Great Cycling Brands

I am always fascinated by brands, not from a capitalist marketing point of view (I have no interest in such matters), but because I admire people and organisations that make something worthwhile from nothing. I like any business that does something real, that actually makes something or that makes something happen. In our society, where craft and manual skills aren't valued highly enough, such enterprises are all too rare.

More than anything I am inspired by what I would describe as complete brands- where the quality and performance of the product is matched by great service, strong identity, a unique business structure, a place in cycling history, brilliant design (be it packaging or web design) etc.

I think it would be good to have a thread that recognises and celebrates the many great brands in cycling. Companies with integrity that have added something to the culture that we all feel something for. It strikes me that cycling has an abnormally large number of brilliant brands.

It'd be great if you could not just name the company but also describe why they are important to you. Please don't just cite components that are really good!

Thanks very much.

Rapha, but I hear they're a bit pricey

Rapha

runs away

edit: shit, beaten to it.

you pair of gits. great start, thanks.

Standard Byke Co back in 1999.

The baddest, roughest image, with a quality of product that you simply could not touch.

They've sort of faded off now but I will never forget the likes of Bobby Fisher, Groundchuck and the Trailboss just shredding.

Anyone who markets themselves as "The strongest motherfuckin' bikes on the planet" is good in my books.

awesome, nice one.

Pace.

Swagger.

Sturmey Archer.
The AW 3 speed hub is a legendary product, unrivalled in reliability, build quality and versatility for 70 years. If properly adjusted they never go wrong. They are engineered like locomotives.

My particular favourite is the FG 4 speed hub with dynamo. The 4 gear spread is ideal, and the magnet-driven dynamo is friction-free. It also self-limits the power going to the lights so you cannot blow bulbs by going too fast.

They had 8 speed models prototyped and patented decades ago. If the company, and in particular its R&D hadn't been strangled by Raleigh and TI then nobody would have heard of Shimano Nexus.

Hope. Replaced various lights due to faulty batteries etc, no problems and have always refunded postage or dished out discount vouchers. Always very speedy.

Lezyne. Need I say more.

Cough

It'd be great if you could not just name the company but also describe why they are important to you. Please don't just cite components that are really good!

not sure if anyone else would consider it a brand but HubJub is by far the friendliest online (or otherwise) bike shop I've ever done business with.

Will's personally signed receipts are a nice touch along with his FAQ and 10 reasons to go fixed encouraging our type of riding.

He delivers goods that you mostly can't find elsewhere which is awesome but it's the little extras that make it such a nice place to spend money.

Swagger.

Beat me to it.

Create.

http://www.letour.com.au/images/campa_logo.jpg
Eclipsed by Shimano (perhaps/perhaps not depending on your point of view). Campagnolo have always been innovators - be it the original quick release wheel, a aerodynamic seatpost or the sculptural quality of the delta brakes.

My ex picked up an Athena brake caliper and knowing nothing about bikes looked at it and asked 'what's this?'. I explained it was a simple brake caliper and she replied 'it looks more like a piece of art'.

Sometimes their designs are flawed, but who can deny the romance of a Campag groupset married to an Italian frame.

British engineering to the max!

Errr, that's all I have to say.

I think there is a bit of confusion between brands and products here. Not trying to be pedantic but I'm in the middle of writing a brand book so it's front and centre in my mind at the moment.

Good stuff nonetheless.

Will's personally signed receipts are a nice touch along with his FAQ and 10 reasons to go fixed encouraging our type of riding.

erm...

1. Control
   
   

Skidded recently? Nine times out of ten, it was because something shocked you and you grabbed the brakes. On a fix, you do most of your braking through the pedals. It's hard to lock the wheel up that way. Skids are unusual.

He clearly means that skids are unusual when unintentional.

http://www.letour.com.au/images/campa_logo.jpg
Eclipsed by Shimano (perhaps/perhaps not depending on your point of view). Campagnolo have always been innovators - be it the original quick release wheel, a aerodynamic seatpost or the sculptural quality of the delta brakes.

My ex picked up an Athena brake caliper and knowing nothing about bikes looked at it and asked 'what's this?'. I explained it was a simple brake caliper and she replied 'it looks more like a piece of art'.

Sometimes their designs are flawed, but who can deny the romance of a Campag groupset married to an Italian frame.

+1000 the ultimate cycling brand.

I recently bought some Royce hubs. My order was delayed. Not because of some problem with the shipping dept or because he was waiting for parts from China, but because he was busy sorting out hubs for a national charity cart race. This made me quite happy to wait!
Royce seems to me to be one of the few, true 'bloke in his shed' style companies making quality kit.

Thorn are a pretty amazing company, from what I can tell. I like them cos they are truly specialist. No weenie bike effort, no half arsed MTB or 'trendy skiddy fixie' rip off. Just good tourers and a decent Audax. One day i will pull my finger out and get one.

I think Phil Wood are a pretty special 'brand' too. Sealed bearing innovators. Unbelievably over-engineered stuff. In a good way.

I love Surly and Salsa.

I particularily love the Salsa belt buckle, it seems to sum up why they rock:

Standard Byke Co back in 1999.

The baddest, roughest image, with a quality of product that you simply could not touch.

They've sort of faded off now but I will never forget the likes of Bobby Fisher, Groundchuck and the Trailboss just shredding.

Anyone who markets themselves as "The strongest motherfuckin' bikes on the planet" is full of shit in my books.

fixed

for me any company that is bike community oriented is good for me. I.E. supporting young riders, good presence at events. Listens to feedback from riders.

for MTB, Evil is a great company. Transition is a great one. There really are tons of companies in the MTB world that are just up to their ears in passion for the sport.

ANT is simply hands down the best for utilitarian bikes.

Road bikes, i'm not so sure. there's always a snobbery about that culture that i hate. Cervelo is likely my pick for overall class, and i do ride one!

Gary Fisher, for helping to bringing off road to the main stream and still being initiative with the 29er thing.

Hope. Good innovative British firm that started off doing what no one else did and becoming the leader in their area. Hope seem to more or less rule the hydraulic brakes market.

Pace As above, although I don't know what they are up to now.

Hoffman bikes, For investing and pushing BMX when everyone else was running away.

Carradice. Timeless classics that do their job so well the design has barely changed. Bags that last as long as most of their customers cycling careers.

Moulton. For ploughing their own furrow, and keeping going despite what everyone said.

Cycling is full of excellent stories as many of the firm did start off as one man in the garage type affairs.