WESTPORT, CT (BRAIN) — The owners of the Fox suspension brand are laying the groundwork for taking the company public.

Compass Diversified Holdings, which also owns CamelBak, on Monday filed an S-1 registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of Fox's common stock.

The preliminary prospectus is not available yet, nor has the number of shares or their price range been determined. A prospectus, when released, would reveal Compass's plans for the brand and outline its potential growth areas and liabilities.

Fox designs, makes and markets suspension products for mountain bikes, side-by-side vehicles, off-road vehicles and trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles.

According to the most recent quarterly report from Compass, Fox saw revenue rise 20 percent to $55 million and EBITDA leap 38 percent in the first quarter. The Fox division is the largest of Compass' eight business segments (CamelBak is the second largest, with sales of $43 million in the first quarter; Compass sales in the quarter totaled $240 million).

In a conference call with investors last month, company officials noted that Fox had successfully established a bicycle suspension manufacturing facility in Taiwan in the last year. They said the Taiwan facility offered labor cost savings but, more importantly, was closer to Taiwan's bike manufacturers. About 80 percent of Fox' sales are to OEM bike manufacturers.

The Fox brand dates to 1974 when it was founded by brothers Bob and Geoff Fox in Watsonville, California. In the late 1970s, the brand was split into two independent companies, with Bob Fox leading the Fox suspension company, Fox Racing Shox (whose logo features a fox tail), and Geoff Fox leading the action sports clothing company, Fox Head (with a fox head logo).

Compass acquired the suspension brand in 2008. Fox Head remains an independent, family-owned business based in Irvine, California.

PORTLAND, OR (BRAIN) — Portland distributor Cyclone Bicycle Supply has updated its business-to-business website, www.cyclonebicycle.com. 

Among the new features is a “Notify Me” link that will allow dealers to request an email notification when an out-of-stock product becomes available again.

Other new features include a “Hide Prices” toggle switch so that a consumer may view the site in the dealer's store, new sorting and filter features, and color-coded highlights to help quickly identify new, sale, and closeout items. 

“We are very pleased with the updated site and it reflects a great deal of the input we received from our dealers since the initial launch. We really tried to listen to our users and are grateful for all the suggestions they made on how to improve their experience on our site,” said John Byfield, Cyclone's director of sales.

OXNARD, CA (BRAIN) — Albabici, a distributor of Italian bike brands, has moved just across the street to a new, larger and nicer warehouse and office space.

Company officials said the move was a direct a direct result of growing sales.

The 6,500 square foot facility is nearly twice the size of the old location and boasts a much larger warehouse, more luxurious office accommodations, and space for a product showroom.

Albabici's brands include Nalini and Bianchi Milano apparel, Fondriest frames and bikes, Selle SMP saddles, Limar helmets, Sci'Con bags and travel cases, Ursus road wheels, Forza components,Tiso components, Hibros skin care products, and BiciSupport tools and shop equipment.

The new address is:

1501 Mariner Drive
Oxnard, CA 93033

telephone: 805-385-3179
fax: 805-385-3189
info@albabici.com

HAVERHILL, MA (BRAIN) — Mavic Inc. on Thursday announced several staffing changes aimed at improving customer service and sales performance at its U.S. division.

Larry Burke this month moves from his position as aftermarket national sales manager to lead Mavic’s OEM business and national accounts. Meanwhile, David O’Connell has been promoted to the newly created position of retail excellence manager. That role incorporates duties formerly assumed by regional sales promoters, who are now called “retail excellence specialists.”

Chris Karnisky has been named West Coast retail excellence specialist, taking over for Eric Zimmer, who has been promoted to Northern California sales rep. In Southern California, longtime rep Chris Schafer has retired and Dean Cirone has taken over the territory.

Other recent personnel changes at Mavic include:

• Rob Wolske joined the company as director finance and operations in late April.
• Kyle Ferdyn has been promoted to customer service supervisor. The position was held most recently by Skip Worth, who plans to retire soon.
• Nicole Chretien joined the company as inside customer service representative.
• Toby Ferdyn was named small parts and logistics specialist.

