Over their brief two and half years in the bike game, Burlington, Vermont-based Budnitz Bicycles has released a wide range of some of the most high-performance bikes on the market. Specializing in titanium, cantilevered frames,…
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In a little over two years since launching, Budnitz Bicycles have carved out an impressive niche for themselves within the greater bicycle community. They’ve mastered the city bike. Each model—from the titanium step-through and beefy 29er, to our very own collaboratively designed…
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Since its inception in summer 2011, Budnitz Bicycles has garnered a notable following amongst design and cycle enthusiasts alike for their precision-built titanium bikes. Following in the tracks of their first four frame designs, today we see the release of the
Fix a flat and open a beer at the same time with Budnitz Bicycles’ new titanium tool
Combining a trifecta of our own personal passions—minimalist design, bicycles and beer—is the newly released Beer Wrench from Budnitz Bicycles. The pocket-sized tool features a 15mm wrench to remove axle bolts on one end, and a bottle opener on the other, and secures to most bicycles’ water bottle cage mount with two easily removable thumb-screws. Made by the company that put super simple, titanium bicycles on the map, each wrench is machined from aerospace-grade titanium to cut weight down to an ultra-light 35 grams.
While designed specifically to fit any standard axle bolt, the 15mm wrench is also compatible with Shimano’s Afline internal hub bolts and Pitlock spindle keys. Plus, the simple engraving on the bottle opener—”The road is the destination”—may just help to ease the inevitable frustration of fixing a flat. Find the Beer Wrench directly from Budnitz Bicycles online for $38.
Our interview with Paul Budnitz on the release of his third model
Just eight months after the debut of his eponymous bicycle line, Paul Budnitz has once again put his legendary design abilities to good use with the release of Budnitz Bicycles‘ third model. Sporting massive 29-inch wheels, a silent Gates carbon belt drivetrain and the trademarked cantilever frame engineered to absorb road shock and improve handling, No. 3 is your dream city cruiser.
Sharing the same stunning silhouette and clean lines as its titanium predecessors, No. 3 takes a welcomed step towards accessibility with a lower price tag and a more badass vibe (though No. 1 and No. 2 still command waiting-list status at prices climbing over $5,000). We recently caught up with the former Kidrobot founder to talk about his latest designs, the transition from titanium to stainless and to learn just what it is about Budnitz Bicycles that keeps them in such high demand.
When I set out to design the new model No.3 as the ultimate urban bicycle, I had to think differently from what I’d already done with the earlier models. I asked myself, what will the new bikes have that the others don’t? What would make me want to own all of my bikes?
If you look at our bicycle models as a whole, you’ll see there’s very little overlap. The idea is that there’s a reason to own each of our bikes, and we have several customers that have one of each, in the same way I have an iPhone, iPad, Powerbook, they each serve specific functions. Steve Jobs continues to be a role model for me.
When I was drawing up the jet-black model No. 3 I had a picture of a vintage Rudge motorcycle on my wall. The Rudge is a pre-war British big-engine motorcycle that only came in one color—gloss black—with few logos and precise detailing. There’s a whole Rudge culture. Riders were encouraged to take a lot of breaks, to stop every hour or so and look at the landscape and have a smoke. I just love that.
You see the visual influence in No. 3’s jet-black frame and titanium badges. The “ride slow on a fast bike” concept is built into our company philosophy, too.
We’ve also got a new bicycle coming soon, the more minimal No. 4 was actually inspired by an oversized BMX bike that I saw my friend and collaborator Chad Phillips riding around a few years ago. It had smaller (but not too small) wheels and was just the perfect size for city living. You can ride No. 4 right into an elevator, or put it into a trunk of a cab or store it easily in a small apartment. But it’s not a tiny awkward folding bicycle, it has fat tires and a full-sized cockpit. It flies. Someone saw me riding the prototype around Brooklyn a few months ago and called No. 4 a Stingray on steroids.
Models No.1 and No. 2 are still only offered in titanium, they were designed around it. Titanium is the ultimate bicycle material, ultra-lightweight and compliant. It’s hard to beat. But only a few fabricators can work with it well, and it’s costly.
Stainless is just a wonderful material, light and strong and gorgeous. It never rusts and has a fantastic ride. Using stainless also allowed us to bring down the pricing a bit on No. 3 without sacrificing quality, which as I mentioned was one of my goals. I want more people on my bikes.
Well, No. 3 is just the ultimate all-around bicycle. You can’t beat big 29-inch wheels and two-inch tires for a fast, smooth ride, and it’ll roll over just about anything. And it looks elegant as hell.
It’s just so much fun to ride, you feel like a little kid—weaving in and out of traffic.
I designed all these bicycles for a specific purpose, so I use them all. I take my original model No.1 for longer rides, because it’s so crazy light and beautiful. No. 2 is what I use when I go riding for fun with my daughter. No. 3 is my go-to bike nowadays, because the big wheels are just so much fun—and also because it’s new, and I’m still having fun playing with it. I keep a No. 4 prototype at my place in New York City, and I use that one for travel, too.
Yes, our design philosophy is “Nothing Added”. The idea is create something perfect, something just right. This goes all the way down to the way the bicycles are engineered. If you don’t add functions and things people don’t need, you really can make a bicycle that will function immaculately, a frame that will last forever, and keep people excited about riding it. That’s the goal anyway.
The No.3 is now available directly from Budnitz Bicycles starting at $2,800.
Three standouts from this epic U.K. bike brand are now available in the USA
Best known outside of Europe for their freestyle adapted fixed-gear bicycles, U.K.-based Charge Bikes makes impeccably crafted bikes that are aesthetically and technically superior to most other bikes on the market. Contrary to what the hype may imply, Charge is actually deeply rooted in XC and dirt jump mountain biking, and have since been rapidly tackling the cyclocross scene with a range of impressive rides backed by some of the sport’s best athletes. Previously only sold in the U.K. and Japan, Charge has officially opened distribution in the United States, with bikes launching online and in shops over the following weeks.
