We got some big air, took a few nasty spills, and ended up at the ER a couple of times, but we always had fun. Bet you didn’t think I was talking about my grandpa!

Thirty or so years ago, my grandfather and I started chasing storms in his van on the weekends. If there was snow in California, we were there skiing, and that was where my love for the outdoors started – a connection that still deepens with time.

When I got to college, my love for adventuring outside took a back seat to my newfound obsession: Urban Planning and Sustainability (and partying, obviously). A year in, I wanted to buy a bike to help me get around and move around, but I couldn’t afford the bikes that I liked and I didnt like the bikes that I could afford.

In 2009, I solved this problem for myself and other students when I launched Retrospec with a small batch of bikes I made using the $8,000 I had saved up from my first few jobs. I hand-delivered them to local college students and campus bike shops out of my grandfather's run-down adventure van.

When you start a company with that little money, you wear a lot of hats, have no outside help, a tiny chance of survival, and aren’t able to pay yourself for a long time. Add the biggest recession in 100 years and you’ll agree starting this company in college was about as smart as trekking an 8000’er in flip flops, but my naivety brought me on the greatest expedition of my life.

As I graduated from college, grew the business, became a dad, and otherwise continued to trek along, it became clear that Retrospec was bigger than just bikes and college students. Retrospec became a family of outdoor products for everyone with the common threads of active living, sustainable mobility, love for the outdoors, beautiful design, durability, and mind blowing value, always.

The most fulfilling project for me has been developing children’s bicycles with my kids. I recall the sacrifice my parents had to make to buy overpriced gear that was good enough, and in hindsight, it wasn’t. As a parent, I’m frustrated by all the crappy gear out there for kids and how expensive the good stuff is, only for them to rapidly grow out of it. Thanks to a lengthy development and testing process (no kids were harmed!), I am incredibly proud to say Retrospec is making the best bang-for-your-buck kids’ bikes around and making early adventuring accessible to more families. This project brought my journey full circle – now I’m the “old man with the van”!

At age 20, I only started this company to fill time during a bad economy until I could land my “dream job.” Today, I couldn't imagine my life without this big little outdoor company. I love creating products that make people happy, and it’s still all about FUN.

I am proud of the Retrospec family – our team and community. And I’m humbled by the opportunity and responsibility that comes with being a part of your adventures. The best is yet to come.

I know you’re a natural.

Stay adventurous,

Ely