QUÉBEC CITY (BRAIN) — Garneau has promoted David Cathcart from director of USA and international sales to now oversee the company's sales & marketing teams as executive leader, of sales and marketing.

Working out of Garneau's offices in Vermont and Quebec, Cathcart will head up a new structure. As part of the new organization, sales and marketing departments are aligned to provide support and service across Canada and the United States and to better serve Garneau's global business development.

Eric Sakalowsky ( the global marketing director), Michael Britten (the newly-named director of sales for Canada), Edouard Garneau (the director of IBD sales for the USA), and Pierre Grenier (director of key accounts) provide the backbone of the team, the company said.

"In today's dynamic landscape, a more finely-tuned collaboration between sales and marketing is a key part of helping our various wholesale and retail partners succeed with the Garneau brand throughout the world," said the company's founder and CEO, Louis Garneau.

MARINA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Light & Motion is offering a new series of lights for urban riding that rely on motion and light sensors to automatically turn on and off as needed. The company says the design make the lights easy to use and contributes to their compactness and durability.

The Vibe head and tail lights are designed for day or night use. When attached to their mounts, the lights will each recognize motion and automatically turn on and off, with a variable pulse that's designed for maximum traffic visibility both day and night. While the tail light uses the pulse mode day and night, the headlight senses ambient light and automatically uses the pulse mode in the daytime and runs steady at night.

The lights secure to a handlebar or seat post with a quarter-turn lock; locking in the Vibe activates the sensors. For charging, the lights plug directly into a USB port without a cable. They fully charge in two hours.

"Bike lights are great when properly used, but there is a lot of room for error. People forget to turn them on, and can't tell when their batteries are almost out. Lights can be a pain to take on and off to charge, and many have crazy flashing patterns that make you less safe. We decided to develop a revolutionary bike light that solved these problems," said Daniel Emerson, Light & Motion's CEO.

The lights' beam pattern was developed based on the Wells Florida Highway Patrol Emergency Lighting Study. 

The Vibe Pro TL's low-profile mount fits in less space than conventional seat post-mounted tail lights, leaving more room for saddle bags or short seat posts. An optional seat rail mount allows the light to be mounted directly under the saddle with angle adjustment for increased visibility or if using a wide aero post.

The Vibe series is completely waterproof, certified to the IP67 rating, which allows the light to be submerged up to 1 meter without issue. The light also is tested to withstand repeated 1 meter drops on concrete.

"The Vibe is unlike any light on the market, and represents a huge leap forward in the bike light category. Vibe defines convenience and effortless safety for urban riders," said Emerson. "It's simply the smartest commuter light out there."

The Vibe Series includes the Vibe Pro HL headlight, which as a 250 lumens SafePulse mode and a 200 lumens night mode. It has a 6-hour runtime in daylight and a 2-hour runtime at night. It weighs 30 grams and retails for $49.99

The Vibe Pro TL taillight produces 100 lumens with a 6-hour runtime. It also weighs 30 grams and it retails for $59.99.

The Vibe tail light produces 50 lumens and has a 12-hour runtime. It retails for $39.99. 

Combo kits are also available.

The Vibe lights are now shipping. Retailers can contact Hal Wolter, the company's North American sales manager, at 831-269-3961, or hwolter@lightandmotion.com for orders and additional information.

More information at lightandmotion.com/getvibe.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.— U.S. industry veteran Paul Lew has been named CEO of the newly restructured Edco cycling company, now based in Arizona.

The historic brand — it was formed in 1867 in Couvet, Switzerland, and began making bike parts in 1902 — was purchased about ten years ago by Rob van Hoek and partners and has been operating as Edco Engineering BV in the Netherlands until recently.

In early summer, a major supplier filed a bankruptcy suit against Edco Engineering BV for failure to meet its financial obligations. This filing was approved by the Netherlands government in August and the company's assets were subsequently purchased by Best Top Industrial. Lew described Best Top as a well-established composite manufacturer in the sporting goods sector, whose corporate offices are in New Zealand. Janey Tiernan, a New Zealander currently based in Sydney, Australia, is the chair for the private equity team behind the new Edco, Lew said.

Lew, best known as owner of Lew Composites and then director of technology and innovation at Reynolds Cycling, became involved with Edco in early 2016. He left Reynolds to set up a U.S.-owned company that licensed the Edco brand from Edco Engineering BV.

Lew's U.S. company was completely separate from the now-bankrupt European company. Although it used many of the same suppliers, it bought and paid for its own inventory and was not in debt to any of them, Lew said. Lew was in charge of product development globally for Edco.

Lew shut down the U.S. operation in May 2017 but remained in touch with the New Zealand executives, who asked him to consult with them as they relaunched Edco after acquiring the brand through the bankruptcy. In August, soon after the bankruptcy became public, they invited Lew to join the company as CEO.

He told BRAIN that the new EDCO company will now be headquartered in Scottsdale. Lew and Tiernan plan to negotiate new contracts with former and potential customers at both the Eurobike and Interbike shows.

