25th anniversary

25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
IT ALL STARTED
AS A PASSION
FOR INNOVATION
25TH ANNIVERSARY
When the first Principia frame was unveiled in 1990, it
represented a revolution in terms of both weight and stiffness.
It is with a great sense of pride that we now celebrate our 25th
anniversary. Over these past 25 years, we have firmly
established the Principia brand as one of the most
innovative frame manufacturers in the industry.
At Principia, we are proud of our Danish heritage. We respect
the Danish tradition for simple and functional design and we
wish to be known as Principia of Denmark. It is our vision that
the Principia brand should be
recognized worldwide as a manufacturer of high end
bicycle products.
We execute this vision every day by working ambitiously,
passionately and innovatively. Ambition can be dangerous,
but when you want to break new ground, you cannot do it by
walking in other people’s footsteps. Principia wants to be at
the cutting edge. We want to set the bar higher than everybody
else in our effort to create the frame for your perfect ride.
With the publication of this anniversary celebration, we want to
remind you of some of our most memorable creations – who
knows, perhaps you used to ride one of them?
Andreas Hagbarth, Brand & Design Manager Principia
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
25 YEARS
WITH PRINCIPIA
There was none of the typical, Danish
modesty, when three young guys from
Aalborg decided to start a production of
bicycle frames in 1989. They wanted to make
the best frames in the world! 25 years have
passed and it has been a bumpy ride at times.
Three of Principia’s key figures tell the story.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
Passion and good
ideas are strong
motivators for
entrepreneurs.
The story of Principia is a shining
example of that.
However, lack of
funding is often
an insurmountable obstacle for
the would-be startup. How did the
Principia founders
overcome this
showstopper?
Actually, lack of money was
the very reason that the three
young triathletes Gert Spender
Andersen, Per Bruun Nissen, and
Michael Boerresen got started in
the first place. Back in 1989, they
could not afford to buy the fantastic, American triathlon frames
made by Gary Klein. That was
why the three of them decided
to set up shop in Gert Spender›s
cellar at Himmerland Street 7 in
Aalborg.
25TH ANNIVERSARY
- We couldn’t afford the amazing
frames that came from the United
States at the time, so we decided
to try to make them ourselves,
Gert Spender Andersen explains.
The first prototypes quickly emerged and when a friendly banker
decided to believe in the project,
their new company soon became
a reality.
Their goal was ambitious from the
start. No Danish modesty here:
the three guys wanted to make
the best bicycle frames in the
world. They were not prepared to
settle for anything less. To them,
‘best’ meant the highest stiffness
to weight ratio (STW). A stiff and
lightweight frame provides the
best transfer of energy from the
pedals into the road. Moreover,
a stiff frame also provides better
handling characteristics. This may
sound like common sense observations today, but in the bicycle
industry, there were not many
people who thought like that back
in 1989.
- We were very fascinated by
Klein. Gary Klein made some
fantastic light, rigid and exclusive
1990
Tri-frames prepared for 26” wheels – many
of the world’s best short distance triathletes
chose the Principia models for 26” wheels in
the early 1990s.
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bikes in aluminum; unlike anything else available at the time,
Gert Spender Andersen remembers.
The name for their new frame
was still missing, though, and
‘Spender-Nissen-Boerresen’
did not quite have the ring to it
that ‘Klein’ had. The three young
engineers found inspiration in the
English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton’s famous
thesis on acceleration and movement, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. In September
1990, PRINCIPIA was born.
The hunt for the right alloy
All beginnings are difficult, they
say, and our three entrepreneurs
quickly learnt the truth of that
statement when the road to success turned out to be paved
with unforeseen obstacles. One
of the big ones was that the
Danish Technological Institute
had recommended a specific aluminum alloy as a frame material.
However, it soon became evident
that this alloy was not suitable for
bicycle frames at all.
1992
7020 aluminum alloy – the strongest alloy for
bicycle frames. The high strength and excellent welding properties gave the Principia
frames a very good reputation.
- The alloy was wrong, and we
did not understand the importance of heat-treating the frames.
As a result, they began to crack,
says Gert Spender Andersen.
The company was barely up and
running before it went bankrupt in
January 1992. Michael Boerresen
chose to step out, but the two
remaining founders were ready to
give it another go.
