Community Highlights: Meet Stephen Fitzgerald of Rodeo Adventure Labs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Fitzgerald. 

Hi Stephen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2014, after more than a decade in the design and advertising world, I inadvertently started what would become a Colorado-based bike company called Rodeo Adventure Labs. In the beginning of this new chapter, there was no intention to start a company, and I’m probably one of the least prone people out there when it comes to taking risks and starting a company, but Rodeo tricked me into making it exist by combining my passions for design, cycling, good people, and the outdoors and putting them all under one banner. I couldn’t help but get but throw every ounce of creative energy I had at it, and it in turn grew and grew and grew into a great company, a great community, and a great way to keep adventure and the outdoors at the intersections of what I do in life. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Rodeo Labs hasn’t been a smooth road at all. It has always been on an upward trajectory, but for the first three years of its existence, I put all of the time and financial resources into it that I could, and the only thing it was able to pay me in return was the satisfaction of watching something grow. Learning to make and sell something as complicated as custom bicycles and the products that surround them is a non-stop journey. Learning to make the economics of that work was a true trial by fire. I didn’t have a manual or a playbook to follow, but it turns out that instincts work pretty well in a pinch. Everything myself and my team didn’t know on day one we’ve learned along the way through trial and error. Eventually, we’ve gained confidence in our own abilities to troubleshoot and problem solve, and now in our 8th year we don’t see walls that we can’t overcome, we see speed bumps that we know we have to make it over. I’m sure none of running a company will ever be easy, but you do get used to the sense of difficulty and learn to accept it as the price of admission. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Rodeo Labs builds mid to high-end custom bicycles for clients all over the world. Our bikes are most unique because of our approach to the sport of cycling: We make bikes that try to do everything well and in a fun way. 

This style of riding was inspired by our home in Denver, Colorado. We’re surrounded by so many great roads, trails, and byways and we wanted to be able to draw lines all over the map and go explore them on one single bike, no matter the terrain we encounter. So, our bikes are jacks of all trades. 

We also draw on our design background to execute highly creative bike builds and paint layouts and we let each person who adopts one of our bikes configure it and paint it exactly to suit their riding style and local terrain. People pay attention to Rodeo because they’re inspired by the creative bikes we make, and also because our riding style is rowdy and our adventures are ambitious. We’re in love with exploring Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and we often seek to ride in lesser-traveled areas or in places that are often skipped over in favor of more traditional riding destinations. 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love How I Built this and Wisdom from The Top because they remind me of the tumultuous stories and challenges that seemingly every business founder has to overcome on their way to being an enduring brand. Most of my inspiration comes from outside of the world of bikes, not from within, and I find it inspiring to try to integrate thinking that successful brands from across the spectrum use on the way to building what they build. 

On platforms like Instagram, I like to follow creatives from a wide range of disciplines because it keeps my mind from going into a bike industry-specific rut.

Contact Info:

• Email: steve@rodeo-labs.com
• Website: www.rodeo-labs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodeolabs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodeolabs
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/

Image Credits
Nicholas Gilroy