Andrea Bortolin From 3T on the Brand’s Italia Program

Posted on February 18, 2025March 25, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

INTERVIEW

Andrea Bortolin From 3T on Made in Italy, Control and Sustainable Innovation

3T's Product Manager on the brand's Italia program and how homegrown production helped make a better bike.

WORDS

Regroup

PHOTOS

Regroup / 3T

Andrea Bortolin, Product Manager at 3T Bikes, is waving his hands around like a conductor at La Scala. He's telling me about the origins of the brand's new 'Italia' program, an initiative that's brought the production of 3T bikes back to Italy after decades of exclusively off-shore manufacturing. The situation is, in itself, unique, as I'm usually faced with a screen. However, thanks to our bike show, Regroup in the Desert, this affable Italian has flown from Presezzo in Bergamo to Arizona to be with us, and, poor man, sit here with me and explain something he's probably done a few times before.

You may know 3T as an Italian brand founded in 1961, a component maker, and, since 2016, a fully-fledged manufacturer of bikes. You may have even read our interview with the CEO of Factor Bikes, Rob Gitelis, who described how, in a former life, he helped 3T off-shore many of its products to Taiwan. And most are still made there, of course, but not the 3T Italia range of bikes. No signor.

“Our dream has always been to bring production back to Italy,” says Andrea, with a rousing fortissimo. “So in 2017, we began the long process of investigating whether producing a line of 3T bikes in Italy was feasible and sustainable; whether it was possible or a pipedream!”

And possible it was, but not as the brand had been making its bikes in Asia, explains Andrea. “We had to create an entirely new process, one as close to home as possible: inside our existing HQ.” This isn’t my first Rigoletto, so I ask Andrea a difficult question and hope he doesn’t take offence. Was the Italia program a genuine engineering project or a marketing opportunity? “No!” exclaims Andrea. “It was always about the product, about being entirely Italian once again. Yes, there’s a communication part that we’re proud of, but that came later after the hard work of finding a way to produce not just one-off bikes but production runs of 3T bikes in Italy, now and in the future.”

But there’s nuance here. While 3T wanted to start making bikes in Italy, as Andrea talks, I begin to understand that the overarching reason was control. “Yes, we knew that if we could make our bikes under one roof, design, develop and produce in the same place, with the agility to retrace our steps, and refine or witness the result as it happened, we could make a unique product worthy of the Made in Italy label.”

What followed, he says, was a long and arduous journey of analyzing materials and production techniques before 3T’s engineers arrived at a method that incorporated proprietary filament winding and resin transfer molding, a concept that foregoes the pre-preg ‘ready-to-mould’ carbon fiber of the wider industry in favor of a process more akin to textile production. “It unlocked the project for us,” says Andrea of the filament technique. “If we had used rolls of ready-made carbon fiber, we could not have created a unique, sustainable and materially efficient product. It would have required too many hands and hours to produce each frame.”

With multiple machines winding threads and blending different types of carbon fibers to create tubes, the filament winding process is as beautiful as it is simple. “There are so many wonderful advantages of the technique,” Andrea adds, “one of which is that it allows us to run a single filament the length of a tube, like, for example, from the bottom bracket along the entirety of the down tube, which gives us the ability to tune ride feel in quite specific ways, and offer exceptional strength.”

3T’s Italia range consists of the fast-gravel Racemax Italia, the hardcore explorer’s Extrema Italia, and the road-going Strada Italia, each bike designed and made at the brand’s HQ in Bergamo. As we diminuendo away from the fundamentals of how 3T creates its Italia bikes, I ask Andrea about the brand’s design process and how a 3T frameset comes to life. “We started making bikes in Asia in 2016,” he notes, “and from the first frame, our design process has remained the same: we start with the desired tire width, and from there, we craft the geometry, the aerodynamics and the wider frame. Our design philosophy for the Racemax Italia, Extrema or Strada is the same, despite their very different ride profiles.” To that point, how does a 3T Italia bike ride? “Super reactive and very easy to handle,” he legatos. “Compared to the Racemax we make in Asia, which launched in 2020 in pre-preg fiber, the Italia version is even more reactive and even easier to handle,” he admits. “The Racemax is already a great platform, but the Italia, because of the new techniques, the control we were able to exert and the agility of in-house production, we could go further and amplify its properties and take it to a new level.”

I’m interested to learn more about 3T’s approach to design. “We start with tire width because it is key us to working towards a geometry that helps us make the bike’s performance accessible to everyone,” he explains. “First comes frame angles and fitting – stack and reach. We tailor the platform to help a rider stay in an aero position for a long time, efficiently and, we might say, realistically!”

