HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (BRAIN) — SDG Components is now being distributed by Western Power Sports as well as its existing U.S. bicycle distributors, BTI and QBP. WPS, based in Boise, Idaho, is a motorsports distributor that has recently started distributing some high-end mountain bike and BMX products, including its own Fly Racing brand.

In addition to the new distributor, SDG said BTI and QBP are carrying more of its SKUs this year. 

SDG also has added new sales reps in the U.S. and hired industry veteran Mike Wang as its Asia sales manager.

"We're excited to see how we can build on this partnership with WPS," said SDG's president, Tyler Anspach. "While relatively new to the MTB world, WPS certainly knows distribution, transportation and fulfillment – something that the IBDs will undoubtedly embrace."

SDG has secured independent reps to cover key areas of the United States and actively seeking established reps in open territories. 

Its reps include:

• Pacific Northwest: Joe Mosquera
• Arizona and Nevada: Mo Hutchison
• Colorado: Michael Blackmore
• New England: Miso Partners, lead by Brandon Morphew
• New York and New Jersey: Marc Castellana

Wang has worked with Lee Chi, Cannondale and Reynolds and currently represents 661 and other brands with his newly formed agency, Dragon Worldwide Logistics, based inf Taichung, Taiwan. He will oversee Asia aftermarket and OEM sales.

"For us to secure such a top-caliber industry veteran, with a true understanding of the Far East is incredible," said Anspach. "Out of the gate, Mike's hit it hard and secured new Southeast Asian distributors in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and is working directly with brands and assembly factories throughout the region on the OEM front."

Editor’s note: Fred Clements is the executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Clements’ previous blog posts can be read on bikedealerblog.wordpress.com.

The number of bike shops continues to drop each year, with another 4 percent decline projected in 2015, but a new survey shows that several other dealer metrics are actually trending up.

According to the NBDA's 2015 Specialty Bicycle Retail Survey, the average bike store is now larger in both dollar volume (over $1 million per year, an all-time high), and physical size (6,461 square feet), than ever before.

They are also improving in sales efficiency, with average sales of $185 per square foot, a record high for these surveys, and an increase of 3 percent from the previous year.

While there continue to be huge challenges, the IBD channel itself was apparently churning along fairly well in 2014. IBDs were responsible for $4.7 billion in retail sales last year, including used bikes, approximately 63 percent of the retail dollars spent on cycling in the United States. This reinforces the notion that while many are certainly fighting for their business lives, a lot of them are fighting successfully. Over half reported that their sales were up in 2014.

What are some of the challenges they are facing? Competition from the Internet was at the top of the list, with 72 percent of the retailers noting it as an issue. Competition from mail order was cited by just over half, and availability of good employees by 46 percent. Thirty-four percent said they had an increasing number of consumers asking for discounts, and 33 percent suffered from competition from mass merchants.

Other problems were the rising cost of insurance, lack of protected market areas, lack of good places to ride, and competition from other bike shops. Other issues included lack of equitable dealer agreements, competition from sporting goods stores, and showrooming by consumers.

Ninety-two percent said they had experienced customers using hand-held devices in the store to help them shop. Eighty-nine percent had customers photograph a product in-store, 81 percent reported customers searching the web for the same product, and 73 percent had customers send a text a friend to discuss a possible purchase while in the
store. Over half had customers scan bar codes in the store.

How did retailers respond to customer use of technology? Ninety-eight percent of the retailers took a positive approach and engaged showrooming people in a friendly discussion of the products available in the store. Nineteen percent referred customers to the store or brand's website, and 1.6 percent expressed zero-tolerance views and asked showrooming customers to leave the store.

The survey also reinforced the continuing importance of non-product services for many stores. A whopping 82 percent said they offered bike fit services, and nearly 60 percent rented bikes. Almost 13 percent had a coffee bar available to customers, and 10 percent offered training, 7 percent coaching and 6.3 percent had beer onsite. Others were
offering yoga instruction, coaching, juice bars, rides and tours.

Advocacy continued to be an important business strategy for many, with 79 percent saying it was either important or somewhat important to them. Those involved in advocacy gave money and donated time, both personal and staff. Eighty-two percent belonged to at least one advocacy organization.

