FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Eurobike received more than 458 applications from brands for this year's Eurobike Awards. A panel of six judges honored 43 winning products, and 11 companies took home Gold Awards during a ceremony held at the Messe Friedrichshafen on Wednesday evening.

“We are delighted by the large number of entrants in the Eurobike Awards and the high level of innovation displayed among them,” said Stefan Riesinger, the head of Eurobike. “This year’s competition has shown once again that the bike industry is now one of the high-tech segments and in some areas — such as electro-mobility, materials technology and digitization — is actually assuming a pioneering role. Added to this is the fact that product design has long been a subject that suppliers in the cycle market master with aplomb.”

The Gold Award is presented to new products at Eurobike that redefine the benchmark for technical development within a given category, and the Green Award is given to a company with a sustainable innovation. Five new companies received Start-up Awards.

The Eurobike Award Gold winners included: 

• Påhoj Child Seat 
• Rohloff E-14 
• Linka Smart Bicycle Lock 
• Mokumono Delta 
• Adlerwerke Bicycle Carrier
• Durbanis LocLock
• Tucano Urbano Magic Parka 
• Rondo Ruut CF1 
• Focus Project Y 
• Fazua Evation 
• Van Nicholas Skeiron     

Schwalbe won the Eurobike Green Award for its Green Compound tire compound.

All 43 award winners' products are exhibited as part of a special display in the West Foyer of the Messe. 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Pirelli, which returned to the cycling market this year with a small line of road racing tires, announced an expanded lineup at Eurobike, with a new e-bike tire and a line of clothing developed with Castelli.

The Cycl-e tire was developed for the new ST5 model by Stromer.

The company said the new tire "offers maximum puncture resistance, a young and trendy look and feel, and the handling and the reliability of a motorcycle tire."

The Cycl-e tire joins Pirelli's PZero Velo (silver label), PZero Velo TT (red label) and PZero Velo 4S (blue label) road tires, which will be available this fall.

The new clothing designs draw inspiration from the P ZERO Velo tires, including the three colors that designate the tire designs. The line includes the Aero Race 5.1 Jersey, the Climber's 2.0 Jersey and the Marathon Jersey, along with two models of shorts: the Free Aero Race and the Volo Bibshort.

The company said the line will be available in Europe starting next month through its own e-commerce website. Information about North American distribution was not immediately available.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Slipstream Sports, the company that owns and manages the pro road team currently known as Cannondale-Drapac, has launched an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign in a bid to continue racing in 2018.

Slipstream's Jonathan Vaughters told team members last week that the team was in danger of shutting down after a sponsor, who he hasn't named publicly, decided to end its support. Vaughters said Slipstream needs to raise an additional $7 million to race next year.

The Fairly Group, a Texas-based risk consulting firm, has pledged to match public donations up to $2 million.

Through an initial pledge webpage that went live this weekend, public supporters said they would contribute nearly $800,000. In the first few hours of the Indiegogo campaign, supporters committed to a bit over $100,000. 

"The crowdfunding campaign serves a dual purpose," Vaughters said in an email to supporters Wednesday. "We're not only looking to bring in the funds necessary to keep this team alive but also to demonstrate to another sponsor that we have the most engaged and invested fans in the business."

Vaughters asked that supporters promote the #SaveArgyle campaign on social media, and he asked people with leads for corporate financial support to contact him at j.vaughters@slipstreamsports.com.

More information: the Indigogo pledge page. 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Bianchi launched its "Bianchi for Scuderia Ferrari" project on Wednesday at Eurobike. The collaboration between the two Italian brands initially includes a new road model model, SF01 and the Triathlon Concept bike, which features disc brakes.

The project is a collaboration between the two companies' R&D and design departments and will eventually lead to "luxury" editions of road, mountain bike, e-bike, city-fitness and kids bikes.

The SF01 is a road racing bike with a 780-gram frame built with Bianchi's Countervail vibration cancelling technology. It will be offered with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or Campagnolo Super Record EPS groups. The paint combines Ferrari's original colors: "Rosso Corse" and "Nero Setoso." SF01 frames are handpainted in Italy.

The SF01 bikes also are outfitted with the Astute One saddle,  made of 3k carbon, the same used for Ferrari single-seaters' seats, with matt carbon finish. The saddle weighs 94 grams.  Astute also manufactured the bike's anti-vibration Luxury Black handlebar tape. Wheels are Fulcrum Speed 40C Carbon, with Scuderia Ferrari custom graphics and carbon hubs, shod with P ZERO Velo clinchers from Pirelli.

