership with Sea Otter starting with the 2016 event. Velofix will provide two mobile bike shops to support riders participating in the Velofix Gran Fondo at Sea Otter, as well as provide support for various races. The Velofix van will be available before, during, and after each of the Gran Fondo rides.

Visitors to the 2016 Sea Otter Classic also can check out the mobile bike shop in the Expo, where Velofix will have one of its Sprinter vans on display in space #710.

The 26th annual Sea Otter Classic will take place April 14-17, 2016 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey.

DETROIT (BRAIN) — Detroit Bikes has hired Chris Kiesling as chief operating officer. Kiesling will focus on strengthening and expanding Detroit Bikes’ manufacturing operations to meet growing customer demand. 

In addition to manufacturing its own signature bicycles in 2016, Detroit Bikes will manufacture thousands of bikes for New Belgium Brewery, in concert with other custom manufacturing contracts. Detroit Bikes also recently entered into an agreement to be a key supply chain partner for a major U.S. bike share provider. This agreement involves various aspects of production for several thousand bikes annually.
 
Kiesling joins Detroit Bikes from DTE Energy where he served as a plant manager.

“This is a critical time,” he said. “Now we transition from a company that produced a thousand bikes a year into one that can produce thousands each month. ”

 “The Detroit Bikes factory is configured in a way that is well-suited to an increase of this scale. We need to analyze throughput and effectively use the tools we have at our disposal to ensure successful growth,” Kiesling added.
 
To handle the increased workload, Detroit Bikes is adding additional positions including welders, wheel builders, powder-coaters, and bike assemblers. 

“Things are moving very fast for Detroit Bikes,” said Detroit Bikes founder and president, Zak Pashak. “Bringing Chris aboard strengthens our management team at a crucial time. His leadership, and process engineering skill are what we need to continue to grow.” 

Kiesling graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in chemical engineering before earning his masters of business administration from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining DTE, Kiesling worked for National Industrial Maintenance and the National Steel Corporation.

LOS ANGELES (BRAIN) — Husband and wife team Chase and Tami Spenst recently opened The Wheelhouse, a full-service bike shop and café, in the Los Angeles Art District.

The 3,700 square-foot shop is focused on urban riding and the bicycle lifestyle. The Wheelhouse offers bikes from Handsome Cycles, Heritage Bicycle, Rivendell and Surly, and a variety of bags, baskets and other accessories from Topo, Anhaica, Sackville and Yakkay. The Spensts will also stock books, gifts and other lifestyle accessories.

The Wheelhouse café features coffee from Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. and August Uncommon Tea. Superba Food + Bread supplies the pastries, and more menu items, including beer and wine, will be added in the future. The café has indoor and outdoor seating for 65.

"We want to take two things that are typically very intimidating — bicycles and coffee — and make them approachable and fun," said Chase Spenst. "The Wheelhouse is really about people and being able to showcase the work of amazing makers, doers and adventurers,"

Tami Spenst's design firm Pluck led the design of the industrial space, which features natural wood, exposed beams and a pair of garage-style roll up doors that lead to outdoor seating. The shop's service department is housed on a mezzanine-level loft, where patrons can rub elbows and talk shop with mechanics.

"We definitely want to offer a space that feels comfortable, a place where people want to spend time. I was inspired by the idea of an urban explorer- someone who thrives in the energy of a city but seeks inspiration in outdoor adventures and wandering through new places," Tami said.

The Wheelhouse, located at 1375 East 6th Street, Unit 6 in Los Angeles.

AURORA, Ontario (BRAIN) — Canadian e-bike electric propulsion system manufacturer BionX International has named Casey Anderson as its new sales manager for North America and emerging markets.

Anderson has 15 years of experience in the cycling industry, starting in retail sales and through several positions at BionX including technical representative and global training manager.

"Casey was the best fit for the job, his depth of technical knowledge and passion for cycling made him an easy choice," said Paul Gingl, BionX's chief operating officer. "He knows what customers want, whether it's a partner or an end user. He listens, he absorbs, he can answer tough questions, and has already had a great influence on the product."

Anderson said, "I'm excited to lead the sales team in North America – and the timing couldn't be better. We have great structure, great service and warranty, and the product is more reliable than ever. With the new range of products for 2016 we expect to experience large market growth and have an even more positive customer experience."

