The EQUAL Concept

In-Depth Interview

EQUAL Concept’s Vision of an Ideal World

In addition to its rollers, Growtac has gradually expanded its lineup to include brake calipers, pedals, hubs & wheels, and control levers. But what kind of history does this manufacturer have? What does the product name “EQUAL” mean? What is their next move? And what vision does the “EQUAL Concept” aim for? An in-depth interview with Growtac’s CEO, Mr. Kimura.

The Birth of GROWTAC

Let’s take it step by step. First, please tell us what led you, Mr. Kimura, to start GROWTAC.

Kimura：I started GROWTAC while I was still a company employee, around 2009. I was part of Nalsima Friend, a famous Tokyo bike shop with a strong racing team, and raced in corporate teams while making small bike parts on the side.

Was the first product the Adjuster Pin and the EQUAL Pulley?

Kimura：That’s right. I also made things likethe Cleat Spacer,the GT-OIL,and meter lights. At the time, there were no meters with backlights. Back then, there simply weren’t as many convenient parts available. Since I was commuting 100 km every day, I would be in trouble if such useful items didn’t exist. That’s why I started making them myself and selling them little by little.

Did you already have a mindset for craftsmanship back then, as you were working as an engineer for a major company?

Kimura：My family has always loved making things. My father was just an ordinary office worker, but he renovated our entire house by himself. Growing up in that environment, I started making my own toys as early as kindergarten. My hands were always full of cuts and scrapes (laughs).
I even built my own original radio-controlled cars and two-legged robots. Back then, there was no internet, so it was really hard to look things up. And since there was no mail order either, just buying the parts meant a lot of effort.

At the time GROWTAC was founded, you were running it as a side business while working as a company employee. Did you have any kind of vision for GROWTAC back then?

Kimura：Yes, we did (laughs).

Our vision is"To bring a new standard to the 200-year history of the bicycle.".
Since its founding, this vision has consistently been at the core of our activities.
・"200-year history" means being a company that is right in the past, present, and future.
・"New" means we must provide customers with new value.
・"Standard" means we must offer products that are recognized by our customers.

In simple terms, it means "creating things that are valuable, new, and right for our customers" and "making products that are not self-centered but recognized by our customers."

Starting with rollers, many of our products are world-firsts or unusual, but almost all of them represent a challenge to create new value.
The EQUAL concept is also a proposal for new value.
In the future, we hope to see more customers who can "build their own bike with freedom" and "take pride in their bicycles."

I see. You are now working solely with GROWTAC. What led you to become independent?

Kimura：When circumstances made it necessary to train using a roller, there wasn’t a good one like　the GT-Roller　available, so I decided to make one myself.

It was a fork-mount stationary roller that achieved a realistic riding feel by allowing side-to-side movement. But it’s not just about moving side to side — it was designed with a rolling axis close to that of real riding conditions.

Kimura：Yes. It received good reviews, so I started making it seriously, left my job, and established the company in 2014.

Perhaps because of that, even now some people still think of GROWTAC as a roller manufacturer. It is often introduced as "famous for its unique rollers."

The meaning and identity of EQUAL

You left your job in 2014 to focus solely on GROWTAC, and recently the main focus has shifted to a series of parts called "EQUAL." So, what exactly is "EQUAL," and where does the name come from?

Kimura："EQUAL" comes from "Equal Pulley."

An Equal Pulley is a part that, if you remove the genuine pulley from a Campagnolo Ergopower lever and replace it with it, allows you to operate a Shimano drivetrain using Campagnolo levers. Enthusiasts call it a "god-tier part," and I imagine it was a highly unwelcome innovation for certain component manufacturers who insist on genuine parts, right?

Kimura：The parts brand EQUAL belongs to GROWTAC, and the concept of the EQUAL brand has not changed since the days of the Equal Pulley.

So, please tell us more about the "EQUAL concept."

Kimura：As a corporate team rider, during my career I experienced component model changes that increased the number of gears and eventually made some wheels incompatible, forcing me to deal with inconveniences. Due to support systems, when components change, existing assets can no longer be used.

For those with ample funds, it might be fine, but for regular users working within a limited budget, it’s tough. It’s like saying, "Next time, the components will be X-speed. There’s no compatibility, including wheels. Please replace everything."

Kimura：That’s right. It feels a bit unfair that users have to deal with such issues for the sake of manufacturers. It’s not very user-friendly. Looking back, in the days of W-levers, any derailleur could work with any number of gears, and mixing different components was fine. It was enjoyable and offered more freedom. These days, however, compatibility restrictions by manufacturers limit choices and reduce flexibility. When I started feeling this kind of frustration, Campagnolo redesigned its levers for 11-speed. I noticed it looked easy to remove the pulley, and that’s when I decided to create the Equal Pulley.

