Scicon Sports, commonly styled as SCICON Sports, is an Italian cycling-performance brand best known for its bike travel bags, bicycle luggage, performance eyewear, and cycling apparel. Founded in 1980 near Bassano del Grappa, Italy, the company originally focused on solving a very practical problem: how cyclists could safely transport their bicycles when travelling by air. Over more than four decades, Scicon evolved from a specialist bike-bag manufacturer into a global performance-cycling brand. 1

The current headquarters are listed by Scicon as ASG International S.r.l., Via dell’Industria 9, 36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy. 2

1980 — Foundation

Scicon’s story began in a small garage near Bassano del Grappa, one of Italy’s historic cycling-industry regions. Luciano and Claudio Fantin registered SCICON in 1980 with the objective of designing equipment that would allow cyclists to transport their bicycles safely by airplane.

This original problem-solving approach became central to the company’s identity: rather than beginning as a conventional bicycle manufacturer, Scicon concentrated on the equipment surrounding the bicycle and the cyclist.

1982 — Bikepacking

Scicon expanded beyond simple bicycle transportation and introduced bicycle touring bags designed to attach to luggage racks and handlebars. This marked an early move into what would now broadly be described as bikepacking and cycling travel equipment.

1984 — Francesco Moser and the Aerocomfort

One of the important early moments in Scicon’s history came through its relationship with Italian cycling star Francesco Moser.

Scicon developed an Aerocomfort bicycle travel bag with Moser for his trip to Mexico City for his hour-record attempt. Moser subsequently established a world hour record of 51.151 km/h.

This relationship established a pattern that would become important to the brand: developing products with elite athletes and using professional cycling as a real-world testing environment.

1989 — Hard bicycle travel cases

Scicon presented what it describes as the world’s first hard-sided bike travel case for road bicycles at EICMA in Milan.

The case was designed specifically around road-bike geometry and incorporated dedicated wheel compartments. 3

This was a significant development because bicycle transportation was becoming an increasingly important consideration for professional cyclists, triathletes and serious amateurs travelling to races.

1992 — Direct-mount saddlebag system

Scicon introduced a bracket system that allowed a saddlebag to attach directly to the saddle, eliminating the need for conventional straps.

This illustrates one of the company’s recurring design philosophies: reducing inconvenience for cyclists through bike-specific engineering.

2001 — Expansion of the product range

Scicon relaunched and updated its Aerocomfort travel bag and expanded its range to more than 30 products.

The company’s products increasingly covered different cycling disciplines, including:

• Road cycling
• Triathlon
• Mountain biking
• Cycling travel
• Bicycle luggage
• Accessories

2005 — Aerotech Evolution

Scicon introduced the Aerotech Evolution, an updated hard bicycle travel case based on the company’s earlier design.

According to Scicon, the case weighed approximately 11 kg while emphasizing protection, practicality and portability. The company also patented the product’s silhouette and developed a specialized ABS material for the case.

The Aerotech line became one of the most recognizable products associated with Scicon.

2011 — ASG Group investment

A major corporate milestone came in 2011, when the ASG Group became the company’s principal shareholder.

Scicon credits this change with helping drive its international expansion.

This period represents the transition from Scicon being primarily an Italian specialist supplier into a more globally oriented sporting-goods brand.

2013 — Professional cycling recognition

By 2013, Scicon had established itself as a major name in professional cycling travel equipment.

The company specifically highlights professional riders including Fabian Cancellara, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan among athletes who travelled with Scicon bags.

This professional association became an important part of Scicon’s positioning: the brand was no longer simply selling bicycle bags, but presenting its products as equipment used by athletes competing at the highest level.

2017 — Cycling apparel

Scicon expanded further into cycling clothing, investing in its own custom-clothing production in Northern Italy.

This represented another step away from being solely a luggage company toward becoming a broader cycling-performance brand.

Entry into sports eyewear

One of the biggest changes in Scicon’s modern history was its move into performance eyewear.

