BEVERLY, Mass. (BRAIN) — Bob Parlee, the founder of his namesake bike company, died at home on Tuesday in Essex, Massachusetts, surrounded by family after a four-year cancer battle. He was 70.
Bob and wife Isabel founded Parlee Cycles in 1999. Before entering the cycling industry, Bob built high-performance boats. A Wakefield, Massachusetts, native, Bob spent most of his time in Beverly, where the company is still based.
Bob began applying composite technology to bikes in the late 1990s, and by the early 2000s, Parlees were seen in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia pelotons and sold globally.
Parlee Cycles was sold to John Harrison in October 2023 after the brand entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy that February. Bob was semi-retired but remained with the company as chief designer.
"Bob has been a real inspiration for the entire team here at Parlee, me included," Harrison said. "His persistent and unwavering focus on pursuing an uncompromised and perfect product will continue to lead the identity of our business forever into the future. We are all extremely proud to continue the work that he started."
Isabel noted how grateful Bob was for the relationships formed in the industry and how he loved attending annual shows to renew relationships with fellow framebuilders, suppliers, and dealers. She also expressed their mutual appreciation for Parlee Cycles' employees past and present.
Survivors include Isabel and two sons. The family will announce plans for a memorial at a later date.
