Q&A w: Tectonic Components
Q: What’s your name, title, business?
A: I’m Andrew McKee, and I am the founder of Tectonic Components
Q: What does your business do?
A: We produce performance mountain bike components right here in Colorado. Our first product is a platform pedal made from a unique carbon fiber-filled nylon material, and utilizing our own traction pin system that is tailored for easy servicing and maximal traction. We are excited to explore the performance characteristics of this material as we expand into other components in the future.
Q: Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.
A: I graduated college with a degree in architecture and a focus in industrial design. But right away I knew I wanted to move to the mountains and ride my bike full time. In 2012 I designed and contracted the construction of a full suspension mountain bike frame, working with a company in Portland, OR. The bike rode really well, but eventually I found the structural limits of the bike, and ran out of funds to address the needed changes. In 2016 I came up with a concept for a collapsible water bottle, and worked for a startup, Nada Bottle, to bring it to market. I spent two months in Shanghai and Hangzhou to bring it to life. It was while I was in China, spending my evenings exploring the internet available behind the national firewall, where I began developing the ideas that lead to the current platform pedal design.
Q: What was the most powerful lesson you’ve learned on this journey?
A: The most important thing I’ve consistently found is how important it is to listen to feedback from manufacturing partners. You can have what seems like a tremendous idea, but if it can’t be readily produced, it’s nothing. I like to think I’m getting better at designing with manufacturing processes in mind, but I’m also really grateful for all of the tremendous advice I get from engineers along the way.
Q: Why did you apply for the SCAPE Program?
A: I was passionate about designing better bike parts, and making them in Colorado. Durango has a place in the history of mountain biking, as well as mountain bike manufacturing, and I felt that could and should be the case again. Ultimately, I felt like I needed all of the advice and guidance I could find, as the practical side of building a business seemed bewildering to me.
Q: What companies inspire you the most (local, national, worldwide)?
A: I really look to two companies in the snow sports industry as models for both domestic, independent manufacturing, as well as industry-leading designs and products: Spark R&D, a splitboard binding manufacturer in Montana, and Moment Skis, who build their skis in Nevada. I feel there is a place in the mountain bike industry for more companies to create class-leading products in the United States.
Q: What do you love most about Southwest Colorado?
A: I’ve been lucky enough to live in a few places in the Rockies, but Durango is the first that really felt like home. I love the access to so much diverse terrain; we can go ride a bike on dirt nearly any day of the year within a two hour drive. In the summer, the San Juan mountains are a spectacular and sublime place to ride a bike and explore. Durango is also just the right size to offer some essential amenities and infrastructure, without feeling like a big city. I don’t think there’s anywhere I’d rather be.
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