About Sportworks
We are transportation changemakers committed to improving the well-being of people and the planet.
Sportworks is accelerating active and multimodal transportation to be the natural choice for everyday life.
At Sportworks, we’re transforming the way people move, creating transportation solutions that benefit the well-being of people and the planet. As champions of active and multimodal transportation, we’re on a mission to transform the status quo by connecting journeys seamlessly with innovative products and technology. Since launching the first commercial bike rack for buses in 1993, we’ve partnered with transit authorities, municipalities, advocates, and those creating our built world, to promote healthier, more sustainable mobility options.
Trusted worldwide, our solutions connect bus, rail, and cycling networks, and communities alike.
Our History
1990
Sportworks was founded in Redmond, Washington. The earliest products were bicycle handlebars and bar-ends, and manufacturing began in a space the size of a garage. Later, Sportworks produced one of the first front suspension shocks for mountain bikes.
1993
Sportworks responded to an RFP to design and produce a bicycle rack for the front of transit buses. The result was the first product in the industry that met the needs of both bicycle riders and transit operators. In need of more manufacturing space, Sportworks relocated to Woodinville, about 20 miles northeast of Seattle. Over the next few years, the Sportworks Bike-Rack-for-Buses™ gained acceptance across the United States by bicycle advocates and transit operators.
1996
Demand for the Bike-Rack-for-Buses™ products increased, and additional manufacturing space was required to keep up with demand. The headquarters and manufacturing facility moved to a nearby building with 21,000 square feet.
1997
Utilizing the design features from our Bike-Rack-for-Buses™ product, Sportworks entered the consumer bike rack market. A trailer hitch mounted rack family branded TranSport was developed. The products were highly successful and renowned for their fast and easy loading system, and tires-only contact with the bike. Demand for Sportworks consumer bike racks continued to increase and over the next few years five additional consumer rack products were released.
2005
The TranSport product line was sold to Thule of Sweden - the world leader in bicycle, snow sport, and equipment racks for consumer vehicles.
2011
As avid bicyclists, Sportworks engineers saw a need to improve upon the highly commoditized products available in the bike parking market. The team developed a new cost-effective, highly functional design, and Sportworks entered the bike parking market with a variety of solutions. The same year, the Apex 3™ transit rack was introduced to address the ongoing demand for transporting an increasing number of bikes on transit vehicles.
2012
A new line of revolutionary No Scratch® bike parking products were introduced, including the Tofino™ and Westport™ bike parking racks. A novel design, the durable and integrated non-abrasive bumper protects bikes from scratches and other damage. Needing more manufacturing space for the bike parking product line, Sportworks expanded into an adjoining building for a combined total of 35,000 square feet.
2021
2025
Preferred by cyclists and transit operators, Sportworks racks now transport more than two million bikes per month worldwide. Providing an end-to-end solution for sustainable mobility, our innovative bike parking products are widely chosen for both public and private bicycle infrastructure.
As part of our ongoing investments in capability that benefits our customers, and our efforts to enhance efficiency and collaboration, Sportworks relocates operations to a new integrated manufacturing and technology center of excellence in Monroe, Washington — Enhancing our capabilities to supply solutions that support sustainability, with usability and quality as guiding design principles
Sportworks is a Bike Friendly Business
Sportworks is proud to be recognized as a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Business by the League Of American Bicyclists.
