MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — The Sea Otter Classic opened Thursday with an expo that includes more than 500 booths representing nearly 900 brands and covering 165,000 square feet of space at Laguna Seca Raceway.

Look for in-depth coverage in Bicycle Retailer's May 15 issue, and in the meantime, here's a sampling of what we saw on Sea Otter's opening day:

Gazelle

Holland's Gazelle is showing its newest commuter e-bike models at Sea Otter this year. The 125-year old brand has a long history of manufacturing utilitarian bicycles, and the CityZen is designed with transportation in mind.

"At Gazelle, we aren't trying to do everything. But we focus on car replacement, and this is your go-everywhere bike," said Sarah Hansing, a Gazelle customer service representative who works out of the company's office in Santa Cruz, California.

The high-speed pedelec CityZen Speed tops out at 28 miles per hour, powered by Bosch's Performance Speed motor and 500 watt-hour, in-tube battery with a 40 to 85-mile range. Hansing also said it will be one of the first bikes available with Bosch's Powertube battery.

The CityZen is powered by Bosch's Performance electric drive, with a 500 watt-hour downtube battery with a range of 40 to 100 miles.

Both CityZen models have integrated lights, racks, fenders and locks, Shimano disc brakes and Shimano Deore T10 hubs. The CityZen Speed will be available in late June in three sizes, retailing for $4,299. The CityZen will also land in late June in two sizes, for $2,999.

 BMC

BMC returned to Sea Otter for the first time in several years to showcase the Trailfox AMP and Speedfox AMP e-mountain bikes. The Swiss company launched the AMP models in the European market last year, and brought them to North America earlier this month. Both models are powered by Shimano's latest STEPS electric motor, and retain many of the ride characteristics of the original Speedfox and Trailfox.

"The bottom brackets a bit higher on the AMP models compared to the pedal bikes, and that's due to the e-system," said BMC USA's Dan Breyer. "But the geometry is very similar and the AMP is still deserving of the Trailfox and Speedfox names."

The Speedfox AMP is available in two builds with a carbon front triangle, 29-inch wheels and 130 millimeters of travel, starting at $5,799.

The Trailfox AMP is built on 27.5-plus wheels with a carbon front triangle and 150 millimeters of travel. It will retail for $7,499.

Maloja 

Set up in a cozy white canvas tent with a welcoming seating area, Maloja is showing off its Alpan Way active, outdoor and lifestyle clothing collection, including road and mountain bike shorts, jerseys, jackets and pants for men and women. The company, which has sold in some retail shops in the U.S. for a few years, is expanding its reach by attending more events like Sea Otter, and working with Lake Tahoe-based sales rep Adrienne Evans.

"We've already gained more traction in the U.S., and this winter we an 80 percent increase," said Maloja's Landon Sterling, who handles the company's U.S. and Canadian markets. "We've also gotten a lot of new dealers with Adrienne knocking on doors and finding the right dealers who want to work with us."

Maloja's Alpan Way line features a mix of japanese and Bavarian cultures, with a minimalist design married with the all-over print that characterizes Bavarian design. Maloja introduces two collections per year, each with a different theme. Most of the company's apparel is made at its factory in Bulgaria, which employs 300 people. Forty employees work out of Maloja's headquarters in Rimsting, Germany, with about half focusing on design and production.

Maloja sells dealer direct in the U.S. and Canada and has a warehouse in Los Angeles and Kamloops, British Columbia. It also has three flagship stores in Germany and one in South Korea, and works with a number of teams in Europe. Maloja recently became a sponsor of the U.S. national biathlon team.

IRC

Fresh off the first year of its two-year commitment as official tire sponsor of popular San Diego County gravel event the Belgian Waffle Ride, IRC is at Sea Otter showing prototypes of its first road-plus tire, the Boken Plus. The name comes from IRC's Boken 700c 'cross and gravel tire, which is Japanese for "a very utilitarian sword," said Bruno Suttles, sales and marketing manager for IRC Tire USA.

The tread pattern is adapted from a fast-rolling BMX tire the Japanese brand developed for BMX world champion Sam Willoughby, but with side blocks spread out and voided in the center to maximize grip. "It also has puncture protection on the sidewalls — of course everyone wants that in gravel so they don't cut it on the rocks," Suttles said.