- We knew what was wrong, we
knew how to fix it, and we knew
that we could make strong and
rigid frames with the ideal geometry, says Gert Spender Andersen.
A new aluminum alloy, 7020,
was chosen and it turned out to
be excellent at withstanding the
special dynamic forces that work
on a frame during cycling. When
welded into a bicycle frame, the
alloy even proved to be stronger
than the 6061 alloy that had been
the basis for Gary Klein’s success.
It was the beginning of a very
successful period for the
company. Gert Spender Andersen, who is trained as a metal-
worker, persuaded the best of his
old welding colleagues to come
and work for him. At Principia,
there was a very high demand
for employees who were skilled
at welding aluminum. When the
new company was established
in 1992, it only had two employees, but at the end of 1993, that
number had already grown to 10
– and even more came to join in
the following years.
- All of a sudden, we had become
employers. Nevertheless, we still
had to work in the production
line ourselves, so we spent our
evenings with R&D. All those
employees took a little bit of getting used to, Gert Spender Andersen recalls with a laugh.
A good idea is rewarded
One of the newcomers was
Anders Bystrup, who was hired
as a production assistant in the
summer of 1996.
- For better or for worse, Principia
was an engineering company. Or
to put it another way: they knew
a lot about the production of
bicycle frames, but not so much
about what it means to ride a
bike, says Anders Bystrup, who
was himself a good amateur rider
and self-taught frame specialist with a profound understanding of
frame geometry and its influence
on handling characteristics.
He began to criticize Principia’s
mountain bike model MacB, which
he believed had an incorrect geometry and wrong tube shapes.
That kind of comments from the
‘new guy’ would not have been
welcome at most other companies, but the culture at Principia
was different.
- Anders came with a lot of input
and was happy to discuss frame
design in detail, so, of course, we
decided to make him prove that he
could design a better frame, Gert
Spender Andersen remembers.
Looking back, Anders Bystrup
sees the decision to let him, a
production employee and selftaught engineering geek, prove
his worth as a bicycle designer, as a good example of the
unique spirit at the Noerresundby
company in the ’90s.
The result of the ”junior designer’s” efforts was a success. Mac
SL, as the new mtb model was
named, had thinner seat stays,
a lower bottom bracket, and a
flatter head tube angle than its
predecessor. It turned out to be a
better frame, and in 1998 it made
its World Cup debut with Danish
rider, Thomas Noerup, at the
handlebars.
Test Winner
It was the three founders’ enthusiasm for triathlon, that got Principia started, but it was the road
bikes that drove the company’s
explosive growth in the ’ 90s. In
the early ’ 90s, a traditional steel
frame was still the weapon of
choice for the majority of riders
– including the professionals.
However, the rumor gradually
began to spread that a lighter and
stiffer ride was available if you
were prepared to make the switch
to a frame made out of big, round
aluminum tubes – and that just
1996
1994
RSL road frame – the model that established
Principia as a manufacturer of test winning
bicycle frames. The ultimate road frame,
made by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts.
- Principia were still pioneers,
and they were not afraid to try
something new. Ideas and results
mattered, not egos.
Anodizing – Principia developed the special
surface treatment in which a layer of
aluminum oxide was applied to the frame.
This made for an extremely durable and
scratch resistant finish.
REX and REX Pro – possibly the pinnacle of
aluminum frame design. The REX pro was the
benchmark for Stiffness to Weight (STW).
happened to be Principia’s trademark. At the same time, road
cycling was starting to become
a very popular sport in Denmark
- both as a competitive and as a
recreational sport. This development, of course, was fuelled by
the successes of Bjarne Riis in
the Tour de France.
“
We couldn´t
afford the
amazing
frames that
came from the
United States
at the time, so
we decided
to try to
make them
ourselves.
Gert Spender Andersen
1998
Teams – Chicky World, Acceptcard, and later
Team fakta, and Linda McCartney Pro Cycling
Team. Principia was exposed on the international stage and won many victories.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
However, there was one thing that
was more important to Principia’s
success than anything else and
that was their good test results in
the German cycling magazines.
- Those test results were absolutely crucial to us, says Gert Spender Andersen.
