Rob Quirk traded art for craftsmanship - and now he’s building a global cycling brand
Rob Quirk is scaling his boutique bicycle brand, Quirk Cycles, by building a professional team and securing strategic investment. The company aims to transition from a one-person workshop to a global performance cycling brand.
Why it matters
Illustrates the challenges and strategies involved in scaling a craft-based business into a global commercial enterprise.
Late last year, Quirk Cycles announced it was looking to raise £500,000 to fund scaling its production and launch new small-batch models.
Quirk was founded in 2015 and since then it has gained a reputation for creating some of the most desirable custom bicycles. But founder Rob Quirk told me at the company’s workshop in Hackney Wick, London, that it was his plan “from day one” to build a bigger company.
“Although it’s romantic, the idea of being the only person in the workshop making these things for the next 30 or 40 years – I’m sure that’s a Ring of Hell,” he joked.
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