But the fast-rolling smooth center tread won't penalize gravel riders when they transition from dirt to pavement, IRC says. 'It hooks up very nice, but you don't notice the difference between this and a road tire when you're on the road," said Kris Hull of Lift Creative Studios, IRC's creative and interactive agency based in Southern California.

The 650b tire will come in widths of 47c (575 grams) and 42c (weight to be determined) for around $70 starting in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Sage Titanium Bicycles

Based outside of Portland, Oregon, Sage is known for its beautifully handcrafted road, 'cross and gravel bikes. But owner David Rosen, a former Nike supply chain logistics analyst and longtime bike racer, took a while figuring out what his first mountain bike would be. A visit to Whistler Bike Park's legendary flow trails sorted the matter for him quickly.

However, the new Flow Motion hardtail, debuting this week at Sea Otter, is named for a trail closer to home at Oregon's Sandy Ridge Bike Park. "It's a poppy and fun trail, and that's what this bike is all about.," he said.

The Flow Motion accommodates 27.5-inch tires up to 2.8 inches and 29er treads as wide as 2.35 inches, has Boost spacing, and follows current trends toward long and low geometry. But one fashion Rosen passed on was increasingly steep seat angles that put the rider in a more aggressive descending position. "A lot of those bikes don't climb great," he said. "I'm a big believer in versatility."

The frame is made from 3/2.5 titanium, has internal dropper routing, is designed for forks from 120 to 150 millimeters, and will feature a bead-blasted finish (unlike the raw ti samples on display at Sea Otter). "For the customer we're serving, we want that refined look," Rosen said.

That customer will be willing to pony up $3,900 for the frame, or mid-$5,000s and up for a complete — and highly customizable— build.

"The beauty of titanium is that you'll have this bike for 20 years, and that's why I got into this," Rosen said.

Kona Bicycles

BRAIN reported last week that Kona would be raffling off an undisclosed new bike at Sea Otter to benefit two trail groups in areas affected by last year's California wildfires. That bike is front and center in the B.C. brand's booth: a complete version of its previously frame-only Honzo ST steel 29er all-mountain/trail hardtail. Boasting a mirror-like polished finish, the $2,299 bike will be available this summer with a SRAM NX 11-speed drivetrain, RockShox Revelation fork, SRAM Level T brakes and TranzX dropper post.

Kona is also showing its new carbon Operator CR DH bike compatible with both 27.5- and 29-inch wheels, which Australian Connor Fearon is racing in both configurations this season, said Matt Lereau, Kona design engineer. Available this summer (price to be determined), the Operator CR features adjustable chainstays and a new reach adjustment system consisting of two oval chips that ajust fore and aft.

For the rider who's gotta have carbon, Kona is also displaying the new Process 153 CR long-travel 29er and Big Honzo CR DL 27.5-plus hardtail, both available this summer at MSRPs yet to be determined.

Looking for a little help up the trail? The new Remote Ctrl is Kona's first full-suspension e-MTB. The 27.5-plus bike features a Bosch's mid-drive motor and its new Powertube battery integrated in the downtube. It's on display in a pre-production spec and will be available this summer at a price still to be determined.

SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — BMC Switzerland has hired Ryan Cleek as the North American marketing manager. Cleek brings nearly 20 years of media production and marketing experience to his role at BMC.

Prior to joining the Swiss brand, Ryan was an editor (writer and photographer) at Mountain Bike Action magazine, a creative content producer for Specialized Bicycles Global Marketing Division, and since 2014 has run his creative services company, LookAlive Productions, which produced award-winning feature-length films along with branded commercial marketing content. Additionally, since 2015 Cleek has been a contributing writer, video producer, and photographer for Bike magazine.

"We believe the North American market is a key growth area for BMC Switzerland," said David Votava, the managing director of BMC North America. "Ryan brings a deep knowledge of the cycling marketplace, along with an expertise in the mountain bike segment. We look forward to utilizing his diverse creative skillset to strengthen the brand culture and increase awareness among North American cyclists."

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Revelate Designs is showing the Vole, a bikepacking seat bag designed for use with dropper posts. The Vole is a mid-volume bag (6-7 liters) tailored for technical trail riding.