"We knew that if we could make our bikes under one roof, design, develop and produce in the same place, with the agility to retrace our steps, and refine or witness the result as it happened, we could make a unique product worthy of the Made in Italy label."

ANDREA BORTOLIN

What Andrea means is that despite the speed of any of the Italia bikes, if you race one or head out for a long, hard ride or take off for a multi-day trip, 3T’s engineers would have you reach the last mile in better shape than your fellow rider, less tired from having been in a less than perfect position. “Exactly,” agrees Andrea. “Even pro cyclists are starting to realize the benefit of pulling back from sheer performance and rebalancing in favor of overall comfort at a small cost to aerodynamics. For example, it’s not uncommon for a rider to have a spacer under their stem, which would have been unthinkable in the past. But, if that rider is more comfortable for longer, they will be faster and fresher for longer, potentially negating the aero advantage that an extreme position might offer.”

All this talk of riding is giving me the jimmy legs. And I know there’s a Racemax and an Extrema right outside, ready for the off-road. But which one should I choose? “Well, if you are looking for a fast gravel machine, a performance-driven frameset with a road feel that fits up to 45mm tires, measured, the Racemax might be best,” laughs Andrea. “And by the way ‘measured’ is the operative word. “There is no real width standard between brands, models, tires and rims, hookless or hooked, which is why we emphasize the importance of measured width – the width of an inflated tire.” That’s the Racemax Italia; what about the Extrema Italia? “It has up to 57mm of tire clearance, while maintaining a minimum of 6mm of space between tire and frame at any point. That’s great for muddy conditions – extreme situations.” And it’s gravel sub-genre? “Racing and bikepacking. It’s a bike built for exploring and competing at a high level.”

Andrea mentions the 780km (485 miles) 2024 Badlands race in Granada, Spain, and the success of 3T rider Alex Martinez, who chose to ride the event with the Extrema, fitting 53mm rubber alongside a SRAM Red 1x / 13 groupset. “He won the race, taking the flag in just over 42 hours. And that with 16000 meters (52000 ft) of climbing!”

As if on cue, I become aware of the sound of the birds outside and a moment of calm amidst the ebb and flow of the show. Andrea recognizes it too, a fermata that marks the start of the end of our conversation. I thank Andrea for taking the time to talk. He’s a gracious and passionate representative of 3T, a vibrant reminder of the power of reinvention, of bikes and their power to reinvent. We’re excited to be part of the 3T journey wherever the road goes.

3T RACEMAX ITALIA

3T’s heart rate-maxing Racemax Italia is a gravel bike built to reach the flag with flying colors. Blending comfort, control and a devastating turn of speed, the Racemax rewards your best efforts with unlimited enjoyment.

3T EXTREMA ITALIA

A gravel bike built for the most challenging parcours on the planet, 3T's Extrema Italia carried the day (and night) at the Spanish Badlands event. Enough said.

In the Desert With Dream Bikes

Posted on February 12, 2025April 28, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

EVENT

In the Desert With Dream Bikes

We Regrouped in the desert and it was good

WORDS / PHOTOS

Regroup staff

Well, it happened. The first Regroup in the Desert bike show, the one we'll look back on in years to come and wonder at a world that existed before the Tour de Mars, sentient head units ("It's like you only want me for one thing") and electronic espresso. But before the future, first, the past, and some pleasant words to those who made the show such a success.

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the Regroup team, our generous partners and the women of the Regroup Racing squad, the show went off like a Tour de France time trialist, with the mad energy of those crazy fools who run alongside the riders on the mountain stages.

From the amazing bikes and the people who made them to the great food, live music and the adrenalized static power challenge, not forgetting the incredible beverages from the Regroup Café, there was a lot to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who helped out and attended – we couldn’t have done it without you.

Like any live event, there were things that worked and things to refine. But, like shaving your legs before your first group ride, the important thing is to get on with it and see what happens. People might question your sanity, and things will feel unfamiliar, but when you hit 50 miles per hour in free air and feel like you’re flying, you’ll be the one laughing.

And since it’s never too early to start planning for next year, Regroup in the Desert ’26 is scheduled for January 31. Mark your calendars in advance because we’re just getting started.

SHOW GALLERY

An Emerald-Isle Mosaic GT-1 iAR

Posted on February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

REGROUP CUSTOM

An Emerald-Isle Mosaic GT-1 iAR

BUILD DETAILS

FRAME

Mosaic GT-1 iAR

TYPE

Gravel texture

GROUPSET

SRAM AXS E1 c/w Power Meter

BOTTOM BRACKET

Ceramicspeed BSA

WHEELS

Zipp 353 NSW

COCKPIT

Enve SES AR Handlebar -Integrated / Compact

BAR TAPE

Enve Bar Tape

BOTTLE CAGES

Silca Sicuro Titanium

The client for this Regroup Custom Mosaic GT-1 iAR gravel bike in cobalt grey is a former racer who recently moved back to Phoenix from NorCal. He was looking for a bike that could go fast and offer comfort without looking too comfortable, and we knew what he meant.

