SAN CARLOS, Calif. (BRAIN) — Ritchey Design, which has had a minium advertised price policy since at least 2014, is now working with Oris Intelligence to regulate the policy.

"A recharged enforcement of MAP is a crucial step forward for us," said Phil Ellinwood, Ritchey's CFO. "In order for us to better support our IBDs as well as protect our own brand's value, enforcing a strict policy on MAP violators is necessary in today's online atmosphere."

Oris offers a broad spectrum of market analytics and metrics for combing the web for MAP violators while advising on best practices for enforcing MAP. 

In recent years many bike brands have announced they are working with Oris. 

LONGMONT, Colo. (BRAIN) — Last week we made a few changes to the BRAIN website that folks have asked us about. Now that we've had a week or so to work with the changes, we’d like to explain what we did.

The most obvious change is the addition of a “Top Stories” designation. In the past we’ve used a simple reverse chronological format for most stories on the homepage. That is, the newest story sits on top, and older stories get shoved down the page and eventually off the page. Sometimes when we are posting a lot of articles, some important stories disappear from the homepage before everyone has had a chance to notice them. Now BRAIN editors can designate those big stories as Top Stories and they stay at the top of the page while newer stories fill in below, under the “Latest News” heading.

What this might mean for our loyal readers’ web-surfing practices: We know that many of you check the homepage several times a day to see what’s new. Now, if you just glance at the very top of the page, you might think we haven’t updated for longer than usual. But don’t worry, the lights are still on at BRAIN. Sometimes you just might need to glance down the page a bit to see the newest stories.

Another obvious change: we’ve taken down the stock ticker and stock chart on the homepage. It was error prone and often out of date or inaccurate and we probably let it linger on longer than we should have. We’ll bring it back if there is interest and we can figure out how to make the feature more reliable.

We’ve also rearranged the links at the top of the homepage in what we think is a more logical manner, and removed the drop-down items from the navigation (Because: Really? Drop-down items?). We also added links to our advertising information and newsletter sign-up to the top of the homepage.

On our Classifieds page (one of the most-visited pages on the site, by the way), we have separated industry/supplier side job postings from retail job postings, and made a few other changes that make it easier to place classified ads and to navigate through them.

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about the changes, leave a comment below or contact the web editor, Stephen Frothingham, at sfrothingham@bicycleretailer.com. 

WHITEFISH, Mont. (BRAIN) — Hammer Nutrition has released their effervescent electrolyte product, Endurolytes Fizz, in a cola flavor with natural caffeine. 

Hammer Nutrition's effervescent tablets have no artificial flavors, colors, or solvents such as polyethylene glycol. All of Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolytes line contains the full-spectrum of electrolytic minerals to promote optimal hydration levels, muscular function, and mineral balance. 

Cola Endurolytes Fizz tablets contains 20 milligrams of caffeine derived from green tea extract. The cola tablets are offered in single-serving packets for 45 cents MSRP, 13-tablet tubes for $4.95 MSRP, and 25-count single-serving packets for $12.95 MSRP. 

Hammer offers a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee and expiration support policies designed to make the addition of new SKUs and flavors simple and risk-free for retailers. The company has offered premium supplements and fuels since 1987. It also offers body care products, clothing, and accessories. 

More information at hammernutrition.com.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Swagtron, best known for its electric rideables, is expanding its cycling line with the introduction of three new electric bikes, including two folding e-bikes and a youth electric fat-tire mountain bike.

Swagtron is known for its electric hoverboards, scooters and skateboards, but is expanding to offer products that are more suited for transportation, said Jason Wakefield, the brand's director of marketing.

"We're seeing a shift, and e-rideables aren't just for recreation," Wakefield said. "They're viable eco-friendly transportation options for people in all walks of life."

"The world is changing the way it thinks about transportation, and e-bikes are a big part of that" says Wakefield. "As a brand, we want to continue to be at the forefront of making that technology accessible."

