A brand new stationary bike trainer brand being launched by a long-time LeMond Fitness executive is focusing on consumer direct sales in its first season.
Cascade Health & Fitness launched a line of three trainers last month. Because the products were not available in time to sell into the dealer market for this season, the company decided to sell them consumer direct via its website for at least its first season, company president and owner John Post told BRAIN Friday.
Post was president of LeMond Fitness from 2002 until 2010. Several other former LeMond employees also work for Cascade, he said. While Post left LeMond two years ago, the others left LeMond after the brand was sold to San Diego-based Hoist Fitness this fall.
Cascade has three trainers to start with: one with magnetic resistance and two with fluid resistance units. One of the fluid trainers has a wireless power meter that calculates wattage from the resistance unit's power curve and beams it to handlebar-mounted head unit. That model retails for $379, while the other fluid trainer retails for $299. Both come with a front wheel riser block.
Post said the trainers are manufactured by a Taiwanese vendor that has produced "millions" of trainers over the years and has a reputation for high quality.The Cascade trainers are especially quiet and stable compared to other products on the market, he said.
Currently just one retailer, nearby Woodinville Bicycle, sells the Cascade trainers. Post said if the company decides to sell more into the dealer market next season, it will likely sell dealer direct rather than through distributors because of tight margins in the very competitive trainer market.
