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Watts Marketing sells RenoCross to group led by Coby Rowe

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LONGMONT, Colo. (BRAIN) — Watts Marketing has sold the RenoCross race — formerly CrossVegas — to the RENOCX group. Based in Reno, Nevada, RENOCX is led by Coby Rowe, race director of the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championship that was held in January in Reno.

“RenoCross is in great hands with a passionate group who proved their race organizational skills with the best-run ’cross nationals this country has seen. I knew it was a great fit from the beginning,” said Watts Marketing’s Brook Watts, who staged CrossVegas during Interbike week in Las Vegas since 2007 before the trade show moved to Reno this year.

RenoCross will take place the evening of Sept. 19 at Rancho San Raphael Park in Reno following the second full day of the Interbike show at the Reno Tahoe Convention Center.

“We are proud to be bringing this renowned event to the northern Nevada community, and believe that our team is perfectly aligned to continue to make this a must-attend event each and every year for ’cross cyclists and spectators alike,” RENOCX’s Rowe said.  

Watts will continue to serve as race director of UCI World Cup Waterloo and holds a position on the UCI Cyclocross Commission in addition to the USA Cycling Board of Directors. “I look forward to standing on the sidelines of the race as a ’cross fan after a dozen years of sweating the details,” Watts said.

Rowe added: “Cyclocross Nationals proved that the Reno/Sparks/Tahoe community will completely embrace an event such as this. Locals love outdoor adventure and sports and the opportunity to welcome visitors to all our area has to offer. Our team is looking forward to embarking on new community partnerships and bringing this spectacular event to our hometown.”


Endurance House location in SoCal closes; assets to be auctioned

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (BRAIN) — Multisport retailer Endurance House Orange County has closed, and the store’s assets will be sold at auction starting Wednesday morning, May 23.

The Laguna Niguel location was one of a dozen Endurance House franchises throughout the U.S. serving runners, triathletes and other endurance athletes. Endurance House continues to have locations in San Diego, Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, MIssouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Colorado and Utah.

The Laguna Niguel store’s assets are being auctioned by Van Horn Auctions in nearby Aliso Viejo, California. Auction items include a Quintana Roo tri bike, large-screen televisions, bike service equipment, iPads, store fixtures, racking and two Vision Fitness Treadmills.

Items up for auction can be viewed on the Van Horn Auctions website.

MIPS version of Lumos helmet available for preorder

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SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Lumos is releasing a new MIPS version of its high-visibility smart helmet featuring integrated front and rear lights, turn signals and brake indicators.

“Our  helmet  was  built  on  the  idea  that  prevention  is  the  best  protection,  which  is  why  we  emphasized  on  visibility  in  our  design,”  Lumos  co-founder  and  CEO  Eu-wen  Ding said. “But  of  course  we  want  to  protect  people’s  heads  in  case  of  accidents  too. MIPS  is  technology  that  has  been  developed  since  1996  and  is  something  that  some  of  our  users  have  requested. We  hope  that  this  makes  our  helmets  one  step  closer  to  our  mission  in  protecting  1  million  heads.”

At the beginning of May, Lumos began selling through Apple stores as well as at IBDs and direct to consumers on its website.

More information on the new MIPS helmet is available on the Lumos website.

Surly shop cat, windmill tattoos, and avoiding Benjis on a Dealer Tour of Kansas City

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The bar at VeloGarage and Tap Room.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BRAIN) — BRAIN's first Dealer Tour of the Kansas City area got underway Tuesday as we pedaled to four shops, all south of the city itself, in Kansas and Missouri. In the evening, we drove up to the Velo Garage and Tap House in North Kansas City.

The variety was impressive — as were the nearly universal reports of strong sales in early 2018 from the stores we visited. The region is currently enjoying an extended late spring period of relatively cool dry weather, extending the recreational riding season a few more weeks before the summer stickiness arrives.

