Private company

Kestrel USA

American bicycle manufacturer

Kestrel is an American bicycle brand which specialized in high-end bikes for triathlons and road racing. Kestrel was acquired by Advanced Sports International in 2007. Advanced Sports International subsequently merged with Performance Bicycle to form ASE in 2016.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1987Founded1

Kestrel is an American bicycle brand which specialized in high-end bikes for triathlons and road racing.2

The story

1986: Kestrel is formed from a group of Aegis employees together with aerospace materials experts

1986: Kestrel's first bicycle, the Kestrel 4000 road bike, is released, featuring an all-carbon, fully aerodynamic frame design

1986: Kestrel is the first in the industry to introduce bladder-molded monocoque carbon structures.

1988: The company unveils the "Nitro" full-suspension mountain bike after collaboration with Keith Bontrager

1989: World's first carbon fork, the EMS

1989: Kestrel is the first company to use higher stiffness, "intermediate modulus" carbon fiber in the 200 EMS.

1989: World's first all-carbon triathlon bike, the KM40

1992: First "modern" seat-tube-less design, the 500SCi, demonstrating the structural flexibility offered by composite construction

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1999: The KM40 Airfoil becomes the first molded, composite frame designed completely with 3-D solid modeling techniques.

2001: Kestrel introduces its EMS Pro Series, a molded carbon road handlebar.

2003: Chris McCormack wins his first Ironman aboard a Kestrel and kicks off a superb partnership.

2007: The RT-700 is recognized by Outside Magazine with "Bike of the Year" honors.

2008: Kestrel is purchased by Advanced Sports International and joins Fuji & SE under the ASI family.

2010: Kestrel reintroduces the 4000 triathlon/time trial model.

2011: Kestrel signs Ironman Champion Andy Potts and up-and-comer Cameron Dye. Members of the GEOX-TMC professional cycling team, including 2009 Giro d'Italia Champion Denis Menchov and 2008 Tour de France Winner Carlos Sastre, use Kestrel as their time trial bike in major international ProTour events - including the Vuelta a España, where they helped teammate Juan Jose Cobo win his first grand tour. With five wins aboard his Kestrel 4000, Andy Potts is crowned the 2011 Race to the Toyota Cup Series Champion.

2012: The new Kestrel RT1000 - a bike designed for the endurance rider - hits the market, and the Kestrel 4000 becomes the official TT bike of Champion System, the first ever professional continental cycling team based out of Asia. Cameron Dye is named 2012 Non-Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year by USA Triathlon, after his career-best, six-win season aboard his 4000, which also earned him the 2012 Race to the Toyota Cup series title.

2013: Kestrel launches its brand-new Legend: the lightest frame Kestrel has ever produced.

2014: Kestrel launches the new, improved Talon Road/Triathlon Bike for the 2015 racing season.

2019: ASE, the new owner of Kestrel, undergoes bankruptcy proceedings. Kestrel winds up with BikeCo.

2020: Remaining stock of Kestrel bicycles is sold. Future availability is unclear.

2022: BikeCo launches Kestrel Scooters through its distributor Pacific Glory Worldwide, LTD.

2025: With no products available for purchase, the Kestrel brand appears to be defunct.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kestrel USA, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1987Founded Founded1

Sources

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