Like Revelate's Terrapin System 8L, the Vole features a new independent saddle rail attachment and active cam locking buckle system that give it excellent stability without external mounting hardware. The bag also features aluminum components in key places for strength, composite internal stiffeners and external plastic bottom sheets for load transfer and protection.

Revelate owner and designer Eric Parsons said, "The Vole was really pushed forward by our ambassadors Kurt Refsnider and Kaitlyn Boyle, whose product testing and feedback after using the bag for ultra races was instrumental in its development. Additionally, as dropper posts have become standard on trail bikes I knew we needed to build a bag that would work well with modern bikes on technical trails without dumbing down components."

Revelate partnered with Wolf Tooth Components to supply the Valias clamp as an interface for the dropper stanchion. The Valias clamp provides a clean interface to the dropper post stanchion and also serves as a bail out device should a post fail on a remote backcountry trip.

The Vole will have an MSRP of $149. including the Valias clamp and is available in alpine and black camo versions. It will be available next month.

More information at revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags

SEDONA, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Magura USA has hired Daryl Roberts as its key accounts manager for Magura USA with a focus on the Lightweight brand.

Roberts was most recently product manager and U.S. sales and operations manager for Voodoo Cycles.

"We've known Daryl for many years now and his passion and enthusiasm for not only our brand but for cycling is a great compliment to our team," said Jeff Enlow, Magura USA's president.

Roberts said, "It would be anybody's dream to work for products they believe in and I'm happy to say this is the case with me and the Magura and Lightweight brands."

Roberts will travel from his homebase in Sedona, Arizona, to visit key dealers, events and shows primarily representing the high-end road cycling brand, Lightweight, which is distributed by Magura USA in North America.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Each edition of the Ben & Bikes podcast will now feature a segment produced by PeopleForBikes, called "Surprising Bike Legislation."

The popular bike podcast, which has new issues every two weeks, is hosted by Ben Lockett. The PeopleForBikes segments will highlight a current legislative issue and how to get involved. The first segment looks at Iowa lawmakers' push to require bike riders to wear high-visibility clothing. The podcast will publish on Saturday. 

More information on the podcast at BenandBikes.com.

The first segment on the Iowa legislation is also available for preview, below:

MONTEREY, Calif. (USA) — SRAM's Quarq division has launched a wireless tire pressure gauge, which stays on the valve stem and communicates to a phone app or head unit.

The Quarq TyreWiz will be available June 1 on Quarq.com; a two-sensor package will retail for $199.

"Tire choice and tire pressure are the most underrated factors in cycling performance and comfort today," said Jim Meyer, the founder of Quarq. "Riders have more choices than ever when it comes to tire and rim design. There's a challenge in finding the right combination of those things, and we're making those choices based on gauge technology that hasn't changed much since the 19th century. Real-time tire pressure monitoring technology isn't new, and we believe it should be on every bicycle to make the riding experience better."

Once installed, TyreWiz relays tire pressure data to a cycling computer or a smartphone every second using an NFC, ANT+ or Bluetooth LE connection. The TyreWiz app provides personalized recommendations and pressure alerts. 

TyreWiz is durable, waterproof, powered by a user-replaceable CR1632 cell battery, and adds 10 grams per sensor. The unit is compatible with removable Presta core valves in tube or tubeless tires, including those with sealant.

Accuracy is claimed to be +/- 2 percent, with 0.1 PSI resolution.

More information: quarq.com/product/quarq-tyrewiz.

MILAN (BRAIN) — Pirelli will provide its PZero Velo tires for all Pinarello's Dogma F10 bicycles this season.

"It is with the greatest pleasure that we announce this OEM agreement with one of the world's most prestigious bike makers," said Antonella Lauriola, COO of the Velo Pirelli business unit. "Pirelli has always been the partner of choice for the best, and this partnership with Pinarello makes us proud!"

Fausto Pinarello, the president and CEO of Pinarello, said, "The tires are the final and pivotal link between the bike and the asphalted surfac e... fitting the wrong tires amounts to nullifying our work and compromising the performance of our bikes. ... Pirelli PZero is an extraordinary name on the world scene of tires, nevertheless we had to make sure that their work and their product was right for our Dogma F10. Today we announce this partnership with the certainty that we have equipped our Dogma F10 bikes with the best tires currently available on the market."