“Our collective goal is to align, enhance, and focus all our resources to significantly grow our business,” said Phillip Sporidis, managing director of Mavic Inc. “We’ve had a lot of changes, but it’s all with an effort to improve our responsiveness and deliver improved and fully engaged service to our retail partners.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN) — Interbike will have a b-b-b-bad case of the blues this year as George Thorogood & the Destroyers headline the trade show’s industry party on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the House of Blues inside new show venue Mandalay Bay.

This year’s industry party kicks off at 8 p.m. and will hearken back to the days when Interbike organizers would bring in bands such as The Brian Setzer Orchestra and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

“There’s a ton of new and exciting things happening at Interbike this year, but we couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than with a great concert for our attendees by one of the baddest rock acts of all time,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike.

Opening for Thorogood will be CroMoly, led by the Defeet’s Shane Cooper. CroMoly is made up of cyclist musicians from renowned bands, including Michael Dimkich of The Cult and Bad Religion and Dave Lee, formerly of The Legendary Shack Shakers.

Tickets will be available in mid-July via the Interbike registration website. Ticket are $30 each and will include two free drinks at the venue. Those already registered for Interbike will be sent a link to purchase tickets, and new registrants will be prompted within the registration process to purchase if desired.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Andria Klinger at andria.klinger@nielsen.com or (949) 226-5745.

IRVINE, CA (BRAIN) — Shimano American, in a major shake-up of its U.S. distribution network, will cut the number of distributors selling Shimano components from 18 to six effective Jan. 1, 2014.

The decision to streamline its distribution network, said Yutaka Taniyama, vice president of Shimano American’s bicycle division, will ultimately benefit its retail customers.

“Independent bicycle dealers have been and will continue to be our key customer base. By having a direct business relationship with them, we will be more aligned with their businesses, have closer relationships with cyclists, and offer more support and effective solutions to dealers’ challenges in the market,” he said.

Next year retailers must either buy their components directly from Shimano American or from six authorized distributors—Giant USA, Trek Bicycle, Quality Bicycle Products, KHS Inc., Seattle Bike Supply or Raleigh America.

Canadian retailers can purchase Shimano parts through Cycles Lambert in Levis, Quebec, or through Shimano Canada. Cycles Lambert will be Shimano’s only authorized distributor in Canada.

In addition, effective Jan. 1, Shimano pedals will be sold dealer direct. Shimano American and Shimano Canada will be North America’s sole distributors for pedals, wheelsets, shoes, eyewear, apparel, bags and Shimano’s PRO line of parts.

“We believe that this change is required by the rapidly changing market,” said Taniyama. “Our U.S. and Canadian IBDs are very important customers. We see them struggling, and competition is becoming harder and harder.”

Shimano has invested heavily in IBD support programs including on-the-road tech reps who meet with retail shop staff, marketing and business solutions, and online training programs, he noted.

“While we are ending our business relationship with many of our great distributors, we greatly appreciate all of the support they have provided to Shimano and to dealers,” Taniyama said.

“The conversations have been very difficult, but distributors understand our direction and our thinking behind that decision, and I realize that they are not happy about the impact on their business,” he acknowledged.

Taniyama is right about that. The more than half-dozen distributors BRAIN talked with and who face a Jan. 1 cutoff from Shimano were either angry, resigned or a bit of both.

J&B Importers’ Ben Joannou Jr. said his father was among the first Americans to order Shimano components directly from Japan—a relationship that’s more than 40 years old.

With 11 warehouses scattered around the U.S., J&B’s impending loss of business will hurt. “I’m not happy about it,” he said Thursday night from his Miami, Florida, office.

Steve Matill, director of bicycle sales at Hans Johnsen in Dallas, Texas, said losing Shimano’s business would have an impact on his company’s operations. “It was a good part of our business and a major component line that we offered our dealers. But we’ll figure out what to do; we’ve lost bigger accounts,” he said.

The Dallas company services scores of dealers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana. “Shimano’s decision will ultimately have an impact on the level of service dealers receive,” he said.

Steve Hawley, president of the Hawley Co., offered a pragmatic view of Shimano’s sweeping changes. “Here’s the bottom line: They started years ago selling dealer direct. In fact, they’ve had a dual distribution policy for some time. Shoes are direct only, along with some other products. In the back of my mind, I’ve always thought at some point they would go entirely dealer direct,” he said.

