With brands like Hunt, Privateer, Cairn, and Caliber under his hood, Mike Sanderson has played a serious role in bringing us some industry-leading, innovative, and affordable bikes and products in recent years. We spoke with Mike to learn more about his career path and how he got there.

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From tweaking nipples and fettling spokes on the tiny wheels of Moulton Bikes to designing, sourcing, and bringing bigger wheeled off-road bikes and products to market with Privateer and Cairn, Mike Sanderson has worked his way up through the bikes industry over the past 20 years, learning just about every aspect of this seemingly simple, and yet intriguingly complex world of creating and delivering top notch offroad bikes to the regular rider out there.

Like many of us in this game, Mike’s career has been passion-driven, as in he simply loves all things bike, especially riding them. Sometimes, this love for what you do can be a curse that rides a very sketchy line between love and loathing for the two-wheeled machines. We asked Mike about his journey – the good, the bad, the ugly, and how they somehow seem to fit together, and also hear his down-to-earth advice for those who also have an inkling towards creating bikes for a living.

off.road.cc: In your own words-  who are you? 

Mike Sanderson: A middle-aged man who should probably know better and should behave more responsibly. Mediocre at mountain biking, but love to race and push myself. Father of two awesome boys, who are not far off kicking my ass on a bike, and husband to an amazing wife – and not sure how I reciprocate on this part.
 
orcc: How did you get into what you do?

MS: I started my career at Alex Moulton Bikes in the West Country, building wheels and doing some sub-assembly on their small production facility. I somehow got let into university (Computer aided Product design degree) where I used my love of bikes in every project that was allowed, and I also ran the MTB Club there, and shortly after leaving I was lucky enough to be employed at Raleigh as a junior product manager - the rest is history as they say.
 
orcc: How long have you been working in the bike industry?

MS: Over 20 years, which is tough to admit to.
 
orcc: Have things changed since you started? 

MS: Obviously, at the moment it's very tough, but broadly it's still very similar. You don’t get involved (or at least you shouldn’t) in the bike industry for any other reason than you love bikes. This makes the industry pretty cool, in that everyone you meet has a common interest and passion – this makes for a very unique environment.

DSC08060.jpg, by Liam Mercer

 
orcc: Is there anything you wish you could change about your role/job? 

MS: The curse of the bike industry, which is that we all look at bikes all day, but don’t get to play on them as much as you'd think.
 
orcc: What does the average week look like?

MS: Mornings are maximising the crossover in time zones with the Far East and our partners there, then checking sales and catching up with the team on initiatives and marketing that are upcoming. We're currently working on some very cool new projects, so there's a fair bit of competitor analysis and fact-finding from riders on prototypes. This is always a fun part of any project, working out what we can do differently, and how it will impact the rider, so they get the most from your product.
 
orcc: What advice would you give to someone who wants to do your job/what you do?

MS: Bike shops are always a great place to start, learn about the products (good or bad), and see where you would change things. Learn about the pressures and balancing act that brands have to make too, and ultimately it's about getting in front of people, such as at trade shows and events, or even things like demo days. Ask questions and engage with people from the industry.
 
orcc: What do you like most about what you do?

MS: I love seeing people on bikes and enjoying them, feeling that I have had a hand in that, it’s pretty simple, really.
 
orcc: If you weren’t doing this, you would be?

MS: Other than bikes, I'm a sci-fi geek, and so maybe something to do with the Games Workshop franchise and model soldiers - who knows…
 
orcc: What have been some of the highlights of your career?

MS: Being part of the team to bring one of the first commercially available DH gearbox bikes to the market (hot topic at the moment, of course) with the Diamondback Sabbath. The Calibre brand, the ethos of getting more people into our awesome sport, and the new Whyte E-Lytes Evo's were a great project to be a part of.
 
orcc: The industry finds itself in a tough situation in terms of the cost of living. Do you see it recovering any time soon, and if so, what will brands need to do to stay relevant and afloat?

I think the riders have shown us what they are willing to pay, and that's great. We as an industry now need to fight back on all the cost increases that the “Covid tax” has brought in, and get bikes back to being sensible money with true performance for the rider.
 
orcc: What do you dislike most about the cycling industry?

MS: Did I mention the curse (above)? 
 
orcc: How do you keep things balanced when your hobby becomes your job?

I’m not going to lie, sometimes there are days when I don't want to look at bikes, but I really do love riding bikes. I like to go fast and push myself; most of the "rad dads" I ride with have nothing to do with the industry, and it's all about heckling and egging each other on, no quarter given - just like it was when I was a kid and getting into the sport. This helps that balance.

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