Lew also remains a vice chairman of the WFSGI wheel committee and planned to attend that committee's meeting at Eurobike.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Interbike has announced the winners for the Interbike Innovation Awards. Revamped for 2017, the awards recognize excellence and innovation in product, retail and advocacy. Interbike partnered with Hi-Torque Publications (Mountain Bike Action, Road Bike Action, Electric Bike Action), LAVA Magazine, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, The Mann Group and PeopleForBikes in each of the respective categories to choose the winners.

"I want to congratulate all winners of the 2017 Interbike Innovation Awards, and thank our partners for all of their help in in the selection process," said Pat Hus, the vice president of Interbike. "All of the winning products will be on display in the hall at Interbike next month, and for those interested in learning about the innovative ideas that our retailer winners implemented to help their businesses grow – be sure to check out the Tedx-style presentations from the retailers themselves at Interbike on Thursday from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m."

A total of 13 product innovation awards were chosen across mountain, road, electric and triathlon categories, recognizing innovation in 2018 product. Hi-Torque Publications evaluated and selected the winners in mountain, road and electric, while all triathlon products were reviewed and selected by LAVA Magazine. Six awards will be chosen on-site at Interbike: three awards for road, two awards for mountain and one award for the triathlon category.

Ten Retailer Innovation Award winners were chosen via a submission process for shops that have implemented innovative ideas and strategies to their business with positive results over the past 12 months. A panel of executives from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, The Mann Group and Interbike reviewed all submissions and chose the winners.

PeopleForBikes led the new Advocacy Innovation Awards, for brands that have worked tirelessly in the pursuit of creating safer places to ride on a local, regional or national level.

Finally, Interbike added a new awards category designed to recognize booth innovation and design. Interbike's management team will walk the show floor on Wednesday, Sept. 20 and award three winners based on booth size (up to 300 sq. feet, 400-900 sq. feet and more than 1,000 sq. feet).

The 2017 Award Winners are:

Retailer Innovation Awards

• Road & Trail Bicycles: Highland City, Fla.
• Topanga Creek Outpost: Topanga, Calif.
• McLain Cycle & Fitness: Traverse City, Mich.
• Pro Bike & Run: Presto, Pa.
• Absolute Bikes: Salida, Colo.
• DTLA Bikes: Los Angeles, Calif.
• Richardson Bike Mart: Richardson, Texas
• 718 Cyclery: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• American Cyclery: San Francisco, Calif.
• Full Cycle: Boulder, Colo.

Product Innovation Awards, ROAD

• 3T Strada
• Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Cannondale SAVE Cockpit
• Product Innovation Awards, MOUNTAIN
• Pivot Cycles Mach 5.5
• Marin Wolf Ridge 29er
• Leatt 3.5 Neck Brace
• Shimano XT Di2

Product Innovation Awards, ELECTRIC

• Haibike All Mountain 8.0
• Yamaha PW-X Motor
• Sena X1 Helmet
• Arrowhere Waterproof Hi-Viz Jacket
• Product Innovation Awards, TRIATHLON
• STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel
• Morf Technologies Aerobar

Advocacy Innovation Awards

• Nuun
• Stages Cycling
• Primal Wear

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Stages Cycling has introduced its first power meter that directly measures power from each crank arm. The company's previous meters were left-arm only. 

The Stages Power LR has been ridden by Team Sky and Chris Froome to his last two Tour de France victories.

"Building on the success of the Stages Power meter left-only solution, which brought unrivaled accuracy and accessibility to riders around the globe, Stages Power LR provides an option for riders who desire bilateral measurement," the company said.

The Stages Power LR for Shimano 9100 will begin shipping this fall for $1,299.99, with Shimano Ultegra R8000 following soon after for $999.99.

"Stages Power meters revolutionized the power measurement category when we launched five years ago," said Matt Pacocha, Stages Cycling's marketing director. "We made what once was the realm of sponsored professionals and those with deep pockets accessible to any dedicated cyclist. Stages Power LR expands our line and keeps us on the path of our original goal of providing power for every rider. While we don't think every rider needs this meter, those recovering from injury and those looking for independent left-right accuracy will not find a better tool. We're also very proud of how proven this product is already — Team Sky has already won two Tours on Stages Power LR."

The Stages Power LR meter works with the Stages Dash head unit or any other third party ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart compatible cycling computer to measure power within +/-2 percent accuracy. The power meter adds 35 grams to the crank weight. Internal sensors measure cadence, omitting need for a magnet, and as with the original Stages Power meter, LR features wireless firmware update capability via the Stages Link mobile app.

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Giro Sport Design has released a new line of road, dirt and city shoes that use a knit material upper that Giro calls Xnetic Knit.

The line includes the Giro Empire E70 Knit and Empire E70 W Knit($200), the Empire Knit VR70 ($250), and the Republic R Knit ($140).

All three models will be available this fall.

