SureStop
Founded2009; 15 years ago (2009) as Slidepad Technologies
HeadquartersIrvine, California
Key people
Brian Riley CEO, co-founder,
Andrew Ouelett Co-founder,
Al Nordin Executive Advisor
ProductsBicycle brakes

SureStop is an anti-lock bicycle brake technology and manufacturing company. It was founded in 2009 in Palo Alto, California, as SlidePad by Brian Riley and Andrew Ouellet.[1][2]

As of 2021, SureStop is headquartered in Irvine, California, with a subsidiary in Shenzhen.[3]

History

Slidepad was started by Riley and Ouellet while students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.[2] Ouellet received inspiration for the product after he crashed his bicycle when applying too much pressure on his front brakes, resulting in front wheel lockup.[2] In 2009, Riley and Ouellet entered their initial design in Cal Poly’s Business Plan competition and won 1st place.[4] In 2013 Alan Nordin, former president of Fallbrook Technologies' bicycle division, joined the company as an executive advisor.[5]

In 2011, Slidepad Technologies formed an agreement with a Taiwanese manufacturer to build a Slidepad braking system for OEM distribution.[6] Jamis Bicycles was the first bike-manufacturer to specify the technology on their 2013 models.[7] Stanford University and Jamis Bicycles currently use Slidepad technology.[6][8]

In November 2012, the company took a 40-day, 11,000 mile, "Save Your Teeth Tour" across 90 bike shops from Palo Alto, California, to New Jersey.[7]

In 2014 the company rebranded from SlidePad to SureStop.[9]

On April 14, 2017, the product was on Season 8 Episode 21 of Shark Tank. Brian Riley and Kyle Jansen, another founder, accepted a deal with Mark Cuban.[10]

Description

SureStop is a system for bicycles aimed at making the correct application of braking force easier for novice or casual cyclists. It integrates into V-brake systems to provide single-lever braking for front and rear brakes.[5] It modulates the front brake force in real time, based on the road surface and rider weight position, and avoids front wheel lockup accidents when applying the front brake.[1][11] It was designed to prevent riders from flipping over their handlebars when applying the front brake.[1] Once the brake pads make contact with the rear wheel, the Slidepad slides forward, which pulls a cable that is connected to the front brakes.[1] Similar to the anti-lock brake system in cars, the mechanism prevents the front wheel from locking, no matter how hard the brake is pressed or how slippery the road conditions are.[7][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d O’Conner, Brian. Slide Into More Control with Slidepad. Kinetic Shift. June 22, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Jurries, Amy. Endo Crashes A Thing Of The Past. The Gear Caster. March 17, 2011.
  3. ^ "SureStop Brake System". Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  4. ^ New Company Launches Brake System. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. February 25, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Nordin joins Slidepad Technologies as advisor". Bicycle Retailer.
  6. ^ a b Slidepad Secures Taiwan Manufacturing. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. June 10, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c "Slidepad wraps up 'Save Your Teeth Tour'". Bicycle Retailer. November 30, 2012.
  8. ^ Smith, Chip and Alex Strickland. Jamis Bicycles Latest Manufacturer to Feature Slidepad. SOAR Communications. November 9, 2011.
  9. ^ "SlidePad rebrands as SureStop". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  10. ^ Shatzen, Max (2018-06-24). "What's It Like Working with Mark Cuban After Shark Tank?". Guardian Bikes®. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  11. ^ Reid, Carlton. Single lever break system gets Asian production slot. Bike Biz. June 8, 2011.
  12. ^ Overholt, Zach. One Lever, Two Breaks: Slidepad. Bike Rumor. May 16, 2011.
Categories