Some builds start with a call, but few phone so late at night. However, our client happened to dial while Regroup’s Adam was in Ireland, where they both fell under the spell of the Blarney Stone, talking until almost midnight about desirous dream bikes. Given how understated this titanium gravel bike is, how the grey hues meld and merge to suggest a deeper texture that belies the bike’s minimalist color palette, it was clearly an excellent conversation. We wonder if Ireland’s famously grey and windy weather inspired the paint scheme. If it did, we might suggest that Adam head to the Emerald Isle more often.

Beneath Mosaic’s perfectly executed paint job, there are a few noteworthy things to this build. Our client struggled with some flexibility issues, which, combined with his proportions, made him the perfect candidate for a fully custom Mosaic GT-1 with a personalized tube profile and a geometry crafted to his precise measurements. With an in-depth fit courtesy of our friends at Cyclologic, we were able to build him a stout bike (note the 34.9 ISP downtube) that could smash watts without a hint of noodle.

The build centers on the Mosaic GT-1 iAR (Integrated All-Road) titanium gravel frame, which won the Gravel Nationals in 2024 while piloted by California’s Brennan Wertz. It’s a superb frameset, buttery smooth, stiff and made for millions of miles. We’re not kidding – titanium bikes go forever. There’s a lot more to it than these words suggest. So call, swing by the shop or email to chat with us about your own Mosaic GT-1. We’ll have the Blarney Stone on standby.

We paired the frame with SRAM’s AXS E1 groupset, Zipp’s 353 NSW wheels and an ENVE cockpit (that grey tape is also ENVE). Finishing details include a Ceramicspeed bottom bracket and a Silca Sicuro titanium bottle cage.

"Our client struggled with some flexibility issues, which, combined with his proportions, made him the perfect candidate for a fully custom Mosaic GT-1 with a personalized tube profile and a geometry crafted to his precise measurements "

A head tube of a custom Mosaic GT-1 iAR in muted grey.

The Mosaic GT-1 leads with world-class finishing - note the neat tube junctions and ombre fade paint.

The Mosaic GT-1's svelte chainstays flatter to deceive - this is one strong bike.

This Regroup Custom Mosaic GT-1 iAR is a comfortable bike that still shreds. And with its strengthened downtube, able to keep up with the powerful rider pushing the pedals.

The SRAM AXS E1 groups getting it done on this magnificent Mosaic GT-1 iAR gravel bike build.

WHEELS UP

ALL CUSTOM BIKES arrow_forward

Mosaic Bikes Graveltexture

Mosaic GT-1 i45 Gravel Bike

If this Mosaic build has you mulling over a dream ride of your own, drop us a line to get the wheels rolling.

How We Made It: Parlee Designer Tom Rodi on the Brand’s New Ouray All-Road Bike

Posted on February 4, 2025March 25, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

INTERVIEW

How We Made It: Parlee Designer Tom Rodi on the Brand’s New Ouray All-Road Bike

With two decades at Parlee under his wheels, designer Tom Rodi talks production, the Ouray and why its stock bikes are more Parlee than ever.

WORDS

Regroup

PHOTOS

Regroup / Parlee

"As crazy as it sounds, the Ouray project was started before COVID," explains long-time Parlee designer Tom Rodi of the brand's recently released all-road bike. "Not to say that we worked on it that whole time, but we'd been exploring other paths of producing bikes. We debuted the Altum product family in 2014 and, in the wider world, saw this hybridization between road and gravel. Given that we'd launched our first gravel bike on the custom side in 2013 and the Chebacco on the production front two years later, by 2019, we felt we had something unique to offer."

Today finds a chipper Tom at his desk at Parlee’s HQ in Beverly, MA. We’ve connected to talk about the brand’s new Ouray all-road bike, which hits the mixed-terrain with an intriguing Portuguese connection and an eye-catching Nude finish, also known as Waxed.

As you may be aware, Parlee makes its custom bikes in-house under one roof. On the stock bike side, it used to outsource production to Taiwan and mainland China, but as Tom says, that came with a lot of friction. “We’re a small boutique company, and we had a lot of frustrations with the process. We always found a way to make the product we wanted, but the process took its toll.” So, for its new stock bikes, Parlee pivoted to Portugal and an advanced composites facility that could deliver the quality Parlee sought and the process it always wanted.

