When I moved to BC in 2018 from Reno, NV, I had the adventure of a lifetime working in the mountain bike trail building and heli skiing industries. After achieving Canadian Residency in 2020, I was looking to plant my roots in Revelstoke and to start a meaningful business. My background in design and metal fabrication, coupled with my love for all things two wheels, led me to the world of bicycle frame building. A working relationship with Kyle Thornley from Metal Mind Forge, helped me land in my dream workspace in the Big Eddy in 2020. After a year of building art and industrial metal fabrication, I decided to fully commit myself and my workshop to the trade of bicycle framebuilding.
Now, in 2023 I am conducting my first year of business, building custom gravel & bike packing bicycles for people in our amazing community. I am working in conjunction with local designer Jeff Polster (of RUX & Capra Press) on some big plans for the years to come as bicycle frame manufacturer & retailer. I plan to grow into a medium scale manufacturing business with multiple employees and to offer custom & stock bicycles at a competitive price with a stylish flare and emphasis on performance.
When I approached Carolyn at StartUp Revelstoke, Jackalope Bikes was just a spark of an idea on the horizon. She helped me understand how to structure my approach to starting a business. Being a designer/welder/fabricator, business was a new and intimidating hurdle to making my dream come to fruition. Carolyn was crucial in assisting with connecting me with the proper resources and opening doors to different networks of entrepreneurs in Revelstoke. She gave me the tools I needed to connect the dots and make it happen.
We developed a business plan for Jackalope Bikes and that helped me take my business idea to the next level of legitimacy to secure funding to make the dream come to life. Thanks to StartUp Revelstoke for helping Revelstoke’s first bike company take flight!
Jack Sutter
Jackalope Bikes Inc.
