IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — California distributor Bikefettish is now distributing Joe's No-Flats products in the U.S. The distributor has also hired Emily Cox, an enduro racer, Liv ambassador, and NICA coach, as the brand manager for Joe's No-Flats.

"Fitting into the BikeFettish mold, Joe's foundation stands by the love of bicycling and outdoor adventures. Joe's sealant is manufactured by a chemical engineering company with a sole focus on continuously improving the formulas to match the different tire compounds and developing innovative products for the bicycle industry," the company said.

Joe's offers sealants for road, mountain bikes and e-bikes. It also offers lubricants with nano technology, cleaners, bio-degreasers, and more.

More information: joes-no-flats.com and bikefettish.com.

FAIRFAX, Calif. (BRAIN) — The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is accepting nomination submissions from now until April 15.

Submissions can be made via the Hall's website, where there are complete nomination submission instructions.

The Hall's charter is to recognize those who have shaped the sport and who have had widespread influence.

"These individuals may have been working out of their garage, through a brand, an organization or in competition. Whether building bikes, building trails or racing, a worthy candidate will have contributed something more than a great track record. A strong candidate will have shifted the paradigm and changed the way we look at things going forward. Their contribution will have as much significance 10 or 20 years from now as it does today," the Hall said in a news release. 

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was founded in Crested Butte, Colorado, in 1988. It now resides inside the Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax. The Marin Museum of Bicycling is a registered 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, entirely volunteer-created and volunteer-run.

HEILSBRONN, Germany (BRAIN) — Ortlieb Sportartikel GmbH has hired Jürgen Siegwarth as the company's new CEO and has added senior staff members Jeff Scully and Martin Esslinger to its managing board.

Scully has served as president of Ortlieb USA since 1998, while Esslinger joined the company as its sales director in 2016.

"We're pleased to have two leaders like Martin and Jeff joining the company's management board," said company founder Hartmut Ortlieb. "With these changes we will advance the company's international focus."

Scully said, "The opportunity to integrate our U.S. experience into Ortlieb's global brand strategy is exciting. I'm thrilled to play a part in bringing this tremendous family-owned brand to a larger audience." 

Celebrating its 20th year in business this year, Ortlieb USA is based in Auburn, Washington, and is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Ortlieb Outdoor Gear and Ultralight Bike Mirrors. It also is a supplier of Tubus Carrier Systems products. 

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (BRAIN) — Designed to assist in removing thru-axle hub end caps without damaging them, Unior Bike Tools' Hub Genie works via an expanding collet on the inside of the end cap. No longer does one have to reach for a pair of pliers and scratch the end cap or for a screwdriver to try to pry it off.

The Hub Genie comes in two sizes, one for 12- and 15-millimeter thru-axle hubs and another for 20-millimeter axles. Both versions feature a plastic-dipped handle for better ergonomics and grip.

MSRP is $29.99 each, and they are available now direct from the Unior USA website.

CARLSBAD, Calif. (BRAIN) — Focus Bicycles USA, Inc., is now working with Promoboxx to offer campaign-based marketing materials and tools to its network of brick-and-mortar independent bike dealers and e-specialty retailers.

"Social media is a key marketing tool for brands and retailers to engage with their customers. Promoboxx will make it easier for our retailers to share engaging and relevant content of our brand on their social media channels," said Andreas Krajewski, the North American marketing manager for Focus.

Promoboxx, a digital marketing platform, provides retailers with digital content that they can use easily on social media and websites. Many other bike suppliers also work with Promoboxx, so retailers can log in and coordinate campaigns from multiple brands through multiple channels from one platform.

"Many people start the buying process online, and it's important for retailers to be visible to consumers early on in the process," Krajewski said.

Promoboxx provides integration with retailers' Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter channels, as well as into e-mail templates, and website banners.

It also offers an automation feature that allows content to be posted directly to Facebook and Twitter pages at pre-determined schedules. All materials are co-branded with the specialty retailer's business information, to drive traffic to its store. The partnership is fully subsidized by Focus Bicycles USA for its retailers in Canada and the U.S.