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — USA Cycling and the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame have announced a new agreement that will include sharing elements of the Hall's historic content with USA Cycling's membership base, collaborating to expand the number of participants who nominate and select Hall of Fame members, and engaging USA Cycling's community in fundraising to support the Hall of Fame. 

Longer-term, both USA Cycling and U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame have a goal of periodically holding the Hall's annual induction ceremony in communities across the country and displaying portions of the memorabilia collection at cycling events. The Hall is in Davis, California.

"Educating current competitors and cycling fans of the traditions, stories, and past heroes of competitive cycling in the U.S. is sure to enrich their love and understanding of our sport," said Derek Bouchard-Hall, USA Cycling's president and CEO. "The United States has played an enormous and fundamental role in the development of competitive cycling, and for over a century has produced globally significant cycling champions. We are pleased to work with the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame to ensure these stories are kept alive and inspire generations to come."

The Hall recognizes past competitors and contributors to the sport in all disciplines, including road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. Its museum contains an extensive display of antique and contemporary bicycles to illustrate the evolution of the sport and its machines, along with artifacts from many inductees and time periods.

"Given that the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame recognizes and honors the very constituents served by USA Cycling, we are so excited by this emerging affiliation," said Bob Bowen, the president of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. "The story of cycling is very much intertwined with our country's development over the last 150 years."

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the Class of 2018 through April 30. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The International Mountain Bicycling Association has declared the first Saturday in May as International Women's Mountain Biking Day.

The first edition, May 5, is being promoted by IMBA and SRAM, PeopleForBikes, Rebecca Rusch and others.

The idea for the day came out of IMBA's first-ever women's conference, held this March in Bentonville, AR.

Attendees were encouraged to share their best ideas for engaging more women in mountain biking. Andree Sanders of Trips for Kids Metro New York, came up with the idea for the day, which was chosen as the best out of nearly 100 suggestions and won Sanders a SRAM GX Eagle Group.

"Engaging your community, getting more people riding and making a difference doesn't require a big, formal plan," said Aimee Ross, IMBA's brand director. "Action of any kind can lead to inspiration, motivation and even more action. You can get started on the path to more women on bikes or making where you live better for mountain biking by just going for it and doing something."

The organization said the women's day is similar to its Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, which has been promoted for 14 years and has been celebrated by more than 100,000 people worldwide. International Women's Mountain Biking Day will be largely social-media driven. Local organizations and individuals are encouraged to use the day as a driver for grassroots engagement, festivals, rides, awareness campaigns and other activities to both celebrate and encourage women mountain biking.

Participants are encouraged to share their stories by sending them to mountainbiker@imba.com and to use #womensmtbday and tag @imba_us on social media. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — VeloNews will release the Official Guide to the Tour de France in early June.

VeloNews has an exclusive North American agreement with race owner Amaury Sport Organization, allowing it to offer exclusive content not available to other North American outlets. Subscribers will receive the Official Tour de France Guide on June 1 and it will release on newsstands on June 12. Advertising space closes May 3.

The guide will include analysis, previews of the teams and top riders, tech reports on rider and team equipment choices for key stages, overviews of bikes and gear, as well as the official course maps, stage-by-stage profiles, timetables, and predictions for stage winners and the overall winner.

"The Tour de France Guide makes watching the race even more suspenseful and fun," said Fred Dreier, the editor-in-chief of VeloNews. "Our rider profiles and rankings, gear and tech coverage, and expectations for each stage deepen a viewer's appreciation for the racing as it unfolds each day. The guide is so essential, our own staff uses it every day during the Tour."

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme said, "My colleagues in North America tell me the VeloNews Official Tour de France Guide is their constant companion each July. It's hard to imagine watching a single stage without referencing this indispensable resource. All those who wish to reach cycling fans must be in the Official Guide to the Tour de France."

For information on advertising, contact VeloNews' publisher, Mark Gouge, at mgouge@pocketoutdoormedia.com or 303-385-7755.

OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano said a mild economic expansion in Europe, a buoyant labor market in North America, and a moderate recovery Japan contributed to a 5.1 percent net sales increase in its bicycle division in the opening quarter of 2018, compared to the same period last year.

The bike division notched sales of 68 billion yen ($626 million) in the quarter. Operating income for the division increased 5.5 percent over the prior year, to 14.8 billion yen. 