"We have a tradition of leading the cycling industry through innovation and choice," said Simon Fisher, Giro's footwear product manager. "From flipping the script with laces on the Empire to smashing the 150 gram weight barrier with the Prolight Techlace, we are known for staying one step ahead of the rest in cycling footwear. Xnetic Knit allows us to continue this tradition and deliver a unique blend of comfort, performance, and style for the kind of rider who charts their own course."

The shoes have a TPU skeletal system the provides support, while the knit offers suppleness for sock-like comfort. The porous material is treated with DWR for water repellency. Giro said the material offers superior ventilation, quick drying time and easy cleanup.

The VR70 and the E70 each feature Easton carbon fiber soles. The VR70, intended for dirt use, has a rubber toe guard and bonded TPU heel as well as a closed stretch-knit ankle cuff for additional support and protection from skree. The VR70 also has a molded Vibram rubber outsole for protection and grip off the bike. 

SEATTLE (BRAIN) — When REI announced that it would send 16 female employees to Barnett's Bicycle Institute for a women's-only course, the outdoor retailer received more than 350 applications. The two-week course was held at BBI's campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado, earlier this month. It was the first of its kind for the retailer and for BBI.

"It was an exciting initiative to host. The energy was different and there was a new excitement," said Jeff Donaldson, who recently became BBI's general manager. "We were a happy host and would love to see an all-women's master class happen again."

Since 1994, REI has worked with BBI to offer its employees mechanical training via a Master Technician course, which is based on BBI's Bicycle Repair and Overhaul course but is tailored to suit REI's needs. The Master Technician course is held two to three times per year with all 16 slots filled by REI employees but throughout the year REI sends an average of 25 additional staff to attend other classes at BBI.

About 10 percent of attendees have historically been women — a figure REI would like to see grow. The women's-only class was inspired by REI's Force of Nature initiative, which it launched this spring to advance gender equity in the outdoors.

"When we launched our Force of Nature initiative this spring we wanted to create experiences for women and a community around outdoor activities, invest in organizations and programs to get more women involved in the outdoors and really change who the face of the outdoors is — and to change the narrative by telling more stories about women in the outdoors," said Laura Swapp, REI's director of public affairs and next generation marketing. "So providing an opportunity like this internally for our female employees was really complementary to what we are doing with consumers through Force of Nature."

The 16 women who attended the course traveled from 16 different stores across the U.S., spanning from Alaska to North Carolina. REI retail analyst Dan Broome-Raines said that four experienced female REI master technicians also attended the course to provide guidance and mentorship, something that is standard for REI's Master Technician course at BBI.

Susie Stevens began working at REI in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2014. Stevens, who worked as a certified athletic trainer at a university for 20 years, was looking for a career change when she decided to join REI. She started in shipping receiving, worked her way up to sales and programs coordinator, with the goal of one day working as a bike tech. This past January, there was an opening for a mechanic at the store, and Stevens was hired. She worked side-by-side with a master technician in the bike shop, starting with building boxed bikes.

"The opportunity for the women's-only class at Barnett's came from REI headquarters, everyone in the company could apply, so I did and I was accepted," Stevens said. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve it out of almost 400 women."

"What you did to deserve it was you expressed a commitment. Store management had seen your level of commitment and passion, your director supported you and you're an excellent employee," Broome-Raines told Stevens during a conference call with BRAIN. "We knew we should invest in you. That's what you did to deserve it."

Stevens attended BBI and received her certificate a few weeks ago. She now works as a tech full time in the bike shop at REI in St. Louis.

"It was a phenomenal experience. It was engaging, collaborative and supportive. There was a lot of laughter and talking and it didn't feel competitive," Stevens said. "All of the women in the class have kept in touch via Facebook and we continue to help each other. I still have a lot to learn, but now I have so many good tools and resources to use. I just need to practice — a lot!"

Based on the high level of interest for its first women's-only course, Broome-Raines said REI would consider offering more classes in the future but that there are no concrete plans yet.

As part of its Force of Nature initiative, REI has also increased the number of women's clinics, weekends and travel opportunities it offers.

"We want to facilitate a camaraderie by offering women's-only events because it's not always easy to find. There is momentum around women in the outdoors and there is tremendous opportunity there," Swapp said. "We offered clinics and other programs before Force of Nature, but now we are figuring out how to scale them and offer them in more communities."

"One of the most waitlisted of all of our classes is the women's bike maintenance clinic," she added.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Germany saw cycling-friendly weather sooner than usual in 2017, which helped kick the season off early. But the amicable climate wasn't enough to boost sales.

According to figures released by Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (Germany's bike industry association), 2.6 million bikes and e-bikes were sold in the first half of 2017, a 2.2 percent decrease compared with the same period last year. Production also fell below 2016 levels, with 1.44 million bikes made here so far, a decline of 2.7 percent.

