Thursday, November 1, 2007

BSNYC Interview: Mission Bicycles

(The Mission Bicycle--yours for nine-fiddy.)

Recently I received a number of emails from readers in a short period of time informing me of a new company called Mission Bicycles. I checked out their website and learned that "the Mission Bicycle is a light steel frame fixed gear bike with high quality components, a custom paint job, no visible branding, and a price point of $950." This struck me as being rather audacious. I mean, $950 can buy you a lot of bike. How much bike was this? Like a vice cop trying to bust a bunch of johns, I wanted to know where these guys got off. So I emailed John Adams, who was gracious enough to agree to an interview. I immediately flew first class to San Francisco, had some great Mexican food, flew back to New York and emailed him some frank questions. His answers follow. Thanks to the guys at Mission Bicycles for being forthright, and thanks as always for reading.

(As with the Aerospoke interview, yes, this is a real interview; yes, it is different than what you usually find here; and no, I didn't receive any product or compensation for this. Having interviewed an established company in the context of the fixed-gear trend I think it's interesting to hear from an upstart company too, and hopefully you'll agree. Hyperlinks in the interview are theirs and I maintained them at their request.)

Who is Mission Bicycles?


Mission Bicycles is only a month old. We (John Adams, Matt Cheney, Zack Rosen, and Josh Koenig) had all talked a bit about starting ths business for some time but really got serious about everything right before Interbike in late September this year. We have been scrambling for the past few weeks designing and sourcing our first model, got our first prototype together last week (pictures), and are processing our first orders this week.

At this stage we're really just trying to build reliable and beautiful bicycles for our friends. Next month we will have a large run assembled and we will see how much interest there is in them from the outside world. We'll be blogging on our website throughout and would love to hear from anyone with questions, comments, and substantive (or at least witty) criticism.

What are your backgrounds as cyclists? How and when did you first start riding? What kind of riding do you do now?

John: I started racing in regional BMX races when I was twelve and raced through the junior ranks in road and MTB. In 2000 and 2001, I got into Cyclocross and competed in the several SuperCup series races. I also competed in several collegiate races and served as vice president of the University of Cincinnati Cycling Team. I recently raced in Godzulla (Godzulla.com) and the Ault Park summer crit series (QCW.org) in Cincinnati prior to moving out to San Francisco last summer. Mission Bicycles has kept me pretty busy, but I'm looking into building out a cyclocross bicycle and will probably head out and compete in a few races. They have an amazing crit series out here.

Matt: I stripped down my first bicycle and rattle-canned it hot pink and neon green during junior high school. Since I moved out to San Francisco a couple years back, I have been doing a lot of city riding and currently roll around on my converted and customized green and purple fixie.

Zack: I started biking in San Francisco out of necessity a few years ago on a crappy hybrid I had until my garbage man mistakenly threw it away. On a whim I replaced it with a stock track bike I picked up from Pedal Revolution last year and discovered how much fun cycling is on a bike that fits and suits me.

Josh: I grew up on bikes in pedal-friendly Eugene, Oregon, but didn't start really identifying as a rider until I moved to New York City in the late 90s, where I immediately fell head-first into the outlaw style and cowboy culture of the city's boisterous bike scene, bringing most of my friends along for the trip. Since then I've gone through a number of rigs (and locks), but currently I reside in hilly, remote, gravel-strewn Humboldt County, cruising the Pacific hill-shores on a Surly Crosscheck -- which incidentally does very well with slicks on city trips too.

What is your professional experience in the bicycle industry? Outside of the bicycle industry?

John: I started working as a mechanic in a local bike shop, Bishop's Bicycles, when I was in high school. In 2000 I helped my friend Jason Reser get Reser Bicycle Outfitters off the ground in Cincinnati and helped run the shop over the last seven years. I helped with just about everything involved in getting a bike shop up and running: setting up the retail space, managing inventory, sales, marketing, and services. Outside of the industry I'm a trained graphic designer.
Matt, Zack, and Josh founded and run a successful San Francisco based consulting firm called Chapter Three which works primarily on socially motivated projects using open source technology. They have a lot of collective experience in designing products and working with customers and through their consulting business are financing Mission Bicycles.

What other bike companies or builders do you admire?

John: For bike companies I would have to say Principia and Bontrager (defunct). I just love the design and engineering behind Principia frames. Bontrager, made awesome steel bikes with a very innovative approach to early MTB construction. To this day my all-time favorite bike is a Bontrager CX. For custom builders, we're huge fans of Matt Chester and local steel-genius Eman. Eman hasn't been at it that long but I've never seen anything like the frames he's been building, they are truly stunning. In a perfect world everyone would ride around on frames made by these guys.

Can you give me more details about the frame? Where is it made? Is the tubing butted?

The frame is straight-gauge chromoly steel designed by a US company and manufactured overseas.

This is a San Francisco-bred bike. It can be pretty wet there. How come no braze-ons or fender eyelets?

It's a slippery slope. A fender eyelet here, a brake mount there, and pretty soon you'll end up with with 27 gears, lazy-boy geometry, and both of your Docker pant flaps pinned down by reflective yellow ankle bracelets. You can always toss a seat post mount or clip on fender if you're really in trouble.

Who are your customers and how do you see them using these bikes?

Right now our customers are our friends. They are young professionals living in the city that are looking for a dependable and great looking bike to ride around San Francisco. They have varying degree of experience and proficiency as mechanics, but for the most part would rather not have to deal with assembling their own bicycles. Some day we hope to open a retail store in the Mission in which we would also sell our bikes as well as parts and accessories to anyone who needed them, including DIY'ers who, for example, just need the hubs, rims, spokes and nipples to build up a set of wheels.

When and where will the bicycles be available?

We sold out our first run of bikes in November and are currently taking pre-orders for our second run of bikes in December. The bikes are sold both through our website and out of our shop in San Francisco. The first bikes will be in our customer's hands around Thanksgiving.

Can you explain how the "artist designed vinyl decal kit" works?

Certainly. Instead of pasting our branding all over the bikes they will be shipping with artist designed decal "kits". We are working with a number of local graphic designers to design patterns that will be cut out of colorful vinyl and can be placed on bikes by our customers like fancy stickers rated to last 5+ years. We will also give out blank sheets of decal material so they can design and cut their own. If any designers are interested in working on this project the details are posted here.

You're entering a crowded and competitive marketplace. What sets your bike apart from all of the other off-the-rack fixed-gears, specifically the Swobo Sanchez, which is also designed with a "blank canvass" philosophy?

