BRANDS “I was the crazy one to have the idea to develop an
e-bike company,” said Suppo. “I met Stefano [Migliorini] through coincidence.” “I had an e-mountain bike, one of the first ones in 2015, with a 120mm front fork and Stefano at the time was working for Marzocchi. “A friend of mine gave me a fork as a present and
Stefano brought the fork to my house and I started speaking to him about the idea to develop a bicycle company and everything really started in my kitchen. “And then it was necessary to find the right people who
have the financial power to do it.” The idea became a reality thanks to the meeting with Giuseppe Bernocco and Sebastiano Astegiano, two Piedmont entrepreneurs who head up industrial specialists TCN Group. The founders worked with industrial designer Luca Burzio to develop the first bike’s geometry. From there, Suppo utilised his MotoGP contact book
to enlist the help of celebrated designer Aldo Drudi and Paolo Picchi, head of 3D Style at DrudiPerformance, to help define the style and graphics.
The result of these partnerships was the MIG Limited Edition, limited to only 20 units and dedicated to Toni
Bou, 32-time trial world champion, who helped to develop the bike.
Why a Thok? With e-bike sales continuing to rise, specifically in the e-MTB sector, why should consumers choose Thok over some of the industry giants?
“I remember when I told my boss at Ducati, Filippo Preziosi, that I want to create a bicycle company,” said Suppo. “He asked me ‘why should somebody buy your bicycle
instead of another brand?’ “And at that time I was like, ‘why’? “Now, after six years, I think I know why. Because we are
smaller, we are not as famous as the big brands, but we are different.” One of the key elements that makes Thok unique is its annual Tribe event which sees Thokers, the brand’s nickname for its customers, come together. The first event in 2017 saw around 70 attendees. Six years
later and it has grown more than sixfold with the Tribe now requiring two campsites to house the 440 riders who attended the fifth edition this May.
“Ever since Thok was founded, we have always paid special attention to our customers,” said Migliorini.
Thok’s first carbon-frame model, the Gram RC
52 | July 2023
www.bikebiz.com
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