Mountain

Enve Sells Out For $50 Million

by editors on February 23, 2016

enveThe Utah-based cult carbon bicycle accessories manufacture Enve has been snapped up by global sporting goods giant Amer Sport for $50 million, according to story on Bicycle Retailer.

“The acquisition accelerates Amer Sports’ cycling business especially in the United States and provides further expansion opportunities internationally. Enve brings capabilities in carbon technology, and it offers operational scale and synergy benefits complementing Amer Sports’ cycling category,” the company said.

Nice exit, Evne. The brand will be lumped in with Amer Sport’s portfolio that already includes: MavicWilson, Salomon, Atomic, Arc’teryx, Suunto, Precor, DeMarini, and Louisville Slugger. More evidence suggesting that sales and technology are much easier to buy than to build.

[Link: Bicycle Retailer]

 

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Airsupply Makes Your Seatpost A Pump

by editors on February 9, 2016

Sometimes, the solution is more complex than the problem. While having a bike pump inside your seatpost is an interesting option if your main intention is riding around and pumping up other people flats, we’re wondering if the engineer behind Airsupply by remobic has ever seen how compact, affordable, and efficient a CO2 cartridge is?

He knows Michael Lang, the founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, so he’s got that going for him. If you’d like to help, please click the link.

[Link: Kickstarter]

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Of Course We All Want One Of These

by editors on February 1, 2016

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It looks so clean, smooth, and powerful. It’s like a Ferrari for your seat-tube. But what in heaven’s name is it doing on a 3x. With a motor like that we’d just ride a 55×11 and call it a day.

[Link: Gizmodo]

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Garmin Launches Varia Heads Up Display

by editors on January 5, 2016

Garmin’s just announced Varia Vision takes all their cycling metrics and puts them right in your face on a heads up display.

We have a vision for a safer riding environment for every cyclist. A world where cyclists can keep their focus up while staying aware of their stats and surroundings. It’s one more way we’re helping you be better than you were the day before.

Still not sure we like having anything that distracting right in front of our eyes and blocking a third of one eye’s vision, but we’ve not ridden with it.

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Danny MacAskill vs. Grand Canaria

by editors on December 10, 2015

Danny MacAskill jumps through people’s yards, rides on their roofs, head dips through their laundry, and generally treats this picturesque city as his own private bike park. Sure, it’s insanely brain-scrambling footage for GoPro and the colored cow, and he is a wizard on wheels, but it also seems like it could be a bit annoying for the people who actually live in Grand Canaria. Then again, from the looks of the video nobody was home anyway.

[Link via VeloNews]

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Shaun Palmer’s New Intense Ride

by editors on December 7, 2015

The Pizalm has a new Tracer T275C from Intense Cycles and, according to the crew Vital MTB, it looks pretty good. Then again, some of the commenters are exactly backing Shaun Palmer or Intense’s promotional push saying, “So painting a frame and ordering components took almost a year? Sorry mates.” Us, we’re Shaun Palmer fans for life.

[Link: Vital MTB]

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Ned Overhead’s Specialized M2

by editors on November 4, 2015

Here’s a little flash back with The Pros’ Closet to XC legend Ned Overend. Back in the 80s, we once wrote a bio of Ned that included the factoid that his nickname was Ned “Overend, over end, over end.” He was not happy with us.

At the time we didn’t know that it was simply a joke passed on to us by John Tomac. With his BMX background Tomac was making fun of Overhead’s road racing style of riding, and taking a shot at him when he had the chance. Seems Overnend had the last laugh that time as he beat Johnny T in the race. If you look closely you’ll see footage from that very race in this video. Enjoy.

[Link via Bike Magazine]

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Smith’s Trans-Cascadia Life Beyond Walls

by editors on October 29, 2015

Smith riders Rosara Joseph, Sarah Rawley, and Liz Cunningham head out for a misty mountain hop near Oakridge, Oregon and get a little taste of  four days of timed downhills in the Trans-Cascadia Enduro. Looks like four days of amazing, no?

[Link: Smith]

 

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Roskopp On Selling Santa Cruz Bicycles

by editors on October 25, 2015

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On July 3, 2015 when Rob Roskopp and Rich Novak announced that they had sold Santa Cruz Bicycles to Dutch automobile importing company Pon Holding Group we all took a deep breath and hoped for the best. Neither Roskopp nor Novak are known for the patience while suffering fools, so we knew it would have to be a pretty bad day if they simply off-loaded the brand and walked away. Luckily, that didn’t happen.

In an interview with Bike Magazine’s , Roskopp outlines the ideas behind the sale, how it’s currently working, and what they have planned for the future. As always, he lays it down straight up. Here’s a bit on the sale:

Timing is everything. There are a lot of people throwing a lot of money around from private equity groups; we spoke to a number of them. I was getting calls from two different groups every week. Their whole model is to heavily leverage the company out and then sell it off in five years. I didn’t want that. I wanted a strategic partner, which Pon is. Like I said, we started talking three years ago. It was the former CEO for bike who’s not there anymore, and he came in right after we moved into our new building in Santa Cruz. And we just kept in touch, then I went over there (to the Netherlands, where Pon is based) a while later. We started talking more in-depth and seriously. At that time, it didn’t seem like it was going to work, so we just agreed to keep in communication and focus on building and growing the company. It got to the point when it was time to start moving on expanding in Europe. It’s funny, we contacted each other at the same time. We were getting ready to talk to a few other people, but I always thought they were the best fit for us.

For the rest of the interview, click the link.

[Link: Bike Magazine]

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Canfield Brothers’ EPO Carbon 29er

by editors on October 19, 2015

Who says you need a full squish to enjoy the ride? No one. That’s why this new carbon hardtail 29er from Canfield Brothers looks so nice.

“As a high-end brand focused on technology and performance, carbon fiber is a natural evolution for our product line. But with our background in downhill and freeride, strength and durability will always come out ahead of weight savings for us,” said Lance Canfield, co-owner and designer. “That said, you’ll find this bike climbs surprisingly well, but we don’t believe that just because you’ve got miles to burn, you should feel like you’re on a road bike. The geometry was designed to be fun and playful—especially when pointed down—just like all of our bikes. The EPO is all about ‘injecting’ carbon hardtails with some fun.”

For the official word from Canfield Bros, please follow the jump.
[click to continue…]

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