PETALUMA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Kitsbow is introducing its first glove, a leather, long-finger mountain bike glove called the Men's All-Mountain Glove.

"Monaco, McLaren, LeMans, McQueen...these were the inspirations for our premier all-mountain glove," said Charlie Cronk, Kitsbow's cofounder. "As with everything we do at Kitsbow, it was all about the details when designing the glove. The Pittards leather, Schoeller abrasion-resistant panels, and small touches like suede nose-wipe zones at the forefinger and thumb are all to create a product that has unmatched quality and performance when pedaling."

The glove features Pittards leather palms and fingertips to augment grip and provide added strength, quality, sensitive touch, and style. Over time, the premium leather will conform to the rider's hand, creating a truly custom fit. Schoeller abrasion-resistant panels were added in key stretch and stress points (around the outside of the thumb) for extra durability. A stretch knit over the knuckles and mesh fourchettes (the inside panels along and between the fingertips) add ventilation and increase flexibility for a less-encumbered grip.

Details include an electro-conductive index fingertip for touchscreen sensitivity, small magnets at the wrist that keep gloves together when they're put in a kit bag, and Velcro wrist cinch straps.

The glove will retail for $120 and is available at www.kitsbow.com.

WESTPORT, Conn. (BRAIN) — Compass Diversified Holdings has agreed to sell CamelBak Products LLC to Vista Outdoor Inc. for about $412.5 million.

Vista, based in Utah, owns 30 brands in the shooting sports and outdoor sports markets, including Bushnel, Cébé and Bollé. Vista is publicly traded on the NYSE under the VSTO symbol.

Compass acquired CameBak in 2011. Compass said proceeds from the sale will be used to repay all outstanding debt under its revolving credit facility, with the balance increasing cash on the company's balance sheet. Compass anticipates recording a gain on the sale of CamelBak ranging between $140 million and $160 million during the quarter that ends Sept. 30.

"Over the past four years, we have enjoyed working closely with CamelBak's management team, led by its CEO, Sally McCoy, and are proud of our accomplishments together," said Alan Offenberg, CEO of Compass Diversified Holdings. "CODI's strategic investments enabled CamelBak to increase consumer penetration levels, build cash flows and generate greater organic growth. CamelBak has established itself as the global leader in personal hydration products, and we wish the company and Vista Outdoor continued success."

Mark DeYoung, Vista Outdoor's chairman and CEO, said, "The acquisition of CamelBak greatly advances Vista Outdoor's strategy to grow and strengthen our leading position in the outdoor recreation industry."

"CamelBak fortifies our presence in the mainstream individual outdoor recreation market, creating an opportunity to increase the scale, reach and growth of several current offerings through an expanded global sourcing capability and a broadened retail distribution network. With limited overlap between our key customers, this acquisition creates significant cross-selling opportunities, increased channel presence and access into expanded domestic and international markets. As a market leader and preferred partner, Vista Outdoor can leverage the technical expertise of CamelBak to deliver innovative solutions and quality product offerings that will create value for our shareholders and customers."

Compass continues to own approximately 41 percent of the common stock of Fox Factory Holding Corp., its former subsidiary that was spun off in an IPO in 2013. 

FREEPORT, Maine (BRAIN) —The Carrabassett Region chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association has received a $50,000 grant from LL Bean's Charitable Giving for Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.

The grant will be matched by the Town of Carrabassett Valley to provide funding for the continued development of a mountain bike trail network in the Carrabassett Region. The grant will be combined with other funding sources to generate a total of $237,000 for trail construction, said Peter Smith, the chapter's president.

"All of us who are passionate about mountain biking and enjoy the recreational activities available in western mountains of Maine are very excited about the continuing support from so many people to make this happen," said Smith. "Our vision includes a world class mountain bike trail network for riders of all ability levels who wish to explore the vast wilderness and beauty of this very special region."