Our ride leaders from the Cycling Kansas City club navigated us safely through our suburban route. We encountered few new bike facilities, but were able to comfortably share the road with drivers as we went through leafy neighborhoods and around the Kansas City Art Institute and the city's Sculpture Park. The club members also warned us to avoid "a Benji"— the $100 fine for rolling through a stop sign in Kansas. 

First stop was Midwest Cyclery, a name that's been a mainstay in the region for decades, but is now enjoying a second life.

Gus Baanders opened the first Midwest Cyclery in 1972 after immigrating from Holland in the 1960s. The store's trademark is the image of a Dutch windmill, which at least one customer had tattooed onto his leg.

Christina Baanders Decker and Bob Decker, pictured here with mechanic Trent Alexander (left).

Although she said she has no windmill tattoos, Christina Baanders Decker grew up in the stores, washing windows at age 7 for a quarter, and she couldn't stay away.

In 1994 Baanders Decker took 23 years off from bike retail to raise her kids, but in 2015 she and her husband Bob Decker bought Midwest Cyclery back from the person who had purchased it from her dad 20 years earlier.

Six weeks after the purchase, a fire forced them to relocate the store to its current 7,000 square-foot location, of which about 4,000 square feet is retail space. The space needed some work — she said a tree was growing inside when she took it over. But the crew quickly got it back up to speed and is now thriving, with a strong service business and sales of everything from high-end mountain bikes from Pivot to e-bikes from Giant and Haibike. The store also carries Kona, Norco and Bianchi.

Next stop was RevolveKC Community Bike Shop, a nonprofit that's been operating since 2008, now with two locations. The operation's mission is to help homeless and low-income people, including kids and ex-cons, get bikes for transportation. Revolve has agreements with several area municipalities and universities to collect bikes at "big item" trash pickup days, keeping the bikes out of the landfills. It also accepts donations from individuals, which are restored and either sold or given away.

RevolveKC's executive director is Theresa Van Ackeren, who is also owner of our next stop, Family Bicycles.

Van Ackeren founded the store in 2008 after a long corporate career. As the name suggests, the store is a friendly, welcoming place that serves recreational cyclists and families, with an average adult bike sale of around $400. It also increasingly offers higher-dollar gravel bikes.

Family Bicycles' shop cat, Surly, was unimpressed with the Dealer Tour.

"We're the nice store," Van Ackeren said. "We don't talk down, we don't talk jargon. We meet you where you are, and it's our job to convince you that walking in to a store is better than shopping online." The store carries Surly, Fuji, Breezer, and Jamis.

Our final stop by bike was one of the two Erik's Bike & Board locations in the area, part of the growing Minneapolis-based retail chain. The Kansas City stores were BikeSource stores before Erik's acquired them in late 2016.

The massive location we visited, in Leawood, Kansas, is being renovated, but the managers let us poke around anyway. The other area Erik's location, in Overland Park, recently completed its remodeling, which included the addition of a garage door so that the store can bring in Taxa camper trailers, which Erik's recently began stocking at some locations. The door also makes it easy to send riders out on test rides.

After a quick break, we drove up to North Kansas City to tour Velo Garage & Tap House and sample its wares. Kiley Sutter launched the operation in 2016 as VeloWagon, a 1969 VW bus that offered mobile bike service — and beer taps. Last year, the business settled down into a renovated industrial space with a bike shop and tap house. Sutter has brought on Michelle Schmiedeler and Kevin Higgins as partners, and the place was absolutely rocking on a very pleasant Tuesday evening in late May. We recommend the Shoegaze Saison from Baltimore's Stillwater Artisanal Ales.

The Dealer Tour is sponsored by Garmin, which is headquartered in the area. Co-sponsoring the tour are Chamois Butt'r — another local brand — and Salsa Cycles, which provided a fleet of gravel bikes for tour participants.

Readers can follow along on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #braindealertour. Full coverage will be in the June 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer.

 

BPSA seeks industry input on Interbike Supplier Seminar Series

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BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Bicycle Products Suppliers Association’s Education Committee is asking suppliers to participate in a survey to help shape programming for the Supplier Seminar Series at Interbike Marketweek in September.   

