BEVERLY, MA (BRAIN) — Craft Sportswear North America has hired Katie Gould Swenson as its sales and marketing manager for Craft baselayers and Nordic skiing. 

As part of this newly created position, Swenson will be responsible for creating in-store merchandising, improving educational tools for retailer sales staff, launching a new Nordic custom program, and refining a collection that is more geared to the North American market.

Swenson joins Craft with more than a dozen years of professional experience in the outdoor industry, including leadership positions with Salomon and Swix. Most recently, she worked as the national sales manager at Tecnica Outdoor.

As a student, Gould skied competitively for Bates College and then went on to coach for programs at the Ford Sayer Ski Clinic, the National Sports Foundation, and Dartmouth College.  She spent four years as manager of the U.S. Nordic Team.

“Craft is the perfect fit for me. It targets my three favorite sports: Nordic skiing, running and cycling,” said Swenson. “I was already a user and a believer in the products, so that made it a no-brainer.  To be involved in selling products that I can honestly back and that I’m passionate about, that’s a solid combination.”

OLDENBURG, Germany (BRAIN) — Kenda Taiwan has hired Friderik Vodan as the new sales manager for Kenda Europe.  Vodan, 46, joins Kenda after several years serving as the international sales and global marketing director of Formula Brakes.  Vodan also previously worked for Specialized in Europe.

“With the hiring of Friderik, Kenda continues to set up a complete European team to strengthen the support for our customers,” said Uwe Daniel, Kenda's Europe marketing manager.

Kenda Europe operates out of Oldenburg, Germany, and serves as the European sales and marketing arm for Kenda Taiwan.  

Questions may be addressed to R.Vodan@kendaeurope.eu for Friderik Vodan and to U.Daniel@kendaeurope.eu for Uwe Daniel.

ROANOKE, VA (BRAIN) — QRide Inc has hired two sales agencies to represent its products to IDBs and specialty outdoor retailers.

Madison, Wisc.,-based Camillo & Associates will cover a large portion of the upper Midwest.

“Camillo & Associates has a long history of combining an award-winning high level of dealer service and attentiveness,” said Chip Camillo, principal of Camillo & Associates. “We are thrilled to be representing QRide here in the Great Midwest. We feel this product plays an important role in helping to keep action sports enthusiasts a bit safer. We hope to see lots of QRide stickers on lots of helmets very soon!”

Wittman Sports Group, based in Banner Elk, N.C., will represent QRide throughout the majority of the Southeast from Maryland to Florida. The firm has over 20 years' experience in the action sports industry and specializes in the four-season specialty market. 

Retailers in the Midwest can reach Camillo & Associates directly at 608-227-9421, or chip.camillo@dynastar.net.

Southeast region retailers can reach Wittman Sports Group at 828-898-2792 or wade22@charter.net. 

FRYEBURG, ME (BRAIN) – Maine-based distributor Downeast Bicycle Specialists has been sold to the Hans Johnsen Company of Dallas, Texas, the companies announced this weekend.

Jeff Cavicchi, former vice president and part owner of Downeast, will become the general manager of Downeast. Doug Moore, the former president and part owner, will remain with the company through a two-month transition period. All other company personnel and sales representatives will not change.  

“Both Downeast and Hans Johnsen emphasize customer service and personal relationships with their IBD customers," Doug Moore said. "Their combination will bring added strengths that will only enhance their presence and viability in the marketplace.  I am very excited about their prospects for the future”.

Hans Johnsen also owns Wilson Bicycle Sales of Hayward, California.

BRISBANE, Australia (BRAIN) — BikeRoar.com, an Australia-based site that contains bike product information and links to IBDs, has added several new features to its site.

Recent site updates have seen new tools added that allow consumers to search for cycling products, then compare not only their specifications but their pricing from multiple outlets.  

“Our company is committed to preserving the important relationship between retailer and consumer despite the pervasiveness of online retail,” said BikeRoar’s global business development manager Dax Neech. “Empowering consumers to make educated purchases before stepping foot in a store helps the industry gain more passionate bicyclists.”  

