Alumni Startup
Enjoying the Ride
Boosted by a winning pitch on Shark Tank, the alumni behind Guardian Bikes are bringing their ultra-safe bicycles direct to parents and young riders.
By Melina Hernandez
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CEO Brian Riley at the Guardian Bikes factory. Photo by Michael Swenson.
Guardian Bikes has redefined the children’s bike industry thanks to a key technological advantage: the SureStop braking system. The system automatically distributes braking power between the front and rear wheels to prevent accidents and build confidence in young riders. It’s also built the two-wheeled brand from a $300,000 startup to a $140-million powerhouse in just eight years.
The story of Guardian Bikes began with a deeply personal experience. In 2004, CEO Brian Riley’s (Business Administration ’10) grandfather suffered a head-over-handlebar accident after grabbing his bike’s front brake too hard, leaving him hospitalized for a month and nearly paralyzed. This traumatic incident sparked the idea for an effective and safe braking system.
Riley took an entrepreneurship class that introduced him to the fundamentals of building a business and gave him the confidence to pursue his idea. Competing in programs like the Venture Challenge, now known as Innovation Quest, reinforced his vision. Still, turning Guardian’s vision into reality came with major challenges.
“Setting up manufacturing was one of the biggest hurdles,” Riley said. “There were countless challenges along the way, but controlling our own production has been key to scaling efficiently.”
Riley (right) with fellow Cal Poly entrepreneurs and professor Jon York (bottom center). Image courtesy of Guardian Bikes.
Co-founder and fellow business major Kyle Jansen explained that manufacturing bikes in-house wasn’t always the plan.
“We started out by selling the SureStop braking system to bike manufacturers, but what we learned was that 90% of kids’ bikes weren’t sold in bike shops — they were sold in mass-market stores like Walmart and Target,” Jansen said.
After years of product development, the fledgling startup got a major boost in cash and publicity in 2017 with an appearance on Shark Tank. After a stellar pitch, business mogul Mark Cuban agreed to invest $500,000 in exchange for an equity stake in the venture. Riley and Jansen say Cuban has served as an advisor and mentor to their team at a critical stage in their growth.
Despite a game-changing safety feature and growing investment, the team struggled to convince established brands to adopt their technology. The challenge led Riley and Jansen to pivot, launching Guardian Bikes as a direct-to-consumer brand. They integrated SureStop into every bike they built and controlled the entire customer experience from manufacturing to delivery.
The Guardian Bikes assembly plant in Seymour, Indiana. Photo by Michael Swenson.
“Delivering a safer product to nearly a million families, proving the doubters wrong and building a great team has been the most rewarding part of this journey."
Instead of selling the bikes through big-box stores or Amazon, Guardian now sells directly to parents through its website. This decision was central to making the company’s vision a reality — a vision that included keeping costs low and quality high while opening an assembly plant in Seymour, Indiana. The factory, which opened in 2022, is the largest of its kind in the United States.
Today, nearly 30% of Guardian’s sales come from word-of-mouth recommendations, with another 25% coming from repeat customers. The rest are acquired through a mix of digital advertising channels, including Meta, Google, YouTube and TikTok.
“Ultimately, even though building a bike brand was harder and more cash-intensive, it was the right business model. We could control the entire experience: designing the safest, easiest-to-ride bikes and selling directly to parents,” Jansen said.
Guardian Bikes is doubling down on domestic manufacturing. In 2025, Guardian Bikes is rolling out an automated bicycle frame manufacturing line, representing a $15 million investment. This advance will make Guardian the only company in the country with scaled bicycle frame production.
While sales numbers highlight Guardian’s success, Riley finds the true reward in the impact the company has had on families.
“Delivering a safer product to nearly a million families, proving the doubters wrong and building a great team has been the most rewarding part of this journey,” he said.
For more information on Riley, Jansen and their company, visit guardianbikes.com.
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