Performance is recalling three models of resistance bicycle trainers because springs can become unattached and fly through the air. There are 3 reports of malfunctions, but no injuries.

All three are folding stands that can be attached to the rear wheel of a bicycle. The models are: Travel Trac Inertial (catalog 40-3834), Travel Trac Force I-Wireless (40-3833) and Travel Trac Millennium ...   more »

Trek Bicycle has filed a lawsuit to get out of its contract to produce bicycles for LeMond Cycling.

Trek president John Burke cites a "troubling pattern of inconsistent business dealings" with Greg LeMond, the three-time Tour de France winner.

That "troubling pattern" includes LeMond's habit of speaking his mind about doping in the sport of cycling. It also probably includes the lawsuit against Trek that LeMond filed on March 20. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the lawsuit charges Trek with:

"...failing to adequately market the LeMond-branded bikes and accuses the company of favoring products with the Lance Armstrong brand, at the expense of LeMond's products." ...   more »

One of those reports that makes me stop and go -- huh? -- has been issued by Global Industry Analysts.

In reporting continued worldwide growth of the bicycle market, it notes that bicycling is one of the top leisure sports activities in the US "with over 451 million users active cyclists in the country."

That's an amazing statistic, considering the current US population is 301 million. Maybe the report means 451 million bicycles; I wouldn't be surprised if there were more bikes than people...   more »

Go to most bicycling events where there are more than a couple of dozen bikes and you'll  find Treks, Lemonds, Gary Fishers, and Kleins.

The bikes can range in price from about $400 to more than $7,000. What they all have in common is that they're all made by Trek Bicycle, the world's largest bike company.

The man who started it all in a red barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin, 32 years ago was Richard Burke. He died Monday from complications of heart surgery at age 73 ...   more »

Calfee Designs is supplying its bamboo bikes to a California-based bicycle racing team composed exclusively of vegans.

OrganicAthlete launched its cycling team in 2007 and five of its athletes will be riding the bamboo bikes this year.

Although he experimented with bamboo about 10 years ago, Craig Calfee has been building the bamboo bikes at his Santa Cruz County shop for three or four years. The bamboo tubing is bound with a hemp-fiber wrap that helps create a green, renewable bicycle...   more »

After a very successful weekend in Portland, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is heading out to Indianapolis for its 5th annual event next year.

Apparently show owner Don Walker likes to keep his show on the road to give more people a chance to fall in love with those beautiful hand-built bicycles. Can't argue with that.

Also, the UrbanVelo blog says that Indianapolis (home to Monon Trail, above) is within a day's drive of 100 million people out there in the Heartland. Nearby cities include Chicago and St. Louis, as well as Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Detroit...   more »

Trek Bicycle is recalling 49,000 girls mountain bikes after receiving 13 reports that the frames broke, resulting in four injuries.

The recall, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers the Trek MT220 girls bicycles sold through authorized Trek dealers from April 2004 through June 2007 for about $300.

The bicycles were manufactured in China and Taiwan for the Waterloo, Wisconsin-based bike maker...   more »

If you're anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, you should be reminded that this weekend is the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Portland.

This is the show's first year in Portland, where some 155 exhibitors will show their wares to the public at the Oregon Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday (Friday is industry only day).

Organized by Don Walker and in its fourth year, the handbuilt bike show has helped focus more attention on this cottage industry that not only produces unique, high-quality machines but is also an early bellwether of changes in the bike industry...   more »

(The blog feeds for Sheldon Brown tributes has been moved to the upper sidebar of the Biking Bis "Feed Zone" page.)

The foremost Internet authority on bicycles and bicycle maintenance died last night of a massive heart attack.

Sheldon Brown's websites were the first place many of us bike geeks landed when we needed authoritative information about our rides. Those ending up at the Harris Cyclery web pages today saw the following message:

"Dear Harris Cyclery friends and customers, It is with heavy hearts that we convey to you the news that Sheldon Brown has passed away. Our thoughts go out to his family at this time. The cycling community has lost one of it's most passionate members."

Noah over at Blue Collar Mountain Biking notes that Sheldon, 63, posted some advice over at Bike Forums at 9:31 p.m. That might have been the last help he gave while he was alive. He'll surely continue to help many others as his words and advice live on through the Internet.

More about Sheldon Brown at wikipedia. Also, leave a comment at the Recalling Sheldon Brown blog; 293 comments last I checked.

Ownership of the Cannondale Bicycle Corp. is headed north of the border with its purchase by Montreal-based Dorel Industries.

A huge consumer products company, Dorel markets Schwinn, Mongoose, GT, Roadmaster, Murray, InSTEP and Playsafe through its Pacific Cycle division.

In announcing the $200 million purchase, company officials said Cannondale would operate as a separate group aimed at independent bicycle dealers, while the other bike brands will continue to target the mass merchandisers ...   more »

It's hard to imagine Interbike anywhere except Las Vegas, but show coordinators are considering relocating the fall bicycle expo to another city.

