Industry digest: Tektro electronic shifting, battery recycling, stem lawsuits, and more.

Industry Patent Watch: Tektro Pursues Electronic Shifting

By: Alan Coté // Bike Retailer and Industry News

Recently published US patent applications show that Tektro – a brand known primarily for its brakes – worked on derailleurs and electronic shifters. The Taiwan-based company has filed more than 65 U.S. patent applications over the past 10 years, and at least two dozen of the most recent filings relate to derailleurs and shifters.

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Trek joins e-bike battery recycling program

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

Trek Bicycle announced today that it has joined the industry’s U.S. e-bike battery recycling program which officially began last month.

The industry has partnered with non-profit battery collection and recycling company Call2Recycle. Approved by PeopleForBikes, Call2Recycle administers training, recycling kits, battery transportation, safety gear and rider training to retailers. Trek is among several industry manufacturers and suppliers that support and fund the collection and safe recycling of lithium-ion e-bike batteries to reduce overall recycling costs. All directly owned Trek stores are collection sites, and other Trek retailers are registering and training to become collection sites, a Trek spokesperson told BRAIN.

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Utah cyclist sues Rad Power Bikes over loose stem

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

A Utah woman is suing Rad Power Bikes because she says her bike arrived with a loose stem that caused an accident that injured her hands and wrist.

Paulina Greaves said she read assembly instructions and watched an instructional video before riding her new RadMini electric fat bike. She said the instructions didn’t tell her to check the stem for tightness. But she said on her first ride, on April 25, 2020, she tried to turn right when the stem slipped on the steerer tube, causing the accident.

About a month later she received an email from Rad Power advising her that she may have purchased a bike with a loose stem and telling her to take the bike to a shop to have it re-tightened at expense. from Rad Power. Greaves said the accident cost him about $30,000 in medical expenses and $100,000 in lost wages, with future medical expenses expected to be nearly $40,000.

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The Outdoor Retailer Show Returns to Salt Lake City for 2023

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

After a controversial move from its longtime Utah home to Denver five years ago, Emerald Expositions announces that its Outdoor Retailer show will return to Utah next winter.

“Our community has become a family, and for the past five years we have held our semi-annual meetings in Denver. As our contract comes to a natural end after 2022, we have explored our options and discussed with the industry to plan our next steps,” the show’s organizers said.

“After much deliberation and input from all sides, we have decided that the best decision for Outdoor Retailer is to return to our base camp. We are returning to Salt Lake City and County, where we grew up and where our industry has matured into the vibrant and powerful community it is today.”

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European cycling industry associations launch campaign to reduce plastic in the industry

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

Two European cycling industry associations have launched a campaign to reduce plastic and eliminate unnecessary packaging.

The Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) and Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) have created a joint industry pledge, which they claim is also endorsed by PeopleForBikes. The goal is to create a circular economy for packaging to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems.

The Cycling Industry Sustainable Packaging Pledge currently has 56 companies committed.

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Pirelli starts production of bicycle tires in a renovated Italian factory

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

Pirelli began manufacturing its premium P Zero Race road and MTB tires at its factory in Bollate, Italy. The factory, inaugurated in 1962, was recently modernized to accommodate the production of the top-of-the-range models of the brand.

Production began this month; the factory tires have a “Made in Italy” label.

The plant will have the capacity to manufacture approximately 1.5 million tires per year when fully operational. Currently, it employs about 200 workers. P Zero tires were previously made in France.

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Rad Power refocuses on its physical stores and lays off 100 people in the mobile sector

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

Rad Power Bikes has laid off around 100 workers as it shuts most of its mobile service business and looks to expanding its stationary retail stores.

“Our goal is to keep as many employees as possible on our Rad team, including transferring people to the five new outlets we are opening this year,” a company spokesperson told BRAIN in a statement. communicated. “Where that’s not possible, we offer support to help them make the transition.”

Rad Power said it will continue to work with Velofix and Beeline for US mobile support

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Outerbike postpones summer events due to shortage of demo bikes

By: Bike Retailer & Industry News

Western Spirit Cycling, the producer of Outerbike, is postponing three summer events due to a shortage of demo bikes. The company also announced an expanded exhibit format at its other two events scheduled for 2022, in Bentonville, Arkansas and Moab.

Outerbike will not be holding scheduled events in Killington, Vermont; Duluth, Minnesota; and Crested Butte, Colorado, this year. Western Spirit’s Mark Sevenoff said: “We love riding Killington, Duluth and Crested Butte and can’t wait to share these great places with Outerbike riders. We’ve heard from riders in these areas and they are already looking forward to these events. in 2023.”

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