The introductions include the EB-5, a lightweight, folding aluminum bike designed for the urban commuter. It has a 250-watt motor and quickly folds to a compact 26 by 23.6 inches, allowing it to be transported on public transportation, and on stairs and elevators. It also stores easily at the home and work. Top speed is 15.5 mph. Range is 15.5 miles. MSRP: $599.99

The EB-6 is an electric fat-tire mountain bike for younger riders, with 20-inch wheels and a smaller frame. The 4-inch tires provide traction on a variety of loose trail surfaces, including dirt, sand and snow. It has a 350-watt motor that can be engaged via throttle or a "pedal to go" mode similar to pedelec, giving young riders the power to go farther. It has disc brakes and a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain. Top speed is 18.6 mph. Range is 20 miles. MSRP: $839.98

The Swagcycle PRO builds on the success of the original Swagcycle with the addition of an iOS/Android app, longer battery life and an improved top speed of 18 mph. Like the original Swagcycle, it's a fully electric pedal-less "scooter bike" featuring a compact, folding design. The company said it's one of the smallest e-bikes available. It has a 350-watt motor and disc brakes are standard. Top speed is 18 mph. Range is 15.5 miles. MSRP: $600.

More information: swagtron.com.

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — Riders took more than 35 million bike share trips last year — 25 percent more than in the year before, according to a new National Association of City Transportation Officials study.

NACTO noted that last year, the San Francisco Bay Area relaunched its bike share program with 10 times the number of bikes it previously had; likewise, Honolulu launched a bike share system, Biki, that quickly became the eighth-most heavily used bike share system in the U.S.

The number of bike share equipment providers operating in the U.S. dramatically increased, from three major companies in 2016 to more than 10 in 2017. The volatility of bike share providers has also increased, with at least one major company declaring bankruptcy the same year that it launched in the U.S., NACTO noted.

Dockless bike share entered the market in 2017, and now make up 44 percent of all bike share bikes on the ground in cities, but only 4 percent of all rides.

"Dockless bike share has undoubtedly been the biggest disruptive force in the bike share industry, quickly nearly doubling the bike share footprint (as measured by bikes on the ground) in less than a year. However, dockless bike share systems have not, to date, been heavily used by riders," NACTO stated.

NACTO noted that more cities have worked to make bike share more affordable to a wide cross section of people, and have measurably increased the types of people served by bike share. About a third of station-based bike share systems had an income-based discount program in 2017, compared with 24 percent of systems in 2016.

The report also explores how bike share is used, with differences in time-of-day use patterns between docked and dockless programs.

"In just a few years, bike share has proven successful in an ever-widening collection of cities," said Linda Bailey, NACTO's executive director. "Cities continue to build streets that provide safe places to ride, and people are responding by biking by the millions — to get to work, school, and for personal business. Bike share is increasingly an integral part of the day-to-day transportation mix, and we see no end in sight to this flourishing new mobility option."

For the full report, visit nacto.org/bike-share-statistics-2017.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BRAIN) — Asheville Bicycle Company, which was an offshoot of Ski Country Sports, has re-opened after a remodel and is now Giant Partner Store, which means the retailer stocks at least 80 percent of the floor space with Giant and Liv products.

Ski Country Sports opened in 1990 and established a bike department with Giant in 1994. Since then the store has grown from a 2,000-square-foot ski/bike rental outlet to a 10,000-square-foot, complete-service bike and ski retailer,  10 miles from the popular mountain bike trails in Pisgah National Forest.

In 2015 the bike department launched its own storefront and Asheville Bicycle Company was born.

Owner Craig Friedrich said the shop has developed a very close and strong relationship with Giant over the past 20 years. "With the addition of Asheville Bicycle Company, we made the investment to take the store to the next level," he said. He said the standalone bike store has seen a 15-20 percent increase in sales since the launching.

In retirn for maintaining the 80 percent stock level, Giant Partner Stores get assistance in store layout and design, fixturing, merchandising, and retail support including Giant Retail Academy sales education and financial analysis. They also get priority status for demo support in their region. "The Giant Retail Program is the highest level of support we offer our independent dealers," says Philip Croley, Giant's retail services executive.

Friedrich said he expects Asheville Bicycle Company to remain in double-digit growth territory over the next few years as the Asheville area continues to grow into one of the top cycling destinations in the country. "We feel the GRP partnership will give us the tools to continue to grow and expand in this key bicycle market," he said.

The store also has launched a mobile service vehicle that has already attended nine bike races and events this spring.

Other customer initiatives include a team rewards program, financing options, free one-year maintenance on all new bikes, a kid's trade-in program, free repair instruction clinics, and a demo/rental program.

From April 23-28, the shop celebrated its remodel, grand reopening, and partnership with the Giant and Liv brands with a sale, demo and weekend of activities. Highlights included a performance from mountain biking and trials riding legend Jeff Lenosky, a raffle of a 2018 Giant Escape City Disc 2 and a 2018 Liv Alight City Disc 2, bike fit and product seminars, music, a food truck with food for purchase, and free Highland Brewing beverages.