“Altogether the market is declining. Bikes without electric drives are declining in sales. That is reflected in a production decline in Germany as well,” ZIV director Siegfried Neuberger told media at a press conference held in advance of Eurobike's opening. “But e-bike sales have increased by 30 percent, which we anticipate will level the overall sales figures by the end of the year. We estimate 680,000 e-bikes will be sold in Germany by the end of 2017.”

As conventional bike sales decline in Germany, Neuberger said ZIV expected the 200-year anniversary of the bicycle would help that market. But so far this year, consumers are choosing pedelecs over traditional models. And ZIV pointed to several reasons why conventional bike sales are down:

• There is already a high level of bike ownership in Germany, with about 80 percent of households owning at least one bike.
• Bike quality has improved in the past few years and consumers are willing to pay for it, which also means bikes need replacing less often.
• Entry-level models sold at big-box retailers are also declining.
• An e-bike purchase often replaces the purchase of a traditional bike.
• The aging population and decline in birth rates in recent decades is noticeable.

About 540,000 e-bikes were sold in the first half of 2017, and if ZIV's predictions are accurate, Germany's e-bike sales will see double-digit growth of 12 percent for the year.

While ZIV did not report accessories, components and other bike-related sales figures, it estimates that these categories have likely increased slightly this year as a result of rising e-bike sales. And, according to figures from the Federal Statistics Office, bike and e-bike exports also show some growth, up 2.3 percent from January through June, with e-bike exports rising 25 percent. Imports, however, declined by about 1.2 percent, while the e-bike share of imports hit 21 percent.

“As a supplier, I can say that pedelec sales are growing and that shows how dynamic the market is,” said Claus Fleischer, director of Bosch e-bike systems. “There are more innovations, more technology solutions. But it also promotes competition and that's a big motivation for us to bring out new technology and new products all of the time. And it brings more variety to the bike market.”

E-bikes are also having a positive impact on Eurobike, as the show continues to attract not only more e-bike companies, but also brands that manufacture everything from e-bike-specific tires to saddles and other components.

“I'd say the situation is good for us. We are seeing changes in the market, but we have a great show ahead of us,” said Stefan Reisinger, the head of Eurobike. “The whole show is booked. E-bikes offer a lot of opportunity, but we also have new players in e-mobility entering the market, including automotive suppliers thinking about opportunities in micro-mobility.”

While Germany, Austria and Switzerland remain core markets of widespread adoption of e-bikes, sales are growing in other parts of Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, Asia, and the United States. Germany, Austria and Switzerland remain core markets for widespread adoption.

“There is a circle of expansion starting with the south of Europe — (to) the U.K., Scandinavia and so on,” Bosch's Fleischer said. “But as this happens, there has to be infrastructure, regulations and things like trained service staff in place. There are many differences in every market." 

The topic of safety is also in the forefront as e-bike sales grow in Germany and globally. Fleischer said that because e-bikes can be used two to three times longer, there is an impact on accident figures, and work will have to be done to ensure the perception isn't damaged.

“We have to accompany the industry and offer safety solutions,” he said. “We are seeing innovations like anti-lock brake systems on e-bikes this year, and more innovations to improve safety are to come." 

But when it comes to addressing the decline of bike sales in general, Germany is confronting other challenges head on, including improving infrastructure and how to get more people riding.

“We have to motivate younger people and children to ride bikes. We can't lose them along the way, and they have many other options — screens, smartphones and video games,” ZIV's Neuberger said. “They are losing connection with the outside. We have a special task force addressing this today. And improving safety is a major topic. Infrastructure needs to be available and safe because many people don't cycle because they feel insecure.”

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — At Eurobike, Garmin will introduce a redesigned Vector power meter pedal and launch a new Edge 1030 GPS head unit for cycling.

The new Vector 3 pedal eliminates the low-hanging transmitter pod that was required with previous versions, so the Vector is now installed like any other pedal, making it easier to install and transfer to another bike. The Vector 3 measures total power, left-right balance, cadence and advanced cycling dynamics, while the Vector 3S model measures power at the left pedal. The 2S can be upgraded to dual-side measuring.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — At Eurobike, MIPS will introduce two new platforms for its Brain Protection System that the company said will "drastically increase the compatible helmet types and models." Both new platforms expand on the MIPS low-friction layer system.

The first product, the A1 (also called "the Pocket"), is a series of plates embedded in the helmet's interior and anchored between fabric layers. The plates move omnidirectionally. It integrates with the helmet padding, using the specially-designed plates to achieve 10 to 15 millimeters of movement to redirect damaging rotational motion from oblique head impacts.

The second platform, the E2 (also called "the Beanie"), is a soft, cap-like insert that acts as a full-headed low-friction layer for full-face bicycle, motocross and street sport helmets. The liner is made up of two multi-directional stretch fabric layers sewn together around a thin plastic foil. When inserted between the comfort padding of the helmet and the outer EPS shell, the liner provides broad coverage from rotational motion without sacrificing comfort or sweat absorption.

