We first had the idea for the Roovi, our largest Pello family member, several years before this post. Shane, co-founder and avid mountain biker, realized what an impact the 29” wheel has had on cycling. As he contemplated creating the next bike in the Pello lineup he thought about how that big wheel concept could translate into a children’s specific bike. The issue was that a 29” wheel was just a little too big for most 10+ year old kiddos. The natural progression from a 24” wheel was the 26” wheel. Then while riding with his two sons one day, the idea for the Roovi emerged…why not build our bike around a 27.5” wheel vs 26”? From there the Roovi was born!
However, at that time the Roovi was still an idea and launching a new bike can have its challenges from the geometry, sourcing the right parts that are child specific and a whole lot of R&D. On top of the “usual” hurdles Covid 19 came along and turned the bicycle industry on its head making sourcing parts and creating prototypes a very difficult and long process. Pello is no stranger to creating things that seem far out of reach. In fact, from the beginning Pello encountered many of the same obstacles and learned that they are just that…obstacles. Obstacles are meant to strengthen the journey in creating something new, not meant as a sign to stop trying. For several years we continued working on the Roovi, refining the geometry and working with suppliers and continued testing/riding. One great thing about taking our time to develop the bike is that we have had lots of miles on our prototypes and have put them through all sorts of tests and refinements, from quick rides to the baseball diamond to all day adventures. What you see today is a product of all that time and effort to create a bike that stays true to the Pello DNA…to give children the joy and freedom of cycling by providing bicycles that are high quality, lightweight, safe and designed specifically for kids.
