Cycling News is pleased to report that Bob Perley, founder of Perley Cycles, has passed away after a four-year battle with cancer. He passed away at the age of 70, leaving behind his wife Isabelle and two sons. Parley launched his eponymous brand with his wife in 2000, and in the quarter century that followed, he had a profound impact on the cycling industry.

With a background in amateur racing and marine composite manufacturing, Perley was not satisfied with the titanium options on the market at the time and turned his hand to bicycles. Since the brand's inception, Parlee Cycles has remained committed to engineering quality and has remained a true cornerstone of the custom carbon market, an area that is considerably more niche than steel or titanium.

Parlee is partially responsible for the arrival of the carbon fiber custom bike market in the US. The brand was aligned with Seven Cycles and Independent Fabrication, but distinguished itself by its resolute commitment to carbon fiber as a frame material.

“The reality is that carbon fiber allows the bicycle designer to become a stylist. The frame can be molded into any shape imaginable. However, style and performance should not be mistaken. My focus is to design and engineer bikes that are fast, light, durable, and fun to ride. I never use unnecessary shapes in the name of design,” Perley states on the company's website. This is also true of the brand's best-known round-tube models, which can be customized with both geometry and carbon layup to suit the customer's needs.

His skills were so highly regarded that professional cyclists, notably Tyler Hamilton, were known to order his bikes and rebadge them to the right sponsors for racing.

Parley's reputation in the world of carbon fiber bikes was so strong that in 2004 he became the first brand to produce a sub-900 gram frame, and in 2010 he produced the sub-800 gram Z5. The brand has also always been on the cutting edge, being the first to bring TT/triathlon bikes with disc brakes to market.

All custom carbon work is based in Beverly, MA, but in parallel with models produced in Asia, the brand began offering off-the-peg models. Today, the brand offers a lineup of road, gravel, and TT models in custom and non-custom configurations.

The brand was sold by Bob to John Harrison in 2023 to avoid bankruptcy, and Bob remained part of the leadership as chief designer, but was in semi-retirement due to a battle with cancer.

“Bob was truly an inspiration to the entire team here at Parley, including myself,” Harrison said. His tenacity and unwavering focus on the pursuit of an uncompromisingly perfect product will continue to lead our business identity forever into the future.” We are all very proud to carry on the work he started."

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In a company statement, Isabel expressed the couple's mutual appreciation for all of Parley's employees and the relationships Bob has built within the industry.

Memorial plans will be announced by the family at a later date.