Since 2011, CRNEMBA has collaborated with the Town of Carrabassett Valley, Maine Huts & Trails, and other partners to create a trail system. As of the end of 2014 there were approximately 77 miles of mountain-bike specific trails. This includes almost 23 miles of brand new machine- and hand-built singletrack, purpose built for mountain biking. Over 4,700 hours of volunteer labor and over $323,000 have thus far been invested into the trail system.

The Town of Carrabassett Valley has also received a $35,000 grant from the state for mountain bike trail construction at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. Coupled with matching funds from the town and other sources, there will be approximately $107,000 available for investment in mountain bike trail construction at the Outdoor Center for 2015-2016, which is expected to add 5 1/2 miles to the mountain bike trail network.

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.

Sales tax reform may have new life, as a new bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would level the playing field between brick-and-mortar stores and online sellers related to sales tax collection.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced the Remote Transaction Parity Act of 2015, HR 2775, in mid-June. He is seeking congressional co-sponsors as well as overall support. His move is considered to be significant because he is a conservative Republican who realizes that this is not a new tax, but instead a fairness issue related to small business. As of last week, he had 22 Republican and 18 Democratic co-sponsors. The goal is at least 10 more co-sponsors so the House leadership will move on the bill.

Bicycle dealers are urged to contact their members of Congress asking them to both sign on as co-sponsors and support the legislation to finally put an end to a seriously flawed sales tax system that requires retailers with physical stores to collect sales taxes (in states where it is required) while many online sellers do not.

Retailers from many industries with brick-and-mortar retailers attended a recent lobbying event in Washington in support. The event was organized by the Alliance for Main Street Fairness and had participants from the bicycle retail industry (Jeff Koenig), audio, sewing machines, children's books, auto off-road parts, children's bedding, running shoes, cameras, apparel, and motorcycle P&A.

All told of the hardships they face when Internet competitors are able to sell for less solely due to tax inequality. Tax-free Internet purchases are not the only reason these retailers are being challenged, but are a significant factor when some face up to a 10 percent price disadvantage due to unfair government tax policy.

This may be the last chance for awhile to repair the badly-broken mess sales tax situation, with the August congressional recess looming, and election-year politics making movement unlikely in 2016.

The RTPA has several provisions that make it different from previously introduced Marketplace Fairness Act, and that may improve its chances of passage. It would give states the authority to enforce their existing sales tax laws on all transactions taking place within their borders—whether they happen online or on Main Street. It would require the collection of online sales taxes based on the destination the product would be shipped to, not the location of the online seller. That means no confusion for consumers, as nobody will pay a sales tax rate—online or in the store—where they don't live or vote. RTPA also has several protections to safeguard small businesses, such as single point of collection, a uniform sales and use tax base, and free certified software solutions for sellers. RTPA also includes provisions like expanded audit protections to protect businesses from state regulatory overreach.

Bicycle retailers are urged to turn up the heat on this important issue by taking two simple steps. First, contact your member of Congress asking for their support. Second, call at least one organization at home (business club, Chamber, retailer's association, etc.) and ask them to engage their membership network to do the same.

This simple letter from NBDA President James Moore was recently sent to his congressman, and may serve as a template for your own letter:

Dear Congressman X,

As owner of a small business, I'm asking that your office co-sponsor HR 2775 Retail Transaction Parity Act. Every day I lose sales to internet sellers who are able to offer my customers an automatic 7% savings because they are not required to collect state sales tax as I have dutifully done for 30 years.

This is NOT a new tax but the requirement that an already legally required tax now be collected by the seller and remitted to the state (just as I do every month).

Please help small locally owned businesses by supporting this attempt to bring fairness to retail AND to capture already required (yet not collected) sales tax revenues for the state and local governments that depend on sales tax revenue for the services they provide."

Respectfully,

For more on this important piece of legislation, visit the Alliance for Main Street Fairness website: http://www.standwithmainstreet.com and then take action today.

