Bicycle Retailer and Industry News - Product/Tech

Woom's newest balance bike designed for kids as young as 9 months

DeanYobbi — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 12:44:07 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas (BRAIN) — According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most kids learn to ride a bike at between ages 4 and 7. Woom's newest balance bike aims to accelerate the learning curve.

In development for three years, the woom WOW is a self-balancing bike for kids as young as 9 months old. Woom Head of Innovation Chris Small told BRAIN it bridges the gap between a ride-on toy and true balance bike, "combining the intuitiveness and safety parents expect from a toy with the geometry, dynamics, and developmental benefits of a real bike."

The key feature is a self-stabilizing wobble effect that the brand says promotes balance. The handlebars have a self-centering steering feature that also helps maintain balance. "The gentle side-to-side wobble simulates the dynamics of real riding," Small said. "When a child pushes or leans, WOW naturally returns upright — until a certain lean angle, when it tips, teaching cause and effect. That small, forgiving instability helps develop coordination, balance, and confidence — long before they even realize they're learning."

While Small said the WOW is "very much a bike," it is available for $199 at select toy stores expanding woom's distribution beyond conventional bike retailers and direct-to-consumer networks. Also included are the plush toy "Buddy" and an illustrated activity book.

"We see WOW as the first step into the world of cycling, so we'll remain selective about where it's available," Small said.

The evolution of the WOW was aided by direct observation of how young children move and interact with their environment, working hands-on with kids during the design process, and incorporating insights from pediatricians and developmental psychologists, according to the brand.

"It started with a simple question: Could we bring the joy of movement to an even earlier stage of childhood?" Small said. "From there, we spent countless hours observing, sketching, prototyping, and refining every detail until the concept felt just right for riders as young as 9 months."

Physical requirements for kids to fully enjoy and benefit from the WOW include:

Height of at least 27 ½ inches.
Ability to sit independently.
Ability to stand up independently when holding onto something.
Ability to reach the handlebars with their arms slightly bent and with their feet touching the ground when sitting on the WOW.

Weighing 6 pounds, the Wow is not suitable for kids weighing more than 44 pounds and older than 36 months. The frame is made from aluminum and the extra-wide tires of EVA thermoplastic polymer. The saddle has 30% recycled content, and bike color options are pop peach, soft sprout, and dreamy sky. The rounded design and a flat oversized handlebar ends enhance safety and the handlebar can rotate 90 degrees and lock for carrying and storing. It comes fully assembled.

Manufactured in Portugal, the bike is made of up to 98% recycled composite material and close-partner production. "That proximity allows us to maintain strict quality standards, shorter supply chains, and a more sustainable manufacturing process," Small said. "With WOW, we want to give children their first feeling of freedom, that spark of movement and independence that cycling brings. It's also about inspiring parents to start that journey earlier, with trust and confidence. Ultimately, WOW represents the beginning of a lifelong love of riding, and that's what woom stands for."

CPSC warns against using Favoto helmets; manufacturer has not agreed to recall

DeanYobbi — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:19:46 +0000

WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to stop using Favoto bike helmets because they violate safety requirements for positional stability, certification, and labeling.

Shenzhen Favoto Co. Ltd. of China has not agreed to a recall or offered a remedy to consumers. The CPSC recommends cutting the straps and disposing of the helmet.

About 2,200 helmets were sold on Amazon from April 2022 through January 2025. They were sold in black/red with black padding, black straps with a silver reflective pattern in the center and a black and red buckle with a black chin strap. The helmets have a black plastic knob at the back for fitting. "FAVOTO" is on the side of the helmet in white letters.

CPSC said some similar helmets might have been sold in the following color combinations: black/blue, black/yellow, black/green, carbon, gray, black and titanium. The helmets also might have been sold on other platforms and by third-party sellers.

No injuries have been reported. Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to the CPSC.

DeFeet introduces new custom sock program

DeanYobbi — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:14:00 +0000

HICKORY, N.C. (BRAIN) — DeFeet has a new custom sock program with no minimum orders with retailers allowed to order as few or as many as they like with a custom logo.

