CrankBrothers – The Story of an Innovation

Every great story begins with a small spark. For Crankbrothers, this spark ignited in the late 90s, when engineer Carl Weinfordner and industrial designer Frank Hermansen were working for U.S. Divers, creating diving equipment. Despite their success in that industry, their passion was always mountain biking, not the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Speed Lever - the first invention

Determined to focus their energy on wheels, they created the Speed Lever - a special tire lever that emerged not as a business strategy but as a practical solution to a problem encountered on the trail. They even considered naming the company after it, as it was their only product at the beginning.

In 1996, the two presented the Speed Lever at the Interbike trade show in Anaheim. Their booth was in the lowest hall, where unconventional ideas were usually placed, but the noise and interest in the product quickly spread. Visitors carried the 4000 gifted units all over the fair, and the characteristic sound of opening and closing was heard everywhere. Soon, over 100 distributors from around the world expressed interest in working with them — a moment that secured their first big breakthrough.

The name that hides a joke and the brand’s philosophy

Friends constantly confused Carl and Frank, calling both of them “Crank.” Thus, with a dose of humor and spontaneity, the brand name was born — Crank Brothers.

From the very beginning, the brand’s philosophy was clear — to create innovative, functional, and aesthetically refined products inspired by real situations and problems faced by cyclists.

Eggbeater - from the garage to the world stage

The big breakthrough came in 2001 with the Eggbeater pedal. The idea was born after riding in mud, when constant clogging of the pedals led to falls. The solution was to create a design that was as open as possible and insensitive to contamination.

Initially, the concept included three sides, but later the design was revised to four to reduce moving parts and simplify production. Attempts to manufacture in the USA proved prohibitively expensive — about $1000 per pair. The solution was Taiwan, where Eggbeater is still produced in the same facility today. In those years, communication with the factory was done by fax, which only highlights how great an achievement the product’s realization was.

The logo - a happy accident

The Crankbrothers logo is among the most recognizable in the MTB industry but appeared purely by chance. An external design agency, with no cycling experience, created a graphic that accidentally resembled a crankset chainring. The two founders immediately embraced it as the brand’s symbol, and the chosen baby blue color complemented the fresh and unusual look for that time. This approach set them apart from the “hard” and masculine aesthetics of other MTB companies and even earned them comparisons to Apple.

Unrealized ideas

Not every idea reaches the market. One of Crankbrothers’ most interesting unrealized projects is the “lipstick” brake pad — a small tip that, when worn, could be pulled forward by twisting, similar to lipstick. Although the product worked, the timing was bad — the industry was massively switching to disc brakes, and the project remained a historical unrealized idea.

Expansion and new challenges

In 2002, executive director Andrew Herrick joined the team, taking over business management and allowing Frank and Carl to focus on design and development. In 2008, Crankbrothers became part of the Italian Selle Royal Group, providing greater manufacturing capacity and global distribution.

Nevertheless, some products, like Joplin and Kronolog, faced reliability issues. These difficulties, however, pushed the company to invest in serious improvements — high-quality bearings, IGUS bushings, and advanced sealing systems.

The revival - Mallet E, Highline, and new standards

In the following years, Crankbrothers solidified its name with a new wave of products. Mallet E is the result of feedback from professional racers who wanted a more compact version of the DH pedal. The team implemented high-quality bearings and a new double sealing system, showing that the brand invests in long-term quality, not just marketing.

Highline is another iconic product — proof that Crankbrothers can return to a segment where it previously failed and come out victorious.

For many, these two models mark the cultural rise of the brand, although the Stamp pedals also left a significant mark on the business.

The spirit of Crankbrothers

Today, the office in Laguna Beach doesn’t look like a corporate headquarters but like a creative studio — with a ping-pong table, bike storage, 3D printers, and prototype workshops. The founders still work side by side with engineers, maintaining the company’s spirit as it was at the beginning, inspiring new generations of designers.

Crankbrothers may have started with a single tire lever, but today it is a symbol of innovation, creativity, and passion for mountain biking — proving that the most successful ideas are born not in boardrooms but on muddy trails.

See all available CrankBrothers products at DragZone here.

Photos by Deniz Merdano / nsbm.com