DENVER (BRAIN) — GearJunkie LLC, the owner of GearJunkie.com, has made some staff additions and is opening an office in Denver, after having been based in Minneapolis for more than 10 years.

The company has named a new editor-in-chief and created the new role of publisher. It also has added several senior staffers, including longtime QBP manager Ryan Johnson, who joined GearJunkie last summer as VP of marketing and operations.

"Our strategy this year is to scale the operation and to stake a claim in Colorado as the base of our editorial operation," said Stephen Regenold, the founder of GearJunkie. "After a record year for traffic and revenue growth in 2017, we spent the past six months evaluating our company structure to retune for a new phase of growth," he said.

Longtime managing editor Sean McCoy has been named editor-in-chief effective immediately. McCoy will lead an editorial team in a new Denver office, overseeing all day-to-day operations of the publication. McCoy said, "After 6-plus years on the team, I'm thrilled to lead GearJunkie into a new era of outdoors journalism." He added, "Our new Denver bureau gives us access to world-class writers and many of the brands at the spear-tip of product development."

The company said the new Denver office gives staff proximity to outdoors/active-lifestyle brands (as well as access to world-class gear testing grounds.

Regenold, formerly editor-in-chief, has been promoted to serve as publisher of GearJunkie. He now oversees all departments of the publication, including editorial, projects, and media sales.

Johnson was most recently VP of marketing at QBP. He has been tapped to serve as lead in the Minneapolis office and spearhead a new division, GearJunkie Media. The Minneapolis office will now focus on business and projects, including video, custom content, experiential events, activations, social media, advertising/media sales, SEO, interactive development, and content/affiliate commerce initiatives.

Johnson said, "With our editorial team transitioning to Denver, the GearJunkie Media division in Minneapolis will be focused on creating deeper connections with consumers and the outdoor brands they know and love," Johnson said. "Because we leverage the same data, insights, and tools as our editorial team, we provide our brand partners access to the most authentic audience in the outdoors industry."

Other new hires include Zach Burton, who joins the GearJunkie sales team. On the editorial side, new hires include editors to cover the Hunt/Fish, Auto, and Fitness categories.

Monopoint Media, launched with GearJunkie.com in 2006, will now function as an independent business from The GearJunkie LLC, with a focus on design, video, content, and marketing services.

"For more than a decade, since launching GearJunkie as a newspaper column in the early 2000s, we've focused on organic growth based on quality content and a solid team," said Regenold, who owns The GearJunkie LLC with business partner and company CFO Mike Santi. "For 2018, we're applying what we have learned to scale the company."

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Organizers of the Eurobike trade show are trying to encourage visitors to use bike to get to the show this year, partly in an effort to reduce traffic and parking challenges.

"The bicycle industry is trying hard to show the world that bicycles are not just an equivalent but actually the better means of transport. However, at the industry’s leading trade fair, the vast majority of trade visitors and exhibitors have thus far been traveling to the exhibition grounds by car, even from a short distance. In this case the aspirations of market participants for their own product and its use/reality do not yet fit together. We want to change that,” said Klaus Wellmann, the CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen, the show's owner.  

In a press statement, the show said, "If only one in five people from Friedrichshafen and the surrounding area were to switch to cycling during Eurobike, traffic jams and the search for parking would be history."

At this year's show, which is July 8-10, the Messe Friedrichshafen and the provider of the app Radbonus will be launching campaign to stimulate cycling traffic.

The Radbonus app records kilometers traveled by each cyclist and rewards them with a bonus system, like frequent-flyer miles for cyclists. Show exhibitors whose booth personnel have used Radbonus to collect the most bicycle kilometers on their way to and from Eurobike will be highlighted and rewarded each day of the show. 

Radbonus also will raffle off prizes among all trade visitors who collect bicycle kilometers with the app during Eurobike. The grand prize for participating bicycle dealers is the opportunity to go along on the Velobiz dealer trip to Taiwan.