The DeZign & EVO Print program includes four sock models that can be made from any assortment of these styles and in different sizes. The process begins with the purchase of a DeZign, a cuff or full-foot digital sock mockup for $30. After approving the mockup, customers submit their physical EVO Print order. The DeZign can be used at any future time to place orders with no mockup fee.

The CUFF DeZign is for the EVO Jet Aerosock model exclusively, and the FULL FOOT DeZign digital mockup can be used to order the new EVO Air, EVO Mont Ventoux, and EVO All Day models.

DeFeet is giving dealers ways to leverage DeZign & EVO Print, with wholesale pricing starting at 60 pairs total even when mixing models. After the DeZign mockup is approved, turnaround on EVO Print orders is under 72 hours based on demand.

"This new program is more than a new way to DeZign, order and create extreme performance custom socks in quantities as few as one pair," said Shane Cooper, DeFeet founder. "This is the DeFeet brand stepping into a new chapter, a new frontier in this industry. It's always been a dream to offer the highest quality custom product at no minimums and across multiple models and sizes. DeFeet has done it. For the customer, it's an experience that gives them maximum creative control at an inconceivable value."

In the past 14 months, DeFeet socks have been ridden to victory in major tours, one-day races, and stages, including the men's Giro d'Italia GC, women's Gravel World Championship, three stages at the men's Tour de France, the women's Olympic road race, women's Paris-Roubaix, women's Tour de France GC, and the Vuelta a España GC.

Chris King awarded patent on internal cable routed headset design

DeanYobbi — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 20:15:46 +0000

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Chris King Precision Components announced securing a patent for its internal cable routed headset design.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Patent No. US 12,337,923 B2 to what Chris King said is "the best possible version of an internal headset. Internal systems can be difficult to work on and expensive to maintain."

The design employs King's GripLock bearing cap system, also patented, to create the internally cable routed headset. Chris King said the result is a system that resists loosening under demanding use, bearings designed for longevity, while remaining easy to service.

"Internal routing is here to stay, but that doesn't mean riders should have to accept compromises in serviceability or longevity," said Greg Hudson, Chris King sales manager. "This patent reflects our commitment to designing components that make modern bikes better to ride and easier to live with.

"Internal routing demands more from every component in the front end of the bike, and after almost 50 years of building headsets that set the standard, we designed this one to stand above anything else in the internally routed category. It carries our legacy forward and gives riders the confidence that, even with the added complexity of internal systems, they are riding the most dependable headset available."

Chris King has manufactured headsets and other components since 1976 in Portland and all are backed by a lifetime warranty.

File Attachment:

chris_king_doc.pdf

2025 Eurobike, Part 1: Some new product highlights

Steve Frothingham — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 18:26:05 +0000

Organizers announce a concurrent light electric vehicle trade show for 2026.

FRANKFURT (BRAIN) — Eurobike opened its doors Wednesday at the Messe Frankfurt, with 1,500 exhibiting companies from more than 60 nations in attendance.

Fairnamic GmbH, the organizers of the show, announced this week that they will launch a new trade fair for light electric vehicles called Mobifuture, which will be held concurrently with Eurobike next year. Splitting off the LEV element will allow Eurobike to focus on bikes and e-bikes, according to Fairnamic.

"With the move to Frankfurt and the expansion towards ecomobility, Eurobike has grown significantly in recent years. At the same time, its sporting origins have receded somewhat into the background. Bike and e-bike manufacturers, suppliers and components, parts and accessories continue to form the heart of Eurobike, which will position itself more with a stronger emphasis on sports and lifestyle focus in future. While the vehicle segment from e-scooters to microcars is getting a new umbrella under Mobifuture – including its own separate foci and adapted testing opportunities on a separate course," said Fairnamic managing director Stefan Reisinger.

“Both formats will take place simultaneously at the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, utilising all available synergies,” Reisinger said in a release this week. Next year's shows will be June 24-28 in Frankfurt.