There are plenty of ~$600 off-the-rack "blank slate" starter bikes like the Sanchez available that can be easily ripped apart and rebuilt with better, fancier, and more customized parts by their owners. Of course, this kind of customization takes some time, can cost a lot to pick up the right parts piece meal at retail shops, and requires some amount of bike mechanic experience to put it all together.

Mission Bicycles are instead designed during the ordering process and built to our customer's specifications. Our thinking is there are plenty of people out there that want a high quality, beautiful bicycle custom designed for them and would rather pay more up front instead of buying a cheaper bike and rebuilding it with purchased parts and their own labor.

Your bike costs $950. Isn't that a lot of money for a bike like this? Bikes like the Sanchez, the Pista, the Langster, the 925, etc. all retail for hundreds less, and quite frankly I'm not sure why your frame and component spec warrants the higher price. What am I missing?

The selling point of our bike is the ability to customize it as you order and easily create an unique and great looking bicycle. During the ordering process you can pick the color to powder coat the frame and mix and match the color combinations on their components. We deliver the product without visible branding (we don't plastering our logo all over the bicycles) and we offer vinyl decal design kits produced by local artists that can be applied to further personalize the bicycle.

Additionally, compared to other stock fixed gear bicycles on the market, each Mission Bicycle comes with the Deep V wheel-sets (that run for $100 more than generic) and a standard front brake ($50). Not to mention the powder coating ($150 retail in SF) or the seat, seat post, and drive train that are a cut above the quality of the components you will find on a stock fixie. We did a lot of cost comparisons for these parts and this type of bike customization in and around San Francisco and are confident it represents a fair and competitive price.

What kind of warranty do you offer?

We don't have an official warranty plan in place yet. By the time we start shipping bikes we will offer one that is comparable to local bike shops.

Will riding without a hooded sweatshirt, colored chain or top tube pad void the warranty?

We are consulting with our legal team on this one. Likely we would probably need to know a little bit more about the musical tastes, coffee shop preferences, ironical abilities, and jean size of each rider before passing final judgement.

What are your goals going forward? Would you like to offer different bicycle models? Components? Accessories?

We started this business to make beautiful bicycles for ourselves and our friends to ride around San Francisco. We would like to see more people riding their beautiful fixed gear bikes to work or school everyday. We have big dreams of opening a retail store in San Francisco. We also have started thinking about what a lower-cost simplified version of our bike that stores could carry would look like.

Do you see fixed-gear bicycles remaining as popular as they are now? Where do you see this whole thing going?

It's hard to predict where things are going, but there is some amount of anecdotal evidence that commuting on bikes picking up in some major US cities. It's pretty apparent amongst the younger population in San Francisco (yes, including a lot of hipsters). At the same time, in our view, the most interesting and desirable bikes on the road are not the ones being sold in stores, they are the hand assembled fixed gear bikes being built by hobbyists. True, there are a lot of hilarious tragic abominations out there, but ultimately it seems like there is an increasing number of kids excited about biking and excited about their bikes -- and that's awesome.

143 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

First? Sorry, had to do that just once. I'll grow up now. Sort of.

Anonymous said...

podium

Clayton said...

this is fantastic news! i only need to save several hundred more dollars to get a "blank slate" and custom decals. i'm sure i'll love the better-than-the-others stock parts, too. at least i hope i will.

Clayton said...

also, how long before we see these on craigslist for $949, with "a few miles and oury grips."

Strayhorn said...

I've been in the PR biz for about 20 years now, and I'll have to admit these guys give good promo.

And they build bikes too?

Doctor Who said...

I was just happy to see mention of Godzulla, the hardest race in the Midwest. Raced it twice before I moved from the 'Nati, and I'm coming back home this February to race it again.

That's all I got.

Jim said...

Nice enough looking bikes. Shoulda called it the Skogswell. Or the pIRO. Yeah, I know, my jokes are derivative. They aren't the only thing.

Guess I'm getting old. I kinda like fender (/rack) mounts and brakes, along with comfortable handlebars.

Anonymous said...

Leroy is the Oscar Pereiro of the BSNYC Comments page.

Anonymous said...

But they come with Deep Vs!!!

If there were an Aerospoke option, I would order one RIGHT NOW...

Anonymous said...

OK that bike is awful... If you want to custom build your bike from a cheap frame then do it yourself... Why pay these guys to do it for you? As far as the bike goes, while your busy impressing everyone with your deep V's all you have to look at is that $2.00 stem that looks like an aluminium booger collector. Not to mention... if you goys liked your friends you might want to put toe clips on those pedals with gearing like that otherwise they might bloody up their $950 "clean slate"

MINGUStheMECHANIC said...

BSNY- nice change of pace, your questions were somewhat pointed. We could go on for days bashing about price and so on but I give mission 'props' for getting started, even if they add to the arsenal of posers.

LK said...

I love that "slippery slope" part (right into the Pacific). Sounds like a line from our "Current Administration": "The next thing you know recumbents will be marrying your neighbors tricycle."

http://tinyurl.com/yo7g9g

Custom? From an overseas manufacturer? Mysterious.

"The frame is straight-gauge chromoly steel designed by a US company and manufactured overseas."

Did I just hear "Made in China" again?

derek z said...

Wow, a [straight gauge] cromo framed bike with a horrid stem, straight blade fork, ugly riser bars and ugly-ass deep v's for only hundreds more than very comparable, butted cromo bikes at the LBS or via mail order. Man this company is lame - if they want to be in the bike biz and/or simply take people's money they could at least offer more creative product. The only selling point I like is your choice of powdercoat color - but you could just as easily buy a bike (especially used) for many hundreds less and have it powdecoated and still come out way ahead. That said, I'm certain there are enough folks who want a bike that looks like that and can't wrench or are too intimidated or embarrassed to learn.
Thumbs down.

Anonymous said...

Hummm.. I would never pay money for either an un-butted frame nor one without a named tube. The whole point of missing the weight advantage of aluminium is to get a decent ride.

Rusty Spanner, London UK

Anonymous said...

wow.
just wow.

they didnt even design the shit themselves, just contracted someone else to make it. at least surly does their own design. and i STILL get pissy about my steamroller because it doesnt have fender/rack eyelets.

these guys are douches. i'd like pictures of them, so that if they come into my shop, i can force feed them burningman-bike bottom-bracket grime.

Anonymous said...

beautiful this, beautiful that...what, pray tell, is so "beautiful" about a straight gauge steel, all white bike?

Perhaps it is an ode to Rauschenberg or Malevich.