Messe Friedrichshafen and the city of Friedrichshafen are also stepping up their efforts to expand the infrastructure for cyclists in the vicinity of Eurobike. Eurobike will be offering guarded bicycle parking at both main entrances to the exhibition grounds, with charging facilities for e-bikes, a lock rental service, and a repair station. In addition, 500 Nextbike rental bicycles will be available for free use by visitors during the Eurobike in Friedrichshafen. Last year Friedrichshafen also saw the groundbreaking ceremony for a new "Veloring” cycle route, which will span the city on Lake Constance in a semicircular 7 kilometer route, making the journey to the exhibition grounds faster, safer, and more convenient for cyclists.

More information at eurobike-show.de and facebook.com/eurobike.tradeshow.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Lennard Zinn has rejoined the VeloNews editorial team as its first test editor.

"Zinn will augment the VeloNews tech and gear coverage with rigorous and independent testing procedures that will bring scientifically valid answers to the hottest and most important tech questions facing the sport of cycling," the magazine said in a statement Wednesday.

Zinn has contributed to VeloNews since 1989 and is a former staffer. He also is the author of three books published by VeloPress and sells custom frames, bikes and components through his company Zinn Cycles.

"VeloNews is the most trusted media brand in cycling," said VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari. "Readers know that our reviews of bikes, components, apparel, and safety gear are independent and reliable. Bringing a trained physicist and bicycle technician like Lennard Zinn on board means we can take our tech coverage to a new high. The high standards at VeloNews just got even higher."

"Lennard's column is a reader favorite," said Spencer Powlison, news director for VeloNews.com. "As bike tech continues to become more complex and refined, readers need Lennard's objective approach. Adding Zinn to the VeloNews staff means shining a brighter light on cycling's arcane tech space."

KENT, Wash. (BRAIN) — Accell North America has appointed W. John Short as its new CEO. Short will oversee all Accell Group operations and investments in North America and will report to newly appointed Accell Group's global CEO and Management Board Chairman, Ton Anbeek.

Short has been working with ANA on a contract basis for several months as it readjusted operations following the collapse of its sporting goods channel sales. Short's appointment comes a few days after ANA confirmed that it had hired Stuart Johnson to head up its omnichannel sales program as its chief marketing & digital officer. The company said that "all key leadership positions" at ANA are now filled. As previously reported by BRAIN, Larry Pizzi is adding North American brick-and-mortar sales to his role as president of Raleigh Electric and ANA sales.

In January ANA announced its North American omnichannel strategy, a program that includes incentives for brick-and-mortar retailers to get involved with fulfilling online bike orders with little or no on-floor inventory requirements. 

Short has 30 years of executive level experience leading consumer goods, technology, and financial brands in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America. He has worked for global consumer goods companies including Esprit, Joe Boxer and Sunglass Hut and led a number of complex restructuring and turnarounds in Europe, Asia and the U.S., Accell said in a statement Thursday. Short also spent more than a decade at Citibank where he led corporate banking activities and non-bank businesses in Hong Kong, as well as corporate banking and government lending activities in Venezuela and Ecuador.

"ANA's omnichannel strategy is revolutionary for the North American bicycle industry and for consumers at all levels of cycling enthusiasm," said Short. "It represents a significant transition toward building a more sustainable and profitable business for ANA and our IBD partners while providing a superior buying and after purchase experience for consumers. I'm excited to be part of this forward-thinking organization."

In the Thursday statement, ANA said, "Short's leadership will prioritize transparency, integrity and mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with IBDs and others while delivering enhanced consumer experiences across all distribution channels."

ANA sells Raleigh, Diamondback and Redline bikes as well as Raleigh Electric, iZip and Haibike e-bikes. ANA is also the largest investor in the Beeline mobile bike service franchiser.

Related links:

• Accell appoints Stuart Johnson to lead omnichannel efforts— Feb. 27, 2018
• Accell announces new omnichannel program— Jan. 19. 2018
• Accell reorganizes North American operations after loss of Dick's business — Nov. 11, 2017
• Longtime Accell exec Chris Speyer to join REI — Sept. 28, 2017
• Accell expands omnichannel distribution with Raleigh in Amazon — Dec. 1, 2016
• Accell North America to fulfill bike orders through Beeline Bikes. — Sept. 16, 2016
• Raleigh USA to launch online sales in April — March 9, 2016
• Restructuring shakes up Accell North America — May 6, 2014

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. (BRAIN) — A new survey of 1,800 e-bike owners done by Portland State University and the University of Tennessee found that that most e-bike owners are very satisfied and really like their e-bikes (96 percent), because they are "fun" and "exciting" to ride. Most also said that they feel a lot safer on an e-bike than they do on a conventional bike, and they ride a lot farther and a lot more often than they used to ride a conventional bike.

