Ep 562: Low Maintenance Scaling — How Priority Bicycles Grew to 25k Units/Year

Podcast: DTC Podcast
Host: DTC Newsletter and Podcast
Guest: Connor, Co-Founder & CMO, Priority Bicycles
Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Priority Bicycles’ journey from its Kickstarter roots to selling 25,000 bikes a year. Host Eric Dick talks with Connor, co-founder and CMO, exploring how the company carved out a successful position in a crowded DTC market through product differentiation, relentless customer service, community-driven product development, and a more nuanced approach to digital marketing funnels.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origin Story: Kickstarter Beginnings and DTC Roots

• Launch Motivation:
  Connor explains that Priority Bicycles was born out of a passion for bikes and a unique product design, capitalizing on the early DTC optimism exemplified by brands like Warby Parker.

  "We had a passion for bicycles, a product design we thought could be unique... and we were at the shining D2C moment." – Connor (01:10)

• Kickstarter Success:
  Priority launched with a $30,000 funding goal but vastly exceeded expectations, selling over 1,500 bikes and raising $565,000.

  “It was a shock to us. It showed us not only was there an appetite for the product, but there was an appetite for the story as well.” – Connor (01:37-02:38)

2. Brand Differentiation: The Low Maintenance Edge

• Market Positioning:
  Priority’s central differentiator is its low-maintenance approach – bikes with belt drives instead of chains, using technology often found in Harley Davidsons and cars.

  "We put this belt drive onto the bicycle. It made it a very low maintenance experience, which was very different." – Connor (02:47)

• Customer Appeal:
  The challenge: explaining to customers why low maintenance matters, even if it’s not their first concern.

  “It’s definitely not a sell that you really think about out of the gate...but it does offer something that’s very differentiated.” – Connor (03:51)

3. Overcoming DTC Barriers: Service, Community, and Trust

• Building Confidence without Physical Retail:
  Selling bikes DTC is hard – there’s no try-before-you-buy. Priority countered this with robust in-house customer service, available 365 days a year.

  “If somebody has a question, you got to be able to answer it.” – Connor (00:00, 06:42)

• Mirroring the Bike Shop Experience Digitally:
  Video content and personal connection build trust online, echoing the in-person bike shop experience.

  “We don’t have that shop on your corner, but we’ll make up for it. If you shoot us an email at 9 o'clock, we're going to get back to you.” – Connor (07:30)

4. Product Evolution and the Role of Customer Feedback

• Growth Through Listening:
  New products often come directly from customer feedback collected via daily service interactions.

  “Every day you hear about what your product needs are because people will tell you... that organically has helped build our product line.” – Connor (08:28)

• Covid Spike and Navigating Volatility:
  The pandemic caused a major surge, but Priority stayed cautious about overextending.

  “You have to determine as a company, how do you understand where the marketplace is going to level out and not overextend yourself...” – Connor (09:11)

5. Marketing Funnels: Data, Targeting, and Rigor

• Avoiding “Spray and Pray”:
  Shift from broad targeting and reliance on algorithmic “magic” to disciplined, audience-specific campaigns.

  “I don’t believe it’s smart to just throw a bunch of tests against the wall... Figure it out. It’s very costly.” – Connor (11:30)

• Wayfinding and Clarity:
  With 20+ bike models, clear website navigation and communication have become crucial.

  “You really have to think about wayfinding on the site and how a customer can get where they need to be.” – Connor (10:07)

6. Community-Driven Product Development

• Crowdsourcing the Bruiser Model:
  The Bruiser bike was developed by synthesizing influencer feedback and direct customer input, culminating in a transparent, participatory development process.

  “We created a video series...and we got great feedback. The customers actually felt like they were part of it.” – Connor (13:30-15:31)

• Interpreting Feedback with Expertise:
  Not all customer feedback should be taken at face value—sometimes what people say isn’t what they buy.

  “We got overwhelming feedback... wanted this bright orange color called pumpkin... people say they want but they don’t actually want.” – Connor (15:42-17:56)

7. Adapting Marketing Spend and Attribution

• Meta & Google Ad Spend:
  Spending on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) has decreased in favor of Google; attribution and incrementality have become areas of focus rather than just chasing high ROAS on-platform.