Raffle ticket proceeds were divided amongst the following nonprofits: Asheville on Bikes, Trips for Kids WNC, and Pisgah Area SORBA.

"Giant Bicycles is proud to have such a well-established and professional partner dedicated to excellent service for the local community in one of the top cycling and outdoor destinations in the country," said Croley. "We look forward to continuing this incredible relationship."

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — VeloPress has acquired North American rights to publish the first book by three-time world champion and 2018 Paris-Roubaix winner Peter Sagan. The book, titled My World, will be available in print and e-book editions in bookstores, bike shops, and online this December. The UK edition will be published by Yellow Jersey on Oct. 4.

"If cycling's new era has a spirit animal, it is Peter Sagan," said VeloNews magazine's European correspondent, Andrew Hood. "Sagan is undeniably the coolest thing going in the pro field. He's a hero for the postmodern age, at once a throwback and disrupter, someone who can break the mold while simultaneously paying tribute to the versatility of past legends."

Sagan said, "Wearing rainbow for three consecutive years has been a thrilling, life-changing experience and I can't wait to share the entire story with my amazing fans who have traveled the globe to cheer me on."

The paperback will be 256 pages with two, 8-page photo sections. It will retail for $18.95.

More information including previews at velopress.com/sagan.

LEVIS, Quebec and LEXINGTON, S.C. (BRAIN) — Hawley-Lambert has added Supacaz accessories, SmartHalo technologies, and F2C Nutritionals to its brand portfolio in the both Canada and the United States. The company has also added G-Form protective gear in the U.S.; it has distributed G-Form in Canada since 2015.

"We are always looking for the latest brands that can bring value and something unique to retailers," said André Trudeau, the director of vendor and business development for Hawley-Lambert. "Supacaz is bringing color and style back to the bike, SmartHalo's intuitive city-smart technology bring safety to a whole new level, F2C is a breakout nutritional brand and everyone knows G-Form makes some of the best protection gear you can buy."

Supacaz, SmartHalo and G-Form products are in-stock now for immediate shipping. F2C Nutritional products will be in-stock by the end of May.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The ASG Group has acquired Southern California mountain bike brand Ellsworth.

"ASG have been distributing Ellsworth mountain bikes in South Africa for a couple of years now," said Heinrich Dannhauser, the group CEO of ASG. "From the outset, we've been impressed by the quality, craftsmanship and performance of Ellsworth products, especially with the latest models. The acquisition reflects our effective diversification strategy across the cycling industry, and with the deal concluded we will now concentrate our efforts on building upon the heritage that the Ellsworth brand has already built in the United States, South Africa and Europe."

Tony Ellsworth, founder of Ellsworth in 1991, will stay on with the company as head of design.

Claudio Fantin, the international marketing strategist of the ASG Group, said, "The Ellsworth brand has enormous potential and is ... simply beautiful! We are ready and excited to take on this new challenge because the Ellsworth brand fits our corporate DNA perfectly — never stop having fun, never stop innovating, never stop breaking the rules."

ASG said it will invest in the development of a range of Ellsworth lifestyle products and apparel to complement the bike brand.

Mike Chapman will take over the reins as CEO and Ellsworth will operate from a new facility in San Diego as a subsidiary of ASG North America. ASG will also distribute other house brands from this location, including SCICON, a bike bag brand. 

ORLANDO, Fla. (BRAIN) — Recumbent trike manufacturer Catrike stated Wednesday that revenue grew 23 percent in its 2018 fiscal year.

"Catrike's continued growth is a result of our focus on production efficiency and a long-term commitment from a network of premium dealers," Catrike general manager Mark Egeland said. "We are dedicated to supporting our dealer network with excellent products and customer service. Catrike works hard to innovate, balance workflows and optimize the production line to deliver quality, U.S.-made trikes at competitive margins."

Catrike attributed the growth in part to its updated 700 race model that debuted at last year's Interbike expo. Upgrades include a Zipp through-axle rear wheel, FSA carbon fiber crank, and an updated ergonomic mesh seat.

The company was recently featured on Inc. Magazine's annual list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies for a second consecutive year. During the past year, Catrike has also expanded its Orlando production facility by 17,000 square feet and added new sales offices and staff.

Catrike sells exclusively through IBDs, with a network of more than 200 dealers worldwide.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Bicycle Product Suppliers Association is forming an education committee with Shimano's Andrew Kempe as chair.

BPSA currently supports three educational programs: The annual Bicycle Leadership Conference, the Charged Up e-bike video training platform, and title sponsorship of the Supplier Seminar Series at Interbike.

