Cyclingnews is sad to report the passing of Bob Parlee, founder of Parlee Cycles, after a four-year battle with cancer. He was 70 years old and has left behind his wife, Isabel, and two sons. Parlee founded his eponymous brand in 2000 along with his wife, and in the subsequent quarter century went on to have a significant impact on the cycling industry.
Parlee, with a history of amateur racing and maritime composite manufacture, turned his hand to bicycles, apparently unsatisfied with the titanium options on the market at the time. Since the brand’s inception, Parlee Cycles has maintained a focus on engineering quality and remains a true cornerstone of the custom carbon market, a significantly more niche area than steel or even titanium.
Parlee could be partially credited with the advent of the bespoke carbon fibre bike market in the USA – defined by highly sought-after frames designed to order with far more specific customisation than was ever made possible through other frame material. The brand sat alongside names like Seven Cycles and Independent Fabrication, though was distinct by resolutely sticking to carbon fibre as a frame material.
“The reality is that carbon fibre allows bicycle designers to become stylists. Frames can be moulded and shaped in all imaginable forms. But don’t mistake style for performance. My focus is on designing and engineering bikes that are fast, light, durable, and fun to ride. I never use unnecessary shapes in the name of design.”, Parlee states on the company website. This rings true in what the brand is most famous for, which is its round-tubed models that can be customised both in geometry and carbon layup to suit the needs of the customer.
His craft was so well regarded that pro cyclists, most famously Tyler Hamilton, were known to order his bikes and rebadge them to their correct sponsor for racing.
Parlee’s reputation in the world of carbon fibre bikes is well earned, with the brand being the first to produce a sub-900g frame in 2004, followed by the production of a sub-800g Z5 in 2010. Ever at the cutting edge, it was also the first to market with a disc brake-equipped TT/triathlon bike.
While all the custom carbon work is based in Beverly, Massachusetts, the brand began to offer off-the-peg models alongside those that were produced in Asia. Now the lineup contains road, gravel, and TT models in custom and non-custom varieties.
The brand was sold by Bob in 2023 to avoid bankruptcy to John Harrison, and while Bob remained part of the leadership as chief designer his battle with cancer kept him in a state of semi-retirement.
“Bob has been a real inspiration for the entire team here at Parlee, me included,” Harrison said. “His persistent and unwavering focus on pursuing an uncompromised and perfect product will continue to lead the identity of our business forever into the future. We are all extremely proud to continue the work that he started.”
In a company statement, Isabel expressed the couple’s mutual appreciation for all of Parlee’s employees, and how grateful Bob was for the relationships he built within the industry.
Memorial plans will be announced by the family at a later date.
