Troy Lee Designs

Active

Country: United States (US)
HQ: Corona, California, United States
Employees: ~119[2]
Parent: Privately held; co-owned by founder Troy Lee and investment partners Fasthouse (previously invested by Spanos, Barber, Jesse & Co. in 2016)[1][2][3]

Indexes

Cycling Apparel E-Bikes

Overview

Troy Lee Designs (TLD) is an American company specializing in action sports apparel, helmets, and protective gear for motocross and mountain biking. Founded in 1981, it originated with custom helmet painting and expanded into full product lines for off-road motorcycling and bicycling, sold worldwide through distributors in 15 countries.¹²⁶ The brand supplies equipment to professional racers and operates motocross teams, with retail presence including showrooms in California and Canada.³

History

Troy Lee Designs was founded in 1981 by Troy Lee, who began custom painting helmets in his parents' garage as a young motocross racer.¹³⁴ It expanded from helmet visors and custom paints to mountain bike helmets via partnership with Shoei, then full motocross and mountain bike apparel by 2004.¹³ The company relocated multiple times in Corona, California, reaching a 22,600 sq ft facility by 2003 employing over 85 people, added a 40,000 sq ft warehouse in Upland, CA, and received investment from Spanos, Barber, Jesse & Co. in 2016; it is now co-owned with Fasthouse.¹³

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
SE MTB Helmets	High-performance mountain bike helmets	$150 - $300
Rush MTB Apparel	Technical mountain bike jerseys and shorts	$50 - $150
Factory Motocross Gear	Premium motocross jerseys, pants, and gloves	$40 - $200
Protection Gear	Body armor and guards for off-road riding	$50 - $250
SE Moto Helmets	Motocross and off-road helmets	$400 - $800

Manufacturing

Products including helmets are developed with partners like Shoei in Japan for molds and manufacturing.³ Apparel and gear production locations are not specified, but items are distributed globally from U.S. facilities in California.¹²

Notable Products

SE MTB Helmets - Full-face helmets for mountain biking with custom designs and safety features.
D3 Composite Helmets - Lightweight motocross helmets used by professional racers.
Rush Jersey - Breathable, technical jersey for mountain bike and motocross riding.
146 Pants - Reinforced motocross pants for durability in off-road conditions.
Proxy Gloves - Padded gloves for grip and protection in dirt biking.

Reputation

TLD is recognized by enthusiasts and professionals for innovative designs, custom aesthetics originating from helmet painting, and gear used by top racers in motocross and mountain biking.¹²⁴ It holds a strong position in technical apparel and protection that transitioned from moto to MTB scenes.⁴ Criticisms are not prominently noted in available sources, though focus remains on racing segments rather than broader cycling markets.¹

Sources (6)