"The education committee's goal is to create more impactful programs along the lines of our existing ones," said Kempe. "There's plenty of opportunity to create our own initiatives as well as working with other industry groups."

Fellow BPSA board member and former BLC chair Megan Tompkins, who is the publisher of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, will also join the committee, and three other BPSA members will be asked to participate as well.

For BPSA's 2018-19 fiscal year, the committee is considering funding proposals from four industry groups: The National Bicycle Dealers Association, Barnett's Bicycle Institute, Project Bike Tech, and the Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The newest episode of Interbike the Podcast is now out, and focuses on the Reno-Tahoe region, home of this September's Interbike Market Week. 

The episode is hosted by Fred Fishkin and guests include Shelli Fine, the director of sports and development for Reno-Tahoe; and BRAIN's own Marc Sani, who was a Reno newspaperman in the days of Mark Twain, silver miners and the Donner Party. Just kidding! We think Marc was in Reno at a later period in its history. On the podcast, he talks about how the city has changed in the years since he stomped around there. 

The podcast contains everything you should know to start planning your trip to Interbike, from airport and hotel information, to restaurants and the bike-ability of the city and surrounding areas. 

The podcast is available through most podcast apps including iTunes and SoundCloud, or you can listen to it directly at interbike.com/podcast. 

SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — DZR's new S240 LTD shoes are designed for quick overnight bikepacking trips — Sub 24-Hour Overnighters.

"Cruise into the office on Friday, ride up the hills on Saturday. Our signature recessed cleats make it easy to hop off the bike and run into the store for supplies or roll into your campsite for dinner under the stars. A lightweight leather is used for the construction of this shoe. The material is tough, breathable, and breaks in like a good pair of work gloves," the company said.

The limited edition shoes feature a reflective heel badge, a "link traction outsole," natural gum ribber sole and a full-length nylon mid-sole/shank designed for power transfer while pedaling and flexibility for walking

MSRP: $149.

More information: dzrshoes.com/products/dzrshoes-s24o.

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Specialized is recalling some Fuse Comp and Fatboy SE bicycles with Stout cranks because the driveside crankarm can disengage and cause the rider to lose control, posing fall and injury hazards.

According to a notice on the Specialized website, the company discovered that some of the cranks "may have been manufactured with an important dimension out of tolerance. In extreme, and very rare cases, this production variation could lead to the driveside crankarm disengaging from the crank assembly, causing a risk of injury." 

The company is recalling about 1,800 of the bikes. 

The bikes came in "Gloss Hyper/Black Clean" and "Satin Gloss Black/Rocket Red" colors for Fuse Comp model and "Gloss Warm Charcoal/Black/Gallardo Orange" and "Satin Oak Green/Blac/Rocket Red" colors for the Fatboy SE model. Only cranks with "STOUT" written on either crankarm and equipped with a direct-mount chainring manufactured in 2017 are affected. Cranks manufactured in 2017 are identified if the serial code imprinted on the inside of either crankarm starts with "17."

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles with Stout cranks and contact a Specialized retailer for instructions on how to receive a free replacement crankarm.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Specialized has received no incidents involving the cranks. Consumers can contact Specialized toll-free at 877-808-8154 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email ridercare@specialized.com or visit www.specialized.com.

More information: CPSC recall notice | Specialized notice. 

BREVARD, N.C. (BRAIN) — Rotor America has hired Colby McAlister as the brand's East Coast tech rep.

Based out of Brevard, McAlister has worked as a demo driver for Santa Cruz Bicycles and raced collegiate mountain bikes for Brevard College before joining Rotor. "I'm really excited to support dealers around the country. I love working with the mountain bike community, and now I get to do education in road specialty bike shops, as well," he said.

The Rotor Tech Rep program is designed to train shop staff on Rotor products such as Qrings, 2INpower and the hydraulic UNO group, as well as supporting consumer events.

"The Tech Rep program is crucial for supporting dealers in this time of growth for Rotor. IBDs need to know that they can count on us to educate their staff and contribute to their bottom line. We know Colby will add great value to Rotor IBD partners on the Eastern Seaboard," said Lori Barrett, Rotor America's VP of business development. 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — Barnett Bicycle Institute will launch a new multi-day course on e-bikes next month.

E-Bike Fundamentals is a three-and-a-half day course that will be held June 25-28. The class will cover a wide range of topics inlcuding the e-bike classification system, workshop setup and safety, electronics fundamentals, and systems overviews from major e-bike suppliers.