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Felt Bicycles has officially unveiled a new corporate logo. The new design was introduced at a global distributor meeting in Germany. The company also released a usage guide for distributors and retailers that includes recommendations and regulations for all Felt branding.

"The modern, refreshed look of the new logo underscores the importance of progression for Felt," said Bill Duehring, the president of Felt Bicycles. "For over a decade our logo has gained international recognition, visibility and it helped establish our brand. Our designers stayed true to this heritage while refreshing the logo with a modern, bold aesthetic that works across all platforms. We present this new logo with the brand identity in its entirety, reinforcing the innovative and contemporary brand approach of Felt."

The new logo will first appear on Felt's 2016 premier FRD model bikes. Over the course of the 2016 model year all products, graphics and collateral will make the transition to the new logo. All 2017 model bikes will be branded with the new logo, the company said.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — PeopleForBikes has launched a new campaign intended to inspire riders to try riding dirt roads and paths as a way to escape traffic and make the riding experience more enjoyable.

"Our nation is adding more than two million people every year," said Tim Blumenthal, president of PeopleForBikes. "In many places, this means more traffic, more stoplights and a more crowded, less appealing road riding experience. While building new bike infrastructure is one part of the solution to better bicycling, we can also help by steering riders towards quieter, low-traffic routes."

One-third of all the roads in the U.S. are unpaved — that's more than 1.4 million miles, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

The new campaign provides tips and advice for finding and riding on dirt, whether it's a dirt road, rail trail, or urban dirt path.

As part of the campaign, riders can enter to win one of two bikes: an All-City Macho King bike complete with a SRAM Rival 1x drivetrain and Mavic Ksyrium Allroad wheels and tires, or a GT Grade Alloy Sora complete bike.

More information at PeopleForBikes.org/dirt.

SANDY, Utah (BRAIN) — Reynolds Cycling is expanding its relationship with DWL Bicycle Company, who will now manage all aftermarket sales and marketing responsibilities in Asia. DWL, based in Taichung, Taiwan, previously handled responsibilities for Reynolds involving Asian OEs and assemblers.

DWL's general manager, Mike Wang, has more than 18 years of bike industry experience and has been with Reynolds in various sales capacities in the company's Asia/Pacific sales force for the last four years.

"The choice was easy for us. DWL presented an array of market knowledge and industry relationships that made it very clear they are capable of handling the demands of our business," said Mike Dufner, the CFO of Reynolds Cycling. "We anticipate this move will better position our brand for successful growth in the target markets and lead to improved supplier relationships with strategic partners."

OGDEN, Utah (BRAIN) — ENVE is now shipping its SES 2.2 wheels, designed as lightweight climbing wheels for tubular tires. The wheels were developed with aerodynamicist Simon Smart and have the shallowest profile of any wheel developed in the collaboration.

The carbon rim shape is 26mm wide and 25mm deep and the rims weigh 281 grams each.

"With our sponsorship of team MTN-Qhubeka, we wanted to provide the team with a special climbing wheel for their first trip to the Tour de France," said ENVE's director of marketing, Jake Pantone. "The SES 2.2 was designed to be invisible to the elements and deliver our athletes confidently through the Tour's mountain stages."

The company said all SES wheel shapes are developed using popular bike frames at the wind tunnel on the Mercedes GP – Petronas Formula 1 campus in Brackley, U.K.

"Developing wheels outside of a bike frame serves little purpose in a world of incremental gains because it is so far removed from the real world use case. By developing rim shapes in bike frames the end result is a faster wheel, optimized for how they are used in the real world," said ENVE's VP of R&D, Scott Nielson. The SES 2.2 shape is optimized for use with a 25mm tire and was designed to be extremely stable in gusty wind conditions.

The SES 2.2 is also ENVE's first rim with a new evolution of its molded-in brake tracks. According to ENVE, their latest brake track achieves virtually equal performance in wet and dry conditions while allowing the rider to use 30 percent less force at the brake levers to achieve the same amount of stopping power when compared to the first generation SES brake track texture.

