They are discreet, but make Quebec famous internationally. Argon 18 bikes, already sold in more than 70 countries, are making a strong comeback with a new model that showcases Quebec genius.
“The aeronautical sector of composite engineering is something that Quebec has developed. We apply it to the bike,” proudly launches Marc Le Sauteur, CEO of Argon 18, during a tour of the company’s facilities in Montreal.
After two years of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars invested, the high-end bike manufacturer is ready to present its “COVID baby”: the renewed Krypton.
“It’s a very capable road bike, but more versatile. It’s a Swiss army knife,” summarizes the CEO.
Because Argon 18 follows trends. What the company observes is that its customers want more comfort without skimping on performance.
It is also light thanks to its carbon frame, but among other things, we have added a small storage compartment for tools on the bike frame.
The new Krypton also allows you to roll your back straighter, in a less aerodynamic position, thanks to a patented system. And not just on the road.
“There are ways to have fun on all kinds of paths,” says the man in his fifties, who has been at the head of the company for more than four years.
Quebec genius
When Marc Le Sauteur arrived at Argon 18 in 2019, the company was in the process of being taken over by a Danish investment fund, Bregnerod Investeringsselskab Aps (BI).
Founded by former cyclist Gervais Rioux in 1989 in Montreal, the company is no longer a Quebec property.
Except that its lifeblood is in Montreal. Its CEO is in Montreal. And its bikes are still designed and assembled in Montreal.
“All the last engineers we had here and all those who are with us have gone through the aeronautical sector”, says the CEO.
He gives the example of an ex-Airbus employee with a Ph.D. in composite materials engineering who ‘great’ on the bike and who joined Argon for a few years.
The manufacturer’s design and research and development teams therefore benefit from the industrial cluster born in Montreal thanks to Bombardier.
On the cutting edge
Because genius is needed to create such bikes. The national track cycling teams of Australia and Canada, among others, use Argon 18 bikes, as do the professional Novo Nordisk team and many of the world’s elite triathletes.
We take the full measure of the seriousness of the company by visiting its facilities in Montreal. From the entrance, a huge locker room houses the bikes of employees, who are known to challenge themselves to pedal to the office 365 days a year.
We then pass in front of a showroom that would make any manufacturer blush with envy. Then we enter the bowels of the box, where the design and research and development teams are located.
3D printer, fatigue bench for wear tests; all the equipment is like the bikes: at the cutting edge of technology.
“It’s not too hard to recruit,” sneers the CEO, speaking of the company’s appeal to Quebec engineers.
Argon 18 a letter
- 15,000 to 20,000 bikes sold per year
- The brand is distributed in 70 countries
- 2 head offices (Montreal and Lynge, in Denmark)
- 75 employees