Lauf/Bikeride
Lauf Cycles was founded in 2011 by two friends, Benedikt Skúlason and Guðberg Björnsson who love cycling. Today, it is an international company, with headquarters in Reykjavík and 25 employees. Assembly and distribution operations are based in the United States. Lauf bikes have established a unique position through groundbreaking design. They received the Icelandic Design Awards in 2025 for the mountain bike Elja.
The design focuses on achieving maximum performance in the simplest possible way. This has led Lauf to develop new forms, for example in the fork and frame, which challenge conventional ideas and aesthetics in the bicycle industry.
This exhibition covers a journey, which has been all at once, challenging, beautiful, and exciting. Moving forward has required endurance as well as an understanding of engineering, finance, patents, marketing, and last but not least a great team. One could call this good suspension.
Sýningarstjórar / Curators
Búi Bjarmar Aðalsteinsson & Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir
CONNECTIONS
Making connections is a fundamental skill in design thinking. These can be connections that improve products, functionality, experiences, and people’s lives, or even connections that create something entirely new and useful.
The Lauf bike fork, which marked the beginning of Lauf Cycles, emerged from such a connection. Benedikt Skúlason, a young engineer and passionate cyclist, was working for orthopedics company Össur developing prosthetic limbs. The limbs must flex with each step and help the user maintain balance. Carbon fiber plays a key role in the design since it is extremely lightweight and can flex without breaking.
Carbon fiber had been used in bicycle frames to make them lighter but not to improve suspension. Why not!
Bicycles and prosthetic limbs share important elements: suspension and balance. Both are means of mobility and extensions of the human body.
PROTOTYPES
Benedikt and his founding partner, product designer Guðberg Björnsson, built the first prototypes of the bike fork in Benedikt’s garage in Grafarvogur in 2010.
The fork’s shape needed to allow suspension (movement up and down) while still providing full support to the front wheel. The first prototypes were made of aluminium and were rough and heavy. The team then switched to carbon fiber, refining the shapes and simply jumping on them to test how the forks handled stress.
THE JOURNEY
In the beginning the designers are in control, developing early versions, sometimes even producing the first products, and following their vision. Later, the product itself takes over and leads the founders on a journey they did not anticipate.
The original idea, to use the fork on various mountain bikes, did not work. However, it turned out to be perfect for a new type of bike: gravel bikes. The fork’s ability to absorb many small vibrations was perfect for this type of bike.
Gravel bikes first gained popularity in the United States, where forward-thinking companies embraced the opportunity and introduced the Lauf Grit Fork with great success. But to fully utilize the fork’s capabilities and make the business viable, Lauf Cycles decided to produce their own bike.
In 2017, their first bike, the Lauf True Grit, entered the market. This was followed by a journey across the United States until they had secured over 100 dealers. Although the bike received excellent reviews, managing so many dealers proved challenging for a small company. Finally they made a U-turn and decided to sell all Lauf bikes directly to consumers.
THE COMMUNITY
Material objects have the power to unite people by giving us a sense that we have something in common, whether through the brands we wear, the cars we drive, or the apps we use. The rarer the product, the stronger the connection. Lauf bikes fall into this rare category.
Since 2019, Lauf Cycles has hosted the annual international cycling race RIFT. The race takes place in South Iceland and is unique on a global scale. Participants ride through volcanic landscapes and vast open spaces in ever-changing weather.
RIFT is more than a race, it is an experience that combines endurance, adventure, and a deep connection to Icelandic nature. Above all, it creates connections between people who share a passion for cycling.
THE BIKES
Today, Lauf Cycles offers six types of bikes.
- e-Elja – electric mountain bike
- Elja Trail – mountain bike for rugged terrain
- Elja XC – cross-country racing mountain bike
- Úthald – road bike
- Seigla Rigid – gravel bike
- Seigla – gravel bike for demanding conditions
Behind these bikes lie hundreds of thousands of hours spent on design, prototypes, testing, manufacturing processes, travel, patent applications, financing, marketing and good parties along with nature and cycling experiences shared with people from around the wo
