SCOTTSDALE, AZ (BRAIN) — Faster, a combination retail and training facility whose features include a cycling-specific wind tunnel, will have its grand opening Oct. 1.
The opening celebration for the Scottsdale, Arizona, business will include bike demos from Scott and Cervélo, organized rides and an evening gala and charity fundraiser for Phoenix-area homeless children. Silent-auction items for the gala include a signed Thor Hushovd world champion jersey from Cervélo, a Zipp Super 9 disc wheel and custom Shimano cycling shoes that Faster will professionally size and heat mold.
Kelly Benefit Strategies team member Mike Creed will lead a training ride, and triathlete Brendan Sexton will also attend the opening. Retailers from throughout the U.S. are expected, as are representative from such companies as Cervélo, Scott, Zipp, ENVE, Fizik, Hammer Nutrition, Shimano and Castelli.
Faster aims to be the world’s most comprehensive cycling performance center, affordably providing services normally accessible only to elite professional athletes. In addition to the in-house wind tunnel, which simulates wind speeds up to 50 mph, Faster also has 3D bike fitting, a boutique retail showroom, recovery services, nutritional consultation, educational facilities, physical therapy, chiropractic services and performance testing. Cervélo, Scott and Guru are its main bike lines.
Several facets of the 7,000-square-foot facility have been open to the public since Aug. 1, but the wind tunnel—which company founder James Kramer said is “truly the first low-speed wind tunnel designed specifically for the cycling industry”—is being kept under wraps until the Oct. 1 event.
“Our intention in creating Faster was to give a one-of-a-kind experience to every local or visiting customer. Our philosophy, technology, tools, methodologies and personnel are completely dedicated to making cyclists and triathletes ‘Faster,’ ” said Kramer, who raced on a U.S. amateur team in Europe during the 1990s.
Paraic McGlynn, a 20-year cycling industry and racing veteran, oversees performance services and daily operations. “Faster is designed to deliver a better cycling experience through a very scientific and friendly customer-service-oriented experience,” McGlynn said. “Our cycling performance specialists are highly trained to help all levels of cyclists and triathletes perform better,” said McGlynn. “Our services are unbiased by ability, experience or fitness level. We simply want the best solutions delivered in the most professional manner, in the best facility by talented, courteous professionals.”
For more information on Faster, click the link above.