“Before the move to Portugal, we did a pretty exhaustive study to see if we could make the Ouray and Taos here at Parlee HQ, but it wasn’t possible,” says Tom. Why not? “We’ve been making custom carbon fiber bikes in the States for 25 years. Our custom bikes, like the Z-Zero, for example, are, by nature, customized to the rider and infinitely variable. We create each tube separately and put them together to form a whole. A stock bike is not made like that,” Tom explains. “A stock bike is made, ideally, in a one-piece monocoque. That requires a certain physicality and size and a specialist team with experience solely doing that.” When Tom tells me a steel mould can weigh up to 500kg and that just for the main triangle, I see his point. “You’re not moving that with two people and a cart!” he laughs.

Portugal afforded Parlee a closer working relationship and the chance to make a stock Parlee as a one-piece, rather than the two pieces – main triangle and rear stays – of the past. “That was very important to us,” says Tom, “because we could avoid bonding the rear stays to the frame. It’s more mechanically efficient and lighter because there are fewer joints, and it unlocks a very clean aesthetic, demonstrated by Ouray and Tao’s ‘Nude’ carbon finish. We couldn’t have achieved that had the frame been made in two pieces.”

Tom mentions that Parlee’s startling Nude or ‘Waxed’ finish actually predates the Ouray and Taos, where it was the sole preserve of its custom shop and bikes like the Z-Zero, not stock machines. “It’s unique, for sure!” he beams. “We told our partners that the Parlee Nude finish was the grail for us, and they were understandably nervous about attempting it because they’d never done it before, so we had to show them the ropes. Ultimately, it required a few changes to their process, but they were willing to try it, so we pressed on.”

Having seen the finish on the Ouray and Taos here at Regroup, we can understand why Parlee was keen to bring it to its new stock bikes. It’s gorgeous, an ever-shifting ‘finish’ with real character and nuance, despite the fact that there really is no finish to speak of.

What did he think when he saw the first fruits of the new partnership? “Parlee-esque,” he says without a pause. “The product and the process to get there reminded me of Parlee at its best.” Can he be more specific? “It was the obvious care,” he replies. “With composites, if you have a well-thought-out layup, do the prep, do the work and don’t rush, you can get a good product. If you speed ahead, you get imperfections. Get enough of those, and you will have a compromised frame.”

"Obviously, our stock bikes are very different to our custom machines, and if you put them next to each other, the differences would be clear. But we felt from the off that our Portuguese bikes evoked the same Parlee magic the Z-Zero and others transmit to the rider and the road."

TOM RODI

After all this production talk, I’m keen to learn how the Ouray rides. How would Tom explain it? “Many people perceive it to be a very comfortable bike,” he begins. “And of course it is, but it’s not the whole story. What we tell people is that Ouray is our interpretation of a modern road bike, that it rolls with a sprinkling of our gravel experience, of what made a gravel bike a gravel bike five years ago, giving up very little in terms of weight, efficiency or performance to provide wider tire clearance than the road bikes of the past and a slightly more relaxed geometry.”

I tell Tom about a recent Ouray review by Cycling Weekly that mentions Ouray’s geometry and the trend towards comfort that it signals. He’s quick to correct that perception. “As cyclists, we’re all so irrational. Scratch that, as humans!” he laughs. “We perceive things visually and think that that perception is accurate. With bikes, we might see some very thin seat stays and assume they’re fragile when they’re probably stronger than they need to be. Or a set of wheels, decals and a front fork that look fast but which might prove to be anything but. In terms of the Ouray, we wanted what I would consider a modern silhouette. When you’re making an all-road bike, which seems like a generality but is a very specific type of bike, there are many things we want to bring, which Ouray exhibits: low weight, responsiveness, performance, comfort of course, and a frame capable of mixed terrain. At the same time, we wanted to keep the classic round seat tube, the exterior seat clamp that speaks to our love of classic road bikes and the timelessness they represent.”

It comes to mind that the Ouray and Taos, despite being made in Portugal and in many ways, a world away from a custom tube-to-tube Parlee, evoke the same spirit of what made Parlee’s name all those years ago and the high-performance bikes that delivered speed and sensation in equal measure. “It’s so funny you say that,” muses Tom. “Obviously, our stock bikes are very different to our custom machines, and if you put them next to each other, the differences would be obvious. But we felt from the off that our Portuguese bikes evoked the same Parlee magic the Z-Zero and others transmit to the rider and the road.” It would be ironic if a stock bike became a poster child for a bike brand’s custom program, but given everything we’ve learned about the Ouray, that looks to be the case for Parlee.