  “The less we’re spending, our ROAS results are better... More about being increasingly efficient about what we’re spending there.” – Connor (20:05-21:55)

• Skepticism of Platform Data:
  Doubt over attribution and the reliability of platform-reported metrics permeates Priority’s current approach.

  “I don’t trust a lot of platform data... I think the platform data in the last few years has led us to believe that people are linearly deciding robots.” – Connor (25:41, 18:10)

8. Retail Expansion and Future Growth

• Costco Partnerships:
  Limited distribution through Costco complements the DTC model without diluting the brand.

  “There’s a section of our bicycles that really fit that Costco buyer... it made it possible for us to remain direct to consumer while still being able to serve that Costco customer.” – Connor (27:30)

• New Segments—Mountain Bikes:
  Breaking into high-end mountain biking took four years of R&D and direct, unbiased product testing.

  “It’s been a four year design process... We did a live consumer event and did a product test with people letting them just tell us do they like the bike or not. And the reaction was great.” – Connor (28:27-31:01)

• Growth Principles:
  Expansion now is about smaller refinements, close listening, and co-developing with creators, rather than blanket new product launches.

  “The more products you launch, the slices of white space get smaller and smaller for sure.” – Connor (31:13)

9. Approaching Influencer Partnerships

• Beyond Transactional Sponsorships:
  Deep collaboration with creators and customers for authentic product development, not just social media noise.

  “A lot of sponsorships are just transactional... We need things that are meaningful and understandable for people.” – Connor (33:11)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On transparent marketing:

  “Whenever we launch a new product, we kind of call it the like, 'why should I give a shit' moment. We take a step back and say, like, why would anybody care to buy this?”
  — Connor (23:50)

• On customer service:

  “Like, my partner Dave and I, we were doing like literally unwrap Christmas gifts with the kids and have the phone on in the pocket waiting. Because if somebody had unwrapped a bike and there was a washer missing, you're going to answer that question.”
  — Connor (06:42)

• On analyzing real customer intent:

  “People want to be heard... but you also have to synthesize that and really put your own expertise against it.”
  — Connor (15:42)

• On the real reason people bought DTC:

  "We all thought it was the product... but it wasn't. It was just the accessibility and this idea that you were saving money and it would just show up at your door."
  — Connor (23:50)

• On evaluating data and marketing decisions:

  “I am definitely a data simple person... A lot of the platform data that we get is acting in self interest and can really confuse you.”
  — Connor (18:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origin, Kickstarter & DTC Rationale: 01:00–02:38
• Brand Differentiators & Low Maintenance: 02:47–03:51
• Overcoming DTC Challenges (Service & Trust): 04:58–07:30
• Growth Milestones & Covid Surge: 08:09–09:53
• Product & Site Positioning: 10:07–11:30
• Community-Driven Development/Bruiser Story: 12:46–15:31
• Interpreting Feedback & Color Choices: 15:42–17:56
• Ad Spend Evolution & Attribution: 19:36–22:29
• Future Growth and Product Expansion (Mountain Bikes): 28:08–31:01
• Partnerships & Authenticity: 33:11–33:35

Memorable Moments

• The story of Connor and his co-founder fielding customer calls during Christmas morning, highlighting their hands-on commitment to service (06:42).
• The community-driven design of the Bruiser bike, incorporating real-time feedback from customers and creators and involving them in a year-long video series (13:02-15:31).
• Candid skepticism about over-reliance on digital marketing platforms and superficial ROAS results—urging marketers to truly understand their numbers and their business (18:10, 20:44).
• Honest talk about the “why should I give a shit” approach to new product launches, keeping the company customer-centric and authentic (23:50).

Language and Tone

The conversation is candid and practical, full of first-person anecdotes and real-world lessons. Connor’s tone is grounded—sometimes playful with references to “drinking your own Kool Aid” and discussing Burning Man bike secrets—but he consistently hammers home the points of customer service, authenticity, and skeptical, efficient marketing.

Conclusion & Where to Follow

Connor welcomes direct outreach from listeners—via LinkedIn or Priority’s customer text line. The episode closes with a reminder that biking brings joy, and Priority’s mission is to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for more people.

Find out more at:

• prioritybicycles.com
• Socials: @ridepriority