Word: sinyard
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...Louis, is a newer icon of American ingenuity: Stumpjumper, the first mountain bike. A crossbreed of rugged utility and European racing technology, the Stumpjumper scurried where 10-speeds would have crumpled: down mountain slopes, across fields and over city curbs. The chunky two-wheeler, manufactured by Californian Michael Sinyard in 1981, has helped transform the % U.S. bicycle industry from a sleepy business to a $3.5 billion family-sport industry as millions of Americans mount up. Sinyard's goal: "Durability and comfort, a bike that is easy to ride...
Since the Stumpjumper first appeared in shops, Sinyard's Specialized Bicycle Components, based in Morgan Hill, Calif., has grown into a $100 million enterprise and has helped spawn a frenzy of furiously inventive competitors. Trek, a struggling little 10-employee maker of bicycle frames back when the Stumpjumper appeared, is now a leading ATB manufacturer. Based in Waterloo, Wis., Trek expects to sell 500,000 cycles worth an estimated $200 million this year, 10 times its 1985 sales...
Some enthusiasts want a bike to suit every occasion. While one is fine for long solo rides, another might be more appropriate for family outings. Even Michael Sinyard, a regular racer in his spare time, often spends the afternoon on a Specialized Deja Two tandem with his seven-year-old daughter. Says he: "She loves it. She says, 'Dad! This is a great bike! My legs never get tired!' " Other parents tow their youngsters in the $300 Cannondale Bugger, a polyethylene shell that allows the whimsical child to sit facing backward, watching the landscape spin away...
...preparing variations on Cannondale's new suspension system. Borrowed from motorcycle design, the technology guarantees aging cyclists a smoother ride. Last year Specialized introduced Air Lock, a self-sealing tire that eliminates fear of flats. Still trying to grow fast enough to stay ahead of the big boys, pioneer Sinyard drives his troops with the company slogan "Innovate or Die!" That's a fitting sentiment in an industry whose forebears included Wilbur and Orville Wright...