"We are very excited to be diving in to this new territory. We recognize there are barriers that prevent some retailers from selling and servicing e-bikes. We designed this class to help remove as many of those barriers as possible so shops can start to capture what's proving to be a growing revenue stream," BBI said in a news release.

The initial class offering will be a supplement to BBI's Bicycle Repair and Overhaul course and enrollment will be limited to BBI students or graduates, and present or past bicycle industry professionals.

To sign up for the class or for questions, contact BBI at manager@bbinstitute.com or 719-632-5173.

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (BRAIN) — CrankTank, which is holding its first Impact media summit in its hometown of Sun Valley next month, is also planning to organize a media event before the Fall Outerbike consumer expo, held in Moab, Utah.

The Fall Outerbike is planned for Oct. 5-7. CrankTank's media event will be held before the consumer demo opens.

"The Moab event will be a key touchpoint for brands who are bringing new product to market in the fall, as well as offer the opportunity to allow consumers to test the product in the same period," CrankTank said.

"We've gathered a lot of feedback from brands in building our Impact Sun Valley media summit. Several folks expressed that Impact is just the sort of experience they want for launching their brand's next innovations, but it doesn't line up with their product timelines," said CrankTank's vice president, Adrian Montgomery. "And many have also told us that they would value an additional consumer-facing element to allow potential customers to demo new products for driving crowd-sourced reviews and sales. Bringing Impact and Outerbike together checks all those boxes."

Outerbike is owned and run by Western Spirit. Besides the fall event in Moab, Western Spirit holds a spring Outerbike there, an August Outerbike in Crested Butte, Colorado, and a late October Outerbike in Bentonville, Arkansas.

CrankTank's Lars-Erik Johnson said plans are still coming together for the Moab media event. Moab offers opportunities to test ride mountain bikes, gravel bikes or e-MTBs, so Impact will develop a plan depending on what products the participating brands are interested in promoting to the media. 

CrankTank also is planning an Impact Kona media event for Oct. 7-14 in Hawaii, before and during the Ironman World Championships there.

More information: Cranktank.net.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (BRAIN) — The Gravity Cartel, the U.S. office for Spank Industries and iXS Protection, has signed up with Oris Intel to use the company's PROWL software to monitor its MAP policy and ensure accuracy of products sold through online channels.

"Spank and iXS have had a US MAP policy in place since 2013, and we have been successful in keeping it in place this long. With the increase of online players and third-party marketplaces it was just getting harder to figure out who some of these sellers were. This software from Oris makes my job much easier to identify and communicate our policies with all online sellers," said Victor Sandrin, national sales manager for Spank and iXS.

"We have great new products coming out and in development, and we can only continue to push the boundaries of our manufacturing capabilities if our brands' value is maintained through the retail channel. No one can stop the online marketplace, but we can control how our brands are sold and ensuring there is value are maintained," Sandrin added.

The Gravity Cartel was created in 2013 as a joint effort between Spank and iXS to bring their brands to the U.S. market and provide service to consumers, dealers and distributors.

AUSTIN, Texas (BRAIN) — The Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association is now offering bike shops — including mobile and service-only operations — the opportunity to be designated as PBMA Certified Shops.

To qualify, at least half an operation's service staff must be PBMA certified mechanics. Shops also have to show they are legitimate businesses, meeting whatever legal registrations are required in their community. The annual cost is $175 for the first location and $100 per additional location.

Benefits include two free PBMA mechanic memberships per location, a listing in a PBMA directory, access to Myagi tech training videos, access to discounts on insurance, tools and other services and materials, and market trends and service data reports. Certified shops will also receive "PBMA Certified Shop" materials that can be used in the store and on the web.

“The idea of the program is to highlight shops that are focused on service and provide qualified service to consumers. By certifying their mechanical staff and recognizing the shop as a leader in service, we can highlight the businesses as well as the technicians in our directory,” said PBMA's president, James Stanfill.

The PBMA announced earlier this spring that it was working with a group of independent mobile service operators, and Stanfill noted that the Certified Shop program is open to mobile businesses if they meet the criteria. 

“In January, we had a great discussion with a handful of independent mobile owners and came to the conclusion that there are challenges for legitimacy within our industry for businesses that aren’t built in the traditional sense. In discussion with owners of traditional shops, mobile shops, and service-only enterprises, we thought the best way forward in our changing industry would be to continue to look specifically at service and what service can provide for the shop and the community,” Stanfill said.

More information and an application are at probma.org/pbma-certified-shop.