Slidepad

Slidepad is a bicycle brake technology company located in Palo Alto, California.[1] It was co-founded by Brian Riley and Andrew Ouellet in 2009.[2]

Slidepad
Founded2009 (2009)
HeadquartersPalo Alto, California
Key people
Brian Riley CEO, co-founder,
Andrew Ouelett Co-founder,
Al Nordin Executive Advisor
ProductsBicycle brakes
WebsiteSlidepadbrake.com

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.[3] In 2013 Alan Nordin, former president of Fallbrook Technologies' bicycle division, joined the company as an executive advisor.[4]

In 2011, Slidepad Technologies formed an agreement with a Taiwanese manufacturer to build a Slidepad braking system for OEM distribution.[5] Jamis Bicycles was the first bike-manufacturer to specify the technology on their 2013 models.[6] Stanford University and Jamis Bicycles currently use Slidepad technology.[5][7]

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.[6]

Description

Slidepad is an Intelligent Brake Distribution (IBD) technology, aimed at making braking easier for novice or casual cyclists, integrates into V-brake systems to provide single-lever braking.[4] 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][8] 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.[6][9]

References
  1. O’Conner, Brian. Slide Into More Control with Slidepad. Kinetic Shift. June 22, 2011.
  2. Jurries, Amy. Endo Crashes A Thing Of The Past. The Gear Caster. March 17, 2011.
  3. New Company Launches Brake System. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. February 25, 2011.
  4. "Nordin joins Slidepad Technologies as advisor". Bicycle Retailer.
  5. Slidepad Secures Taiwan Manufacturing. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. June 10, 2011.
  6. "Slidepad wraps up 'Save Your Teeth Tour'". Bicycle Retailer. November 30, 2012.
  7. Smith, Chip and Alex Strickland. Jamis Bicycles Latest Manufacturer to Feature Slidepad. SOAR Communications. November 9, 2011.
  8. Reid, Carlton. Single lever break system gets Asian production slot. Bike Biz. June 8, 2011.
  9. Overholt, Zach. One Lever, Two Breaks: Slidepad. Bike Rumor. May 16, 2011.
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