Industry News
BY MATT WIEBE
PHILADELPHIA, PA—Cold, wet weather and supply problems took a toll on bike shipments to dealers during the first quarter.
PARK CITY, UT (BRAIN)—The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and to help mark the occasion National Park Service director Mary A. Bomar will give a keynote address at the organization's 2008 World Summit.
"If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up."
—Hunter S. Thompson
ATLANTA, GA (BRAIN)—One month after the completion of the sixth annual Tour de Georgia, a post-event evaluation has determined that the direct economic impact of the event reached $38.6 million for Georgia.
This surpassed the 2007 economic impact number of $27 million by 40 percent.
MACON, GA (BRAIN)—L.H. Thomson has established a European distribution center in collaboration with Jim Walker and Company of East Sussex, England.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN)—Taiwan’s bike industry has started the year strong, with total bicycle export numbers up nearly 18 percent through the first quarter to 1.54 million units.
PITTSBURGH, PA (BRAIN)—Rising gas prices are forcing cops out of their cars and onto their bikes.
With $4 a gallon gas becoming the norm of late, it seems more police departments are ramping up their bike patrols.
Get your Obama Spoke Card while they're hot. (No word on when or if there will be a Marc Sani Spoke Card.)
Click on link for more info and to purchase.
COLOGNE, Germany (BRAIN)—We The People has launched a separate parts company called Eclat.
DURANGO, CO (BRAIN)—Organizers of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race called off the event for the first time in 37 years as winter weather persisted over Memorial Day weekend in southwest Colorado.
MONTREAL, Quebec (BRAIN)—Dorel Industries has its sights set on gaining a dominant worldwide position in the bike industry, and will continue eyeing acquisitions in order to get to the top, Dorel’s president and chief executive officer Martin Schwartz told company shareholders during an annual meeting on May 27.
CANTON, MA (BRAIN)—Kryptonite has once again released its Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft.
Without further ado for 2007:
SAN RAFAEL, CA (BRAIN)—Trips for Kids National is hosting a Pre-Conference for TFK chapters in conjunction with the 2008 International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) World Summit taking place in Park City, Utah.
You don't have to stray
Tho oceans away
Waves roll in my thoughts
Hold tight the ring...
The sea will rise...
Please stand by the shore...
Oh, oh, oh, I will be...
I will be there once more...
—Pearl Jam (Vedder)
PORTLAND, ORE (BRAIN)—The Oregon Manifest Handmade Bike Show will be October 10-12, 2008.
Oregon Manifest will feature a mix of custom framebuilders, bike-centric vendors, bike culture squads and a Sunday 'cross race to bring home the glory.
SEATTLE, WA (BRAIN)—Blueseventy recently launched a new blog aptly named thewaterisopen.blogspot.com and will feature all kinds of swimming related information and sponsored athlete results on that blog.
MORGAN HILL, CA (BRAIN)—Specialized's marketing chief Nic Sims said the Summit Fire had a couple of Specialized employees, Robert Egger and Chris d'Alusio, worried about their houses late last week.
"You can clearly see the smoke from the office," Sims said.
ST.PAUL, MN (BRAIN)—A district court judge is scheduled to hear arguments this morning in Minnesota as to whether a lawsuit between LeMond Cycling and Trek Bicycle Corporation should be heard in that state or in Wisconsin.
Hats off to Robbie "Kaptain" Knievel, son of the late daredevil Evel Knievel, for successfully jumping over 24 delivery trucks Saturday night at the site of one of his father's most famous stunts at Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati.
BRAIN wishes you and yours a Happy Memorial Day.
Regular news will resume tomorrow.