We love to tell our history, because it reminds us of the early days of this great sport and the enthusiasm and passion of those involved. It was a day when hype was non-existent, mountain bikes were called ATB's, and the industry was riddled with characters who cobbled things together in their garage and later schlepped them out to the races. Oh, those were the days.

Yeti started as a labor of love in 1985, when John Parker, a welder who built movie sets in Hollywood, bought some jigs and fixtures from a defunct bicycle factory and applied his craft to making mountain bike frames. His early days were spent honing his craft in the back of Matt Sweeney's special effects shop.

As an ex-midget car and motorcycle racer, Parker knew the only way to legitimize and test new products was to go racing. So he loaded up his frames in the first ever mountain bike team box van and went off to the races. The frames immediately found a cult following among the racers, who found the Yeti steel frames solid, neutral handling and fast as hell.

The Legendary Durango Years

A move in 1991 from the Agoura Hills, CA facility to Durango, CO helped etch Yeti into the psyche of every hardcore mountain biker. Not only was Yeti the preeminent brand among racers, but it was located in the epicenter of the mountain bike world.

Powered to victory by exceptional talent and innovative race machines, Team Yeti became the dominant race team in the late 80's and early 90's. It became apparent that Parker had PR prowess of PT Barnum and a keen eye for new talent. His ability to find and groom the best racing talent in the country made Yeti the talent factory for the industry. The race teams Yeti built are now legendary. Names like John Tomac, Myles Rockwell, Jimmy Deaton, Missy Giove, and Juli Furtado found there way in to the Yeti pit and then into the record books.

Our commitment to giving our racers the best equipment on the circuit has lead to many innovations. Yeti was one of the first two companies to work with Eastonís Chuck Texeira on developing taperwall tubes for bicycles. Yeti also pioneered the use of full-suspension in downhill racing, worked with innovative materials like carbon and thermoplastic, and tinkered with everything from shocks to disc brakes to help our racers go faster.

DH innovations came from the fertile mind of Mert Lawwill, legendary flat track racer, who helped design the Lawwill DH bike. The current design is widely regarded as one of the best DH designs on the market.

Sold and sold again

Yeti was sold to Schwinn in 1995. Schwinn loved the brand, the technology and the heritage, but was too focused on bringing their mother brand back to life to give Yeti its due. As a result, it was sold in July 1999 to an independent investor, and set up as an affiliate company to Volant Sports, maker of high-end skis and snowboards.

Back to the Future

On November 5, 2001 - Golden, CO -Yeti Cycles, LLC was purchased by a Colorado group comprised of Yeti management and bike enthusiasts. 'There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Yeti, and I am pleased to put the questions to rest,' noted Chris Conroy, Yeti president and general manager. The uncertainty surfaced when Volant Sports, an affiliate of Yeti Cycles was recently purchased by Gen-X Sports, a Canadian based winter sports company, leaving many to question Yeti's future.

'We are very pleased to have new partners, and our direction remains unchanged. We have a dedicated group of individuals who are committed and most importantly, who understand our business and can help us grow the brand,' added Conroy.

'Our previous owner gave us an incredible opportunity to purchase the Yeti brand and continue the legacy,' Conroy said. 'We have a dedicated group, with industry, brand, and marketing knowledge and are committed to keeping the company in Colorado and returning to our roots as a private company.'

For more than 15 years, Yeti has been on the forefront of product development and one of the leading innovators in the bicycle industry. Driven by a passion for racing, Team Yeti has produced some legendary race teams that have included the best racers in the sport. 'Racing is a critical part of our product development and we will continue to have the best racers in the sport on our products,' Conroy said.

Yeti has attracted a worldwide following we refer to as the Tribe. These Yeti freaks are hard-core, bike loving, fanatical devotees who often travel great distances to visit the venerable Yeti factory and meet the people who made their bike. The company's factory is located in Golden, CO.