"MIPS is committed to protection from brain injury and, in order to make as much of a difference, we have to work with as many helmet brands as possible," said Johan Thiel, the CEO of MIPS. "Products like the A1 and the E2 expand how our technology can integrate with all kinds of helmets, giving MIPS the potential to help keep even more people at a lower risk for debilitating brain injuries."

Helmet models featuring the A1 and E2 will debut in the spring 2018 with several helmet brands.

MIPS is a Sweden-based company that licenses its technology to other helmet brands. In 2014, BRG, then the parent company of Bell and Giro, made an investment in MIPS.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Riders are generating data on Strava and COBI or riding with smart connected devices like See.Sense and Garmin, but data is collected in many different ways and stored in various locations.

One of the questions posed at the Smarter Cycling Conference, sponsored by the European Cyclists Federation (ECF) and held Tuesday before Eurobike opened, was to figure out if there is a way to harmonize this ride data and make it available to all.

Riders could take advantage of seeing how other cyclists commute to work and try new routes themselves, and municipalities could look at ride data to tailor cycling infrastructure to assist how cyclists already ride. And cars, trucks and other road users could use live ride data to safely mix with cyclists on the road.

James Gleave, managing director of Transport Futures, which facilitated a session entitled “Smart Integration for the User”, believes the problem is that there are a lot of companies collecting ride data, but there are few standards for data collection and there is no forum for consolidating the data for everyone's use.

“Everything about a connected cyclist is all online in the cloud. But what is being done with it?” Gleave asked.

“Cyclists want to know where other cyclists prefer to ride, but we have to address ownership of the ride data. A rider should own their ride data,” added Tom Acland, co-founder of COBI, an e-bike operating system. Acland hopes to see more openness about where this data is going and how it is used.

And ride data is not just being sent to the cloud. Veliso is a new-to-market company that will be releasing cyclist assistance technology similar to what high-end motorcycles offer. Company CEO Patrick Keating hopes to shortly release automatic braking, a “brake-by-wire” system, and automatic tire pressure adjustment based on both road conditions and the cyclist’s riding data. 

Many in the cycling community want to hammer out standards for the way data is collected on bicycles and where it goes — and what kind of data should be collected and how to share this data among cyclists and motorists. The issues of standardization will come to a head as next year's Intelligent Transport System (ITS) World Congress meets in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

HOUSTON (BRAIN) — A massive slice of southeast Texas is essentially shut down for business as Hurricane Harvey continues to drench the region in rainfall. Steve Matill, director of sales for Hans Johnsen Company, a Dallas-based distributor, said he knows of at least five stores that are flooded and most likely several more.

"This will shut down business in that part of the state at least for the rest of the year," said Matill, who's been monitoring the situation. "We have a rep in Houston whose home sits on what now looks like an island and he's just waiting for the water to come up," Matill said.

"It's going to impact business and that would include J&B, QBP and others. And this on top of what has been a generally disappointing year," he said.

Attempts to reach a dozen shops in the Houston area were unsuccessful, but at least two shops were open Tuesday: Urban Bike Gallery, and iCycle Bike Shop, both inside the 610 Loop of Central Houston.

UBG manager Jon Pursley said the store was closed Sunday and Monday, but reopened Tuesday in part to give locals a place to hang out. At midmorning Tuesday, he said one customer had come in to pick up a repaired bike. The store also was collecting donations of clothes, food and other items to bring to the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is being used as a shelter.

Urban Bike Gallery suffered no damage and Pursley said he and his staff's homes also escaped damage.

"We are pretty lucky where we are at," he said. "Where we are is elevated relative to the bayous to the south of us."

Pursley said he's heard second hand of several Houston bike shops that were heavily damaged.

"It's amazing to see how many local people are out helping their neighbors. ... People are loading up boats and heading in to help people evacuate instead of just waiting for authorities to provide help. Everyone is pitching in," Pursley said.

Another store inside the Loop, iCycle Bike Shop, was open Tuesday. Owner Matt Wurth said the shop had a few inches of flooding that was easily mopped up. The store is close to White Oak Bayou, which has an 18-mile bike path running alongside.

"We knew we were close to the bayou, so we have all our fixtures up off the floor and the electrical is up high. ... We love the bayou. It has the path and it's normally very peaceful and beautiful, but you have to take some bad with the good," he said. Wurth said some shoe inventory was soaked in the flood and the store was offering them at half price Tuesday. "We've made a few sales. Mostly to our local loyal customers — maybe they are mercy sales, but I'll take it," he said.

He said some bike boxes got wet so the store is assembling them right away to make sure nothing is damaged. 

Wurth said the flood waters came within an inch of getting into his house. On Facebook Live, Wurth broadcast his bike commute through deep water and  gave a tour of his shop. He rode through chest deep water in places. "I'll definitely have to overhaul that bike," he said.