The Equal Pulley was about more freedom and enjoyment, without being bound by manufacturers.

Kimura：That’s right. At that time, my thought was that each user should be able to build their bike with the parts they love. “EQUAL” comes from the mathematical symbol “=”, expressing the idea of making one’s passion and equipment equal. From a user’s perspective, the convenience of manufacturers doesn’t really matter.

Competition between manufacturers is of no concern to an individual user, right.

Kimura：Exactly. Manufacturers keep changing standards. I can understand this in terms of equipment evolution and competition with rivals, and perhaps it’s a normal process. However, when there’s no choice between old and new, eventually no one will follow. Cyclists are not slaves. I felt strongly that GROWTAC must push forward the EQUAL concept. After all, sport cycling is a hobby. The cycling world should revolve around the riders, not the manufacturers. For that, we need parts that allow for a more open and balanced enjoyment, without being swayed by manufacturers’ or the industry’s profit-driven agendas.

The Equal Pulley started as a product name, but it eventually led to the EQUAL concept and the EQUAL brand, right.

Kimura：That’s right. The second product of the EQUAL brand was a　mechanical disc brake caliper. Originally, the control lever was supposed to come first, but development took considerably more time, so the caliper was released earlier. The timing also coincided well with the rise of disc brakes for road bikes, and it has been received quite favorably.

「We do not create grades.」

EQUAL has become a brand within the manufacturer GROWTAC, releasing products one after another such as brake calipers, pedals, wheelsets and hubs, and control levers. GROWTAC/EQUAL is gradually becoming more of a component manufacturer than just a parts maker. Components usually have grades, like Dura-Ace, 105, Super Record, or Chorus. But EQUAL still has no grades. Do you plan to introduce grades in the future?

Kimura：No, we will not establish grades for EQUAL. While differences in price may naturally arise as a result of designing products for different purposes, we do not intend to create distinct grades.

Is that so? From a business perspective, wouldn’t it make more sense to differentiate by grades?

Kimura：Traditional component lines always have grades, but that inevitably leads to a ranking competition — like, "You’re using 105?" "Oh, it’s Chorus." People using entry-level grades may lose pride. Having grades itself can feel like looking down on users. That’s why EQUAL will not have grades. From a business perspective, creating multiple grades and a kind of “someday crown” hierarchy might make sense, and I wouldn’t say that’s wrong, but EQUAL will not go that route. For example, we might release two types of brake calipers, like “for racing” and “for touring/gravel,” but both would be purpose-specific flagships. There would be no higher or lower grade.

Lack of choice and being judged by grades — now that you mention it, that might indeed be true.

Kimura：People who use EQUAL’s mechanical calipers today take real pride in them. It’s not like using some low-grade part and saying, “This is all I could afford.” Most of them consciously choose EQUAL. But if someone says, “I like Tiagra, and I chose it on purpose,” it might sound like an excuse — even if that’s genuinely how they feel.

That’s because manufacturers and the media have conditioned customers to think that way. It’s not a healthy environment. With EQUAL products, riders are no longer bound by brands or grades. From here on, we’ll keep creating parts that people can say they chose not for the price, but for the performance and value — parts they can truly take pride in using.

Looking only at the products, some might think EQUAL is just a “fun parts brand,” but there’s actually a clear vision behind it.

Kimura：What we really aim to do with EQUAL is to “democratize the bicycle.” Most major manufacturers pursue a high-spec supremacy — a kind of class system built on spec-based hierarchy. But EQUAL stands for a more democratic approach, where personal values and enjoyment come first. To promote this “bicycle democracy,” we believe components should be defined by purpose, not by grade. I’m not saying every product has to follow that idea, but right now, there are far too few options like that.

So by “democratization,” you mean shifting away from the current manufacturer-driven model toward one that reflects how users think and enjoy cycling, right?

Kimura：Exactly. I want to return the power to the users and the shops. There are so many frame makers out there — and just as many producing wheels, handlebars, and stems. But when it comes to components, there are surprisingly few. Even though components are the core of a sport bike, the number of players is extremely limited. In a way, cyclists around the world might be controlled by just a handful of people at the top of the two or three major component manufacturers. That situation just feels wrong to me (laughs). In a market dominated by a few brands with a class-based mindset, I think having at least one brand like EQUAL — one that embraces a more democratic philosophy — could really help riders who feel a bit out of place with the current values. I’d be happy if those people chose EQUAL.