Below are some highlights from the first day at Eurobike. Watch for more later this week and be sure to check out all the Eurobike coverage from our colleagues at Velo and Pinkbike.

Hutchinson gets into belt drives

French tire brand Hutchinson says its been making belts for other industries since 1965, so it's only natural that it is launching a belt drive for bikes and e-bikes at Eurobike.

The Crossdyn belt drive debuts on a Origine Cycles e-bike. "The Hutchinson Crossdyn system is engineered to directly address the primary demands of both bicycle manufacturers and modern cyclists: reliability, durability, and a maintenance-free experience. Unlike traditional chain-driven systems, the Crossdyn belt offers a clean, silent, and significantly longer-lasting alternative, estimated to have twice the lifetime of a standard chain," the company said. Hutchinson also released a new line of bike-care products at Eurobike. The company is in Hall 11.1, B04.

Tq launches stealthy road/gravel motor system

We first learned of Germany's Technologies Qualitat (Tq) motors at the 2022 Eurobike, when it launched a lightweight e-MTB motor, which Trek had the exclusive on for a time. Since then the company has supplied motors to many brands. At Eurobike this year it released a lightweight system for dropbar bikes. The TQ-HPR40 Drive System weighs just 1,170 grams (2,700 grams including a 290Wh battery) and delivers 40 Nm of torque and up to 200 Watts of power. The motor surrounds the bottom bracket so it's nearly invisible behind the chainrings and the system's controls integrate with electronics from Shimano, SRAM, Garmin, Hammerhead, Sigma and Wahoo.

A minimalist "display" (right) consists of LEDs in a bar-end plug. Perhaps more importantly, the system is quiet and drag free after it reaches its maximum speed; it's designed to give riders a boost but, the company said, "The one rider it is not made for, though, is the one who want to fly up a mountain without breaking a sweat." The company is at Hall 12.0, A26 and outside at F12, G18.

Prologo offers super-sticky tape and more saddles

Prologo is showing a lot of new saddle models, including its second 3D-printed model for the road and gravity mountain bike and e-MTB models under the Proxim brand. The Proxim line was designed with recycled and recycleable materials. The brand's most striking new product is its OctoTouch 3D handlebar tape (left), designed for "the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gravel of Strade Bianche, from rough and cracked asphalt to weekend gravel adventures." The company said the design "is able to transform vibrations coming from the terrain into a gentle micro-massage that relieves the cyclist’s hands, wrists, and arms, helping to increase overall stamina."

Feedback releases air-powered workstand

Feedback Sports' new Pro Air Lift workstand, which won a Eurobike Design Award this year, can be pressurized with a floor pump or air compressor to lift bikes weighing up to 100 pounds. That means it can be used in remote locations with no electricity available. To match the workstand, Feedback also is releasing its first pump, the Pneumo CC Floor Pump, which has a concealed internal air cannister that can be pressurized to deliver a burst of air for tire seating or to power the Pro Air Lift. The Pro Air Lift will retail for $725 and the pump will retail for $150. Feedback also is launching two new tool trays for its workstands at Eurobike this year.

MIPS releases its coolest helmet system

MIPS' new Air Node Pro helmet technology features Coolmax material to wick sweat and dry quickly for hot weather and high-output activity. The helmet liner has "flow paths" that direct sweat away from the rider's face, and quick-release pads that can be removed to be rinsed and dried if necessary. The system still offers MIPS' multi-angle impact safety features.

Enduro unveils Pro Bottom Bracket Tool Kit

At Eurobike, Enduro's is unveiling its BBT-044 Pro Bottom Bracket Cup Toolkit (right), which adds to its full line of pro quality tools. Enduro's Rick Sutton said Enduro's product director, Chris Feucht, has been focuses on updating and improving the tool line for three years. The BBT-044 includes the full complement of splined cups and bearing inserts to install and remove any Enduro bottom bracket. The tools feature a unique design that allows mechanics to switch between 24, 29 and 30mm inner guide inserts or a universal insert, depending on the application. The kit sells for $159.

The Prologo AGX, designed for Adventure, Gravel and Cyclocross.

