ROSEVILLE, Minn. (BRAIN) — Specialized and Hed Cycling announced that the two companies are collaborating on product development and that Specialized is licensing Hed’s patent for aerodynamic rim shaping and design.

The patent, No. 8,888,195, was filed by Hed in June 2009 and was approved by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office in November 2014. The patent allows designers to predict and design in a stall angle to the wheel in order to optimize the wheel for certain wind angles.

“We can predict the angle the stall will happen based on the tangent angle between the rim edge and tire edge. What it’s predicated on is having the widest area of the rim being wider than the tire. With traditional road bike wheels, that’s not the case, the tire is wider than the rim. This patent applies to bulge-shaped rims where a rim is wider than the tire. That’s what we use to predict stall angle in a wind tunnel,” said Greg Kopecky, who handles PR for Hed Cycling.

Kopecky said it’s a wheel and tire patent, and only covers rims that are wide enough to create a tangent angle to the tire. “In a nutshell, this patent is the reason that Hed started to pioneer wide rims in the first place,” he added.  

The patent covers both clincher and tubular aero wheels in all different rim depths.

For now, Specialized is the only brand licensing Hed’s patent. The company's Roval CLX64 wheels spec’d on the Venge ViAS are currently subject to the license agreement.

Hed Cycling expects other brands to follow suit. “We hope other wheel manufacturers that would require a license will enter into a similar friendly business relationship like Specialized has done,” said Anne Hed, owner of Hed Cycling. 

MOORPARK, Calif. (BRAIN) — Christopher Rubin’s interest in bikes started when Speedplay founder Richard Bryne moved into his childhood San Diego neighborhood.

“When Richard moved next door, he got all of us kids interested in cycling,” Rubin said. “I was the only one who stayed with it.”

Since college, Rubin has done a bit of everything in the industry, from managing a women’s road racing team and working at Speedplay to managing several shops in Northern and Southern California, including the former Supergo store in Santa Monica and 11 Performance Bicycle locations. Following a four-year stint working as a warranty manager at Giant Bicycles, he worked for the nonprofit Bike MS and, most recently, at Simi Cycling Center in Simi Valley, California.

In late December, Rubin opened the doors to his own store, Wingspan Cyclery, in Moorpark, California.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for about 20 years,” he said. “It’s fun to put all of my experience into my own shop.”

Rubin worked with Holly Wiese and Andy Davis of 3 Dots Design on the design of the 1,400-square-foot store. (BRAIN worked with 3 Dots Design on its inaugural Retail Remodel Project last year and is collaborating with the retail design firm again on the second edition of the program.)

Rubin’s goal was to create an environment that would cater to everyone, and to appeal to women.

“I didn’t want it to look like a typical bike shop,” Rubin said. “There’s no slat wall and no peg board. I was going for kind of cross between Barnes & Noble and an Apple store. Not as sterile as an Apple store and comfortable like a bookstore.”

In order to best utilize his small space, Rubin stocks about 40 road, mountain and cruiser bikes from Felt, Bianchi and Orbea on the sales floor but has various size runs and colors in an off-site storage facility.

The shop has a full-service repair department and four employees who have more than 100 years of combined experience in the industry.

Wingspan is located in the Tuscany Square Shopping Center in Moorpark. A grand opening celebration will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, in conjunction with six neighboring businesses, including a new juice bar, clothing store and fitness center.

TREVISO, Italy (BRAIN) — Pinarello announced Thursday that it will not be exhibiting at Eurobike this year, choosing instead to attend smaller regional events and consumer shows.

“Eurobike is a very important event for the cycling world,” the company said in a letter. “However, in recent years the business strategies of Pinarello have changed radically. For several years now, we have favored direct involvement with our customers. In the coming years we plan to expand on this with the two annual events we host in Treviso and we will augment it with smaller regional events around the world.”

Pinarello will introduce its new model year products in May at the Giro D’Italia with Team Sky. In July it will exhibit at the La Pinarello Cycling Marathon, a three-day expo open to dealers. The company will also be exhibiting for the first time at PressCamp's June event in Park City, Utah. PressCamp is a four-day event that introduces brands and their products to attending media during one-on-one meetings in condos and demo rides on nearby trails and roads. 