Bicycle Retailer's Doug McClellan wrote about the survey findings for the magazine's upcoming March 15 issue, and he's interviewed for Interbike – The Podcast's second episode. He also talks about how bike shares in many U.S. cities are investing in e-bikes to add to their fleets.

Retailer Jim Strang of Spokes Etc. has been successfully selling e-bikes at all six of his Northern Virginia stores for the past four years, and he discusses how the category has become a big revenue stream for his shops as commuters look for alternatives to driving their cars.

And Raleigh Electric's Rob Kaplan provides a global perspective on e-bike sales from a supplier's point of view. Kaplan also talks about how battery technology has improved and prices have come down.

The podcast, called "Interbike – The Podcast," is being produced in partnership with Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, and is published every two weeks. Every episode touches on current events and products, and includes interviews with industry insiders, category experts and more. It's hosted by Fred Fishkin, who has been producing a daily syndicated radio report on consumer technology for more than two decades.

The first podcast launched Feb. 21. It's available on Interbike's website, Soundcloud and Apple iTunes.

To take a listen, click on the podcast link below.

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — North St. Bags, which makes bike panniers and bike accessories in addition to backpacks and other gear, is moving its headquarters and production workshop to Portland's Hawthorne District.

"I'm thrilled at the opportunity to grow North St.," said North St. Bags' founder, Curtis Williams. "This expansion will allow us to hire more talented makers and increase our production volume so we can better serve our customers. Our new location just off of Hawthorne will mean better access and visibility. It will make it easier to get more quality bags out there. We build most bags to order which allow us to have less storage, inventory and waste, but at a certain point, it became clear that we've outgrown our Clinton Street shop."

North St. Bags began in Williams' basement on Portland's Woodward Street, with a single sewing machine and a few bolts of fabric.

"I couldn't be more thrilled at the scale we've reached these past 8 years since I worked in that basement shop, and at the chance to continue our mission at our new space on Hawthorne Boulevard," he said.

North St. Bags planned to close the Clinton Street shop on Thursday. The new shop is planned to open Monday at 11 a.m. The new shop is at the corner of SE Hawthorne and Poplar Ave (1551 SE Poplar).

Once the team settles into the new space they plan to celebrate with a new product launch and a grand reopening party. 

More information at: northstbags.com/blogs/north-st-bags/were-moving.

Related:

• North St. Bags introduces waterproof pannier/backpack. 

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BRAIN) — Retailer Robin Bylenga opened Pedal Chic in 2010 to cater to female cyclists. In February, Bylenga moved the store into a larger space on the bike path in downtown Greenville, about two and half blocks from Pedal Chic's previous location.

"The downtown has grown, and so has Greenville," Bylenga said. "The statistic is that we are one of the top five fastest growing cities in the the country, which has been good for business. But as traffic got heavier it became more intimidating for customers to ride right from the store. I'm so excited about the new location because it's right on the bike path."

The new 2,000 square-foot Pedal Chic store has a full-service repair department and employs anywhere from four to eight people, depending on season. The shop's 27-foot ceilings gave Bylenga room for a mezzanine-level office, and she has installed a Lift-n-Store overhead bike storage system to better utilize the tall space.

Pedal Chic carries Linus, Jamis and Bianchi, which has installed a store-within-a-store in new location.

Bylenga has also launched a line of women's Pedal Chic bikes, which debuted in October 2017 and are now available. She worked with Kent International on the six-model line, which includes a Dutch-style step-through, a road bike, a flat-bar fitness bike, a seven-speed city bike, a beach cruiser, and a step-through hybrid. Bylenga based frame geometries on years' worth of notes she has taken while doing bike fits for women.