“The Supplier Seminar Series at Interbike enters its third year of informing the supply community on topics of broad interest. As the title sponsor and this year's organizer, BPSA asks for your help in narrowing the topics from 11 to the four to be presented at Interbike MarketWeek in Reno-Tahoe,” the BPSA stated in a release.

Suppliers can click here to take the 15-question survey.

Interbike Marketweek kicks off at Northstar California Resort with consumer demos Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15 and 16, followed by a retail demo starting at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 and continuing through Monday, Sept. 17. The indoor expo runs Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 18-20, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

CrankTank sells out e-MTB sponsorships for Impact Sun Valley

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Brose, BMC sign on for media summit.

KETCHUM, Idaho (BRAIN) — CrankTank announced that it has sold all its e-bike opportunities and closed the sponsorship category for next month’s Impact Sun Valley media summit.

Brose, German manufacturer of e-bike motors, has signed on as the official power plant sponsor of Impact Sun Valley. The brand will also be a presenting topic sponsor during an e-bike panel discussion of the PeopleForBikes Draft Meetup that caps the two-day event.

BMC has also committed to Impact Sun Valley, joining Specialized in providing e-MTBs for editors to test on OHV-legal singletrack.

“Our intention in hosting Impact has always been to highlight the products and trends that media, consumers and industry folks are the most eager to explore,” said CrankTank vice president Adrian Montgomery. “Selling out the e-bike portion of our programming just reaffirms what we thought from the start — this is the fastest-growing category in the bike market right now, and one that people want to know more about.”

CrankTank said it still has sponsorships available for “acoustic” bikes in both mountain and gravel. Mountain bike programming at the event includes riding the new lift-served trails at Sun Valley Resort and the stacked-loop singletrack trail system at Galena Lodge. One of the segments included in Rebecca Rusch’s Private Idaho Queen’s Stage Race last year will serve as the setting for the gravel programming.

Impact Sun Valley kicks off with a welcome dinner at Powerhouse bike boutique and eatery on June 25, followed by two days of rides in and around Sun Valley, Idaho, on June 26 and 27.

For more information, contact lars@cranktank.net.

CSG promotes Seth Brosnan to international sales director

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WILTON, Conn. (BRAIN) — Cycling Sports Group has promoted Seth Brosnan to director, international sales.

Brosnan has been with CSG for seven years in sales roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as the Northeast regional sales manager for Cannondale. He also worked for 12 years in retail at IBDs, where his last role was managing and buying for a shop that did $3.4 million in business annually. 

In this new role, Brosnan will oversee the international distributor sales, leading and driving CSG’s business initiatives and teams affecting international markets including Asia-Pacific, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Latin America.

“Seth’s hands-on retail experience gives him incredible insight into what makes our industry tick and what dealers and distributors need to be successful,” said Jeff Weiss, CSG senior vice president, international sales. “Seth is a great addition to the team, as he hits the ground running building strong distributor and dealer partnerships in existing and new markets.”

Moots accepting applications for brand ambassador program

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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — Moots Cycles has announced that it is renewing its Grassmoots Team ambassador initiative and is seeking applications for new members.

The handmade titanium framebuilder is “excited to welcome the next generation of Moots riders and enthusiasts who will represent the brand into the future,” according to a release.

“The Grassmoots Team is open to all riding enthusiasts whose interests align with Moots values. While the program has had its share of racers in the past, Moots places a greater emphasis on ambassadors who are exemplary individuals and will be true stewards of the brand in their communities and on their travels,” the release added.

New Grassmoots Team members will be expected to fulfill a number of obligations in return for their membership. The ideal team member uses and has a good understanding of social media, rides in a variety of cycling disciplines and can provide useful content for the Moots Blog several times a season, Moots stated.

Interested riders can fill out an application here. The application period is open until June 15.

More information can be found on the Moots blog.


