Universal Cycles Company
Universal Cycles is a privately held, Oregon-based online and in-store specialty retailer selling 12,000+ cycling components, parts, and accessories from hundreds of brands to individual road, mountain, gravel, and BMX cyclists across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBeaverton, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Universal Cycles Company does
Universal Cycles Company LLC is a privately held, Oregon-based specialty retailer of cycling components, accessories, and bicycles, founded in 1997 and operating as one of the original online bike shops. The company sells road, mountain, gravel, BMX, and downhill parts and gear from hundreds of manufacturers, with a catalog exceeding 12,000 SKUs at its 19,000-square-foot Beaverton, Oregon flagship that doubles as retail store, headquarters, and service center. Distribution is supported by additional warehouses in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, enabling three-day ground shipping across most of the lower-48 states.
The business is direct-to-consumer, combining an e-commerce storefront at universalcycles.com with physical retail and in-store pickup at Beaverton, and offering custom wheel building and bike service/repair as higher-value services. Pricing is unit-based with consistent discounting off MSRP (frequently 30-55%), a $9.99 flat ground shipping rate, and free shipping on orders over $150 (lower-48 only). Product depth spans consumables ($0.20 spoke nipples) through premium components ($1,000+ carbon wheelsets), with multi-brand sourcing from Shimano, SRAM, DT Swiss, Schwalbe, Sidi, Giro, Fox Racing, and others, including brands the company states are not widely distributed elsewhere.
Marketing is content-led and retention-oriented, driven by a bimonthly VIP newsletter with subscriber-only coupon codes, weekly Specials promotions, new-product RSS feeds, and customer reviews. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, subsidiaries, or parent entity, and operates exclusively within the United States under the legal entity Universal Cycles Company LLC, domiciled in Oregon.
Universal Cycles Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Universal Cycles Company
- Legal name
- Universal Cycles Company LLC
- Website
- https://universalcycles.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Universal Cycles is a privately held, Oregon-based online and in-store specialty retailer selling 12,000+ cycling components, parts, and accessories from hundreds of brands to individual road, mountain, gravel, and BMX cyclists across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Universal Cycles Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cycling Components Retail
- NAICS
- Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Retailers (4413)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bike Online Retail & Omnichannel Specialists (CRAMAHAL), Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bicycle Retail (New Bikes) (CRAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where Universal Cycles Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beaverton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Universal Cycles Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Inventory, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct sales of cycling components and accessories through e-commerce storefront with retail pickup option. Products range from budget to premium tiers with consistent discounting off MSRP.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ground Shipping Tiers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Universal Cycles Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Universal Cycles Company is an online and brick-and-mortar cycling retailer that sells bicycles, cycling components, accessories, clothing, and maintenance products from hundreds of manufacturers. Founded in 1997, the company operates a 19,000-square-foot retail store and warehouse in Beaverton, Oregon, additional warehouses across Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, and ships to the lower 48 states. Its differentiated offerings include a Custom Wheelset Builder tool and in-store bike service and repair.
Product overview
Universal Cycles Company operates as an online cycling components retailer with a physical retail store in Beaverton, Oregon. Founded in 1997, the company offers over 12,000 cycling products and accessories across categories including mountain bike parts, road bike components, frames, wheelsets, drivetrain components, brakes, tires, shoes, and maintenance tools. The core offering is an e-commerce platform that supports in-store pickup at their Beaverton retail location and ships products from multiple warehouses across the western United States. Key services include custom wheel building through their Custom Wheelset Builder tool. The product portfolio spans major brand names like Shimano, SRAM, DT Swiss, Fox Racing, and Schwalbe, alongside specialty brands not widely distributed. The company maintains a 19,000 square foot facility with over 12,000 products in stock, offering bike service and repair at their Oregon location.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Wheelset Builder Expert custom wheel building service that allows cyclists to build custom wheelsets by selecting individual components, performed at the Beaverton, Oregon location.
- Bike Service and Repair In-store bicycle service and repair performed at the 19,000-square-foot Beaverton, Oregon facility for individual cyclists.