All Pedal Chic models retail for under $500 and are available now at Pedal Chic's brick and mortar or through its website.

"The bikes are here now and we have them in our rental fleet. We did a lot of rentals in our other location and will do a lot here as well," Bylenga said. "We do group events, like bachelorette and bridal parties, and team-building events. I recently hired a guest services director to help manage it all. There are lots of hotels and apartments in the area, and we are located right across the streets from the Performing Arts Center. Just recently we got to repair bikes from the Willie Nelson band."

While Pedal Chic was in the process of moving, there was some downtime that Bylenga said was awful on her nerves but also allowed her to reevaluate the business.

"I had to do some layoffs while we were down, but that gave me a chance to hire people seriously committed to our brand and our culture. We believe the lives of women and their families can be transformed by bikes," she said. "That's what we need to think about, and we need to motivate and inspire. And, when you move you have to be careful you don't lose what you started, what people fell in love with in the first place. This is Pedal Chic 2.0. Everyone has been so supportive and I'm really excited about this year."

Pedal Chic is hosting a grand opening celebration, starting Friday, March 9, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 pm. The party will continue Saturday with product demos, a group coffee ride with Pedal Chic vendors, educational sessions and kids' activities.

To learn more, visit pedalchic.com.

MONTREAL (BRAIN) — Dorel reported 0.6 percent growth in fourth-quarter revenue at its bike division, which includes Cannondale, Sugoi, GT, Schwinn, Mongoose and Caloi. However, full-year revenue declined 7.8 percent.

Organic revenue, which excludes the positive impact of foreign exchange rates, was off 1.4 percent for the quarter and 11 percent for the year.

Dorel said the segment's revenue improved from the third quarter despite the continuing challenging global bicycle market, particularly in North America. Sales at Cycling Sports Group, which includes its specialty bike brands, decreased due to the competitive environment and a generally soft industry globally at independent bicycle dealers, the company said.

Fourth quarter operating profit increased $4.6 million to $9.6 million. Excluding restructuring and other costs, adjusted operating profit declined by $0.9 million to $9.3 million. For the year, operating profit was $24.8 million compared to an operating loss a year ago of $33.9 million.

The company said it expects to deliver higher sales and better operating profit for its bike business in 2018.

"This improvement is expected in all three of our principal channels: mass market, independent bike dealers and sporting goods. While there are less e-commerce sales opportunities within Dorel Sports' product categories, our focus on compelling online content is driving consumer awareness to our brands," the company said.

During a conference call with financial analysts, executives said bike inventory at retail is at its lowest in three years, which bodes well for margins. Discounting has been kept in check, helping profits grow, said Dorel president and CEO Martin Schwartz. The lower inventory is both at mass and at IBDs.

"We're getting much better at carrying the right inventories," he said. "The biggest part of our sales decline on the independent side is less clearance bikes."

Dorel picked up the contract last fall for Dick's Sporting Goods, which Accell North America lost. And executives noted during the call that they expect this new business to significantly impact revenues for this year.

Mass business was down last year for Dorel's bike business. "Weather certainly hurt us on mass last year. There's no question. I don't know any mass account that had a great year," Schwartz said.

The company also noted that the market for bikes isn't growing, though some categories are doing okay.

"You have to be in the right category with the right products," executives noted. "Our kids business last year was up 50 percent or more. If you're in the right category with the right products you can do it, but road bikes continue to be a slightly down category. Overall ... the industry's kind of flat."

Though the bike business is coming off two years of organic declines, Dorel was optimistic about 2018 for several reasons. It pointed to:

• The bulk of decline at IBDs was clearance bikes, which they don't have this year.
• New sporting goods accounts they didn't have last year.
• A much better range of new products in second half than last year.
• Mass side should bounce back after cyclical downturn.
• Expansion in non-bike business at Pacific Cycle.

CALABASAS, Calif. (BRAIN) — Fox Racing introduced its deep-coverage Flux trail helmet back in 2006. It quickly became the company’s best-selling mountain bike product in both unit and dollar sales, and has remained that way. So it’s understandable that, although the Flux has received some minor refinements over the years, it hasn’t gotten a ground-up redesign. Until now.

