Founded by Nobuyuki “Joe” Tanaka in Japan in 2003, Ceepo is named after one of the greatest ancient Samurai warriors.
Tanaka started racing in the sport of Triathlon in 1990. However, he quickly found that he was dis-satisfied using road bikes during his first 2 years of racing. Joe quickly decided to custom build his very first Triathlon racing machine which would better meet his needs. Seeking help from some of Japan’s best Triathlon specialty stores, Joe’s first aluminium bike was completed in 1993. When Tanaka put this new racing machine to the test at a long-distance Triathlon, he was rewarded with 90 minutes improvement over bikes he had ridden in the past.
By the year 2000 carbon fibre bike technology was becoming more widely used as well as being more affordable to armature racers. Tanaka realized the need to convert to carbon fibre as the advantages over conventional frame building materials were numerous.
By 2002 Tanaka had formed a small team of bicycle design and carbon production experts who were keen to see innovation in the cycling industry and Ceepo was born.
Now in 2019 i-ride will be partnering with Ceepo, distributing them across the UK and Ireland. i-Ride will be showing off a selection of Ceepo models at the 2019 COREBike show at the end of January where dealers will be able to see them up close and learn about the range.
Marc-Andre of CEEPO, said: “We believe having strong commercial partners who provide great service and support to IBDs are key to having a successful brand. The opportunity for CEEPO to work in conjunction with I-Ride will no doubt result in the brand being where it should be in the UK, the leading name in Triathlon bikes.”
i-Ride Managing Director, Paul Butler, added: “Ceepo is an extremely innovative brand which pushes the boundaries of bike design. This makes them the perfect match for our other brands, which naturally are industry leading and innovative.
“Ceepo’s unique design philosophy means it’s set for big things in the future, and we look forward to growing the brand’s presence in the UK.”
To see the full Ceepo range click here.