The survey's executive summary concludes, "The specialty bicycle retail channel is in flux with many looking at both internal and external issues that are causing different levels of anxiety. Within the industry we see leaps of concern about product availability, protected market areas, and fair and equitable dealer agreements - let's not forget to mention competition in general and between IBDs in particular (this type of competition jumped in this year's study).

"Retailers continue to both use and complain about the Internet. It's a competitive issue as well as a brand building issue - the retail store is the brand, as well as a sales issue with more retailers reporting that they are involved in e-commerce activities."

The complete NBDA Specialty Bicycle Retail Survey is available at nbda.com for $399, or $69 for NBDA members. It is 225 pages long, with extensive tables and charts.

This year's event will not only focus on the more technically orientated topics but also on Corporate Responsibility in its many aspects. During the two-day conference the audience will have the opportunity to interactively participate in workshops and raise questions to the keynote speakers with regard to circular manufacturing, lean production, reduction of labor intensive production as well as workforce education and human-centered manufacturing.

MONTREAL (BRAIN) — Guru Cycles and the Canadian bike clothing brand Marc De Storm are releasing a limited run of handcrafted jerseys that go on sale Friday. A portion of the sales will go to Quebec-based charity Cyclo Nord-Sud.

The jerseys are 100 percent handmade in Quebec. The full-zip long sleeve jersey is black with a "latte" sleeve band and half chest panel. They are made from a blend of bamboo, cotton and spandex to be light, strong and breathable.

They have an embroidered logo on chest panel and the rear panel at the neck. The rear panel has two open pockets and one center zipped pocket to allow accessibility while retaining security.

It retails for CAD$135 (approximately $105 US) in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL.  For each sale, $10 will be donated to Cyclo Nord-Sud. Cyclo Nord-Sud recovers unused bikes from Canada and ships them to disadvantaged communities overseas where they serve as tools for development. 

The jerseys will be available until Aug. 2. 

More information at marcdestorm.com/gurucollaboration.

PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — It’s little wonder the 27.5-plus mountain category gets top billing in Scott Sports’ 2016 catalog. The Swiss brand has been beating the drum lately about the wheel/tire combo, in which 2.8- or 3-inch tires — make that 2.8s in Scott’s case — combined with wide rims and the Boost front and rear hub spacing are claimed to offer some of the flotation and bigger contact patch of fat bike tires without significantly sacrificing the rollover performance of traditional 29er tires or the nimble handling of narrower 27.5-inch treads.

Scott will be bringing eight new 27.5-plus models to the U.S. this fall — two hardtails and six full-suspension rigs — marking the broadest introduction yet for the emerging wheel/tire size. 

At a media launch Sunday in Park City, Scott USA mountain bike marketing manager Zack Vestal likened the leap to the company’s early dive into the 27.5/650b market three years ago. “We’re excited to to be at the front of another leap forward into mountain biking — and that’s the 27-plus size,” he said.

Scott announced in June that it would be launching five 27.5-plus bikes in the U.S. and 11 in Europe this year, including an electric model for the international market. But the enthusiastic dealer response to the initial announcement spurred Scott to quickly add a trio of bikes to the U.S. launch. So the three-model Genius LT Plus range, with 160 millimeters of adjustable rear travel via a Fox Nude rear shock, complements  Scott’s three Genius Plus 140-millimeter full-suspension rigs and two Scale Plus aluminum hardtails. 

The bikes are on target to arrive at Scott’s U.S. warehouses in November. Pricing will be announced to retailers at Scott’s dealer launch in Park City this week, said John Quinn, USA executive vice president of Scott Sports.

Much like the rider experience has been enhanced by longer-travel bikes, larger disc brake rotors and dropper saetposts, Vestal said, the greater traction and stability of 27.5-plus could help open riders of all skill levels to new types of terrain. “It makes any trail more fun thanks to the grip and confidence on the trail,” he said.

Scott zeroed in on a 40-millimeter rim width — produced under the Syncros brand, which Scott acquired in 2012 and relaunched in 2013 — after experimenting with rim widths from 30 to 50 millimeters. The 40-mil puts a generous portion of the tire in contact with the ground while still lending the tire ample support down to pressures as low as 13 psi, noted Rene Krattinger, Scott bike product manager based in Switzerland.

