About A2 Bikes
A2 (pronounced "A-Two") was founded by AJ Alley, a newbie triathlete in search of an affordable tri bike. When he couldn't find one, he asked the same question all triathletes ask at some point: Why are tri bikes so expensive?
To get the answer, he started investigating – first, by calling and visiting bike shops, then by reaching out to manufacturers. “All of a sudden I started noticing bikes everywhere. Being in Portland, everyone rides a bike. My family would get annoyed every time I trailed off in the middle of a conversation because a bike was rolling by and I had to look and understand what made it appealing -- what made it 'good' or 'bad.'”
When he couldn't get a satisfactory answer, he went straight to the source – Taiwan, the second largest manufacturer and exporter of carbon fiber bicycles in the world. While touring factories and discussing the future of cycling with industry leaders, one thing was clear: The cost of a triathlon bike shouldn’t – and didn’t need to be the impediment to experiencing this great sport.
From this, A2 was born.
By working closely with the top names of the triathlon industry, including Shimano, SRAM, FSA, Vision Tech USA, Castelli Cycling and Profile Design, Alley was able to design a high-quality carbon fiber triathlon bike at a low price point.
The first bike from A2, The Speed Phreak, released in 2017, took the triathlon world by storm, gaining the respect of PR Seekers, and new triathletes everywhere. In 2018 Lava Magazine named it "a solid starter bike capable of putting its dukes up against the Cervélos of the world.”
In 2020, A2 hired Kevin Quan Studios to improve the Speed Phreak for the modern triathlete. Released in 2022, the SP improved upon the Speed Phreak in every category, proven by extensive CFD analysis and in the wind tunnel. That year, Chris Foster (Editor-in-Chief of Triathlete Magazine) named the newly redesigned SP one of the “Best Triathlon Bikes” by Triathlete Magazine.
A2 has always been focused on lowering the cost barriers currently present in our sport in order to provide more opportunities to race and ride. To help athletes save even more, A2 streamlines the purchasing process by selling directly to the customer. In addition to avoiding mark-ups associated with selling through third parties, the direct-to-consumer model allows for individualized advice and unparalleled customer service from A2 representatives.
We're proud to have brought affordable triathlon bikes to the market as the best starter triathlon bike or a tri bike for the seasoned triathlete.
High quality, high performance, high value – have it all.