Scott Acquires Majority Share in Bold Cycles

May 23, 2019
by James Smurthwaite  
Bold Unplugged 2018

Scott Sports has acquired a majority share of Bold Cycles, who are best known for their hidden shock bikes.

The two companies are both based near Biel, Switzerland, but Bold will apparently remain as an individual brand with founder and designer Vincenz Droux still at the helm. Vincenz will continue to work with his team of five people but they will now be strategically supported by Scott with regards to sourcing, logistics, global distribution and marketing.

Bold Unplugged 2018
The hidden shock is accessed from the bottom of the downtube.

bigquotesBold is a very promising start-up company with highly passionate employees and a great vision. Their values and their innovative spirit fit very well to the culture of Scott. We furthermore see a great potential with Bold Cycles to serve a customer segment that wants to tailor their bike to their individual needs.—Beat Zaugg, CEO Scott Sports

Bold Unplugged 2018

bigquotesFrom an idea, a technology has grown, and based on our passion a brand was born. With Scott, a partnership has now been developed with which we are prepared for the future in an exciting market environment. With Bold, we want to remain at the forefront of innovation and surprise the bike world with new products. Within the Scott Sports Group, we find the best conditions for this objective and we will be able to concentrate even more on product development. It remains our concern to maintain our independence and to stand up for it. With Scott, we are pleased to have a strong partner on our side who will continue and expand the path we have taken.— Vincenz Droux CEO Bold Cycles

We spoke to Scott about the move and they were adamant that the two companies will not crossover on R&D or management, so don't expect this announcement to mean we will see a hidden shock Scott any time soon. Bold bikes will also continue to be sold directly through their website, here.

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76 Comments
  • 111 7
 They see eye to eye on an excessive amount of cables coming off the handlebar.
  • 15 25
flag jdeuce FL (May 23, 2019 at 9:00) (Below Threshold)
 They also like to overcomplicate design for marginal difference
  • 7 25
flag vjunior21 (May 23, 2019 at 9:20) (Below Threshold)
 Dodgeball movie as it related to this article:

Pepper: It's a bold strategy Cotton. Lets see if it pays off for them.


Cotton: It's all up to the youngest team member now.
Pepper: Word Cotton.

Cotton: Looks like it is going to be two on one...A ménage à trois of pain.
Pepper: Usually you pay double for that kind of action Cotton.

Cotton: Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare to witness the greatest happening in sports.
Pepper: Pepper needs new shorts!
  • 4 21
flag BoneDog (May 23, 2019 at 9:44) (Below Threshold)
 @jdeuce: 100% man, its like a f*cking Cannondale that doesn't work
  • 15 18
 @BoneDog: soooo... like a Cannondale?
  • 6 19
flag Ttimer (May 23, 2019 at 10:32) (Below Threshold)
 @jdeuce: So just like Trek, Cannondale and Specialize?
  • 1 0
 @PhoS Lol. Truer words...haha
  • 1 0
 Yep .I love it .the twinlock rocks .anyway .love the 170mm .travel
  • 49 1
 bold move scotton, lets see if it pays off
  • 29 7
 I experienced a shock inside
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: ex
  • 3 0
 If you can dodge a wrench...
  • 6 0
 I don't remotely understand these pun threads.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Me too, but my poker face hides it.
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I tried to hide my shock at first Wink
  • 1 0
 @ J-E-Rich I wonder if Trek or anybody will buy Sick Cycles?
  • 1 0
 You could say that was genius.
  • 1 0
 Scott paid a Ransom to complete this deal
  • 1 0
 Quite the gambler(s) those Scott guys are, but the bonus won't be so hidden down the road
  • 2 0
 @rivercitycycles: I don't think Sick can even pay anyone to take over their company.
  • 25 2
 Scott 2021 ebikes are going to be so sneaky
  • 64 1
 @haroldjenkins: A quick click on to your profile suggests you're a bike thief...Pinkbike ban this dirtbag??

www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=213651&pagenum=1#commentid6738784
  • 3 0
 @garneau565: yes, please
  • 10 0
 @ismasan: This guy has to be fake. No one on god's green earth owns both a shiver single crown and dual crown. that's like having two tyrannosaurus rex skeletons at your house.
  • 9 0
 @usedbikestuff:

God's green flat earth you mean
  • 5 0
 @joe1989: I hope the earth isn't flat because I like riding up and down hills!!
  • 1 0
 @joe1989: I feel like seeing someone who has both for sale at once is a sign, I'm not yet sure if it is the end of days, or i should go play the lottery. Either way, some X-files schtuff is going on.
  • 3 0
 @usedbikestuff: it's a troll. Albeit a better one than most.
  • 1 0
 @Session603: lol, after a later look in his forum thread yes, he is
  • 20 3
 The headline on the front page says that the two Swiss brands team up - but it Scott really a Swiss brand?

Here's what I know:
- Scott used to be a US based company
- Later, after a management buyout they moved the headquater to Switzerland and the majority of shares was held by Swiss guys.
- Of course, all frames are made in Asia, how could you possibly think about making them in the US oder Europe?
- After that, a Korean company purchased 50.1% of the shares.