As for tires, Scott leveraged its relationship with longtime spec partner Schwalbe. The first design, a 3-inch-wide tread, proved too bouncy and unstable cornering, Krattinger said. A subsequent 2.8-inch design was hampered by excess rolling resistance, but a lower-profile 2.8 revision delivered the desired cornering and control.

“For me, the tire size is just beginning. … It’s just a new world. It helps the beginner — even the pro is better,” Krattinger said.

ONIGO DI PEDEROBBA, Italy (BRAIN) — Northwave is launching an enduro shoe, developed with sponsored athlete Cedric Gracia and using a new outsole designed with Michelin.

The Northwave Enduro Mid’s upper features a thermowelded construction, with foam inserts in the tongue for increased protection and comfort while maintaining the same thickness, and special toe reinforcement inspired by motocross for better shock protection. The Northwave SLW2 closing system is equipped with a special cover to shelter it without affecting the easy access to it.

The new X-Fire outsole developed with Michelin has two different compounds — softer in the inner part for better grip, a harder and more resistant on the outside for improved shielding from abrasions and wear. The X-Fire features aggressive sculptures in the toes area for optimal traction on loose terrain, while the cleat area has a special design for faster clipping and better grip. In addition, Northwave X-Crossbow construction extends the heel area’s elasticity, improving the shoe’s shock absorption.

In addition to Enduro Mid, Northwave also brings a low-cut version, called the Enduro. It has the same technology and X-Fire sole with a SpeedLace2 (SL2) closing system.

The shoes are part of Northwave's 2016 Spring-Summer collection.

SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Timbuk2 has hired several new specialty cycling sales representatives to serve the brand in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain states, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

"Timbuk2 will now be able to provide independent bike dealers with a new level of service that is fitting from a brand that has been rooted in bike culture since its inception in 1989," the company said.

The new reps include Eric Addicott in Northern California;  Moses Mexia, Karlee Brandner, and David Meadows of MTS Rep Group in the Pacific Northwest; Ptarmigan Group's John Gerritsen and Daren Alspaugh in the Rocky Mountain states; and Doug Looney, president and principle of Velo ADV Sales Agency, representing Timbuk2 in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Interbike has announced the second round of categories and nominees for the 2015 Interbike Awards, including Advocacy and Triathlon designations. The first round of nominees was announced last month.

PeopleForBikes is again handling the advocacy award nominations, which include the Next Generation Award, PlacesForBikes Award and the Leadership Award categories. The nominees includes IMBA's Take a Kid Mountain Biking national program, the Coldwater Mountain Trail System in Anniston, Ala., and Mayor Betsy Price of Ft. Worth, Texas.

Triathlon Business International is handling the male and female International Triathlete of the Year and the Triathlon Industry Leader of the Year awards. Nominees include Javier Gomez, Katie Zafares and Chris McCormack. The athlete nominees were selected for performance in races between January 1, 2014 and July 15, 2015, while the industry leader award nominees were selected based on their demonstrated leadership and vision in driving the sport of triathlon in 2014 and 2015.

More information: A complete list of nominees for all award categories.

The award ceremony will take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The Interbike Awards will honor achievements from the 2015 product year as well as the 2014 and 2015 race season.

Tickets for the Gala can be purchased during the Interbike registration process. Special advanced ticket pricing for the event is $100 per person, and includes the evening reception, beer and wine, a sit-down dinner along with the awards show entertainment. A $10 donation from every ticket sold will be donated to World Bicycle Relief. The 2014 IB Awards sold-out in advance of the event - but should tickets still be available on-site, prices will be $125 at the door. Those interested in attending are encouraged to secure their tickets early.

A limited number of private tables and sponsorship opportunities are available and can be purchased directly through Interbike. Contact Interbike's sales director, Andria Klinger, at (949) 226-5745 or andria.klinger@emeraldexpo.com for more information.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Rapha is making Denver the first stop for its new traveling club house and retail shop program.

