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Partner Profile
Research to Rider: Making the Connection
Blue product development specialist Mike Giraud prepares to test an ITU-legal setup under the watchful eye of sales manager Chance Regina. This ultimately led to the development of the AC-1 road frame.


 


Nearly 10 years ago, Mike Skop and his team realized there was a need for bicycles that was not being met. Now Blue Competition Cycles offers athletes new technology that not only helps with fast bike splits, but leads to faster run splits off the bike. Embracing a philosophy that each rider will have a unique connection to his or her bike, Blue Competition Cycles combines research with hands-on experience to help riders find a bike that will help them reach their full potential.


Blue’s efforts to create a relationship between riders and their bikes stem from Skop’s work with a number of elite cyclists over the years. After graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in engineering, he became certified as an elite-level coach with USA Cycling and helped guide elite cyclists to national and world championships, as well as the Olympic Games. Just before Blue’s inception, Skop directed the Genesis Scuba Pro Cycling team, which was ranked No. 1 in North America in 2004.


USA Triathlon had the chance to talk to Skop who, as Blue’s company founder is also the CEO, to learn more about how his background in engineering and cycling led to the creation of a company that puts the needs of the rider first.


USA TRIATHLON: Where did you come up with the idea for Blue Competition Cycles?
Mike Skop: It’s an idea that came out of necessity. In 2002, I was working with a pro cycling team and we realized that the carbon fiber frames being manufactured at that time really weren’t suited for the demands of the pro athlete. We wanted a bike that would allow athletes to perform at their very best and frankly, we could’t find what we were looking for. Someone in the industry suggested we consider building them ourselves. After a year of investigation and discovery, we decided to do just that. In 2003, we started Blue Competition Cycles.


USAT: How did the company get its name?
MS: It originally started as kind of a code name for the project of designing and building bikes at our company. Ultimately the name stuck because it meant so many different things to so many people that worked on launching our brand. It’s a name that conjures up great imagery.


USAT:How does your background as an engineer and a cyclist play an important role within the company?
MS: It allows me to bridge the divide between our athletes and our design and manufacturing specialists. My background in competitive cycling has given me the perspective of knowing firsthand what athletes are looking for. It’s critical that we speak the same language so nothing gets lost in translation. As an engineer, I also understand the science needed to take the demands and desires of those athletes and turn them into a frame that meets and exceeds their expectations.


74 USA TRIATHLON SUMMER 2011

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