Users can browse over 40,000 items and can check a ‘Compare’ box next to a product of interest. This opens a side-by-side comparison feature that outlines each product’s ratings, specifications, features and price.  

Frequently submitted merchandise reports from local shops help guide BikeRoar users through the buying process. Shoppers can conduct a localized search that tells them which bike shops have the product in stock, how far away the store is located, and the current retail price.  

SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN) — Australia-based trainer brand JetBlack is entering the U.S. market this season with the JetBlack Z1 Fluid HYDROGEL Trainer.

It features progressive resistance up to 900 watts. The patented design has a roller with a special gel composition creating a new type of contact between the bike and the trainer.  JetBlack says the roller reduces noise by 55 percent and tire wear by 25-30 percent.  The HYDROGEL Roller combined with fluid resistance gives a smooth, quiet ride, the company said.

JetBlack's SRS Smart Release System allows quick and secure bike mounting, with adjustment on one side and the quick release lever on the other.

All JetBlack trainers come with a CD coaching session designed by an Olympic level coach.  More coaching sessions can be downloaded from the JetBlack website. All JetBlack trainers come fully assembled.

MSRP: $329.99.

For more information: jetblackcycling.com.

BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — Colorado-based Polar Bottle has, for the second year, signed on as the official sports bottle of the USA Pro Challenge, the six-day professional stage race held later this month.

Polar has launched a line of six custom Pro Challenge insulated sport water bottles for the event. The line includes designs inspired by each of the five awards jerseys, plus another bottle featuring a map of the route. 

“Partnering with the Pro Challenge has been great for our company,” said Polar Bottle president Judy Amabile. “This is one of the top road races in the country. Colorado is lucky to host it and we are thrilled to be a sponsor again this year.”   

The Made in Colorado USA Pro Cycling bottles have been top sellers on the Polar Bottle website all year. The entire bottle line is currently available on the Polar Bottle website and in retail stores around the country. The bottles will be sold in the festival at every finish city along the route.

PARK CITY, UT (BRAIN) — Competitive Cyclist will be giving away a Merlin Extralight road bike with SRAM Red components at the Tour of Utah, which starts Tuesday.

Competitive Cyclist, a Backcountry.com site, purchased Merlin in 2011. It announced at the 2013 North American Handmade Bicycle Show that it was returning it to production in Utah. The contest is open to anyone who visits the Competitive Cyclist booth at the Tour’s Lifestyle Expo, located at the finish of each stage.

In addition to the bike giveaway, Competitive Cyclist has signed on as presenting sponsor of the "1K to go" arches on all six stages of the Tour. Backcountry.com announced last week that it would be the presenting sponsor of the race's expo area.

For the stages finishing in Salt Lake City and Park City, cycling commentator Bob Roll will be a guest at the Backcountry booth for an “Ask Bobke” session where he’ll field questions submitted through the Backcountry.com Facebook page and those submitted at the Expo.  

MILAN, Italy (BRAIN)—Luxottica Group reported for a second straight quarter that strong performance in its wholesale division, which includes Southern California-based Oakley, helped propel improved sales for the Italian eyewear company.

Overall net sales increased by 135.4 million euros ($179.5 million), or 7.2 percent, to 2.02 billion euros ($2.68 billion) in the three months ended June 30. Net sales for the wholesale division jumped by 91.8 million euros ($121.7 million), or 11.2 percent compared with a year earlier, to 880 million euros ($1.17 billion).

“This growth was mainly attributable to increased sales of most of our proprietary brands, in particular Ray-Ban and Oakley, and of some licensed brands such as Miu Miu and Tiffany,” Luxottica stated in its quarterly report released Aug. 1.

Luxottica also highlighted Oakley as a key sales driver in its first-quarter results released in May.