Some sneak peeks from Bentonville

Steve Frothingham — Wed, 28 May 2025 01:24:56 +0000

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BRAIN) — Last week BRAIN was in Arkansas for the NBDA Dealer Summit as well as the Bentonville Bike Fest and the conclusion of the inaugural Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator program. BRAIN is preparing stories for our July magazine about each of the 10 startup companies in the AGCA, but we thought we'd share some sneak peeks of some of the participants, as well as a few other new products on display at the festival and at the Summit.

Ozark Trail’s new $998 full-suspension bike

Walmart was not part of AGCA (although a Walton family fund supports it). But the Bentonville-based retailer made what a company official called a “stealthy launch” of its new Ozark Trail full-suspension 29-inch model at the festival, in a simple 10x10 tent. It’s the most expensive model yet for the house brand, and it (and a similarly priced gravel bike) will be sold exclusively on the Walmart website, not in stores.

The bike was designed by Toronto’s Kevin Quon Studios, which also designed Walmart’s Viathon brand, launched in 2019, and since mothballed. Quon, who was at the event, also has designed bikes for Cervélo, BH, Parlee and other brands over the years.

It would be easy to question the bike’s performance and durability due to its low-end Microshift 1x drivetrain and SR Suntour shock and fork. And the straight-gauge, Taiwan-made aluminum frame combined with low-end parts makes for a heavy machine. But where it shines — and differs from many Walmart-sold bikes — is in its use of modern standards, making it upgradeable and repairable down the line. That matte-finished black frame has a tapered headtube, thru axles with Boost spacing, a UDH derailleur hanger, and internal cabling for a dropper post, for example (it comes with a standard seatpost). It comes in three frame sizes and comes with 100mm travel front and rear but Quon said it could be upgraded to 120mm.

Posedla’s custom 3D-printed saddles

Posedla is a startup from the Czech Republic that participated in the AGCA program. It offers one of the industry's first custom 3D-printed saddles. The company has already sold more than 5,000 saddles and sponsors athletes including top gravel racer Thomas De Gendt.

Posedla’s program works like this: A customer is first mailed a box containing what Posedla calls a "Smiling Butt Kit," which contains a gridded material that takes an imprint of a rider’s butt. The kit is not shipped back, however; instead the customer takes a series of photos of the impression and emails those back, along with information about the rider’s weight, riding style and position. The company prints the cushioning onto one of three saddle rail and base options. Options include a carbon base and carbon rail version and a less expensive metal-railed version. Prices start at $349 and the turn around is 2-4 weeks. The company is exploring how to best serve the U.S. market — we’ll report more on that sort of thing in our print magazine article.

More information: Posedla.com.

Skarper’s retrofittable e-bike drive system

Another AGCA participant, Skarper is a well-funded British startup with an innovative e-drive system. The system is driven by a special rear disc brake rotor, with the motor and battery unit attaching with one small clamp on the left chainstay. The roughly 8-pound battery/motor/brains unit is mostly supported by the rotor, putting minimal stress on the chainstay and allowing for it be quickly installed and removed.

A cadence sensor on the crankarm signals the assist to kick in — there’s no throttle or other controls, although a phone app can be used to adjust modes and other settings and view the battery level. Test riders report it felt like a standard pedal-assist motor. In Eco mode, the 250-watt motor can be set to provide extra assist when a sensor registers that the bike is going uphill. The Eco mode range is up to 50 kilometers (32 miles).

Skarper’s team doesn't see the product as a retrofit motor for tech nerds. Instead they like to call it a third type of e-drive system, joining middrive and hub-drive systems. The initial model will retail for $2,000, making it ideal for a customer with beloved high quality bike they want to electrify (at least some of the time). Customers also could buy multiple drive/brake rotors to swap the unit between bikes in their fleets. We'll report more on the company and its plans for the U.S. market in the magazine.

More information: Skarper.com.