Many people nowadays probably feel uneasy about the “unconditional standard changes and sudden updates” in the industry.
For example: 12-speed drivetrains, electrification, disc brakes, hydraulic systems…

Kimura：I think so. Users’ “right to choose” and their “right to use equipment carefully and for a long time” are increasingly being taken away. That said, I’m not claiming that EQUAL is the only correct way. The image is something like this (see diagram below). Among the wide variety of customer needs, major manufacturers cover the large central area. They play an important role in supporting sport cycling. But the needs of more unconventional users, like me, are at the edges, and they are hardly addressed. It would be great if those people chose EQUAL. Since we’re not aiming for a huge business, we’re just targeting a small part at the corners (laughs).

You’re not saying that aero or electronic hydraulic disc components are unnecessary, right? They’re a valid direction in the evolution of road bikes, and there are people who actually need them.

Kimura：Exactly. That’s right. Aero, hydraulic discs, integrated handlebars—these are all necessary equipment for those who find value in them. But for people who don’t, they’re completely unnecessary. Right now, users and shops have no sovereignty; everything is manufacturer-driven, leaving no room for personal decision-making, and people end up spending more and more. The development costs to create a top-grade, lightweight aero bike are reflected even in the prices of entry- to mid-level grades, so it’s like “let’s all share the burden.” Sure, having fully internal cables makes the bike sleeker and reduces air resistance, which is great if you value that performance—but for those who don’t, it just makes setting up the position harder, maintenance takes longer, you pay unnecessary labor costs, and you’re forced to buy overpriced parts. You could say, “My right to choose my equipment is being taken away, and I’m being exploited by top-grade products.”

The Mission of EQUAL

Hearing a concept like “democratization without creating hierarchies” might give the impression that performance isn’t a focus, but GROWTAC is actually extremely particular about performance, right?

Kimura：Of course. Performance is a top priority. Sport bikes are designed specifically for putting in effort and riding at speed, and to enjoy that, performance is essential. No matter how much you resonate with the concept, if the ride quality or performance is poor, you won't feel like using it, and you won't have any pride in it. That's why statements like "It's heavy because it's compatible with everything" or "It can do anything but is hard to use" should be minimized. I grew up in the competitive cycling world, and since EQUAL is built on the foundation of sport bikes, I care about specs and I don't want to compromise on performance or ride feel. Even with the EQUAL calipers, I wanted to break away from the notion that "because it's mechanical, the pull is heavy and it doesn't brake well."

So, what’s next for EQUAL components?

Kimura：We will continue to stick to the same concept without wavering. We don’t have many products yet, but we will provide parts that align with the concept.

So that means, after brakes, pedals, wheels, and levers, what’s the next component…?

Kimura:We realized we need to make a derailleur. Initially, we didn’t plan to touch derailleurs at all, since many manufacturers already make a variety of them. I thought it would be better to let people choose from those options, but then the conversation shifted to "We’re going to stop making mechanical derailleurs," so we figured we have to step in. So, we’re thinking of a single rear derailleur that can work with any gear ratio and any number of speeds. Making such a derailleur would make it easier to build bikes exactly how you want. Another focus is a next-generation mechanical shifting system. Based on the EQUAL control lever, we plan to provide a dedicated rear derailleur and propose it as the future standard for mechanical shifting. While electronic shifting is becoming more common, there are still plenty of people who prefer mechanical. In that case, mechanical systems need to be updated too. Otherwise, mechanical shifting in sports bikes could disappear entirely.

You're still coming up with weird ideas, huh (laughs).

Kimura:Considering the current trend of component manufacturers all moving toward electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes, it's clear that our "right to choose our equipment" and "right to use the equipment we like for a long time" will be even more limited. We'll create components as an alternative choice. Also, by continuing to make such parts, when major manufacturers see users building bikes that express their individuality using EQUAL components, they might realize, "There are people like this," and "Not everyone behaves the way we want," and they may start paying attention to that.

…I see.

Kimura:They might think, "These people seem to be enjoying their bikes, but none of our parts are on them." EQUAL products offer a lot of freedom, which might mean putting some responsibility on the users for choices and adjustments, but we don’t want a world dominated by the three major component manufacturers like it is now. For that reason, someone needs to provide options and leave room for choice. That’s why there’s also a sense of mission.
:Wouldn’t it be great if, as a result, the enjoyment of cycling became more diverse worldwide and each individual could be respected for their own choices