When independent, German durability and stiffness testing demonstrated the truth of what he and
his partners had been claiming
all along: that you could make
extremely rigid, lightweight and
durable frames in aluminum, the
success was instant. The leading
German magazine, Tour, was particularly generous with its points
and gave several Principia models
top marks.
- It was an explicit objective in the
design process that the frames
had to perform well in the German
tests. And so they did. In addition,
a rumor started to spread, that a
Principia was something extraordinary. Needless to say, that
was very helpful to us. It boosted
25TH ANNIVERSARY
our brand tremendously. Sure,
we made excellent frames, but
we also got lucky, says Anders
Bystrup.
The pro teams
Lucky or not, the result was a
huge export success. Principia could sell more bikes in the
German market than they were
able to produce.
- At one point, more than 90% of
our production went to Germany.
In addition, it was not long before
the Danish market picked up as
well. At the height of production,
we sold over 5,000 frames a
year – of which approximately
one fifth was sold in the Danish
market. We sold more high-end
frames in Denmark than any other
manufacturer, says Gert Spender
Andersen.
Principia began to sponsor the
Danish Team Chicky World and
Team Acceptcard and later on
larger teams such as Team fakta
and the Linda McCartney Pro
Cycling Team. The latter had inter-
2001
Ellipse project – the tube design was given
special attention in the Ellipse project. The
tapered head tube with its internal cable
routing was an industry first.
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national stars like Pascal Richard
and Max Sciandri on the roster
and those sponsor deals paved
the way for an appearance and a
stage win at the Giro d’Italia. But
that was the culmination. Principia
never became the sponsor of one
of the major teams and there is a
good explanation for that.
-It was unbelievably expensive.
Back then, it would have cost
between 0.2 and 0.4 million
pounds a year and that was much
more than we could afford. It
was our goal to make the best
frame in the world and to appear
at the Tour de France. We were
only able to achieve one of those
goals, says Gert Spender Andersen with a smile that reveals that,
after all, he is very proud of what
his company was able to achieve.
Anders Bystrup was Principia’s
liaison with the pro teams. He
remembers it as an exciting
period. He also recalls how the
sponsor deals changed the
company profile – for the employees as well as for the public.
2004
Design to Size – with the D2S technology,
the diameter and wall thicknesses of the
tubes were optimized to match the individual
frame sizes - adding stiffness to the larger
frames and comfort to the smaller frames.
- We were not the newcomers anymore so we lost a little bit of the
goodwill that we had in the early
years. In addition, the competitors
were starting to breathe heavily
down our necks and the carbon
fiber technology was beginning to
mature.
HF Christiansen A/S takes over
A crisis hit Principia and it was a
deep one. Gert Spender Andersen had to acknowledge that the
company could no longer grow.
Several factors caused problems:
the sport was in a crisis due to
the many doping scandals and
the Danish production costs were
simply too high in comparison with
the Asian competitors. Principia’s
business model as a manufacturer
of high-end bicycle frames made
in Denmark just was not viable
any more. Gert Spender Andersen
resigned from the company, but
the new ownership was not able to
reduce the costs sufficiently and in
2004, the company went bankrupt
again. The bankruptcy was the end
of handmade, Danish aluminum
frames from Noerresundby.
2008
Revolution C40T – with the introduction of
its 2008 top model, Principia set the industry
benchmark for stiffness and durability in a
carbon fiber frame.
In 2006, after a few tumultuous
years with changing ownership,
the Principia brand was bought
by Denmark’s largest bicycle
distributor, HF Christiansen A/S,
in Randers.
- We saw an opportunity to bring
a strong Danish brand into the
company and to bring that brand
into the carbon age, explains
Andreas Hagbarth, who has been
the brand manager for Principia
at HF Christiansen A/S in recent
years.
HF Christiansen A/S had the
necessary Asian contacts and
the necessary financial muscles
to relaunch Principia as a highend manufacturer of carbon fiber
frames.
- We wish to maintain Principia’s
reputation as a manufacturer
of extremely rigid and durable
frames and we have introduced a
number of Principia’s proprietary
technologies to the carbon fiber
production – an example is our
Ellipse project technology, says
Andreas Hagbarth.