Lockstop, a smart community locking solution

Another AGCA startup, Lockstop offers a sturdy chain lock that is permanently attached to public bike parking, so riders don’t have to carry a lock. The company’s business plan is to allow cyclists with the Lockstop mobile app to use the locked parking locations for free, with the system funded by municipalities hoping to encourage bike usage — and gather lots of information about the locks’ usage and related cycling use.

The system gives operators data on when the locks are used to track bicycle use in their communities, including the amount of pollution that is reduced by bicycle transportation. The user app allows cyclists to ensure a locking space is available at their destination and reserve a spot in the bike rack before they set out on their ride. The system is being tested in Boulder, Colorado, and in Bentonville.

More information: Lockstop.co.

TrailPilot provides audio mountain bike tours

TrailPilot, an AGCA startup from Bentonville, provides audio mountain bike trail directions through a mobile app. The audio tours leverage a phone’s GPS to provide turn by turn directions as well as background information on the trail,highlights, and warnings about challenging sections.

The app currently has routes in several regions of Arkansas; Tennessee; Boise, Idaho; and Vacaville, California, with the tips and directions provided by a local expert. "Ride like a local!" is the app's tagline.

I tested out the app on the Back 40 Wet Weather Route this rainy weekend. The audio directions were provided by local rider and trail builder Charles Williams, whose friendly remarks and encouragements were a lot like having a knowledgeable docent lead a museum tour. I now know why a certain segment on the route is called Moonshiner’s Hollow and why another is called “The Soccer Ball.”

Best of all, I didn’t have to dig out my reading glasses and consult a soggy map at every intersection. On this solo ride it was like having a local friend along, who rode at exactly my preferred pace.

Watch for more on TrailPilot and its business plan in the July magazine.

More information: TrailPilot.co.

Eightpins integrated dropper post

Austria’s Eightpins is not a startup: It has offered an integrated dropper post since about 2016. The post is used as original equipment on some bike models from European brands including Rotwild, Ghost, Bulls, KTM, Merida and Liteville. The company’s Andreas Haimberger was in Bentonville last week in hopes of creating interest among U.S.-based brands for what is mostly an OE product.

By turning a frame's seat tube into the dropper's housing, the Eightpins design is said to offer reduced weight, a more robust durable system due to larger diameter tubing, and minimal stack height (allowing the saddle to go as low as possible). The system requires a 34.9mm ID seat tube.

The system also has its own saddle height adjustment feature, eliminating the seatclamp. Another advantage is the cable connection does not change when the saddle height is raised or lowered, so there’s no need to adjust cable or housing length. The company sells aftermarket posts to cyclists who have compatible models from those brands. The company said it has options to provide appropriate lengths and drops for 99% of riders.

More information: Eightpins.com.

The Eightpins post.
A cutaway frame showing the Eightpins internals.
Skarper COO and co-founder Uri Meirovich at the Bike Fest.
Lockstop had a presence at the Fest, as well.
Rear details of the new Ozark Trail.
Front details of the new Ozark Trail.
TrailPilot founder and CEO Mark Marsiglio.
Posedla co-founders Jiri Duzar and Martin Rípa at the Fest.
Evidence of the author's soggy TrailPilot test ride. All in the name of journalism.

Park Tool shares free 3D-printing files for pegboard tool holders

Steve Frothingham — Tue, 06 May 2025 19:14:37 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. (BRAIN) — Park Tool is releasing seven 3D-printing models allowing anyone to print out custom pegboard holders for some of its tools.

The printing files are available for download at parktool.com under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license, meaning users can share or modify these files under specific circumstances.

The company said the project is analagous to the free bike repair information shared through its YouTube channel.

"Now, tool walls all over the world can adorn custom tool holders for many of Park Tool's most popular products. All are optimized for standard American pegboard (9/32" holes spaced 1" apart), but can be freely modified or adapted to fit the end user's needs," the company said.

If you don't own a 3D printer, these files can be sent to services such as Craftcloud, i.materialise, Print a Thing and Shapeways.

The models are for the following tools: CT-15 Professional Chain Tool; 3-way wrenches; DC-1 and DC-2 digital measuring calipers; DAG-2.2 and Dag-3 derailleur alignment gauges; ATD-1.2 torque drivers; UP-SET utility pick set; VC-1 valve core tool.