"In the U.S., consumer sentiment was strong, driven by the buoyant labor market, and business conditions turned firmer, mainly in the manufacturing sector," the company said in its quarterly report Tuesday. "In North America, although retail sales of complete bicycles were sluggish at the beginning of the year, distributor inventories maintained an appropriate level."

Shimano said sales of complete bikes in Europe — mainly e-bikes — have been robust since the start of the second half of last year. It noted its STEPS E8000 e-bike drive system and its updated Ultegra Di2 disc brake groups were well received. 

Across the company, Shimano saw a 13.2 percent increase in net sales in its fishing division, where sales totaled 17 billion yen. Companywide sales were up 6.7 percent to 85 billion yen, while operating income climbed 10.9 percent to 16.9 billion yen. 

The strong start to 2018 followed a solid 2017, when sales were up 4.1 percent for the full year. 

MANNING, S.C. (BRAIN) — Kent International is bringing back the Univega brand, once a bike shop mainstay. The company will roll out a new line of Univega bikes — all made in the U.S. — at Interbike in Reno, Nevada, this fall, with price points from $200 to $800. The line will be sold exclusively by IBDs. 

Kent purchased the trademark and intellectual properties for the U.S. from David Menahem, who is the brother-in-law of Ben Lawee, Univega's founder. Univega Germany is a separate entity and it still owns the trademark for Europe and Canada. It is unaffected by this purchase.

All Univega bicycles will be produced at the Bicycle Corporation of America factory in Manning, South Carolina.

"Making Univega in Manning is a great way to differentiate the brand, and a good story for retailers to tell," said Arnold Kamler, Kent International's CEO.

"It used to be when I showed up at bike shows with my Kent badge no one wanted anything to do with a company that sold to Walmart. Since we started making bikes in South Carolina all that has changed: dealers thank me for bringing bike making back to the U.S. and being able to sell a USA bike is a plus," he added.

Lawlee started Univega in the 70s and the trademarks and intellectual property were purchased in 2010 by David Menahem who had been selling Univega bikes into IBDs in limited numbers until he decided to sell the brand to Kent.

"For consumers that find an entry level bike from the major brands priced out of their reach, dealers can now offer them a Univega made in South Carolina. An affordable bike and the made-in-America value will be attractive to buyers in this price point," Kamler added.

Huffy recently announced its IBD brand, Batch, which the company also will reveal at Interbike in Reno. Batch is targeting the same price points as Univega.

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Preliminary figures from organizers of the Sea Otter Classic show that the festival brought in a record 74,000 attendees, 8,500 campers and 9,800 athletes over four days of racing, a busy industry expo, bike demos, gran fondos, cycling tours and other associated events.

Friday and Saturday were exceptionally busy at Laguna Seca Raceway, according to Sea Otter president and CEO Frank Yohannan. 

“One of the ways we gauge attendance on Saturday is how much and how quickly we fill up our parking, and it filled up very quickly and exceeded any parking we’ve ever done in the past,” he said.

Sea Otter sold out of expo space this year (its 28th edition), with more than 500 exhibitors representing some 900 brands, up about 15 percent from last year. Over the past five years, exhibitor count has grown a compounded 45 to 47 percent, Yohannan said. 

This year’s strong expo registration presented challenges for organizers to accommodate all the exhibitors in the existing venue.

“We got real creative how we use the space in front of the beer garden, and we added more space on the perimeter of the lake-bed area where usually there would be a grass strip. We got some additional booths located in there. We removed the bouncy houses that used to be in the center of the grass pods and dropped more exhibitors in there. So collectively, when we added some more spots around everywhere it gave us room to grow,” Yohannan said.

Based on conversations with current and prospective exhibitors at this year’s event, Yohannan expects the expo to grow to 550 or more exhibitors in 2019, necessitating additional expo space. 

“Where we’re going to be able to accommodate additional exhibitors is in areas that Monterey County is improving within the facility. The county is going in over the next couple weeks and stripping out damaged parking areas, getting rid of some trees, opening up a lot of the lake bed and paving it in and putting in new infrastructure for water and power. That’s going to give us much more pavement space for exhibitors. So I’m very optimistic about the growth,” he said. 

