Industry News
LAGUNA HILLS, CA (BRAIN)—After tumbling 13 percent in 2006, cycling participation rebounded slightly in 2007.
Overall participation was up five percent—from 35.6 million riders in 2006 to 37.4 million riders in 2007—according to statistics released this month by the National Sporting Goods Association.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (BRAIN)—Serotta has launched a paint program that still enables customers to design their own bike frame, but now they can see an almost limitless array of paint colors accurately depicted with a few clicks of the mouse.
PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia (BRAIN)—Norco Products has promoted John Williams to president.
SHANGHAI, China (BRAIN)—Attendance fell at last week’s Shanghai Show. Big brands like Trek and Specialized went missing and many international visitors cancelled travel plans at the last minute because the Chinese government suddenly tightened visa requirements.
MEQUON, WI (BRAIN)—Hayes Bicycle Group (HBG) named Kurt Person general manager and vice president of its Hayes Bicycle Group division to replace Rhonda Kirkwood, who’s leaving the company on her own accord.
XANTUSIA, CA (BRAIN)—Multi-sport Web site Slowtwitch.com has hired industry veteran Jay Prasuhn as senior editor.
Prasuhn spent his last nine years at Triathlete Magazine, where he also worked as senior editor. Moving forward he'll be working closely with Slowtwitch editor-in-chief Herbert Krabel.
OLNEY, IL (BRAIN)—Highway Two, distributor of Continental, Brooks England, Crankbrothers, Fizik and Selle Royal, has hired George Eubanks as the company’s national sales manager.
HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands (BRAIN)—Strong sales of bicycles and parts and accessories propelled profits for the Accell Group in the first quarter of 2008.
Each 2008 issue of BRAIN contains a Retail Spotlight column with photo showcasing bright ideas from America's best retailers.
GLENDALE, CA (BRAIN)—PowerBar has introduced its first annual “Specialty Retailer of the Year” Award.
Open to all independent sports specialty retailers, the new award program will recognize retailer commitment to consumer education about sports nutrition and local advocacy outreach.
NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—Rodale has promoted Chris Lambiase to vice president and group publisher for Running and Cycling, effective May 12.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)—The District of Columbia plans to unveil a public bike-sharing program in mid May, becoming the first of its kind in the United States.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN)—Interbike exhibitor space for the indoor portion of its 2008 International Bicycle Expo is already 88 percent sold-out.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (BRAIN)—Lezyne has hired Jeff Kendall-Weed to work in its marketing and communications department.
OAKLAND, CA (BRAIN)—Hydrapak has appointed Jim Vernon as its new sales coordinator and David Kim the new service coordinator.
"There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas."
—Rush
MILAN, Italy (BRAIN)—Oakley reported a 15-percent jump in sales in the first quarter of 2008 and saw double-digit growth in both its optics and apparel/footwear segments, according to Luxottica's first quarter earnings report released on Thursday.
Luxottica acquired Oakley last November.
WHISTLER, B.C. (BRAIN)—The Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bicycles, a traveling mountain bike skills instruction program, took to the road for its eighth season this month. Its first stop was in North Vancouver last weekend, April 19-20.
VICENZA, Italy (BRAIN)—Campagnolo s.r.l. has hired Tom Kattus as general manager of its subsidiary, Campagnolo North America Inc. Kattus will join the company on May 1.
Kattus takes over for Richard Storino, who left the company in January.