Iconic custom carbon brand Parlee Cycles loses founder, Bob Parlee, to cancer

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.