News

Posted April 12, 2019
The Berd spokes work with hubs designed for J-bend or straight-pull metal spokes.

MINNEAPOLIS — Polyethylene spokes from Berd LLC can shave up to 200 grams from a wheel while offering an improved fatigue life compared to metal spokes. The company's technology has caught the eye of weight weenies and the National Science Foundation, which awarded Berd a $225,000 grant last year.

Posted April 11, 2019

Editor's note: At a session Thursday monring at the Bicycle Leadership Conference in Monterey, California, leaders of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and PeopleForBikes explained their plan to merge the organizations. Andre Shoumatoff, the former owner of a bike retail business in Utah, read the following letter at the session.

Posted April 11, 2019

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — SRAM has acquired the PowerTap line of bicycle power meters from Saris. The product line includes the PowerTap P2 Pedal power meters and the PowerTap G3 Hub power meter line. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

Posted April 11, 2019

ST. PAUL, Minn. (BRAIN) — While the rest of the industry battles over market share in the enthusiast market, Midway Bicycle Supply is finding growth providing parts and accessories to nonprofit shops and other programs that serve consumers in need of lower-priced bikes. Those operations, as well as some mobile service and service-only shops, often can’t establish accounts with larger distributors.

Posted April 11, 2019
Spinlister’s kiosk bike rental system works with nearly any iOS tablet.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Spinlister, which started as a peer-to-peer bike-share platform in 2012, has been reborn with technology that can help IBDs dip a toe into the micromobility boom.

Posted April 10, 2019

DEL MAR, Calif. (BRAIN) — The industry is moving ever closer to a long-held goal of creating a standardized mechanic certification.

Posted April 10, 2019
Proposed bills across the U.S. would put bicycles and e-bikes on the same legal footing as the micromobility devices.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Cycling advocates are casting a wary eye on bills pending in several statehouses that seek to legalize electric scooters. Their concerns aren't with e-scooters as such, but with the scooter industry's attempts to classify them as legally identical to bikes or electric bikes.

Posted April 9, 2019

SEATTLE (BRAIN) — REI Co-op had record sales in 2018 of $2.78 billion, up 6 percent over the prior year. The co-op also said it added more than 1 million new members last year, bringing its total membership to 18 million.

Posted April 9, 2019

MISSOULA, Mont. (BRAIN) — Adventure Cycling Association announced Tuesday that Jim Sayer will step down as executive director by the end of 2019, after 15 years at the helm. Sayer will stay on as the organization’s leader until a successor is found. The search for a new leader will formally launch in May.

Posted April 9, 2019

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (BRAIN) — It's a frequent, obvious, and frustrating question from anyone trying to get a handle on our industry: "Just how many bike shops are there in the U.S.? And how fast is that number shrinking?"

Posted April 9, 2019

There’s indication - and we don’t blame you if you are skeptical - that the number is increasing.

Posted April 8, 2019

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Tire maker Challenge is holding a roundtable event Thursday during the Sea Otter Classic to discuss development in the ISO and ETRTO rim and tire standards. 

Posted April 8, 2019

DURHAM, N.C. (BRAIN) — A committee of unsecured debtors — whose members include a long list of bicycle suppliers owed millions by the bankrupt former owner of Performance Bicycle and ASI — is suing some of the companies that hold preferential positions in a bid to increase the amount of debt they are ultimately able to recover.

Pages