Berd
Berd manufactures ultra-lightweight polymer bicycle spokes from UHMWPE (Dyneema) with 15x the strength-to-weight ratio of steel. The Hopkins, MN-based company sells premium wheelsets, hubs, and components through DTC e-commerce and a 200+ global dealer network serving competitive and recreational cyclists across all disciplines.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersHopkins, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Berd does
Berd is a Hopkins, Minnesota-based materials science company that designs and manufactures ultra-lightweight polymer bicycle spokes using ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, marketed as Dyneema), positioned as a 15x strength-to-weight improvement over steel with 200% better vibration damping than metal spokes. The company holds two granted US patents (10,150,332 B2 and 10,661,598 B2) covering the polymer spoke technology and a pending patent on a proprietary hook flange hub interface that has been licensed into a growing Berd Approved hub ecosystem through Onyx, Hope, Industry Nine, and Erase Components. Founded by three engineers in partnership with the US National Science Foundation, Berd sells its PolyLight and PolyLightX spokes alongside complete carbon wheelsets (HAWK30 Gold, HAWK30, HAWK30X, HAWK27, Sparrow, P62, Fat Bike), TALON hubs, accessories, and a separate TRUDI computer-controlled truing machine at premium price points of $2,095-$3,200 per wheelset.
Berd operates a hybrid distribution model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at berdspokes.com with a global network of 200+ authorized dealers across North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, South Africa, and Latin America, supplemented by regional distributors (Dutch Wheel Works for Europe, Wheelworks for New Zealand). Revenue streams span hardware sales (spokes, hubs, complete wheels, accessories), a custom wheel rebuilding service ($592 per wheelset), branded apparel, and a hub interface licensing program. Customers span the full spectrum of competitive and recreational cycling disciplines, with Olympic medalists, World Cup winners, and World Marathon Champions serving as performance validators rather than direct revenue customers.
The company is privately held as Berd LLC, employs 11-50 people, and has raised a cumulative $1,025,000 in non-dilutive NSF grants across 2018 and 2020 with no disclosed institutional equity investment. Its competitive positioning is anchored by elite athletic validation (two Olympic golds, two bronzes at Paris 2024; 50+ World Cup podiums in 2024-2025) and a deliberate vertical strategy covering mountain, gravel, road, cyclocross, fat bike, and BMX segments, supported by an expanding hook flange hub ecosystem that converts a component innovation into a platform standard.
Berd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Berd
- Legal name
- Berd LLC
- Website
- https://berdspokes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Berd manufactures ultra-lightweight polymer bicycle spokes from UHMWPE (Dyneema) with 15x the strength-to-weight ratio of steel. The Hopkins, MN-based company sells premium wheelsets, hubs, and components through DTC e-commerce and a 200+ global dealer network serving competitive and recreational cyclists across all disciplines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Berd industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cycling Components
- NAICS
- Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing (336991)
- SIC
- Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bike Online Retail & Omnichannel Specialists (CRAMAHAL)
Keywords
Where Berd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hopkins
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Berd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Polymer Bicycle Spokes: Sale of PolyLight and PolyLightX spokes for bicycle wheels. Individual spokes at $9-12 MSRP. Available in various lengths (178-340mm).
- Complete Bicycle Wheels: Sale of complete carbon wheelsets including Hawk30, Hawk30X, Hawk27, Sparrow, and P62 models. Prices range from $2,095 to $3,200.
- Wheel Building Service: Custom wheel rebuilding service where customers send existing wheels and Berd rebuilds them with Berd spokes. Price starts at $592 for wheelset.
- Bicycle Hubs: Sale of proprietary TALON MTB hubs with hook flange design. $399 for hub sets.
- Accessories and Consumables: Wheel building tools, service kits, spoke coloring kits, hub service parts, decals, and apparel.
- Licensing: Berd Approved hub licensing program allowing other manufacturers to produce Berd-compatible hubs using the hook flange interface standard.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PolyLight Spokes - Individual spokes for J-bend and straight-pull hubs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PolyLightX Extreme Spokes - Heavy-duty spokes for gravity/enduro/e-bikes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HAWK30 Gold Carbon Wheels - Lightest 30mm XC wheels |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HAWK30 Carbon Wheels - All-mountain wheels |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HAWK30X Carbon Wheels - Downhill, Enduro, eMTB wheels |
| Unit Pricing | — | Sparrow Carbon Gravel Wheels |
| Unit Pricing | — | P62 Carbon Aero Wheels |
| Unit Pricing | — | Made in Minnesota Carbon Fat Bike Wheels |
| Other | — | Custom Wheels |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wheel Building Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | TALON MTB Hubs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Berd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Berd designs and manufactures ultra-lightweight polymer (UHMWPE/Dyneema) bicycle spokes and complete carbon wheelsets, including TALON mountain bike hubs, HAWK carbon mountain wheelsets, Sparrow carbon gravel wheelsets, P62 carbon aero road wheelsets, and Made in Minnesota carbon fat-bike wheelsets. The company also offers a custom wheel building service and accessories, serving performance cyclists and premium bicycle retailers across mountain, gravel, road, and fat-bike disciplines.
