LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. (BRAIN) — The March 1 issue of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News takes a look at how fat bikes are helping Nordic ski resorts get through lean times. The issue, landing in mail boxes this week, also features an interview with Lezyne's founder Micki Kozuschek and a look at how Taipei is dealing with declining bike exports to Western markets.
BRAIN's Marc Sani reports that some Nordic ski areas, including a handful in the Pacific Northwest, are looking at fat bikes as a growth area that can help them get through low-snow seasons. Unlike cross-country skis, fat bikes can zip along on thin or crusty snow, snowmobile tracks or summer singletrack.
Val Vanderpool talks to Micki Kozuschek, who founded crank maker TruVativ and then sold it to SRAM before launching the Lezyne accessory line. The company has grown to have 150 employees in California and Taiwan, and Kozuschek said he's aiming for 40-60 percent growth in the U.S. market in 2014.
The latest BRAIN issue also reports on Dorel's plan to close Cannondale's fabled Bedford, Pa., plant, Blue Cycles' rebuilding plans, and talks to retailers across the country about how the winter weather has affected their business. All the articles in the issue are exclusive to BRAIN's print edition and never appeared on its website.
