Leatt, the South African protective gear brand for mountain biking and moto, reported Q1 revenue up 27 per cent this year, at a time when much of the bike industry has been reporting falling sales. It is a result worth recognising, and the thinking behind it deserves wider attention.
Molly Hurford's feature for BikeBiz, first published in the August 2026 print edition, sat down with Dain Zaffke, Leatt's Global Brand Communications Lead, to ask how. His answers are generous and candid, and most of them are about marketing as much as product.
Our margin on the Ride Kit is not great, but it gets Leatt out there.
A purpose riders can believe
Leatt's story starts with Dr Chris Leatt, a motorcyclist who witnessed a fatal crash at a motocross race and set out to reduce the risk of fatal neck injuries. The Leatt Brace followed. Twenty years on, that origin still shapes how the brand talks and behaves.
This matters because protection is a trust purchase. Riders are buying confidence, and a brand with a real reason to exist has an easier job earning it. Leatt does not need to invent a story. It needs to keep living up to the one it has.
Retail partners as the education channel
Zaffke is clear that direct-to-consumer sits alongside, not above, distributors and bike shops. He sees them as the place where riders get help choosing from an overwhelming range, and where long-term fans are made.
That is sharp audience thinking. E-MTBs and e-bikes are bringing in new riders who need more than a basic helmet but may not know where to start. Core enthusiasts research for themselves. Newer riders benefit from a knowledgeable person in a local shop. Leatt treats that conversation as part of its marketing, and backs its partners accordingly.
A brand driver priced to travel
One of Leatt's most popular products is the Gravity Ride Kit, a branded long-sleeve and pants set at around £79. Zaffke admits the margin is modest. The point is reach: riders wearing the kit on trails put the brand in front of other riders, and it reinforces a reputation for good gear that is not outrageously expensive.
It is a smart use of product as media. A visible, accessible entry point builds familiarity and goodwill that carries over to helmets and braces later.
Listening as a habit
Zaffke reads the comments, with Pinkbike a key source of what riders really think. That feedback shapes new products and tweaks to the existing range. He contrasts this with brands that try to dictate trends to riders. Leatt's stance is to listen, and it shows in a brand that feels in step with its community.
Thinking globally from day one
As a South African company, Leatt never had a home continent big enough to rely on. It built for a worldwide audience early, tailoring how it shows up country by country rather than treating every market the same.
Underpinning all of this is a long-term view. While others cut back after the pandemic boom, Leatt kept investing and attracted talented people looking for support elsewhere. Credit to Zaffke, CEO Sean Macdonald and the wider team for a culture that clearly reaches customers too.
What other brands can take from it
- Lead with a true story. Content and social work harder when they rest on a purpose riders already believe.
- Treat retailers as a channel, not a cost. Equip shops to educate, and support them with co-marketing and local activity.
- Use accessible hero products for reach. A well-priced, visible item can do the job of paid awareness and keep working on the trail.
- Mine the comments. Forums and reviews are free research for product, creative and search messaging.
- Know your new audiences. E-bike riders have different needs; speak to them directly in paid media and search.
- Plan for the long term. Short-term cuts can cost the brand equity that sustained growth depends on.
At Objective 1 we see the same pattern with the cycling brands and shops we work with: trust built patiently with riders and retailers tends to outlast any single campaign.