Anderson will take over as the main contact for all Canada and U.S. partners and distribution, as well as partners in Australia, China, South Korea, India, UAE, Columbia, and Taiwan.

WILRIJIK, Belgium (BRAIN) — Sapim has just moved its headquarters to a new location.

Located in the same neighborhood as the old facility, the spoke and nipple maker's new building covers an area of more than 6,000 square meters (60,000 square feet), an increase of 40 percent over the company's previous building. The company said the move will help it improve the process flow of the production of its spokes and nipples. Sapim's employees will also benefit from improved insulation and lighting. The new headquarter of Sapim will also host a fitness center for the use of its workers and associates.

In other news, Sapim has launched a new Spoke Calculator App that is now available on Apple or Android operating systems. The app is available for more than 12 languages and provides a mobile version of the spoke calculator on Sapim's website. The iOS app is viewable on the App Store. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Car rack maker RockyMounts has hired Soar Communications to handle its public relations and brand communications, effective this month.

"For the last two years, our key focus at RockyMounts has been product development," said RockyMounts president Bruno Maier. "As a result, we'll be launching more new product in 2016 than ever before. We chose Soar to support us because they are well known and highly regarded by the journalists in sports and outdoor industries. We trust them to get the job done."

Soar, based in Salt Lake City, was founded in 2004 and its key principal is Chip Smith, who formerly handled marketing communications at Shimano American Corporation and Specialized Bicycles. Smith is a 25-year veteran of the sports and outdoor industry.

Soar's scope of work for RockyMounts will include strategic planning, comprehensive media outreach efforts to trade and consumer publications in the cycling, outdoor and automotive markets, and hands-on support at key events and trade shows.

"RockyMounts is a great brand with an authentic and fun brand message," said Smith. "We've worked with Bruno before, when he was with Schwinn, and it's great to be helping him and his team continue to grow the company and its products."

More information at rockymounts.com. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — John Bliss, a former president of IMBA's board of directors, has joined the board of the Sustainable Trails Coalition. Bliss, who lives in Boulder, is an active cyclist and is currently general counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for the technology company Atigeo Corporation. He also is a former minority chief counsel to the Technology and Law Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee as well as chief counsel to former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown (R-Colo.).

The STC was formed last year, largely to push for allowing bicycles in some federally designated Wilderness areas; many STC supporters are critical of IMBA for not challenging the Wilderness Act, which bans bikes from those areas.

"We're delighted to add John to the team. His background in mountain biking advocacy, his interaction with the federal-government and his considerable experience in the legal arena bring invaluable expertise to STC's board," said Ted Stroll, co-founder of STC. "His addition is particularly well-timed as it coincides with our group's introduction of the Human-Powered Wildlands Travel Management Act of 2016."

"Mountain biking and cycling advocacy are topics for which I have great passion," said Bliss. "As STC's legislation nears introduction, I feel that my operational experience at the intersection of law, politics, technology and policy on or around Capitol Hill will prove particularly useful to the group."

For more information regarding The Sustainable Trails Coalition and the Human-Powered Wildlands Travel Management Act of 2016, visit sustainabletrailscoalition.org. 

Bliss wrote an open letter to the mountain bike community explaining his decision to join STC.

WEST MIDLANDS, England (BRAIN) — The latest edition to Brooks England's Cambium range, the carbon C13 is targeted at high-end road cyclists. The saddle is made from a vulcanized natural rubber top that follows the movements of the rider for responsive control and comfort, Brooks says.

Made in Italy, the C13 saves 150 grams over Brooks' C15 model thanks to a lightweight continuous carbon rail. The rail is riveted to the Cambium top — the same vulcanized natural rubber and organic cotton as the C15 — and the saddle is finished with black aluminum rivets.

Weight: 259 grams

MSRP: $220

More information: brooksengland.com.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (BRAIN) — Park Tool is announcing the winners of its Community Tool Grant Program, which provides community non-profits with more than $1,400 worth of Park Tool products, including a repair stand, tools and Park's bicycle repair book. This year more than 200 organizations applied for the 10 grants.

