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

Left behind, a mystery bike tool's purpose is finally discovered

October 22, 2014

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (BRAIN) — A mystery for years, for some this tool represents the industry's heyday.

Posted in Industry News

Giant's JT Thompson calls out competitors for non-IBD sales

October 6, 2014
UPDATED with JT Thompson's response to reader comments.

NEWBURY PARK, Calif. (BRAIN) — Giant USA is calling out several of its U.S. competitors for selling outside the traditional IBD channel. In a sales letter sent to its dealers this week, John "JT" Thompson, Giant USA's executive sales director, included a chart (.pdf) that showed which of its major competitors sold consumer direct, or via sporting goods stores or online retailers.

Posted in Industry News

Court orders Eastern Bikes into receivership

October 1, 2014

RALEIGH, N.C. (BRAIN) — A North Carolina Superior Court has appointed a receiver for the BMX brand Eastern Bikes and has barred the company's owners from selling any of its property.

Posted in Industry News

LeMond launches steel road model, still planning larger bike line

September 25, 2014
New Washoe road model will be offered consumer direct with wholesale pricing also available.
The LeMond Washoe.

MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Greg LeMond is continuing to work on a re-entry to the bike market, launching a new U.S.-made steel road bike model this fall, with plans for other models to be launched in 2015.

Posted in International

In Italy, consumers and the trade coexist at Padova show

September 24, 2014
At the ExpoBici, you can enjoy a local wine as you check out the bikes.

PADOVA, Italy (BRAIN) — They do things different in Italy.

Posted in International

Yo, Fat Chance fans: how about a new Yo Eddy?

September 11, 2014
Updated
Chance at Interbike.

LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — After a nearly 15-year hiatus from the bike industry, framebuilder Chris Chance is resurrecting his namesake brand, Fat Chance Bicycles. Chance, one of the pioneers of mountain bikes, founded Fat City Cycles in 1982 in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Posted in Product/Tech

4iiii offers crank-based power meter at just $400

September 9, 2014

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (BRAIN) — 4iiii Innovations is bringing power training down to a new low price—starting at $400 with its Precision crank-based system introduced at Interbike's OutDoor Demo this week.

Posted in Product/Tech

Palmer and Intense: together again

September 9, 2014
Palmer at the OutDoor Demo on Monday. Photo: Bob Huff.

LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — For some of those who came into the sport of mountain biking in a certain era—the second half of the 1990s—rider Shaun Palmer and bike brand Intense Cycles will always be linked. This week at OutDoor Demo, it was the '90s all over again as Palmer showed up to ride an Intense with dealers.

Posted in Industry News

Assos goes offroad with new Rally line of mountain bike clothes

September 3, 2014
The inventors of the Lycra short offer an offroad bib with beefy fabric and removable hip pads.
Assos' first mountain bike bibs, the T.Rally Short.

LUGANO, Switzerland (BRAIN) — When Assos — the inventor of the Lycra bike short and long-time supplier of high-end roadie apparel — decided to come out with its first mountain bike line, baggy shorts were not really part of the plan.

Posted in Product/Tech

Full-suspension road bike? What a concept

September 2, 2014
The Canyon MRSC on display at Eurobike last week.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — BMC’s Impec concept bike wasn’t the only theoretical display bike on show at Eurobike. Canyon Bicycle, which is not distributed in the U.S. currently, showed a wild idea for a totally wired (and wireless) high performance full suspension road bike.

Posted in Product/Tech

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