{"id":421479,"date":"2026-02-12T08:59:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/421479\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T08:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:59:27","slug":"from-bike-punk-to-global-player-a-visit-to-megamo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/421479\/","title":{"rendered":"From bike punk to global player? \u2013 a visit to MEGAMO"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tNeon-yellow name tags, wild trial bikes and a hefty dose of \u201990s anarcho vibes \u2013 MEGAMO were once the punks of the bike world. These days, the former rebel child is growing up fast, well on its way to becoming a global player. We paid the Catalans a visit to talk about where they\u2019ve come from, where they\u2019re heading, and how you grow up without growing dull.
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

London has rain, Rome has ruins, Bavaria has beer \u2013 and Girona? That\u2019s right. Girona has bikes. Few places have done a better job of branding themselves as the ultimate cycling lifestyle hub than this medieval gem tucked between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava. First came the pros, then the influencers, and soon after, everyone else. Whether it\u2019s MTB, road or gravel, from early spring to late autumn, Girona\u2019s cobbled alleyways echo with the buzz of high-end drivetrains and the chatter of the international cycling elite. Tan lines, beige bibs and a matcha latte in hand \u2013 it\u2019s where the finer points of custom paint jobs are passionately debated.<\/p>\n

The scene revolves around local pilgrimage spots like Communa (a very hip caf\u00e9), La Fabrica (an even hipper caf\u00e9), Espresso Mafia (you guessed it), and the latest addition: Velodrom. Tucked beneath the weathered dome of an old theatre, Velodrom is a temple of bike couture that blurs the line between immersive cycling experience and global Instagram aesthetics \u2013 and it works. Even those who hung up their bikes along with their Sachs Torpedo hubs find themselves wide-eyed in front of rainbow-anodised 12-speed cassettes. The density of emotionally charged cycling experiences in this city is overwhelming. Here, cycling culture isn\u2019t niche. It\u2019s mainstream.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoMEGAMO were here long before the lycra-crowd rolled into town.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoA touch of heritage and a whole lot of style.
\n\"MegamoIn Girona, cycling culture has gone mainstream.<\/p>\n

But Girona is more than just the style icon of the cycling world. With Sea Otter Europe and The Traka, the city plays host to two of the most exciting events in the entire industry. It\u2019s where brands, suppliers, engineers, pros and everyday riders all come together \u2013 and most people wear more than one of those hats. The lines between community and commerce are blurred, and that\u2019s exactly where ideas are born. Some of them go on to become the next big thing. Gravel, for instance. The dusty tracks inland from the Costa Brava gave the discipline a proper stage \u2013 and helped shape a unique European identity around it. Girona became the epicentre of a whole new, seriously exciting bike scene.<\/p>\n

Over in Vilablareix, things might seem a little less exciting at first glance. It\u2019s a suburb, an industrial estate, and a big warehouse. Soon there\u2019ll be two \u2013 but more on that later. The building bears a bold MEGAMO sign. This is the headquarters of the Catalan brand that has been skyrocketing in recent years. At first glance, MEGAMO seems to embody everything that makes Girona so irresistible: a touch of heritage, loads of style and plenty of attitude. But style alone doesn\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n

We sit down with Oriol Gil Oliv\u00e9, Principal Product Manager and the driving force behind the brand, to talk bikes, branding, the meaning of speed and how to grow big without losing your balance.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoOriol Gil Oliv\u00e9 has switched MEGAMO into \u201cboost mode\u201d.<\/p>\n

Grow-up, Yes. Grow-dull? Never.<\/p>\n

\u201cRide different, stay true\u201d is splashed across the showroom wall. Staying true to yourself \u2013 a bold statement that comes with plenty of risk. But who exactly are MEGAMO, and what are the Catalans trying to stay true to?<\/p>\n