The Triathlon Concept bike design was inspired by Ferrari's Formula 1 cars. The company showed a mock up of the bike at Eurobike, without revealing details. The company said the frame will use Countervail technology, and will have an integrated disc brake system that is is said to maximize aerodynamics with the brakes. 

LAFAYETTE, Colo. (BRAIN) — The National Bicycle Dealers Association has published its 2017 list of America's Best Bike Shops. The designation recognizes retailers who offer great shopping experiences and expert staff, and who also are highly rated on dedication to their communities and support for bicycle advocacy locally and nationally, the NBDA said.

The America's Best program is designed to help consumers find great stores in their communities that provide the expertise and professionalism to get the most benefit from cycling.

Sponsors of the program include Abus, J&B Importers, The NPD Group, Quality Bicycle Products, RockyMounts, Barnett Bicycle Institute, SmartEtailing, Interbike and Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.

"With the program now in its fifth year, retailers responded well to our new question format and we spurred the quantity and quality of applications that we had hoped. Retailers clearly spent more time and effort in the application process, taking full advantage of the introspection that it takes to look at your business through an unbiased lens and communicate what makes your business unique among all others," said Todd Grant, the president of the NBDA. "For the winners of 2017 America's Best Bike Shop, congratulations and keep up the great work that you are all doing! You're leading bicycle retail into the future!"

Shops were asked to fill out a detailed application describing what sets them apart from the average retailer. They also had to supply photos of their shops. Mystery shoppers then evaluated the businesses in more detail by visiting the stores, reviewing their websites and contacting the shop by phone to assess the performance from a consumer's perspective.

An invite-only awards reception hosted by the NBDA will take place during Interbike, on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The attached pdf lists honorees dating back to 2013; shops highlighted in red have won all five years the program has existed.

For more information about America's Best, contact Sara Michaels of the NBDA at sara@nbda.com or the NBDA office at info@nbda.com.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Even over the noise of a big and busy show, it was hard to ignore the telltale sound of a car alarm. Coming from an e-bike locked to a lamppost in Abus' booth, the alarm was loud enough to make you look over to see what was going on.

And this is the German lock maker's hope. With its newest Bordo folding lock model, Abus aims to make sneaky bike thieves heard and deterred.

“We have had an alarm in our motorbike locks for about 10 years now,” said Christian Sommer, international marketing and PR manager for Abus. “We wanted to add that technology to bike locks to increase the security.”

The battery-operated Bordo Alarm 6000A has a 3-D movement sensor that senses vibrations and small movements, triggering a pre-alarm series of beeps. Larger movements set off a 100-decibel alarm that lasts for 20 seconds. The alarm remains active and further movements will continue to trigger it.

Like all Abus Bordo locks, the Bordo Alarm folds and stows in its own holster on the bike. Its hinge design allows the lock to collapse like a folding ruler. The lock's 5-millimeter-thick rods are made from a hardened steel with a soft coating to prevent damage to the bicycle's frame.

The Bordo Alarm will be available in black and white, retailing for 160 euros starting in December. U.S. pricing has not yet been set. 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Export figures supplied by Taiwan's Ministry of Finance shared at a press conference organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) on day two of Eurobike paint a rather bleak picture. The country's complete bike exports, including e-bikes, are down 18.5 percent for the first half of 2017. Total complete bike exports excluding e-bikes fell nearly 25 percent for the same period in 2016.

But it wasn't all bad news. The country's focus on producing higher-end product and electronic lighting continues to have a positive effect on average unit prices, which rose 8.5 percent from $448.71 to $486.41. And e-bike exports are up 27 percent overall — a surge the Ministry attributes to the European Union's increasing demand for electric models over traditional bicycles, particularly in Germany.

Taiwan has so far shipped 26,360 e-bike units to Germany this year compared with the same period in 2016, an increase of 40 percent, while the country's demand for traditional bikes has dropped 26.3 percent in Q1 and Q2 of 2017. The EU accounts for about 76 percent of Taiwan's total e-bike exports.

Japan remains Taiwan's largest Asian export market so far in 2017, but complete bicycle exports there have fallen 39 percent. And the Chinese market continues to soften, with Taiwanese exports falling 59 percent in the first half of 2017, from 39,833 units to 16,292.

Component exports have fallen slightly, dipping 1.8 percent in units, but dollar value is up nearly 3 percent in Q1 and Q2. Lighting systems exports have also increased, with a total volume of 91,000 units — a 27 percent increase over the same period in 2016.