Customize with your choice of decals? Sounds like those budget stickers they sell at Schucks Auto Supply. I want the flaming blue skull and Calvin peeing on a Bianchi Pista.

Rhino said...

Question: "Can you give me more details about the frame? Where is it made? Is the tubing butted?"

Answer: "The frame is straight-gauge chromoly steel designed by a US company and manufactured overseas."

They side stepped the question like a skinny kid on crank in dodge ball. 'Overseas' is a vague. I personally would like to know what country the frame is manufactured in.

Thumbs up to all new bike start up companies. I like the concept.

Clayton said...

the slippery slope bit got me, too. "we are more than willing to sacrifice practicality in an effort to ensure our bikes' riders wear skinny jeans. we're not willing to tarnish our virgin image with riders who care little of what other people think of their appearance." i think that's a more than safe translation.

polygraf, this bike is tailor made for posers.

Prolly said...

Clayton, you don't have to buy one do you?

Let them build whatever they want. People will buy them [not knowing any better] and hopefully get more into cycling.

Or just prop them against walls and take pictures.

Regardless, I could put together a much nicer ride for $950! Shit, my concept complete cost me about that.

Anonymous said...

"The frame is straight-gauge chromoly steel designed by a US company and manufactured overseas."
Change "chromoly" to "Aluminum" and it sounds like a Specialized.

Clayton said...

Prolly, I don't have to buy clothes from gap, either. doesn't mean i shouldn't voice my dislike for the companies product and policies. or am i missing your point?

also, were you outside of the internet garage in williamsburg on saturday afternoon. i think i recognized you from the pics you posted on your blog. i freaked a bit. e-world - real world overlap is a bit too "it's a small world, after all" for me.

Anonymous said...

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=1260486

Anonymous said...

I call bull shit. This *has* to be a joke. Seriously, a Chinese made Fallapart straight gage steel bike for $900 with no brakes.

len said...

what a pos! am i missing something cause i don't see any part other than the rims that are "special" and that sweet tetkro brake

straight gauge steel is pretty sweet.

Anonymous said...

"Eman hasn't been at it that long but I've never seen anything like the frames he's been building, they are truly stunning. "

He should probably take a look at Mercian, Hetchins, Caygill et. al. Kinda points towards a certain ignorance of classic frame design - which is probably not something a bike entrepreneur should admit to...

Plain gauge? WTF?

Matt said...

I could buy a used IRO and $5 worth of stickers from Rite-Aid and come out way ahead. Ten bucks says they'll be shilling argyle top tube pads, colored chains, and white belts within 3 months.

Anonymous said...

The Canvas is actually an IRO Mark V frame. Mark V's retail for $549 complete.

Yokota Fritz said...

Speaking of competitive market: I saw some stats recently showing that San Francisco has more bike shops per capita than any other medium-to-large U.S. city.

Anyway, good job on the questions, Bike Snob. SF is damp with fog, but the city only gets 20 inches of rainfall a year and less than an inch falls from May to September. In the winter, then, you just ride Muni or BART if you don't have fenders.

Anonymous said...

That frame probably costs them less than $25 per unit to have made in China or Taiwan (including shipping). They are making a bundle on these. I say good for them! A fool and his money are soon parted. They are just there to take the money...

BikeSnobNYC said...

Fritz,

Thanks. I guess it only rains when I'm there...

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that they use the "slippery slope" argument with braze-ons when one of them rides a cross check. Isn't the cross check sort of a perfect counter to that argument - a bike that is utilitarian but still seen as cool?

Anonymous said...

...think it looks nicer than a 'sanchez', (sorry, sky)...

...'course my first thought on viddying the photo was 'refrigerator'...

Anonymous said...

Fuckin transplants!!! Take your shitbag bike and go the fuck back to where you came from. The last thing we need here is more fakengers clogging up the sidewalks walking their bikes up the hills.

Anonymous said...

"It's a slippery slope. A fender eyelet here, a brake mount there, and pretty soon you'll end up with with 27 gears, lazy-boy geometry, and both of your Docker pant flaps pinned down by reflective yellow ankle bracelets."

Yeah...it's a slippery slope from fashion accessory to real utility, eh? You know-- a bike that can comfortably do more than just ride four miles to class or the bar.

Colin R said...

I'll have to admit these guys give good promo.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I think the product is shit, er, not aimed at me, but I admire their chutzpah. Yall are just jealous you didn't think of selling bland fixies to idiots first.

SeattleM&M said...

At least it's less wasteful to buy a "pre-customized" fixie that already has the wheels and components you're going to keep than to buy a cheap fixie and quickly ditch the crappy wheels, and change out the components. Which of course is exactly what I did. Although I did at least wait until I thrashed the wheels.

More importantly, this bike provides a bright and clear answer to the oft-posed question of whether fixie riding is an expression of underground bike hipness or mainstream faux bicycle cool. Any day now, a fixie will just be another bike that you can ride because you want to.

There's a bank ad campaign here in Seattle with the self-contradictory catch phrase "We're a lot like you...a little different". Seems like it would have been a good slogan for this bike.

Ringo Chen said...

Rip ... off!

Anonymous said...

The only way this could be even more perfect would be if the fates conspired to place these things atop the "must have" fashion accessory podium. That way they could be sold for 3 X what they're worth instead of only twice as much.

ay said...

Bikesnob, how fucking good is a super burrito from San Francisco? I'm drooling.

I don't think Mission Bike is a good name. It's too clean to be called a Mission bike. When I lived at 24th and Alabama my bike, which I also called a Mission bike, was painted matte black by hand so the paintbrush bristles were embedded in the paint job, and that shitty paint job was chipping excessively. Now that's a Mission bike. I even had quick release on my front wheel and rarely did I worry.

Flynn said...

I built my commuter/cx bike with an "overseas made" Nashbar frame, Shimano 105 STI drivetrain, and Avid BB7's for about $1250. That includes buying a headset press and octalink tools.

$950 for this? Come on.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anon 12:01 - Oscar Pereiro? That was pretty good!

But I have to confess that I disqualified myself by deleting the first post.

I thought I was being immature.

Then, I realized I was being immature, figured "so what ele is new" and re-posted.

So unless Oscar is testing his own urine, I can't accept the honor of the analogy.

Anonymous said...

They deserve to get panned for pimping such a POS, overpriced bike. . But BSNYC, I can only hope that you ran the 'interview' with the intention of this happening; honestly, nobody comes here to read promotional drivel -- that's basically all your interview amounted to... stock, boring questions designed to draw out relevant marketing related info about the product. Yawn.

