Pedal into Peril: SRAM Unveils Major Cybersecurity Breach

Summary

• Chicago-based bicycle component maker SRAM shut down its wholesale ordering system and most of its IT systems in March 2025 after what it called a cybersecurity issue.
• Dealer ordering and the RockShox Trailhead suspension app were affected.
• SRAM says its AXS wireless system, which riders use to customize drivetrains and other parts, was not affected.
• A company spokesman declined to say whether SRAM was hacked or held for ransom.
• SRAM has hired outside specialists to investigate and told customers on March 27 that its systems had been restored.

What SRAM Has Confirmed

SRAM, whose parts are fitted to bikes sold around the world, is investigating an IT systems outage that forced it to take key systems offline last month. A company spokesman told Bicycle Retailer and Industry News that SRAM shut down the affected areas and closed access to most of its IT systems as a precaution. Outside experts are helping restore secure access to the company’s networks.

Dealers and Riders Hit

For bike shops, the most visible effect was on ordering. SRAM said the outage hit dealer ordering and the RockShox Trailhead app, and both have returned to normal operations. Riders using AXS saw no disruption, the company said.

What SRAM Isn’t Saying

SRAM has not said whether the incident was a ransomware attack or whether any customer or employee data was taken. The spokesman declined to comment on either point.

Not the First Cycling Brand Hit

The cycling industry has been targeted before. Distributor KHS lost its systems for about two weeks in 2020 and said a Russian group was behind it. Canyon and Garmin were both attacked that year, and JBI suffered a ransomware attack in 2021.

Recovery So Far

SRAM told customers on March 27 that its systems were back. The outside investigation is still under way.

Lessons for Other Manufacturers

Shutting systems down quickly can limit the damage from an intrusion, but it can also stop a business from taking orders. Manufacturers that sell through dealers should plan how orders will flow if core systems go offline, and should test that plan before they need it.

What Comes Next

For now, SRAM’s ordering systems are back. The bigger questions, what caused the outage and whether any data was exposed, remain open until the company finishes its investigation. Dealers and riders should watch for an update from SRAM and be wary of phishing emails that use the incident as bait.

Frank Jones, CISSP

Frank Jones has loved computers from the age of 13. Frank got his hacking career started when he downloaded a war dialing program that he used to detect dial up modems in his hometown of Chicago. Frank Jones now works as a JAVA coder and cyber security researcher.