Talking to Tom, I’m struck, not for the first time, by what you might call the long and short of the last twenty years. Tom’s been at Parlee for over two decades, accruing experience and knowledge, designing bikes, seeing trends and industry shifts, and suffering the passing of the brand’s founder and his friend, Bob Parlee, in 2023. However, twenty years for Tom and twenty-five for Parlee as a brand is only a long time in relative terms. To Tom and Parlee, it’s the blink of an eye and a deep well of experience, skill and knowledge drawn and redrawn by thousands of hours of design, development, a bunch of failure and the hearts and hands of a singular group of amazing people that function like a family unit.

Given Tom’s evident pep and passion and the wider team he credits with continuing Bob’s legacy and the positive press reviews of the Ouray and its sibling, Taos, you get the feeling that Parlee, despite its celebrated history, is embarking on one of the most creative and exciting phases of its story so far. And it’s just getting started.

PARLEE OURAY

A lively all-road bike built with Parlee's legendary ride feel, optimized for roads that don't stay smooth, all-day epics, exhilarating climbs and immense descents.

Empowering Women’s Cycling With Regroup Racing’s Lindsay Allison Gaesser

Posted on January 20, 2025May 5, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

INTERVIEW

Empowering Women's Cycling With Regroup Racing's Lindsay Allison Gaesser

Bikes, building community and what's needed to get more women on the road

WORDS / PHOTOS

Regroup staff

Did you know that Regroup sponsors a women's cycling team? It's called Regroup Racing, and it's the initiative of community-building superstar, racer and all-round whirlwind Lindsay Allison Gaesser. If you race locally, you may have seen members of the team whizzing by, all pale blue and white kit, Orbeas and flashing smiles. The Regroup Racing team seems to run on fun. But like all good stories, the cycling prospects for the women on the team were not always so sunny, as Lindsay told us when we caught up in the fall of 2024 to talk about how the squad got started, women's cycling, her journey to the bike and building community.

“Before Regroup, I was on a mixed team for another shop in Scottsdale,” she begins. “I had two teammates, Anna and Christine, and it was like pulling teeth trying to get anything going that might drive the women’s racing side forward. And all we wanted to do was race. It became a real headache!” Handily, Lindsay’s partner is friends with Regroup’s founder, Adam, and, unbeknownst to her, had relayed some of Lindsay’s frustrations. In one of life’s neat moments when everything aligns, Adam expressed an interest in starting a women’s racing team and wondered if Lindsay might like to head it up. “We arranged a meeting, and I brought along my pitch deck with a few different scenarios based on what Adam may have wanted to commit to. I shot for the moon!” she laughs. “Adam took a look and, in his lovely, understated way, said, ‘Yep, I can do this.’ I was stunned that it was so easy and took it as a sign that Regroup is where we should be.”

Did she bring her friends over from her existing team, or did she intend to build a new team? “I spoke to Anna and Christine and told them what had happened at the meeting, and they were really happy to come along to build a fresh team at Regroup. So it was us three!” I mention to Lindsay that it might be pretty instructive to other women looking to build a bike racing team to explain her next steps, how she went from three to a fully fledged group of female racers. “I had a few people in mind – they were triathletes, but more importantly, they were part of ambassador teams for whatever brands they were repping, so there were no in-person meetups. They lacked a sense of community that I knew Regroup Racing could provide.” What was their reaction when she approached them? “That it sounded fun!” she replies. “Most of these ladies are really good friends of mine, so that helped. They did, of course, voice some concerns that they had never raced bikes before, at least only as part of a triathlon, but they were all game to give it a go.”

Slowly but surely, the team grew, culminating in ten women riding for Regroup in 2024. “We structured things so we had the Race team, and then a Collective team, novices that could step up to the race team when ready,” explains Lindsay. “The Collective comprised women who had never raced bikes before or were transitioning into cycling from another sport. It was the perfect vehicle to build confidence without the commitment to race. Having said that, most of the Collective team did race this year.” How did she get her teammates race-confident so quickly? “We hosted monthly team rides, focusing on race simulations, tactics, pace lining – everything from basic group riding to more advanced skills, like how to launch or reel in a breakaway.” It all sounds pretty comprehensive. “To speak to its effectiveness, one of the ladies on the Collective rode her first Criterium race last year, and she ended up having a blast.”

What’s the women’s racing scene like in Arizona? “We’re very crit-heavy. The problem is, there’s a stigma around crits – the crashes, the drama. And if women think that’s all there is, it’s a real bar to getting them into the wider racing environment. And there are lots of women who want to start racing.”