Otherwise, keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

BSNYC --

Good interview and nice change of pace.

I wish these guys luck; anything that gets more people on bikes is good and starting a new venture takes guts.

But someone really has to tell them that their all white bike -- their blank canvass -- is eerily reminiscent of a ghost bike.

I realize what they're going for and salute the "no name" brand idea.

Heck, if I had a nickel for every perfectly good article of clothing I ruined while trying to remove the "Members Only" label, I might have enough to buy a Mission bike.

But an all white bike?

Yeesh -- I'd feel like I was riding my own memorial no matter how many custom powder coating changes I had ordered. Underneath, it would be my ghost bike.

Seriously, they really should change the color on their promotional model.

Scottie said...

I really couldn't get excited about a straight-gauge cro-mo bike made in Taiwan if it cost $300. And this costs 3x that? Yawn.

Anonymous said...

West coast IRO ripoff.

Just rattle can an IRO Mark V and save $300 bucks.

I am so disenchanted by this right now.

On a side note:

BSNYC Interviews are AMAZING! I would like to read more of them in the future.

:)

Joshua said...

I can't believe that anyone reading this blog doesn't think that this is the worst, most pathetic example of bandwagon jumping in recent memory. I wish nothing but bad things to happen to this Mission Bike Company, and their re-badged IRO frame. And can we stop using that tired "at least they're riding," line now? They're not riding, they're buying $900 fashion accessories. Fuck them.

Also, while bikesnob owes nothing to me, I am disappointed that apparently all some hucksters need to do it badger him through email often enough, and he'll run a huge ad for their crappy bike company.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 2:51pm,

Sorry to have bored you. My questions were not designed to "draw out relevant marketing related info about the product." They were designed to find out where these guys are coming from, what their credentials are, and what they're giving cyclists for $950. Furthermore, they were designed to do so fairly and in a way that gives them every opportunity to answer. They were not done in a selfish, egotistical way designed to make me look arch and funny or to make them look foolish. And most importantly, they were designed so that the intelligent, knowledgeable cyclists who read this site could draw their own conclusions based on how these guys answered and not on my bon mots.

If all you felt you got was "promotional drivel" and "marketing related info" then maybe that's a reflection of how you feel about Mission Bicycles. But I think I asked the questions smart, knowledgeable cyclists ask about any bike or company. This isn't some guy selling a bike on Craigslist, it's a company, and I think that warrants some respect and a more sophisticated treatment. Sorry you disagree.

Finally, I can certainly understand if you came by and were disappointed to find an interview. I feel the occasional departure is warranted, but certainly nobody is under any obligation to read it.

--BSNYC

PS: I wish the Mission guys only the best.

Anonymous said...

White is obviously the new grey, and grey was last summer's new brown, which was 1998's new black. So, the color is perfect.

These guys are ok, they are making way to much for a Chinese bike we could get from Walgreen's for $199+ free mouthwash, but they certainly have less attitude than a Rapha catalog.

Ray

Prolly said...

Clayton,

That was more than likely me. Saturday I had my dog with me in a Crumpler bag.

All I was saying about the frame is that in cycling's current state, these guys will probably do pretty well. They're adhering to the whole "It's so limited, you can't have one" mindset.

"Right now, the frames are just for friends"... Same approach a lot of streetwear / clothing designers took. Perfect for the right fashion accessory.

Anonymous said...

so you're basically paying $300 extra for a custom paint job and some stickers.

i'm not sold. yeah, the bike is decent looking, but not worth $50 short of a GRAND.

brad said...

This is how trust fundies continue to rip off the rest of us. Oh boy, straight gauge tubing! Parts are "a cut above"! These guys should and will be out of business by February.

What a joke.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Josh,

Just to clarify, "hucksters" did not email me. Readers of this blog emailed me.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

This has to be the worst entry here thus far, for shame Bike Snob! If i wanted to read advertisements i'd have looked elsewhere.
Pick up your game dude, you're starting to get soft...

Anonymous said...

Prolly and Clayton--
Get a room, you guys!

Folding Bike Guy said...

There are so many things wrong with this whole concept that I can barely begin to address them all. First off, some of you may have touched upon this, but regarding the frame origin, etc. a)The frame is made in china, and B) designed in the US = "we got a big catalog of available frames from a Chinese manufacturer, and picked the one with horizontal dropouts . . . also, we were either too lazy or too cheap to buy anything other than straight gauge tubing." For comparison, Schwinn offers a similar bike for $500, Raleigh for $600, and even the lemond fillmore with a much higher quality frame comes in at $700. All of these bikes include front and rear brakes, similar quality wheels, and the warranty of a major manufacturer (as opposed to "we are working on some sort of warranty in the near future"). Sure you have to get the frame repainted and take off that pesky rear brake . . . but that shouldn't cost more that $250-300 even in NYC. Than again, I really do want that cool sticker pack, so I am definitely going to go with this fly-by-night company for hundreds more that it would cost to buy a better product elsewhere. Oh, lastly, if you are going to list a threadless stem in the specs, you might want to use one in the promotional photos. Then again, using one that appears to have been welded with silver colored chewing gum, and highlighting it as better quality than those used by other brands, is also a good plan. I liked the interview by the way. Next time perhaps you could go for a company that builds bikes out of magic and wishes and breaks through the $1000 price barrier.

Anonymous said...

First the Aerospoke interview, then Bicycling, and now Mission Bike...I'm beginning to think that you're looking to make some kind of career out of this.

If all it took was a first class ticket and a couple of nights at a hotel to get you to write this PR peice....

You're funny and a clearly a talented writer, but I wonder about your credibility.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 3:31, don't be ridiculous. You sound like the type of person who doesn't care or know much about the bicycle world as a whole and you just want to read some dramatic attack on a FGG submission so you can walk around quoting BSNYC like you know-all. Grow up.

Anonymous said...

...i think the questions were totally even-handed & designed to elicit the information that we as cyclists wanna know & the answers were straight across...

...we get to make up our own minds & ain't that the beauty of it, just as the market will dictate as to whether they hit the price point or not...

...if these guys aren't as "deep" as some of you experts, well, give 'em some time...personally, i say, glad yer tryin', mission bikes...

Sprocketboy said...

Well, this post has unleashed a lot of vitriol. I think that the questions in the interview were reasonable and it really is up to the market to decide if there is a market for this bike. In my own experience, I bought a really nice Fuji road bike for my wife from Performance, with mainly 105 and Ritchey components, for about the same money as the Mission Bike. And a friend bought a Fuji crossbike, all Ultegra, for only a bit more on sale so there is definitely a value question here. If only they had added those heavy eyelets...