New times, new ideas
The first carbon fiber Principia
entered the market in 2008. The
Revolution C40T reopened the
doors to the export markets.
Particularly the Germans and the
Italians were once again ready
to buy the famous, Danish bikes.
Just like before, good German
test results, was the way in. The
new model was a class winner
in terms of rigidity and durability.
This was demonstrated in independent tests carried out at the
Zedler Institut für Fahrradtechnik
und -Sicherheit.
- It is our enduring ambition to
manufacture high-tech Principia
bikes that are among the best in
the world. We wish for our products to be very technologically
advanced. Our new Revolution
model is a testimony to that ambition. With its frame integrated
oversize wheel axles, hydraulic disc brakes, and electronic
gearshift it is the living proof that
we are still at the cutting edge.
2010
La Flamme Rouge – the world-renowned
British designer, Paul Smith, designed six
exclusive Principia bikes for the former Danish
pro, Brian Holm’s, La Flamme Rouge project.
The bikes were auctioned off to benefit children
with cancer.
However, we also have to look
at the bigger picture, explains
Andreas Hagbarth.
- The competition is fierce, and
the internet dealers make it hard
to turn a profit for the traditional
distributors. It is only a very few
bike brands, if any at all, that can
make a profit from selling high
end bicycles in large quantities.
This is why we have to offer
models in all price ranges, says
Andreas Hagbarth and explains:
- Principia used to be the preferred choice of the elite rider. We
still want to be that. However,
we also wish to offer entry-level
models that are affordable to the
young student who is just getting
started in cycling; and we want
to be there, when he decides to
upgrade to a mid-range model.
Finally, we also want to be able
to offer the best that money can
buy to the wealthy enthusiast
who does not really care about
the price. I believe that this is a
necessary set-up in today’s highly
competitive market, says Andreas
Hagbarth.
2012
TT ONE – Principia was founded on a passion
for triathlon, and with the introduction of the
TT ONE, Principia delivered the ultimate aerodynamic solution for this group of athletes.
After 25 years in the industry, this
is the lesson that Principia has
learnt. From the humble beginnings in Gert Spender Andersen’s
cellar to the industrial manufacturer that it is today. No doubt, the
game has changed, but Principia’s ambition has not. They still
want to make the best frames in
the world!
“
It is our
enduring
ambition to
manufacture
high-tech
Principia bikes
that are among
the best in the
world.
Andreas Hagbarth
2014
Revolution – a world first with its hydraulic
disc brakes, oversize wheel axles and electronic gear shift.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
THE 1990
OF PRINCIPIA
S
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
A PRINCIPIA
RSL FRAME
WEIGHING ONLY
1160 GRAMS
ACHIEVES THE
VERDICT
‘OUTSTANDING’
AT THE RWTH
AACHEN TEST
INSTITUE ’92
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
BEAUTY ISN`T
EVERYTHING
Immaculate welding is one of the classic virtues of a Principia frame. In fact it is
often one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of Principia.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
TRI28
PERFORMANCE
OF EXPECTATIONS
The aluminum tubes for the frames come from specially selected suppliers in Italy,
Germany, and Switzerland. They are made from the superior 7020 alloy and arrive
up to 6 meters long. They are then cut into the required lengths at the factory.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
GAIA
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
RSL
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
MOST USED
EUROPEAN
FRAME AT
THE 1996 AND
1997 HAWAII
IRONMAN
RACES
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
MAC B
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
MAC LTD
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
PEAK TRI
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
TRIA TSC
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
IN ‘98 WE
INTRODUCED
THE PRINCIPIA
R.E.X WHICH
TURNED
INTO A
TEST
WINNING
CLASSIC
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
POWERED BY
STRONG LEGS
Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team 2000: Tayeb Braikia,
Maximillian Sciandri, Björnar Vestöl, Pascal Richard.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Danish hardman
Brian Holm rode as
a team captain of
Team Acceptcard
1998 & 1999.
POWERFUL
BIKES
BY PRINCIPIA
Principia began to sponsor the Danish Team Chicky World and Team Acceptcard and
later on larger teams such as Team fakta and the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Bjarke Nielsen and
his teammates
rode the Principia
REX to many
victories for two
consecutive years.
