SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — BMC USA has hired David Votava to managing director for North America. Votava follows the three-year tenure of Chris McLaren, who is leaving BMC to become BicycleBlueBook's chief sales officer.

"Joining the innovative team at BMC will bring a new chapter of opportunity," said Votava. "I'm looking forward to continuing the great work Chris McLaren has done to bolster BMC's growth in North America. Key areas of focus will be increasing brand awareness, expanding retailer opportunities, and improving consumer access to the category-defining BMC product."

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (BRAIN) — DT Swiss has hired Marty Caivano, formally with IMBA, to help expand its event and technical support program. 

"Marty's experience and style really stand out and will help us with our goal to expand our support capabilities in North America in the coming years. We are very happy to be working with her. When you see one of our vans out there, stop by and say hello," said DT Swiss Inc.'s CEO, Chip Barbieri.

Caivano has been working part time for DT since early spring and joined full time as of Aug. 16. She will be working with DT Swiss' event/ marketing manager, Shane Hensley, and will be located on the Front Range of Colorado. She can be reached at Mcaivano@dtswiss.com.

WESTERLY, R.I. (BRAIN) — In classic start-up fashion, Velotooler lends itself nicely to an elevator pitch (or more accurately, an Interbike booth pitch): It's Uber for bike mechanics.

Velotooler, now in beta testing and expected to launch in the coming weeks, connects consumers and independent bike mechanics. Like Uber, Velotooler sets the prices and handles transactions through the app so the mechanic doesn't need to worry about getting paid. After a consumer requests a mechanic for a specific task, the job goes out to nearby participating mechanics, who can choose whether to accept the job.

The program would be a boon for experienced mechanics to use for moonlighting or off-season work, Velotooler's backers say. For busy consumers — many of whom are growing increasingly reliant on peer-to-peer commerce sites like Uber and AirBnB — it's a low hassle way to get their bike up and running.

The app is being developed by Yahor Buben, a former amateur road racer and software developer. Buben, a former IT manager at Yale University, has previously developed a peer-to-peer shipping service in Eastern Europe.

Buben has consulted with Rhode Island retailer Amos Brumble on the app; the two are former teammates on the CCB International team.

The app will require potential mechanics to submit their credentials and abilities. Brumble said some less experienced mechanics might only accept easy jobs like flat fixing, while more difficult tasks requiring specific tools might only go to experienced mechanics or to brick-and-mortar shops.

The program will also create a maintenance history for each consumer's bike that future mechanics will be able to access. There is a chat feature for mechanics to make arrangements with customers, and after the job customers can leave ratings for the mechanic.

Like other peer-to-peer programs, Velotooler faces inevitable criticism from two sides. Advocates for professional bike mechanics might worry about encouraging a gig economy, where mechanics are getting no benefits or long term security, and might be vulnerable to liability claims. From the other side, established stores can complain that they will be forced to compete with independent mechanics who lack the overhead of a store, insurance, taxes and other expenses (Velotooler is looking into offering insurance, as Uber does, but will likely not offer it when the program launches this fall).

Brumble said that, especially in seasonal markets like New England, very few bike mechanics are making a career out of it currently.

"It really could help close the wage gap for mechanics," said Brumble, owner of Brumble Bikes in Westerly. "Locally here, there is plenty of work in the summertime, but the other eight months a year most mechanics are laid off or have their hours cut significantly."

And Brumble said the independent mechanics on Velotooler are likely to pick up a lot of small jobs that brick-and-mortar shops are leaving on the table.

Brumble guesses that most Velotooler jobs will be simple flat fixes, noting that many consumers have bikes siting dormant with flats because of the hassle of transporting them to a store.

"There is a lot of business that isn't being captured by shops for a lot of reasons," he said.

Brumble said the program could benefit shops, as well. Mechanics working independently will develop skills and a record of their work and consumer reviews that will allow shops to hire confidently,

"We feel that this will work far better than just taking a chance the mechanic will work out or fix their shortcomings later," Brumble said. "We are also suggesting that shops hire Velotooler mechanics to come in and do overflow work and also possibly review the mechanic for a future hire using our platform."