Massachusetts retailer hosts women’s mechanic clinic

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SHERBORN, Mass. (BRAIN) — Steve the Bike Guy Velo Studio hosted more than 15 women on Sunday, May 20, for the inaugural STBG Women Who Wrench Clinic at Unity Farm in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

Led by Andrea Smith, the only female mechanic on the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour, and Steve Brandt, owner of the Velo Studio and USA Cycling Certified Race Mechanic, the three-hour hands-on session covered basic bike mechanics including how to evaluate and care for a bike and make proper adjustments when it’s out of tune.

“Knowledge is power. One way to encourage more women to ride bikes is to help them understand how to take care of their equipment, and what do to in case of emergency," said Kristin Brandt, event organizer and Velo Studio marketing manager. "While we just scratched the surface during this clinic, we hope each attendee left feeling more informed, prepared and empowered to take on whatever comes their way."

Profits from the STBG Women Who Wrench Clinic will be donated to Unity Farm, a nonprofit providing rehabilitation and permanent housing for distressed farm animals, and to Little Bellas, which helps young women realize their potential through mountain biking.

The STBG Women Who Wrench Clinic was supported by Colavita Cares, Tetra Bike Care, Garneau, Park Tool, Yasso and Sundin Associates.

Women interested in attending future clinics can sign up for the Velo Studio newsletter here.

Wolf Tooth ReMote BellTower integrates Spurcycle bell into dropper lever

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MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Wolf Tooth Components has released the ReMote BellTower, which integrates Spurcycle’s high-end brass and stainless steel bell with the handlebar clamp of Wolf Tooth’s ReMote dropper seatpost lever.  

Wolf Tooth stated: “Here at Wolf Tooth Components we're huge fans of the trail bell to announce our approach in a friendly, non-confrontational way. While almost any bell will do the trick, with it's sweet, clear sound and handsome design Spurcycle's U.S.-made Bell stands out both on the trail and on the handlebar. They're what we ride, but getting the ringer close enough to the grip while clearing some brake lever clamps can be a little tricky. Which is why we built the ReMote BellTower.”
The BellTower is available now as a clamp upgrade kit ($19.95), built into a ReMote or ReMote Light Action lever ($69.95). or in limited quantities as a specially priced ReMote BellTower kit with a Spurcycle Bell in black diamond-like carbon (DLC) black ($119.95).

The ReMote BellTower is CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and has stainless steel hardware. It is designed and manufactured in Minneapolis.
For more information, visit the Wolf Tooth Components website.

Bosch launches advanced e-bike tech training with UBI, BBI

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Level 2 certification adds more hands-on training with e-bike components.

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Bosch eBike Systems has partnered with two leading professional bicycle mechanic training schools to offer a new advanced Level 2 eBike Technical Certification.

The eight-hour course — in collaboration with United Bicycle Institute (UBI) based in Portland, Oregon, and Barnett Bicycle Institute (BBI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado — will be more in-depth and provide a more intimate, hands-on experience for attendees.  Students will learn advanced diagnostics, troubleshooting system errors, inside service tips and other skills.

“Our new Level 2 training is a natural complement to our industry-leading e-bike technical certification course (Level 1),” said Claudia Wasko, general manager of Bosch eBike Systems Americas. “We’re sure this more hands-on approach will be very well received by all e-bike mechanics.”

Completion of Level 1 training is a prerequisite in order to take Level 2. Level 2 courses start in the 2018 summer season and will be led by Bosch-trained instructors.  

UBI scheduled courses for 2018 are as follows:

  • Ashland, Oregon: June 1, Oct. 8, Nov. 30
  • Portland, Oregon: July 9, Sept. 7

To sign up, contact UBI at 541-488-1121 or at www.bikeschool.com.

The BBI schedule for training dates will be announced soon. BBI can be reached at 719-632-5173 or at www.bbinstitute.com.