"We were truly blown away by the quantity and quality of the applicants for the ten Park Tool Community Tool Grants this year. It's great to see so many people and organizations doing amazing things in their communities to help get more people on bikes. Though we wish we could have helped more this year, we encourage those who didn't receive a grant in 2016 to reapply next year for consideration in 2017," said Eric Hawkins, Park Tool's president/owner and chief mechanic. \

The 2016 Park Tool Community Tool Grant Winners are:

• YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County - Kingston, N.Y. The YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, New York, repairs donated bicycles for lower income individuals who use them for daily transportation as well as offering after school youth cycling programs.
• Seacoast Velokids - Portsmouth, N.H. Based in coastal New Hampshire, Seacoast VeloKids (SVK) promotes youth mountain biking through a series of development programs and one-day events and races that make it easier for kids to get out and ride. 
• iCan Shine - Paoli, Pa. iCan Shine is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides quality recreational programs to individuals with disabilities across the US and Canada with their flagship program iCan Bike. It teaches children, teens and young adults to ride a two-wheel bicycle during a weeklong program.
• Rockville Bike Hub - Rockville, Md. The Rockville Bike Hub is a community based non-profit bike shop that puts on Tour de Cookie, a yearly charity ride supporting the Tree House, a Montgomery County group that assists children who are victims of abuse or neglect as well as other city based programs to promote youth cycling.
• Rubarb Community Bike Shop - New Orleans, La. A community bike shop in an area of New Orleans greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina helping people who use bicycles for daily transportation as well as an Earn A bike program.
• Chain Reaction Ministries - Houston, Texas A ministry of adult bicycle recycling that takes unwanted bikes, refurbish them, and put them back into the community with assistance ministries working to address the needs of folks trying to avoid homelessness.
• Living Streets Alliance - Tucson, Ariz. In cooperation with the city of Tucson, Living Streets Alliance (LSA) is in its second year of running a region-wide Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program as well as a Mobile Bike Repair program for children who are unable to get their bikes into a shop for repair.
• Reno Bike Project - Reno, Nev. Reno Bike Project's offers programs, classes, access to tools and knowledge, and a full-service community bike shop, located off the downtown strip, in close proximity to other services used by Reno's poor and homeless populations.
• Cycles 4 Hope - Granite Bay, Calif. Cycles 4 Hope repairs and refurbishes donated bicycles to prepare them for use by homeless people and others in need of a bicycle as their primary means of transportation, collaborating with many local and regional social services, government, and religious organizations to maximize the impact of their work.
• Knowles Centre Inc. – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada The Knowles Centre is a non-profit organization that offers treatment to youth who have experienced extremely difficult situations throughout their young lives, using bicycles, bicycle repair and recreation as tools for healthy development. 

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — About 29,000 Chillafish childrens balance bikes are being recalled because overinflated tires can cause the wheel rims to crack and send pieces of the plastic rim flying.

The balance bikes were sold by Amazon, Sams Clubs, Target and Toys RUs from November 2013 through November 2015 for between $55 and $80. Besides the approximately 29,000 bikes sold in the U.S., 268 were sold in Canada and are being recalled there as well.

Chillafish has received 19 reports of plastic separating from the rims, including two reports of consumers being cut by flying plastic.

Consumers are being told to lower the tire pressure on the bikes to 32 psi or less. Chillafish is contacting consumer directly and consumers can contact them toll-free at (888) 666-7689 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday excluding holidays, or online at www.chillafish.com and click on Safety for more information.

More information: CPSC recall notice.

Here is the CPSC description of the recalled bikes:

This recall includes all Chillafish BMXie, Chillafish Jack and Chillafish Josie balance bikes. The bikes were designed for children ages 2 to 5 and have no pedals and no chains. BMXie bikes are made of plastic. The bikes are about 31.5 inches long with a seat that can be adjusted from about 12.5 inches high to about 15.5 inches high and have a detachable foot support. BMXie bikes were sold in the colors blue, lime green, pink, red and yellow. Item reference number CPMX01BLU, CPMX01LIM, CPMX01PIN, CPMX01RED or CPMX01YEL is on a label on the bottom of the bike frame. Jack and Josie bikes have steel frames. The bikes are about 34 inches long with a seat that can be adjusted from about 14 inches high to about 17 inches high. Jack bikes were sold in a black and orange color scheme with flames on the crosstube and item reference number CPJJ02BLA on a label on the bottom of the bike frame. Josie bikes were sold in a white and pink color scheme with flowers on the crosstube and item reference number CPJJ02WHI on a label on the bottom of the bike frame.

WHITEFISH, Mont. (BRAIN) — Hammer Nutrition is clarifying its minimum advertised price policy. The nutrition brand announced last week that it was reducing its number of U.S. distributors as part of an effort to take more control over its retail pricing.

