MIPS settles infringement case for $3.2M
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
MIPS will pay $3.25 million to fellow helmet technology company BrainGuard Technologies as part of a patent infringement lawsuit settlement brought against Revelyst and its helmet brands.
Filed in 2024 in U.S. District Court here against Vista Outdoor Inc. and Revelyst Sales LLC, MIPS became involved a year later because Revelyst is one of its customers. Vista sold its Revelyst business unit — including bike brands Bell, Giro, and Fox Racing — to Strategic Value Partners in 2025.
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French sports retailer and Chinese venture capital fund invest in Brompton
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Decathlon Pulse, the investment unit of the French sporting goods retailer Decathlon, and BA Capital, a Shanghai, China-based venture capital firm, have each acquired shares in Brompton, the UK folding bike brand.
The companies said the investment will help the brand expand its global reach. Selected Brompton models will be sold through dedicated “Brompton corners” in some Decathlon stores. Decathlon has hundreds of locations worldwide, but currently does not operate brick and mortar stores in the U.S. It does sell its Van Rysel road and gravel bikes and Rockrider mountain bikes in the U.S. online and through IBDs.
The Guardian reported that the deal was worth 18 million pounds ($23.8 million), with Decathlon acquiring a 10% stake in Brompton and BA Capital taking a 5% stake.
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NYC Mayor Mamdani sued over relaxing e-vehicle enforcement policy
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
City Councilman Frank Morano and several residents are suing Mayor Zohran Mamdani for overturning a criminal enforcement policy for e-vehicle violations in March.
Morano, who represents the 51st Council District, is suing in a personal capacity, and according to the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, he “personally witnessed a noticeable decrease in reckless e-bike ridership.” He’s joined by eight residents who say they have either been injured or suffered near-misses.
According to the lawsuit, e-vehicles — including e-bikes and e-scooters — “now run wild in New York City, traveling at high rates of speed, blowing through stop signs and red lights, barreling through crosswalks and weaving through streets and bike lanes, often in the wrong direction. … The situation is safe for no one.”
To address the issue, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch enacted a new policy in April 2025 to issue criminal summonses for e-vehicle traffic violations. Because e-vehicle riders are unregistered, the lawsuit states, civil summonses were not enough of a deterrent and largely ignored.
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Eurobike will take place biannually after next year
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Eurobike will become a biannual event after next year, the latest change with the long-running trade show that’s experiencing growing apathy within the industry.
The news came after German industry associations announced this week plans for a rival international bicycle show in Cologne — Towards Tomorrow — that will debut next year on Sept. 6-8. Eurobike, which announced last month that its 2027 show will return to its traditional early fall place on the calendar, will occur Sept. 1-3. Eurobike organizers said it will return to a more B2B show while attracting more leading bike brands.
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Shimano reorganizes bike division by promoting Yuzo Shimano
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Shimano announced a reorganization of its bicycle division by naming Yuzo Shimano to lead the department, effective July 1. Yuzo Shimano is currently senior executive officer of global marketing and supervises bike sales and marketing.
In April, Shimano’s bike division reported sales declined 0.7% in the first quarter, and operating earnings in the business unit dropped 46%.
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Shimano adds wheels to its e-commerce offerings
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Shimano is now selling its wheels consumer-direct on its e-commerce site, which also offers shoes, sunglasses and pedals direct to consumers. The wheels were added June 17.
A minimum advertised price policy is in place for the wheels and other products and the representative said consumers can choose to work with a local dealer or Shimano directly on any warranty or service needs.
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Kona 3.1: The search for ‘a new irreverence’
By: Steve Frothingham // Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
When, in May 2024, Kona Bike’s founders re-acquired the brand from the private equity group that had bought it in 2022, they called the re-launch “Kona 3.0.” This month, the brand is entering what might be called Kona 3.1 as co-founders Jake Heilbron and Dan Gerhard step out of their day-to-day roles and join the board. Charles Russell, an industry veteran who joined the company last year as Chief Revenue Officer, replaces Heilbron as President and CEO.
Russell, who has worked for brands including Rocky Mountain, Yeti, Cannondale, Sugoi, and POC, is part of a group of new executives Heilbron and Gerhard have brought on since the re-launch. Besides Russell, the group includes Scott Vogelmann, Kona’s new VP of Product, who has worked at Cannondale and Trek; Chris Newlin, VP of Sales, who comes from Rocky Mountain and POC; and CFO Scott Bly, who comes from outside the industry but is a long-time passionate mountain biker.
These new hires mesh with an array of Kona veterans, some of whom have been with the company 30 years or more. Russell said the mix creates “a cocktail” at the company.
“Sometimes you have staff that’s all tenured, and groupthink starts to come in. You start to believe your own bullshit. What you need is a healthy mix of the old and the new,” he told BRAIN.
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Giant reaches settlement in ‘junk fees’ case
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Giant Bicycle has reached a settlement with a plaintiff over claims that the bike company’s e-commerce site charged consumers undisclosed “junk fees,” the plaintiff’s attorney notified the court Wednesday.
The action comes less than a month after the same attorney notified a court of a settlement in a similar case he had filed against Specialized Bicycle on behalf of a different client.
Terms of the settlements were not released. The Giant case settlement has yet to be approved by the court.
In the Giant case, plaintiff Bronson Thomas, a resident of Lompoc, California, said he was charged unexpected fees when he ordered a Giant bike, helmet and pedals from the company’s website.
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Trek fulfilling some online, retailer orders from company stores
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Trek has started fulfilling some online and retailer orders for merchandise — including bikes — from its company stores. The new practice leverages inventory there and expedites delivery when its distribution centers are out of stock, a Trek spokesperson said. According to the spokesperson, a bike might be boxed from a Trek-owned store’s sales floor or removed from original packaging and repackaged with the preparation process varying depending on the destination.
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Taiwan bike makers report sales increases in May
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Giant Manufacturing, Merida Industries and Ideal Bike, the three largest publicly traded bike manufacturers in Taiwan, are each reporting their first monthly sales growth figures of the year, a sign of hope for a troubled sector.
Giant’s May revenues were NT$5.36 billion ($169.9 million), up 5.8% from last May. Year-to-date through May, Giant’s sales are down 15.3% from the same period last year.
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SRAM brings more production to Europe with new Portugal facility
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
SRAM, which has manufactured chains in Portugal for decades, is moving more production to the country with the opening of a 270,000-square-foot factory here planned for 2028.
SRAM said the project is part of a broader onshoring strategy and will reduce shipping between Taiwan and Europe, reduce shipping emissions, shorten lead times, simplify OEM operations, and improve day‑to‑day collaboration with bicycle manufacturers.
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