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

The 'Scheels Factor'

December 11, 2018
Scheels megastores make huge impact on local retail when they come to town.
The Scheels in Sparks, Nevada.

LOVELAND, Colo. (BRAIN) — When Scheels All Sports opens one of its gargantuan sporting goods stores in a new community, the local press gushes over the tons of steel and truckloads of concrete needed to build the quarter-million-square-foot stores. Officials and business owners in nearby communities, meanwhile, tally up the "Scheels Factor."

Posted in Retail News

Bankruptcy judge approves 'store closing' sales at all Performance locations, sets ASE auction for January

December 7, 2018

DURHAM, N.C. (BRAIN) — A bankruptcy judge has ruled that Advanced Sports Enterprises can hold store closing sales at 102 Performance Bicycle locations. The court also pushed back the auction of ASE's assets to mid-January. The auction had originally been scheduled for Dec. 18.

Posted in Industry News

Emerald cancels 2019 Interbike show

December 6, 2018

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Emerald Expositions has canceled the 2019 edition of the Interbike trade show, saying the event might return in a more modest format in 2020.

Posted in Industry News

Ideal opposes releasing ASE from licensing and manufacturing contracts

December 4, 2018

DURHAM, N.C. (BRAIN) — Taiwan-based manufacturer Ideal Bicycle Corp. has told the bankruptcy court here that it opposes Advanced Sports Enterprises' request to be released from its manufacturing and licensing agreements with Ideal.

Posted in Industry News

Liquidator running sales at all Performance locations

December 3, 2018
ASE said the sales don't mean all stores will close.

DURHAM, N.C. (BRAIN) — The company hired last month to run liquidation sales at 40 Performance Bicycle stores has expanded those sales to the chain's 62 remaining stores.

Performance's parent company, Advanced Sports Enterprises, filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Nov. 16.

Posted in Retail News

Trump's trade truce means tariffs will remain at 10% at least an extra 60 days

December 2, 2018

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (BRAIN) — President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in the ongoing trade war this weekend. Trump agreed to delay implementing a 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods — including at least $1 billion in bike-related products — that had been set to take effect Jan. 1.

Posted in Industry News

BRAIN goes 'For the Record'

November 27, 2018

LONGMONT, Colo. (BRAIN) — You may have noticed a new section at the top of our homepage: "For the Record." Here's what it's all about.

Posted in Industry News

ASE, owner of Performance Bicycle and ASI, files for Chapter 11

November 16, 2018
Store closings expected. CEO says ASI brands, including Fuji, SE, Kestrel and Breezer, "will survive."

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (BRAIN) — Advanced Sport Enterprises, the 2-year-old company that is parent to the Performance Bicycle retail chain, Bike Nashbar and distributor ASI, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday morning.

Posted in Industry News

Trek, Kent and others look to Cambodia for production

November 12, 2018
Cambodia is the third largest supplier to the U.S., but growing fast.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Cambodia, already the biggest bicycle supplier to the EU, is making up ground in the U.S. market as well due to the recent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Posted in Industry News

Despite high visibility this year, some nonprofits are receiving less industry support

November 8, 2018
PeopleForBikes Foundation and Coalition revenues in recent years.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — If ever the industry's nonprofits were in the spotlight, it was in 2018.

Posted in Industry News

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