It all began back in 1987, long before Girona became the cycling hotspot it is today. In short: a group of engineers from the Enduro and Trial motorbike manufacturer GasGas wanted to do \u201ccrazy stuff\u201d on two wheels \u2013 without an engine. The first M\u00c9GAMO (back then still spelled with an accent) was a trial bike. Not long after, mountain bikes followed, and with their MEGAMO LIBERTO TEAM, the Catalans racked up a string of national and international titles. The early days were wild, unconventional, and loud. Even the first paint jobs and designs had a skateboard-freestyle, almost punk-rock edge. M\u00c9GAMO was bold, bright and rebellious. And today?<\/p>\n

Cross-country bikes, trail bikes, hardtails, climbing race bikes, aero race bikes, race gravel, adventure gravel, and all sorts of eMTBs\u2026 MEGAMO have grown into a full-range brand. With growth comes new processes, production cycles and internal structures. Even the brand itself is being managed differently now. A brand design manual translates the MEGAMO vibe into colour palettes, visual language and tone of voice. The bikes are shot in their own in-house photo studio and shown off in a sleek, purpose-built showroom. Instinct has given way to intention. What started out as play has become a style of its own.<\/p>\n

What hasn\u2019t changed is the brand\u2019s close connection to Girona and its riding scene. Most of the team here jump straight from the office onto the trails. The local hotspots are just minutes away, and the \u201cMade in Girona\u201d stamp is proudly displayed on every frame.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoBack then was MEGA too \u2013 40 years of brand evolution in 4 logos.
\nMega-Agile \u2013 MEGAMO has mastered the art of quick decision-making<\/p>\n

The frames are built and painted in Asia, then assembled in Girona. In the showroom, we come face to face with the entire MEGAMO bike family. The shared design DNA is impossible to miss. Clean lines, minimalist forms and sharp edges \u2013 these bikes stand tall and confident. \u201cWe have edges,\u201d Oriol says with a grin. \u201cAs engineers, we want to be able to recognise the function of a part just by its shape.\u201d So, to reduce MEGAMO to just style and Girona vibes would be missing the point. Spend even a few minutes watching Oriol dart through the workshop and it\u2019s clear: these are tinkerers at heart. A spontaneous meeting by a set of wheels here, a focused look at a new rear linkage there, and a quick check-in at the prototype lab in between. The teams work side by side, the distances are short, and the interest in fine details and clever solutions is real.<\/p>\n

Oriol charges up the stairs to the first floor, past world champion jerseys and plastic flowers. The entire development, design, marketing and sales crew share one large open-plan space. Bike parts are scattered across the floor, artwork hangs from the walls, and in the centre of the room stands a table. But not just any table. It\u2019s both a tribute to MEGAMO\u2019s roots and a symbol of where they\u2019re heading. When the company moved into its new HQ, the table was one of the few pieces of furniture that came along. It\u2019s the table where decisions get made \u2013 quickly.<\/p>\n

Tube profiles are approved here, new designs signed off, and sales strategies put into place. All of it out in the open, visible and accessible. No closed-door meetings. No heavy leather chairs. Just slim stools and flat hierarchies. Agility is baked into MEGAMO\u2019s DNA, and it\u2019s one of the key reasons behind their success in recent years. New ideas don\u2019t get stuck in limbo \u2013 they\u2019re turned into prototypes, fast. And when Oriol and the team believe in something, they go for it. In the bike business, speed is a game-changer. Especially for a player that, despite their rapid growth, is still relatively small compared to the giants. But what happens to that agility when a brand starts scaling up?<\/p>\n

\"MegamoOpen space, open minds \u2013 no private offices here.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoBrand history was written at this table.
\n\"MegamoOriol keeps stopping to check parts and talk through the finer details.<\/p>\n

