- Ridley building the next generation of racers – Sure most bike companies are out supporting pro riders. But Ridley actually sponsors 10 youth development teams. Not only does their R&D division work with pros on cyclocross, road & track, but also with young talents. Take 19 year old Robbe Ghys, who’s been riding on Ridley for several years and showed how to be a badass (#BeTough in Ridley-speak) on the track by stepping up and racing with the elites at the six days of Gent. Another is U23 CX World Champ Eli Iserbyt, or 15 year old Luke Verburg who won the first 12 of 19 races on his X-night this season. Ridley-bikes.com
Pro Bikes
- Wicked Pro Bike: Danny Summerhill’s Parlee Chebacco – DirtWire.tv, home of lots of great grassroots cyclocross race coverage , occasionally throws in a little tech as well. This time they did a pro bike feature called Wicked Pro Bike with Danny Summerhill’s Parlee Chebacco Maxxis/Shimano cross bike from back at the Gran Prix of Gloucester 2016 in November. Let head team mechanic Chris Kriedl show you the ins and outs of Summerhill’s Parlee. DirtWire.tv
- American Eagle coming back to mountain biking (no, not that one) – Bart Brentjens rode an American Eagle branded bike to the first Olympic mountain biking title back in 1996, and now the Dutch cross country team that he manages – CST Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team – will be racing on the reintroduced brand of bikes this coming season. The new bike brand owned and managed by Dutchmen Henk Schipper and Brentjens himself, is looking to use the team to help design and develop some new World Cup level bikes with more to come on the bikes in the spring. AmericanEagle.online
Advocacy
- League of American Bicyclists Awards 51 Bicycle Friendly Universities – The League of American Bicyclists has just announced 51 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFUs) from 25 states. There are now 164 BFUs in 44 states & DC that can call themselves a cutting-edge group of colleges and universities across the US making it easier and safer to bike on campus and into the surrounding communities.“In its fifth year, we’ve seen the Bicycle Friendly University program’s momentum continue to grow and reach even more campuses across the country,” said Bill Nesper, Programs Director. “We applaud this round of BFUs for raising the standard and being innovative in making bicycling a safe, convenient and enjoyable option for students, staff and visitors alike.” Check out the new list here or for more info over at: Bikeleague.org.
Online shopping
- Online imitation is NOT the sincerest form of flattery – Small cycling themed clothing company DHDwear in SoCal has been fighting counterfeiters ripping off their designs on Amazon. It’s apparently a huge hassle for a small company and they’ve been struggling with the frustration of trying to deal with it. It’s an interesting read, and another perspective on shopping on Amazon versus direct or through a bike shop. Give it a read on DHD’s Facebook.