With many bikes gathering dust with flat tires or other simple problems, a program that gets them back on the road or trail is good for cycling in general and eventually for all shops, Brumble noted.

Velotooler has launched its website, velotooler.com, on a beta-testing basis. Buben said he expects to launch a mobile app in the Apple app store in the next few weeks. An Android app will come later.

ST.-GEORGES, Quebec (BRAIN) — Procycle Group has appointed Patrick Giguère to the position of director of product lines for the company's Miele, eVox and Rocky Mountain Urban brands.

Giguère holds a bachelor's degree in administration from the Quebec University of Montreal and has 20 years of experience in the bike industry, specifically in product development. He has worked for Procycle Group for 10 years.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Pro's Closet will attend next year's North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Salt Lake City, giving consumers attending the show a chance to trade in their old bike for a voucher to put toward a new custom bike.

Bicycles must be submitted and shipped prior to NAHBS to receive a valid voucher at the show.

Nick Martin from The Pro's Closet said, "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with NAHBS and not only showcase our museum of historic handmade bikes but also leverage our expertise in the used marketplace. Our Trade Up program will be connecting builders with potential customers by unlocking the value in bikes collecting dust in their garages. We are excited to give frame builders another tool in their toolbox, making it easier for customers to upgrade to their dream bike. It's an honor to be able to support customers, builders, and the hand built community as a whole."

The Pro's Closet also will be displaying a selection of bikes from its Museum of Historic Handmade Bicycles. NAHBS takes place in Salt Lake City on March 10-12. Organizers expect more than 175 exhibitors and frame builders.

WATERLOO, Wis. (BRAIN) — Trek Women's Advocates from around the world, along with seven members of international media, are joining Trek at the company's global headquarters here this week for the inaugural Global Women's Summit.

The three-day summit, which comes on the heels of Trek's first week-long, women's-only, scholarship-funded Certified Service class, serves as the kick-off event for Trek's larger ongoing campaign to make cycling more accessible to women around the world, the company said.

The advocates will attend seminars with Trek's marketing, engineering, design, retail, manufacturing, product development, and sales departments to learn tools that will help strengthen the relationship between women riders and retailers in their home towns.

Trek's president, John Burke, will address the group on the importance of advocacy in the company's history and the trajectory of current and future programs with PeopleForBikes, DreamBikes, NICA, IMBA, and others. The group also will visit with Gary Fisher and attend group road and mountain bike rides led by Trek Travel.

"We're starting small (with 54 advocates), but we have big goals for this program," said Amanda Schulze, Trek's women's business manager. "This formula puts talented, enthusiastic, approachable women cyclists in the field where they can make the biggest impact, and gives them the tools they need to lead the initiative in their communities to get more women on bikes. We're thrilled to introduce this program, and we hope this model will continue to grow along with the industry."

The advocates were chosen from an applicant pool of more than 250. The group is composed of bike shop professionals, an adventure therapist, a retired police sergeant, a student in mechanical engineering, a retired chief medical officer from the Betty Ford Clinic, a pianist, a mathematics professor, and an Amgen scientist, among others.

Following the conclusion of the Global Women's Summit, the 54 Trek Women's Advocates will return to partner retailers in their respective communities to lead outreach efforts, group rides, clinics, and events over the course of the next year.

"Our goal with the summit is to help grow community and create a more inclusive industry and environment. It's a grassroots effort. This is going to be a really fun week, and these women are going to do extraordinary things. In the end, what they do in their communities this year is going to make cycling better for women everywhere."

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — Drone brand DJI is introducing a new drone model called Mavic Pro.

The company saiod Mavic Pro is its first "personal drone." It's small enough to toss in a bag and can launch quickly.

"Its unique folding design compresses the entire drone to practically the size of a water bottle," the company said. 

The drone is equipped with a stabilized 4K camera and a visual navigation system, with a 4.3 mile (7 km) range and 27-minute flight time.

"DJI has spent a decade making it easier for anyone to fly, and by rethinking everything about how a drones look, we have created an entirely new type of aerial platform for anyone to explore their creativity," said Frank Wang, DJI's CEO and founder.