New for their 2012 line is the Scissor, a beefed-up replacement of the Plug Freestyler, the bike that earned the brand a cult fixie following over the past five years. The only 29er freestyle fixed-gear on the market available as a complete bike—rather than being sold as a stand alone frameset—this tank was designed with input by fixed gear innovators Tom Lamarche and Ted James to withstand levels of abuse that would otherwise leave a bike in pieces. Using a more forgiving geometry with a longer and lower top tube, Tange Infinity seamless steel-butted tubing and custom laser-cut dropouts, the Scissor is described by Charge as “indestructible, simple and clean.”
After slimming down their fixed-gear line in an effort to broaden brand identity beyond the universal fixie scene, Charge has been pushing their latest achievements in cyclocross design. This is most evident with the line’s crown jewel, the titanium Freezer. This lightweight beast is sold exclusively as a frameset to serve as the backbone for the ultimate cross build. Highlights include a custom-machined headtube for an integrated headset and wishbone seatstays to help absorb canti-brake flex and add mud clearance.
With slightly more relaxed geometry to keep things comfortable and accommodate fenders and racks, the Filter Apex is a slightly tamer version of the Freezer. Currently the only cyclocross ready bike on the market that uses disk brakes, the Filter is a force to be reckoned with both on the course and on the streets. For performance it’s outfitted with SRAM Apex components and for strength it’s built with the finest Tange Prestige steel tubing.
The full line of Charge Bikes for 2012 includes titanium mountain bikes, beautiful urban commuters and a comprehensive range of parts from wheelsets to handlebars to grips. It will all be available to North America through Performance Bicycles in the next six weeks, with the Scissor and Filter Apex selling for $650 and $1350, respectively. Official prices for the Freezer are pending. Find a store near you or head over to Charge Bikes online for more information.
Snow Peak’s minimalist iPhone case solution
Having tried a few different iPhone cases, I was skeptical that any could offer protection without majorly detracting from the sleek form of the phone itself—much less one designed by a camping gear brand. But after shattering my second iPhone, it was time to get serious. The minimalist design of Snow Peak’s cover seemed to fit the bill.
Made from a single piece of titanium, it adds negligible weight and bulk, while incorporating a clip-in lanyard. The ability to hang your phone around your neck might seem like a nerd-level accessory (I’m also guilty of sporting eyeglasses chains on occassion), but the usefulness it lends, from biking with it to cooking and grocery shopping, makes it undeniably chic.
Most importantly, the clean design of Snow Peak’s case most closely matches the iPhone’s aesthetic. Though mine has suffered a few dings and scratches in the weeks I’ve been using it, the case looks like a seamless extension of the silver sides of the phone. For the logo-averse, it conceals the Apple logo, though it does mean I can’t check my lipstick in its mirrored surface.
Limited to an edition of 300 and on sale as of today, the case sells from Snow Peak for $120 each—no, titanium does not come cheap.
Titanium city bikes from the founder of Kidrobot
Kidrobot founder Paul Budnitz always has something new up his sleeve—Swatch watches being the latest cult object to which he’s applied his winning pop culture formula. But his newest project takes the entrepreneur in a direction pretty much free of all the saturated colors and vector graphics of Kidrobot. Launching today, Paul Budnitz Bicycles is his answer to the bike phenomenon. Disappointed with the offerings of the commuter market, Budnitz saw the need for a well-made, comfortable bicycle designed specifically for the design-conscious rider. Aiming to fill this gap, the all-titanium bikes have clean, sinuous lines and superior components, also chosen with an eye for looks.
One of the top American frame builders (“arguably the top Titanium frame maker in the world,” says Budnitz), Lynskey Performance, custom fabricates each piece by piece—from frame and fork to stem and bars. The cantilever frame absorbs more shock than traditional frames and titanium won’t rust or corrode. When the bikes get to Colorado, builders outfit each bike with a carbon Gates belt (to keep you clean and clear of chain problems), along with the finest top-end components from the like of Chris King and Phil Wood.
“Most high-end bicycle parts are actually pretty ugly,” Budnitz explains. “I was inspired by classic Aston Martins and ’80s-era Maseratis,” emphasizing his goal to create bikes that look timeless.
No.1, an unbelievably lightweight commuter (the frame is under 3.3 pounds), has a sleek look, defined by a split top tube elegantly forming a continuous arc by integrating into the seat stays. Designed to be a urban cyclist’s dream, it’s easy to imagine how this fast and agile machine will look equally great sprinting to the gym in L.A. or, as Budnitz did recently, cruising to a black-tie event in Amsterdam.
The second similarly lightweight model, No.2, has a more fun, relaxed feel, built more for ambling around town than for distance rides. What Budnitz calls a “BMX bike for adults,” fatter tires, a rear wheel that’s smaller than the front and softer frame geometry make for a ride that’s overall smoother than No.1. The different size tires mean the No.2 accelerates fast and holds its speed too.
Due to overwhelmingly positive on-street response to prototypes, the first run sold out even before the company’s official site launch. But the second production run is now available for order with an expected delivery date of Holiday 2011—if you have the $5,500 that they each cost. Add on another $750 if you want an 11-speed over a single-speed internal hub.
Après la souris Apple Magic Mouse, voici un nouveau coup de cœur pour ce design entièrement réalisé en titane et en résine de haute qualité, avec optique laser. Un travail de la société hollandaise “Intelligent Design” compatible Windows et Mac OS X. Plus d’images dans la suite.
Portfolio d’Intelligent Design / Prix annoncé : 800 euros
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