For more on Sea Otter, including plans for expo expansion, see the upcoming May 15 print edition of Bicycle Retailer.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Interbike show director Pat Hus has left Emerald Expositions, the show's parent company; PR director Justin Gottlieb has been promoted to interim show director, the company announced Tuesday. Hus had been at the helm of Interbike since 2011.

Hus is an industry veteran. Before joining Interbike as managing director in June 2011, he worked for Easton Bell Sports, Titus Cycles and Cannondale.

Gottlieb joined Emerald in 2012 and has been serving as communications and PR director for Interbike and corporate communications director for Emerald Expositions. In addition to his involvement in strategy development on Interbike, Gottlieb also managed Interbike features and activations, retail education development, and projects such as the Interbike Mechanics Challenge.

"Justin has an intimate knowledge of the cycling industry having worked in the space for over 20 years, and has been a senior part of the Interbike team for six years," said Darrell Denny, executive vice president at Emerald Expositions, Interbike's owner.

"He has a broad range of successful experience in bicycle retail, wholesale and at the brand level and has been an integral leader at Interbike. Justin is known, respected and excited to be leading our team going forward."

"I and my colleagues thank Pat for his great work on Interbike and wish him the best in his future endeavors," Denny said in a news release.

Gottlieb worked in cycling retail, wholesale and events before Interbike. He earned a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of Florida, where he was a member of the cycling team. He later earned an MBA from Averett University.

Denny said Gottlieb will add several new staff to the Interbike team to increase marketing, communications and retail relations.

Interbike in 2018 has moved from its longtime home in Las Vegas to the Reno-Tahoe area and expanded its format to become Interbike Marketweek. The show will begin with a consumer festival with demos starting on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Northstar California Resort. The Northstar Free-Ride Festival will continue Sunday, Sept. 16, through midday, but will transition to Interbike Outdoor Demo that afternoon. Outdoor Demo will be open only to the trade Monday, Sept. 17.

The indoor show will take place Tuesday, Sept. 18, through Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

BOSTON (BRAIN) — Dan Houston, who owns three stores with three different names in the Boston area, is bringing them all under the Papa Wheelies brand, first used on his store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Houston's Back Bay Bicycles store in Boston will be rebranded as Papa Wheelies Back Bay. The city location dates to 1992.

Houston's newest shop, in Natick, Massachusetts, launched as Boston Bicycles last summer. It will soon be called Papa Wheelies Natick. The Natick store is located in a former Cannondale Sports location. Last year CSG ceased operations of their Cannondale Sports stores and Houston acquired the remaining inventory and fixtures, which he distributed among his three locations.

Papa Wheelies Natick sells Cannondale, Giant, Liv, and Salsa bikes, and has a full-service shop and Guru Dynamic Fit System studio.

The Portsmouth store also has added a Guru Fit studio, and carries Specialized, BMC, and Santa Cruz in addition to the brands at the Natick location.

The Back Bay location, which is on the corner of Commonwealth and Massachusetts Avenues, carries bikes from Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, Salsa, Dahon, Tribe, and other brands.

OREFIELD, Pa. (BRAIN) — Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion cyclist Marty Nothstein is seeking the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

Nothstein, 47, has been active in politics since 2015, when he won a seat on the Board of Commissioners of Lehigh County. He is now chairman of that board. He is also chairman of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, a velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.

Last year, he announced he was running for Congress in the state’s 15th Congressional District, but following the release of a new district map the state Supreme Court imposed on Feb. 19, he found himself in the newly drawn 7th District, and he quickly registered to run in that district. He has one Republican rival for the nomination, Dean Browning, who is a former Lehigh County commissioner. Six Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination in the May 15 primary.

According to his campaign website, Nothstein is a conservative Republican. He is pro life, supports ending Obamacare, defending the 2nd Amendment, increased border security and is calling for 8-year term limits for U.S. Congress.

"America is the land of limitless opportunity. However, too often, Washington fails us because career politicians are only looking out for themselves and their friends. Instead of tax reform and health care reform, we get gridlock and cronyism,” he said on the site. “That has to stop.”

Nothstein won his first world championship medal in 1993, when he took the silver in the keirin. He won a silver medal in the sprint in the 1996 Olympics and a gold in the event in 2000. He switched to domestic road racing in 2001, racing for the Mercury Viatel team and then the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team before retiring in 2006.