2018 — First performance eyewear

Scicon developed its first sports-performance sunglasses in connection with the Riviera Water Bike Challenge. The product-development relationship involved Gareth Wittstock and the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation’s event.

2019 — Eyewear becomes a major business

Scicon officially entered the sports-eyewear market in 2019.

The company subsequently developed a range of performance sunglasses aimed particularly at cycling and endurance sports.

This was strategically important because eyewear allowed Scicon to compete in a much larger and more visible part of the performance-sports market.

Professional cycling is central to Scicon’s modern brand identity.

The company has supplied or been associated with numerous elite cyclists and teams. Its own history lists riders such as:

• Francesco Moser
• Mario Cipollini
• Marco Pantani
• Miguel Indurain
• Paolo Bettini
• Tom Boonen
• Chris Froome
• Alberto Contador
• Vincenzo Nibali
• Peter Sagan
• Tadej Pogačar

Scicon’s philosophy is strongly based on obtaining feedback from athletes at races and using that feedback to refine or create products. The company says this athlete-driven approach has been part of its development process since its early years.

Tadej Pogačar and the UAE connection

Scicon’s modern visibility has been particularly connected to Tadej Pogačar and the UAE Team Emirates ecosystem.

The company states that its eyewear has been worn by Pogačar during major victories, including the Tour de France victories of 2020, 2021 and 2024, as well as his 2024 Giro d’Italia victory. Scicon also states that its eyewear has been associated with more than 500 WorldTour races.

Scicon’s professional-team associations have included teams such as:

• UAE Team Emirates
• NTT Pro Cycling Team
• Israel Cycling Academy / Israel-Premier Tech
• Astana
• BikeExchange-Jayco

This relationship with elite cycling is an important component of Scicon’s marketing strategy because its products are positioned as equipment developed for — and tested by — professional athletes.

Today, Scicon is considerably broader than a bicycle-bag manufacturer.

1. Bike travel bags

This remains the category most closely associated with the company’s heritage.

Scicon currently offers travel solutions for:

• Road bikes
• Triathlon bikes
• MTB
• Gravel bikes
• Bicycle wheels
• Frame protection
• Airline travel

Its range includes both soft travel bags and hard cases.

Aerocomfort

The Aerocomfort family represents Scicon’s lightweight soft-bike-travel-bag philosophy.

The idea is to provide significant bicycle protection without requiring the rider to completely disassemble the bicycle.

This is particularly attractive to racers and frequent travellers because packing speed can be almost as important as protection.

Aerotech

The Aerotech range takes the opposite approach: rigid protection.

The Aerotech Evolution X TSA, for example, is designed as a hard travel case intended for situations where maximum protection during airline handling is a priority.

2. Performance eyewear

Eyewear is now one of Scicon’s most visible product categories.

Its range includes large, aerodynamic cycling sunglasses designed around:

• Wind protection
• Peripheral vision
• Optical clarity
• Aerodynamics
• Lightweight construction
• Interchangeable or specialized lenses
• Race-oriented ergonomics

Models such as Aerowing, Aeroshade and related performance designs have become strongly associated with the brand’s professional-cycling image.

3. Cycling apparel

Scicon also produces cycling clothing, including technical cycling apparel and bib-related products.

The company’s move into clothing began in 2017 when it invested in in-house custom production in Northern Italy.

4. Cycling accessories

The company’s broader catalogue includes products such as:

• Saddlebags
• Wheel bags
• Frame protection
• Travel accessories
• Bike-storage products
• Cycling luggage
• Other race and travel equipment

The common theme is mobility and performance around the bicycle, rather than bicycle components themselves.

Scicon’s design philosophy can be summarized as bike-specific problem solving.

Unlike a generic luggage manufacturer, Scicon designs many of its products around the physical dimensions and requirements of bicycles.

