Steve Frothingham

Steve is in his second stint at BRAIN. He was here at the beginning in 1992 while still working for a bike shop in Santa Fe, N.M. He wrote several articles for BRAIN's first issue and later joined the staff, eventually becoming managing editor and then executive editor.

After leaving BRAIN in 1997 he worked for several news organizations including The Associated Press and VeloNews before rejoining BRAIN as web editor in 2011.

He is based in Longmont, Colorado, and is an enthusiastic (and slow) road, mountain bike and cyclocross rider.

sfrothingham@bicycleretailer.com
/twitter.com/#!/stevefroth

All articles by Steve Frothingham

Strava and Suunto each sue Garmin over patent infringement claims

October 2, 2025
UPDATED: Suunto also suing Garmin in a separate case
Garmin released computers with Strava Live Segments in 2015.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Strava and Suunto are each suing Garmin for patent infringement.

Strava is suing the GPS brand in a Colorado court, saying Garmin's segments and leaderboards features violate a patent licensing agreement the two companies reached in 2015.

Posted in Industry News

Giant requests meeting with US Customs officials

October 2, 2025
Danish journalist reports that Merida has pledged to enact a 'zero-fee' policy that goes beyond Giant's.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Group said it "formally engaged" with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday through its U.S.

Posted in Industry News

Fuell assets auction raises $170k

September 29, 2025
Some Fuell Folld models that were auctioned.

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (BRAIN) — An auction of the remaining assets of an e-bike and e-motorcycle brand founded by motorcycle innovator Erik Buell raised about $170,000, which will make a small dent in the nearly $7 million the company owed to secured and unsecured creditors.

Posted in Industry News

Giant says no shipments currently held by CBP

September 26, 2025
UPDATES: Giant says CBP never visited or communicated prior to its announcement; A Danish journalist's work appears to have inspired CBP to take action; Taiwan officials show support for Giant as its stock price rebounds.
Giant Group's Taichung headquarters.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Group says U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials never visited its factories or had any direct contact with the company before announcing Wednesday that would detain Giant shipments to the U.S. because of alleged forced labor.

Posted in International

Blaupunkt plans North Carolina e-bike assembly

September 25, 2025

(BRAIN) — Blaupunkt, the car audio brand that began selling folding e-bikes in 2018, plans to move its e-bike assembly for the U.S. market from Paraguay to Western North Carolina.

Posted in Industry News

US Customs will detain bikes made by Giant over forced-labor allegations

September 24, 2025
UPDATED with Giant response.

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday said it will detain bikes, bike parts and accessories made by Giant in Taiwan because of allegations of forced-labor use. The ruling appears to apply to products sold under Giant's brands or produced by Giant in Taiwan for other brands.

Posted in International

Taichung report: The industry enters 'the danger zone'

September 23, 2025
Trade concerns and continued discounting dampen the industry's outlook.
A model factory at Giant's Cycling Culture Museum, adjacent to its new headquarters.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — As the industry gathered here last week for Taichung Bike Week, a low-key but important OE event, companies are struggling with pockets of high inventory, pervasive fear of discounting, wars that are disrupting supply chains and markets, historically high U.S. tariffs, and high fuel costs in Europe, among other disruptions.

Posted in International

Firsthand to launch framebuilding classes in 2026

September 9, 2025

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Firsthand Framebuilding, which sells framebuilding supplies including Reynolds steel and titanium tubing, will launch a series of framebuilding classes next year.

Posted in Industry News

Threatened tariffs caused spike in Chinese bike imports in July

September 4, 2025

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — After a decline in Chinese bike imports in June, the industry made a sudden 128% increase in July, likely in a bid to get ahead of a triple-digit tariff that was expected to take effect in early August, but which the Trump administration delayed at the last minute.

Posted in Industry News

Is India a new source for mass market bikes in the US? Well, it was ...

September 4, 2025
Getty image of bicycle in India.

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — The U.S. mass market bike industry began looking to India as a supply source this year, with U.S. bike imports from the country — while still small relative to other major nations — up 98% in value this year through July, according to figures released Thursday.

Posted in International

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