BIKE Athletic Company
BIKE Athletic Company is an American athletic-equipment and sportswear brand best known for the jockstrap.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
BIKE Athletic Company is an American sportswear and protective-equipment brand whose identity is closely associated with the jockstrap. Its origins trace to 1874, when Charles F. Bennett, an employee of the Chicago sporting-goods firm Sharp and Smith, developed a supportive undergarment for bicycle transporters working on Boston's rough cobblestone streets. Bennett subsequently established the Bike Web Company and helped move the product from a practical work garment into a widely used item of athletic equipment. Bennett received a U.S. patent on November 30, 1897, for an improved design described as a combined jock strap and suspensory. The product's adoption by organized sports helped make the jockstrap a recognizable part of athletic clothing and contributed to the later use of “jock” as an informal term for an athlete. Over time, BIKE extended beyond underwear into protective and team-sport equipment, producing items such as multipurpose knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, shoulder pads, football and basketball jerseys, baseball and softball uniforms, and athletic pants. The brand also produced athletic shoes and other sports-related apparel during parts of its history. BIKE developed a particularly visible position in American football. In 2001 it served as the official helmet supplier of the XFL, and nearly every player in the league used a BIKE helmet. The brand was part of Russell Corporation by 2003; Russell later became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. In the first quarter of 2017, Russell Brands announced plans to close down BIKE, interrupting the brand's commercial operation. The brand was revived after its purchase on April 15, 2021, by Alex Angelchik as lead investor. Following the acquisition, BIKE introduced a new website and resumed online sales. The relaunch centered on a modernized version of its trademark “No. 10” jockstrap while also restoring the brand's broader athletic-apparel identity. Subsequent activity has emphasized direct-to-consumer and e-commerce distribution, with the range expanded to additional underwear styles, active apparel, and themed collections including Heritage and Pride offerings. BIKE marked its 150th anniversary in 2024 and used the occasion to emphasize its long operating history and a stated cumulative sales figure of more than 350 million jockstraps. The current brand therefore combines heritage positioning around its historic athletic-support products with a contemporary online retail model and a wider lifestyle-oriented apparel assortment.
History
BIKE Athletic Company traces its origins to 1874, when Charles F. Bennett developed a supportive athletic undergarment while working for the Chicago sporting-goods company Sharp and Smith. The design was intended to protect and support bicycle transporters dealing with uneven Boston streets. Bennett later founded the Bike Web Company, helping commercialize and popularize the product among athletes and workers. On November 30, 1897, Bennett patented an improved form of the garment under U.S. Patent No. 594,673. The patent described a combined jock strap and suspensory, establishing an early formal record for the product category associated with the BIKE name. As organized sports expanded, the jockstrap became common athletic equipment and eventually became the brand's defining product. BIKE later broadened its portfolio into protective equipment and team-sport apparel. Its products included knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, shoulder pads, jerseys, pants, and uniforms for football, basketball, baseball, and softball. At different points the company also offered athletic footwear and other sportswear. This expansion positioned BIKE as a general athletic-equipment supplier rather than solely an underwear maker. The company gained prominent exposure through American football. In 2001, BIKE was the official helmet supplier of the XFL, and almost every XFL player reportedly used a BIKE helmet. By 2003, the brand was associated with Russell Corporation. Russell subsequently became a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, placing BIKE within a larger sporting-goods and apparel ownership structure. The brand's first major interruption came in 2017, when Russell Brands announced that it would close BIKE. The shutdown ended the brand's then-current commercial operation, although its historical recognition remained tied to the jockstrap and athletic-support market. BIKE returned under new ownership on April 15, 2021, when Alex Angelchik acted as lead investor in the purchase of the brand. The relaunch introduced a new website and restored online sales. Its initial assortment featured a contemporary interpretation of the “No. 10” jockstrap, a longstanding BIKE design reference, alongside active apparel. In the years after the relaunch, the company emphasized e-commerce and direct-to-consumer distribution, adding more underwear formats, athletic clothing, and themed ranges such as the Heritage Collection and Pride Collection. In 2024, BIKE presented itself as a 150-year-old American athletic brand and cited cumulative sales of more than 350 million jockstraps. Its current identity combines historical continuity, recognizable athletic-support products, and a digitally oriented retail model.
- 2024
150th anniversary
[1]BIKE commemorates 150 years and promotes a stated cumulative total of more than 350 million jockstraps sold.