- Universal Cycles Online E-Commerce Storefront Direct-to-consumer online retail storefront offering over 12,000 cycling components and accessories from hundreds of manufacturers, with ground shipping across the lower 48 states and in-store pickup at Beaverton, Oregon.
Companies that use Universal Cycles Company
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Universal Cycles Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Universal Cycles Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Universal Cycles Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jenson USA: Online-first cycling retailer selling mountain bike and road components, apparel, and complete bikes direct to consumers. Highly comparable to Universal Cycles on business model (e-commerce-led multi-brand reseller), customer base (enthusiast cyclists), and breadth of catalog.
- Chain Reaction Cycles: One of the world's largest online cycling retailers, offering bikes, parts, accessories, and apparel across hundreds of brands. Comparable to Universal Cycles as a digital-first, multi-brand cycling specialist serving enthusiast cyclists globally.
- Competitive Cyclist: Premium online cycling retailer (owned by Backcountry Group) focused on high-end road, mountain, and gravel components and apparel. Comparable to Universal Cycles on the multi-brand, enthusiast-targeted e-commerce model but skews higher on price point and curation.
- Bike24: European-headquartered online cycling retailer with a deep catalog of parts, accessories, bikes, and apparel across hundreds of brands. Comparable to Universal Cycles as a digital-native multi-brand cycling specialist, though operating primarily in EMEA.
- Merlin Cycles: UK-based online cycling retailer with a long operating history, specializing in road, mountain, and gravel components across many brands. Comparable to Universal Cycles on multi-brand e-commerce model and enthusiast customer base.
- Worldwide Cyclery: Online retailer of mountain bike parts, accessories, and complete bikes. Comparable to Universal Cycles as a digital-first cycling specialist serving the enthusiast segment, though with a heavier MTB tilt.
- Nashbar: Long-running online cycling retailer (under American Recreational Products) selling bikes, components, and accessories at value-oriented price points. Comparable to Universal Cycles as a multi-brand cycling e-commerce specialist with a discount-led positioning.
Broad incumbents
- REI: Large US outdoor co-op retailer selling bikes, cycling apparel, and a selection of components across many categories. Comparable to Universal Cycles on retail assortment overlap, though REI operates much more broadly across outdoor recreation.
- Backcountry: Large online outdoor retailer selling apparel, gear, and cycling equipment. Comparable through its ownership of Competitive Cyclist and overlap with Universal's enthusiast customer base on the cycling subset of its catalog.
- Decathlon: Global sporting goods retailer with strong cycling assortment including own-brand bikes, components, and accessories. Comparable to Universal Cycles through direct overlap in cycling components and accessories, though Decathlon's own-brand model and scale make it a broader competitive threat.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Universal Cycles Company social profiles
Digital presenceUniversal Cycles Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Universal Cycles Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Universal Cycles Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Universal Cycles Company 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 Universal Cycles Company
What does Universal Cycles Company do?
Universal Cycles Company is an online and brick-and-mortar cycling retailer that sells bicycles, cycling components, accessories, clothing, and maintenance products from hundreds of manufacturers. Founded in 1997, the company operates a 19,000-square-foot retail store and warehouse in Beaverton, Oregon, additional warehouses across Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, and ships to the lower 48 states. Its differentiated offerings include a Custom Wheelset Builder tool and in-store bike service and repair.
Is Universal Cycles Company a public or private company?
Universal Cycles Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Universal Cycles Company founded?
Universal Cycles Company was founded in 1997.
Where is Universal Cycles Company based?
Universal Cycles Company is headquartered in Beaverton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Universal Cycles Company make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Universal Cycles Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jenson USA, Chain Reaction Cycles, Competitive Cyclist, Bike24, Merlin Cycles, Worldwide Cyclery and Nashbar. Broad incumbents are REI, Backcountry and Decathlon.
Does Universal Cycles Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Universal Cycles Company.
What industry is Universal Cycles Company in?
Universal Cycles Company's product category is Cycling Components Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMABAH, Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories), with a secondary code of CRAMAHAL, Bike Online Retail & Omnichannel Specialists. Its NAICS code is 4413.