Besides sharing export data, TAITRA also detailed its plans for the Taipei Cycle Show in 2018. The show will shift dates from spring to fall, held Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. Taipei Cycle publicity manager Jasmine Wu said a demo day would be held prior to the show, and that the show will use the Taiwan World Trade Center's Hall 3, located behind the Taipei 101 building.

“Hall 3 is a 15-minute drive from Nangang,” Wu said. “We have room for about 300 additional booths there.”

Plans are also in place to mix up the format of the TAITRA-organized pre-show press tour, which takes place in Taiwan every year in November.

“We have 18 months between shows, so how are we going to fill that gap? We'll be doing other things, including moving our pre-show press tour to May in 2018,” Wu said. “And instead of visiting factories for two days, we'll have it in a venue where companies can join us and journalists can see products for two days. Then, we are going to ride for two days.”

Wu also said plans to open the second expo hall at the Nangang Exhibition Center are still on track. With the additional building, the show will have space for about 4,500 booths. 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Continental hopes to jump ahead of its mid-drive competitors Bosch and Brose with the launch of its 48V system that combines a gearbox and electric motor into a package not much larger than current motor-only mid-drive systems. 

Continental is best known in North America for its car and bicycle tires. Its rubber business is a small part of the company’s mostly electrical automotive systems business and other technologies it develops for various industries.

The 48V system uses licensed technology from gear hub maker NuVinci, but the motor and gearbox are built entirely by Continental. 

“Integrating the motor and gearbox together not only looks better, but it works better as well as it centralizes mass, making the bike handle better,” said Christian Wurmbäch, Continental 48V product manager. “The unit also weighs 500 to 600 grams less than a separate motor and rear gear hub.”

As the 48V system's name suggests, it runs on 48-volt power, which is the common automotive systems voltage. This makes it relatively easy for Continental to move its auto technology, like its anti-lock braking, onto this bike platform. Continental's current 36-volt mid-drive motors remain in its e-bike product line.

Continental is offering a variety of 48V system packages to e-bike makers. And it continues to co-develop an e-bike-specific grip with Ergon that includes a variety of buttons and links wirelessly, via Bluetooth, to the 48V motor. A rider has access to lights and motor functions without taking their hand off the grip. 

Automobile transmission maker ZF announced before Eurobike that it was partnering with Magura and BFO Mobility on its own gearbox motor system with anti-lock braking potential. However, the companies are waiting until the legal documents are finalized before offering details about their project.

Why is there increasing interest by large automotive parts suppliers in the bike business? Last year Germany's legislative body, the Bundesrat, passed a resolution to ban internal combustion engines by 2030. While the resolution is without legislative weight, any change of this scale would have to also be ratified by the European Union, it nevertheless signals where European lawmakers are headed.

Bosch, Brose and, to a lesser extent, Yamaha all do substantial automotive business. Shimano is notable as a mid-drive supplier because it does so little automotive business.

As Continental's Wurmbäch noted, “The future of an auto-parts supplier is probably not going to be cars, but in supplying systems to a variety of zero-emission vehicles.”

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — At Eurobike, Wahoo Fitness is demonstrating a new device that raises or lowers the front end of a bike on its newest KICKR trainers to simulate climbing or descending when used with software like Zwift.

The $599.99 KICKR CLIMB is designed to work only with the latest versions of Wahoo's KICKR and KICKR Snap smart trainers. Because the bike's rear dropouts must pivot around that trainer's axle for the climb simulator to work, use with older KICKRs or other trainers would damage the bike. 

The CLIMB can simulate climbs up to a 20 percent grade and descents of as much as -10 percent.

"The world we ride in isn't flat, which is why we believed the indoor riding experience on the KICKR should follow suit," said Wahoo Fitness' CEO, Chip Hawkins. "And as we continue to keep Wahoo at the leading edge of innovation in this category, we're proud to quite literally take structured climbing workouts and virtual course rides to the next level."

The company said the grade changes create a more immersive virtual riding experience while also engaging climbing muscles and improving pedaling technique to enable the rider to become a more efficient and powerful climber. In addition to reacting to grade changes from external sources like Zwift, TrainerRoad or from pre-loaded routes on Wahoo's ELEMNT and ELEMNT BOLT GPS cycling computers, the KICKR CLIMB can be locked so that it only responds to commands received from the bar-mounted remote, enabling the rider to manually adjust the grade with the press of a button.

The KICKR CLIMB supports a wide range of modern hub configurations, including quick-release, 12x100, 15x100, and 15x110 thru-axle hubs.