- 2021
Brand acquisition and relaunch
[1]Alex Angelchik becomes lead investor in the purchase of BIKE, followed by a website launch and the return of online sales.
- 2017
Planned closure
[1]Russell Brands announces that it will close down BIKE.
- 2003
Association with Russell Corporation
[1]BIKE is part of Russell Corporation, later a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.
- 2001
XFL helmet-supply agreement
[1]BIKE serves as the official helmet supplier of the XFL.
- 1897
Improved jockstrap design is patented
[1]Bennett receives U.S. Patent No. 594,673 for a combined jock strap and suspensory on November 30.
- 1874
Charles F. Bennett develops the jockstrap
[1]Charles F. Bennett develops a supportive undergarment for bicycle transporters working on Boston's cobbled streets and later establishes the Bike Web Company.
Products and positioning
A heritage American athletic brand centered on jockstraps, athletic underwear, and sportswear, with contemporary direct-to-consumer distribution.
Athletic underwear
No. 10 jockstrap
The No. 10 jockstrap is the brand's principal heritage product and a modern continuation of its historic athletic-support business. Following the 2021 relaunch, BIKE returned the design in updated form as a central online offering, using the product to connect the contemporary collection with the company's long association with jockstraps.
Athletic underwear · 1874
Athletic jockstraps and underwear
Jockstraps and related underwear remain the core of BIKE's product identity. Historically, the company built recognition around supportive athletic garments, while its post-2021 e-commerce assortment expanded to include additional underwear styles beyond the signature jockstrap.
Sports protective equipment
Protective sports equipment
At various stages of its history, BIKE produced protective equipment including helmets, multipurpose knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, and shoulder pads. Its football helmet business received high visibility through the brand's role as official helmet supplier to the XFL in 2001.
Athletic apparel
Team-sport apparel
BIKE has produced jerseys, pants, and uniforms for football, basketball, baseball, and softball. The company also offered athletic shoes and a broader range of sports-related apparel during earlier phases of its development.
Athletic apparel and underwear
Heritage Collection
The Heritage Collection uses BIKE's historical identity as a merchandising theme. It is part of the product expansion that followed the 2021 relaunch and supports the brand's positioning as a revived American athletic label with a long product history.
Themed athletic apparel and underwear
Pride Collection
The Pride Collection is a themed range introduced during BIKE's post-relaunch e-commerce period. It broadens the brand's underwear and activewear assortment through seasonal or identity-focused product design.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024150th Anniversary
BIKE used its 150th anniversary to foreground its origins in 1874, its longstanding association with the jockstrap, and its stated cumulative sales of more than 350 million jockstraps.
Outcome. The anniversary reinforced BIKE's heritage-led positioning during its direct-to-consumer revival.
Brand decisions
2021
Acquisition and revival of BIKEM&ABackground
After the announced shutdown, Alex Angelchik acted as lead investor in the purchase of the brand on April 15, 2021.
Action taken
The new ownership relaunched BIKE through a new website, online sales, a modernized No. 10 jockstrap, and active apparel.
Aftermath
The business shifted toward direct-to-consumer e-commerce and expanded into additional underwear styles, apparel, and themed collections.
2017
Decision to close the BIKE brandStrategyBackground
Russell Brands announced in the first quarter of 2017 that it would close BIKE.
Action taken
The brand's then-current operations were discontinued.
Aftermath
BIKE later returned under new ownership in 2021.
Recent events
- 2024
BIKE marks its 150th anniversary[1]
Campaign
The revived brand highlighted its 150-year history and stated that more than 350 million jockstraps had been sold since its founding.
- 2021
BIKE Athletic Company is acquired and relaunched[1]
M&A · Product launch
Alex Angelchik, acting as lead investor, purchased the brand on April 15, 2021. BIKE subsequently reopened online sales and introduced a new website.
- 2017
Russell Brands announces BIKE shutdown[1]
Bankruptcy
Russell Brands announced in the first quarter of 2017 that it would close down the BIKE brand.
- 2003
BIKE is part of Russell Corporation[1]
M&A
BIKE was identified as part of Russell Corporation, which later operated as a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
- 2001
BIKE becomes official helmet supplier of the XFL[1]
Other
BIKE supplied helmets for the XFL, with nearly every player in the league reportedly wearing a helmet produced by the company.
Sources1 sources
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