Anonymous said...

I liked the interview for it's subtly.

My only complaint is that I didn't do this first. First order "sold out", and they are looking at order #2.

And they are not made in China, it's Taiwan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mission_bicycles/1474975960/

BikeSnobNYC said...

Bikesgonewild nailed it.

Last thing I'll say on this--people emailed me about Mission Bikes to sic me on them. Out of respect for them and for my readers, instead I gave them a rope so they could either tie a rolling hitch to the line of success or hang themselves. You decide what they did.

Thanks as always for reading and for the comments.

--BSNYC

Clayton said...

i've certainly enjoyed both excellent interviews and hope they continue.

and on the subject of mission bicycles. i am, like others here, glad to see a start-up, and while the whole bit seems ill-conceived, a LOT of start-ups are. at least the people involved in this one seem to have good heads on their shoulders, so maybe they'll adapt and improve if they fail with their current scheme.

prolly, that was you. creepy.

ay said...

Anonymous 3:24 p.m.,

Read the beginning a little more closely.

"I immediately flew first class to San Francisco, had some great Mexican food, flew back to New York and emailed him some frank questions."

Danimal said...

It looks to me like a Deda/EAI Bareknuckle with more relaxed geometry. Oh, and once again, more expensive.

I am wondering, however, why we so ruthlessly defend our own personal authenticity while decrying the pathetic poseurs who walk among us. I almost feel like the act of defending my authenticity makes me more of a poseur. As does putting the u in poseur. Effing french. Whatever.

While the phrase from the interbike post, "bikeccessory" was one of the best at allowing me to focus on why the mass-marketed langster-and-their-ilk bikes bother me, it really doesn't apply to these guys.

One big difference, aside from scale, is that this little startup seeks to allow you "artistic freedom" for how you want your bike to look, not asking you to degenerate into some langster-prefab-brittania-or-gangster (ha) scheme. You choose what you want, rather than choosing what prefab thing "is more me."

Futhermore, since I'm on a goddamn tirade and no one's probably read this far anyway - how many of you (really, be honest) ride your fixies more than 15 miles a day? And so (really, be honest) who gives a crap that it's got a crappy aluminum stem? The relaxed geometry and steel are 99.99% of the cush.

If these yuppies-wannabe-urbanistas wanna ride 4 miles once a week to the bar to pickup the tight jeans guy/girl with the purple streak in his/her hair, well so what? Are you worried that one of them is going to come out of that arrangement more sullied?

"The main thing about the stranger, after all, is that he is strange...he is not like us...he will never understand us...our greatest fear, perhaps because the possibility is often so seductive, is that we will become like him and lose ourselves." -Robin Fox

MINGUStheMECHANIC said...

Haters, we need companies that sell lower quality goods at high prices to trendy people, If everyone had great rides with affordable parts then we would have nothing to critique- very basic. Right now anything fixed associated is overpriced period and it will reamin that way until the next trend takes hold.

KP said...

Off topic but sure to incite more "sell out" comments: Hey, BSNYC, I heard you have a radio interview coming out next week, when can we expect the book tour?

BikeSnobNYC said...

KP,

After the book.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

"I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an arab"

-bunch of dudes wearing matching lipstick.

buck-50 said...

Anyone remember Momocheri? You remember, the guy in Berkley that was selling custom powdercoated surlys with names like "the cheeseboard?"

Pretty bikes, but way overpriced. Unsurprisingly, he didn't last too long and left a string of angry customers... I predict a similar fate for Mission, assuming they don't get sued out of existance for using the name mission by any of the other companies using that name...

len said...

come on, do we seriously need another start up company selling POS bikes from overseas that they slap, or in this case don't slap, their name on? last time I checked there weren't any shortage of these, but at least most of the other ones offer relatively inexpensive bikes.

http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article-print.php?ID=842

M. Weed said...

I'll judge: they hanged themselves.

For whatever reason, something about that bike makes me want to call it "kludgy" even though there's... nothing on it.

Plus, it does look like a ghost bike.

buck-50 said...

Got the name wrong. It was MomoVelo.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/matsuda.htm

Anonymous said...

There are, of course, worse things to sell. High-lead-content toys to children, for example. This bike isn't any more wrong -- or any more hip -- than the "punk" clothes at Hot Topic.

Anonymous said...

Here you go guys, the Mission Bicycle:

http://www.maxway.com.tw/cgi-bin/companyfn/com_profile_lst.pl

Anonymous said...

Wrong link, see here:

http://www.maxway.com.tw/cgi-bin/productfn/pdt_product_lst.pl?CatID=3

Anonymous said...

Dipsy: "Hey, how are we gonna pay rent?"
Tinky Winky: "I don't know...how can we get some money?"
Laa Laa: "I know, let's put on a show!"
Po: "Even better, let's sell bikes!"
Dipsy: "Yeah, I like riding bikes!"
Laa Laa: "But we don't know how to make bikes."
Po: "That's okay, we'll have them made 'overseas'(Taiwan)and we'll sell them on the internet."
All: "yaaaaay"

Josh Koenig said...

Isn't the cross check sort of a perfect counter to that argument - a bike that is utilitarian but still seen as cool?

FWIW, yes. I live in an unincorporated area of rural northern california: lots of gravel roads and a pretty extreme hill from my house to hwy101. I like the x-check because its gets me around great at home, and still feels nice when I haul myself down to the city.

Anonymous said...

OK OK... The straight gauge tubing is what really kills it. Anyone Even the $279 ebay bikes have butted tubing. While I agree it does take a little organization to get something like this going. Anyone can call Maxway (www.maxway.com.tw), order a carton of frames... send them to a powder coater one by one and slap the parts on. But to actually do it? It's a gamble. Personally I think they rolled snake eyes, but if the first run already sold out then hell... go for it.

Anonymous said...

with all the complaining and whining about this post not being funny enough, Im wondering to myself, am I the only one who watched the hipster olympics clip? pure sarcastic genius. It seemed to embody and taunt the sheer sense of fashionable frivolity that this site is about. Its only shortcoming though was that the "hipster race" did not include a fixed gear track stand event. I mean come one who cant see the irony of a bunch of tight pants, chain smoking hipsters doing track stands in the middle of a race? for those of you who have no idea what im talking about click on the irony link in the middle of the interview.