At a media and retail launch Wednesday in Southern California, Fox detailed the new Flux, which maintains the classic look of the original but also take cues  from the brand’s newer Proframe full-face all-mountain helmet and Metah open-face helmet.

“Having such an iconic helmet in the market sets a really high bar to meet. And the design team, when they set out to create this helmet, really kept that in mind all the way through the process,” said Chris Blum, Fox’s MTB category manager.

Currently available at retail, the 2018 Flux comes in MIPS ($149.95) and non-MIPS ($99.95) versions. Both iterations get new fit features including a 300-degree retention system that starts near the rider’s temples and pulls snug from the back of the head via a large one-handed adjustment dial. Adjustment points at the front and rear allow the wrap system to be fine-tuned to fit to the rider’s head shape.

“We really feel this gives you great weight distribution and great riding comfort. You won’t feel this helmet bobbling around on you when you ride,” Blum said.  

To promote air flow, the new Flux gets 14 Big Bore vents borrowed from the Proframe, front intake points on the underside of the forehead, and deep channels in the EPS liner that direct air over the rider’s head.

The helmets use Fox’s patented Varizorb multi-density EPS (also seen in Fox’s Metah helmet) with cone-shaped structures to spread out impact forces. “Really what that does is dissipate and give you a slow or smooth de-acceleration of impact, which is what we’re looking to do to protect the brain,” Blum said.

The EPS is shot around an internal cage that provides additional strength and allows for the Flux’s generously sized vents and overall light weight.

Other shared features include an adjustable visor, a new Y-shaped strap adjustment system, and compatibility with a range of goggles.

In addition to getting the MIPS anti-rotational impact system, the higher-end Flux MIPS also has a Fidlock magnetic chin closure and Fox’s X-static anti-bacterial liner.

Fox will promote the Flux this season with a contest awarding four winners a trip for two to Crankworx Whistler for featuring the helmet on social media with the #WTFlux hashtag (Wear The Flux).

More info on the Flux is available on Fox’s website.

MANCOS, Colo. (BRAIN) — The new Caribou model from Alpacka Raft claims to be the lightest and most packable full-size packraft on the market. It can carry a bike and it packs small enough to be carried on a bike's handlebars for dirt/water adventures.

A new bow design allows the boat to carry bikes, full-sized packs, big game, and other heavy loads, while keeping the boat balanced on and off water. The Caribou weighs 4 pounds, 12 ounces.

"By bringing the Caribou to market, we wanted to provide a better boat for specific uses," said Thor Tingey, Apacka Raft's CEO. "The Caribou, coupled with our new Late Rise Bow, is the ideal packraft for ultralight solo hunting, backpacking, and bikerafting. We're excited to see what adventures our customers choose to take the Caribou on in the coming months and years."

The Caribou is handmade in Mancos, Colorado. It has a single valve that provides high pressure one-way inflation and easy deflation. It has a full-size standard seat. Optional Cargo Fly (for internal storage in the tubes of the boat) and optional custom Titan-Straps bike strap kit are available. The raft ships with inflation bag, seat stuff sack, and repair kit.

Available in Persimmon and Mallard Green colors, the Caribou retails for $795 without the Cargo Fly and $945 with.

More information: alpackaraft.com.

KENT, Wash. (BRAIN) — As part of a review late last year, managers at Accell North America discovered that the company had been underpaying U.S. Customs on some bike import duties since 2013. The company wound up paying 4 million euros ($4.9 million) in repayments and interest.

Because the mistake was self-reported, ANA was not fined. The problem arose because of the classification of hybrid bikes had not been applied consistently, ANA's new CEO, John Short, told BRAIN on Thursday.

"We took a look at it and we thought it was not right and we went back and asked the Customs guys and they said, 'yeah, that's probably not right,'" Short said. "It was a significant number of bikes, going back many, many years. It was something we just had to make right."

Short said discovering the mistake indicates a new discipline at Accell Group.

"When any entity has a certain amount of sickness, it goes through the natural process of cleaning itself out. I think that's a sympton of the past and it's us really taking care of some of the things that weren't right, and I think that's the kind of discipline you'll see from us when it comes to brand marketing, the consumer experience and the sales experience through the IBD," he said.