Pinarello also plans to have a demo fleet with its new range of bikes that will begin its tour in the fall.

“We want to recognize and thank Eurobike for the important role it has played in our accomplishments in the marketplace,” the company said in the announcement.

VALLEJO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The recent California Fatbike State Championships at Rim Nordic Ski Area saw Foes/Wren-equipped racers win four out of five events entered, and the two companies have decided to team up again at NAHBS. The show takes place in Sacramento, California, Feb. 26-28.

The two companies are sharing booth 540 to showcase Foes Racing’s handcrafted aluminum frames and Wren's inverted suspension forks and ceramic-aluminum composite rotors.

“I’m very excited to be exhibiting at NAHBS this year. Building frames is what I love to do and I’m looking forward to seeing all the great builds at this year’s show,” said Brent Foes. “The Wren fork has been performing great for us, so sharing the booth with Wren will be a big plus for our customers.”

“As a new company with exciting new products, NAHBS is critical for us to reach the builders who build the best and the riders who ride the best. Where else can you find all that talent under one roof?” said Kevin Wren. “We are excited to show what Wren has to offer and how we can make their ride better. Being associated with a quality brand like Foes helps us tremendously.” 

SANDY, Utah (BRAIN) — Reynolds Cycling’s new fat bike wheelset, the Dean, features the company’s proprietary carbon rim technology and Industry Nine hubs. Reynolds is positioning it as a premium, all-season wheelset upgrade for fat bikes.

The wheelset features a tubeless and hookless double-wall carbon fiber rim that Reynolds says meets the same strength and durability standards set for all of its Blacklabel mountain bike wheels.

The rim measures 85 millimeters external/80 millimeters internal with a depth of 28 millimeters for a wide range of tire compatibility. The tubeless optimized rim channel allows for easy set up with a floor pump and creates a strong tire/rim interface for burp-free performance at low pressures and superior traction in all conditions.

The Dean is available now for $2,650 at authorized dealers.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The International Mountain Bicycling Association will pursue “a more assertive stance” on the designation of public lands as federally protected Wilderness areas that don’t allow bikes, it announced Thursday, but will not back any effort to amend the Wilderness Act of 1964 to expand trail access, as proposed by fellow advocacy group the Sustainable Trails Coalition.

“To be too narrowly focused on access challenges would be at the expense of new access opportunities. I’m referring to new trail development happening today at a pace unanticipated and underappreciated,” IMBA president and executive director Mike Van Abel said during a media conference call.

Formed last year, the Sustainable Trails Coalition hopes to introduce new legislation that would allow bicycles in some federally designated Wilderness areas. Many STC members and supporters — including new board president John Bliss, a former IMBA president — have criticized IMBA for not challenging the Wilderness Act, which bans bikes from those areas.

Van Abel said Thursday that amending the Wilderness Act would have “negative and unintended consequences” that make the effort politically unviable, and the IMBA board recently reaffirmed that stance.

“IMBA will not expend its hard-earned political capital on such a risky and unnecessary endeavor when so much more access can be achieved on 90 percent of public lands that are not currently protected as Wilderness,” Van Abel said. “However, should trails be located in existing Wilderness areas, we can and will pursue legislation and ask Congress to redraw existing Wilderness boundaries to open access to select trails that have the right attributes for a quality mountain biking experience.”

Those efforts will be concentrated in areas where IMBA has strong grass-roots chapters and will target land-use decisions that “arbitrarily” bar access to bikes without proper analysis and evidence of adverse impact, he added.

Although IMBA doesn’t support STC’s legislative effort, Van Abel thanked the group for engaging more mountain bikers on the issue of trail access.

“I’m actually quite grateful that the STC is doing what they’re doing, and there’s certainly room for different thoughts, multiple organizations,” he said.