I’m interested to learn when Lindsay started racing and how her passion for cycling developed. “I started as a runner before an injury pushed me to cycling,” she says. “I dabbled in triathlons but didn’t like swimming, so I decided to commit to cycling.” Later, a trip to France and Italy and a road bike rental beside Lake Como accelerated her interest into a passion. “I had a whole week of amazing rides, amazing weather, amazing roads – it was cycling heaven!” she beams. “And because you’re in Lake Como, you have to go up and over mountains to get anywhere, so it was a huge week of climbing too, which I loved. Once I got back, I started getting up at 4 am just to watch the Tour de France, which had just started. I was hooked!”

Grad school in Boston followed, but because the roads weren’t conducive to road cycling, Lindsay turned to the trainer and a whole lot of Zwift. After school, she moved back to Arizona at the same time as the pandemic began. “And the roads were empty,” she says. “Amid so much negative stuff, I could at least ride and be outside. It felt safe.”

Fast forward to 2022, and with racing re-established, she jumped into a few events for the first time. “I grew up as an athlete and played Lacrosse, so that competitive drive has always been there. I love group rides, but racing is different.” How so? “You get so many endorphins, so much adrenaline; anxious nerves, but the good kind. I love it.” Why does she think she thrives in the race environment? “When I used to enter running races, one little thing could ruin your day. But in a bike race, anything can happen, even if you’re not feeling your best or get a mechanical. You can still get a good result – even a win. It rewards smart racing.” More democratic, in a sense? “Yeah, I think so. It’s interesting because there are so many pieces to a bike race, but you can control more. For example, if you don’t have the legs, you can sit in the group, manage your effort, and maybe plan an attack on your terms.”

We don’t wish to embarrass Lindsay, but a little bird told us she won her last race of the spring season and a crit, too – not her favorite race format. “I am not built for crits!” she laughs. “I won on a breakaway, which was the only way I could have won.” How did it go down? “I sat in and my teammates played cat-and-mouse off the front. They’d already told me they didn’t have the legs for a sprint, so we decided to keep it open. Anyway, when it got to the second to last corner, I gunned it and kept accelerating. I turned around, saw the gap growing, and realized this was it! This was the move!”

"So many rides are unapproachable, or essentially informal races. I'm interested in creating spaces for women cyclists, which by their nature work best as female-only rides."

LINDSAY ALLISON GAESSER

Outside of Arizona fly-bys, you might also have seen Lindsay and fellow Regroup Racing members at our Sunday Sabbatico shop rides, leading and showing new riders the ropes. But what you see at the shop is only an extension of the community-building Lindsay has been doing amongst the women’s cycling community in Arizona for the past few years. “Cycling is such a male-dominated sport, so in 2021, I started an IG account called @phxwmn, a one-stop shop for female cyclists in the Valley to find and join a group ride. It was also a neat way to connect women who had moved to the area with other local female riders. They’d DM me, and I’d see where they were and who lived nearby and help them find community. And separately, I also started hosting women’s rides in partnership with Regroup.”

Between work, the race team and driving the women’s cycling community forward, Lindsay has her hands full. How does she keep the plates spinning? “It’s a bit of a challenge,” she laughs. “But it’s worth it if we want to see more female cyclists.” What barriers does she think remain to getting more women into cycling? “So many rides are unapproachable, or essentially informal races. I’m interested in creating spaces for women cyclists, which by their nature work best as female-only rides.”

After a slow start and word of mouth, Lindsay’s rides became big events, so big that she had to outsource rides to other women in other parts of the community who wanted to start rides in their areas. “It gave those women leadership opportunities and drove further female engagement in cycling.”

When the pandemic struck, and Lindsay found herself temporarily unemployed, she also turned her community-building efforts towards gravel, starting a series of female-only gravel camps. “It was a positive thing for me to do mentally and physically,” she says. “We’d go down to Patagonia, Arizona. I’d rent an Airbnb for the weekend, and we’d all cook and ride together, so it had these lovely summer camp vibes. Later, we’d hang out by the campfire, and because it was only women, we’d talk about some of the female-specific challenges we might face in cycling. It was lovely.” Three years later, Lindsay is still organizing camps through her business, Grvl Camp. “I’ve made so many friends. And places like Patagonia never get old!”

It’s pretty clear that the women’s cycling community in Arizona owes a great debt of gratitude to people like Lindsay, riders who do the hard yards to make the world they want to see: a place where female cyclists feel welcome, valued, who enrich cycling culture and take it to new places, for the good of all.