The models can all be downloaded from the Park Tool website on the Storage page.

ACT Lab offers 'Tariff Reduction ACT' pricing specials

DeanYobbi — Mon, 05 May 2025 12:43:46 +0000

LONG BEACH, Calif. (BRAIN) — ACT Lab is offering new pricing programs for its independent third-party testing services that include ISO/IEC 17025 certification for consumer product compliance, including e-bikes.

Labeling it the "Tariff Reduction ACT," ACT Lab adjusted the pricing on most of its mechanical and chemical compliance and regulatory services. Also, it will offer trade show special pricing on compliance packages through July 15, beginning Monday at the China International Bicycle Fair and extending to Eurobike in Frankfurt.

Sample products must arrive at one ACT Lab's testing locations by Aug. 15 to be eligible for the lower pricing. ACT Lab, which has an independent third-party ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory, is at Booth E7-1725 at China Cycle and will be in Hall 8.0 Booth L16 at Eurobike. RSVP for a meeting at either show at info@act-lab.com.

In addition to e-bikes, ACT Lab specializes in mechanical and chemical testing of bike components and accessories, scooters, helmets, sporting goods, and other products.

Sustainable technology wrapped in a small package: Giant's Pre rCarbon Push Bike

DeanYobbi — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 08:43:22 +0000

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Bicycles showed off its latest technology at Taipei Cycle show on Wednesday, and despite its small size, it was hard to miss at the Nangang Exhibition Center.

The 5.5-pound Pre rCarbon Push Bike was prominently displayed with Giant touting it as a breakthrough in carbon fiber recycling, said Marcel Yang, the Giant category manager behind the product.

"That's a very well known issue that we haven't as an industry really cracked yet," Yang said. "I know people are trying different solutions, but it really started three years ago when our chairman Young (Liu) at a strategy meeting threw down the gauntlet and said, 'Can we make a recycled carbon bike?' Challenge accepted."

Giant believes the technology can have a large impact in the sustainability space. The recycled materials making up the bike reduce carbon emissions by 50% in the material phase, according to Giant, which notes the carbon reduction percentage is calculated by comparing the same weight of virgin materials and eco-friendly materials during the raw material phase.

The frame and major components — including the fork, one-piece seatpost and saddle base, stem, and small-diameter handlebar — use rCarbon high-pressure low-void molding. The saddle top is manufactured from recycled ethylene vinyl acetate and the grips from recycled polypropylene and recycled thermoplastic rubber.

Giant said the bike meets the ISO 8098 kids bike standard and added that the low-center of gravity and forward-leaning position enhance agility for kids 1½ to 5 years old.

Future projects could be anything of similar or smaller size that is load bearing. "Anything that could have a sweet spot between unidirectional prepreg, carbon and aluminum. Anything within that space, we are all exploring, but for the time being, we're not looking to go for a bigger form factor," Yang said. "The engineering challenges are big, the upfront investment is also big. We're looking at it, but we'd like to dial in the small form factor stuff first."

Giant worked with several local Taiwan vendors to obtain the recycled materials, including Seawastex, which recycles discarded nylon fishing nets and supplies some bike tire manufacturers, including Giant, and was used in part for the Pre rCarbon tires. The bike is manufactured at Giant's main factory in Taichung.

At a cost of $500 in the U.S., Giant says the most likely consumer will be cycling-oriented parents who want a top-of-the-line product for their kids to learn how to ride.

Select Giant dealers will carry the Pre rCarbon, and U.S. consumers also can purchase it directly because Giant considers it a gear item and not a bicycle. The bikes come 90% pre-assembled with an auto-aligned handlebar and fork.

In Taiwan to start, a pilot retailer and distribution trade-in program is being established so that outgrown push bikes can be offered second-hand. "So the sustainable cycle keeps going even as a finished product," Yang said. "In terms of product, end of life, technically, it is possible all of these parts can be broken down and then reused, most likely down cycle, because the fiber length gets reduced."