The Mavic Pro is set to automatically return to its launch location if it ever loses contact with the controller or reaches critically low battery levels. A Precision Landing feature records a burst of video with two stereo cameras every time Mavic Pro launches, then uses both video and satellite information when it returns to land within an inch of where it took off. If a pilot lets go of the controls, the drone will simply hover in place.

The Mavic Pro records 4K video at 30fps and full 1080p HD at 96fps. 

Mavic Pro's U.S. retail price will be $999 with the remote controller included, and $749 without the remote controller. Additional Mavic Pro Intelligent Flight Batteries will cost $89. A Mavic Pro Fly More Combo, which includes a Mavic Pro, two extra Intelligent Flight Batteries, extra propellers, a charging hub, an adapter, a car charger and a shoulder bag, will be available for $1,299.

It will begin shipping October 15. 

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — BikeExchange.com has hired David McRobie as its VP of sales and business development in the U.S.

McRobie has a decade of experience in the cycling, running, outdoor, and health industries.

"I'm thrilled to be making this strategic move at a critical time for the industry as both retailers and brands grapple with the changing retail and consumer relationship. BikeExchange.com provides unique marketing and data solutions with the technology firepower to offer our partners clear analytical insights into how, where and what consumers are buying. BikeExchange.com is a game changer in supporting the industry and sport I love," said McRobie.

BikeExchange.com USA CEO Matt Gordin said, "Our first step has always been to support retailers and now that we have 2,200 retail partners globally, the next step is to partner with brands directly in driving brand preference and sales at retail while enabling consumers to find the exact product they're looking for in real time."

Gordin added, "David will grow our brand partnerships with his deep understanding of the U.S. cycling landscape and great affinity for providing smart client media solutions. Having David join us at such an important stage in our brands growth is a natural and powerful match."

McRobie will remain based in Northern California in the heart of Sonoma County where he lives with his wife and two children.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN) — PeopleForBikes' Katy Hartnett wants to hear from suppliers who want Congress to ease or suspend import tariffs on parts, accessories or products that they sell in the U.S.

Hartnett, government relations director at PFB, said the industry is facing an Oct. 15 deadline to submit a list for the International Trade Commission to consider for tariff relief.
Hartnett, who has a long history of working on transportation issues and who joined PFB in 2014, said that to get an item on the list the key requirements are simple.

There should be no manufacturing or limited production of the product in the U.S., and easing or removing the duty should cost the federal government less than $500,000 annually in revenue.

In the past, products like bicycle speedometers, child carriers, chain covers, unicycles, steel tubing, bicycle rims, brakes, cranks and other parts enjoyed duty relief.

"While all these items may be good candidates for relief, we also need to know what other products might satisfy the criteria provided by the new law," a PFB notice sent to the industry said.

PFB and the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association are working together to finalize that list for submission under a new law, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, passed by Congress and signed last May by President Obama.

Duty suspension, as the process is normally called, at one time had been fairly routine. Legislators would submit a product for consideration and it would be added to legislation suspending or easing tariff rates if products met the requirements.

But such submissions became entangled in debates over earmarks that Congress has banned. To get around that ban, Congress agreed that individual companies could submit requests to the ITC seeking tariff relief, Hartnett explained.

As part of the new legislation, however, members of Congress cannot add any item for tariff suspension that has not been vetted by the ITC. The BPSA and PFB are preparing an industrywide petition and will submit it to the ITC.

The ITC will vet the products and also seek out those who may oppose duty relief for a specific item, Hartnett added. Once the list is compiled, the ITC will send it to the House Ways and Means Committee and to the Senate Finance Committee. The committees will reconcile the items and submit a final bill for passage.

Hartnett said the industry has about three weeks to finalize its wish list. For more information, Hartnett can be reached at katy@peopleforbikes.org.

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Advanced Sports International is recalling some Fuji and Breezer bikes because the top clamp of the seat post can crack, posing a fall hazard to the user.

Consumers are being told to immediately stop riding the bicycles and take them to a local Breezer or Fuji dealer or contact Advanced Sports International for a free replacement top seat clamp.

