Cycling News & Blog Articles

ARCATA, Calif. (BRAIN) — At least 15 bike shops in California have received emails and letters from a law firm threatening suits over their websites' compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and a California statute.

The law firm, representing a blind woman from California, said in the letters that it would seek statutory damages of $4,000 per violation, plus attorney fees and other costs. It said it was open to settlement negotiations if dealers responded before Aug. 14. Otherwise, it said, it plans to sue in a U.S. district court.

Such lawsuits have become increasingly common in recent years. While the ADA requires websites to be accessible by those with disabilities, such as blindness, there is no binding standard to determine accessibility. That opens the door to these kinds of suits, legal experts say.

In the past year, Haro Bicycles and Louis Garneau have each been hit with similar ADA compliance suits. Each of those suits was filed in New York federal courts and had different plaintiffs represented by different firms. Haro and Garneau each settled the cases on undisclosed terms.   

The California demand letters came from the Beverly Hills-based firm Canon Law. The firm said it is representing Xandra Krahe, a blind California resident. The firm did not respond to an email from BRAIN Thursday. 

BOULDER, Colo. (July 23, 2020) – Ride for Racial Justice today announces its second ride-event to rally support in the fight against systemic racism in the sport of cycling and beyond. The full-day event on August 2, 2020, seeks to engage in meaningful conversations and celebrate diversity through the freedom of the bicycle while raising funds for its mission. The August ride comes on the heels of the organization's inaugural Ride for Racial Justice rally that took place in June with over 150 passionate cyclists supporting its newly founded mission.

"The modern-day movement for racial justice has garnered national and international support through powerful protests and demonstrations", said Ride for Racial Justice co-founder, Marcus Robinson. "Yet now is the time for a strategic push for lasting change in cycling through our mission—changing social norms with government and industry policies while advocating for education and greater representation. Our Boulder event is our next key step as an organization to raise awareness and funds for our programming in what will be a monumental day."

Ride for Racial Justice was founded in June 2020 by longtime friends and cyclists Marcus Robinson and Neal Henderson. The organization focuses on ensuring access to resources, education, and community for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) cyclists and to dismantle systemic racism at its core. Ride for Racial Justice also seeks to enhance BIPOC leadership and infrastructure in cycling through public advocacy and brand lobbying so that all cyclists can feel safe when in the saddle.

The Ride for Racial Justice event will take place on a safely marked 10-mile route from 7 a.m-7 p.m. and will start and end at the Stazio Ballfields in Boulder. Participants are asked to wear a facial covering and bring a helmet. The ride will be dispersed, meaning cyclists can ride the route anytime throughout the day. A socially-distanced community rally, led by the organization's founders, will commence at 10 a.m. at the start line. These measures will collectively ensure the well-being of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is free to attend and participants are encouraged to donate to Ride for Racial Justice to help complete its process of filing for non-profit 501(c)3 status. Individuals can donate by securing their ticket at the event registration page, at the event itself, or by sending a donation via Venmo to @rideforracialjustice.

Editor's note: A version of this story ran in the July issue of BRAIN.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (BRAIN) — In the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a national discussion about the role of police departments in systemic racism, in the middle of an industry-wide debate about what some call the "abhorrent" misuse of police bikes at Black Lives Matter demonstrations ... Brandale Randolph, a Black entrepreneur and activist, is in the middle of trying to raise money to manufacture high-tech police bikes in the United States.

"(It) has put us in a VERY awkward position," Randolph told BRAIN recently.

Nevertheless, Randolph said interest in the bikes from 1854 Tech, his company, increased in recent weeks.

"The agencies I'm in contact with, who are waiting for our bike, are more interested now because of what's going on with new efforts to bridge public health services and law enforcement. That's something our bike can do," he said.

Editor's note: A version of this article ran in the July issue of BRAIN. This version has been updated with new quotes from Bosch and Aventon and the latest sales figures.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (BRAIN) — As the industry debates whether the pandemic-driven bike boom will end with a bust as supply dwindles, or reset as the new normal for years, consider one key difference between this boom and the early 1970s edition: This time we have e-bikes.

"We have a new asset at hand, which is the e-bike," said Ewoud van Leeuwen, the general manager of Gazelle North America.

E-bike sales boomed along with the rest of the bike categories since the pandemic lockdowns began in the U.S. in mid-March.

