Utah bike company gaining worldwide attention

Utah bike company gaining worldwide attention

(Fezzari)


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LINDON — Many successful companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Google and Apple, started in garages. You can add local bike manufacturer Fezzari to that list. And while Fezzari isn’t nearly as big as the first three companies mentioned, it’s gaining worldwide acclaim for its unique approach to bike-making.

Fezzari was founded a decade ago by Utah County native Chris Washburn. After graduating from Brigham Young University, he noticed the state had very few bike manufacturers. An avid cyclist himself, Washburn decided to launch a bicycle business in his garage.

Fezzari bikes celebrate their Utah roots, with many of their models taking their names from local mountains. There’s the Nebo Peak, Lone Peak, Kings Peak and Cascade Peak. And the company’s flagship mountain bike is called the Timp Peak, named for the towering mountain visible from their office in Lindon.

To compete in the crowded bike manufacturing market, Fezzari employed a direct-to-consumer model that cut out many of the traditional costs associated with purchasing a bike.

James Lawrence competes in a triathlon on a Fezzari bike. (Photo: Fezzari, @CameronBaird /Jaybird)
James Lawrence competes in a triathlon on a Fezzari bike. (Photo: Fezzari, @CameronBaird /Jaybird)

Washburn also made customization a crucial part of the buying process. Fezzari uses a “23-point custom setup” based on a rider’s height, weight, inseam measurement, torso length and arm length. Additional considerations include the rider’s age and riding style.

“Each rider is unique in size, riding style and experience level,” Fezzari marketing director Tyler Cloward said. “And it’s the small customizations that go a long way in improving performance, efficiency and comfort.”

This rider-focused approach to bike manufacturing has attracted customers from around the globe. Many international riders were introduced to the company in 2014, when Outside Magazine named Fezzari’s Foré one of the industry’s best road bikes. The magazine’s reviewers dubbed the Foré the “most talked-about bike in our test.”

More recently, Singletracks.com praised the company saying, "If you want the absolute best bang for your buck in a new mountain bike, it’s hard to beat the offerings from Fezzari.”

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None of this comes as a surprise to Cloward.

“By working directly with our customers we are able to implement their feedback much quicker than a lot of other companies,“ he said. “We take these suggestions and then pack as much performance and value as possible into each of our bikes.”

While Fezzari has long outgrown its humble beginnings, it hasn’t moved far from the original garage in Orem—the showroom in Lindon is really just an expanded version of that operation. The biggest improvements are that the front door is much quieter to open now and the spacious room can accommodate many more customers than the garage ever did.


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About the Author: Grant Olsen \-----------------------------

Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com contributor team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things. He is also the author of the book “Rhino Trouble.” You can contact him at grantorrin@gmail.com.

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