Shimano’s Taniyama, however, said the company needs the support of select distributors to help manage thousands of IBD orders. “The reason is we want to make sure that every IBD would have access to Shimano components,” he said.

Distributors say that lurking in the background of Shimano’s decision are dealers’ and distributors’ complaints about Internet sales from Europe—primarily by Wiggle and Chain Reaction. Taniyama declined to discuss Shimano’s pricing policies or its relationship with overseas online sellers.

But several distributors said that by cutting its distribution network in North America and subsequently tightening margins on its remaining distributors, the effect could lead to a more level playing field in terms of component pricing for IBDs.

Many retailers and some distributors have complained bitterly over the past few years that online prices make them look like they are gouging customers when they check prices online.

One distributor said he has no problem with prices on U.S. websites like Colorado Cyclist or Jenson USA. “It’s Wiggle and Chain Reaction that’s the problem,” he said.

Steve Flagg, president of QBP and one of six distributors to continue distributing Shimano components next year, was reluctant to discuss issues surrounding margins and pricing. “There are legal issues and some sensitivity that makes this really difficult to talk about,” said Flagg, who has a reputation for candor when discussing industry issues.

What are the legal issues?

“Antitrust, collusion, pricing — those are the issues that make this a difficult thing to discuss,” Flagg said.

Read the Aug. 1 edition of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News for an in-depth report on Shimano’s upcoming distribution plan for North America. Read Shimano's press release.

WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN) — The League of American Bicyclists has launched a new website that includes interactive features to help cyclists connect with local riding clubs, bicycle-friendly businesses, bike educators and other resources in their area. In addition, the League recently released a series of 19 educational videos that are free for public use.

“The videos are modern and professionally filmed that anyone can watch for free,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, director of communications for Women Bike, a program of LAB. “They are especially a great resource for bike shops that want to give customers an easy way to glean tips and skills to get them rolling.” 

The videos are available on LAB’s website at www.bikeleague.org/content/watch-video, and cover topics like bikes and gear, bike safety and other riding tips. Sponsorship from Gail Copus Spann, chairwoman of the League’s Board of Directors and a League Certified Instructor, and her husband Jim Spann made the project possible. “It’s probably the most important part of my involvement with the League,” Copus Spann told the League. “Jim and I feel very strongly about education on sharing the road for bicyclists and motorists.” 

The League’s new website features a clean, easy-to-navigate design. A searchable database allows cyclists to easily locate clubs, bike shops and other resources relative to their zip code. 

“With pictures in the headers and slideshows on many pages, we're able to display and celebrate the sheer joy and energy of riding a bike — and the impact our programs have in making biking better,” said Szczepanski.

LAFAYETTE, CO (BRAIN) — Howie Cohen, a hugely influential figure in developing the U.S. BMX market and arguably the first person to bring high-quality Asian-made bikes to America, died in the early morning hours Thursday surrounded by family in his hometown of Lafayette, Colorado. He was 74.

Cohen was treated for lymphoma eight years ago and had been in remission up until last month, said retired Kool Stop president Gene Smith, Cohen’s friend of 50 years who was in Lafayette with Cohen at the time of his passing. The cancer had spread to Cohen’s liver, and he spent the past few weeks in and out of the hospital, Smith added.

Although Cohen retired in 1989, he continued to do occasional consulting work in the industry as well as maintain his passion project, an online cycling memorabilia and bike collection at www.howiebikeman.com, until shortly before his death.

“I think he will be remembered as an innovator, bringing the first quality Japanese bikes to the United States, and as one of the first people to go to Japan and Taiwan for bicycles,” his wife, Kay Cohen, said Friday. “He was a forerunner in most of the things he did in the bicycle industry.”

“One thing that everyone in the industry knows about Howie is that he was never without smile,” said Jay Townley, industry consultant and former Schwinn executive.

The well-traveled Cohen had friends throughout the global industry, all of whom he was happy to help at a moment’s notice, added Townley, who sought Cohen’s counsel when Schwinn’s interest in the BMX market heightened during the 1970s.

Cohen came up in the bike business through his parents’ shops, first in Minneapolis and later in Los Angeles. After growing to three Southern California locations, the Cohen family sold the retail business and launched distributor West Coast Cycle.