 

Wheeling and dealing (or not) in the Kansas City retail scene

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BRAIN) — In 25 BRAIN Dealer Tours, it's rare we've toured four such different stores on the same day with such diverse approaches and personalities as we did on Wednesday as we pedaled around the Overland Park and Lenexa area, south of Kansas City, Kansas.

We rode only 27 miles, mostly through middle-class neighborhoods in full early-summer bloom. The demographics and terrain didn't vary much on our loop, but the atmosphere and business approaches in the stores showed every color in the rainbow. 

We first visited a very modern, attractive and energetic new store run by industry veteran Marco DeAngelis (Velo+, in Lenexa). Next we stopped by a lovely former Schwinn dealership, where a focus on families, service and careful, conservative business practices has kept the lights on for nearly 60 years (Turner's Cycling & Fitness in Overland Park).

After a BBQ lunch we hit Bike America, a large, scrappy operation whose co-owner, Nick Alberts, lives to bargain, wheel and deal with customers and suppliers, but who also thrives on seeing customer excitement about a new bike. Finally we stopped by Elite Cycling in Leawood, Kansas, an upscale Trek dealer that serves triathletes, roadies and, increasingly, gravel racers and riders.

Thursday is the third and final day of our Kansas City Dealer Tour, and we'll ride a total of nearly 50 miles, some of it on gravel roads, as we visit Frontier Bikes, in Eudora, and Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, in Lawrence.

Watch for full reports in the June 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer. In the meantime, here are a few observations from our visits Wednesday.

Velo+

Velo+ was founded by Vincent Rodriguez almost five years ago, and started by offering locally roasted coffee along with bikes. Last year Rodriguez decided to focus on the coffee business (Maps Coffee Roasters) and sold the store to DeAngelis and two other partners. They moved the store to a new location and put the focus back on bikes.

Marco DeAngelis at Velo+

DeAngelis has worked at stores in the region for 20 years, but this is the first store he has owned, and he said his focus is on being welcoming, non-elitist and fun. The store motto is "Get lost on a bike."

Velo+ offers Kona, Salsa and Orbea and is one of the hubs of the very active gravel racing scene in the Kansas City area. Many of the store's customers will be racing in this year's Dirty Kanza 200 race, and the store will be out at the race supporting many of them.

DeAngelis is looking to round out the store's offerings, however, to build business in road and mountain bikes. The store offers a membership program to build community and loyalty. An $80 purchase of a store jersey includes a year's membership, which includes discounts, group rides and other fun. The store is building out a grassy backyard area as a customer hangout, offering tables, music, refreshments and more for pre- and post-ride relaxation.

Turner's Cycling & Fitness

Anyone who has been exposed to American bicycle retailing for more than a week could recognize Turner's Cycling & Fitness as a former Schwinn dealer from a block away. Inside, the store still includes some cabinets and other hints of the old Schwinn glory days, although it hasn't carried the brand since the mid-1990s.

Owner Charley Puhr said he regularly hears customers refer to his store as "the Schwinn place."

Puhr’s father started the business in 1960 in Mission, Kansas, and moved to Overland Park in 1974. Charley has worked at the store since 1970.

He said he began stocking Giant as soon as the brand hit the U.S. market, several years before Schwinn's bankruptcy. Now the store's inventory is about 90 percent from Giant.

"I carry as many kids bikes as I can, and I carry as many bikes in the $400-to-$700 range as I can," he said. "We'll stock up to the $3,000 bikes, but we focus on the fun stuff."

The Turner's crew, with owner Charley at left.

The store has several employees who've been there for decades, and Charley's son and daughter have each worked there, although he said he has encouraged them to get good educations (they each have master's degrees) and explore other career options.

Turner's is known for taking care of families, and offers free 30-day tuneups and free adjustments for two years on new bike sales. One thing Puhr won't do is bargain. He sets bike prices to hit the margin he needs, generally a bit above Giant's advertised prices, and won't dicker.

In the store's early days, customers would rarely ask for a discount, but he said it's now a regular occurrence and he rarely budges. If customers insist on the price on the Giant website, he tells them to order the bike from Giant and have it delivered to his store.