The seventh World Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, November 10-12 is a meeting of the sport's leaders — the businesses, land managers and local advocates that steer the future of mountain biking. It will feature seminars, social events and group rides, and an expo area with demo bikes.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Eurobike organizers are planning an expanded second edition of its media event, which takes place June 28-30. As many as 30 bike manufacturers are expected to exhibit and meet with some 200 members of the global press in Kirchberg, Austria.

Last year, 19 companies owning 25 brands and more than 120 journalists took part in the pilot event.

“Our idea — to offer the bicycle industry and the trade press a new platform for testing the latest innovations well before the date of the actual leading industry fair — fell on very fertile soil,” said Eurobike department head Stefan Reisinger. “This year, the format is being further encouraged by increased commitment from more big names in the industry.”

New exhibitors include Rocky Mountain, Rose, Ritchey, Vivax Assist, Kross, Ridley and BMC Switzerland.

“For us, the access to international journalists is very interesting, especially at a point in the season when we’re all presenting our products,” said David Heine, BMC’s manager for global marketing.

Eurobike Media Days will offer journalists the opportunity to demo bikes on trails and road loops in the heart of the Austrian Alps.

Many bike companies in the past have hosted press at their own media events before Eurobike. Between April and July, editorial departments received invitations to as many as 30 different product presentations.

“Many trade journalists agree that it was just not affordable,” Eurobike said in its announcement. “For the bike manufacturers, as well, such events require great expense and personnel resources. The Eurobike Media Days are intended to consolidate the many individual presentations to showcase the latest innovations and trends in the bicycle industry for an exclusive circle of international media representatives in a real-world environment — in advance of Eurobike.”

Eurobike takes place Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

More information about Media Days and Eurobike: www.eurobike-mediadays.com and www.eurobike-show.com.

KENNEWICK, Wash. (BRAIN) — When self-proclaimed recovering workaholic Heather Henderson left her job at Cervélo last year, she traveled the long way to her hometown in southeast Washington state. She took the opportunity to visit family and friends she hadn’t seen for the better part of a decade while deeply immersed in her work.

“I just sort of jumped into space when I left Cervélo,” said Henderson, who began her career in the industry in 1996 at a small shop in the Midwest. “But I took the time to see people I hadn’t in so long while I was busy climbing the corporate ladder.”

With stints at several bike shops over the years and time working at Cannondale, DT Swiss, Specialized, Trek and Cervélo, Henderson realized the time was ripe to open the store of her dreams — and that her hometown was a good place to do it.

Henderson opened Leaning H Bike Shop two weeks ago in Kennewick, one of the Tri-Cities located in southeastern Washington not far from the Oregon border. Pasco and Richland complete the trifecta, and among the three cities, Henderson said there are only eight other shops serving the population of around 275,000 people.

“I want to chop down some of the barriers and create a store for all kinds of people, especially women and new cyclists,” said Henderson, who spent five years working as a product manager for Trek’s women’s line. “And my whole family is here, and there is a lot of opportunity for all kinds of cycling to grow here.”

Henderson worked with former Trek color and graphics designer Stacy Martin to create what she called a “full-meal modern bike shop.” The 2,600-square-foot store features antique fixtures, concrete floors, reclaimed barn wood and a custom maple cash wrap. Many of the materials are local and salvaged, and there is no slat wall or pegboard in sight.

“I wanted it to feel like it was from here and of here, of this place,” Henderson said. “We have this wonderful mix of materials and curated displays. Backstock is tucked out of sight so it feels clean and modern.”

Leaning H carries Trek and Niner and features a commuter shower, fitting room and a dedicated Trek Project One area. Henderson is also stocking apparel, accessories and a few lifestyle items, including bags and travel gear from Dakine. She has hired a longtime friend to work as service manager and plans to add more staff as the season ramps up.

Situated on the edge of the city’s mountain bike trail network, Leaning H also offers a bike valet service for $10. Henderson will set up the rider’s suspension and check tire pressure before they hit the trails and then clean and lube the bike afterward using the shop’s indoor bike wash station.

“A lot of riders don’t pay attention to their suspension, so I think this will be a gentle way to show people how important it is — if your rear shock isn’t set up right, you’re just riding a very expensive hardtail,” she said. “Then they can go next door to the landlord’s mac and cheese place after their ride to have a beer, which is included in the valet, while I wash their bike.”

