Nick Larsen departs the Cycling Sports Group after 18 years

Founder to a handful of brands and Cycling Sports Group long-termer Nick Larsen has announced his departure from the business after an 18 year stint.

Having joined the now PON-owned CSG UK (then Hot Wheels) 18 years back, Larsen has in his career with the business helped launched both a complete bike and a saddle label, as well as latterly becoming a leading figure in the global Cannondale creative team. His final role with the company was VP Global Creative and Industrial Design for the bike brand.

Nick’s career began as a designer at Pashley Cycles where he designed the TV Series BMX and trials bikes. The TV logo was his hand drawn design. Latterly he had run clothing brand Gate Eight.

Nick’s work on the Charge brand in particular was lauded and looked upon with envy in the trade, with outside of the box marketing efforts drawing global attention to the brand. Stunts include a carousel booth at the Eurobike show and the Charge-o-Matic laundrette conversion. Some products also shot to success, notably the Charge Spoon saddle, which would later form the foundation of the launch of the Fabric saddle brand.

Posting to his Instagram, Nick wrote: “The past 18 years have been an amazing ride that started with founding Charge Bikes, then developing the Fabric brand and more recently heading up the Industrial Design and Creative teams for Cannondale, a company whose logo I used to scribble on my school files as a teenager.

“It’s been fantastic journey, one that has been fuelled by a passion to not only design great bikes and engaging content but also to do things differently, by disrupting (what we perceived as a traditional and conservative industry) both in the products we created and the brand marketing we delivered.

“I’m saying goodbye to amazingly talented and passionate teams but the future looks bright and Cannondale’s Industrial Design and Creative teams are (in my opinion) the best in the industry.  I am excited to follow the brand as it grows.

“Watch this space, I’ll be back!”

Image courtesy Nick Larsen: @Larsenbikes