German rider
Torsten Schmidt
was the team
captain of Team
Chicky World
1998-1999.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Bjørnar Vestøl,
Linda McCartney
Pro Cycling Team
2000.
Star rider Max
Sciandri took
second on a Giro
stage in 2000
riding for Linda
McCartney Pro
Cycling Team.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Jacob Moe
Rasmussen
on the gravel
roads of
GP Herning.
Jørgen Bo
Petersen taking the
lead on the highly
successful Team
fakta 2001-2002.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
THE 2000
OF PRINCIPIA
S
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
AERODYNAMICS
IS IMPORTANT,
HANDLING IS
IMPORTANT,
POSITION
IMPORTANT AND
SPEED IS THE
GOAL
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
MSL PRO
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
MSL
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
REXe PRO
NEVER
STAND STILL
Principia frames are designed in the utmost functionalistic sense of the word.
Everything has a purpose, from the lightweight, scratch resistant anodised
finish to the immaculate, even welds.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
TT2 LIGHT
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
TT28
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
REAL WORLD
ACCELERATION
THE TRUE
MEASURE OF
PERFORMANCE
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
INSPIRED BY
THE EVOLUTION
OF NATURE,
THE ELLIPSE
PROJECT WAS
BORN IN ‘02
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
HANDMADE IN
DENMARK
The soul of a bicycle comes from the frame. High quality parts improve the
performance, for sure, but liveliness, responsiveness, handling - it all comes
down to one thing in the end. The Frame.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
TEAM ISSUE
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
LIMITED
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
LTD WEAVE C60T
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
MADISON WORLD
CHAMPION
MICHAEL
MØRKØV
CALLS HIS
PRINCIPIA
THE BEST TRACK
BIKE FOR THE
MADISON RACE
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
AS A WORLD
FIRST, PRINCIPIA
HAS DEVELOPED
A MOUNTAINBIKE
WITH A
MONOCOQUE
REAR
TRIANGLE
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Danish world class
cross-country
mountainbiker
Annika Langvad is
riding Principia.
PRINCIPIA
FRAMES ARE
TESTED
RIGOROUSLY
EVERY DAY
By the riders of the professional cycling teams Team Capinordic, Team An
Post Sean Kelly and by the best female mountainbikers in the world.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Jacob Moe
Rasmussen of
Team Capinordic
putting the power
into his Principia
time trial bike.
Michael Mørkøv of
the young Danish
talent team, Team
GLS 2007-2008.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Rasmus
Guldhammer won
the U23 Danish
road race in 2009.
Rasmus
Guldhammer
won the U23
Liège-BastogneLiège on a
Principia in 2009.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Leonie
Daubermann
is the new
German U19 XC
champ, 2014.
The An Post Sean
Kelly Team chose
to ride Principia in
2009-2010.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
GREAT DESIGN
WITH A GREAT
PURPOSE
The British fashion designer Paul Smith
has designed six exclusive Principia
racing bikes for La Flamme Rouge. La
Flamme Rouge works to provide help
and support for children experiencing
life threatening illness and loss.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
IT WAS OUR GOAL
TO DEVELOP A
REAR DROPOUT
THAT COMBINED
THE PRECISION
AND STIFFNESS OF
AN INTEGRATED
DESIGN
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
TRIATHLON AND
TIME TRIALING
TEST THE RIDER
AND THE BIKE
TO THE EXTREME
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
RS C40T
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
AURA TEAM
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
29-INCH WHEELS
WILL DOMINATE
THE TRAILS IN
THE YEARS TO
COME
AND NO
WONDER
WHY
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
25TH ANNIVERSARY
A WORLD
FIRST WITH ITS
HYDRAULIC DISC
BRAKES AND
OVERSIZE WHEEL
AXLES
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
CELEBRATING
THE 25TH
ANNIVERSARY
OF PRINCIPIA
BIKES
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
To Celebrate 25 years of innovation,
we have created two projects in limited
numbers. The Rule Team 25th to showcase the very best of modern day road
bikes and The Limited 25th alloy framekit to celebrate our heritage.
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PRINCIPIA 1990-2015
WWW.
PRINCIPIA
.DK
PRINCIPIA A/S . HVIDEMØLLEVEJ 9-11 . DK-8920 RANDERS NV . DENMARK . [email protected]
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