Flatbike Pop-Off Pedals earn a Taipei Cycle d&i Award

DeanYobbi — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +0000

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — When Bob Forgrave read the guidelines of the Taipei Cycle d&i Awards, he knew his Flatbike Pop-Off Pedals had to be a favorite in the Parts and Components category.

Forgrave, Flatbike president, was right, for his removable yet “destruction-tested” pedals suitable for mountain bikes and e-bikes can be removed quickly to make transporting and storage easier, more efficient, and also offer a level of theft-prevention.

“Even before we won, we were excited to read the criteria and discover that this entire award was about solving important problems in elegant ways,” said Forgrave in an email to BRAIN from CABDA West in Las Vegas, where he’s speaking to distributors and bike shops about his award-winning pedals. “So when we entered, we were thinking ‘How can we not enter this?’ Solving an important problem is what we've been doing for the past two years. When we won the award, it felt like less of a surprise and more of an important validation from experts in design and the cycling world.”

Taiwan folding bike brand Changebike’s Alice Chi represented Forgrave at the awards presentation at the Nangang Exhibition Center. Flatbike is Changebike’s U.S. supplier.

Pinching two latches releases the pedal spindle and body while re-installing requires a simple push of the spindle into the short latch head threaded into the crank arm. When the pedals are removed, those latch heads make it difficult to ride off with the bike. The pedals have passed the ISO-4210 safety requirement for pedals and drive systems.

Based out of Kirkland, Washington, Flatbike has sold removable pedals from Wellgo for six years, but during COVID, when the supply chain slowed and meant nearly a year from order to delivery, Forgrave said he and Flatbike’s Eli Baggenstos had a better idea.

“And we thought, ‘10 months! We could design and manufacture our own pedals in 10 months,’” he said. “Actually, not true. We could design and destruction-test new pedals in 10 months. Manufacturing took another 10. All told, we've been at this since mid-2023.”

Forgrave said removable pedals are a great way to save space and protect bikes from scratching each other and other items. However, most are not designed for the rigors of mountain biking and e-biking.

“We felt that commuters and mountain bikers deserved a removable pedal with an entirely new type of latch that was easier to remove, protected against accidental removal, and destruction-tested to MTB standards. That would be game-changing.”

His pedals were displayed at last year’s Sea Otter Classic, a Kickstarter campaign was completed in October, and the first 500 sets were delivered. Now Forgrave is working on establishing U.S. distributors and a bike shop network to complement D2C sales. He’s had interest from European distributors, too.

Flatbike began in 2016 as a distributor for Wellgo pedals and Revelo Bikes’ THINstems, which allows rotating the handlebar 90 degrees without the use of tools to enhance storage, and Changebike. Before starting Flatbike, Forgrave worked 13 years at Microsoft building product line brands and designed internal programs as part of Microsoft Consulting.

“The spark for Flatbike came post-Microsoft when, after wearing out my knees as a runner, I switched back to biking for daily exercise and discovered that putting a bike away in a convenient, yet accessible, location is a challenge by itself. Way tougher than tossing running shoes in the corner. But, if my bike could become flat, that problem would go away.”

The first batch of Pop-Off Pedals was manufactured in China, Forgrave said, but he’s moved it to India to better manage the quality-control process and to stay a step ahead of a trade war that he anticipated.

“A year ago we saw the writing on the wall and tariffs became part of that decision,” he said. “What we did not anticipate was tariff warfare. We happily do business with Canada, so the 25% import tariff breaking North American agreements hit us hard. We also will be slow-walking our European distribution plans while we monitor changing attitudes about American exports in the middle of our aggressive worldwide tariff wars. This environment will put a cap on growth if it continues.”

For now, Forgrave is content with positive customer feedback. “We have gotten excellent engineering feedback by passing ISO-420 destruction testing. We have won a design award. Now we need to move to the next level and collect interest from bike shops and distributors, so we are able to ship in quantity with retail packaging in Q3.”

Interested retailers and distributors can contact Jim VanBibber. All the award winners can be seen on IFDesign.com.