"For Gazelle, by the middle or end of March we came to a bit of a stop, but by the second week of April things started to get going again and then since then it hasn't stopped, it's only increased," van Leeuwen said.

New website feature aims to support and make folks feel welcome amidst the growing influx of new riders into the bike community.

MOAB, Utah (July 20, 2020) – Outerbike, the premier three-day experiential consumer event dedicated to helping mountain bikers find their perfect bike, announces an exciting new feature to the Outerbike website launching later this year, that will still help riders find their perfect bike, even when they can't do it in person. Outerbike's new website feature will utilize an interactive quiz to guide consumers towards the bike that's right for them. This coincides with the cancellation of the remaining three Outerbike events that were on the 2020 event calendar: South Lake Tahoe, Moab and Bentonville.

"The sad news is of course we're canceling the rest of this year's events, but the great news is the bike industry is booming! Pretty much every brand I speak with, sales are through the roof. This means more people are joining the cycling community and that's more people who can join us at future Outerbikes. And not just Outerbike's, but all types of cycling events, and that's a winning combination we can be excited about for 2021 and beyond", said Mark Sevenoff, co-founder of Outerbike. "Of course, COVID certainly played a part in our choice to cancel the rest of our 2020 events, however, we're excited about the opportunity to use this time to make some important changes to the Outerbike website—stand by for more news on this, and in the meantime if you need a break, small group Western Spirit bike trips are departing every week."

Cycling sales have seen a major boost during the pandemic as people look for safe ways to get outdoors and exercise, and the Outerbike team is dedicated to supporting this increase in new cyclists by welcoming them into the sport in a neutral, helpful and purely educational way. With the working title 'Your Friend in the Bike Business,' this new section of the Outerbike website will start with questions for the rider about their needs, hopes, and riding plans and will lead them to a group of bikes from Outerbike exhibitors created to meet those needs. Each bike model produced by a brand was designed with a certain rider in mind and this online tool will bridge the gap. The goal is to make sure all of these new cyclists feel welcome and provide them with a great tool for finding their next bike.

'Your Friend in the Bike Business' will connect consumers of all ability and experience levels to bikes brands like Yeti, Ibis, Canyon, Specialized, Pivot, Rocky Mountain, Alchemy, Fezzari, Esker and more.

GRENOBLE, France (BRAIN) — Fox Factory has removed itself from the bidding to acquire Mavic SAS, which is in receivership in France. However, about 13 other groups, including several with ties to the bike industry, have expressed interest in the company. On Thursday French judicial administrators in charge of the company reviewed their proposed plans.

In May, Mavic entered receivership, a status similar to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S., intended to help a company restructure debts while under management and protection of a trustee. One difference, at least in this case, is that in considering competing bids and plans the French commercial court places a priority on preserving jobs, while U.S. bankruptcy courts prioritize satisfying creditors.  

The French administrators are expected to announce a decision at the end of this month. Besides preserving jobs, the court is keen to hear plans for how potential owners would extricate Mavic from its former owner, Amer (which was acquired by a Chinese sports group last year). Mavic continues to share a building with Amer's Salomon brand near Annecy, and Mavic continues to pay Amer for production and services at Amer-owned facilities elsewhere in France and Eastern Europe. While Mavic has several hundred employees in France, it also indirectly supports scores of Amer employees.

Fox looked into acquiring the brand, Fox Factory's Chris Tutton confirmed to BRAIN.

"We did get into due diligence with Mavic but after a deep dive I have decided to pull our bid and remove Fox from the process," Tutton said. "That said, we are certainly looking to make acquisitions inside the bicycle industry if the fit is right for our brands."

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BRAIN) — If you have some time on your hands while sheltering in place (and perhaps a small machine shop and a supply of steel tubing in your shelter), this might be the time to brush up on your framebuilding skills. And who better to teach you than Paul Brodie, the founder of Brodie Bicycles, a multi-time award winner at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, and a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

Brodie has launched a Youtube channel with instructional videos, adding a new video each week.

Brodie has taught framebuilding for nearly 10 years at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. The continuing education classes are open to anyone 15 and over, and Brodie has taught students ranging from 15 to 75.

