Yeti Cycles.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: Cool colorado stuff

Founded in 1985 alongside the sport of mountain biking, Yeti began in California and moved to Durango--the epicenter of the mountain bike racing world--before settling in Golden in 1999. The company saw three different owners--including Schwinn--before longtime employees Chris Conroy and Steve Hoogerdoorn bought the company themselves in 2001. Engineered and tested with racing in mind, these sturdy, lightweight bikes are clockwork precise, handcrafted with an unblinking eye on the smallest of details. "Our welder--Roberto Vega--is a craftsman. His work's a thing of beauty," said Conroy, now Yeti's president. Known for sponsoring up-and-coming racers who field-test new designs, Yeti is a company that's owned and...