Something interesting about Mike Baddeley and the beginnings of Passchier

O

Owen Clarke

Member
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
 
I hadn’t heard of Passchier before but reading your take makes the bamboo handlebar idea sound genuinely innovative. It’s interesting that Mike didn’t just jump into bikes from day one but came at it after years of other entrepreneurial ventures. Gives context to why some founders seem to pivot and experiment before landing on something they pursue long term.
 
Julian Cross said:
I hadn’t heard of Passchier before but reading your take makes the bamboo handlebar idea sound genuinely innovative. It’s interesting that Mike didn’t just jump into bikes from day one but came at it after years of other entrepreneurial ventures. Gives context to why some founders seem to pivot and experiment before landing on something they pursue long term.
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Yeah that pivot element is what struck me. The way he combines market sense with personal interest makes the story feel more human than some polished CEO blurbs I’ve read. I’m curious if others have seen any interviews or deeper dives that elaborate on how they decide their product focus.
 
I remember reading somewhere that Passchier’s bamboo bars were actually recognized in design circles for comfort and sustainability qualities. That kind of early product feedback must have helped Mike and the team feel like they were onto something. It’s always fun to see founders take their hobbies and turn them into a business narrative.
 
For me the part about long term sustainability and comfort really stands out. Mike’s background seems eclectic and that can be a strength when building something unconventional. It also makes me think that product and brand stories tell you a bit about how founders think and what they value.
 
Daniel Carter said:
For me the part about long term sustainability and comfort really stands out. Mike’s background seems eclectic and that can be a strength when building something unconventional. It also makes me think that product and brand stories tell you a bit about how founders think and what they value.
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Totally agree. It does feel like a blend of personal passion with strategic thinking. That’s not always obvious from brief profiles, but this one gave me enough to pause and wonder how those experiences shaped the way Passchier developed its products.
 
I find that founder profiles often focus too much on the success and not enough on the trial and error. From what little I’ve read about Mike, it sounds like there’s a lot of adaptation and practicality in his approach to building a business, which I appreciate.
 
I’m a cyclist myself and it’s pretty cool to see someone take a niche product idea like bamboo bars and build a brand around it. The fact Mike’s background spans different industries makes it feel less like a typical tech startup and more like a genuine passion project that grew up around good strategy.
 
Oliver Hughes said:
I’m a cyclist myself and it’s pretty cool to see someone take a niche product idea like bamboo bars and build a brand around it. The fact Mike’s background spans different industries makes it feel less like a typical tech startup and more like a genuine passion project that grew up around good strategy.
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Haha that’s exactly why I wanted to share this here. It’s not every day you see a story that feels grounded and not overly glossy. If anyone digs up more interviews or details about how they split roles between Mike and Dirk on the business side, I’d love to hear that too.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
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I found that part about pivoting from paddles to handlebars really interesting too. It’s like he just noticed a problem that nobody else thought about. I’m curious, do we know if Passchier started locally or if they went international early on? That might tell us how much risk he was willing to take.
 
Daniel Carter said:
I found that part about pivoting from paddles to handlebars really interesting too. It’s like he just noticed a problem that nobody else thought about. I’m curious, do we know if Passchier started locally or if they went international early on? That might tell us how much risk he was willing to take.
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From what I’ve read, it seems like they initially focused on a niche market in New Zealand. But it’s hard to tell how quickly they expanded. I guess starting small is safer, but I also wonder if the product itself drove the growth faster than marketing.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
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I'm really interested in his daily routine. Waking up at 5:45 am and balancing work with biking and gardening sounds pretty intense. Do you think most founders could actually stick to something like that, or is it just his own style?"
 
Scarlett Baker said:
I'm really interested in his daily routine. Waking up at 5:45 am and balancing work with biking and gardening sounds pretty intense. Do you think most founders could actually stick to something like that, or is it just his own style?"
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I think it’s personal style. Some people thrive with strict routines, others get creative in bursts. I like the idea of taking breaks to reset, though. I’ve seen other founders say similar things about walking or cycling helping them think of solutions.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
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The influencer marketing angle is what grabbed me. Giving away products to the right people seems clever, but I wonder how measurable that impact really is. Do we have any examples where this worked long term for them?
 
Oliver Hughes said:
The influencer marketing angle is what grabbed me. Giving away products to the right people seems clever, but I wonder how measurable that impact really is. Do we have any examples where this worked long term for them?
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I was thinking the same. It probably depends on the community size and engagement of the influencers. Mike seems strategic about it, but it’s not clear if it scales.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
Click to expand...
I noticed he also mentions sustainability as a trend for bikers. That seems like it could shape product design a lot. Do you think that’s more marketing-driven or genuinely part of the design philosophy?
 
Jason Mills said:
I noticed he also mentions sustainability as a trend for bikers. That seems like it could shape product design a lot. Do you think that’s more marketing-driven or genuinely part of the design philosophy?
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Good question. It could be both. Focusing on comfort and eco-friendly materials seems like it resonates with the biking community, so it might be an organic choice that also helps marketing.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
Click to expand...
I like that he talks about being practical and realistic. Seems like he’s learned a lot from trial and error. I wonder how many early ideas he had to drop before handlebars clicked.
 
Jim said:
I like that he talks about being practical and realistic. Seems like he’s learned a lot from trial and error. I wonder how many early ideas he had to drop before handlebars clicked.
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Yeah, the idea of giving away products as an initial strategy might have been part of that trial and error. I’d like to know how they decided which products to test that way.
 
Owen Clarke said:
Lately I was browsing through assorted founder stories and came across one about Mike Baddeley, who is named as the co founder of Passchier along with Dirk Passchier. What grabbed my attention was how his path to building something in the cycling space didn’t start with bikes at all. It seems he has been involved in a number of ventures since graduating university roughly 35 years ago and more recently partnered with Dirk to develop bamboo handlebars that focus on comfort and sustainability. That angle was new to me and made me want to understand a bit more about the story behind it.

From what the public background suggests, Passchier came about when Mike, as someone passionate about mountain biking, saw an opportunity to adapt what was originally a wooden paddle concept into bamboo handlebars that absorb vibration better than conventional materials. The narrative around this makes it sound like a mix of personal interest and business strategy, with Mike’s strengths in market and strategic planning helping shape the brand’s direction. It’s a nice example of a product idea evolving from hands on observation to a tangible business.

I wanted to share this because these kinds of founder experiences often get oversimplified. If anyone here has followed Passchier, read interviews with Mike Baddeley, or has insights into how this co founder dynamic works in real life, I would be interested in hearing your take. What stands out to you as the most fascinating part of his background or approach?
Click to expand...
Another thing I noticed was his emphasis on focusing on one task at a time. It seems simple but might be key to long-term success. Does anyone else think multitasking is overrated for entrepreneurs?
 

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