Five minutes with: Jagwire

Jagwire has become a staple for many workshops in recent years. BikeBiz catches up with brand manager, Daniel Brauer

This piece first appeared in the February edition of BikeBiz magazine – get your free subscription here

Can you give us a little background on Jagwire?

Jagwire is a family-owned company, founded in 1986. Since opening our factory doors, we’ve seen tremendous growth and now supply products to hundreds of bike brands, as well as having an aftermarket distribution network spanning more than 60 countries (including Extra and Cyclex for the UK and Ireland).

Initially focusing on cables and housing for OEM and private-label manufacturing, it was nearly a decade after launch that the Jagwire brand became a reality.

By turning our attention to the small details, we are able to help cyclists tune their bikes to get the most out of their ride. 

What area of the market do you target?

Jagwire makes products for all bikes and all riders. Our range covers every discipline, from road, mountain, gravel, recreation and e-bike, as well as riders from novice to championship-winning racers.

While our product range has certainly grown as bikes have evolved and changed, our focus has remained the same, on control systems like cables, housing, and hydraulic lines, and on small parts like brake pads, rotors, adjusters, and adapters.

We also have a line of professional-quality workshop tools to support the rest of our products.

 What makes the products unique?

By focusing on the small details of how components interact with each other, we’re able to innovate in ways that other brands might overlook.

Products like our Pro Dropper cable kit, which was developed from the ground up, to be lower friction for a lighter lever feel and to be more flexible for easier installation.

Or our polished inner cables, which offer high performance without a plastic coating, improving their durability and reducing their environmental impact.

 We also work to ensure compatibility with as many bikes as possible, so our Pro Hydraulic Hoses use the Quick-Fit system to allow them to easily work with most popular brands of hydraulic disc brakes.

Our Pro and Elite Bleed Kits are available in both mineral and DOT specific versions and keep the workshop clean by including adapters for multiple brake brands – one set of bleed kits will work with all types of modern bikes.

 What sort of feedback have you received from the industry?

Our products have won numerous design and innovation awards. Products like our polished inner cables, Elite Cooling disc brake pads, Pro Needle Driver, and Elite Bleed Kits have all been recognised in recent years.

While we’re grateful for awards, we also listen to feedback from our dealers to guide our product direction and development. For example, we’re in progress to remove all disposable plastics from our packaging by the end of 2024, based on requests direct from our customers.

 Despite the current challenges in the industry, we’re getting feedback that cycling participation remains strong. And as riders use their bikes, they eventually need to maintain them. 

With our broad range of service and repair parts, tools, as well as bulk pack options in cables and brake pads, Jagwire is well-positioned to support dealers in helping keep cyclists on their bikes.

While customers may not be buying as many new bikes as recent years, they are still looking to keep their current bikes in good condition and often even looking to upgrade where they can.

What are the plans for 2024 and beyond?

We have a bunch of projects in the works. You can expect to see some updated versions of current products, as well as a couple of brand-new items. As bikes change and evolve, we’re constantly looking to find ways to make them work better.

E-bikes, in particular, bring a new level of complexity with additional control lines, higher speeds, and heavier builds. Therefore, we have initiated the development of a range of products tailored to meet these demands, including our new rotors equipped with built-in e-speed magnets.

Our primary focus remains on creating components that not only improve bike performance but also contribute to increased durability and easier maintenance.