In other company-related news, Sequential Brands Group, owner of consumer brands including DVS Action Sports and Heelys, announced Monday that it had acquired eyewear line Revo from Oakley for $20 million in cash. Sequential also signed a long-term partnership agreement with the Sunglass Hut chain, which is part of Luxottica’s retail division, to continue distribution of Revo products at Sunglass Hut stores globally.

Luxottica is publicly on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LUX. Its stock performance is tracked on the BRAIN stock chart.

TORONTO, Canada (BRAIN) — Rick Vosper started his new job as global marketing director at Cervélo Cycles this week. Vosper is relocating from Boulder, Colorado, to Toronto, where the bike brand is headquartered. Vosper’s last day at SmartEtailing, where he was client services director, was Friday.

Cervélo also recently hired Heather Henderson as senior product manager. Henderson led women’s product development for Trek Bicycle for many years.

“I was totally happy with SmartEtailing but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up,” Vosper said. Vosper joined SmartEtailing last October.

Vosper has a long history in the industry with marketing roles at Kestrel, Specialized and Veltec Sports, and is a contributing columnist for BicycleRetailer.com.

Cervélo is owned by Pon Bicycle Group, a division of Pon Holdings, a Dutch trading company that also owns Derby Cycle, Germany’s largest bike manufacturer, and Gazelle Bicycles. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (BRAIN) — Founder Ben Serotta has left the company he founded 41 years ago, as has CEO Bill Watkins. The current owners of the Serotta bicycle factory told Serotta dealers in a letter this weekend that they will be seeking contract framebuilding orders from other brands in order to support the future of the Serotta brand.

BRAIN obtained the letter, which was written by Brian Case, the chairman of Serotta and a director of Divine Cycling Group, which was created earlier this year with the merger of Serotta, Blue Competition Cycles and Mad Fiber.

Ben Serotta and Watkins told BRAIN last week that they were preparing to shut down the factory because of lack of funding from the new owners. Serotta also told BRAIN that he was negotiating to "extricate" the Serotta brand from DCG. DCG manager David Devine told the local Albany newspaper that the factory would reopen following a restructuring. 

In the letter, Case said the new role for the upstate New York factory "will involve putting in place a management team that is aligned with our expanded production strategy. As a result, Serotta CEO Bill Watkins and founder and president Ben Serotta have left the company. We wish them well."

Case told BRAIN in an email that he would be available late Tuesday to discuss the letter. Ben Serotta did not return a phone call from BRAIN this morning.

A spokesman for DCG said wheel production continues as normal with Mad Fiber.

In the dealer letter, Case said DCG viewed the Serotta factory and its staff as a key asset.

"In a nutshell, recent events have reminded us that we have two distinct assets in Saratoga Springs. One, of course, is Serotta and its 41-year history. The second, our priority asset, is the entire team in Saratoga. They have been one of the things that have made Serotta's bikes so great for so long. It's also a team that has both the skills and capacity needed to offer unparalleled craftsmanship to other brands. 
 
We aim to keep our team together and have no plan to close the Saratoga Springs factory. In fact, contract manufacturing may represent a significant profit opportunity for the company, which in turn supports the future of the Serotta brand. "

 

Case said Patrick O'Farrell, Serotta's director of operations, will oversee all production in Saratoga Springs, including the fulfillment of current Serotta orders.

RIVERSIDE, CA (BRAIN) — Retailer Jenson USA recently completed an extensive renovation of its superstore in Corona, California. Significant changes to the store’s interior décor and layout have allowed the company to expand its selection and increase inventory.

“Retail brick and mortar continues to be an important part of our long range overall growth strategy for Jenson USA. Because of the renovations, we now have additional storage capacity to accommodate a larger volume of bikes for service and repair,” said Mike Cahat, CEO and founder of Jenson USA. “Most importantly, our new bicycle selection has grown to nearly 200 units and the total in-store inventory of parts, accessories and cycling apparel is approximately $750,000.”  

In addition, Jenson has added Giant Bicycles to the Corona store’s product lineup.

“We feel very fortunate to now offer the full complement of Giant product,” said Cachat. “Our goal is to provide Jenson USA customers with outstanding value, and Giant does exactly that.”