As we finish up our conversation, we return to the topic of the Regroup Sunday Sabbatico rides, and I ask Lindsay what new attendees should expect. “It’s a great vibe. The pace is relaxed and there are designated regroups, so you can go hard if you want to, but everyone comes back together. That’s really important. It’s a lovely route and because everything about Regroup is suffused with Adam’s mid-west warmth, so is the Sabbatico.” Plus, there’s coffee to start, and more coffee and snacks upon your return, right? “I forgot the best part!” laughs Lindsay.

Factor CEO Rob Gitelis on the Brand’s Unique Approach

Posted on January 11, 2025April 17, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

INTERVIEW

Factor CEO Rob Gitelis on the Brand's Unique Approach

"Don't you want to make the best bike?"

WORDS

Regroup

PHOTOS

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"I was always building bikes, mostly race bikes," explains Factor's CEO, Rob Gitelis, as we settle in between screens to talk about his career, Factor and the wider industry. "I started with race bikes in Asia before anybody thought about making bikes here. At the time, there was a perception that you would end up with a lesser product if it were made in Taiwan, but when I got my first customer, Gruppo, a company that included the Cinelli, Columbus and 3T brands, we showed them that they could make a high quality product here - a better product then they made in-house, or sub-contracted to somewhere else in Italy."

Getting the chance to talk to Rob is a bit of a thrill. Factor is on the rise, a brand widely recognized for stellar design, engineering and tight-knit, cutting-edge production. There are custom bike makers and stock bike makers, and while Factor is one of the latter, we think it deserves a new category. Why? Because it creates like a custom bike brand, with the freedom, immediacy and agility of its own factory in, of course, Taiwan. And it’s nimble in other ways, with a small, streamlined, globally distributed team that allows Factor to offer a premium off-the-shelf bike for a price that defies direct comparison.

But Rob is neither Italian nor Taiwanese. He’s American. So how did his relationship with Taiwan begin? It turns out, through another relationship. “I came to Taiwan to spend some time with my girlfriend, who I had met when I was a professional bike racer,” he says. “And it was kind of like when one thing leads to another and another. I ended up racing the Tour of Taiwan and helped my teammate win it. And later, I went to work for the very first carbon fiber vendor – probably the first in the world – a company called Advanced Composites. That was in 1997.”

Visiting a girlfriend is one thing, but deciding to start a career in a new country in a fledgling part of the bike industry sounds like a serious commitment. What led him to take that path? “Years earlier, I’d had one of those Trek bonded frames,” he begins, “and I kind of thought it was interesting technology. Also, the company was going to make high-end road products, which is what I knew about – well, as much as anyone did in 1997!” he laughs. “Anyway, I accepted the job and went about helping them build a bike program. For context, they were the world’s largest golf club maker, so they knew carbon fiber but not bikes, geometry and all the rest. I worked there for a few years, and that company went on to launch on the Taiwan stock market.”

Then Profile Design, maker of the Profile aero bars we know today, called and asked Rob to help them elevate their offering with production in Taiwan. “When I was asked if a company in Taiwan could make better products than a brand was already making, I always said yes,” Rob says, laughing again. “I may have invented fake it till you make it.” Joking aside, he must have had the confidence Taiwan could deliver. “Oh yes, always,” he admits. “Although even driving to factories back then was a problem – there was no Google Maps. But yeah, for Profile, we ported their production, and the program was very successful, and it led me to start my own company, PMG, in 2001. In many ways, what I’m doing now at Factor is really a subset of PMG.”

I’m curious to learn how Rob became so good at making race bikes. Was it while racing himself, studying? “Not really,” he says. “Everything was evolutionary. I also learned from great people, like Phil White and Gerard Vroomen, the founders of Cervélo, who were another client of mine.” He pauses for a moment. “I don’t know if I ever knew how to reach the end result,” he admits, “and maybe never have. But I’ve always followed requirements, stiffness, comfort, alignment – key principles of a racing bike that are so important, yet were often missed when brands started building bikes in Taiwan.”

Presumably, without a Rob, a brand’s offering could really have gone south with a move to Asia. “Oh, for sure,” he says. “At Cervélo, for example, I was considered a third boss, although I wasn’t a shareholder. I was one of the only people in the company who could speak back to the owners and tell them that something wasn’t a good idea. The experience I had in the industry, in that place, allowed me that.”

It seems that Rob had a unique view of what was coming down the road and an understanding of where the bike business was heading. Would he consider that a fair assessment? “Well, I think I was just good at seeing that there was an opportunity coming and deciding to get in early,” he admits. “I didn’t know it would lead to a lifetime in the bike industry.”

"I want every ride to feel like an experience. I want it to feel like the bike is a rocket ship, and I'm excited to get on it. Maybe it's like the first time someone drives a premium sportscar. I'm looking to do the same for the bicycle."

