Pursuit Cycles, an award-winning U.S. customized carbon producer, is closing the chapter on its bicycle body manufacturing. With founder and grasp framebuilder Carl Sturdy retiring, the corporate has introduced a transition towards superior composites analysis in collaboration with Montana State College.
Pursuit Cycles was based in 2016 by Sturdy, well-known for his metal and titanium bicycles beneath the Sturdy Frames banner, and three different companions. With three of the 4 companions possessing engineering backgrounds, Pursuit Cycles has a definite engineering focus, and the ethos of the corporate was strongly rooted in a sensible, purposeful strategy to creating high-performance, U.S.-made monocoque carbon bicycles.
For eight years, Pursuit Cycles was a favorite at bike reveals due to its vibrant paint jobs and meticulous craftsmanship. After we reviewed considered one of its bikes in June 2023, it obtained excessive marks, concluding: “The Pursuit is a good all-rounder. The design and construct are prime notch, and there’s a motive [Carl] Sturdy has been profitable for thus lengthy.”
An excerpt from the corporate’s launched assertion is beneath:
“It’s with a mix of satisfaction and disappointment that we publish this message to our associates, household, and clients at Pursuit Cycles.
With our expertise at Sturdy Frames, and a few good relationships, we pitched an concept to some key gamers in 2016 to fabricate in-house, high quality, customizable, modular monocoque carbon frames. With that Pursuit Cycles was born – the primary purpose being to construct the best carbon fiber bicycles on the planet. Pursuit Cycles has been acknowledged within the bicycle trade, receiving glowing opinions in biking media, in addition to “Finest Carbon Development” on the (NAHBS) North American Handmade Bike Present.
Lately by way of considered one of our founding companions and chief engineer, Dr. Jared Nelson PhD, we had a chance to take part in a really thrilling venture with Montana State College (MSU) and the US Naval Dept of Analysis. We had been requested to contract for companies constructing check elements with a brand new carbon fiber developed by Doug Cairns (innovator of the Trek OCLV) in addition to a concurrent and equally thrilling venture working with Steve Tsai (Godfather of Carbon and the Tsai-Wu criterion) growing new laminate theories.
As cyclists it appeared distracting to our core mission, but additionally served as a solution to entry a number of the greatest brains and know-how round. With a store stuffed with engineers, and the chance to “All the time Get Higher” we had been within the lucky place that we may both maintain constructing bicycles, or take this chance to retire and permit the workforce we constructed to maneuver on and do analysis. With that, we’ve determined it was time to let go, transfer on, and take a pleasant lengthy journey. We’re past happy with what we had been capable of create, and flattered by the alternatives we’ve had alongside the best way.”
The Sturdy Frames enterprise will proceed making titanium and metal frames, and present Pursuit Cycles clients will not be left hanging. The model says that spare elements, like deraiileur hangers, will stay obtainable, and warranties might be honoured.