During the early 1960s, when West Coast Cycle—and its retailers—grew dissatisfied with the quality of the higher-end bikes it was bringing over from Europe, Cohen’s mother, RosaBelle, twice sent him to Japan to investigate new manufacturers. He visited dozens of factories before zeroing in on Kawamura Sangyo, which in 1964 produced the first run of West Coast Cycle’s American Eagle bikes, later rebranded as Nishiki. Priced at more than twice the cost of other three-speeds coming out of Japan, Cohen’s bikes were outfitted with high-quality parts he persuaded suppliers like Shimano, Sugino, Asahi and Dia-Compe to start making.

“The bikes were a big hit with our dealers and we sold out in a few months. At $49.95 they were quite a bit more than the Japanese bikes the discounters sold,” Cohen told BRAIN in a 2010 interview.

West Coast’s next brand, Azuki, was also successful, and in 1976 Cohen retired at age 37.

But he soon returned to the industry and launched BMX wholesaler Everything Bicycles in 1978, distributing brands including Powerlite and Torker. He also mined an existing relationship with manufacturer Kuwahara in Osaka to bring the Japanese brand to the U.S. BMX market.

Kuwaharas would famously take flight in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and Cohen scored a marketing coup in obtaining the worldwide rights to sell bikes with the E.T. name, which were a smash hit. He was also the first to bring anodized chainwheels, brake levers and other components to the BMX market, Kay Cohen noted.

“He loved the bike industry. He was in it since he was 7 years old,” she said. “He just loves bicycles. It wasn’t a question of the business or the monetary rewards, even though that came. He just loves the industry and the people, and the challenge of seeing the progress and the innovation.”

There will be no services for Cohen, but a memorial will be announced at a later date, Kay said.

In addition to his wife of 31 years, Cohen is survived by three children from a previous marriage and one grandchild. 

Organizers expect about 140 brands to participate in the demo. The demo typically includes a few bike exhibitors, along with apparel, camping, fly fishing, GPS/geocaching, hiking, hydration, paddlesports, SUP, travel, and trail running equipment demonstrations.

More information: www.outdoorretailer.com.

BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — The Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC) is seeking nominations for its Pioneering Women Award and First Ascent Award in the Bike Industry.

The two honors were established by OIWC in 2006 to recognize a “maven of mentoring” who has paved the way for other women in the outdoor industry and, in the case of the First Ascent Award, an up-and-coming leader with the potential to become an industry influencer. Previous winners include Sally McCoy, CEO and president of CamelBak; Georgena Terry, founder of Terry Precision Cycling; and Penina Bush, senior manager, Shimano American Corp.

Nominations must be completed and submitted to the OIWC website by Aug. 5.

LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN) — Currie Technologies has hired Marty Schlesinger as Southwest territory manager for its IZIP Road Show. Currie now has five territory managers throughout the country with a fully wrapped Nissan NV high top van, equipped with test ride bikes, flags and a tent.

“Our IZIP Road Show program is designed to assist dealers in successfully entering the exciting e-bike market, and help to capitalize on this rapidly emerging category,” said Rob Kaplan, Currie’s vice president of sales. “The ability of territory managers to explain and demystify the e-bike category, and show them how to sell e-bikes to these new consumers, positions them as value-added partners who positively impact our dealers success.

Schlesinger’s industry experience spans over 20 years, having rode professionally for the Mongoose BMX team in the 1980s, managing bicycle retail stores, and founding Voltage Electric Bicycles.

For more information on The IZIP Road Show, or to inquire on how to contact the territory manager or sales rep covering a dealer’s area, contact Shannon Guerrero, at sguerrero@currietech.com or (888) 377-7115.

PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia (BRAIN) — Axiom’s Modular GrandTour panniers transform from “everyday” to “expedition” in seconds. The 30-, 45- and 60-litre ultrasonically welded bags have exterior waterproof pockets and compression straps. Expand capacity with a clip-on pocket (included) and expand some more with a clip-on hip pack, toiletry kit and tent sleeve (available separately). Comes with a lifetime warranty. 

Suggested retail: $230 per pair.

