Stan Day co-founded SRAM in 1987, led as CEO for more than three decades, and now serves as chairman. The company’s first product, Grip Shift, came from a simple complaint he had while training for triathlons: reaching down to the frame to shift was slow. Moving the shifter to the handlebar turned out to suit mountain bikes perfectly, and it gave a small startup a foothold in the component business.
Under Day’s leadership SRAM went on to introduce the 1x drivetrain and AXS wireless shifting, two changes that altered how modern mountain bikes are built and ridden. Most riders on a current bike are using something that traces back to decisions Stan made.