Bike America

Bike America has been around for 32 years and has two locations. The Overland Park store is giant — 27,000 square feet — with a full basement full of repair bikes and bargain used bikes and parts. Upstairs, the store stocks new bikes from Cannondale, Fuji, Haro, Niner and other brands, including TerraTrike recumbent tricycles.

Bike America's Nick Alberts

Bike America is not going to win any retail merchandising awards, and Nick Alberts, who owns the business 50/50 with his father, Jerome, cheerfully said his business approach has not been compatible with all the brands on the market. Bike America was a big Trek dealer for years, but parted ways with the Wisconsin brand several years ago.

"We do business differently, most people would say. I bend over backwards for my customers. And I also negotiate. I bargain. I do a lot of things that others don't do," he said.

That includes helping customers get the right bike that they can afford. It also means Bike America will work on any bike that comes in, including department store bikes.

"The important thing is to make the bike safe. Sometimes the repairs cost more than the bike did, and we make sure the customer knows that. But what are you going to do? We have to make sure they are riding a safe bike."

Alberts is still the store's lead salesman and he loves spending time on the sales floor. After 32 years, he doesn't expect to stop any time soon.

"I love it. I want to do my whole life here. I mean, you could be digging ditches. This is fun. You see the people coming in here — they are happy."

Unlike Charley Puhr, Albert loves to bargain, and seems disappointed when the customer doesn't ask for a discount. "You'd be surprised how people like to bargain. But sometimes they don't and I'll offer them something even if they don't ask. I'll throw in a free bottle and cage or an accessory discount. ... If I wasn't doing this, maybe I'd own a pawnshop," he said.

Elite Cycling

Elite Cycling's new manager, Scott Stevens, has been on the job for just a few months, after a career that has included management roles at Trek

Scott Stevens

stores and Scheels, the North Dakota-based sporting goods chain that is one of Trek's largest retailers. 

Elite is best known as a triathlon store, and still does about 40 percent of its business in that market. But increasingly the store serves the road and gravel market and as with many folks in the Kansas City cycling community, the Dirty Kanza is rarely far from Steven's thoughts these days.

The store holds clinics on the race for newbies and is supporting many customers who are headed out to the race on the first weekend in June. Stevens said many triathletes are giving gravel racing a try for variety and because they feel safer training and racing away from auto traffic. And although the DK is on everyone's lips this week, Stevens said there are now gravel races in the region almost every weekend during the season.

 

VeloSwap announces November date in Denver

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BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — VeloSwap, the consumer bicycle swap and expo, expects to see over 5,000 cyclists browsing more than 300 vendor booths on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the National Western Complex in Denver.

Tickets, booths and sponsorships for VeloSwap are now on sale. Available sponsorship opportunities include title sponsorship, automotive, apparel, beer, e-bike, helmet, lounge and presenting sponsorships for special activities to be held throughout VeloSwap.

For sponsorship proposals and booth sales, contact account manager Alex Cernichiari at acernichiari@pocketoutdoormedia.com or at 303-245-2180.

Interbike podcast looks at changing bike media landscape

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The newest episode of Interbike the Podcast takes a look at how industry media is evolving in the digital age, how brands are choosing to spend their marketing dollars, and the rise of outside public relations firms — rather than the brands themselves — interacting with print and online outlets covering products and the industry.

A recent column by Road Bike Action editor in chief Zapata Espinoza jumpstarted the conversation, and Zap joins podcast host Fred Fishkin, BRAIN editor Lynette Carpiet, Echos Communications senior partner Billy Sinkford and SRAM marketing VP David Zimberoff in a discussion about the changing media landscape, including print magazines’ struggles to capture ad dollars, the increasing prominence of social influencers and event activation in marketing efforts, and what all of this means for traditional media going forward.

So go hit your local Dunkin’ Donuts, take a coffee break and download the podcast from SoundCloud, iTunes or Interbike’s website.