ROB GITELIS

He talks a little about ending his racing career prematurely rather than go past a natural point and risk missing out on the next step, a life away from the bike – there’s an irony in that – and mentions a recent chat with his friend, Mark Cavendish. “I’m always making fun of bike riders, even Mark, recently, when they talk about retirement. And I’m like, ‘So what, you’re not going to work anymore?’ And, of course, what they really mean is that their racing career is coming to an end. What comes next is work of a different sort, but still work. There’s no retirement, mate!”

It feels like a good moment to ask about Factor and when that opportunity first appeared on Rob’s horizon. “Well, I had PMG for over ten years,” he explains. “I split the company with my old business partner and started a new company called EM2, and it was around that time I got a call from BF1, asking me to help commercialize the Vis Vires. I’d seen the Factor 001 a few years earlier, as everybody had, and when I saw the Vis, I realized it would be a really difficult bike to make, but at that time in my career, I looked for that sort of challenge – the harder the better.” Even though the Vis Vires was a limited-run bike? “Yes, even then. We made 100 or so, and although the opportunity/cost was a little off, I saw it as a chance to push the factory and ourselves.”

A couple of years later, Rob wanted to start his own bike brand and approached BF1 to do a deal, which was open to Rob taking the brand forward under the Factor name. Given his experience and contacts, did he feel confident about the road ahead? “I think I underestimated how hard it would be to create a sales channel and bring the brand to market,” he admits. “I knew we had an excellent product designer. I knew that we had a factory that could support us, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be to start a brand and have people buy our bikes.” Because he was always on the other side of the fence? “Exactly. And you know, I thought the sales part was the easy side. It turns out there’s no easy way anywhere in the business.”

Luckily for Rob, some Asian companies knew him as the guy behind the scenes of the industry. As he tells it, it was easier to get started there with the early adopters, rather than the traditional bicycle distribution channels in other parts of the world. Does he remember a moment when he felt things started to open up? “Well, as the story goes, nine months after starting the brand, we sponsored AG2R and Romain Bardet got 3rd place at the Tour de France that year, and I thought that would be a windfall of people wanting to buy our bikes. It wasn’t. We sponsored the team again the next year and got 2nd place at Paris-Roubaix. Again, not the windfall we expected, but I think we were starting to get the brand awareness.”

Fittingly for Rob’s career, what moved the needle was a bike: the Factor O2 VAM. “It was the first true production bike at sub-700g raced at the Tour de France,” he says. “I felt like that was the turning point for us and the models that followed, particularly the Ostro that came a couple of years after the O2.” I get the sense that Rob still feels like the brand is a work in progress. Is that the case? “Isn’t everything always?” he replies. “I do feel that where we are right now, we’ve got our feet under us and can do some fun things.”

I mention to Rob that his intimate knowledge of production and life in Taiwan must give Factor a natural advantage, so to speak, compared to brands that off-shore from Europe to Asia, without feet on the ground or a factory of their own. “Well, those brands send their people to the factories, and they think they have a good understanding or even a great understanding of how things work. I would say they have an understanding. In my case, I’ve been doing it longer than anyone else, living there and I would say that I don’t always have the best understanding!” Surely he’s being modest. “Not really. I’m well accepted in the community, but there are always challenges.”

Long after it’s designed and built, when the bike is finished, greased, prepped and ready for its first ride, what does Rob want a Factor to feel like? In other words, what makes a great racing bike? “I want every ride to feel like an experience,” he replies. “I want it to feel like the bike is a rocket ship, and I’m excited to get on it. Maybe it’s like the first time someone drives a premium sportscar. I’m looking to do the same for the bicycle.”

Does he ever get frustrated with the industry’s boilerplate-speak – carbon, stiffness, performance and so forth? “It’s difficult to cut through,” he says. “But here’s a story to illustrate how Factor might be different. When a big company bought the brand of one of my previous clients, I went to them and told them that for fifty dollars on the material cost, we could make the bike 20% better. They didn’t want to know. So I challenged them and asked if they didn’t want to make the best bike, and they replied that they wanted to make the best bike for that price. That’s not Factor.”

Rob then tells another tale about a big brand whose built and painted frame price from their far-east factory back to the brand is less than the base material cost of the ‘comparative’ Factor model. We’ll keep the name to ourselves – rest assured, you won’t find it at Regroup.

“I’ve built four or five factories over the years,” Rob explains. “I know the costs of everything, and I decided long ago that I’d never build to a price. I always want to make the best bike, whatever it takes.”

A Suspend-Your-Judgement Mosaic GT-1 45

Posted on January 8, 2025January 9, 2025 by pete7dc0bf609a8

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