American Bicycle Group and Challenged Athletes Foundation Announce Partnership to Expand Access to Cycling for Athletes with Physical Disabilities

May 15, 2026

New collaboration connects CAF grant recipients with Quintana Roo, Obed and Litespeed bicycles while advancing a shared mission to remove barriers through sport

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn./ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – American Bicycle Group, parent company of Quintana Roo, Obed, and Litespeed, is working with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), expanding access to high-performance bicycles for athletes with physical disabilities through CAF’s grant program and adaptive sports community.

Through the partnership, American Bicycle Group will serve as a preferred bicycle supplier partner for CAF, providing special accommodations and discounted pricing on Quintana Roo, Obed, and Litespeed bikes for eligible CAF grant recipients. The collaboration reflects a shared belief that the right equipment can remove barriers, create opportunity, and help athletes return to movement, competition, and community through sport.

For 33 years, CAF has helped people with physical disabilities pursue active, athletic lives by providing grants for adaptive sports equipment, training, competition expenses, and mentorship. For many athletes, the cost of specialized equipment can be one of the biggest obstacles to participation. This partnership helps address that need by connecting CAF athletes with a bicycle manufacturer uniquely equipped to support a wide range of cycling disciplines, from triathlon and road riding to gravel and mountain biking.

“Access to the right equipment can be life-changing,” said Bob Babbitt, Co-founder of CAF. “American Bicycle Group understands that cycling is more than a sport. It is freedom, confidence, independence, and community. Their family of brands gives CAF athletes more pathways to ride, race, explore, and push their own limits, whether that is on the road, on the trails, or at the starting line of a major endurance event.”

American Bicycle Group is uniquely positioned to support CAF athletes because of the depth and versatility of its brands. Litespeed, known for its handcrafted titanium bicycles, provides CAF athletes access to engineers and machinists capable of building world class adaptive solutions with exceptional ride quality. Quintana Roo has long been a leader in triathlon and performance road cycling. Obed brings adventure-focused carbon bikes to gravel, all-road, and mountain riding.

“At American Bicycle Group, we believe every athlete deserves equipment that meets them where they are and helps take them where they want to go,” said Chris Pascarella, President and CEO of Quintana Roo/American Bicycle Group. “Sometimes very little needs to be changed. Our goal is always to get athletes on equipment that enables them to compete at parity. But when customization is needed, we have the facilities, expertise, and passion to support this community. We are proud to partner with CAF and help more athletes experience what is possible on a bike.”

The partnership is already coming to life through CAF’s cycling community and signature events. In March, CAF hosted its 14th Annual ROTH & CAF Social Sunday in conjunction with the ROTH Conference, raising more than $125,000 to expand access to adaptive sports. The event brought together cycling, movement and community in support of CAF’s mission and underscored the power of sport to connect people around purpose.

This week, the partnership will also be celebrated at the CAF-Idaho Adaptive Mountain Bike Apex Weekend, taking place May 14–17 in Boise, Idaho. The event brings together adaptive mountain bikers, volunteers, partners and community members for a weekend of skill-building, trail riding and connection. With Obed and Litespeed’s strength in gravel, all-road and mountain bike design, American Bicycle Group’s involvement creates a natural bridge between product innovation and real-world impact for athletes exploring the freedom of the trails.

One example of that impact is a custom bike currently being developed for CAF athlete Michael Andreasen, who is preparing to race the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Quintana Roo is modifying components to fit 4-foot-7-inch tall Andreasen on their flagship V-PRi triathlon bike at American Bicycle Group’s factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. “Fitting an athlete of Michael’s stature on the same high-performance frame our top pros are competing on ensures a level playing field where one did not exist before,” said Pascarella.

For CAF, the partnership represents more than access to bicycles. It is part of a larger mission to remove barriers so that more individuals with physical disabilities can get back into life through sport.

“Every grant has a ripple effect,” said Babbitt. “A bike can help someone train for a race, join a group ride, explore a trail, reconnect with friends or simply feel like themselves again. That is why partnerships like this matter. Together with American Bicycle Group, we are creating more opportunities for athletes to move forward.”

About American Bicycle Group/Quintana Roo

Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, American Bicycle Group (ABG) manufactures three brands of high-performance bikes – Quintana Roo (QR) triathlon and road bikes, wetsuits and swimskins; Obed carbon all-road, gravel and mountain bikes; and Litespeed titanium road, gravel and mountain bikes. With an over 36-year legacy, Quintana Roo has pioneered aerodynamic and technical innovations with athlete-first design for nearly four decades, earning a place in the top three triathlon brands by market share in the Americas, and a perennial top-10 placement in the IRONMAN World Championships bike count for two decades. For more information: quintanarootri.com, obedbikes.com and litespeed.com.

About Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation stands as a global leader in empowering individuals with physical disabilities to embrace active, athletic lives. CAF believes that participation in physical activity fosters self-esteem, encourages independence and enriches quality of life. Since 1994, CAF has raised more than $200 million and fulfilled 60,000 funding requests from people with physical disabilities across all 50 states and more than 73 countries, while impacting another 60,000 individuals annually through outreach, clinics, mentorship and community programs. From providing essential equipment like handcycles and adaptive bikes to offering mentorship and encouragement, CAF’s mission is clear: to provide opportunities and support to those who aspire to lead active, athletic lifestyles.

Contact:

Jay Prasuhn

Marketing Content Specialist

American Bicycle Group

jay.prasuhn@americanbicyclegroup.com