Timeless design in time
The name Monark was chosen to create an association to something royal, something out of the ordinary.
Monark’s origin comes from the little village of Hunnestad near Varberg in the southern Swedish county of Halland. Here, an 18-year-old Swede named Birger Svensson, started a village store from which the Monark bicycle originated. Birger began by assembling and selling bicycles at this small store, but as time passed the business grew into a company manufacturing the parts used to make the bicycles.
Over the years, Monark has been associated with motorised vehicles such as mopeds and motorbikes, products that have required considerable technical expertise and strict quality assurance procedures. Monark became associated with quality. Around the mid-1950s, Monark scored many victories in major bicycle races in Sweden; soon, sport and racing became part of the brand.
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Iconic design
Sweden's best-selling bicycle model is a story in itself. Karin's oldest and most classic frame type is the basis for Karin. The original version, with the characteristic curved frame, was created over a hundred years ago. The tradition of giving personal names to bicycle models became Monark's hallmark from the 1930s onwards. Most often, these names had a connection to the royal family. From the 1950s, the bikes began to resemble today's Karin. The first time the name Karin is used is in 1999, but it would be a few more years before they started production in limited edition variants.
In May 1971, Gösta "Fåglum" Pettersson pedaled through the three-week stage race Giro D'Italia, one of three bicycle races included in the Grand Tour. On his Monarch, he became the first Swede to win the race, a title he still holds.