The SES 2.2 is available as a tubular only but a clincher version will follow in the near future. The SES 2.2 Tubular is now shipping to ENVE retail and distribution partners worldwide. Retail prices range from $2,950 to $3,275 depending on hub choice.

More information: SES 2.2 spec sheet.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (BRAIN) — The Bike Cooperative has named Pro Patch its custom accessories provider. The co-op's member retailers will earn rebates on all of their Pro Patch purchases effective immediately.

"Shops recognize the importance of promoting their brand at a grassroots level, and custom accessories and apparel are great vehicles for that," said Bike Cooperative's vice president of marketing, Tim Leaver. "Our new partnership with Pro Patch gives our members a great resource to feature their brand on custom water bottles and cages, shirts, hats, patch kits, tire levers and more, plus earn rebate in the process."

Pro Patch president Ken Hassen said, "We're very excited to partner with The Bike Cooperative and their growing network of quality independent bike retailers. We are a strong supporter of the IBD and look forward to helping Bike Co-op members grow their business and convert more shoppers into loyal customers with our wide assortment of custom-imprinted products that will increase their brand's exposure."

Pro Patch Custom Accessories offers custom imprinted bike jerseys, t-shirts, bike locks, water bottles, cages, patch kits and more.

VENTURA, Calif. (BRAIN) — A new distributor, Zeitbike, is being launched this week by Fritz Bohl, the former CEO of Abus North America. Zeitbike's dealer portal went live Monday.

"All Zeitbike products are well-designed, long-lasting, simple to use, and aesthetically appealing. The company establishes only exclusive partnerships to ensure focused attention on its brands," the company said.

Current product offerings include Pedal Pusher t-shirts, VDO cycling computers, TWO Magazine, and ASS-SAVERS. Most products are in stock and ready for orders, and other brands in the pipeline will be announced soon.

Besides exclusive brand partnerships, the company's plan is to create "a lean operational structure that lends itself to favorable dealer margins, IBD support such as MAP/MSRP policies, and a simple ordering experience for shops. In addition, Zeitbike has pioneered a rewards and discounting structure that is brand new to the industry. The $99 minimum order requirement for free ground shipping in the U.S. is another key differentiator."

Zeitbikes has sales rep coverage in more than 15 states, including RP Active's seven reps in the Midwest and Dean Weinberger in Florida. More rep partnerships will be announced soon.

Dealers can sign up online immediately at zeitbike.com. Zeitbike will also be at Interbike and can be contacted at info@zeitbike.com or 1 (877) 612-2212.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BRAIN) — Patrick O'Grady is once again offering the Old Guys Who Get Fat in Winter Racing Team jerseys. The jerseys feature the cartoon Old Guy created by O'Grady for VeloNews magazine in 1989, as well as various sponsors including Wide Load Diner and Spare Tire Ale.

O'Grady — a columnist and cartoonist for Bicycle Retailer as well as several other publications — featured the character in his own book, "The Season Starts When?" 

The jerseys are made by Voler in California, and are available in two versions and in men's and women's sizes. 

"The original yellow jersey mimics the famous yellow kit worn by Himself in the cartoons, while version 2.0 features El Grande prominently at bow and stern. Both are handcrafted right here in the US of A from free-range, grass-fed, cage-free, non-GMO, virgin baby polyesters and feature full-length zippers that display one’s man-cleavage to the fullest possible extent permitted by law," O'Grady says.

They retail for $77 from the Voler website. Because they are produced on demand, allow up to seven business days from the time of payment approval before shipment.

More information: voler.com.

KETCHUM, Idaho (BRAIN) — Club Ride Apparel has added a female designer to its staff, as a part of the brand's strategy to increase women's sales to 50 percent of its overall sales by next year.

The new hire is Mia Stearns, a native of the Sun Valley area, who joins Club Ride after three years as the men's knits and fleece designer and one year as the mountain bike designer at Fox Head. Stearns studied at the Orange Coast College & Academy of Art University and interned in design at Volcom while in college.