Bike Barn is a seven-store chain in the Houston area. Other local retailers said that at least one Bike Barn location is in an area that was heavily flooded, but BRAIN was unable to confirm that the store was damaged. Attempts to reach several of the Bike Barn locations were unsuccessful, but the location in College Station, about a two-hour drive from central Houston, was open for business. 

Judd Crater, the store's service manager, said the managers at most of the other stores were told to close up, go home and take care of their family and property. As for the College Station store, near Texas A&M, it was open and handling the annual rush of students returning to campus. "Right now it's pretty much business as usual," Crater said.

Pat Cunnane, president of Advanced Sports International, which owns the Performance chain of shops, said both Performance stores in Houston were shut down. "Performance has two stores in Houston — all of our people are OK. Both stores are still closed and as of now I don't have a damage assessment," Cunnane said in an email while attending Eurobike.

Jennie Leverett and Jason Wise, the husband-and-wife owners of Society Cycle Works in Sugar Land, Texas, evacuated their store and house on Monday evening. They drove their camper to San Antonio, which is normally a three-hour drive but took 6½ hours Monday because of road closures and traffic.

Leverett said that their home and shop were undamaged when they left, but they were in a voluntary evacuation zone.

"We made a last-minute decision last night that we had to get out," she said Tuesday. "We are not too concerned about the house or the store, but we have a separate storage space that is in an area that is at high risk for flooding, so we are concerned about that."

She said they didn't have flood insurance on the store or storage area. "We never thought this would happen," she said.

Leverett said they had planned to celebrate the shop's third anniversary on Labor Day weekend.

"We usually do a big shop ride that weekend, but we'll have to wait and try to do that another time," she said.

Josh Greenberg, a Houston-based sales rep, said he was aware of several stores that were heavily damaged. He said the bike market in the area will bounce back in part because Houston is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, with a vibrant growing economy. However, recent energy industry layoffs had put a damper on sales prior to the flood, Greenberg said.

"There's going to be probably two to four months for everyone to recover," he said. "Houston is a huge financial center so I expect everyone will recover. ... Once the rains stop and the water goes down, people will deal with things and business will still go on." 

Marc Sani and Steve Frothingham contributed to this story. It will be updated as we learn more about the status of Houston retailers. Please contact us at sfrothingham@bicycleretailer.com or msani@bicycleretailer.com if you have any information.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Shimano's PRO brand is showing a new three-spoke front wheel and several new saddle models at Eurobike this week.

The Tri-spoke Clincher front wheel designed for triathletes and time trial disciplines. The company has previously offered its Tri-spoke only in a tubular tire model.

The Tri-spoke Clincher uses the same technology trickled down from the tubular version, including the same aerodynamic shape as the Tri-spoke Textreme wheel with a 3K 2x2 twill carbon weave and a wide 65mm deep rim, suitable for 25mm clincher tires.

The PRO Tri-spoke Clincher is built around a Shimano Ultegra 6800 hub, weighing 1,040g in total and comes with a protective PRO wheel bag. PRO also offers a clincher rear disc wheel for triathletes and time trialists who prefer clinchers. The PRO Tri-spoke  clincher front wheel will be available in January 2018 and MSRP is $1,999.99. 

PRO worked with Shimano-owned Bikefitting.com to develop all-new saddle designs for mountain bikers. The new models for 2018 include the E-MTB specific Volture saddle and enduro/trail/all-mountain Griffon and Turnix saddles.

PRO engineers used research from a pressure-mapping study with Bikefitting.com that showed how different riders ride in different positions on a mountain bike saddle, regularly changing position across different terrains and gradients.

The Griffon and Turnix have broadened nose and mid-sections, high-grip covers, and increased padding, adding 2mm of thickness on the front of the saddle to 5mm on the rear. The wider nose area is designed to give the rider a more supportive platform at the front of the saddle for hard efforts on steep climbs while the wider mid-section improves handling and cornering stability. The saddle uppers feature a PU material with a more grip to reduce rider movement around the saddle. Meanwhile, the side material on the Griffon and Turnix saddles has a durable and rubberized feel to protect the saddle base and padding from damage.

The saddle bases are made from a carbon-reinforced polymer with an Anatomic Fit cut-away that is covered at the bottom to prevent mud and water ingress. Rails on the Griffon and Turnix are made from corrosion-resistant INOX steel alloy. The saddles also include integrated accessory mounts allowing additional accessories such as race plates, fenders and cameras to be securely attached.

The Volture E-MTB also was developed with research from Bikefitting.com on e-bike riders. Riders using e-bike motors generally spend less time out of the saddle pushing through steep sections and because they are pushing less force through the pedals, they are putting more weight into their saddles. Therefore, the Volture was conceived to offer more padding and greater comfort to e-MTB riders with additional padding for more comfort in the rear of the saddle, a wider nose design for additional stability and better handling, and a higher tail for better power transfer. 

The new PRO mountain bike saddles will be available in January 2018. MSRP is $119.99. 