Anonymous said...

checking out their photostream on flickr, the parallel with yesterday’s post became clear… this is a bike themed reality tv show along the lines of those business challenges on ‘the apprentice’. it’s too bad they don’t have a real bike designer on the team, though maybe a graphic artist will do. in any case, we get to watch and cheer (or jeer) as they build a work bench, secure their business loan and receive the first frame from taiwan. you go, guys!

Anonymous said...

...non sequitur...although zabar's & h & h bagels will 'next day' air ship me their products, somehow i don't think it'd work for good ol' mission st. burritos or we'd set ya up & save ya that first class airfare...

...z's & h&h ???...ya, i do 'know' cuz i get around, although esa bagels is a little closer to yer commute...ha...

LK said...

Snob

Your questions were fair and Mission Bicycles did give us a good idea of who they are and what they are about. More telling the thread from roadbikereview displays that they were seeking you out. Your audience is the market they seek.

With that in mind they were successful.

I have never gotten the idea that you were merely a journalist. Clear conduit of communication.

Flattering you, I would give the example of Frank Bruni, of the restaurant review world. Restauranteurs seek him out and he gives his best honest review. He takes steps beyond the well designed questions. You are entitled to go beyond.

Does this company's bicycle meet the standards that you campaign?

$950 - so what. Your jeans cost that much. But, no brake? What about all those parts?

Is this just another $100 t-shirt? $300 hoodie? Shiney white kicks?

Your Aerospoke interview was a follow up on Black Monday. Aerospoke was not getting away with a fluff piece.

I'm hoping for follow up.

Just what did you eat in San Francisco? Some great Mexican food?

Anonymous said...

BSNYC,

Thanks for the response. Perhaps I was a bit strong there, but reading the interview I can't help but feel as if their bonafides (or lack thereof) has as much to do with the marketing info as does the actual construction, source, and quality of the product. You as much as anyone should know that people buy into the image of fixed gear riding as much as yuppies buy into the active lifestyle required of an SUV, or the racing heritage of a Porche/Ferrari/Whatever. Right? Projecting that image onto their product -IS- in fact the marketing... in this sense at the very least you've helped them out; although it seems that judging by the responses here they failed miserably at generating useful credibility. You gave 'em enough rope to hang themselves, and they did.

It's just strange, that's all. As someone mentioned, you are a talented and creative writer. If you are trying to make a go of it, sewing your seeds with this blog, I applaud that. Just remember that there'll be plenty of time in the future way way down the road for you to be a fair and balanced shill. (Joking, of course).

BikeSnobNYC said...

Mr. Complaint,

Thanks as always for the insight. I'll only add that I neither purport nor aspire to be a reviewer. (Parodies excluded.)

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

isn't this the same thing that spokes and strings does with their NYCBikes? just a crappy mass produced frame from a 3rd world country...overpriced for lazy newbies with extra money to spend. i guess it doesn't matter. maybe it'll get someone on a bike who will then seek out a better ride as they learn more. trends are trends and they're always annoying when they land in your backyard, but really, does it matter? plenty of people are out there in the world making a lot more money doing a lot worse things. plus if more goobers are spending $950 on these it just means smart riders/shoppers have a better chance of scoring sweet deals on ebay, right?

Anonymous said...

dude said "ironical."

Anonymous said...

I followed the “design your bike” link on their webpage, and saw that it had a drop-down menu for tyre options. White, red, yellow, light blue, black. Here was I expecting 23mm, 25mm, 28mm options. That’s just awesome.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 3:24 said...

Allen, what? I have no idea what you're talking about. And if for some reason you misunderstood what I said: The bike is decently attractive, but not worth $950. Which has been said by 50 other commenters today as well. I have no idea what BSNYC traveling first-class has to do with that at all.

Val Lindsay said...

"They are young professionals living in the city that are looking for a dependable and great looking bike to ride around San Francisco."

The word for this is Yuppie. :)

This bike is fine for the market wants right now. Hell, if someone's willing to pay for it, you sell it for that price, maybe a little more.

It is really pricey for straight gauge cromo, but the truth of the matter is if this bike gets abused it's less likely to see a serious dent. I've seen many a Bontrager and Bridgestone frame with huge dents in the down or top tube. How much city life can a sweet butted bike see before you get a nice welt from a lock, sidewalk, car, etc?

Thanks for a well structured interview, BSNYC...

scout prime said...

Their photo gallery is a Flickr page????

Anonymous said...

scout, hahaha, same thought went through my mind.

Anonymous said...

funny... dude on the rbr forum was bragging about selling out the first run of 5 bikes, when if fact they just sold them to themselves and their friends. if the entire co has the attitude of that guy, they will go belly up in no time

B. Raymond said...

interview eman!

Anonymous said...

Snooze...

Colin R said...

the reaction here amuses me.

i assume that most of the crowd here doesn't like that fixies are becoming an extremely accessible fashion accessory.

ok, i agree. given the current state of fixie-poseur-dom, how do you think the trend will end?

1) it will get bigger and bigger until it's so big everyone decides it's not hip anymore and moves on

or

2) it never gets bigger than it is right now, or even gets smaller, and then one day it's randomly not cool anymore.

the answer is obviously (1). Fads don't end until they collapse under their own weight. So there's only two things that can happen:

1) fixies blow up until they aren't hip anymore
2) fixies don't blow up any more and stay hip

Mission bikes is obviously contributing to #1, so everyone who wants them to do poorly is implicitly endorsing #2.

I say, let them rip off hipsters until the streets are clogged with yuppies walking their bikes uphill. It's the only way to free the fixed gear from its place as a status symbol!

To wish otherwise is to hope that fixies stay cool. If you secretly wish for riding a fixed gear to remain "cool" (and not just a mode of transit), then how are you better than the yuppies?

Anonymous said...

OK, it is what it is and time will tell if it will sell, but.......that stem has to go!
UGH!

Anonymous said...

"If you secretly wish for riding a fixed gear to remain "cool" (and not just a mode of transit), then how are you better than the yuppies?"

He he he

Le Carre once wrote that most rebels are only seeking a better conformity.

So it is with anyone who thinks they're cool. You feel thaat you've earned the right to look down on anyone who discovered what you love the second after you did.

cheers
option

Anonymous said...

While I want to say "more power to 'em" I'm left with the idea that selling a brakeless fixie with platform pedals to kids in a hilly city is a ridiculously irresponsible thing to do.

It's hard to respect their principles when they are essentially selling a death trap.

Anonymous said...

Dear bikesgonewild --

When in Brooklyn, I recommend Hot Bagels on Montague Street.