"We are thrilled to have Mia on board as our senior designer," said Mike Herlinger, Club Ride's founder and head of product development. "Her history at Volcom and Fox Head will prove to be beneficial to the continued growth of Club Ride. She brings expertise and a fresh perspective to Club Ride's casual-performance cycling-inspired clothing, which is sure to enhance our current and future development. Mia has a contemporary perspective of style, color and function helping us raise the bar and evolve in design as a technical lifestyle clothing company."

Women's clothing accounted for 37 percent of Club Ride's sales this year.

In other news, Club Ride has launched an ambassador program for 2015. Key pro ambassadors include Ruthie Matthes, Sara Ballantyne, Frankie Andreu, Heather Irmiger and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, the IMBA Trail Care Crew of Jordan Carr and Lani Bruntz, the Sun Valley Higher Ground Hand-cycling Team and USA Triathlon's president, Barry Siff.

Club Ride also is making its debut at next month's Outdoor Retailer trade show this year.

"As the line continues to be the go-to apparel for a broader mix of people who live an active lifestyle, the need to meet with outdoor retailers and customers has increased," the company said.

The company recently added new sales reps, including Shane O'Brien and Associates in the Midwest, Scott Williford/Southeast Sales in the Southern states, Scott Fortner/Adrenaline Sports Group in Southern California and John Blye in the Northeast.

PETALUMA, Calif. (BRAIN) — CamelBak and Osprey Packs have settled a patent infringement lawsuit the CamelBak filed against Osprey in February. The companies did not release terms of the settlement

CamelBak had filed the suit in California federal court, related to its hands-free reservoir hydration systems.

"I am pleased that we were able to come to a quick and satisfactory resolution of the lawsuit," said CamelBak CEO Sally McCoy.

Tom Barney, CEO of Osprey Packs, said, "We are happy to have this matter settled and for both companies to be able to focus on the future." 

FAIRFAX, Calif. (BRAIN) — The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame has announced nominees for this year's induction into the hall. Members of the hall can now vote for their choices; votes will be accepted until Aug. 12.

The Induction Ceremony will be held at the Interbike Expo in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The nominees are:

• Josh Bender
• Glen Jacobs
• Horst Leitner
• North Shore Trail Builders
• Uli Stanciu
• Roman Urbina

More information: mmbhof.org.

HELSINKI (BRAIN) — Mavic sales were up 3 percent globally in the first half of this year, as its parent company Amer Sports Corporation recorded a net sales increase of 9 percent, to 461.1 million euros ($509 million). 

Mavic's sales totaled 72.1 million euros in the first half, up from 70.1 million in the same period last year. In the second quarter, April through June, Mavic sales were 31.7 million euros, up form 31.1 million euros last year. The company said rider equipment (apparel, helmets and footwear including pedals) grew by 11 percent in the second quarter; it did not break out sales in other categories for Mavic. 

The Finland-based Amer, which owns Mavic and several other outdoors sports brands, also announced the acquisition of Queenax, a functional fitness training brand that will join Precor in Amer's Sports Fitness business segment. Precor had previously distributed Queenax equipment in North America. Amer did not disclose the purchase price for the Italy-based company.

According to a half-year interim report released Wednesday, the 9 percent sales increase in the first half was in local currencies and includes sales from Louisville Slugger, which Amer purchased during the period. Excluding Slugger sales, Amer sales were still up 7 percent. Gross margin also was up, from 43.9 percent to 44.1 percent.

"We continued to deliver broad-based organic growth in the second quarter, driven by our strategic growth areas. We also continued to drive profit improvement especially in Ball Sports where our mix kept shifting toward higher margin items such as performance tennis rackets showing strong topline momentum," said Heikki Takala, Amer's president and CEO.