Cachat also said that plans are underway to host group rides and other cycling events at the Corona store, and that the company has hired additional staff to coordinate the events.

“Looking forward, our goal is to make the Jenson USA superstore in Corona a hub for Southern California cycling events,” continued Cachat. “That commitment to elevating cycling activity has prompted us to add Dorothy Wong to our Jenson USA team, an experienced race organizer and well known women’s cycling advocate. Dorothy is currently preparing a schedule of exciting bicycle events for the latter part of 2013, which will emanate from our Corona superstore location.”

Jenson USA is an online retailer with two brick-and-mortar stores in Southern California.

BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — RecoFit Compression Gear is donating $3 of from the online sales of its Armcoolers sleeves to help with the completion of the Boulder Valley Velodrome in Erie, Colorado.

The outdoor wooden velodrome was due to open later this month. However it was heavily damaged by a wind storm on Saturday. Its opening has now been pushed back indefinitely.

“We are part of a huge cycling community that feels badly about what happened to a facility that is going to be well used and supported by local cyclists,” said RecoFit owner Susan Eastman Walton.  “The sales of our Armcoolers can help support the funding effort that is going to be needed to get the velodrome back on schedule quickly.” 

The Armcoolers retail for $34.95 on recofit.co.  The fundraising campaign will run through August 23. 

TEMPLEBOROUGH, UK (BRAIN) — Fat bikes are kid friendly with On-One’s Baby Fatty, a 12-inch frame built around a 24x4-inch wide tire set to go on sale in November for £800 ($1,250).

Not so long ago all fat bikes were built around 26x4-inch tires. Then came Surly’s Moonlander and its 26x5-inch tires, and over the past year Surly introduced 29+ and 26+ reduced fat tires that work with traditional hubs, cranks and rims. Now Baby Fatty’s 24-inch fat tires expand the fat segment further.

“We don't overly promote fat bikes as snow bikes. We think they are just great fun bikes on any sort of trail,” said Brant Richards, Baby Fatty’s designer. “Baby Fatty’s tires have the same rolling diameter size as a 26-inch wheel, or thereabouts: a 342-millimeter radius.”

Richards said Baby Fatty should fit kids or small adults up to about 4-foot-8. While the frame is small, the fat tires are 4 inches wide, just like Mom’s fat bike. Richards said the chainstays' 420-millimeter length did not impact shifting; there was plenty of chain-tire clearance. The tires are mounted on proprietary 24-inch single-wall 70-millimeter-wide rims. 

Richards noted that the 24-inch fat tires could fit 26-inch full-suspension bikes, if there is sufficient clearance. And he admited he is thinking of other bike designs using the 24-inch fat tires.

Baby Fatty features the same CNC hubs, 6061 T6 hand-welded frame and SRAM X5 components as On-One’s adult $1,450 Fatty introduced earlier this year. In the few months Fatty has been on sale, more than 500 have been sold, making it the company’s most popular off-road bike. 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (BRAIN) — The Atom is a generator and battery that attaches to a bike's rear hub and has a USB port to charge cell phones or other devices, including tablets, cameras or GPS units.

The generator puts out 5V at up to 500mA. The 500mA charge rate is the same as the USB output from most computers.

The Atom weighs 300 grams,is  7.5 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and 1.2 inches deep, including all component parts. Integrated into the body is a 1300mAh battery pack that the generator charges. The battery can return an iPhone from flat to a 75 percent charge.

MSRP is $99. The Atom was funded on Kickstarter. The company plans to start filling Kickstarter orders and other orders in November. 

More information: sivacycle.com.

Editor’s note: This article corrects a PressCamp report posted earlier today.

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA (BRAIN) — Lifeboat Events on Wednesday announced pricing and other details for a new, smaller-scale winter edition of Bike PressCamp, scheduled for January, as well as dates for the sixth edition of its summertime PressCamp.

