Giant has long been one of cycling’s main catalysts for change. They have introduced lighter, stronger aluminum frames at a time when the industry standard was steel. They were first to make carbon fiber bikes widely available to the world. They have defined the look and feel of modern road racing bikes with their Compact Road technology. And they’ve revolutionized off-road performance bikes with Maestro Suspension.

The company was established in 1972 in Dajia, Taichung County in Taiwan (now part of Taichung City), by King Liu and several friends.[who?] A major breakthrough came in 1977 when their chief executive, Tony Lo, negotiated a deal with Schwinn to begin manufacturing bikes as an OEM, manufacturing bicycles to be sold exclusively under other brand names as a private label.

As bike sales increased in the U.S., and after workers at the Schwinn plant in Chicago went on strike in 1980, Giant became a key supplier, making more than two-thirds of Schwinn bikes by the mid-1980s, representing 75% of Giant’s sales. When Schwinn decided to find a new source and in 1987 signed a contract with the China Bicycle Company to produce bikes in Shenzhen, Giant, under new president Bill Austin (formerly vice-president marketing at Schwinn), established its own brand of bicycles to compete in the rapidly expanding $200-and-above price range.

In 1984, Giant also set up a joint venture, “Giant Europe”, with Andries Gaastra of Dutch bicycle manufacturer Koga-Miyata.[2] In 1992, Gaastra sold his shares back, and Giant became a full shareholder of Giant Europe.