The Tri-Cities has a vibrant road riding scene, with extensive bike paths running along the confluence of the Snake, Columbia and Yakima rivers, but Henderson hopes to promote gravel riding to take advantage of the many lightly trafficked unpaved roads in the area. 

Leaning H held a grand opening last week, with several Trek staffers in attendance, including Gary Fisher. Many arrived early to help Henderson put the final touches on the store.

“My friends and my family swarmed through like locusts, leaving beauty in their wake instead of destruction,” she said. “It was so awesome, I have this full pro setup thanks to everyone I know, and I am so grateful for that.”

KENT, Wash. (BRAIN) — Accell North America has hired former Raleigh sales rep Mike Larson as territory manager for Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.

“I just spent a week traveling through Michigan with Mike. We're very happy to have him back at Accell North America,” said Alan Rowland, senior director of IBD sales for Accell North America. “Mike has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the bike industry, great relationships, and a love for cycling. He will take great care of his dealers.”

Larson has 16 years of experience in the industry and was a sales representative for Accell brand Raleigh from 2013-15. He previously worked for Giant and Trek. 

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) —  Quality Bicycle Products has announced that its Northeast Fat Bike Summit will be held March 4 as part of the Winterbike event in East Burke, Vermont. 

 “We are so excited to hold a regional Fat Bike Summit here at Kingdom Trails as we have seen a marketable increase here in New England and Quebec province,” said Kingdom Trails Association executive director Tim Tierney. “There are many here interested in growing the activity and we know it will be fully attended. Along with the MTBVT, we are hosting Winterbike that weekend and look forward to a fully fat time.”

The Northeast Fat Bike Summit will take place at Lyndon State College, 1001 College Road, Lyndonville, Vermont. To register, go to the Kingdom Trails Association website.

QBP also announced that registration is open for its Ogden Regional Fat Bike Summit, set for Feb. 26 at the Courtyard Marriott in Ogden, Utah. There is no admission fee for the summit. To register, go to the Visit Ogden website.

The Fat Bike Summits will be focused primarily for land managers, Nordic ski associations, chambers of commerce, and other city or county agencies interested in learning more about fat bike access issues, demographics and grooming techniques, QBP stated.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — RockyMounts is launching three thru-axle compatible fork-mount racks: the SwitchHitter rack, HotRod mount and StreetRod adaptor. 

The SwitchHitter is a new roof rack that resembles a traditional fork-mount rack but has the ability to accommodate bikes with a variety of styles and sizes of thru-axles. It arrives ready for standard 9-millimeter QR forks and includes three interchangeable 12x100-, 15x100- and Boost 110-sized axles. It has a universal fit that installs on round, square and most factory cross bars. It also comes with an integrated cable lock for the bike and the ability to lock the rack to the crossbars. It’s available in eight colors with a suggested retail price of $189.95.

The StreetRod thru-axle adapter gives owners of 9-millimeter fork-mount racks the ability to carry thru-axle bikes. The aluminum adapter comes in six anodized colors and attached to fork-mount racks from any manufacturer. It ships with three axles to accommodate bikes with 12x100, 15x100 and Boost 110 axles, with a suggested retail of $49.95.

The HotRod is a bolt-on truck and home storage mount for bikes with thru-axles. It comes with interchangeable axles to accommodate the same three axles sizes as the other two products, and it can also be converted to work with standard 9-millimeter QR bikes with an optional kit that’s sold for $19.95. The HotRod comes in six anodized colors and has a suggested retail of $49.95.

RockyMounts also offers a HotRod Track Hardware Kit for attaching to OE channels on Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet and GMC truck beds and aftermarket Unistrut channels. The kit retails for $19.95.

For traditional QR fork mounts, RockyMounts has a new line of QR fork mounts consisting of the LoBall line for trucks, trailers, vans and home storage. All three models are made of powder-coated aluminum bases with chromoly QRs. The LoBall is offered as a non-locking and locking mount as well as a locking fork mount compatible with OE truck bed channels and aftermarket Unistrut channels. Prices range from $24.95 to $69.95.

