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.

All articles by Steve Frothingham

October 29, 2025

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Giant Group says it met with Customs and Border Protection officials in Washington in late October to discuss the Withhold Release Order that CBP placed on shipments from Giant's Taiwan factory because of alleged labor rights violations. 

Posted in Industry News
October 28, 2025

TOKYO (BRAIN) — Shimano's sales of bicycle products through the first nine months of the year totaled 266,243 million yen ($1.749 billion), up 5% from the same period last year. Bicycle-related operating income in the period was down 27% from the same period last year, to 30,161 million yen.

Posted in International
October 22, 2025

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Saddle is a platform that lets bike owners track their rides, set maintenance schedules, book service appointments, and even set boundaries for kids rides.

Posted in Retail News
October 21, 2025

UTICA, N.Y. — In a time of tariffs, July’s announcement that eBliss Global will open an e-bike factory in this upstate city garnered considerable mainstream media attention.

Posted in Industry News
October 14, 2025
Claudia Wasko

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BRAIN) — Claudia Wasko, the longtime leader of Bosch’s e-bike motor program in the Americas and a pioneer in the U.S. e-bike market, is retiring from the German company. 

Posted in Industry News
October 9, 2025
TL;DR: They would add a ton of costs (Also: Get a good customs broker).

(BRAIN) — There are as many ways to calculate Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum as there are companies importing products containing those common materials. It could be come more important than ever.

Posted in Opinion/Analysis
October 8, 2025

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Trade group PeopleForBikes is calling on its members to respond — quickly — to public requests from the domestic manufacturer Guardian Bikes and an aluminum trade group for steeper tariffs on imported bikes and e-bikes.

Posted in Industry News
October 8, 2025
Lupton-Smith in 2020.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Electric Bicycle Co., which assembled and painted custom e-bikes at its California facility, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation last week, listing total liabilities of $6.1 million, including secured claims of $960,000, and assets of $953,000.

Posted in Industry News
October 8, 2025

RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, Calif. (BRAIN) — The KHS U.S. distribution business will close in early 2026 as its founders, Wen and Susah Hsieh, retire after a half-century running the business. 

Posted in Industry News
October 3, 2025

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Merida Industries, the second largest bike maker in Taiwan after Giant Group, has adopted a zero-fee policy for its migrant workers following the U.S. Customs and Border Protection move to block imports from Giant over forced-labor allegations. 

Posted in Industry News

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