Consumer can contact Advanced Sports International toll-free at 888-286-6263 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.fujibikes.com or www.breezerbikes.com.

The recall involves about 3,000 2017 model year Breezer and Fuji bicycles. The aluminum bicycles come in a variety of colors. The seatposts are silver or black. The model name is printed on the frame of the bicycle. Recalled models include:

Fuji Bicycles:

• Absolute 1.3 Disc
• Absolute 1.7 Disc
• Absolute 1.7 Disc ST
• Absolute 2.1
• Addy 27.5 1.3
• Addy 27.5 1.5
• Addy 27.5 1.7
• Nevada 27.5 1.5
• Nevada 27.5 1.7
• Nevada 27.5 1.9
• Traverse 1.9 ST
• Police Special 29

Breezer Bicycles:

• Downtown 3 ST
• Downtown 7+
• Downtown 7+ ST
• Downtown 8
• Downtown 8 ST

There have been no incidents reported. The bikes were sold from June through July this year for between $400 and $900.

More information: CPSC recall page.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (BRAIN) — Former SRAM technical ambassador Andy Jones has opened a RockShox mountain bike suspension service center, Squish Dynamics, in Western Oregon. Jones, who has worked as a mechanic in the bike industry since 2003, specializes in routine maintenance, overhaul and tuning of RockShox suspension products, Reverb dropper posts and SRAM brakes. 

Jones opened the 850 square-foot shop just outside of Eugene on August 22. 

“During my time on the road, I noticed that a lot of shops aren’t doing this kind of work,” said Jones, who traveled all over the Western U.S. for SRAM, providing technical support at events and races and conducting technical clinics for retailers for five years. “It requires a big investment in time, specialty tools and training. If I can use my expertise to help them get their customers back on their bikes faster, everybody wins.”

Squish Dynamics is set up to receive work orders from retailers and consumers with a two-day turnaround. Jones offers retailers discounted pricing with enough room for a margin, freeing them up to focus on other repair work.

“As a small business, we have to allocate our resources to repairs that are in our wheel house,” said Justin Bezelj, owner of Life Cycle Bike Shop in Eugene. “We send repairs that are too complex to do in house to Squish Dynamics. This ensures that the repair is done right and saves the customer a significant amount of down time. Andy’s previous experience working for SRAM gives him an edge in this service arena.”

Jones accepts work orders through his website. Retailers can send product to be repaired to Squish Dynamics, which covers shipping back to the dealer. Local retailers have the option to drop product off at Jones’ shop once they’ve filled out a work order online. For now, Jones services only SRAM products. 

Squish Dynamics is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. While the shop is mostly service focused, Jones said there is space for customers to hang out and that he has some small parts for sale. 

To learn more and complete a work order, visit squishdynamics.com.

LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — Selle SMP, the Italian maker of anatomically correct saddles, has introduced the new Blaster model to its 2017 line of ergonomic saddles.

The Blaster is based on the SMP Composit model but with the addition of slight padding uniformly distributed across the whole surface of the saddle. The company said the Blaster is perfect for both road and mountain biking, both men and women.

The Blaster features SMP's exclusive design philosophy of "Your Body Designed by Selle SMP," which includes a wide central channel that avoids the crushing of the perineun, an "Eagle beak" nose that releases compression on the external genitalia, a rear depression that prevents trauma to the coccyx caused by the road or trail vibration roughness, and wide range of fore / aft adjustment.

The Blaster is available with optional carbon rails and new 2017 SMP colors, Fluorescent Yellow and Light Blue.

MSRP is $260, or $425 with carbon rails.

All Selle SMP Saddles are imported and distributed in the U.S. by Albabici. More information at www.albabici.com.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Community Cycles of Boulder, Colorado, America's third-largest community bicycle organization, is raising funds to purchase a new $1.5 million building. A thousand square feet of the new space will be dedicated to the Leslie Bohm Education Center, a facility to teach Boulder bikers about all aspects of bikes and cycling.

CC's development director, Jennifer Shriver, patrolled the halls of Interbike last Friday, along with CC capital campaign chair Ray Keener. "There's sure a lot of love for Leslie in the bike industry," Shriver said. "We're really gratified by all the support we're getting."