More information: AXIOMGEAR.COM

Editor's note: This blog post was written by Fred Clements, Executive Director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Clements' previous blogs can be read on bikedealerblog.wordpress.com.  

Are non-white people uncomfortable in many U.S. bicycle shops? If so, does reaching out and welcoming them represent a huge opportunity for the future of brick-and-mortar bike stores?

A number of NBDA e-forum dealers think so. Sensing a business opportunity and new potential market, they have decided to focus on serving under-represented people and it’s working for them. There are a whole lot of people out there, it seems, who don’t visit bike shops but love bikes, ride them, and perhaps most critically for a brick-and-mortar store, are local.

The conversation started: “This has become a touchy topic for us here in South Texasas the “normal” cyclist (white males) seems to be the only group that the bike industry tends to market to. They give women some lip service but I cannot find any form of marketing to Latin/Mexican, blacks or any other groups of people. With the white male going extinct inSouth Texas this is a deep concern for me.”

Continuing: “Do you think any of the bike companies are aware of this and are doing anything about it. I guess my frustration is that we as an industry are so focused on what is fast becoming the minority and should we/IBD expect change?”

The responses rolled in: “Where you have lunch or dinner in a room with maybe 500 bike folk, and just try, very hard, to find anyone in that room who isn’t white. Oh, wait, yes you can! Those serving you. Your point is valid and real. Cycling at the moderate-to-high-end caters almost exclusively to a non-pigmented crowd. Look at your point of sale material.”

More: “Our cycling industry tends to play it safe and pitches their goods to their known customers. Upwardly mobile and successful people of all cultural backgrounds have found their way into cycling, while the blue collar segment, again of all cultural backgrounds, has not traditionally been our customers.

“I will say that women have been successfully embraced by many bike industry companies. We here in this shop certainly have focused on women’s products; we have a large women’s section set aside in the store and always have women as staffers. Women as customers are a great fit for bike shops, as I think most women value our services more than many men.

“As for the other valued but infrequently seen minorities, I see a slow but distinct evolution as they become more successful, have more discretionary funds available for such recreational diversions as cycling, and then they come to our shops with their business. So, the big question is, will lots of advertising and promo accelerate that change? I am not convinced. But it would be nice!”

A store owner in the East commented: “I’m not one of the people to advocate ‘on purpose’ pushing towards a direction. This will have to evolve. My advice is to widen your clientele and your product mix- one should go hand in hand with the other. You’ll have a more interesting life, too. This, imo, is an act locally thing.”

Another Texas dealer wrote: “When we opened our East End store, which is in an almost entirely Hispanic neighborhood, the locals came out of the woodwork to support us and express their gratitude for believing in them. It was the same way when we opened another store back before gentrification stormed through there. Believe it or not, minorities DO ride bikes. Unfortunately, most of them are buying their bikes in big box stores, multi-sport stores (like Sun and Ski), and online simply because they have no easy access to real bike shops or because they feel out of place and unwelcome in most local stores.

“This thread is actually pretty funny to me since I was just marveling at how ethnically diverse our Wednesday Night Ride has become. In our fast pack last week our group was being lead by two very dark African-Americans, a Mexican, and a Puerto Rican. The rest of the group was more than 50% Hispanic, with a Vietnamese and two Chinese men, a Korean female, another Caucasian girl, and a heavily tattooed white guy (me) rounding out the mix. When our group cruises through the Near North side it’s fully awesome to watch the looks on the locals’ faces as they realize that folks that look just like them just blasted past on road bikes chattering away in several different languages and that they could be having fun too. Also, you might want take a trip out to the start of the next Critical Mass before you bemoan the plight of our Caucasian ridership slipping away with nobody to replace them. There were almost 2,000 riders out there in June, and I guarantee that at least half of them were Hispanic and every other ethnic group under the sun was well represented.”

While many individual retailers are reaching out, is there a role for the supplier side?

“If mainstream America isn’t interested in cycling, do we really expect our manufacturers and vendors to promote cycling to a wider, more diverse audience? Would they see a return on their investment? Would we?”

From Minnesota: “I think the industry itself has completely missed the greatest potential growth of cycling by focusing on the wealthier markets and ignoring what I call ‘underserved’ markets, both urban and rural. In urban areas they concentrate on larger shops in white dominated areas making it difficult to establish any base in minority ethnic communities.

