For a brand that has all but disappeared a couple of times, Swobo has a very loyal following.
Under new ownership, Swobo is charging ahead with made-in-the-USA wool clothing and a new bike that features not only an Oregon-made frame, but as many American parts as possible.
At Interbike, BikeRadar chatted with Peter Discoe, who with his brother Justin bought the brand from Santa Cruz Bicycles last year.
"Santa Cruz was getting ready to shut it down. It didn't really mesh well with what they were doing," Discoe said. "It took us about a year to revitalize, but the Swobo fans love what we're doing now."
Now, Swobo is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the Discoe brothers try to make things first in Colorado, then in the broader US when possible. Some of the company's bikes are still made in Asia, but the new Divine is made in Portland. The $899 Divine singlespeed frame can be purchased as a $1,200 bike with a build kit that includes a number of Paul (California) components and a Cane Creek (North Carolina) headset.
The Divine with its made-in-the-US build kit
"Singlespeed is a big part of our identity, of Swobo's identity," Discoe said.
Speaking of identity, Disco said that while newer Swobo fans know the company for its bikes, older customers think of wool clothing as Swobo's niche.
While the wool itself is sourced from New Zealand, the new wool jerseys are made in Colorado Springs. The longsleeve is $139 and the shortsleeve is $129. Merino arm warmers and socks are also available.
The company does have a couple of polyester jerseys, though. The title for this non-wool line? Blasphemy.
All wool, (almost) all the time