More information at www.wahoofitness.com.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — At Eurobike,  Knog is showing a new modular bike battery and accessory system called PWR (pronounced "power"). The system adopts a strategy similar to the Ryobi ONE+ battery and tool system, with separate batteries offered that can power headlights or other Knog accessories, as well as third party devices like phones or GPS bike computers via a USB port.

Among other advantages, the Australian company said the modular system allows riders to upgrade their lights by buying a Knog "lighthead," which is a headlamp without a battery. Riders seeking longer battery life can keep their current lighthead but buy a larger battery. 

Knog plans to add other accessories that use the same battery pack, including a speaker, a headlamp and a camping lantern.

Knog is also offering a desktop app that allows users to control the system. The app lets users adjust light flash patterns and modes.

"It's such an obvious idea really," said Knog's CEO, Hugo Davidson "Upgrade just your lighthead to get brighter. Upgrade your PWR Bank to go longer. But at a minimum, get more use from your gear by having a power bank on you at all times."

The PWR product line launching this autumn includes three sizes of batteries and three powers of lightheads, plus two handlebar mounts and one helmet mount. Packages offered include:

• The PWR Road 600 lumen lighthead with 3200mAh PWR bank + side mount ($89.95)
• The PWR Trail: 1000 lumen lighthead + 5000mAh PWR bank + side mount ($119.95)
• The PWR Commuter: 450 Lm light, integrated 850mAh battery ($54.95)
• The PWR Rider: 450 Lm light, integrated 2200mAh battery ($64.95) 

More information: bass.knog.com.au | Product specs pdf.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Every time someone from Google mentions how difficult it is for its autonomous cars to avoid cyclists on the road, the industry collectively shudders. Comments like these emphasize how pressing it is for cyclists to be able to voice their concerns to automakers as more autonomous features are added to cars.

The Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) seminar entitled “Bicycle Intelligent Transport Systems, Connectivity and Access to Data”, which was held at Eurobike this week, examined how quickly the automotive and motorcycle industries are moving to advance vehicle-to-vehicle communication and how bicycles currently have little input into that discussion.

Gregor Dashbach, Bosch's director of e-bike system development, described the “digital shield” that Bosch developed with Ducati and other partners that allows a motorcycle to send position, speed and direction of travel information to cars that their safety software can anticipate long before a driver can visually spot the motorcyclist. And a similar system could be developed for bicycles.

Dashbach and others noted that cycling connectivity is evolving on a bicycle-to-cloud-based model. The cloud receives a rider’s speed, position and direction data, not the vehicle-to-vehicle communications that autonomous cars need for safety.

“We think in the cloud but local transmitting and receiving info in real time is where we need to be,” said Tom Acland, co-founder of COBI, a company that provides connectivity systems for e-bikes. He also noted there $2 devices are already available that cyclists can use that will show up on vehicle safety systems — so the technology is there and fairly inexpensive.

Automakers will need to verify cycling data’s integrity and whether it is secure enough to justify activating a car's safety systems to take corrective action. And from a cyclist’s perspective, cars will be receiving data about the bike’s speed, position and other data, and cyclists will need to be assured this data will not be abused. All this points to the need for initiating a dialogue between the two industries.

Kevin Mayne, director of development for the European Cyclists Federation, said claims that autonomous cars will displace other transportation options are overly optimistic.

“It will be quickly apparent to policy makers that having cars take people from their doors everywhere will raise health issues,” he said. “People will still need the exercise of cycling and walking.”

Mayne also said policy makers are open to the needs of cyclists. Working groups in the European Parliament and the United Nations are currently drafting regulations on Intelligent Transport Systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications protocols. 

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Steve Bellefeuille, Accell North America's former vice president of purchasing, is taking over a helmet brand best known in the winter sports industry. Bellefeuille has been named president and CEO of Pret, Inc. and has moved to Park City where the company is located.

"As an avid skier, I've been a fan of the Pret brand since its inception," Bellefeuille said. "Pret's team is passionate and dedicated to producing the highest performing helmets for the athlete and enthusiast," he said. The company has exhibited its helmets at SIA, the snowsports industry's trade show.

In an interview with BRAIN while attending Eurobike, Bellefeuille said he was enjoying the Utah sunshine after years working in the Seattle area. "The amount of rain or the number of overcast days from October through May seemed endless last year," he said.

Besides ANA, the parent company for Raleigh and Diamondback, Bellefeuille had worked in planning, sales, supply chain management and product development at companies including K2 Sports, World Wide Cycle Supply and most recently at ANA.