Its historical development demonstrates several recurring principles:

Protection

The original reason for Scicon’s existence was protecting bicycles during transportation.

Weight reduction

Especially in travel equipment, Scicon has consistently attempted to balance protection against weight.

Ease of use

Products such as the Aerocomfort bags are designed to minimize the amount of bicycle disassembly and simplify packing.

Athlete feedback

Scicon emphasizes direct interaction with professional cyclists as part of its product-development process.

Italian engineering

Although the brand is now global, its identity remains strongly connected with Northern Italy and the Italian cycling industry.

Scicon’s identity has changed considerably since its foundation.

Originally, the brand was primarily associated with bicycle transportation.

Today, it presents itself as a broader performance and lifestyle brand for cyclists, encompassing:

travel + eyewear + apparel + accessories

The company describes its modern identity around concepts including uniqueness, a winning mindset and redefining possibilities.

In 2023, Scicon introduced a new logo and visual identity created by Peter Yee, who is also associated with the design of Oakley’s famous “O” identity.

Scicon has expanded considerably beyond Italy.

The company says its products are available in more than 40 countries and lists international locations including:

• United States — San Diego
• Canada — Vancouver
• South Africa — Pretoria
• Australia — Melbourne

Its Italian headquarters includes facilities for product prototyping, technical clothing production and eyewear assembly.

LinkedIn currently lists Scicon Sports as a privately held sporting-goods company with headquarters in Mussolente, Vicenza, and an employee range of 51–200.

Scicon has also strengthened its association with the world’s most famous cycling race.

The company announced an official three-year product deal with the Tour de France, covering bike bags as well as limited-edition travel bags and accessories.

This is significant for the brand because the Tour de France provides exposure not only to professional cyclists but also to the enormous international cycling consumer market.

Scicon marked its 45th anniversary in 2025.

The company used the milestone to frame its history as a progression from its original bicycle travel bags in 1980 to its modern position in performance eyewear and cycling equipment.

If Scicon were summarized in a few defining characteristics, they would be:

1. Italian origins
It emerged from the Northern Italian cycling industry rather than from a general sporting-goods conglomerate.

2. Travel is its heritage
Its original purpose was solving the problem of transporting bicycles safely.

3. Professional-cycling credibility
Its products have been used by generations of elite cyclists.

4. Strong product engineering
The brand tends to develop products around specific cycling problems rather than simply adapting generic luggage or sports products.

5. Expansion into eyewear
The move into performance sunglasses transformed Scicon’s visibility and positioned it alongside established cycling-eyewear brands.

6. Globalization
Although distinctly Italian in origin, Scicon now operates internationally.

7. Premium positioning
Its products are generally positioned toward serious cyclists, racers, frequent travellers and performance-oriented consumers.

Scicon occupies an interesting position because it does not compete primarily as a bicycle manufacturer.

Instead, it sits around the bicycle ecosystem.

A simplified competitive landscape looks something like this:

Its closest competitors therefore depend on the product category. In bike travel, it competes with specialist luggage and bike-case manufacturers; in eyewear, it competes with brands such as Oakley, 100%, POC, KOO and other performance-sports eyewear companies.

As of 2026, Scicon can best be understood as a premium Italian performance-cycling equipment brand whose heritage is bicycle transportation and whose modern identity is increasingly centered on performance eyewear and the wider cycling lifestyle.

Its evolution can be represented as:

1980
Garage-based bicycle travel equipment

↓

1980s–2000s
Bike bags, cases and cycling accessories

↓

2010s
International expansion + professional cycling + apparel

↓

2019 onward
Performance eyewear becomes a major pillar

↓

2020s
Global performance-cycling brand associated with elite riders, major races and premium cycling products

That makes Scicon somewhat unusual in the cycling industry: it began by solving the problem of getting a bicycle to the race, and eventually became a brand whose products are worn and carried by the athletes at the race itself.

1. Scicon Sports
2. Official Scicon Sports website
3. Scicon Sports