We don’t post press releases too often here on Bikecommuters.com…but this one we HAD to share. We’re all huge fans of Sky Yaeger and her work…everything she touches, bike-wise, turns to pure gold. Check this out:
SPOT BRAND HIRES SKY YAEGER
Golden, Colorado—July 8, 2010—Andrew Lumpkin, CEO of Spot Brand bikes announced today that they have hired Sky Yaeger for a newly created position as Senior Product Manager. Yaeger started immediately, working out of a Marin County, California office. The majority owner of Spot Brand is Wayne Lumpkin, having founded Avid in 1991 and, after successfully building the international brand, selling it to SRAM in 2004.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me, as I have always admired Spot Brand and been a huge fan of Wayne and Andrew. After they acquired Spot Brand I was excited to see where they would take it and I am honored to be joining a company with such legitimate MTB heritage, and now huge potential with the Gates belt-drive system,” Yaeger said.
Yaeger brought some of the first production single-speed mountain bikes to market in the mid-90s, while at Bianchi USA, and spec’d Spot hubs on those first bikes. “I go back with the brand and have always liked the simple, clean design and fun vibe.”
Andrew Lumpkin added, “Sky is a trendsetter in the industry and will be instrumental to Spot Brand’s continued trailblazing of new technologies.”
For the past 4 years Yaeger has been working at Swobo Bikes, which was recently acquired by Santa Cruz Bicycles. She started designing the urban bicycle product line in 2006, and the line-up now includes 10 models currently in production. Before that she was VP of Product Development at Bianchi USA for many years.
The industry veteran will be responsible for a new line of Spot models that will incorporate the Gates belt-drive technology. “I think the future looks bright for alternative drivetrain options. I’ve always believed in simple, elegant solutions to complex problems. The internal hub is an old idea but it’s been my mission, since I designed the Bianchi Milano in 1996, to get more people to appreciate the function and simplicity of internally geared hubs on modern bikes. Add a belt to that and you have an almost perfect drivetrain.”
(photo by Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious — thanks for letting us borrow it!)
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internal hub and belt drive would be great. but hurry – i’m getting old.
I’m with you, Harry…the technology’s there and has been for a little while — it just takes someone like Sky to put it all together into a package that resonates with commuters. And I’m sure it will be a winner when it is revealed. Maybe we’ll even see some goodies like this at Interbike this year; if so, we’ll be sure to report it and perhaps wheedle some test rides out of the companies involved.
Here is mine (the photo is actually my bike) from Stop Cycles. Really enjoying it and use it to commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan. http://stopcycles.com/Our_Rides/Entries/2009/11/15_Jane_%26_Jennys_Birthday_Trip.html
I did a ton of research and the belt drives in addition to the Stop Proletariat when I was looking are:
Trek – Soho
Raleigh – Alley Way
Globe – Live 3
Civia – Bryant
Norco – Ceres
Commuters? Heck, an internally geared hub and belt drive would be outstanding for most road cyclists, except racers. Reliability is good, and a Kevlar belt has to be stronger than a chain.
I love my bikes, but if I could get a bike with sport road geometry and a hub/belt for a decent price, I’d be on it. No messy chain to deal with. No derailleur to get mangled in a crash. Seems like a win win situation to me.