BALTIMORE (BRAIN) — Princeton Sports, a third-generation ski and bike retailer that dates to 1936, is closing one of its two locations after selling the real estate.

The retailer began a liquidation sale at its 17,000-square foot Columbia, Maryland, store on Thursday. Alan Davis, who owns the business with his brother Paul, said they received many unsolicited offers for the building on Little Patuxent Parkway, especially after a new stop light was installed nearby, bringing in more traffic. He said the store is one of the few free-standing retail locations in the city. He has agreed not to disclose the identity of the building's buyer or its future use.

Davis opened the location in 1982. Princeton Sports was founded in the 1930s as a bike rental business in Baltimore. Alan and Paul joined the business after college and after interning at other retail businesses. Their parents owned both locations and the brothers bought the real estate from their parents when they retired. After the Columbia location is closed, the brothers will share management of the Baltimore location.

Davis said the closing comes after one of the store's best seasons ever.

"Sales were incredible last year," he said. The store carries Specialized, Giant, and Cannondale. He said Specialized mountain bikes and e-MTBs were hot categories last year and he's optimistic about the growth of the e-bike category. But he said it won't be hard to step back from years of long hours at the store.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Earlier this winter at Boulder's Sports Garage store, Ergon USA held the first of a series of demo events for its new women's saddle line. 

Ergon's Karen Jarchow led the event for the brand's first women's specific saddles, which were introduced to the trade at Interbike. More than 50 women attended the presentation, which included a blend of technical information, product demos and socializing.

"Our sales cycles are built exclusively on relationships, and women are not typically impulse buyers when it comes to gear," said Sports Garage's owner and marketing director, Elorie Slater, "If we continually focus on building the right environment with the right partners, the sales volume will follow. I think we all nailed it on that front!"

Jarchow said, "We wanted to collaborate with a shop and owner who are connected and engaged with their community ... The Ergon process of developing products is science-based and passion-driven. Aligning with groups with similar mindsets was a deliberate approach that produced great results."

Ergon also planned a demo event at March's Sedona Mountain Bike Festival and next month's Sea Otter Classic. An event in Portland, Oregon, also is planned, with details to be announced later. 

"With an education-driven philosophy, Ergon's clinics are geared at providing women with the tools to make educated purchasing decisions. They also provide an opportunity for women to expand their own riding networks while meeting shop staff in a welcoming social environment," the company said.

More information at ergonbike.com.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Better Bike Share Partnership has awarded more than $410,000 in grants to help increase access to bike share in communities of color, and to fund research related to bike share and equity.

The Partnership is a collaboration funded by The JPB Foundation. PeopleForBikes adminsters the grant funding, which is now in its third round.  The partners include The City of Philadelphia, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials and the PeopleForBikes Foundation.

"Cities, bike share operators, and community-based partners are eager for best practices and support to make bicycling and bike share more accessible and available to people of color and low-income communities," said Zoe Kircos, the director of grants and partnerships at PeopleForBikes. "We have learned from our last two cohorts of grantees and look forward to testing and sharing new strategies from our current group as well."

The following projects received Challenge Grant funding:

Charleston, S.C.: Just Ride – Equitable Mobility for Holy Spokes: $50,000

Enough Pie is partnering with the City of Charleston, Gotcha Bike and Charleston Moves to extend bike share into the Upper Peninsula of the city. In addition to adding stations and hiring local ambassadors, the program will align and partner with AWAKENING: MOTION, a series of public art projects that aims to transform the streets by showcasing what's possible when communities unite to create safe, connected, dignified transportation.

Chicago: Better West Side Bike Share: $28,000

West Town Bikes will recruit, hire and train 30 youth from neighborhoods bordering the 606 Trail to serve as Trail Ambassadors and develop speaking, presentation and leadership skills. Ambassadors will engage in community outreach and education, provide assistance to trail users, encourage use of the trail and of Divvy Bike Share, and provide information about Divvy and program memberships at local events as part of their 10-week program.

