Advocate Cycles to donate all profits from bike sales to non-profits

MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — A new bike brand that promises to donate 100 percent of its profits to bike advocacy programs, has completed a crowdfunding campaign and is moving forward with production of its first three models.

Tim Krueger, a former product manager for QBP's Whisky Parts Co. and Salsa brands, is the founder of Advocate. 

"Our business plan is very simple and completely unique," he said. "We make high-quality dirt, gravel and commute bikes. Retailers sell them at parity pricing with leading industry brands, so there's all the niche-brand cachet without the 'niche-brand tax.' After the retailers make their margin and the brand covers expenses, we donate all the profits to advocacy groups so they toward making cycling better for all of us."

Advocate had a goal of $10,000 on its Indiegogo campaign, but raised nearly $22,000. The funds will bankroll production of the brand's first two models, the Hayduke and Watchman.

Shipping of those models will begin soon after Interbike, Krueger said. Both models are made of Reynolds 725 chromoly; the Hayduke carries an MSRP of $2,699 as a complete bike and the Watchman is $2,799. Both will be on display at Interbike. There is also a titanium version of each, available as frameset only for $1,950.

A third model, the Lorax, will premiere at the show.

Advocate will sell through brick-and-mortar retailers and, at a higher-than-in-store price, consumer direct.

"Selling direct to cyclists at premium pricing helps us keep retailer territories large while still making the Advocate brand available in places where we don't have dealer coverage," Krueger said. "Given the higher cost to buy direct from us, we anticipate 100 percent of riders will prefer to buy Advocate models though local bike shops whenever they can."

Advocate currently has five advocacy partners and is adding more. Names of the first wave of partner groups will be announced before Interbike, Krueger said.