Where is MEGAMO heading?<\/p>\n

Right next to the freshly built headquarters, a second, nearly-identical building is already going up. At the moment, MEGAMO run two production lines, each capable of turning out up to 150 bikes a day. Once the new facility is complete, that number could rise to six lines. In other words, MEGAMO are tripling their production capacity. The word \u201ccrisis\u201d doesn\u2019t seem to exist in Catalan. MEGAMO are growing \u2014 in every direction.
Up until now, the Iberian Peninsula has been their strongest market. But the Catalans are rapidly expanding beyond their home turf: into Italy, France, the Benelux countries and especially Germany. With a dedicated sales team, after-sales support and already 80 dealers on board, MEGAMO have stormed into new markets at breakneck speed, bringing plenty of new staff along for the ride.
Of course, none of this would work if the bikes didn\u2019t deliver. MEGAMO offer attractive models at competitive prices, and they handle their line-up with genuine care \u2013 constantly refining, updating and developing. The MEGAMO RAISE is a brand-new climbing-focused road bike, the MEGAMO PULSE is their freshly launched aero race machine, and the MEGAMO WEST takes aim at the adventure gravel crowd. That\u2019s a lot of launches for a brand where most decisions are still made standing around a single table. But there\u2019s more to come:<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

The Reason is called REASON \u2013 MEGAMO are on the rise<\/p>\n

The real reason for the buzz in Vilablareix goes by the name REASON. MEGAMO were one of the first brands to strike a deal with DJI, and within just a few months, they\u2019d built a complete bike around the powerful new AVINOX motor. In our test, the MEGAMO REASON<\/a> already proved why this motor has the potential to shake up the e-mountainbike market. 1000 watts of peak power. Up to 120 Nm of torque. And when you hit Boost mode, red asteroids shoot across the integrated OLED touch display. It\u2019s a fitting metaphor \u2014 the Catalans are flying high.<\/p>\n

For manufacturers who manage to bring AVINOX-powered bikes to market fast and in volume, there are golden opportunities up for grabs. And MEGAMO look set to do just that. Alongside the carbon REASON, they\u2019re also launching a strategically crucial aluminium version \u2013 priced to stay just below the all-important \u20ac 5,000 leasing threshold in the German market. But how are MEGAMO managing to move so fast?<\/p>\n

\"MegamoRide different, stay true. But how true to themselves can MEGAMO stay on the road to becoming a global player?
\n\"MegamoWith the REASON, MEGAMO have developed the perfect match for the powerful AVINOX motor \u2014 in record time.<\/p>\n

Over lunch at a local bar, I sit down with Oriol and Gonzalo Garc\u00eda de Salazar, tucking into mushroom cannelloni \u2013 because apparently, Catalans don\u2019t just know how to integrate motors, they also know their way around a good lunch. Gonzalo, a friend of the brand, now works with them as an external advisor. \u201cPeople, products and processes,\u201d he says, sipping his cortado. \u201cThe people here are great, the products are amazing \u2013 it\u2019s the processes we need to work on.\u201d I glance at Oriol. He nods with a guilty smile.<\/p>\n

MEGAMO have grown so quickly that the systems and routines that once worked are now starting to show their limits. So I ask: how much growth can MEGAMO handle? \u201cWe want to grow a bit more, but we don\u2019t want to be too big,\u201d Oriol says with a smile. Right now, everyone still more or less knows what everyone else is working on. But every step up the ladder adds a bit of instability to the system. Processes begin to take centre stage, and the people? Risk fading into the background? Oriol shakes his head firmly. That\u2019s not how they want to grow. Stay true \u2013 that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\nThey\u2019ve Got No Time For Grey \u2013 MEGAMO Go Bold With Their Paintwork<\/p>\n

Back at the office, things get a little more surface-level \u2013 or fundamental, depending on how you look at it. Because alongside sharp lines and clever engineering, there\u2019s something else that makes MEGAMO bikes stand out: style and colour. Take a look around the roadie crowd outside your local gelato stop in summer and you\u2019ll notice something a bit depressing \u2013 some brands seem to approach paintwork with all the imagination of a tax return template. White, grey, black \u2013 and that\u2019s your lot.<\/p>\n

Yes, MEGAMO can do black and white too. But somehow, even that looks different. Maybe it\u2019s the soft light of a Catalan October morning. Maybe it\u2019s the fact that here, it\u2019s riders deciding the colour, not market research panels. The MEGAMO PULSE in White Ice with its shimmering violet decals sparkles so seductively in the early sun, you\u2019d need serious self-control not to sink your teeth into the top tube. And I quickly discover I\u2019m not the only one with a White Ice obsession. The next day, while descending from the Mare de D\u00e9u de Mont monastery, I get held up by two Canadians who simply have to know what bike \u2013 or rather, what paint job \u2013 I\u2019m riding.<\/p>\n