"On top of driving organic growth, we have this year concluded the acquisition of Louisville Slugger for baseball acceleration, and Sports Tracker for building a scalable Amer Sports online sports service. In addition, we just acquired Queenax, a functional training systems provider, to close a gap in our Fitness offering versus an important consumer trend. These acquisitions follow our strategic priorities, providing us platforms for further acceleration. Acceleration continues to be the name of the game, as we see our strategies working as planned and we can continue to execute with confidence."

Amer will hold an investor conference call regarding its interim report later Wednesday. 

More information: Full interim report. 

WILTON, Conn. (BRAIN) — Dorel Sports has appointed James Hamilton, based in the company's Frome, U.K. office, as its global marketing manager, for parts and accessories in its Cycling Sports Group.

Dorel has also hired  James LaLonde as global marketing manager for the Cannondale road bike business. LaLonde is based at the company's Wilton, Conn., office.

Hamilton will focus on developing CSG's new Fabric parts and accessories brand and growing the existing Cannondale and GT parts & accessories lines. LaLonde will lead the development of globally integrated marketing campaigns for Cannondale road bicycles and work with regional marketing teams to support teams and athletes.

"Dorel Sports continues to invest in our sales and marketing teams, with the marketing of our hi-performance bikes, parts and accessories to riders around the world as a key priority," said Brian Immel, Dorel's vice president of global marketing for CSG.  "I'm thrilled to welcome James Hamilton and James LaLonde to the Dorel Sports' Cycling Sports Group marketing team during this exciting time for the business."

Hamilton previously worked at SignalYard Sports Marketing and Future Publishing, where he managed Triathlon Plus, What Mountain Bike, triradar.com and Urban Cyclist. LaLonde comes to Dorel Sports from True Communications where he was a brand marketing and media relations consultant. He previously worked for two New York-based public relations agencies focused on fashion and also held roles in road sports marketing and public relations at SRAM.

KOBLENZ, Germany (BRAIN) — Canyon Bicycles is opening an office in Melbourne and will soon begin consumer-direct sales in Australia and New Zealand. The company said it would assemble bikes at its German headquarters and ship directly from there to consumers Down Under.

The Melbourne office will provide support to customers in the region, from service queries to buying advice, in addition to representing Canyon at events.

“We have been eyeing up Australia and New Zealand for a number of years and are now prepared for market entry," said Canyon’s head of business development & business intelligence, Ward Grootjans. "These two markets have great potential but require a different approach due to the physical distance away from our base in Germany. When visiting Australia a few months ago I was taken aback by how large and engaged the cycling community is. Talking to riders over there it was clear that Canyon will be most welcome," he said

EMMAUS, Pa. (BRAIN) — Bicycling magazine is working with Chef'd, a gourmet meal kit delivery service, to offer a selection of branded a la carte meals geared especially for cyclists. The recipe kits were created under the direction of the Bicycling editorial staff.

"As cyclists ourselves, we know that good food is one of the cornerstones of a healthy, happy, energetic life. That's why for more than 50 years, Bicycling has worked with top chefs and expert nutritionists to bring our millions of readers recipes that are easy to prepare, nutritious, and so delicious you want to make them again and again," said editor-in-chief Bill Strickland.

"Every meal here was developed by acclaimed chefs, tested by our food editors, and — most important — also proved to be hugely popular by our readers. Each contains only fresh, unprocessed ingredients and takes 30 minutes or less to prepare, so you can spend more time doing what you enjoy."

Featured meals include: Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Mint, Pork Tenderloin with Brown Rice, Spaghetti and Basil Pesto with Red Potatoes and Green Beans, Szechuan Beef Tenderloin, and Turkey Burgers with Oven Baked Herb Fries.

All Chef'd offerings are available for delivery within one-to-two days of placing an order as late as 6 pm EST, five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday. Each insulated box includes ingredients for two or four diners, a step-by-step recipe card with visuals, calorie information, spice level, common allergens, and a suggestion for the perfect beer or wine pairing.

Dinners for two range from $24-$28; dinners for four sell for $35-$45.

