Lake Oswego's A2 Bikes is a new sponsor for USA Triathlon, the governing body of a sport A2's CEO is passionate about competing in and expanding to more athletes.
A2 is a direct-to-consumer bike company. It has designed a high-end yet affordable race bike called Speed Phreak, or SP, and a road and race bike called RP. Both sell for less than $4,000, a typical base price for a triathlon bike, according to CEO AJ Alley.
“We are focused on helping people get in the sport and expand within the sport,” he said. “We are not looking to sell the $20,000 super bike. (That’s) not helping make the sport sustainable.”
As part of this two-year deal USA Triathlon members can access discounts and A2 will be able to expand its reach, Alley said.
Alley jumped into the sport six years ago when he was studying for the bar exam and cabin fever set in. He and a friend decided to do a sprint triathlon — that means a 750-meter swim, 20K bike ride and 5K run. And that was it for Alley. Since then, he has lost count of the number of sprints and Olympic triathlons — 1.5K swim, 40K ride, 10K run — that he has competed in.
He has done 10 half Ironmans: a 1.9K-swim, 90K-ride and 21.1K-run.
“USA Triathlon is proud to partner with A2 Bikes, which offers an exciting, accessible, affordable triathlon bike option for triathletes of all levels,” said Victoria Brumfield, USA Triathlon CEO in a written statement. “A2 is committed to maximizing the potential of age-group athletes and we’re excited to work together to introduce the sport of triathlon to new audiences.”
Building A2 Bikes
As Alley fell in love with the sport he wanted to help make it more accessible to newcomers. The first A2 bikes started selling in 2017. Alley adopted a similar model to that of the early days of Nike, when co-founder Phil Knight imported Japanese shoes under his own label. Alley started by bringing over a factory brand from Asia and labeling it as A2.
Using proceeds from those early sales and some seed investors he was able to hire a team and the company now designs its own bikes.
The company has sold about 600 bikes so far. It has a team of six. The carbon-fiber bikes are manufactured in Taiwan and then shipped in pieces to Lake Oswego. Once stateside, the company’s mechanic assembles the bikes and tunes them up, Alley said. The company will deliver locally or ship the completed bike to customers.
Sales this year are brisk. The company had its second biggest quarter of all time, even as the winter months are typically slow.
In addition to raising its profile through the USA Triathlon deal, the company is scaling up its partnership capabilities. Alley hired a partnership director and they are planning to connect with more clubs. They are also working with NCAA teams, particularly women’s teams.
“There are 12 women’s varsity programs across the country. We are in contact with them through USA Triathlon and working to get them outfitted with bikes,” said Alley. "It’s not like varsity football in terms of funding.”
The company also plans on being active at this year’s women’s Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. Alley is targeting women’s triathletes because they are the fastest growing segment in the sport and the least supported.
“There is more than enough support for high-end triathlons. We are focused on helping people get in and stay in it,” he said.
