Our Story
At Sportworks, we’re an eclectic bunch who share the same passion: making the world more accessible to bicycling! That’s why over two decades ago we started designing and manufacturing thoughtful, well-engineered products to help bicyclists get from point A to point B.
So what’s the Sportworks difference? We don’t just settle for the status quo. We design and build truly great bike racks that we believe in and cyclists are passionate about. We’re stoked to have our customers right by our side inspiring us to create even more innovative products and push what it means to be a company that lives by its philosophy.
Our History
| 1990 | Founded in 1990, Sportworks started in a space not much bigger than a two-car garage, manufacturing bicycle handlebars and bar-ends for Scott USA. We also manufactured one of the first mountain bike shocks ever produced. |
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| 1993 | By 1993 we were operating out of three separate spaces and consolidated into a new 9,000 sq. ft. facility just outside Seattle in Woodinville, WA. Responding to an RFP to design and produce a bike rack for transit buses, we designed the first easy-to-use bike rack for transit vehicles. The product immediately struck a chord with bike activists and transit agencies alike. |
| 1996 | Within three years, sales of our Bike-Rack-For-Buses product were growing and we we’re bursting at the seams. In 1996 we moved our offices and manufacturing facility into a 21,000 sq. ft. space. |
| 1997 | In 1997 we used the design features from our Bike-Rack-For-Buses product and entered the consumer bike rack market with a trailer hitch mounted rack marketed under the name TranSport. The product took the industry by storm offering an innovative fast and easy loading system and non-scratch features not seen in any other product on the market. |
| 2003 | By 2003 we moved into an even larger facility to accommodate the growth of both our Bike-Rack-For-Buses product line and TranSport consumer bike racks. |
| 2005 | In 2005 TranSport was sold to Thule of Sweden - the world leader in bicycle, snow sport and equipment racks for consumer vehicles. |
| 2011 | In 2010 we began designing a new line of stationary bike racks and entered the market in 2011 with our innovative No Scratch Bike Racks™. As avid cyclist ourselves, we saw an opportunity to improve upon the commoditized product offerings that existed in the market, and fill the void by offering a line of cost effective, highly functional, aesthetically pleasing bike racks.
In 2011 we also introduced the Apex 3 transit rack. The Apex 3 is our flagship product combining best-in-breed features from the VeloPorter and Dual-Latch (DL) series racks after years of customer feedback. The Apex 3 offers our most compact layout of any 3-position transit rack and takes safety, convenience and durability to the next level. |
