Industry News
LAHAINA, HI (BRAIN)—Eight time Tour de France winning team member George Hincapie will represent Xtreme Sports ID as a spokesperson.
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Leisure Trends asked active Americans about their spending plans in the upcoming months. Close to 50 percent of active Americans plan to spend less on sports related gear, clothing and equipment, while only 1.6 percent plan to spend more. The rest (48.2 percent) plan to spend the same amount.
SAN CARLOS, CA (BRAIN)—Ritchey Design has partnered with Trips for Kids, in a unique social media fund-raising venture.

BRAIN wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas. Regular news coverage will return on Monday, December 29.

Nothing like a little Charlie Brown and company to get everybody in the Christmas spirit. Click on link.
REYNOLDSBURG, OH (BRAIN)—Earlier this month Kenda USA launched a revamped Web site that allows for a better interface between themselves and valued customers.
LAUGHLINTOWN, PA (BRAIN)—Speedgoat Bicycles, Inc., a leading Internet retailer of bicycles, has appointed Don Belt its chief operating officer.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (BRAIN)—This holiday season, four disadvantaged families will recieve bikes because of the efforts of several Minneapolis-area organizations. The ACE committee, Quality Bicycle Products’ (QBP) charitable arm, coordinated the joint effort.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN)—Cole Wheels has appointed Velimpex Marketing, Inc., as its exclusive OEM sales agent for North America.
Cole Wheels, owned by Armor Manufacturing Corporation, produces precision road and MTB wheels featuring their patented Dynamic Spoke Alignment system.
BETHESDA, MD (BRAIN)—Monday marked the deadline for bicycle manufacturers to certify through a third-party laboratory that the amount of lead in paint and substrate used on their products doesn’t exceed the limit outlined in the new consumer product safety law.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN)—Less than six weeks out from its Winter Market Show, Outdoor Retailer (OR) reported that close to 330,000 square-feet of exhibit space is currently sold, putting the trade show on par with last year's Winter Market.
NOVATO, CA (BRAIN)—Tom Gorton, founder of Sausalito-based design agency Studio Aspect, has provided product branding and marketing design services to Marin on a contract basis since 2003. Gorton now joins Marin as of January 1, 2009 as vice president – branding & design.
IRVINE, CA (BRAIN)—Bob Mckiernan is still reliving the moment when the raffle numbers called at a recent Shimano Multi-Service seminar bounced around the number he held.

Check out these bicycle inventions that never stuck around, courtesy of mountain biking legend Charlie Kelly. Click on link.
(PICTURED is the Surf Bike.)

SUN VALLEY, ID (BRAIN)—Scott USA has hired Doug Dye. He will join the bike sales department and manage the Minnesota territory.
Ryan Bowen is going where not many have gone before (well, at least not for the purpose of attending a presidential inauguration.) Click on link for full story.
MADONE, Italy (BRAIN)—3T has opened a new warehousing and distribution facility in the Taichung Free Trade Zone. It will provide a single, global point of stocking and distribution for 3T’s growing range of high-technology cycle components.

WASHINGTON D.C. (BRAIN)—Advocacy groups were thrown a slight curveball when President-elect Barack Obama recenty nominated Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) as his Transportation secretary.
WASHINGTON D.C. (BRAIN)—The National Parks Service proposed a rule change on Thursday that would make it easier for the country's national parks to open trails to mountain bikes.
CHICAGO, IL (BRAIN)—World Bicycle Relief has undertaken an ambitious drive to raise $13,400 in just 48 hours—from noon (CST) Wednesday, Dec. 17, through noon (CST) Friday, Dec. 19, the organization looks to raise enough money to purchase 100 bicycles for its programs in Africa.