For more information visit chefd.com/collections/bicycling.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. (BRAIN) — Oakley Inc. is laying off 167 employees in Southern California, including 137 at its Foothill Ranch headquarters, according to a filing with the California Employment Development Department, as parent company Luxottica Group of Italy continues to integrate the sunglass and apparel brand into its global business.

The layoffs, which also include 22 in Lake Forest and eight in Encinitas, are effictive on various dates starting Sept. 15, according to Oakley's state filing. Some of the cuts don't go into effect until the end of June 2016.

Colin Baden, formerly Oakley's CEO, has been shifted to the position of chief innovation and product officer, with former Luxottica executive Andrea Dorigo taking over as Oakley sports division president based in Foothill Ranch, a company spokesperson said.

Milan-based Luxottica acquired Oakley in 2007 for $2.1 billion. During the first quarter of this year, Luxottica began reorganizing the production systems and sales operations of Oakley to give the brand the same organizational structure as the rest of the company.

In a media statement this week, Luxottica said that the integration will allow Oakley "to better leverage on Luxottica's strengths in everything from commercial expertise to supply chain and logistics. We see huge potential for Oakley in the future. This move, in essence a relaunch of the brand with greater resources behind it, will accelerate growth and position the brand for opportunities ahead.

"As a result of the integration, some areas of the Oakley business will see an impact, primarily small pockets of the business where there is duplication of resources or projects. Preserving Oakley's unique DNA, which has made it an iconic leader in sports, will be a priority. Consumer-facing functions like product, manufacturing and marketing will continue to shape the brand from Foothill Ranch, Calif."

During the company's second-quarter earnings call this week, Massimo Vian, CEO for products and operations, described several milestones for the Oakley integration, including "eliminating key positions in Oakley's structure from the CEO position to the global sales channel's position, global wholesale, global retail, global product development for Oakley."

As of Oct. 1, all back-office functions and infrastructure for North America — including IT, administration and sales operations — will go through Luxottica's wholesale facility in New York and its distribution center in Atlanta, Vian added.

Luxottica has also closed Oakley's European headquarters in Zurich and consolidated personnel at its offices in Milan, London and the Belluno area of Northern Italy. In total, some 400 positions — including vacant posts — have been eliminated globally, the Luxottica spokesperson confirmed.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — While women's specific bike, accessory and apparel sales are trending upward, there is still a big opportunity to grow.

That's according to data presented during a webinar hosted by the Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition Wednesday. Julia Day, the executive director of NPD Group's Sports and Leisure Trends Division, told attendees that cycling industry sales totaled $3.3 billion a 12-month period ending May 2015, with sales of women's-specific products totaling $468 million, or 14 percent, up 5.1 percent over the same period ending May 2014.

The webinar, entitled "The Women's Market: Women's Sales in the Outdoor, Run/Fitness and Cycling Markets," highlighted trends driving specialty retail, keying in on POS and consumer data collected in the U.S.

The POS data collected from NPD's IBD partners includes only women's-specific product sold, not total purchases made by female customers.

"If a woman purchases a men's Giant bike model instead of a women's-specific model, we can't see that," Day said. "We can only denote if the bike is women's specific."

Areas of growth in women's-specific bike sales over a 12-month period ending May 2015 include:

• Hybrid bikes: $121.6 million, up 10.6 percent
• Comfort bikes: $35.4 million, up 24.3 percent
• Full suspension mountain bikes: $21.1 million, up 24.4 percent
• Cruiser/classic bikes: $18.8 million, up 10.8 percent
• Commuter/town bikes: $14.9 million, up 47.9 percent

Some women's-specific categories that showed a decline in sales over the same 12-month period ending May 2015 include:

• Performance road bikes: $109.1 million, down 3.8 percent
• Cycling shoes: $17.8 million, down 6.5 percent
• Gloves: $8.2 million, down 4.4 percent
• Performance saddles: $4.6 million, down 5.5 percent