Fallbrook Technologies Inc. Signs Agreement with Ellsworth International Inc. to License Breakthrough NuVinci™ Hub

– Ellsworth to use NuVinci CVP technology in new line of bicycles; hubs to be manufactured by Aftermarket Technology Corp. –

(Taipei, Taiwan, March 8, 2006) – Fallbrook Technologies Inc. (Fallbrook), a pioneering technology development and intellectual property licensing company, announced today it has signed an OEM licensing agreement with Ellsworth International, Inc. (Ellsworth) to license Fallbrook’s NuVinci CVP hub technology for a new line of Ellsworth bicycles, planned for introduction in the second half of 2006.  The announcement was made at the Taipei International Cycle Show in Taipei , Taiwan.

Ellsworth has agreed to purchase the hubs from Aftermarket Technology Corp. (ATC), Fallbrook’s licensed manufacturing partner.

Using the NuVinci-based hubs, Ellsworth will design a new line of bikes, called the Ride & Enjoy series, which will complement the company’s premier line of mountain bikes. The Ride & Enjoy series will feature inviting styling and kinetics that will appeal to a much broader cycling audience.

“We’re out to create a whole new category here,” said Tony Ellsworth, president and CEO of Ellsworth International, Inc. “The Ride & Enjoy series will give riders a whole new level of comfort and efficiency, incorporating bio-kinetically designed frames and state-of-the-art materials – including the revolutionary NuVinci hub. These bikes will make getting around easier and more relaxing than you’ve ever imagined.”

NuVinci technology is the most practical, economical and universally adaptable continuously variable planetary (CVP) transmission for human-powered and motor-powered vehicles and machines.

NuVinci technology is a true alternative to conventional derailleur and fixed-gear internal hubs. It offers the bicycle rider incredibly smooth, simplified shifting while pedaling, coasting, or at a standstill. It delivers all the advantages of planetary gearsets without the limitations of fixed speed ratio, without wide gaps between gears, and without jarring or shocking shifts typical of conventional drivetrains. NuVinci technology is dependable, compact, whisper-quiet, and completely sealed for protection from weather, dirt and abuse.

Fallbrook’s agreement with Ellsworth represents the first commercialization of NuVinci technology in the bicycle industry, and establishes NuVinci technology as the first viable CVT drivetrain for bicycles.

"Ellsworth’s choice of NuVinci technology for its new cruiser bike line is a tremendous step forward for bike design and manufacturing,” said William Klehm III , president and CEO of Fallbrook. “The NuVinci CVP is an affordable, advanced technology that we believe will put more people on bikes by removing the complexities and intimidation of shifting derailleurs and conventional internal drivetrains.”

ATC is North America’s largest remanufacturer of complex drivetrain products. ATC now is leveraging its remanufacturing, component manufacturing and engineering expertise, along with its worldwide logistics capabilities, into the transmission manufacturing arena. Its licensing arrangement for manufacturing drivetrains based on NuVinci technology is part of this strategy.

“We’re excited that Ellsworth has chosen ATC to help launch NuVinci technology in a first-of-its-kind bicycle application,” said Don Johnson, chairman, president and CEO of ATC. “Together with Ellsworth and Fallbrook, we’re bringing significant gains to bike riders in terms of performance, ease of use, simple control, and durability.”

About Ellsworth International, Inc.
Ellsworth International, Inc. (Ellsworth) is a leading premium manufacturer and designer of highly sought-after bicycles. Serving the global bicycle market, Ellsworth, hand-builds bicycles in the USA which are available in limited quantities for riders that demand the very best that money can buy. The company is headquartered in Ramona, Calif.  www.ellsworthbikes.com

About Aftermarket Technology Corp. (ATC)
ATC is headquartered in Downers Grove , Illinois. The Company provides outsourced engineered solutions and supply chain logistics services to the light and medium/heavy duty vehicle aftermarket and consumer electronics industries.  www.goatc.com

About Fallbrook Technologies Inc.
Fallbrook Technologies Inc. (Fallbrook) is a technology development and intellectual property licensing company dedicated to improving the performance and flexibility of transmissions for vehicles and equipment. Fallbrook's revolutionary NuVinci™ continuously variable planetary (CVP) technology is applicable to virtually any machines that use a transmission such as bicycles, light electric vehicles, automobiles, agricultural equipment, and utility class wind turbines among others. The NuVinci technology offers companies the flexibility to design and produce next generation products that are better tailored to their unique business, market and competitive requirements.  To download a comprehensive press kit and company/technology backgrounder, click on a link below.

Fallbrook Press Kit