“The demand for community-based retailing is also likely to grow dramatically as the Millennials come of age, not only is this the largest generation in our history but they are taking a different view lifestyle wise. Traditional retail is missing the key ingredients to attract them.

“In rural areas, which have reversed a hundred year trend of emigration and showing resurgent growth, building a retail presence gets no help from the industry. Instead, our industry resists this trend and continues to try to move upscale within the existing base. There might be more dollars there, but not more cycling participants. As to what the industry can do, I don’t think we can move the supply side very much, but on the retail side we need to get more involvement from the network of existing community service/non profit shops, we should actively seek their membership in the NBDA, and their input on the issues. If we can find out what will motivate these potential customers we can take broad steps to drive these new markets and establish neighborhood cycling centers.”

Are there specific steps the industry can take to broaden its appeal? Some ideas from the forum partipants:

• Locate stores in communities with minority residents.
• Have a diverse staff in gender, ethnicity and language.
• Represent all races in promotional materials.
• Advertise in multiple languages. “Something as simple as Spanish ads in Spanish magazines is a good start, magazines that are similar to women’s magazines that we now see companies like Electra and others go after so heavily. Why don’t these companies go after the minority dollar just as much if not more?”
• “Wouldn’t it be great if SmartEtailing made a Spanish language version of their web database?”

“There ARE shops that get it and do it right, but the industry as a whole is doing nothing to support that effort. The NBDA should get behind the innovators and progressive shops and learn from their experiences, then share that back to our membership. There is far greater growth in smaller sub-markets than all of the big markets put together.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA (BRAIN) — Advanced Sports International has opened a 5,000-square-foot pop-up showroom to display 2014 lines for its family of brands, which include Fuji, SE, Breezer, Kestrel and Oval Concepts. The company said dealers will be able to see 2014 bikes and components there before they are launched publicly later this summer and before placing their pre-season orders.

Media will also have access to the showroom, which will be open until Aug. 5.

The showroom is located in the former Wilbur Chocolate factory under Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Bridge. It houses more than 110 Fuji, 40 SE, 30 Breezer and 15 Kestrel 2014 models.

Dealers or media can schedule a visit by contacting Charlotte Flynn at cflynn@advancedsports.com. ASI is offering a discounted rate at the nearby Hotel Monaco for out-of-town visitors.

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA (BRAIN) — PressCamp, the annual summertime meet-up in Utah bringing together bike brands and members of the cycling media to preview new product, will add a smaller-scale winter edition in 2014 held at an oceanfront resort in Southern California, presenter Lifeboat Events announced Tuesday.

“Many of our customers have expressed interest in having us hold a winter product launch platform for key members of the media. We now have the ability to offer two opportunities in a given year to roll out new products to attending media. This should enable more segments to consider PressCamp to meet their product launch needs,” said Lifeboat president Lance Camisasca.

PressCamp Winter 2014 is scheduled for Jan. 28-31 at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, which also hosted Interbike’s Electric Bike Media Event in February. Set on a cliffside with views of Catalina Island, Terranea offers opportunities for testing road, urban and cross-country bikes and products, Lifeboat said in a release.

The event’s inaugural edition is targeting 15 companies for participation, though each of those companies may represent multiple brands. That compares with the 26 companies representing 31 brands that attended the fifth edition of the summertime PressCamp at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort last month.

On the media side, Lifeboat is targeting 15 key editors, compared with the 30 who attended this summer’s event. 

Pricing and participation details for PressCamp Winter 2014 will be available at bikepresscamp.com in early August.

GIG HARBOR, WA (BRAIN) — Interbike co-founder Steve Ready died Tuesday at the age of 66. He had been battling brain and lung cancer.

Ready spent most of his working years, from 1974 to 1997, in the bicycle industry—first in the publishing field then launching the trade show that would eventually become the largest in North America.

Ready got his start in the industry in 1974 as editor and publisher of Bicycle Dealer Showcase, one of several industry trade magazines at the time. He also wrote for Motorcycle Dealer News and Cyclist Magazine. Ready called the job at Bicycle Dealer Showcase“boot camp,” but it led to his fascination with cycling.