Its policy is that all retailers must advertise at no less than its MAP "in all publicly accessible media."

On a first offense the reseller will be contacted immediately and given 48 hours to comply. On the second offense the reseller will immediately be placed on hold pending review by Hammer Nutrition. A third violation will permanently revoke the account's approval to sell Hammer Nutrition.

Hammer allows retailers to list and sell its products on third-party websites, but does not allow third-party fulfillment. Sellers must fulfill the products advertised and handle all customer service duties themselves. All web domains selling Hammer Nutrition products must be registered and approved by Hammer. To inquire about registration, contact dealerservices@hammernutrition.com.

FREEHOLD, N.J. (BRAIN) — JET Roll has added an ultralight model to its tool wrap range. The JET Roll Hypersonic X-15 weighs just 12 greams without its strap. To save weight, it lacks the two-button closure of the standard Jet Roll Hypersonic. 

The special edition JET Roll X-15 model includes a lightweight black nylon strap with metal buckle and two JET Roll Tube Bands, and is available in Vapor White/Neon Orange and Vapor White/Neon Yellow.
The JET Roll Hypersonic X-15 model is available in the Black Project Division section of the JET Roll shop.

MSRP is $50.

More information at justenoughtools.com.

BOSTON (BRAIN) — On March 1 the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition will move to a shared work space in Boston, and the organization is inviting other related organizations to set up there, as well. 

MassBike will be one of the anchor tenants at the Cambridge Innovation Center at 50 Milk Street in downtown Boston. The long term goal of the co-working space is to create a hub of active and sustainable transportation advocacy.

The CIC is close to the State House, Boston City Hall, and the Department of Transportation, making it an ideal location for the organization. MassBike will host various events and educational programming throughout the year at its new space. 

"We want to put our team in an exhilarating environment alongside some of the best and brightest thought leaders. The long term goal is to make the collective bicycle lobby in Massachusetts the strongest in America. In short, we want to go to the zone defense," said MassBike's executive director, Richard Fries.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BRAIN) — Urban cycling shoe brand Quoc Pham has begun selling in Canada through Brilliant Health International Distributors Inc.

"The philosophy that drives Quoc Pham is the meeting of the foot and pedal in a functional, stylish way. Comfort, design and utility combine in a cycling shoe that allows riders to seamlessly transition from cycle to sidewalk to office," Quoc Pham stated in a release.

Brilliant Health will carry the full line of Quoc Pham shoes. Established in 2009, the distributor offers fixed-gear bicycles, city bikes for men and women, accessories, apparel, parts and sports equipment for children to retailers throughout North America.

Dealers interested in carrying Quoc Pham can contact William Greenbaum at (778) 238-7410 or at bill@brillianthealth.ca.

LEAMINGTON, England (BRAIN) — Hiplok has named Ian Manning head of sales as part of an expansion at the U.K.-based maker of wearable locks.

Manning will join the company in February from distributor Upgrade Bikes, where he is sales manager. At Hiplok, he will be responsible for growing sales both domestically and internationally, the company stated.

"We're thrilled to have Ian on board. Having represented such well-respected brands as Lezyne and DMR (both distributed by Upgrade), and with over 20 years of experience in driving sales growth across the cycle and leisure industries, we believe Ian will be instrumental in taking our business forward," Hiplok co-founder Ben Smith said.

Manning said, "I bought my first Hiplok in 2013 and was immediately impressed by its design and function and have become a big fan and advocate of the brand since. I'm really delighted to be joining the Hiplok team at such an exciting time and I look forward to becoming pivotal in their long-term success."

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — The USA Triathlon Board of Directors elected four of its members to officer seats at the first board meeting of 2016, held on Jan. 16.

Barry Siff was re-elected president of the board, extending his term that began in 2014. Also re-elected to officer positions were Mike Wien (vice president) and Kevin Haas (treasurer), both of whom were first elected as board officers in 2014. Staci Brode, who joined the board last January, was elected secretary. All officers were elected to a two-year term.

"I remain extremely honored and excited to continue in the position of president of USA Triathlon, and know that my fellow officers feel the same way," Siff said. "We, along with our entire board of directors, are fully committed to providing the leadership and direction toward USA Triathlon's mission of growing and inspiring the triathlon community."