Grant Petersen
Born1954 (age 69–70)
Occupationbicycle designer
Years active1984-present
Notable workBridgestone XO series
Signature
Grant Petersen

Grant Petersen is a bicycle designer, author, and the founder and owner of Rivendell Bicycle Works.[1] He was U.S. marketing director for Bridgestone Cycle (U.S.A.), Inc. during the 1980s and 1990s, where he designed the XO series of bicycles.[1][2][3][4][5] He is known for promoting traditional bicycle technology and materials such as wide tires, fenders, leather saddles, and lugged steel frames with relaxed geometry over modern, lightweight, racing technology.[3][5]

Early life

Born in 1954,[5] Petersen grew up near Berkeley, California.[3] He raced bicycles in his 20's, and at the apex of his career edged out fellow racer and Olympian Norman Alvis at the Mt. Diablo hill climb in 1982.[2][4] He worked for a time at the Berkeley REI.[4]

Bridgestone

In 1984, Petersen began working for the U.S. bicycle division of Bridgestone Tires in San Leandro, California[4] in data entry and customer support.[3] He later became a marketing director and product manager[6] and in the early 1990s promoted the development of fat-tired road bikes inspired by emerging mountain bike designs.[3] From his time at Bridgestone, Peterson is known for developing the popular XO series of bicycles.[5] Bridgestone ended its U.S. operations in the fall of 1994.[2]

Rivendell Bicycle Works

In 1994 after leaving Bridgestone, Petersen turned down job offers from bike companies, Specialized and Trek,[4] to found Rivendell Bicycle Works out of his garage.[1][3][5] There, he continued to hone his ideals of traditional, high-quality, all-around bicycle designs.[3]

Author

Petersen has been a contributor to major bicycling and outdoors magazines and has written four books.[5] The first, Roads to Ride - A Bicyclist's Topographic Guide to Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin Counties, written in collaboration with Mary Anderson, his future wife,[4] was published in 1984[7] (the dedication reads "Dedicated to B.F. Skinner - who must be the most misunderstood person of all time - and Bob Dylan. It's the least I can do and the only thing I can think of.") The second, Roads to Ride South - a Bicyclist's Topographic guide to San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, with John Kluge, was published in 1985.[8] The third was titled Just Ride and was published in 2012.[6] The fourth was titled Eat Bacon, Don't Jog and was published in 2014.[9]

Personal life

Petersen is a regular bike commuter to his shop located in Walnut Creek, California. He married Mary Anderson in 1985 and has two daughters, Kate and Anna.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Black, Forbes (18 August 2008). "An Interview with Grant Petersen". Cycloculture. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Boulanger, Gary (19 July 2007). "Grant Petersen: Rivendell Bicycle Works". BikeRadar. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Yarnell, Kolby (July 2012). "Biking's Philosopher Crank". Men's Journal. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boulanger, Gary (8 September 2015). "5 Reasons Why He's Grant Petersen And You're Not". Bike Mag. TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Grant Petersen - THE TALK: Evolution, Slump, and Comeback". IHMC. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  6. 1 2 Boulanger, Gary (2 July 2012). "Book Review: 'Just Ride' by Grant Petersen". Bicycle Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "Roads to ride : a bicyclist's topographic guide to Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties". WorldCat. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "Roads to ride South : a bicyclist's topographic guide to San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties". WorldCat. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Boulanger, Gary J. (8 December 2014). "Drinks With: author Grant Petersen". Bicycle Times. Rotating Mass Media. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
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