Packages for exhibiting brands at Winter PressCamp, to be held Jan. 28-31 at the seaside Terranea resort in Southern California, start at $4,500 for a 10-by-10-foot lawn space and go up to $10,500 for a one-bedroom bungalow to display product and hold meetings with attending media members. The top-end package, as well as an $8,500 option with a ballroom exhibit space, also includes three nights of lodging.

The summertime PressCamp, held at the Silver Baron Lodge at Utah’s Deer Valley resort, is scheduled for June 16-20. Exhibitor pricing will be available soon, said Lifeboat founder and president Lance Camisasca.

For additional pricing information and event schedules, go to bikepresscamp.com.

By Wendy Booher

SAUSALITO, CA (BRAIN) — A non-profit organization is publishing a quick-reference card to help cycling teams and race officials assess possible concussions. 

The group, Medicine of Cycling, has collaborated with a group of physicians and researchers with a special interest in cycling medicine to publish the laminated cards.

Cycling is the category leader for the number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms, with traumatic brain injury as the leading cause of death from sports-related injuries, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Studies on the long-term impact of traumatic brain injury and concussion in cycling are rare, but evidence of the long-term effects of head injury in football (which is second to cycling in reported head injuries) has taken precedence through a publicized legal battle between the National Football League and 4,000 former players. Dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases are cited as long-term effects, as are abnormal brain wave activity, a wasting away of motor pathways, and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease.

Concussion in cycling is often ignored, overlooked, or dismissed both because symptoms may not be immediately obvious and because taking a concussed racer out of competition costs him the race and all the advantages in its wake, such as stage wins, prize money, future endorsements, and racing contracts.

"Cyclists who sustain a fall and potential concussion have two options," explained Anna K. Abramson M.D., cofounder of Medicine of Cycling. "They can get back on the bike and 'wing it,' exposing not only themselves but those riding next to and behind them to further injury or, they can take a moment to check for abnormal reactions to normal physical processes."

In 2012 under the direction of Dr. Abramson, Jason Brayley M.D., and Steven Broglio Ph.D., MOC published its Concussions in Cycling Consensus Statement, which outlined detailed information for: actions to take during pre-season, race-in-progress concussion evaluation, post-race evaluation of a concussed athlete, and what to take into consideration before a concussed athlete may return to sport. The seven-page document has since become a document of reference for several top-level team physicians. However MOC believes that every medical professional involved in the sport of cycling should follow the guidelines published in the Concussion in Cycling Assessment Card.

"The card helps for a swift and targeted survey of potentially hazardous changes in the brain processing that signal a hard stop for returning to a high metabolic activity involving speed," Dr. Abramson said. "You don't have to be a neurologist or concussion specialist to get through the checklist and make a sensible call about the athlete's safety if you have a concussion assessment card in hand."

Ultimately, the guidelines set forth by MOC would become policy. USA Cycling has already taken the first step by providing coaches and officials with the card because, as Bill Kellick, USAC's director of communications, pointed out, "they are the 'first responders to an incident.'"

"We have also brought in a concussion specialist recommended by Dr. Abramson to our staff coaches meeting for more personal training, and have held a webinar for officials on concussion awareness," Kellick said.

The Concussion in Cycling Assessment Card is currently available in English, French, Hebrew, and Spanish, with Italian and Portuguese pending translation. The laminated card, as well as the Concussions in Cycling Consensus Statement, are available through MOC's website.

LAGUNA HILLS, CA (BRAIN) — With Interbike on the horizon next month, submission deadlines are fast approaching for Bicycle Retailer’s Show Dailies, distributed at the Vegas expo.

To submit new product for consideration, email product description, suggested retail price, Interbike booth number and a high-resolution photo to BRAIN managing editor Toby Hill at thill@bicycleretailer.com by Friday, Aug. 16. News submissions can also be emailed to Hill by the same Aug. 16 deadline.

For calendar consideration, email event information to BRAIN editor Lynette Carpiet at lcarpiet@bicycleretailer.com by Thursday, Sept. 12.