Product overview
Berd is a technology company specializing in ultra-lightweight bicycle components, primarily known for its polymer bicycle spokes made from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE/Dyneema). The product portfolio consists of: (1) PolyLight and PolyLightX polymer spoke lines in white and black colors, with standard lengths (250-340mm) and short/BMX lengths (178-249mm); (2) TALON branded hubs in Boost and Super Boost configurations featuring proprietary hook flange interfaces; (3) Complete wheel builds including HAWK30 Gold (XC racing), HAWK30 (all-mountain), HAWK30X (downhill/enduro/eMTB), HAWK27 (27.5" mountain), Sparrow (gravel/cyclocross), P62 (aero road), and Fat Bike wheels; (4) Custom wheel building and rebuilding services; (5) Accessories including service kits, spoke coloring kits, professional wheel building tools, hub service parts, and wheel decals; (6) TRUDI, a computer-controlled truing machine sold at BerdTechnology.com; and (7) Branded apparel. The product ecosystem centers on Berd's proprietary polymer spoke technology with 15x the strength-to-weight ratio of steel, offering vibration damping benefits over traditional metal spokes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TRUDI: Revolutionary truing machine technology for wheel building, combining computer precision with skilled craftsmanship for accurate wheel truing.
Products and services
- PolyLight Spokes Standard polymer (UHMWPE/Dyneema) bicycle spokes offered in white and black colors for road, mountain, and gravel wheelsets, intended for individual cyclists seeking lightweight wheel upgrades and bike dealers reselling premium components. Bulk pricing tiers are available for 20, 36, 72 spoke counts and packaged wheel options.
- PolyLightX Extreme Spokes Heavy-duty polymer (UHMWPE/Dyneema) bicycle spokes in white and black, designed for aggressive riding styles, heavier loads, and demanding mountain bike and gravel applications, sold to performance cyclists and wheel builders.
- PolyLight BMX/Short Spokes Shorter-length polymer bicycle spokes in white and black for BMX and short-wheel applications, sold to BMX riders and dealers building or upgrading small-wheeled bikes.
- TALON Mountain Bike Hubs Mountain bike hubs (TALON and TALON Super Boost variants) designed to work with Berd polymer spokes and TLS (Talon Lacing Spoke) sizing, sold to individual cyclists upgrading wheels and to wheel builders. The TALON system underlies Berd's complete carbon wheelset offerings.
- HAWK Carbon Mountain Bike Wheels Carbon mountain bike wheelsets in 30mm (HAWK30), 30X (HAWK30X), and 27mm (HAWK27) variants, built with Berd polymer spokes and TALON hubs, sold to trail, enduro, and XC mountain bikers seeking lightweight, vibration-damping wheels.
- Sparrow Carbon Gravel Wheels Carbon gravel bike wheelset built with Berd polymer spokes for gravel and cyclocross riding, sold to performance gravel cyclists seeking lighter, vibration-damping wheels.
- P62 Carbon Aero Road Wheels 62mm carbon aero road bike wheelset built with Berd polymer spokes for performance and racing road cyclists seeking aerodynamic and weight advantages.
- Made in Minnesota Carbon Fat Bike Wheels Carbon fat bike wheelsets engineered and built in Minnesota with Berd polymer spokes, designed for fat-bike riders needing durable, lightweight wheels for snow and sand riding conditions.
- Custom Wheels / Wheel Building Service Custom wheel building service in which Berd builds wheelsets to customer specifications using polymer spokes, TALON hubs, and carbon rims, available directly through Berd and through authorized dealers providing bespoke wheel builds for cyclists.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 Olympic Gold Medals and 2 Olympic Bronze Medals at 2024 Paris Olympics in XC MTB
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Berd
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Berd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature6 records
Berd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Trek-UnbrokencoreOfficial spoke sponsor of Trek-Unbroken Cross Country race team. Elite mountain bike athletes competing at highest level using Berd spokes for cross-country racing.
- We Are One CompositescorePartnership for carbon rims. We Are One is located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Berd is located in Hopkins, MN, USA. North American-made spokes and rims partnership.