They are open 24 hours so you can always get a fresh bagel to eat at some awful hour of the morning as you ride over the Brooklyn Bridge to a starting line somewhere or to meet friends in Manhattan so they can humiliate you over long distances in New Jersey.

If we are meant to throw up in our mouths while riding, we may as well regurgitate quality.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to respect their principles when they are essentially selling a death trap.

i bought my walther p99, 9mm for about $650. that's $350 less than the mission bicycle. for the extra $350 i could pay fees for a concealed carry permit or buy a silencer.

guns +1

Anonymous said...

Anonymous: the bikes come with brakes and straps (just not shown in pictures)

Anonymous said...

Huh. Look what I found!

http://www.alienbikes.com

Forget white! I can get my fixie in DAYGLO GREEN!!

(Wandering off into ocean to end the pain)

Anonymous said...

...leroy, man it's funny livin' in the sf bay area where so many people have such an attitude about nyc...
...never tripped manhattan or brooklyn on the wheel, but i'd give it a go (skull & crossbones drawing goes here)...it is just a great town...

...dave @ bikeworks is a left coaster...got ta meet he n' talia, (whose work is exceptional) out here @ t of c last feb...

...thanks for the heads up...ain't no bagels like nyc bagels...fact...

Jim said...

Dude, you're a total sellout. I liked you when you were just a garage band but now that you know how to play your instruments and more people buy your albums, you f***in' blow. I'm going to start listening to some other band. Or am I thinking about REM?

Hey bro, I have no problem with you not being a wanker to these guys. It looks like a decent enough product they are selling and lord knows it's tasteful, the lack of turdliness and sketchy design (in other words the basically solid design and aesthetics) may bring some people into the sport. And hey, what's wrong with selling a bike for $300 more than it's worth? Near as I can tell, that's Canondale's business model, and it's Colnago's business model if you add an extra zero to that sum. Free market, baby. They ain't back alley defective fixie conversion sellers, which makes them about a hundred cuts up on the average Craigslister you rip. I don't get the hate.

I appreciate the chance to form my own opinion. Like I said above, it's real derivative. If I wanted that same basic bike, I'd get it from IRO or Kogswell for a lot less. If I wanted to drop that kind of coin I'd get a Van Dessel Country Road Bob, which is a lot like that bike but bloody lovely to look at. That's my opinion. I liked forming it.

Apparently, there's a bunch of folks who hate the playa the same way they hate the game. As my nine year-old niece says, "what.....eva." She's pretty smart.

Anonymous said...

That stem is HORRIBLE. If these guys were smart they would have just blown their trust funds on weed.

Unknown said...

Anon: don't worry - that is not the stem we will be shipping with.

Anonymous said...

BSNYC
I don't know if these get checked, but here's my voice in the wilderness. If these rubes have a contact at maxway, there's an active market of schlubs on the i-bob list who want to know about the deal on getting their generic lugged bikes imported. It seems like they're ignoring a natural market. I'd like to know the smallest middleman in the generic taiwanese frame/fork market.

Anonymous said...

Holy shit, I know these guys. I had drinks with them at Gestalt Haus just a few months ago. I had no idea they were starting a bicycle company. Maybe I can get an acquaintance discount.

Unknown said...

anon: Maxway sells at 100pc minimum. The little middlemen resell at lugged frames at about the retail cost of non lugged in the states with a 2 month lead.

Anonymous said...

They claim the big advantage of their bikes is the customization, but the only thing the customer gets to choose is the color, not the actual components. I'd love to see a company import a bunch of cheap Maxway frames (maybe with eyelets) and offer a truly custom build.

Bike Snob -- I like the interviews. Maybe you could interview one of your bike heroes (e.g., Sheldon Brown)next.

Anonymous said...

It's always amazing to me the amount of vitriol that is stirred by hipster antics and their ever-expanding ring of influence. Sure these kids can be obnoxious, rude and exclusive as hell, but I could say that about almost any group of people, even my grandma's sewing circle. Mission has the right idea - latching onto a trend at the right time and offering a product that is, at the very least, marketed as something different and premier. If they run things smartly (which it looks like they are attempting to do) they should make out fairly well while the fixie trend is still smoldering. What all of the tech heads here fail to realize is that they aren't the target audience because they simply don't get it. They want high performance, value and pragmatism and refuse to believe that those aren't universal priorities. For most fixie newbies, high (visual) aesthetic value and customization options are key selling points, confirmed by any number of posts in this blog. At the entry level, a decent amount of folks will prefer (and pay for) the ability to pick candy-colored Deep Vs and a matching frame with components that are "a cut above" instead of worrying about refitting some stock bike. A year later maybe they'll want that Sug75 crankset or Chris King headset. Or maybe they'll want to Craigslist their erstwhile prized possession. But these folks aren't any different than roadies who must have the latest moisture-wicking tights or HR Geiger birds nest helmets. They just want something they can enjoy and feel confident about and maybe aren't impressed by that taxi cab yellow Langster they see at the LBS every day. These aren't messengers or track folks buying these bikes.

Unknown said...

fixeryuppie: I don't know about discounts yet, but I'll definitely buy you a beer. zack@missionbicycle.com .

Anonymous said...

I know I'm a little late to the party but whatevs, 114th a couple places better than my last race result.

Their website, reminded me of the full page ads for "Yellow Mushroom" that appeared in an issue or two BIKE Magazine back in '95 or so.

Yellow Mushroom was poised to set the MTB world on its ear but must have blown all their start up money on the full page ads.

Lest any of you think, I have some Rain Man like memory, the only reason why I remember this is because when these ads ran I was in college and thought the only thing cooler than mushrooms would have been a MTB with a Mushroom in the name.

Anonymous said...

the name isn't even original.


http://www.missioncycles.co.uk/

Uncle Bob said...

"A fender eyelet here, a brake mount there, and pretty soon you'll end up with with 27 gears, lazy-boy geometry, and both of your Docker pant flaps pinned down by reflective yellow ankle bracelets."

But they say that like it's a bad thing.

blank said...

Not new.
http://okee.se/

Anonymous said...

Holy crap- I thought Gestalt Haus was a joke...Is there really a bar called that?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH....

Anonymous said...

119th!

Clayton said...

i think you made some great points, fixeryuppie.

db said...

Sorry I'm so late to the party. Sometimes work gets in the way.

BikeSnob, that's a great interview. Straight-forward questions that allow everyone to make up their minds. Well, other than the top-tube/warranty riff, which was as objective as could be and allowed the responder to show a sense of humor as well. Nice touch.