The man behind these and other eye-catching creations is Juan Moreno. Next to him, frame samples are propped against the wall. Paint swatches are spread across his desk. And on the screen? Sorry \u2013 that\u2019s top secret.<\/p>\n

The colour selection for each MEGAMO season starts with one key ingredient: sales data from the previous year. Each model gets three to four colour options per season. Ideally, each finish should appeal equally \u2013 a tough balance to strike. Like most brands, MEGAMO\u2019s top sellers in the high-end range are the understated ones. Anthracite and black are still widely seen as premium. Especially in Germany, it seems, customers want their drop-bar bikes to blend in seamlessly with the November sky. Some Teutonic dealers even found the colourful fork legs on the otherwise grey PULSE a bit too avant-garde.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoJuan Moreno is the master of colour \u2013 and he\u2019s not a fan of grey.<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

Colour? Yes, please!<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s exactly why MEGAMO are on a mission to push boundaries when it comes to paint. Colour is a fascinating topic \u2013 and from a brand like MEGAMO, customers expect boldness. They want striking, daring, sometimes playful designs. It\u2019s the paintwork that often pulls potential buyers into the shop in the first place. Once there, though, many still lose their nerve and go for the safer option. Which means the colour range has to cover everything from eye-catching to understated.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the options can\u2019t sit too close together on the colour spectrum. If they do, customers might end up paralyzed by indecision \u2013 and leave with an entirely different bike instead. A successful paint job might be the one that sells best \u2013 but it can also be the one hanging in the shop window, turning heads and drawing attention to the brand. Either way, paint planning at MEGAMO is holistic. The colour palette has to work as a whole, and ideally, sales performance should be at least partly predictable. After all, production volumes for each size and finish need to be locked in well in advance.
Beyond colour itself, MEGAMO are also experimenting with special finishes and unusual techniques. On my White Ice frame, for example, someone actually sat down and hand-painted those delicate crackle lines into the lacquer. That takes time \u2013 and money. So while MEGAMO are clearly passionate about style and bike couture, they still have to strike a balance: between the good vibes of their rebellious roots and the business realities of a fast-growing brand.<\/p>\n

\"MegamoThe REASON, powered by DJI\u2019s new AVINOX motor, is the Catalans\u2019 key growth driver.
\n\"MegamoWhite Ice in the sunshine \u2013 can look seriously good.<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

In real terms, this means that other categories have long overtaken the classic analogue flat-bar mountain bike. Gravel, road and especially eMTBs are now the segments with real growth potential. For a brand like MEGAMO, with its playful, trial-MTB roots, that\u2019s a bittersweet realisation. You can sense how hard it is for Oriol to talk about \u2013 that budgets are being reallocated, and future developments will need to focus elsewhere.<\/p>\n

So is that still \u201cstay true\u201d? Or is it already a break from the past?<\/p>\n

When it comes to brands, it\u2019s not always easy to tell the difference between lived identity and carefully crafted image. But to MEGAMO\u2019s credit, they\u2019re not hiding behind buzzwords. Internally, there\u2019s open and honest discussion about the challenges ahead \u2013 and about just how exciting this next chapter could be. Growth matters, but it\u2019s not a goal in itself.<\/p>\n

Then the office starts to empty. Most of the team jump on their bikes. Because that matters too.<\/p>\n

MEGAMO have evolved. They\u2019ve stepped out of their niche and into the mainstream. The brand\u2019s direction has shifted, and the product line has changed with it. What\u2019s stayed the same is their commitment to defining their own focus \u2014 and choosing their own path.The wild child has grown up. But it hasn\u2019t lost its urge to roam.<\/p>\n

\"Megamo
\n\"Megamo<\/p>\n

Words & Photos: Nils Hofmeister\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Neon-yellow name tags, wild trial bikes and a hefty dose of \u201990s anarcho vibes \u2013 MEGAMO were once…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-421479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}