- Erase ComponentscoreHub manufacturer based in Belgium. Produces TALON ESL hubs for Berd Hawk30 Gold wheels.
- BerdTechnology.com (TRUDI)coreRevolutionary truing machine technology. TRUDI is a tabletop machine combining computer precision with craftsmanship, making wheel truing faster, easier, and more accurate.
- StikrdminorPartnership for custom Berd decals. Through Stikrd.com, customers can order genuine Berd decals in any color of their choice.
- Dutch Wheel WorksminorEuropean dealer distribution partner. Offers fast, free shipping to all European countries for Berd products.
- Wheelworks (New Zealand)minorExclusive New Zealand dealer for B2B ordering of Berd products.
- United States National Science FoundationminorPartnership with NSF for technology development. Berd technology developed in partnership with the United States National Science Foundation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Berd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zipp (SRAM): Premium carbon wheelset brand owned by component giant SRAM, competing head-to-head with Berd's HAWK30, HAWK30X, and P62 in road, gravel, and MTB categories. Comparable on premium positioning, carbon wheel engineering, and professional-team validation.
- ENVE Composites: US-based premium carbon composite manufacturer of rims and complete wheelsets for road, gravel, and mountain biking. Directly comparable to Berd on premium pricing, US manufacturing, athlete-driven brand, and complete wheelset offerings.
- Industry Nine: US-made premium hub and complete wheel manufacturer. Direct partner of Berd through Hydra/Solix J-Bend hub compatibility, and a competitor in the premium MTB wheelset category where Berd HAWK30 wheels can be specced with Industry Nine hubs.
- DT Swiss: Swiss premium manufacturer of spokes, hubs, rims, and complete wheelsets. Most direct comparable to Berd on the spokes side (DT Swiss is the dominant premium steel spoke brand) and on complete premium wheelsets across road, gravel, and MTB.
- Mavic: Historic French premium wheels, tires, and components brand. Comparable on premium complete wheelset positioning across road, gravel, and MTB, with overlapping dealer channels and long-standing professional racing validation.
- Reserve Wheels: Premium carbon mountain bike wheel brand affiliated with Santa Cruz Bicycles. Directly comparable to Berd's HAWK30 and HAWK30X on premium MTB carbon wheelsets, US-based brand identity, and professional-athlete validation.
- Hunt Bike Wheels: UK-based direct-to-consumer premium carbon and alloy wheels brand. Closely comparable to Berd on the DTC e-commerce GTM, premium-but-accessible pricing, broad road/gravel/MTB portfolio, and global dealer network expansion.
- We Are One Composites: Canadian premium carbon rim and complete wheelset manufacturer and Berd's rim partner. Direct peer on premium carbon MTB wheel positioning, North American manufacturing, and integration with Berd spokes in co-built wheelsets.
- Onyx Racing Products: US-based premium hub manufacturer with sprag-clutch freehub technology and Hook Flange hub products designed specifically for Berd PolyLightX spokes. Comparable as both a Berd partner and a competing premium hub/wheel brand in the MTB and e-bike segments.
- Reynolds Cycling: Long-established premium carbon rim and wheelset brand with deep MTB and road heritage. Comparable to Berd on premium carbon wheel engineering, professional racing credibility, and component-level product line depth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Berd social profiles
Digital presenceBerd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Berd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Berd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Berd M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Berd
What does Berd do?
Berd designs and manufactures ultra-lightweight polymer (UHMWPE/Dyneema) bicycle spokes and complete carbon wheelsets, including TALON mountain bike hubs, HAWK carbon mountain wheelsets, Sparrow carbon gravel wheelsets, P62 carbon aero road wheelsets, and Made in Minnesota carbon fat-bike wheelsets. The company also offers a custom wheel building service and accessories, serving performance cyclists and premium bicycle retailers across mountain, gravel, road, and fat-bike disciplines.
Is Berd a public or private company?
Berd is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Berd founded?
Berd was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Berd based?
Berd is headquartered in Hopkins, United States, in the North America region.
How does Berd make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Polymer Bicycle Spokes are the primary driver. The others are complete Bicycle Wheels, wheel Building Service, bicycle Hubs, accessories and Consumables and licensing.
Who are Berd's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zipp (SRAM), ENVE Composites, Industry Nine, DT Swiss, Mavic, Reserve Wheels, Hunt Bike Wheels, We Are One Composites, Onyx Racing Products and Reynolds Cycling.
Does Berd have an API?
No public API is recorded for Berd.
What industry is Berd in?
Berd's product category is Cycling Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAHAB, Bike Parts & Components Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAHAL, Bike Online Retail & Omnichannel Specialists. Its NAICS code is 336991 and its SIC code is 3751.