KETCHUM, ID (BRAIN)—Scott Sports has bought the components and accessories brand Syncros from Ritchey Design, Scott and Ritchey announced Tuesday.
Scott said the brand, most recently known for its downhill mountain biking products, will be expanded into the road and cross-country markets.
"Scott will give Syncros the necessary support to design outstanding products and enlarge the line by expanding into cross-country and road categories. A dedicated design and engineering team has been created and they have already begun working to develop innovative products for future Syncros product lines," the company said in a statement on the Syncros website.
Syncros was founded in 1986 by Peter Hamilton and Pippin Osborne on Vancouver’s North Shore. Ritchey bought the brand in 2003.
“We have always believed that the Syncros name has had an excellent image in the industry,” said Scott Sports vice president Pascal Ducrot. “Our priority was to find a way to increase our offering of parts and accessories while still maintaining our relationship with Ritchey, our long-term partner. The purchase of Syncros was the perfect solution and we look forward to offering our dealers a full line of new parts and accessories with the same high quality standards as our bikes.”
The sale will allow Ritchey to focus on its own brand, a Ritchey spokesman said.
“We’ve had a great experience working with and developing the Syncros brand,” said Sean Coffey, Ritchey's global marketing director. “But we want to shift our focus on taking Ritchey to a new level.”
Scott has spec'd Ritchey and Syncros products on its bikes for years.
“We love the Syncros brand and we’re happy to see it go to an industry powerhouse like Scott, who can give it the energy it deserves,” Coffey said.
—Steve Frothingham
sfrothingham@bicycleretailer.com