Detroit: Community Organizing & Engagement for a Regional MoGo Hub: $35,000

MoGo, Detroit's public bike share system, is partnering with Live6 Alliance, the City of Detroit, and the City of Ferndale to engage residents in Northwest Detroit and southern Oakland County in the creation of a regional bike share hub. The partnership will include working with community organizers and Neighborhood Ambassadors to bring residents, business owners and community leaders together in developing a shared vision for bike share while building support for expanding this mobility service beyond greater Downtown Detroit.

Ithaca, N.Y.: Better Bikeshare from the Start: $27,500

Bike Walk Tompkins – the active transportation program of Ithaca Carshare – will collaborate with community partners to hire and train five Ithaca Bike Champions to conduct outreach and education before, during and after the launch of a dockless bike share system in April 2018. The Champions will both support programming in focus communities and also share feedback on how the system works in those communities to refine and improve operations. One outcome is a set of shared operational expectations around reaching and serving residents in low-income neighborhoods.

New Orleans: Blue Bikes for All: $55,000

Bike Easy will focus on the 7th Ward and Central City neighborhoods, and on workers in the hospitality industry, as part of their efforts to introduce bike share to low- and moderate-income people and people of color in areas where transportation options are most needed. The program will work with partner community organizations and local employers to host rides, offer free trial passes and reduced fare passes, and conduct workshops and presentations – and to pilot other ideas as they emerge.

Pittsburgh: Healthy Ride in Your Neighborhood: $65,000

Healthy Ride will recruit, hire and train Neighborhood Ambassadors to implement learn-to-ride classes, registration events at local businesses and partnership organizations, group rides, and targeted neighborhood marketing as part of their initiative in the Homewood, Larimer and Hill District neighborhoods. New stations serving these locations will make bike share use easier and more accessible, and will help build on the ConnectCard transit integration launched in Fall 2017.

The following studies received Research Grant funding:

Drexel University, Philadelphia: Freedom from the Station: Spatial Equity in Access to Dockless Bike Share: $71,881

The research team at Drexel University will examine the spatial equity in dockless bike share – the equitable distribution of bike share bikes across the geographical boundaries of Seattle, WA – and the role that redistribution plays in this equity. Working with the City of Seattle, the University of Washington/Washington State Transportation Center, and dockless bike share operators, researchers will both measure equity in spatial access and seek to translate Seattle's experience into recommendations for equitable approaches for dockless bike share systems in other cities.

Portland State University, Portland, Ore.: National Assessment of Bike Share Equity Programs: $74,801.35

Portland State's research team will document the programs and strategies developed to address equity in bike share across the U.S., and identify the definitions and measures of success for each of these efforts. The result will be a catalog of equity approaches employed, an aggregated summary of key elements of each approach or strategy, and a record of which metrics agencies used to assess if they are meeting their equity goals, along with the various ways agencies are assessing their programs.

LIVINGSTON, U.K. (BRAIN) — Scottish clothing brand Endura has launched a new collection of aero clothing and helmets developed with Drag2Zero, a company founded by noted aerodynamicist Simon Smart.

The collection makes use of innovative fabric surface textures, including printed silicone applications, to reduce air drag.

The items were developed with use of a windtunnel, with testing done at a variety of speeds and rider positions to make the clothing fastest in various applications.

The product line includes the D2Z Encapsulator Suit, optimized for WorldTour-level time trials. It features Endura's Encapsulator pocket for race numbers. The pocket protects the delicate fabrics from damage caused by pins. The pocket's translucent mesh allows race numbers to be clearly visible while retaining the breathability of the pocket area around the number. 

The D2Z Roadsuit is optimized for road race positions and speeds and includes three rear pockets, while the D2Z Bibshort and Jersey offer similar performance in a two-piece outfit.

The line also includes the D2Z Aeroswitch helmet, which was designed for low drag and to minimize the negative effects of cross winds. It uses a Koroyd protective material and has a removable aero tail that can be removed for road race use.

Endura sponsors the Movistar men’s WorldTour team as well as the Cervélo Bigla Pro Cycling team, which competes on the UCI Women’s WorldTour.