Haro is a brand with plenty of name recognition among riders who started with BMX. However, riders checking in with it over recent years might have found it to have drifted somewhat from their recollections. Now relaunched and reinvigorated, CEO Bjarke Rasmussen is on a mission to reconnect with the excitement young riders felt when they first hopped aboard a Haro bike.
“For many people, a Haro was their first bike, so we’re associated with a sense of freedom and other positive experiences,” explains Rasmussen.
“These people are now 30, 40, 50 years old, but the brand recognition remains. Except, now they don’t want to buy a BMX, but a mountain bike, a road bike, or a gravel bike. To justify playing in the categories we’ve chosen to enter, you need to bring experience. Our team members have long careers with high-performance brands, so we’ve all been developing these kinds of products for some time.”
Over the last 12 months, Haro has created 14 new platforms, launching a hardtail first, then road and gravel bikes. Next will come a slew of full suspension, e-mtb, and e-city bikes, with launched at Eurobike helping fill in the last gaps.
Uniting each is a focus on fun and all-around quality, along with a stand-out aesthetic that calls on street art along with skate and BMX culture.
The entire project has also been designed to offer consumers and retailers a fresh deal. Navigability has been a key feature of the range. “Buying a bicycle should be fun and exciting, not exhausting,” says Rasmussen. “We won’t go deeper than a simple good, better, best spec strategy, and people don’t have to choose between colours. Using the same frames across each range means no compromise on the core integrity of the ride. Rather, you choose the spec that suits your budget.”
Haro’s bikes will remain in the range until they require an update, rather than changing year to year, helping avoid pressure to discount. Service tools and warranty provision have also been key focus areas. Pricing also aims to undercut existing brands significantly.
Given the industry’s current issues, now seems a bold time to launch a project like this. However, Rasmussen believes the current environment presents a unique opportunity. “After the last three or four years, I think many dealers are looking for someone new to do business with.”
Haro doesn’t bear the burdens of the overstock crisis. While some established brands struggle to dispose of older components, Haro has been able to launch bikes featuring new releases from FOX and Shimano. “I think we’re in a sweet spot,” explains Rasmussen. “In a year, many big brands will have recovered or gone bankrupt. Those that survive will all be launching new products. By going now, we have an opportunity to create a new way of doing things and a range of new products.”