On Thursday, Rapha will open the Rapha Pop-up Cycle Club in Denver at 2601 Larimer Street. The pop-up is a retail space stocked with the latest Rapha products, and serving Boxcar Coffee Roasters. The pop-up will also screen live racing and host exclusive exhibitions and events. It will be open 11 am-7 pm through Aug. 4.

The store will show live coverage of the Tour de France during its first few days. Subsequent events include a road ride to Golden on Friday, a Rapha Rising Ride on Saturday, participatin in the Rapha Women's 100 Ride on Sunday, and in-store film screening on July 29, and a local handmade bike morning ride and evening Q&A on Aug. 1.

More information: pages.rapha.cc/clubs/rapha-pop-up-denver.

LEXINGTON, S.C. (BRAIN) — Hawley is now Tacx only nation-wide distributor in the U.S., the South Carolina-based distributor announced. The company has been distributing Tacx for three years.

Hawley offers Tacx' product lineup including smart and VR interactive trainers, cycle trainers and rollers along with trainer accessories like tires, sweat covers, mats and tablet holders. It also offers Tacx accessories like the Deva bottle cage and Shanti bottles.

"Hawley-Lambert seeks out the best-in-class products in the world. Tacx is at the pinnacle of the indoor trainer experience and unlike any other," said Ian Cross, Hawley's U.S. sales director. "Our goal is to use the Tacx interactive trainers to expand this experience throughout the U.S. in more retail locations and with more consumers. With Tacx riding truly is believing."

Simon Tacx, the commercial director of Tacx BV, said, "We highly value a profound relationship with our partners and today we set the next step towards building a strong and solid relation between Tacx and Hawley-Lambert. We identify with their strong emphasis on supporting IBD's as well as their firm commitment to preserving the positive image of the brands they carry. We believe building a strong relationship is key to stimulate growth and seize opportunities in the United States and Canada." 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) —  The Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition has created a People and Culture Department, designed to drive creativity and business sustainability in member companies through happier, more diverse, and inclusive workplaces.

"I'm proud of the steps we've taken and the progress OIWC has made for the industry, and I know that the addition of the People and Culture Department will serve to strengthen and grow the foundation we've built," said Deanne Buck, the group's executive director.

"When we draw on the skillset of a workforce that reflects the diversity of our participant base, we are better able to understand and meet the needs of the consumer," said Buck. "Our goal is to help companies recruit and retain top-tier talent, which will ultimately create healthy, sustainable companies and inclusive working environments for all."

To head these efforts, OIWC has hired Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, J.D., CDP, as its director of People and Culture; and Dr. Jennifer Boldry, of Breakaway Research Group, as OIWC's research provider of record.

Immediate goals of the new department are to develop a suite of benchmarking assessment tools to allow partners to identify successes and opportunities for growth in their women's leadership and inclusion initiatives; provide tools and tips to implement the OIWC CEO Pledge; work with member companies to collaboratively develop best practices around the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the workplace; and embark on a longitudinal study to examine the impact of the implementation of diversity and inclusion best practices on member companies' bottom line.

OIWC's People and Culture Department is funded, in part, by the REI Foundation's Mary Anderson Legacy Grant.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BRAIN) — Pro trials rider Jeff Lenosky will perform at the Eastern Outdoor Reps Association trade show in Killington, Vt., planned for Aug. 24-26.

Lenosky will perform Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the event, being held at Killington Grand Resort's Snow Shed Lodge and & Rams Head. 

More information at www.eora.org.

SNOWBASIN, Utah (BRAIN) — Dubbing this the “Year of the Stocking Dealer,” Surly Bikes has overhauled its sales program in an effort to recognize local bike shops for their role in building the QBP-owned brand. 

Rather than base discounts on the number of frames or bikes ordered, incentives are now tied to tiered dollar amounts of all Surly products dealers purchase, including accessories, John Fleck, global sales manager for Surly, said Monday at QBP’s SaddleDrive dealer event at Utah’s Snowbasin resort. Dealers placing an initial order of $10,000 or more can carry over their discount rate to reorders. Dealers ordering at the top tiers also qualify for extended payment terms.

Higher-level benefits additionally include exclusive specials, priority ordering of new products, staff clinics and “Surly Tour” planned events for partner shops.

