DENVER (BRAIN) — Domahidy Designs has renamed itself Viral Bikes, after founder Steve Domahidy said he realized the original name for his young company was ... Just. Not. Gonna. Work.
"The realization came hard and fast that Domahidy Designs was not working as a brand name," said Domahidy, who is well-known in the industry as one of the founders of Niner Bikes.
"I always knew Domahidy Designs was going to be an uphill battle, but I believed that my story with Niner and uniqueness of the name would work itself out. After all, names like Merckx and Colnago are part of the bike vernacular at this point," Domahidy told BRAIN on Wednesday. "However, I have never won a Tour de France and am not Italian. So it was a much more daunting prospect, and it just hit me that having to explain the name story every time you meet somebody (who doesn't know the name story) is not a great way to build a brand and brand identity."
Domahidy said he was driving back from last month's Sedona Mountain Bike Festival when he made the realization. At home, he played with a dozen or more potential names before hitting on "Viral."
"Something about Viral spoke to me. I liked that it was short and easy to remember. I liked the way it looked and I liked the idea that now, behind a new identity, this new bike line could truly go Viral."
The first new model to bear the name is a new titanium all-mountain frame with a Pinion gear box, called the Skeptic. Under the Domahidy brand, the frame was called "Titanium All-Mountain Pinion Hardtail." Besides the new brand name and model name, the Skeptic has a few geometry tweaks based on early feedback for the frame.
The Skeptic will have a one-degree steeper seat tube angle, which will increase the reach of the bike on each size as well as increasing the wheelbase and front-end center. In addition to the geometry changes, Viral has added a size XL to the line.
Viral is now accepting consumer orders for the frame, which will be delivered in late summer. The company is now selling its remaining Domahidy Designs-branded inventory at discounts: new frames are 40 percent off and demo bikes and samples are 50-60 percent off.
More information: viral.bike.