So, its a mostly Korean owned brand with offices in Switzerland and the frames are made in Asia.
IMHO not a Swiss brand therefore.
  • 22 0
 Swiss precision in that post.
  • 6 0
 What defines which country a brand is from? If you're talking about who owns it, you could say Santa Cruz bikes is now a Dutch company. If you're talking about where these frames are built, it is probably China or Taiwan. Still, most people would probably consider Santa Cruz an American brand. I would too.

So I suppose the same goes for Scott bikes. I think they started out as a Swiss brand so that's what they'll continue to be. The American Scott was just for snow sports, wasn't it?
  • 2 1
 @vinay: Of course there are different ways to define where a brand is from. There is "heritage", there is a common opinion, there are legal regulations that define when you can market as beingt "made in XY" and so on.

Besides that, as much as I know, a lot of the real engineering work takes place at the factories where the frames are made, not at the headquarters. So for me, a couple of engineers and marketing people in an office in some country don't result in a brand "coming from that country"

In the specific case of Scott, I have simply not the feeling that it's very Swiss.

btw: Scott USA was also a bike brand, afaik.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: www.scott-sports.com/us/en/page/history

I don't think so if I have a quick look. It seems all american.
  • 2 0
 @Zeatalion: If you have a look it's headquarters has been in Switzerland since 1978 that's when Ed Scott moved it there. So that makes it Swiss.

They have a new office block with close to 26,000sq metres (280,000sq feet) and work places for 400-600 people, so quite a size.
  • 18 0
 Smart move to buy and nurture a direct to consumer brand instead of trying to change your own established distribution.
  • 3 0
 spot on
  • 1 0
 This guy gets it
  • 3 0
 @chacou: no they bought bold, not spot.
  • 1 0
 @thesharkman: Wink
  • 16 0
 regardless that is a great looking bike
  • 13 1
 Here's their big chance to rebadge the Bold frames and call them Great....Great Scotts.
  • 10 1
 This is cool because I almost bought a Bold frame, but ended up getting a Scott instead. Not sure why that's cool, but synergy or something.
  • 7 0
 If this means I can demo one at my local Scott dealer, then hey it's a good thing.
  • 2 0
 And hopefully a solid discount, if it's not 20% off a Scott somewhere here then walk past.
  • 8 1
 Same story happened to Gary Fisher and Gary Klein when Trek took them over, and thats how innovation disappears. WatchSmile
  • 5 1
 I'm sure Bold will be fully integrated into Scott within 5 years and the brand will then used for stems, saddles or something else.
  • 2 0
 I doubt it. That's how American companies work, not the European companies. Look at the Accell group. They may share their pedal assist technology between brands (pedal assist has always something Sparta was into but when it moved to mountainbikes, Lapierre and Haibike were quick to adopt it). And for the lower end bikes, it is efficient to finish them with their own XLC brand bars, stems, seatposts etc. But that's pretty much it. The different brands do very much their own thing. Speaking of American brands, of course Dorel is kind of similar. GT, Schwinn and Mongoose may all have had some kind of floating bottom bracket suspension design but they still retained their identities and make very different bikes.
  • 5 0
 Many Bold can help Scott learn how to use a tap and start doing threaded BBs ? It’s a great technology that works...threading in stuff that locks and stays quite!
  • 1 0
 "We spoke to Scott about the move and they were adamant that the two companies will not crossover on R&D or management, so don't expect this announcement to mean we will see a hidden shock Scott any time soon."

Well, this was clearly bs
  • 4 0
 Great Scott's!!! It's IN-Genius!
  • 5 3
 I can’t wait to access/service/adjust/clean that shock....said no one ever.
  • 2 0
 Why is 'Maxxis' yellow on the back and white on the front?
  • 6 0
 White is OEM Tire yellow is aftermarket
  • 1 0
 @erbsforlife1: TIL
  • 1 0
 What does that mean? @colincolin:
  • 1 0
 @erbsforlife1: Today I learned
  • 1 0
 @erbsforlife1: Today I learned.
  • 2 0
 TIL @colincolin:
  • 2 1
 When you need to change your suspension settings, but instead you're just going to be bold.
  • 1 0
 They look to have a cable actuated rear shock also. Adjusting air pressure & reebs looks easy. set it and forget it!
  • 1 1
 I feel like the shock is hidden in the seat tube , accessed through the downtube maybe
  • 1 0
 Sounds like my next bike^^
  • 2 0
 Scold cycles
  • 1 0
 That's a bold move Cotton, let's see how it plays out.
  • 2 2
 out of all the new bikes out their this one is it! but i bet its a 29er so thats shitty
  • 2 0
 Twin-Loc for everyone!
  • 1 0
 Tried to hide my shock, but after reading this: Bold move Scott! Wink
  • 1 0
 I'm just glad they closed the bottom opening off from dirt. Oh wait wtf
  • 1 0
 That last paragraph did not age well.
  • 1 0
 Good for them.
  • 2 1
 Thats a bold maneuver...
  • 1 0
 Waw wat this?.)))
  • 1 0
 PLASTIC!
  • 1 0
 I couldn't care less.
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