SEATTLE (BRAIN) — Greg Shepherd, a long time rep who worked for SBS from 1998 to August 2015, was recently hospitalized after being struck by a car. Shepherd is recovering from spinal cord injuries at the ICU at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he’s been since Aug. 21.

Shepherd was hit by a car and thrown while riding his bike. The full extent of his spinal injuries is not yet known, according to a GoFundMe page that was started to raise money for his medical bills. 

Erica Johnson, corporate accounts program manager for Accell North America, launched the fundraising campaign.  

Shepherd was a rep for SBS, Redline, Torker, Lapierre, and other brands over the years. He mostly covered New York State. 

"He was one of the top reps of all time for SBS and all who worked with him loved him,” said Johnson. “Friendly to everyone and a gentle giant.” 

“Greg had long lasting relationships with many of his dealers on the East Coast over the years and he kept in touch with many even after leaving ANA,” said Dave Bailey, another former SBS/Accell rep. “Greg was a super classy, fun guy to work with and be around when we worked together at SBS and ANA.” 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Donnelly Sports LLC, which has been licensing the Clement name from Pirelli, is ending its use of the trademark with the Italian-based tire brand. Donnelly Sports' owner, Donn Kellogg, will launch the tires and wheels under the Donnelly Cycling brand name this fall.

Donnelly will unveil its new branding at the Eurobike show here this week. The new line will continue all the tire models and model names under the new label. Donnelly also will begin shipping its gravel wheelsets under the Donnelly name.

Kellogg began licensing the Clement brand name in 2010, developing and selling new road, cyclocross and adventure tire tread patterns. The designs are owned by Kellogg.

"The tread patterns, the tire model names, and the wheels were all designed here in Colorado beginning in 2010 at the time of trademark licensing. People ask for our tires by model name such as PDX, MSO, and USH, which will all be rolled under the Donnelly brand name."

Donnelly branded product will be released in mid-September, beginning with cyclocross tubulars. Clinchers for 'cross and gravel will follow. Wheelsets, introduced at Interbike last year, will start to land toward the end of September.

The Donnelly brand will emphasize its home base of Colorado. The new packaging will include the state-licensed "Colorado Designed" logo.

"We are proud to be a Colorado-based company," Kellogg said. "It's a world class destination for all genres of cycling. The strong cycling community here is on the highest level, which is an integral part of our design, development and testing team. This has allowed us to develop each individual tire for very specific riding and racing conditions. We're a young company that will continue to make products that are well ahead of the curve."

Pirelli announced this spring that would return to the bike tire market this fall with a small line of road racing tires. Donnelly told BRAIN that announcement factored into his decision to end the licensing agreement.

"With Pirelli coming to the market we started to evaluate where we are, who we are and where we want to be," he told BRAIN.

Donnelly Sports had a five-year licensing agreement with Pirelli that has been renewed once, about 2 years ago. "We have proposed an early exit," from that agreement, Kellogg said.

Donnelly will continue to support and manage its cyclocross team, which was known as Raleigh-Clement last season. This season the team will be called Donnelly and will include  U-23 national champion Lance Haidet, Jamey Driscoll and Laurel Rathbun.  

More information at donnellycycling.com.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — The dust from a recent remodel had barely settled at Yeti Cycles' headquarters in Golden, Colorado, when it came time to hop a flight to Germany for Eurobike. The company added a retail area for apparel to its showroom, which attracts members of the Yeti tribe from all over the world.

“The factory has become a destination, so we decided to redo the space. Since it has become something people put on their list when traveling to Denver, selling Yeti-branded apparel makes sense,” said Steve Hoogendoorn, vice president of Yeti Cycles. “We added a full-blown POS to sell apparel, put in some very nice displays for bikes, remodeled the bathroom, and next we will work on lighting.”

Hoogendoorn said that only apparel and accessories will be sold at its headquarters, but for several years Yeti has offered factory demos there. Riders pay to demo the bikes, but all money collected is donated to local trail organizations.

While Yeti's mountain bikes are front and center at the company's booth here at Eurobike, it's also hard to miss its ever-expanding line of riding and casual apparel. For 2018, Yeti has added to both its men's and women's apparel selection, which features new fabrics and colors.

“Our apparel has been very successful for us, and part of that it that it's truly developed in-house by us because we couldn't find what we wanted on the market,” said Janette Sherman, Yeti's marketing manager. “We all ride, so we use it and constantly give feedback, and we also rely on our ambassadors and pro racers in the development process.”

Yeti's new Turq Dot Air men's line uses an ultralight, breathable fabric with ultraviolet protection and anti-bacterial properties. The Turq Dot line also follows Yeti's bike naming classification, where the Turq series are the company's highest-quality carbon frames. The Turq Dot apparel line includes short- and long-sleeved jerseys, retailing for $80 and $100, respectively. The Turq Dot shorts retail for $140 and are made with a highly ventilated mesh-like fabric, also used on the gloves, which retail for $50. Yeti has also updated its men's Teller and Enduro shorts with new colors and other features, and has streamlined its Enduro bib with improved rear pocket sizing and placement.