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — Hearst Magazines has taken a 25 percent stake in Gear Patrol, a "men's enthusiast media company" that operates partly on an affiliate e-commerce model. Last year Hearst bought Rodale, including its Bicycling magazine title.

Gear Patrol covers a variety of consumer goods, including bike gear and other sporting goods. According to a statement from Hearst on Wednesday morning, Gear Patrol "maintains a diverse revenue stream across advertising, branded content, commerce and events."

Many cycling websites, including Bicycling, have added affiliate marketing and e-commerce in recent years as an supplement to traditional display ads. Under the affiliate model, Gear Patrol articles include links that allow readers to purchase products from the supplier or another e-commerce site. Gear Patrol receives a cut of any sales made via that link. For example, an article about Yeti’s new SB100 model on the site includes a "Buy Now” link that leads to the Competitive Cyclist e-commerce site’s Yeti section. The Gear Patrol site also has its own store section and the company also publishes a print magazine.

“Gear Patrol adds power to our portfolio of men’s-focused brands, including Esquire and Men’s Health, as well as our enthusiast brands, Runner’s World and Bicycling,” said Hearst Magazines' president, David Carey. 

Gear Patrol's editor-in-chief and founder, Eric Yang, said, “Hearst is the home to so many legendary brands and to say that we are thrilled to be working with their team is an understatement ... This investment will further accelerate our vision to bring product journalism to enthusiasts, expand our in-house branded content production agency, Gear Patrol Studios, and further innovate our approach to commerce. We could not have found a better partner or champion of our team’s work.”

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — The Boogaloo eMTB Race Series presented by Troy Lee Designs and Bosch eBike Systems is expanded for 2018 with more race venues and race categories. 

The Series kicks off on May 12-13 at Vail Lake, a high-desert racing and camping resort near Temecula, California. The Vail Lake Boogaloo is run in conjunction with the SoCal Endurance Series.

The series then heads northward up to Big Bear, where Snow Summit Ski Resort will host its first-ever Boogaloo in conjunction with the popular Crafts & Cranks festival, July 28-29. The course at Snow Summit will be integrated into its famous downhill bike park, and promises steeper climbs and bigger drops.

After a brief summer hiatus, the Boogaloo resumes at Northern California downhill bike mecca Northstar California near North Lake Tahoe. This race will be paired with Interbike's Northstar Free-Ride Festival on Sept 15-16, preceding the Interbike Expo in nearby Reno.

One week later, just after the close of Interbike, the fourth and final Boogaloo heads south to Mammoth Mountain, in conjunction with the classic Kamikaze Bike Games on Sept 21-22. This will be Mammoth's third Boogaloo and the races will include a brand-new "eDuro"— electric Enduro mountain bike race — on Sunday, Sept. 23; the regular Boogaloo race is on the 22nd.

Each race features three classes: Pro class, "Race of Champions"-style Open Class, and a new "Youth" class for riders under 14. All races will be held on the Saturday afternoon of each Boogaloo weekend.

Racers and the general public will be able to demo a variety of Class 1 e-MTBs free all weekend long starting Saturday morning and ending Sunday afternoon, except during races.

Participating e-MTB brands include Bulls, Fantic, Focus, Giant, Haibike, Pivot, Raleigh Electric, Specialized and Trek, each featuring certified Class 1 electric drives from Bosch, Brose, Shimano and Yamaha.

Additional sponsors include Jaguar, PPG, Nature's Bakery, Transworld Motocross, Electric Bike Action, Magura and FlyRides.

More information and registration at www.tldboschboogaloo.com. 

CORTEZ, Colo. (BRAIN) — Osprey Packs has hired industry veteran Jack Gresmer as bike sales manager.

"I couldn't be more pleased to have Jack join the Osprey team," said Jeff Busic, Osprey's vice president of global sales. "Jack comes to Osprey with a strong history of building brands' relevance and position in the bike channel. I'm looking forward to working with Jack to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity before us as we launch our spring 2019 bike collection."

Gresmer most recently was sales director for Light & Motion, working within the California light manufacturer's cycling and dive channels around the globe. Prior to that, Gresmer held positions at NiteRider, Currie Tech and Pacific Cycle.

He begins work with Osprey this week and will based in the Chicago area.