The exhibition Lauf / Bike Ride is currently on display at the Museum of Design and Applied Art, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the journey of the Icelandic company Lauf Cycles – rom its earliest ideas in a garage in Grafarvogur to becoming an international bicycle manufacturer. The exhibition runs from May 5 to October 4, 2026.
The exhibition traces the company’s history through the development of its groundbreaking suspension fork and bicycles that have gained international recognition. Visitors are given insight into the design process, prototypes, technological innovations, and the challenges involved in building an Icelandic innovation company in a highly competitive market.
The aim of the exhibition is to highlight how good design, perseverance, and creative thinking can take an Icelandic company from prototype to international success. It therefore offers a unique look into one of Iceland’s most noteworthy design and innovation projects of recent years.
The mountain bike Elja, designed and manufactured by Lauf, received the Icelandic Design Awards 2025 in the Product of the Year category. The exhibition follows this recognition and showcases the innovation and design excellence that have characterized the company’s work. The awards jury emphasized how the bicycle combines technological innovation, outstanding design, and sustainable thinking in a single product.
Lauf Cycles was founded in 2011 by Benedikt Skúlason and Guðbergur Björnsson, and first became part of the investment portfolio of the New Business Venture Fund Kría in 2019. The company has established a distinctive position through its innovative use of carbon fiber and its simple yet highly effective design philosophy, combining engineering, user experience, and aesthetics.
