SPECIALIZED
ONE OF THE GREATEST BRANDS
Specialized's core mission is centered around enhancing the cycling experience by designing and manufacturing innovative, high-quality bicycles and gear for riders of all levels.
The company was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard, a cycling enthusiast who sold his Volkswagen Busfor $1,500 to fund a cycle tour of Europe, where he bought handlebars and stems made by Cinelli to take back to the US. Sinyard started importing Italian bike components which were difficult to find in the United States, but the company began to produce its own bike parts by 1976, starting with the Specialized Touring Tire. In 1981, the company introduced its first two bikes: the Sequoia, a sport-touring design, and the Allez, a road bike. Specialized also introduced the first major production mountain bike in the world, the Stumpjumper, in 1981. Like the Sequoia and Allez, the Stumpjumper was designed by Tim Neenan and based on an early Tom Ritchey design. Specialized continues to produce bikes under the Stumpjumper name, including both hardtail and full-suspension models. An original Stumpjumper is displayed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
SALSA
INTO THE WILD
Our mission is to make the best possible bikes and accessories for adventure. The Salsa team has centuries of collective experience riding, working on, thinking about, and designing bikes. This background informs everything we do.
Salsa Cycles is an American bicycle brand based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The company produces touring, mountain, road, and gravel bicycles, as well as bicycle components. Ross Shafer founded Salsa Cycles in the early 1980s. The company initially focused on producing bicycle frames and custom stems. In 1997, the brand was acquired by Minnesota-based Quality Bicycle Products, which transitioned from a wholesale bike-parts distributor to a bike-brand conglomerate, with a focus on biking in climates with cold winters. In 2021, Quality Bicycle Products employed over 600 people. The Salsa Cycles brand, along with its sister brands Surly Bikes and All-City Cycles, is owned by the Bloomington-based Quality Bicycle Products.
BORELIS
FATTER IS BETTER
Mission to create the highest quality carbon fiber fat bikes possible.
Started in Kaczmarek's garage, Borealis Fat Bikes produces, manufactures and sells fat-tire bikes with a mission to create the highest quality carbon fiber fat bikes possible. The Colorado Springs-based company made the Inc. 5000 list two years in a row as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation with three-year growth of 147R. With all bikes coming with a limited lifetime warrantee, Borealis sure packs a punch on the trail with great advantages like this to make the fat bike community bigger every year.
SCOTT
BIG NAME, GREAT BIKES
We believe in doing things the right way, and for the right reasons. We are committed to improving the impacts of our products and business practices, preserving the environment for future generations and stimulating positive change in our communities.
In 1958, engineer and skier Ed Scott from Sun Valley, Idaho, invented a ski pole made of aluminium instead of bamboo or steel that proved popular. The company produced sporting goods in many fields. In 1970, Scott sold their first protection goggles for motocross riders. Scott expanded to Europe in 1978, settling their headquarters in Fribourg, Switzerland. In 1990, Scott introduced the clip-on, aerodynamic bicycle handlebar. The handlebar was used by American Greg LeMond in his 1989 Tour de France win, when he beat Frenchman Laurent Fignon by over a minute in the 24.5 km final time trial. Previous to this event it was widely used in triathlon and Race Across America. In 1991, Scott produced their first suspension fork named "Unishock" and a year later, their first full-suspension mountain bicycle was shown to the public. Its 2001 Team Issue road bike frame was the lightest frame available at the time at 895 grams. In 2005 the name 'Scott USA' was changed to 'Scott Sports', representing a shift in emphasis to the European market. In 2011, Scott launched its E-Bike line E-Sub and E-Sportster, replaced in 2012 with E-Venture line models. In 2015, the Korean Youngone Corporation took a 50.1% stake in the company, with the previous Swiss owner Beat Zaugg retaining 49.9%. In 2014, Scott Sports partnered with the US Military Endurance Sports organization to be a sponsor and provide Scott equipment to the US Domestic Elite Road Team and Elite Triathlon Team. In 2017, Scott Sports was sponsoring teams and individuals in various sports. Its bike division was sponsoring 12 racing and mountain biking teams. Its wintersport division sponsored 35 people, its running division 10 and motorsports division 40 athletes. In 2022, Jonas Deichmann cycled across United States of America, from New York to Los Angeles on a Scott Addict Gravel HMX. The trip was a world record attempt and a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief.