Surly plans to roll out a demo tour and other dealer events this year, and will have an expanded presence at this year’s Interbike OutDoor Demo. “We’re going to be all hands on deck for OutDoor Demo,” Fleck said.

Surly will not have its own booth on the expo floor at Mandalay Bay, however, and instead will display a few bikes in QBP’s booth along with some of the distributor’s other house brands. Meetings with Surly representatives can still be scheduled during the show, Fleck said.

ORLANDO, Fla. (BRAIN) — Catrike has selected Anson-Stoner as its public relations agency of record after a nationwide search.

The new partnership comes as Catrike said it has has seen unprecedented growth. Sales have grown 55 percent this year and the brand is expecting a 40 percent increase in 2016.

"We have been doing everything we should, in terms of engineering, operations and marketing, to make our company scalable and realize its true potential," said Catrike founder Paulo Camasmie.

"Now it's time to communicate the true value of our trikes and the design, engineering and craftsmanship that goes into making them. We're excited to bring Anson-Stoner on board and work with a proper advertising and PR agency."

As agency of record, Anson-Stoner, which is based in Winter Park, Fla., will develop media relations, social media and brand strategies designed for maximum impact in the cycling market.

WILMINGTON, Del. (BRAIN) — Blue Bicycle has named Orli Chinea its national sales manager. Chinea was most recently was working as the western regional manager for Blue.

"Chinea has increased sales in the western region and we are pleased to offer him the position of national sales manager," said Steven Harad, the CEO of Blue Bicycles.

In Chinea's role, he has recently assembled a rep team with hires such as Alain Denis (Texas and Oklahoma), Trevor Whitehead (California), Andrew Nydegger (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware), Tiffanie McKenzie (Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama), Turd'l Miller (Arizona, Utah, Nevada), Rob Johnson (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), and Jeff Winnick (New England).

Chinea brings 15 years of experience in the industry and has been with Blue since its beginnings 11 years ago.

Chinea said, "I have never been more excited about being part of this company. I see 2016 as the magical year for Blue and I think things are just going to take off from here." 

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Rapha is entering a new product category with its first eyewear, the Rapha Classic Glasses.

The new glasses have acetate frames, handmade by Italy's Mazzucchelli, and Carl Zeiss lenses.

The company said the new glasses fill a gap between technical sport glasses and lifetsyle glasses.

"Luxury materials and finishes combined with modern, relevant design and product function for performance target this gap in the market currently trending more to the Sport side of the axis," the company said. 

The glasses are available in Black frame with green lens, Tortoise frames with brown lens and Smoke frame with pink lens. They have a nickel hinge, wire core in the temples, soft-grip rubber temple tips and they weight 30 grams. They are ready for prescriptions by a qualified optician and the acetate frame is moldable for fit. 

They are packaged in a black tin with cork insert, leather hinges, velvet flock lined inner. They retail for $295.

More information at: pages.rapha.cc/stories/the-rapha-classic-sunglasses.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Colorado's pro stage race, the USA Pro Challenge, has expanded its agreement with Pearl Izumi. The Colorado-based clothing brand will now serve as the race's year-round official merchandise retail partner.

Pearl Izumi had previously provided the race's leaders jerseys as well as commemorative jerseys sold during the race.

"Pearl Izumi has been an exceptional partner since day one of the Pro Challenge, as the official provider of our race jerseys," said Shawn Hunter, the CEO of USA Pro Challenge. "We have no doubt that in this expanded role their designs for the entire Pro Challenge merchandise line will be a huge hit with our fans. We are extremely pleased that Pearl Izumi decided to take on this exciting new role with us."

The 2015 USA Pro Challenge merchandise store is now open for business and includes jerseys, t-shirts, hats, hoodies, water bottles and cowbells. The store is at ProChallenge.com/store. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Green Lane Project is asking city transportation staffers and consultants to complete a survey on how protected bike lands are working out.

The Green Lane Project is a program of PeopleForBikes. Since its launch in 2012, the Green Lane Project has helped dozens of U.S. cities build the lanes, which are separated from car traffic and pedestrians by curbs, planters, parked cars or posts.

