VENTURA, Calif. (BRAIN) — California distributor Zeitbike will distribute Nukeproof mountain bikes as the legacy brand returns to the market under new ownership.
Nukeproof has been without U.S. distribution for several years, since its last owner, Germany’s Signa Sports, collapsed in 2023.
Belgian Cycling Factory, which also is the parent of the Ridley and Eddy Merckx bike brands and the Aeres e-bike brand, bought Nukeproof last February.
On Thursday BCF announced new Nukeproof distributors in eight regions. In an interview with BRAIN, the brand’s general manager said Nukeproof will be sold through bike shops, with no consumer-direct online sales. That’s a change for the brand, which was sold online by Signa’s Wiggle/CRC for many years, making it well known to many consumers globally, but not as familiar to many dealers.
“BCF is absolutely all about selling bikes through retailers. We are not opposed an online presence (by retailers), but we don’t sell direct, we are not opening stores, we are not selling to pure online players. We are telling dealers and distributors, 'we will never be your competitor,'” said Russell Merry. Merry, a former general manager for Dorel Sports's Cycling Sports Group USA and of CSG UK, joined BCF last July.
According to Merry, Zeitbike will warehouse and distribute Nukeproof in the U.S. ARG Sports is the brand’s new distributor in Canada.
The Nukeproof line includes the new Tracker models, which are aimed at roughly the sub-$1,000 market and were introduced last month at the Velofollies show in Belgium (see related Pinkbike article). The brand also will remain a player in the high-end market and is sponsoring World Cup downhill and cross-country teams this year.
In a statement, Jochim Aerts, BCF’s founder and CEO, said, “Since relaunching Nukeproof in November, the response from riders, retailers, and distributors has been exceptional. Combined with our ambitions to compete at the highest level of World Cup Downhill with Nukeproof Axess and XCO with KMC Nukeproof, the level of international demand is extremely encouraging.”
Ridley and Eddy Merckx still have no distribution in the U.S. BCF manufactures in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and its home country of Belgium, where it paints and assembles some models, including custom-paint orders.
Nukeproof’s new distributors:
- Czech Republic / Slovakia / Poland / Hungary – Zookee
- Ireland – CaraTrade
- USA – Zeitbike
- Canada – ARG Sports
- Slovenia – A2U
- Turkey – All That Ride Sport
- Romania – Mondo Frames Distribution
- Vietnam – RidePlus