RockyMounts sells direct to U.S. dealers as well as through QBP, BTI, Hans Johnsen, Downeast and J&B Importers. 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (BRAIN) — Wal-Mart has awarded Kent International its Supplier of the Year award at the company’s beginning-of-the-year meeting. Kent won the same award last year.

“For this award, we now have five SKUs that we are shipping to them now. They were also very impressed that we kept our promise to produce bicycles for their stores that could be assembled in approximately five minutes,” said Arnold Kamler, Kent’s chairman and CEO.

Kamler said Kent’s bike factory in Clarendon, South Carolina, is an important reason the company has won the award for two years running. For one, Kent’s U.S. production supports Wal-Mart’s Buy American Campaign, but the Clarendon-made bikes can also be delivered to Wal-Mart at a higher level of assembly than bikes made in China. 

“Wal-Mart has made it clear from day one that they will move $250 billion of purchases from imports to American-made or assembled products, but that these products need to make sense and be competitive,” Kamler said. “Since we are meeting this criteria with the bikes made in Clarendon, they are happy to buy as much from us as we can make there.”

OGDEN, Utah (BRAIN) — Enve is recalling some 600 of its carbon fiber road disc forks because the left leg of the fork can crack above the disc brake mount. So far Enve has received five reports of the left leg of the fork cracking with no reported injuries.

The recall affects Enve’s Carbon Fiber Road Fork 2.0 Disc 1.25-inch taper models. The forks have serial numbers beginning with: VCT1406, VCT1410, VCT1411, VCT1501, VCT1502, VCT1503, VCT1505, VCT1506, VCT1507, VCT1508, VCT1509 and VCT1510. The serial number is located on the black steerer tube.

Enve is advising consumers to contact the company for a full refund or replacement of the fork and headset.

The forks, which were manufactured in Vietnam, were sold at authorized Enve dealers nationwide and online from June 2014 through December 2015 for about $540 each.

Consumers are instructed to fill out the Voluntary Fork Recall form to start the process, or call (877) 358-2869 or email fork-recall@enve.com. 

More information on the Consumer Product Safety Commision website. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BRAIN) — Industry Nine has added a version of its Torch Classic Mountain hub for the centerlock brake rotor interface. Torch Classic Mountain Center Lock will be available in Boost and traditional mountain configurations.  

The hubs feature a nearly identical design to the Torch Classic Mountain, with a focus on light weight, ease of maintenance and fast, 3-degree hub engagement, Industry Nine stated. They will be offered in 11 anodized colors and 28- and 32-hole drillings.

Industry Nine will display the Torch Classic Mountain Center Lock hubs this month at QBP’s Frostbike and the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. 

Suggested retail: $190 (front for 15x100 thru-axle, QR100 or 15x110 Boost), $385 (rear for QR135, 12x142 or 12x148 Boost)

El SEGUNDO, Calif. (BRAIN) — “The Program,” director Stephen Frears’ feature film recounting the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong, has been made available by AT&T on the DirectTV Cinema pay-per-view service a month ahead of its theatrical release.

The film stars Ben Foster (“Lone Survivor”) as Armstrong and Chris O’Dowd (“Bridesmaids”) as Irish sports journalist David Walsh, who becomes convinced that banned substance fueled Armstrong’s Tour de France victories and begins to hunt for evidence that will expose the celebrated cyclist.

“The Program” will be available for 72-hour rental in 1080p HD (Blu-ray format) for $12.99 and in standard definition (SD) for $11.99. The film, which debuted at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, reaches U.S. theaters March 18.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition and the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association have selected the recipients of the women’s scholarship program that will enable three women to attend the Bicycle Leadership Conference in Monterey, California, this April.

Winners of the Cycling Women to Watch scholarship are Amanda Schulze, women's business manager at Trek Bicycles; Sarah Johnson, supply chain analyst II at QBP; and Rebecca Karbon, north regional sales manager at Specialized Bicycles.