But this year's COVID-19 pandemic meant that if Brodie were to hold his classes, while brazing he would be required to wear his reading glasses, a brazing mask, a face mask and a face shield. "My glasses already steam up when I'm just wearing the brazing mask. I can't imagine what that would be like (to wear all four)," he told BRAIN this week.

Probably not much fun and, at age 65 and a diabetic, Brodie is being very careful about virus exposure.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Colorado Springs Police Department released body camera footage of its confrontation with a former Colorado Cyclist product line manager who died while in custody on May 24.

Five Colorado Springs officers responded to a disturbance call in the 2700 block of Ashgrove Street about a man with a knife, Chad Burnett, 49, threatening another neighbor.

The 49-minute video begins with the 911 call. Officers are then shown at the scene and begin speaking with Burnett. The struggle begins at the 30-minute mark as officers chase Burnett inside his home. Officers tased and tackled him while attempting to handcuff him.

Burnett, who seemed delirious, could be heard screaming various things, such as "help me," "kill me now," "fake police" and "I didn't do anything wrong."

Officers repeatedly pleaded with Burnett to stop resisting, and at one point, one calmly told Burnett, "I want you to breathe and catch your breath. You getting amped up is not going to help you. Take deep breaths. Slow everything down. Help us keep this low-key."

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (BRAIN) — LeMond Bicycles LLC recently raised a bit over $2 million in a private placement investment, possibly bringing the company closer to launching a bike line using technology developed by Greg LeMond's other business, LeMond Carbon.  The Tour de France champion founded both companies in 2016.

LeMond did not immediately respond to an email and voice mail from BRAIN. A Tennessee news site reported Wednesday that LeMond is moving its bike business and its carbon fiber business from Oak Ridge to West Knoxville.

A Securities and Exchange Commission filing made Wednesday shows that on July 1 the bicycle company sold securities worth $2,029,178 out of a total offering of $4,608,000. The SEC Form D filing is sometimes filed on the sale of securities to a small number of select investors. The form contains minimal information about the investment besides the offering amount and names of executive officers, board members and promoters of the company issuing the securities.

LeMond has been in and out of the bike market since at least 1986, the year he won his first Tour. He licensed his name to Trek Bicycle for use on bikes for 13 years starting in 1995. In 2008 Trek ended the agreement, with Trek president John Burke saying that LeMond "has done and said things that have damaged the LeMond brand and the Trek brand as a whole." LeMond sued for breach of contract and the suit was settled in 2010, with Trek agreeing to pay $200,000 to 1in6.org, a charity supported by LeMond. 

At the 2013 Interbike show, LeMond launched a limited edition of 300 LeMond-branded frames and bikes made by Time in France. LeMond's company also distributed Time frames and pedals in the U.S. for a time. In 2014 LeMond announced he was selling a US-made steel frame, called the Washoe, through a consumer-direct website. 

GOLDEN, Colo. (BRAIN) — Yeti Cycles has decided to stop using the word 'tribe' in the name of its annual owner festival and in reference to its owner community. The company said it has recently learned the term can be offensive to indigenous people. An online petition calling on the company to forgo the term has received nearly 900 signatures since it launched July 7. 

Yeti co-owners Chris Conroy and Steve Hoogendoorn signed an email sent to the media Tuesday announcing the decision.  

"When Yeti Cycles started 35 years ago, the founders felt strongly about building a community that was founded on racing and the belief that mountain bikes make us better people. We shared this with our friends at the races, at festivals and ultimately at Yeti Tribe Gatherings, where hundreds gather each year to ride epic trails, and enjoy the camaraderie of post-ride beers and stories together," the email said. 

"Recently, we've learned our use of the term 'Tribe' can be offensive to indigenous people, due to the violent history they have endured in the United States.  The word 'Tribe' is a colonial construct that was used to marginalize Native Americans and its continued use by non-indigenous people fails to accurately recognize their history and unique status as Tribal Nations.

"After discussion with members of the indigenous community, studying accurate representations of our shared history, and reflecting on our values as a company, Yeti Cycles has decided we will no longer use the term 'Tribe' in our marketing."

AUSTIN, Texas (BRAIN) — Bike shops, suppliers and nonprofits across the industry — along with thousands of employees — have benefitted from the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides forgivable loans for organizations that maintain payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 136 bike-related companies and 14 nonprofit organizations received PPP loans, helping save nearly 1,500 jobs across the industry. The loans to bike-related organizations on a list released this week totaled at least $39.85 million at the low-end of the ranges provided, and not counting loans of less than $150,000 each.

