Brooklyn Bicycle Company, is a

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

company based in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a Neighborhoods in Brooklyn, neighborhood in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the s ...

, New York, that was founded by Ryan Zagata in 2011, as Brooklyn Cruiser.

Background and founding

Zagata, who had previously worked in the software industry, was inspired to design the bicycles after his move to Brooklyn and subsequent infatuation with the borough left him wanting to explore more of the neighborhood. The final push to start the company occurred during a trip to

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

where he saw utility bicycles being used to transport vast amounts of goods. His first design, the Brooklyn Cruiser, was offered for sale in August 2011, and was deliberately designed to function as a city bicycle for urban everyday use, unlike the off-road

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

or the

road bicycle The term road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle. Other sources specifically exclude racing bicycles from the definition, using the term to mean a ...

. In 2012,

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

named the Brooklyn Cruiser one of "the coolest commutes on two wheels". The company proved very successful, with one million dollar plus revenue projected for 2013. In 2013, two new models were launched titled Franklin and Bedford. Brooklyn Bicycle Co. moved into more versatile models in 2016 with the release of their Lorimer women’s hybrid bike and Roebling men’s hybrid bike. As of 2017, there are eight different collections to choose from.

Design and reception

The bicycles have been showcased as fashionable options in publications such as ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' where in 2012, a "Willow blue" bike was presented as an ideal match for a Thakoon Panichgul dress. In 2013 a limited edition red Brooklyn Cruiser was selected by the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

for sale through their shop. The 2013 model, designed in collaboration with Grant Petersen (of

Rivendell Bicycle Works Rivendell Bicycle Works is a producer of lugged steel bicycle frames, located in Walnut Creek, California, United States. Rivendell frames, both custom and stock bicycles are designed in the U.S. by Grant Petersen. Bicycles are manufactured in the ...

) was influenced by

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

's 1950s bicycles. In 2016, Bicycle Magazine named the Wythe one of the year's Best City Bikes, and in that same year The Coolist listed the Wythe as one of the Best Commuter Bikes.

References

External links

Official website
* Bicycle framebuilders 2011 establishments in New York City American companies established in 2011 Companies based in Brooklyn Manufacturing companies based in New York City Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2011 Cycle manufacturers of the United States {{NYC-stub

Background and founding

Design and reception

See also

References

External links