The long-term contract at the Sands Convention Center runs through 2009. Interbike industry consultant Lance Camisasca recently said the decision to stay or move must be made by mid-2008.

If Interbike were to move, the leading options are Anaheim and Denver. They have the required floor space, and good restaurants, hotels and entertainment for the more than 20,000 who attend...   more »

Did you give yourself a new bicycle or new bike gear for Christmas and need to get rid of some old stuff, or are you just looking for bargains?

Either way, the next couple of months are popular times for bicycle swap meets where you'll find retail dealers or your neighbors offering great prices on bicycles and equipment.

Some of the larger bicycle clubs put together these swap meets, which are sometimes paired with an overall bicycle expo or classic bike show. Here are a few of the high profile ones in St. Louis, Seattle, Baltimore, Tucson, and western New York, among others (check your local bicycle club for local listings)...   more »

Bicycle retailers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states can see and rides lots of new bikes without having  to travel to Las Vegas to participate in the Interbike Outdoor Demo next fall.

The trade show is inaugurating the Outdoor Demo East from 9 to 5 on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, R.I., this year to serve retailers on the East Coast.

It follows the annual Interbike show in Las Vegas, with the Outdoor Demo in Bootleg Canyon slated for Sept. 22-23 and the big show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Sept. 24-26...   more »

Pacific Cycles is recalling three brands of trailer bikes because bad welds on the couplers can cause the trailer to disconnect from the bicycle.

The recall of the 7,000 trailers, in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers the InStep “Pathfinder”(pictured at left), Schwinn “Run About,” and Mongoose “Alley Cat” Trailer Bicycles.

Pacific Cycles said one coupler failure has been reported, resulting in an injury to the rider. ...   more »

Specialized Bicycles is voluntarily recalling 3,000 Model-D helmets that failed tests required by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The helmets could fail on impact, causing serious head injury to cyclists. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

The ultralight helmets retailed for $200 and were sold through Specialized authorized dealers and online stores between July and October 2007, when they were taken off the market. Apparently there was a chin strap buckle problem. ...   more »

Ninety-three entries

What better company to host a contest for new bicycle designs than Specialized, developer of the Stumpjumper in 1981, the first mass-produced mountain bike.

Entries for the Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine Contest closed Saturday, and 93 can be viewed online as YouTube videos. Results will be released on Jan. 15.

The contest was supposed to "inspire innovation and environmental change by highlighting the benefits of cycling in an unprecedented way." The result has been a creative tour de force, with inventors submitting everything from recumbent tricycles (above) to bike-powered blenders, tennis-ball launchers and water filtration systems....   more »

There's a bicycle shop in California -- the only one in its county -- that is going to close down by the end of the year if a buyer can't be found.

You'd think buyers would be lining up to get a chance at this bargain, but there haven't been any takers. Where is this shop?

Bill's Bicycle Shop has been in business right there in downtown Hanford, the county seat of Kings County, since 1971. The town is located in southcentral San Joaquin Valley, an area of hot summers and foggy winters...   more »

Most communities require that bicyclists use some type of front and/or rear bike light on their rides after dark. In addition to the legal aspects, it's just plain common sense.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WADA) reports that half of all bicycling fatalities occur after dark involving bicycles without lights, although only 3% of bike rides occur at night.

To raise awareness about nighttime safety issues, bicycling associations are giving away free front and rear bike light sets. I've spotted upcoming giveaways in Washington DC, Seattle and Portland. ...   more »

Using a wobbly bicycle, peasant farmer Kalifan Keita is traveling from village to village around Mali to test children for malaria and distribute drugs to those who are sick.

Irin News, a UN publication, says Keita is a volunteer in one of 18 communities that are part of a pilot project being run by the non-governmental organisation [NGO] Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a malaria-endemic region of Mali.

"He is achieving in Mali what the government and decades of Western aid have largely failed to do ...   more »

An importer is recalling about 5,700 disc brakes typically mounted on mountain bikes.

Perigeum Development, doing business as Formula Brake USA, is recalling the Oro disc brakes because the brake's lever can separate, causing loss of braking ability. Six reports of failures have resulted in no injuries.

The brakes, manufactured by Italy-based Formula SRL, were sold at bicycle specialty stores ...   more »

Where's the bicycle market headed?

The Wall Street Journal reports that custom bicycles -- with pricetags upwards of $10,000 -- are the new rage for bike makers seeking to push up their bottom line.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe says that "simple cycling" is the way to go. The style manifests itself in the line of easy-to-ride bicycles that use the automatic shifting Coasting system developed by Shimano ...   more »

Raleigh America is recalling about 1,200 Cadent style bicycles with carbon fiber forks after receiving reports that the forks broke under normal use.

The recall, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, involves the 2007 Raleigh Cadent 1.0, Cadent 2.0 and Cadent Carbon (pictured) bicycle models with carbon forks.

Raleigh received three reports of forks breaking resulting in riders suffering a dislocated shoulder, a concussion and a broken jaw...   more »