He later launched the Interbike trade show with co-founder and friend Herb Wettenkamp in September 1982. The idea to launch Interbike was sparked from a call with Jim Blackburn in early 1981. At the time, there were several industry trade shows, but they were all in the January through March time frame. And the industry needed a show in the fall, in the preseason.

The show drew some 150 exhibitors in its first year in Las Vegas. While it struggled in its early years, Interbike enjoyed good dealer turnout and through the years moved to Reno, Anaheim and back to Las Vegas. It also expanded to the East Coast with shows in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Ready pegged much of the show’s success to the burgeoning mountain bike market in the 1980s.

But Ready was also credited with bringing big musical acts and hosting industry parties at the trade show. Among those who entertained the crowds were Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, David Lindley and Los Lobos.

“We wanted to have those special evenings where the dealers and everybody at Interbike was welcome for free and got to sit up close and see these wonderful entertainers,” Ready said in an interview last fall. “It left a lasting impression.”

Aside from launching the U.S. trade show, Ready also served as executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association.

Fred Clements, the NBDA’s executive director, credits Ready with helping keep the retailer group afloat during a period of financial turmoil. Ready would donate the fees for onsite dealer registration at the Interbike show to the retailer group, Clements said. He eventually hired Clements to take over the NBDA.

“He has a warm spot in his heart for the bicycle dealer,” Clements said. “He would attend board meetings and hung out with bike dealers.”

Clements also remembered how Ready would sweat the details of the show.

“He really put his heart and soul into it,” Clements said about Interbike. “He would often, when the NBDA offices were in the same building, come visit. He called it the pacing lane. We had a long hall and he would pace back and forth to walk off nervous energy. He really did take it all very personally and planned every detail—he fretted the details. ”

Ready sold the Interbike show in the mid 1990s and retired, but found it hard to stay on the sidelines.  

“I never stopped missing the industry,” he said at the Interbike trade show last September, where he was presented with a BRAINy award for his service to the industry. “An industry is nothing more than the people who work in it and there’s no group of people more independent, more friendly, more creative and more persistent than bicycle dealers.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Ready collected and restored vintage motorcycles. He also piloted planes and enjoyed going on tandem bike tours with his wife.

He is survived by his wife, Maryann, his mother and sister, two stepchildren and two grandchildren.

His family is planning a service, but details were not available.

LAGUNA HILLS, CA (BRAIN) — Bicycle Retailer and Industry News is looking for retailers to participate in the magazine’s State of Retail panel.

These retailers are asked to weigh in on a business-related topic affecting the industry. Responses are printed in each edition of the magazine.

The panel is made up of 10 retailers in the U.S. and is set up to represent the different regions and diverse customer bases. It’s a one-year commitment and requires retailers to provide prompt answers for 18 issues. 

Interested retailers should contact staff writer Val Vanderpool at vvanderpool@bicycleretailer.com.

FORT COLLINS, CO (BRAIN) — The new Trelock LS950 headlamp is designed for off-road night riding. Cantitoe Road claims it runs at full brightness for more than six hours.

The light offers five power levels, from 10 to 70 lux. It has an integrated display that shows light level, remaining battery life and remaining time in hours and minutes.

It comes with a USB charging cord and tool-free, single-snap handlebar mount.

Suggested retail: $199.95. Available from Cantitoe Road, www.cantitoeroad.com.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (BRAIN) — For a second consecutive year, Advanced Sports International is offering its dealers a tiered-down “off-season MAP” program on most current-model-year bikes in its Fuji and Kestrel lines, as well as select Breezer models. The first price reduction went into effect Monday, July 15, with a second reduction set for Oct. 15.

Frank Zimmer, director of U.S. sales for ASI, emphasized that the program is aimed at helping dealers extend their selling season on 2013 product while maintaining margin, and is not a response to any glut in inventory among ASI’s brands.

“We forecasted a hell of a lot better than we’ve ever done,” he said.

Products not affected by the off-season MAP include a handful of cruiser models, children’s bikes, Kestrel’s Talon tri model, several Breezer models and the entire SE Bikes line.

ASI will provide additional details to its dealers by week’s end, Zimmer said.