Hawley adds account manager • Bianchi strengthens Southeastern presence • Smith Optics signs with Bike Coop • Lyman PR to represent Hincapie Sportswear • Five Boro Tour opts for lottery registration • Florida Tour supports non-profit
LEXINGTON, SC (BRAIN)—Hawley has hired a veteran sales rep as an account manager for eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The addition gives Hawley a total of 18 outside reps.
Rick Mitchell has more than 35 years' experience in sales, forecasting, and purchasing. He has been with Raleigh America the last 15 years and has more than 10 years of bicycle retail experience.
Bianchi expands rep presence in Southeast, supplies regional race team
HAYWARD, CA (BRAIN)—Bianchi has added a new sales rep in the Southeast and is now supplying a regional road racing team in the part of the country.
Scott Hanson will cover Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, western Louisianna and southern Tennessee. GA, AL, MS, W. La, and So. TN. “In a short time, Scott has made an impact with his accessory lines, and we’re excited to have him represent our bikes” says Bianchi national sales manager Jim Stevenson.
In a related move, Bianchi has partnered with the Herring Gas Cycling Team as official bike supplier. The team will be racing Bianchi’s Sempre Nero equipped with SRAM Red components.
“Being from the South myself, it’s an area that I really look forward to working with more,” said Stevenson. “It's especially cool how many people I grew up with riding and racing are now guys who own their own bike shops.”
Smith Optics signs with Bike Cooperative
MANCHESTER, NH (BRAIN)—Eyewear supplier Smith Optics has signed on as a Preferred Supplier to The Bike Cooperative. Members of the cooperative can now earn rebates on purchases of Smith Optics (and sister brand Suncloud) sunglasses.
“They are a brand with great visibility that is committed to the independent bike retailer, so we are very excited to have them on board as a supplier partner,” said Nat McAllister, the co-op’s director of supplier relations.
Hincapie signs with Lyman PR
GREENVILLE, SC (BRAIN) — Hincapie Sportswear has selected San Francisco-based Lyman Public Relations as its agency of record.
Lyman will represent Hincapie in the cycling and sports media while looking to extend the brand to reach active lifestyle consumers. Lyman also will assist with communications for the new BMC-Hincapie development team.
Five Boro Tour opts for lottery registration
NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—The Five Boro Bike Tour, billed as the largest bike tour in the country, is adopting a lottery registration this year, organizers announced Wednesday.
The lottery will open January 17 at 10 am and close February 7 at 5pm. The 40-mile ride attracts 32,000 cyclists ; major sponsors include TD Bank and Eastern Mountain Sports.
Last year the event filled up in 24 hours.
Once the lottery opens, prospective riders can register in groups of up to four. After the lottery closes, they will be notified by March 1 whether they were selected and given a week to complete their registration.
Florida's Forgotten Coast Tour supports bike safety non-profit
TALLAHASSEE, FL (BRAIN)—Bike Florida's 19th annual spring fundraising ride, the Forgotten Coast Tour, will be held March 24-30. The 295-mile bike ride will begin and end in Tallahassee, with stops in Quincy, Wewahitchka, Apalachicola and Sopchoppy.
Registration for the event is now open at BikeFlorida.org. Registration supports that organization's bike safety education programs.
New ride director Ken Foster said the event can boost local economies along the route. “We love to show off little-known Florida,” said Foster. “Bikes and back roads go together. For some of our towns, 500 to 600 riders in a day can boost an entire month’s economy.”
Regular updates on the tour can be found at BikeFlorida.org.