I don't think people realize how interviewing is a very different skill than writing. The fact that you can compose very fair interviews on one day, and then craft biting commentary the next is an anomaly. Most writers can do one or the other (competently, not well), but not both. So props to you for excelling at both.

The question that begs to be asked: Will the Mission bike climb like a monkey in crampons?

Anonymous said...

It is easy and accurate to characterize Mission's approach as marketing-led, but can anyone point out a company selling bikes that is not concerned with how they plan to sell their product? The bike industry has a low barrier to entry. The success of a niche brand is going to depend heavily on whether it meets consumer demand. Hence, there will be a great deal of aesthetic differentiation among products that are functionally the same. That doesn't make Mission's project any less noble or "authentic" than Rivendell, for example. If you don't like the product, don't buy it. I liked the interview, by the way. More please -- Sheldon Brown would be great; a group interview with Jobst Brandt and Thurston Moore would be brilliant.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see an interview with Grant at Rivendell. That guy must smoke a lotta herb to come up with the stuff on his website.

Bicycle marketers are a strange mix of simplicity and bullshit.

Ray

Anonymous said...

I've been saving for a new bike for a long while now, and this interview helped me realize how much marketing and looks play a role in the decision-making process; I mean, I might have a preference for a certain number of rack and fender eyelets or a certain amount of tire clearance, but once a frame is painted and fitted with all the necessary components, I wouldn't be able to tell whether a frame was made out of straight or butted chromoly, hi-ten, Reynolds 531, kaisei or stainless, other than by what the company says about it.

I'm not trying to be facetious or funny or anything; I'm really wondering, is there a way an average-joe bike purchaser can tell the difference once it's all put together?

Anonymous said...

I guess I don't get it. $500 seems like a reasonable price, but for $950 you can get into a fine used road or track bike that will be lighter and arguably cooler than this bike.

EYE AGE said...

Decals, yess. Good interview btw.

Anonymous said...

I think it's hysterical that one of Mission's owners keeps popping in here and at RBR to "set the record straight." The whole Mission Bikes concept is just blatant exploitation, and everyone knows it. "Zacker" is like the theater guy in high school who wore a cape and tights to class yet protested at every opportunity, "I'm not gay!" with a vehemence that totally confirmed the opposite.

Anonymous said...

I know this is like the 900th comment, and maybe somebody already said this. But.

A powder coat in any color you want is *not* a "custom paint job." A legit custom PJ involves a guy touching the bike with a paint brush, and includes options for two-tone, stripes, accents, etc.

I don't see what the big deal is. The bike is *really* expensive. Sure, it costs a little less than you'd pay cobbling that stuff together retail, but so what? Who pays full retail anyway? I wait for sales, or go to Nashbar, or eBay.

jim g said...

They should fergit about selling whole bikes and just focus on those "artist-designed custom vinyl decals and mebby sell 'em with a matching top-tube pad and spoke card.

Will there be a "Hello Kitty" version? And/or a matching add-on kit for my '97 Civic?

$900 for a generic fixie?! (smacks forehead) I coulda bought a PAKE
(At least they've published the frame geometry)!

Turnkey fixter hipsterism "lifestyle" products -- bahwahha.

Anonymous said...

well done on the interviews. for next time i'm wondering if an interviewee a little more unavoidingly confrontational wouldn't better suit your fans. in these our days of "mtv: yo mama..", we want our bsnyc interviews RAW!

i'd love to see something like Trackstar banter. atleast somebody that takes themselves more seriously than everyday joe midwesterner or post-FBLA californians.

yes, definitely something geographically and ideologically closer to this shitbag cesspool.

Craig Mod said...

The price-point seems bizarre. Anyone willing to drop $1000 on a bike is clearly not a non-rider (killing the argument that this will get non-bikers biking). And any non-rider who is willing to drop $1000 is probably willing to spend a little more in exchange for a higher-quality frame.

That said, there's a bike company in Tokyo called (spectacularly) Tokyo Bike. They produce a small range of very simple "vanilla" bikes -- basically no decals and decent components. They sell a single speed with a frame of comparable quality (based on what can be deduced from Mission Bicycles cryptic frame specs) for ... $360.

Link here:
http://tokyobike.com/2006/ss3.html

All this talk about a "perfect city bike" having to be fixed seems insane. If you want something you can ride comfortably with little to no maintenance, this seems like a near-perfect bike.

Anonymous said...

the funny bike is cool,your "fuuny" jokes about it stupid,anyone of you guys would jump at the chance to take it for a spin

db said...

Thanks for the Tokyobike post!

Anonymous said...

I've been following this very closely. I'm a 45 year old Polish guy who lives on So. 8th and Wyeth and I really want to get one of these bikes. I think it will help me pick up the young ladies I see riding around. The ones in the tight jeans who smell like vinegar and wet wool.
Then I looked at the Mission Bikes photostream and I changed my mind.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mission_bicycles/page2/
What? No tattoos at all? Not even the silly tribal swirly peeking out under the shirt? These guys are lame and they have no excuse. In SF there are more tattoo parlors then there are Brooklyn Industry stores in Brooklyn. I can't support this company.
Back to Plan A where I tell 25 year old girls my name is Werner Herzog.

Evershed said...

My bike is so fucking tight I don't even care.

Anonymous said...

its just like the independent rider owned bmx companies starting up in the early 90's... but i remember real differences.. like true cromoly frames, thicker dropouts, forks, etc etc...an actual attention to a new, stronger design... but we needed that stuff, bikes broke alot...


with these fixed fruits on the other hand is theres no better product being offered...just a costume bike to dry hump... give me a 20 lb setup i can throw at cabs all day long and i will gladly sell my mac book for one...
but....

its just a F!@$#@G bicycle...wanna look cool and pose.. save up for a god damn hummer or ninja...

what happened to just having a bike to ride...people mocking you in the rain from bus windows.. its a fix.. it was ment to be cheap...no brainer transport and immune to the thief ring.. now i gotta worry about some dusche with a 6mm stealing my ten dollar bars and stem... because they got their mission with risers instead of drops...

argggggh... i hate white people so much... they ruin everything!

im breaking out the clips on my unicycle.. in full kiss army setup...

for real... F these guys for doing no good for cycling at all

Anonymous said...

I got all excited when I saw this website, but then I saw that their frames are straight gauge steel! Who the hell wants a cheap heavy track bike for $1000?

Does anyone know of any companies that custom build like this, but do it with better frames?

daos said...

well, a couple of years later and where are mision bikes now?

anyone wanting a similar POS go to createbikes.com.

spot the difference.

daos said...

typo - 'mission'

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