The Education Center will allow Community Cycles to expand its currently overbooked class and clinic programs by three to four times. Sue Prant, CC's executive director, explained why.

"We're currently forced to do our education in the same space as our repair shop," Prant said. "In the new building, we can have the shop open to service members and hold classes at the same time."

Bohm's widow, Lynn Guissinger, is also on the Capital Campaign committee. Holly Wiese and Andy Davis of 3 Dots Design in Boulder are working on the store design and layout, with longtime CC volunteer Mercedes Ross directing the merchandising.

For more information about the Community Cycles Capital Campaign and how your company or you personally can contribute, contact ray@communitycycles.org.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (BRAIN) — Finish Line has unilaterally adopted a minimum retail advertised price policy. The company said its MAP policy was designed to ensure the preservation of Finish Line's strong brand presence and value within its core IBD channel.

Finish Line has hired Oris Intel to monitor the online minimum advertised prices for all products subject to its MAP.

"Thanks to Oris Intel's proprietary Prowl monitoring software, the monitoring of online pricing across thousands of sites becomes easy," said Hank Krause, the president of Finish Line. "This cloud-based software reduces the amount of time it takes to enforce pricing policy and easily identifies online discounters with more accuracy and efficiency than other price comparison engines."

Finish Line's full, updated MAP policy was sent to dealers and distributors on Sept. 16. It is also available at FinishLineUSA.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (BRAIN) — Velocity USA is moving all its rim and wheel production and distribution to its headquarters here, beginning in December. The company will close its rim factory in Jacksonville, Florida, which has operated for about five years. Employees at the Florida facility are being offered jobs in Michigan and relocation assistance, a company spokesman said.

The company, which was launched in Australia by brothers Tom and John Black, is celebrating 25 years in business.

Centralizing production is expected to improve product delivery time by seven to 10 days. The factory will join Velocity's current distribution and wheel building facility in Grand Rapids.

"The combined facility will enhance research and development capabilities and continue to build on Velocity's reputation for top-tier customer service by leveraging the state of Michigan's long history and reputation as an innovative manufacturing hub for the United States," the company said.

JUPITER, Fla. (BRAIN) — Velocomp LLC has hired Phillip Lucas as its vice president of global sales and marketing.

Velocomp manufactures PowerPod power meters and the Newton Power Cycling Computer. 

Lucas, who was most recently director of the Americas for Eddy Merckx Cycles, will officially start with Velocomp in late October. Lucas also is a former manager at Rotor Bike Components, where he worked for eight years.

"I have known Phillip since 2008," said John Hamann, the founder and CEO of Velocomp, LLC. "I've watched him successfully introduce innovative products into the cycling category worldwide, and to build global brands around them. Phillip is well versed in the power meter category, having used many different products in the last few years, including Velocomp's PowerPod and Newton products. Phillip's global industry knowledge ... will be great assets to Velocomp distributors, dealers, and consumers."

Lucas said, "I am looking forward to expanding Velocomp's presence in the global marketplace. Velocomp's power meter products are simple, portable, accurate and affordable, and are based on a solid technology with 12 years of incremental improvement behind it. A full-picture power meter with these qualities and price is just what mainstream cyclists have been waiting for."

LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — As Interbike closed on Friday, show organizers reported that the show's visitor count dropped by 10 to 12 percent over last year, while exhibition space was down by 8 percent, according to preliminary figures. The show generally doesn't release final numbers until several weeks after the show closes.

Show spokesman Justin Gottlieb said organizers expected lower numbers in part because of Interbike's upcoming Fall CycloFest, which is scheduled for Oct. 20-23 in North Carolina. Many East Coast retailers sent smaller crews to Las Vegas this year and will send others to the North Carolina event, Gottlieb said. CycloFest includes trade-only and consumer days, including demos.

Several East Coast retailers have told BRAIN they chose to skip the Las Vegas show altogether this year to try out the new East Coast event.

Gottlieb also noted that there are simply fewer bike shops in the U.S., according to several sources. "This certainly has had an impact as well," Gottlieb said.