Since it introduced its women's clothing line three years ago, Yeti has continued to refine and expand its offering. For 2018, it has added the Avery short, which is lightweight and minimalist enough for cross-country riding in hot weather, but long enough to wear with knee pads. It will be available in three colors, retailing for $80. The Norrie short, which Sherman said is Yeti's best-selling women's short, and its line of women's jerseys will be available in new colors for 2018.

Yeti is also showing two limited-edition SB5 and SB6 models at Eurobike. The SB6 Team Replica was modeled after Yeti pro rider Richie Rude's race bike and is spec'd with components from longtime Yeti team sponsors. Made with Yeti's Turq series carbon, the SB6TR has 150 millimeters of rear travel and is built with a Fox Factory 170-millimeter travel fork, in orange, a Fox Factory DHX2 air shock, a custom Chris King headset in mango and a Shimano XTR drivetrain. It rolls on 27.5-inch DT Swiss XM1501 wheels. Only 125 bikes will be available, retailing for $9,499.

The special-edition SB5 Lunch Ride was built in honor of Yeti's company-mandated lunch ride, which leaves from its headquarters daily at 11:30 a.m. The SBLR spec was inspired by Yeti's employees' own bike builds.

“It's a [SB] 5 on steroids, but when people ask us what we ride — and they often do — and we haven't ever really sold that build, we decided it was time to do it,” Hoogendoorn said. “Almost everyone at Yeti starts their build with a [Fox] 36 fork and wider rims and tires, so that's what we did with the LR.”

The 27.5-inch SB5LR frame has 130 millimeters of rear travel and is built with a 160-millimeter Fox 36 fork, a Fox Float DPX2 shock and a SRAM Eagle drivetrain. It will be available in sizes XS-XL and retail for $7,199, or $8,499 with a carbon wheel upgrade.

Yeti is also showing its Beti women's model, which it redesigned for 2017. Featuring a lower standover height in extra small and small sizes, the Beti has — alongside the SB5 and SB6 — become one of the brand's best-selling bikes.

“When we lowered standover, we thought it would do well. But the reality is, it was sold out in May, which exceeded our expectations,” Hoogendoorn said. “So we'll focus on continuing to refine things and to keep them in stock.”

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Cane Creek Cycling Components is releasing three new products at this year's Eurobike show: a coil-sprung version of the company's HELM suspension fork; a special El Chulo edition of its eeBrakes caliper road brakes; and the Slamset headset for riders seeking a low stem position.

Cane Creek will also produce a new version of its Ergo Control bar ends, which the company has not sold since 2015.

"Cane Creek has always been about giving riders product that allows them to ride the way they want to ride," said Brent Graves, the president and CEO of Cane Creek. "There are riders who love the unmatched traction of a coil fork and people who prefer the infinite adjustability of an air fork, now they have both options from Cane Creek. Likewise, there are riders who love the performance and light weight of the eeBrakes, but they want to express themselves a little bit and show some color. Giving riders options to ride their bike their way is what these products – and all of Cane Creeks products – are all about."

The company noted that it has now launched 10 new products in 2017, including the original HELM Air 27.5 fork and the DBair IL shock.

The new HELM Coil fork is available for 27.5-inch wheels. The company said the enduro riders increasingly favor coil springs, in park because fork chassis weight and overall bicycle weight have decreased over the last few years. The HELM Coil 27.5 is optimized for 130 to 160 millimeters of travel, with the ability to be internally adjusted by changing the location of the spring perch.

Ther El Chulo Edition eeBrakes retain the same stopping power and ultra-light weight of the eeBrakes, with a splash of color. They are anodized in a blue, gold and silver colorway and will be produced in a single, limited run in regular mount pairs (front and rear) only. Orders will be limited to Aug. 30 through Sept. 15, with delivery in November.

The Slamset was developed for riders seeking to lower their handlebars to stack heights as low as 2 millimeters without compromising bearing seal and proper preload. The headset also includes Cane Creek's new Hellbender bearing, a heavy-duty stainless steel sealed bearing.

SCHWEINFURT, Germany (BRAIN) — Marcus Schneider has been appointed SRAM's director of business development for e-MTB and e-mobility. The new role will focus on identifying opportunities in the e-bike market, defining strategic goals, and establishing and developing key customer relationships.

Schneider has spent the bulk of his 12 years at SRAM as the company's urban category manager, focused on SRAM's internal gear hubs as well as the DD3 Pulse electronic integrated shifting system. He will remain based in Schweinfurt.

"Developing the broad base of componentry for the rapidly growing e-bike market is an exciting and ever-evolving challenge," he said. "As with other cycling categories, we will look to develop the most functional, compatible and user-friendly components that will be defined by their ability to enhance the rider experience."

SRAM's vice president of product development, Ron Ritzler, said, "Marcus' history at SRAM is the perfect preparation for this position. He has the technical skillset and the relationships to define our activation in this category."