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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Men's underwear, and activewear |
| Founded | 1874; 151 years ago (1874)[1] |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Men's apparel |
| Parent | New Times Group |
Bike Athletic Company is an American sportswear company.
In 1874, Charles F. Bennett, an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp and Smith, invented the jockstrap, designed to provide support and protection for bicycle transporters navigating Boston's cobbled streets. Bennett later founded the Bike Web Company and played a major role in popularizing the jockstrap among athletes and workers.
On November 30, 1897, Bennett patented an improved version of the undergarment under U.S. Patent No. 594,673, titled "Combined Jock-Strap and Suspensory". Over time, the jockstrap became widely adopted in various organized sports, leading to the colloquial term "jock" for athletes who wore them.
The company later produced additional protectivesports equipment such as multipurposeknee pads,elbow pads,gloves,shoulder pads,uniformjerseys, andPants forfootball,basketball,baseball, andsoftball. At one time, BIKE producedathletic shoes and a wider range of sports-related apparel.
In 2001, Bike was the officialhelmet supplier of theXFL American football league. Almost every player in the XFL wore a helmet made by the company.
In 2003, Bike was part of theRussell Corporation, which is asubsidiary ofBerkshire Hathaway. In the first quarter of 2017,Russell Brands announced they would be closing down Bike.
On April 15, 2021, the brand was purchased by Alex Angelchik,[2] as the lead investor. The brand launched a new website, and reopened for online sales, featuring a modernized version of their trademark "No. #10" jockstrap, as well as active apparel collections.[3]
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