"It allowed us to keep on payroll approximately 35 people that we didn't have a role for as we were developing an e-com and curbside drop-off/pick-up model," said Hill Abell, the CEO of Bicycle Sports Shop in Austin, Texas.

The shop received a loan of between $350,000 and $1 million, which will be turned into a grant and forgiven after the company documents that at least 60 percent of the money was used for payroll.

"We were able to rehire 100 percent of our staff who were willing to work under current conditions by the end of May, so a total of about 90 people currently on staff," he said. "We will meet all the stipulations for full forgiveness of the PPP loan and should have no repayment obligation."

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — PeopleForBikes, which owns and operates the Bicycle Leadership Conference, announced Wednesday that it will hold the BLC as a virtual event this fall, and announced plans for an in-person BLC next April 12-14 in Santa Cruz, California.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Sea Otter Classic, which has hosted the BLC in Monterey for many years, announced a rival management conference for next April.

The Global Outdoor Summit will be April 13-15, the traditional time slot for the BLC, just prior to the consumer festival. The summit will be at Monterey's Plaza Hotel, which has been BLC's venue for many years.

Virtual BLC

PeopleForBikes' Virtual BLC will be Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. The organization said the virtual event will include keynotes, webinars, presentations and conversation each morning. Two keynote speakers originally planned for the real-life conference will appear at the Virtual BLC: Birkenstock's CEO David Kahan and StoryBrand's Kristin Spiotto. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Pocket Outdoor Media, which owns media titles including VeloNews, Triathlete and Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, has acquired three divisions of Active Interest Media. The acquisition adds more than 20 active lifestyle titles, including Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, Backpacker and Warren Miller Entertainment. The purchase also includes SNEWS, the outdoor industry's trade title.

POM acquired BRAIN in February 2019; the title was previously owned by Emerald Expositions and operated by the National Bicycle Dealers Association. 

The full press release from POM and AIM announcing the purchase is below:

Pocket Outdoor Media Acquires Three Divisions from Active Interest Media and Completes Its Series A Financing

Series A funding allows Pocket Outdoor Media to expand its active lifestyle business to over 20 new media businesses including Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, BACKPACKER and Warren Miller Entertainment.

Boulder, Colorado, USA — June 30, 2020 — Pocket Outdoor Media (POM), the leading endurance sports media platform, today announced the acquisition of the Healthy Living, Fitness, and Outdoor divisions of Active Interest Media (AIM), one of the world’s largest enthusiast media companies. The acquisition by POM coincides with the closing of their Series A investment from JAZZ Venture Partners, a global investment firm based in San Francisco, with participation from NEXT VENTŪRES, and Zone 5 Ventures.

Included in the AIM acquisition are: Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, BACKPACKER, Warren Miller Entertainment, Oxygen, IDEA Health and Fitness Association, Clean Eating, Vegetarian Times, Better Nutrition, NatuRx, Muscle & Performance, Nastar, Fly Fishing Film Tour, National Park Trips, and SNEWS.

HINCKLEY, United Kingdom (BRAIN) — The British motorcycle brand Triumph is releasing its first e-bike, an aluminum-frame model that will retail for about $3,750.

The 118-year-old company has been developing an electric motorcycle line, a multi-year project being done in partnership with some British developers. But the company took the motorcycle world by surprise with the electric bicycle launch this week. The bike will be available in Triumph dealers in the Europe, the UK and the U.S. initially. The company did not release an availability date.

Harley-Davidson has been talking about its upcoming electric bicycles — which will complement its LiveWire electric motorcycles — since last August. It's not clear when they will come to market as Harley has struggled with work stoppages and reduced sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some reports indicate the Harley electric bicycle launch has been pushed off until at least 2021. GM also has delayed or abandoned its plans to introduce a line of e-bikes. 

The Triumph Trekker GT, true to its name, appears similar to a European-style trekking bike — and upright, flat bar pavement cruiser with 650b wheels and a 65mm-travel RockShox Paragon fork, available in three sizes and two colors. It has a Shimano Steps e6100 250-watt motor and a 504Wh battery.  Triumph also plans to offer a Muc-Off cleaning kit that comes in a Triumph-branded bag.