Felt Bicycles Sold
Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA
Felt Bicycles has celebrated its recent acquisition by Austrian company Pierer Mobility as the “most significant milestone” in the 30-year history of the Californian bike manufacturer.
“We join forces with a new partner that, like us, has long championed cutting-edge innovation, obsessed over the world’s finest product design and is, above all else, rooted in racing,” according to a statement on Felt’s website.
Pierer Mobility, Europe’s largest manufacturer of powered two-wheel vehicles, announced the purchase in November as it seeks to become a global player in the bicycle market.
It is the parent group to KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas motorcycles, and is one of the Europe’s fastest-growing e-bike businesses.
Pierer Mobility AG’s CEO, Stefan Pierer, said the acquisition of Felt Bicycles fits perfectly with the company’s overall strategy to become a global player in two-wheel mobility, with electric and non-electric bikes, across all cycling categories.
“With Felt we are able to expand our bicycle portfolio and also strongly enter the North American market with an established, high-performance brand. The company is also heavily involved in competition, which brings an extra attraction for us,” he said.
The Pierer stable incorporates e-bike brands Husqvarna, R Raymon and GasGas.
In January, Pierer Mobility announced it had recorded record sales in 2021, including a 40% increase in the number of bikes sold compared to 2020.
It sold a total of 102,753 bicycles last year, with much of that increase driven by a 37% rise in e-bike sales to 76,916.
Felt has been part of the Rossignol Groupe since February 2017, providing the French company with a “strategic entry into the world of cycling”.
New Rossignol-Branded Bikes
Rossignol Group CEO Vincent Wauters said the organisation would now “capitalise on its bike industry competence” to create its own Rossignol-branded mountain and e-mountain bikes.
“Rossignol is now perfectly positioned to become the year-round mountain brand,” he said.
Earlier in 2021, Rossignol offloaded its Time Sport business, selling the Time frame factory and IP onto the Cardinal Cycling Group and the pedal component of the operation to SRAM.
Felt last year celebrated the 30th anniversary of the company’s formation, when founder Jim Felt put into practice his ideas for improved rider position and aerodynamics.
Working out of his garage in Southern California in 1991, Felt crafted a revolutionary bike for three-time Kona triathlon world champion Paula Newby-Fraser.
Dubbed the B2 because of its stealthy, matte black finish, the bike’s advanced aluminium construction featured geometry designed specifically for triathlon – optimising the balance between aerodynamic efficiency and a comfortable position that assisted athletes to tackle the run leg.
Newby-Fraser rode the B2 to her fourth world championship at Kona and Felt Bicycles was launched soon after.
Felt bicycles are distributed in Australia by the GPI Apollo Bicycle Co.