Bellefeuille replaces the company's founding president and CEO, Darryl English. English remains the company's owner and continues as a member of its board of directors.

In a press release English said, "Pret has achieved very strong momentum in the competitive helmet category in winter sports and we're committed to taking the next leap in becoming a leading global brand under Steve's lead."

Bellefeuille said the company was founded in 2010 in Europe but its headquarters are in Utah. Pret helmets are made in Asia at the same factory that produces helmets for POC, Bontrager, Smith and others. "It's a custom manufacturer and specializes in technical designs," he said.

Pret, a French word for "ready," is a mid-to-high end helmet designed for skiers and snowboarders who gravitate to off-piste skiing and backcountry winter travel. "Think of Pret as an all mountain/freeride helmet. Those are the athletes we sponsor," he said.

"Our DNA is lightweight, ventilation and low visibility. It's not like putting a watermelon on your head," he said. Pret also features MIPS technology in some of its models. "In the U.S. consumers are more interested in MIPS than in Europe, but it's coming in Europe," he said.

As the company grows it most likely will offer goggles that mate with its helmets and will keep an eye on the bicycle market as well, Bellefeuille said.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Slipstream Sports, the company that owns and manages the pro road team currently known as Cannondale-Drapac, has launched an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign in a bid to continue racing in 2018.

Slipstream's Jonathan Vaughters told team members last week that the team was in danger of shutting down after a sponsor, who he hasn't named publicly, decided to end its support. Vaughters said Slipstream needs to raise an additional $7 million to race next year.

The Fairly Group, a Texas-based risk consulting firm, has pledged to match public donations up to $2 million.

Through an initial pledge webpage that went live this weekend, public supporters said they would contribute nearly $800,000. In the first few hours of the Indiegogo campaign, supporters committed to a bit over $100,000. 

"The crowdfunding campaign serves a dual purpose," Vaughters said in an email to supporters Wednesday. "We're not only looking to bring in the funds necessary to keep this team alive but also to demonstrate to another sponsor that we have the most engaged and invested fans in the business."

Vaughters asked that supporters promote the #SaveArgyle campaign on social media, and he asked people with leads for corporate financial support to contact him at j.vaughters@slipstreamsports.com.

More information: the Indigogo pledge page. 

HOUSTON (BRAIN) — Several bike industry suppliers are pitching in to help the rebuild effort in Houston, including efforts to help bike shop employees whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Several bike retailers had stores damaged in the storm, while others lost personal homes and possessions. All will face business challenges as the region rebuilds. 

Santa Cruz Bicycles has donated $10,000 to a crowd-funding campaign that's been set up to help employees of one of the brand's largest dealers, Sun & Ski. Sun & Ski, owned by Houston-based Retail Concepts, Inc. has 30 locations nationally, including four in the Houston area. Santa Cruz also is matching any additional donations to the fund made by its employees.

One Sun & Ski location was heavily damaged and likely will not open for several months. Another location will be closed for at least two weeks, while the remaining stores planned to re-open Friday.

Several Sun & Ski employees lost their houses, apartments, cars and personal belongings in the storm.

"The magnitude of destruction is hard to even comprehend," said Santa Cruz' founder, Rob Roskopp. "Sun & Ski is a great partner of ours and we hope this donation can help their employees get back on their feet."

Some of the funds will come from the fees Santa Cruz collects from its Factory Demo program, which normally go to trail advocacy.

"We usually donate the $20 we charge for demos to the local trails," Roskopp said. "But helping these people out is a higher priority right now."

Santa Fe, New Mexico-based distributor BTI is setting aside 5 percent of all orders placed on Friday, Sept. 1 for donation to Hands.org, a volunteer-powered disaster relief organization. Over the last 12 years, Hands.org has enabled over 39,000 volunteers to donate 200,000 days impacting 500,000 people worldwide.

BTI also pledged to match donations made by its staff to various recovery organizations.

Preston Martin, BTI's president, said, "The millions of people affected by Hurricane Harvey need help. Witnessing the transformative work being done by Hands.org's heroic volunteers has inspired us to take action. Even if shops don't order from us today, we hope they can get involved in their own way."

Boulder, Colorado-based water bottle manufacturer Polar Bottle is donating all profits from online sales of a special Texas flag bottle to Hands.org.

More information: GoFundMe page for Sun & Ski employees | BTI homepage | Polar Bottle Texas flag bottle page | Hands.org.