What Excel Sports does

Excel Sports Boulder is a privately held, single-location specialty cycling retailer founded in 1988 and headquartered at 2045 32nd Street in Boulder, Colorado. The company sells premium bicycles, components, apparel, accessories, and sports nutrition through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (excelsports.com), a phone-order channel, an international shipping program, and an integrated retail showroom. Its customer base consists of enthusiast and performance-oriented cyclists across the US Lower 48 states and international markets, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B accounts.

The product portfolio spans complete bicycles and framesets across road, gravel, mountain, and city/electric disciplines, with depth across drivetrain components (groupsets, derailleurs, cranksets, brakes, shifters, power meters), wheels, tires, accessories, apparel, helmets, and nutrition. The company operates a full-service Service Center staffed with vendor-certified technicians covering Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap, Campagnolo EPS, FOX Racing Shox, RockShox, DT Swiss wheel building, Shimano S-Tech, and SRAM STU, supporting custom builds, professional bike fitting, wheel building, repairs, and pre-delivery inspection. The retail showroom is integrated into the front of the distribution center, featuring an Assos Pro Shop and component display cases, enabling same-day shipment from physically stocked inventory at a near-perfect fill rate.

The business model is dominated by one-time product sales with a smaller professional-services revenue stream from the Service Center. Pricing is unit-based with no subscription offering; complete groupsets retail at $1,000–$2,000+, premium electronic-shifting kits at $985–$1,699, and accessories from $5–$30, with free shipping on orders over $99 to the US Lower 48. There is no disclosed parent company, no funding history, no M&A activity, and no public listing; ownership appears founder-held and independent. Marketing is e-commerce-first, with detailed product copy and in-house studio photography as the primary differentiation vehicles, supported by knowledgeable phone and live-chat staff rather than aggressive paid acquisition.

Name

Excel Sports

Legal name

Excel Sports Boulder

Website

https://excelsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Excel Sports is a privately held Boulder, Colorado-based specialty cycling retailer founded in 1988 that sells premium bicycles, components, apparel, accessories, and nutrition via DTC e-commerce, phone orders, an integrated showroom, and international shipping, serving enthusiast and performance-oriented cyclists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cycling Equipment Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Retail-Auto & Home Supply Stores (5531)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bicycle Retail (New Bikes) (CRAMAHAA), Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB), Bike Apparel, Helmets & Protective Gear Retail (CRAMAHAC), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bike Fit, Performance & Training Retail/Studios (CRAMAHAI), Sporting Goods, Outdoor & Fitness Marketplaces (CRAFABAI)

Keywords

• Cycling equipment retail
• Bicycle components
• Cycling apparel
• Bike fitting services
• Custom bike builds

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Retail sales of cycling equipment, components, apparel, and nutrition products through e-commerce and retail showroom. Products include bicycles, groupsets, wheels, tires, components, accessories, apparel, and nutrition.
2. Professional Services: Full service shop offering custom builds, bike fit services, and repair services. The service center includes vendor certifications for Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap, Campagnolo EPS, FOX Racing Shox, RockShox, DT Swiss wheel building, Shimano S-Tech and SRAM STU.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Excel Sports retails premium cycling equipment and apparel through an e-commerce platform and physical showroom in Boulder, Colorado, selling complete bicycles (road, gravel, mountain, city/e-bike), components (groupsets, wheels, tires, drivetrain), apparel, accessories, helmets, and nutrition products. The company complements product sales with a full-service shop offering custom bike builds, professional bike fitting, and certified repair services. It ships from physically stocked inventory across the U.S. Lower 48 and internationally, supported by phone ordering, live chat, and email customer service.

Product overview

Excel Sports is a Boulder, Colorado-based e-commerce and retail company established in 1988, specializing in premium cycling equipment and apparel. The company operates as a single-location business combining sales, customer service, shipping/receiving, and a full-service repair center. The product portfolio centers on complete bicycles and framesets (Road, Gravel, Mountain, City/Electric), comprehensive bicycle components (drivetrain, brakes, wheels, groupsets from SRAM and Shimano), accessories, wheels, tires, cycling apparel, nutrition, and helmets. The company distinguishes itself through vendor-certified repair services (Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap, Campagnolo EPS, FOX, RockShox, DT Swiss), custom bike builds, and professional bike fitting. Notable brands include SRAM AXS/eTap wireless electronic shifting systems and Shimano Di2 electronic shifting, along with apparel and accessory lines. The business model combines an e-commerce platform with an integrated retail showroom and service center, offering same-day shipping from physically stocked inventory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Specialized.com: Brand-direct online and physical retail operations for Specialized Bicycles. Represents the DTC threat Excel Sports faces — Specialized both supplies Excel Sports and increasingly sells direct, competing for the same premium cycling customer.
• Trek Bikes (trekbikes.com): Trek's brand-direct retail program sells Trek bicycles and accessories online with home delivery and in-store pickup at authorized dealers. Comparable to Excel Sports in serving the premium cyclist, but operates a hybrid DTC + authorized dealer model that increasingly competes with independent retailers.

Direct peers

• Chain Reaction Cycles: One of the world's largest online cycling retailers, founded in Northern Ireland, now owned by Wiggle. Directly comparable to Excel Sports in DTC cycling model and product breadth, though operating at significantly larger scale and with a broader geographic footprint.
• Mike's Bikes: US-based multi-store cycling retailer selling premium bikes, components, and apparel with integrated service centers across California. Comparable to Excel Sports in premium cycling assortment and service capability, though Mike's Bikes operates a multi-location model rather than single-site.
• Jenson USA: Long-established US-based online cycling retailer (founded 1994) selling bikes, components, apparel, and accessories direct-to-consumer. Comparable to Excel Sports in DTC-first model, broad brand assortment, and enthusiast target customer, though Jenson leans more toward mid-market value pricing.
• Competitive Cyclist: Online and brick-and-mortar premium cycling retailer selling bikes, components, apparel, and accessories with high-touch customer service. Closely comparable to Excel Sports in target customer (enthusiast/competitive cyclists), product breadth (premium bikes from Cervélo, Pinarello, Specialized), and integrated service offerings (CC also operates a service center).
• Wiggle: Major UK-based online cycling, running, and outdoor retailer. Comparable to Excel Sports in premium cycling DTC model, but operates at much greater scale across multiple geographies and product categories.

Regional players

• Bicycle Warehouse: US West Coast multi-store cycling retailer with strong Southern California presence. Comparable to Excel Sports in premium cycling assortment and service-oriented retail model, though operating regionally rather than nationally.

Broad incumbents

• Backcountry: Premium outdoor and action sports e-commerce retailer selling cycling bikes, components, apparel, and accessories alongside broader outdoor categories. Comparable to Excel Sports in premium positioning and DTC focus, but with much larger catalog and broader category coverage.
• REI Co-op: Large US outdoor cooperative retailer with extensive cycling assortment (bikes, apparel, components) sold online and across many physical stores. Overlaps with Excel Sports in cycling product categories but serves a much broader outdoor recreation customer and operates at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExcelSports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Excel Sports