While show traffic appeared light, many attendees last week found attendance at the OutDoor Demo especially light, particularly on Monday. The event was visibly smaller as major brands including Giant, Specialized, Scott, Santa Cruz and Intense decided to stay away. The lack of major mountain bike brands pushed most traffic toward a handful of brands offering demos.

At the annual Industry Breakfast that opened the show on Wednesday, Interbike's vice president, Pat Hus, said 2016 has been one of the most challenging years he's seen in his decades in the bike industry.

Watch for more coverage of Interbike and the international trade show climate in the November issue of Bicycle Retailer.

OGDEN, Utah (BRAIN) — Enve is now offering the M60 Plus carbon mountain bike wheel, built for 27.5-plus tires.

The new wheel has an internal width of 40mm, external is 49mm. Enve said the M60 Plus will be able to tackle the same conditions its M60 and M60HV models were designed to excel in. A pair of rims weigh 910 grams. A wheelset weighs 1,577 grams.

"Plus bikes are really fun, however they are more fun and consequently fast when you have a wheelset that is both stiff, light, and highly durable. The M60 Plus is designed to provide an optimized rim solution for 2.8” to 3.0” Plus tires so that your wide wheel platform can also feel light and nimble allowing you to go further, faster," the company said.

Retail pricing starts at $2,718 per pair.

More information: enve.com/product-category/mseries-plus.

OGDEN, Utah (BRAIN) — Robert Choi, the co-founder of Volagi Cycles, was seriously injured after an accident involving a motor vehicle while riding after work Tuesday. The company announced Wedneday that Choi is in coma at a hospital in Ogden, Utah. The company also said it was shutting down operations indefinitely.

The company also set up a Go Fund Me account to help offset hospital and recovery costs.

"At this time we need to focus on getting Robert back on his feet, and hopefully the bike, as soon as possible," the company said on its Facebook page. 

Choi's GoFundMe page. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Thomas Prehn's new company, Arsenal Cycling, is crowdfunding a new light system that includes rear lights that flash in unison. Prehn, who has worked and consulted with several brands including CatEye, said Arsenal will launch several new products soon, all related to improving rider safety.

Prehn, a former top pro road cyclist who still rides thousands of miles a year, said rider safety has become a personal passion.

"I've spent a lot of time working on lighting and it's something I feel strongly about, and something I could focus a company on and be successful," Prehn told BRAIN.

Arsenal's first product, the 4Sync Light, includes three red lights and one white light. The red lights are intended to be positioned in a vertical line on the rear of the rider and bike — for example, on the rear of the helmet, the lower back and the seatstays. The white light faces forward.

The four lights use a wireless "mini network" so they flash in unison. Turning on or off any of the lights will control the others.

Prehn said the three lights flashing in unison make it easier for drivers to notice a rider and judge the rider's speed and location, similar to the way flashing lights on a radio tower allow pilots to identify the tower and its location. The technology is patent pending.

“The human brain has an innate ability to detect patterns against a cluttered background,” Prehn said. “The premise for my light system is that its synchronized flashing enables cyclists to be not only seen — but noticed — on the road. It is a proactive defense against distracted drivers, and the only one of its kind."  

4Sync Lights will retail for about $165. They are rechargeable via an included 4-in-1 charging cable and have a run time of 16 hours in "pulse" mode or 24 hours in "group ride" mode, which uses a reduced lumen output. The normal lumen output is 40 lumens for the front white light and 20 lumens for each of the three rear lights, or 60 lumens total. The lights each have clothing clips and silicone straps so they can be attached to a bike.

Early backers on Kickstarter are being offered a set of four lights for a $120 pledge. For a $3,500 pledge, Prehn is offering 10 sets of lights and will conduct a seminar on commuting and group ride safety for the organization making the pledge.  

Prehn said that following the Kickstarter campaign, the lights will be available to IBDs via a handful of distributors. He said Arsenal is looking for strategic partners as it prepares to bring more products to market. 

The Kickstarter campaign continues through Oct. 14. As of Thursday, the campaign had reached about 30 percent of its $20,000 funding goal.

More information: 4Sync's Kickstarter page.