QBP now distributing Science in Sport nutrition products

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SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Science in Sport is now distributing its nutrition products through Quality Bicycle Products. “Through this distribution channel, endurance athletes and sports enthusiasts alike will be able to readily access Science in Sport nutrition across the United States,” the company stated.

The full range of Science in Sport nutritional products including SiS GO — comprising energy powders, isotonic energy gels, energy bars and hydration tablets — and REGO recovery drink mixes are available to QBP dealers immediately.

“We are excited to work with QBP as our first distribution partner in the United States,” said Naomi Mills, Science in Sport’s country manager for North America. “Through this partnership we look forward to reaching more U.S. consumers and providing them with our full range of nutritional products.”

 


Fox Racing hires new sales agency for Northern California and Nevada

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IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Fox Racing has named NorthernMark Agency, based in Pleasanton, California, as sales agency for the company’s newly restructured Northern California / Northern Nevada region.

“Northern California is a very important region for Fox Racing and it was crucial for us to create a structure that unified our presence in this hotbed of the mountain bike business,” said Daran Godfrey, Fox’s director of bike category sales for North America. “We have decided to consolidate from a dual–territory/dual–agency NorCal structure into a single region managed by a single agency to create the best brand presence, dealer experience and execute unilaterally on our brand initiatives.

“We are extremely happy to link up with NorthernMark as they are an agency that is centered around top-echelon brands. With over 50 years of combined retail, wholesale independent and factory rep experience in the Bike and Outdoor business they have the horsepower and understanding of what it takes to grow retail partnerships,” Godfrey added.

Jeff Hopkins, NorthernMark principal, will lead efforts for Fox alongside Nick Moreda and Barrett Young. The group currently represents industry brands Santa Cruz Bicycles, Thule, GoPro and CamelBak.

“When I received the initial call from Daran, I was beyond stoked to explore the opportunity. Fox Racing fits perfectly into what we have going on and truly rounds out our strong and focused portfolio of excellent brands. They are a leader in the MTB apparel, hardgoods and accessories space, and we really look forward to a great future with the brand,” Hopkins said.

Enve SES Aero Road Stem has adjustable angle and reach

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OGDEN, Utah (BRAIN) — Enve Composites’ new SES Aero Road Stem is designed to enable riders to achieve their optimum position and reduce drag through aero shaping while still preserving handlebar options.

The stem was developed with input from Team Dimension Data, including sprinter Mark Cavendish and lead-out man Mark Renshaw. It features a low-profile clamp and is adjustable via two steerer clamp shims to tune the stem angle and, hence, bar height. Stem length can also be adjusted plus or minus 2.5 millimeters. An integrated computer mount was designed in collaboration with K-Edge.

The aerodynamic design was carried out in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by Smart Aero Technology and then honed at the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 wind tunnel in Brackley, England. Wind tunnel testing of the stem revealed a small but valuable 0.6W average gain through a full sweep of wind angles at 40 kph compared with the classic Road Stem, Enve stated, and the SES Aero Road Handlebar saves an additional 5W.

“SES component development is built on the concept of ‘Fit is Fast’, meaning a rider is only as fast as their body position on the bike allows them to be,” said Jake Pantone, Enve’s VP of product and consumer experience. “While each SES product is aerodynamic by design, it is what the product, in this case the stem, allows the rider to do with their position that ultimately helps the rider go faster.”

The SES Aero Road Stem is available in lengths from 100 to 140 millimeters, at $300 MSRP.

 

Parvilla Cycles holds grand opening in new, larger location

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Move allows retailer to purchase its own building and expand fit studio.

EDGEWATER, Md. (BRAIN) — Parvilla Cycles held a grand opening celebration on Saturday, May 19, following the retailer’s move to a larger location it purchased in Edgewater, Maryland. The 7-year-old store moved only a short distance but was able to double its space and expand its fitting studio.

