Founders story

Sometimes in life the further you ‘progress’, the further you move away from the reason you started it all in the first place. Working for global businesses was rewarding. It provided us with great opportunities and all the associated ‘benefits’. But over time it was clear to us that something had changed. Something was missing.

Purpose was the driving force behind why we chose our individual paths. A belief that we can help influence positive change. As we moved further ‘up the ladder’ it was clear that purpose had been overpowered, and to an extent replaced by profit and growth. We weren’t naive. We were fully aware and also proud of what we achieved. We just didn’t like the feeling it left us with.

So instead of getting on our bikes to escape, we explored the possibility of our bikes bringing back a sense of purpose. 

Learning from our corporate experiences we knew that long-term thinking investors are rare. Investors want quick returns, and very often a quick return challenges purpose. It was clear if we wanted to be a purpose-driven brand we would need to self-fund, self-govern and collaborate with like-minded souls.

It takes time to build something that has real value. Value is more than profit, and not all aspects of value can be measured by numbers. The world is in real need, right now of more purpose-driven brands. Brands that not only make things but change things. Brands that champion a more ‘responsible’ approach to profit, growth and purpose.   

For us, our bikes and the experience of riding them connects us closely with nature. We are acutely aware and ‘tuned in’ to its beauty and the importance of protecting the irreplaceable. If we ride it, we have a duty to respect and protect it. In very much the same way that surfers connect with seas and oceans, we feel a deep connection to the land. It is this commitment that forms a component of TICCC’s purpose.

Bikes are amazing tools. Beyond the simple function of getting you from A to B, they offer solutions for life’s challenges. That was no more apparent than when Daphne was involved in a life-changing car accident. The accident left her with severe chronic pain. Over time it was clear that high-strength pain medication was not a long-term solution for her.

Instead, she looked for other coping mechanisms. Simply put her bike became a core pain management tool. The physical and psychological benefits of riding have allowed her to cope when others have struggled. During her journey of discovery, she met many people who also use their bikes as a coping mechanism, a motivator for change, and as a self-empowerment tool.

The realisation that the bike is not always about winning a race, but instead helping people win their own race further strengthens our sense of purpose. We want to use TICCC as a platform to help encourage self-empowerment and positive living. 

Purpose propels us forward. Creativity enables us to express our purpose. We pride ourselves on being a creativity-led brand. When creativity is allowed to lead it provides essential fuel for great ideas — and great ideas change things.

A creative-led approach doesn’t look for solutions down the ‘usual roads’. It doesn’t look for ideas from others taking a similar journey. You need to be different, sound different, and look different if you want to make a difference. Making a difference is why we are in business.  

There’s no point in telling a great story if you can’t support it with a great product. We are in this to make great products. Performance products for the sustainably conscious athlete.

For us, a great product is one which meets the needs of the athlete, and which is made responsibly. Where every aspect of it: materials, construction, who makes it, from what, and where it is made is carefully considered. We want to make products that are profitable but not products that are defined by profit. We want to make great products that last. No shortcuts, especially if it means a product’s life expectancy is cut short.

A great product has to be versatile. Versatility is often overlooked in favour of profit. Sustainability is a versatile process, and being more versatile helps us make our products more sustainable. We ‘get’ the profit-driven approach of: offering more, making more to sell more — but this is not our purpose.

And finally, we believe that great products can contribute to an equal and inclusive society. Back in 2015 when we started our TICCC journey, we were very aware of the division between how men and women were portrayed by the industry. The sector’s perception was outdated. From gender cliche ‘pretty’ patterns for women to stereotypical ‘gritty’ black and white photoshoots featuring rugged men only.

Clearly, we had a role to play in helping bring about change. Performance is genderless. If you want to break down barriers of inequality you must first start by treating everyone the same — as equal. We believe our gender-neutral approach to making our products, makes our products, great products!

Daphne/ Andrew Monk
Founders
TICCC