“The BPSA is proud to underwrite these OIWC scholarships. This is the second year of full rides to BLC for a younger, more diverse group of future industry leaders, and we hope to continue this great tradition," said Ray Keener, BPSA executive director.

The Bicycle Leadership Conference, owned and managed by the BPSA, is an annual, three-day conference for industry leaders and key stakeholders that includes networking, education and collaboration on key issues and opportunities facing the industry. The scholarship will cover conference registration, round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.

“The Bicycle Leadership Conference is the perfect opportunity for these women to gain invaluable industry insight, while expanding their professional network,” said Deanne Buck, executive director of the OIWC. “As we focus on creating a stronger, more sustainable cycling industry with engaged, top-tier female talent, we are grateful for organizations like BPSA that support our efforts.”

SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — Stromer will give away a limited-edition ST1 e-bike to one winner after next weekend’s Electric Bike Expo in San Diego.

To qualify, expo attendees need to test ride a Stromer and sign up for the drawing. Stromer will also be giving away two gift bags. Winners will be notified by email or phone by March 4.

The Electric Bike Expo runs from Feb. 26-28 at Liberty Station, 2722 Chauncey Road, San Diego. Stromer is among 18 brands that will be exhibiting pedal-assist e-bikes at the event.

Organized by Extra Energy Services North America, the Electric Bike Expo next travels to Houston for March 11-13 at Rice University.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The California Bicycle Coalition is seeking $10 million in state funding for what would be a groundbreaking program: giving consumers rebates for buying bikes.

Under CalBike’s proposal, Californians would be eligible for rebates of up to 50 percent — to a maximum of $500 — of the cost of buying a “high-quality utilitarian bicycle,” which would include conventional bikes as well as electric, cargo and folding bikes. The “utilitarian” label is to show that eligible bikes would be used to replace car trips.

Dave Snyder, CalBike’s executive director, said he is optimistic that a pilot program could be in place by 2017. The organization submitted a proposal for its “Bicycle Purchase Incentive Pilot Program” earlier this month to the California Air Resources Board, which oversees rebate programs for clean vehicle purchases.

Government-financed rebates for new bike purchases would be a boon for the industry and could have a ripple effect in other states, Snyder said.

“It’s thrilling to be in this position,” he said. “Nobody in the U.S. has done anything like this. It’s not even ubiquitous across Europe. It would send such a strong signal about the public commitment to bicycles as a solution” to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and easing transportation congestion.

CalBike’s proposal tracks existing California rebate programs for clean vehicle purchases. It would be financed by the state’s greenhouse gas reduction program, which raises billions of dollars a year through so-called “cap-and-trade” auctions.

Under the proposal, corporations and public agencies also could tap into the fund to underwrite the cost of up buying up to 100 bicycles for campus bike fleets. Bike share programs would have a similar incentive.

At least half of the rebates would be earmarked for residents of disadvantaged communities, or households whose income is 80 percent or less of the state’s median household income.

CalBike said low-income communities of color have the highest rates of bicycling, and cycling is growing fastest among Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans.

In its proposal, CalBike noted that cargo bikes and e-bikes tend to cost over $1,000, putting them out of reach of most low-income families.

“Providing subsidies for bicycle purchases would increase the affordability of these high-quality, zero-emission vehicles and stimulate the market for bicycles, especially for emerging technologies in electric-assist bicycles and cargo bicycles, continuing to drive down prices,” the organization said.

Snyder said CalBike’s policy director, Jeanie Ward-Waller, and its lobbyists have been in discussions with representatives of the Air Resources Board.

The pilot project would be a first step toward CalBike’s goal of a permanent rebate program, backed by significantly higher funding levels, Snyder said.

The Bicycle Products Suppliers Association has donated $20,000 to help the CalBike effort, but Snyder is seeking at least $60,000 in industry support. The money would help underwrite the cost of CalBike’s staff and lobbyists, along with research to support the proposal.

If the program succeeds, he said, a relatively small industry investment could spark a return worth millions of dollars.

CalBike is encouraging supporters to sign an online petition backing the pilot project.