Parvilla Cycles opened in 2011 by Stu Waring and Iain Banks, and that partnership remains today. “Moving to a larger location enabled us to purchase our own building, build out the store in a customer-friendly layout and ultimately be part of a greater community in the South River Colony Main Street,” owner and store manager Sarah Banks said.

Waring, who is also the retailer’s head bike fitter, oversaw the build-out. With fitting and custom bikes a mainstay of the store, a dedicated space for bike fit was needed.  “With the building only being 13 years old, it was primarily an interior build-out. But having an architectural background, I knew how we wanted to design the space to incorporate our dedicated fitting studio as well as the retail area,” Waring said.

The shop's grand opening included group rides with demos of Specialized bikes, CycleOps demos, a grand-opening sale, touch-a-truck with the local VFD, and raffles.

The new location is about a half mile from the shop’s former building in Edgewater, just south of Annapolis. Parvilla Cycles carries Specialized, Felt, Parlee, Alchemy and Mosaic.

PFB, industry leaders visit Capitol Hill to support Recreation Not Red Tape Act

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WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — PeopleForBikes led a group of 12 industry leaders to Capitol Hill this week in support of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act. which aims to improve and break down the barriers to recreational riding opportunities on public lands.

“Communities across the nation rely on our public lands and the bike industry to create jobs, grow local economies, and improve quality of life,” said Jenn Dice, PeopleForBikes’ vice president of business network. “The Recreation Not Red Tape Act is a crucial piece of legislation to increase access on public lands for people who bike.”

The act would create a system of National Recreation Areas to identify and protect landscapes for outdoor recreation, including cycling. It also simplifies the permitting processes for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to create standard forms, deadlines, and informational materials for people who bike and bicycle tour guides, and it establishes a pilot program for interagency trail management for trails that cross agency jurisdictional boundaries to ensure trails are maintained according to the same standards, PeopleForBikes stated.

“It was great to join PeopleForBikes and industry leaders in talking with congressional offices about the benefits of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act. Local economies across the country will benefit from people enjoying expanded recreation,” said Ellen Johnson, director of product development at Advanced Sports International.

Other attendees included Mike Delano of Giant Bicycle, Bernie Doering of Stages Cycling, Fred Ferguson of Vista Outdoor, Dustin Green of Trek, Stephen Keller of Shimano, Saul Leiken of Specialized, Eric Lynn of Blackriver, Bob Margevicius of Specialized, Ryan Miller of Shimano, Mike Olson of Trek Superstore and Gary Sjoquist of Quality Bicycle Products.

In addition to meetings on Capitol Hill, PeopleForBikes also held its annual Congressional Bike Fest in the Rayburn Building of the U.S. House of Representatives. Fifteen brands showcased their latest products. Roughly 400 Capitol Hill staffers attended the event, which featured items from Trek, Shimano, ASI, QBP, Saris, Specialized, Capital Bike Share, Blackriver, Giant, Pure Cycles, Shinola, REI, CSG, Bell, Giro, CamelBak and Feedback Sports.

Race Across America launching consumer festival at event start

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OCEANSIDE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Race Across America (RAAM) will hold its first consumer festival at the start of the team race at Oceanside Pier in San Diego County on Saturday, June 16.

Companies will be able to show, demo and sell products to the thousands of spectators who turn out for the race start, as well as to racers and crew members as the race from California to Maryland kicks off.

“There are so many bike and outdoor enthusiasts at the start of the race in Oceanside that we decided to let great companies showcase their products to our targeted, quality fans,” RAAM president Fred Boethling said. 

"Of the 1,200-plus racers and support staff at the event, about 50 percent are from Europe and other countries, and they are looking for the latest and greatest cycling gear — and uniquely American products that they can take home as souvenirs.”

Exhibitors will receive a prime location at the start line and athlete check-in for the race, a video interview about the brand and its products or services to use on social media, and the opportunity to pre-purchase space at RAAM Fest 2019 at 2018 pricing.

For more information, contact Steve Boehmke at 714-394-5461.

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