Athertons Start Their Own Bike Company

Athertons Start Their Own Bike Company

Gee tests out one of the new Atherton downhill machines.

(Left to right) Dan, Rachel and Gee Atherton.

Gee, Dan and Rachel Atherton have launched their own bike company for 2019. The three siblings are probably the most talented mountain bike family in the world. How will their bike company do? We can’t say for sure, but it’s a safe bet that Rachel will still be one of the top downhill racers in the world. She’s won multiple world titles already, and her brother Gee has racked up at least one world title as well. Although Dan hasn’t been as big a star as Gee and Rachel in the UCI ranks, he’s an amazing rider, too. We wish them well in their new endeavor.

Here’s what the Athertons say on their company’s website: www.athertonbikes.com: “Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton are excited to announce the launch of their new bike brand, Atherton Bikes. The siblings will partner with renowned suspension designer Dave Weagle and utilize ground-breaking additive manufacturing technologies combined with carbon fiber tubing to ‘create our ultimate range of bikes.’ Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Piers Linney will join as a co-founder of the newly formed company with the introductory Atherton Bikes range scheduled for sale in 2019.

With the Dave Weagle-designed suspension, the Atherton Bikes will likely be impressing many people in the year ahead.

“The Atherton Bikes brand has been a lifetime in the making, with Dan building his first bike in 1992 when he was just 10 years old. But in recent times the family’s dream of pushing bike development as hard as they push their riding has become irresistible.”

Dan Atherton said, “It’s always been a dream of mine for us to ride for our own bike company. We’ve ridden for some great brands, and we’re proud of the part we’ve played in the development of DH bikes—from the Commencal to the Trek Session and trail bikes like the GT Sanction. We’ve always really enjoyed the process, from working with the designers on the early stages through to testing and refining prototypes on the World Cup circuit. But because of the way that the sponsorship system works, we’d soon be starting over with a new brand.

“I’m enormously grateful for all the opportunities that system afforded us—we all are—but for us, it’s always been about pushing the boundaries of the sport. Back in 2003 we started Atherton Racing so that we could do things the way we wanted—from building our own tracks to producing edits like the Atherton Project and events like Red Bull Hardline. Now feels like the right time to put our hearts and soul into a range of bikes designed and built our way.”

Gee continues: “We will start with what we know best—focusing on high-level product designed to be ridden aggressively! For 2019 we’ll race our own prototype bike, and we’re planning to bring that DH bike to market, along with a range of trail bikes. We’re working with some amazing guys, formerly of Robot Bike Co., and they’ll be an essential part of our start-up. They are as passionate about the technology and its potential to disrupt the industry and shake up the large corporates as we are.”

The Athertons met Ed Haythornthwaite, one of Robot’s founders, when he was Dan’s World Cup mechanic in 2006, and their ongoing friendship was the catalyst for this venture. Ed’s understanding of what works on a bike and his passion for improving a rider’s experience underpins the development of the entire range.

Robot’s other co-founders, Ben Farmer and Andy Hawkins, both come from an aerospace and Formula 1 background. They are experts in composites and additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing), which allow for full customization of every bike frame.

Gee said, “The additive manufacturing process is so responsive that we’ve been able to test and adapt a series of prototypes that ride like the finished bike. This constant cycle of innovation means that we can get our race bikes dialed much more quickly, and that every purchase of a production bike will be at the very forefront of this development.”

The Atherton bikes combine carbon tubes with titanium lugs, allowing for custom sizes for those who want them.

Rachel said, “The dream has always been to race our own bikes, and the additive manufactured bikes are so exciting and groundbreaking—the ultimate bike! Through our entire career we’ve been proud to represent our country and support the next generation of bike riders, so the fact that we can deliver our new brand through a UK-based company is just incredible and the icing on the cake for us!

“We all believe that having the right bike for you and the stage you are at with your riding can transform your experience. Our big goal is to see kids, all mountain explorers, bike park shredders, racers and e-bikers enjoying our bikes—just saying that sounds mind-blowing!

Dan Atherton, who built his first bike at age 10, has amazing riding skills, too.

“This is a genuine start-up business that we are building from the ground up. It’s going to be a huge undertaking to bring our bikes to market, even with Piers on board to help us. Our learning curve is steep, but the dream of bringing Atherton Bikes and our love for riding to everyone is about to be very real!”

Piers Linney said, “As a rider myself, I’m extremely excited to be working with the Athertons to deliver a new product range that meshes my enjoyment of MTB with my passion for new technologies. Exciting times ahead.”


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