The Project is aming the survey at city staff – project designers, engineers, bike/pedestrian coordinators and other staff – as well as consultants working with a city. Other agency staff and consultants with a direct interest in this field are also welcome to respond.

"Responses to the survey will deepen our understanding of cities' experience with planning, funding and building protected bike lanes," said Martha Roskowski, VP of Local Innovation at PeopleForBikes.

"We will get a better understanding of the level of satisfaction with current design guidance, implementation challenges, training needs and more," she said.

Responses will be accepted until Aug. 14. Results will be shared this fall.

Survey is at: survey.clicktools.com.

SNOWBASIN, Utah (BRAIN) — Is it really necessary for one brand to offer not one, not two, but THREE different drop-bar 29er bikes? Oh yeah, says Benton Hunt, global sales manager for Salsa Cycles. It’s all about the individual experience and where the bike can take a rider, he said during the Salsa 2016 model year presentation QBP’s SaddleDrive dealer event in Snowbasin. 

“We’re starting to pick the pockets where we have something for everybody, and that’s cool,” Hunt said.

So it is that Salsa’s stalwart Fargo 29er drop-bar platform gets a new sibling in the Deadwood chromoly touring bike, rolling on the 29er-plus wheel size fellow QBP brand Surly introduced at SaddleDrive 2012 with the Krampus mountain bike. With its 50-millimeter-wide rims dressed in 3-inch Schwalbes, the disc brake-equipped Deadwood is intended for the rider who wants something stable and comfortable for off-road loaded touring and bike packing, Hunt said. 

The chromoly frame — using a new double-butted tube set Salsa calls Kobra Kai — has Boost 12x148mm rear hub spacing with Alternator dropouts for rack provisions, while the Salsa Firestarter Carbon fork comes with three-pack bosses. Deadwood should be available in September at an MSRP of $2,599.

Designed for endurance racer Jay Petervary to ride in the Tour Divide, where he recently broke his own record finish, the high-modulus carbon Cutthroat features generous front-triangle space for frame bags, a toptube accessory mount, three bottle cage mounts and Salsa’s Firestarter Carbon fork with three-pack mounts. Available in two spec levels — SRAM Rival 1 at $3,999 and X9 at $2,999 — Cutthroat comes stock with 2.1x29 Schwalbes but fits tires up to 2.4x29. Availability: November.

Marrakesh is Salsa’s new world touring bike, built with the Kobra Kai tubing and coming with a stock rear rack as well as a host of additional cage and rack mounts and room for a full frame pump. Drop-bar and flat-bar versions will be available, with frames designed specifically for the particular bar type. Both come with Avid BB7 disc brakes.

Marrakesh Drop Bar gets a Brooks B17 leather saddle, bar-end shifters for easy repair, and Salsa’s Cowchipper bar wrapped in faux-leather Salsa gel tape. The flat-bar version also comes with the Brooks 17 saddle plus Microshift 3x9 thumb shifters and a Salsa 17-degree-bend flat bar. MSRP is $1,599, with availability in late October. 

At SaddleDrive, Joseph Nocella, owner of 718 Cyclery in Brooklyn, N.Y., saw the Marrakesh as a perfect fit for his commuting and touring customers. “I want go home and order 10 of those,” said Nocella, who imagines outfitting perhaps a few of the Marrakeshes in his shop with various commuter accessories for different seasons.

But the bike perhaps in highest demand at the SaddleDrive demo this week was Salsa’s new Ponyrustler full-suspension mountain rig, built around the up-and-coming 27.5-plus wheel standard. Like all of Salsa’s full-suspension mountain platforms, the 120-millimeter-travel model is designed around Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot suspension system. It gets the same front triangle as Salsa’s Horsethief 29er, but the front and rear hub spacing are both Boost standard for the 27.5x3.0 tires on WTB Scraper i45 rims. “It really makes the bike feel like every berm has a corner on it,” Salsa’s Hunt said of the wheel/tire combo. The Ponyrustler should be available in late December or early January in two carbon builds and one aluminum.

Speaking of plumper — plusser? — tires, the Horsethief the trail 29er gets updated to Boost 148 rear spacing for 2016, giving consumers the option to run faster 29er wheels or switch out to a 27.5-plus setup for added traction. Availability: late December/early January.