For more information on Alan's new products and pricing, visit the Cycles US store site.
A: The gentleman who came up with the unique design we use on the UAV frame is a designer from the Midwest named Brink Kuchenbrod. I am sure he won't mind me mentioning his name since any good web detective could easily find his original website. When I first saw his design (which is patented, by the way) I too was intrigued. Not only are the lines of the frame very unique and artistic, but the frame uses less material and production time to build. The result is a cost-effective, lighter and extremely aesthetic frame design. And because it is, by nature, long and low with a pedal-forward design, it is easy to adapt it to a variety of rider heights and sizes.
Interview conducted by Jim Wilson
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Q: Alan, it's been approximately a year since you guys rolled out ChoppersUS. That's probably enough time for you have a feel for the market you pretty much jumped into blindfolded. At this point, does it feel like it was a brilliant move; or do you wake up cursing your idiocy?
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A: Ha Ha. Jim, I won't lie - there are times when I step back and ask myself, "What was I thinking?" But the good news is that those times are fewer and farther between these days. To some extent, our foray into the bike biz is, and always will be, a labor of love. But that is why we did it in the first place - we love what we do.
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Choppers was a good place for us to start. It was a small enough niche in the overall market to cut our eye teeth in, and allowed us to stay close to our customers and really understand their needs. And even though we made mistakes along the way, we were in the right place at the right time to take a leadership position quickly. But to reach our longer-term goals, we always knew we would have to branch beyond choppers and become a broader company.

Gary Turner, founder of GT Bicycles and a good friend, told me over a year ago when he first saw our initial chopper-focused product offering, "Alan, you owe it to the industry to expand your vision beyond choppers. No one building production bicycles is doing the comfort (and kustom) bike industry justice. They don't understand the market, and really don't care to. There is an opportunity for you and your company to show them how it should be done." That is when I knew we would eventually expand and try to become a player in other categories.
Alan Discount & wife Patti at Interbike06.
Q: I've been closely watching you work since the beginning; and I must say that I've continued to be as impressed as I'd initially hoped to be. For a rookie in this game, you've caught on very quickly and made all the right moves, as far as I can tell. When it comes to delivering reasonably-priced quality goods in a timely fashion, while actively seeking customer input to improve your product line, your performance has been absolutely superlative. I've heard nothing but raves from your customers. If you can apply the same masterful approach to the bigger pond, I see no reason why you won't be as major a player in the broader bicycle market as you've been in the chopper market, right out of the gate.


I understand you created something of a stir at the recent Interbike show, with your opening salvo into the broader cycle market. How about telling us something about what you revealed there?
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A: We had a lot of fun at this year's Interbike, and I think we caught some of our competitors off guard. All of them, Electra, Nirve, Felt, Phat, Schwinn, etc. at some time or other (or in some cases repeatedly!) walked by our booth and lobby display case, looked at our new products and scowled. LOL! It was a kick. Some even had the nerve to take pictures and grab our literature. It's kind of hypocritical, since last year I was actually asked to leave Electra's booth when they saw my nametag. We weren't even in the cruiser or comfort bike biz, but they didn't want me seeing their new product for some reason. Like I'm a threat to them or something. Go figure.
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But I digress. We made a total of four announcements at the show which, in aggregate, supported our biggest announcement of all - our name change to Cycles U.S. and our expanded positioning in the market as " Bicycles and accessories designed for today's youth lifestyle" as opposed to just focusing on choppers. We changed our name to give us the ability to expand our line without limiting us. And our market positioning all revolves around getting kids, teens, 'tweens' and young adults back into building, wrenching and riding bikes - the same as it was when we were focusing on just choppers, but now across multiple bike categories.
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The more specific announcements all revolved around the introduction of our newly expanded product lines, including:

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(1) Our new line of suspension cruisers - the first
in the market, and probably some of the most
talked about and photographed style-oriented bikes
at the show.
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(2) Our new line of choppers with "super fat rears" - an adult sized 24" x 4.25" rear wheel - dare I
say they are what the Schwinn Stingray
should have been?
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(3) Our new line of next generation lowrider/
street cruiser bikes, which we have branded
the U.A.V. - Urban Assault Vehicle, which have
a patented frame design and cool tie-ins to
media and the overall urban street vibe, and-


(4) Our new line of Onboard Music Stations - iPod/MP3 Players designed specifically for using your iPod on your bicycle. Those are really cool - they have built in speakers, amplifiers, a cradle for your iPod and they really crank out the sound - and most importantly, make using an iPod while riding safe and legal (many states have banned the use of earbuds or earphones
while riding).

Q: It just goes to illustrate the stagnant and non-creative nature of the contemporary bike business that someone finally came out with something as obvious as rear suspension on a cruiser frame, when all the major players have just continued to crank out cruisers that can only be identified as to brand by their stickers and (maybe) paint and graphic schemes. In the case of flames, even that's not much of an indicator, since everyone has one with those on it.

Whether a cruiser bike desperately needs rear suspension if it has a comfy saddle is almost beside the point. The point is that companies in every other industry, most obviously consumer electronics, stay competitive by continuously innovating with new features which may not be terribly necessary, but still raise the bar for the competition and attract consumers' attention. If the cell phone industry were made up of the type of thinkers who've made up the bike industry as long as I can remember, your cell phone would weigh about 10 pounds, be the size of a
shoe box, and have a very long wire running back to your house. And don't expect the thing to take photographs, play music, or tell you where you are, either. Aside from very minor mechanical and livery details, anybody else's current cruiser model could be time-transported back to the '50s and slipped into the Western Auto store where I bought my first bike, and nobody would know the difference. But you've got a cruiser with slicker lines, suspension, and an 8-speed rear. Now, that's what I call progress!
I have a photo in my archives of a bike called the "Blue Fox". It was built in the late '90s by a creative MTB guy, and was based on an old Schwinn cruiser frame he'd cleverly retrofitted with rear suspension. No big deal, right? I found it easily enough on the web, as part of my BRK researches. But nobody at any existing bike company ever bothered to swipe that simple idea to give them an edge on their competition. And of course, every other hobbyist chopperbike builder for the past couple of years, has been raising his personal bar by working rear suspension in, just to make the
bike more technically interesting. You're a sharp guy, Alan; but that you're the first out with that feature on a production cruiser says more about the complacency of everyone else than it does about your own marketing genius. No wonder those other guys at Interbike were scowling; now they'll have to get more technically creative and start thinking for a change.

The UAV is pretty interesting; and certainly makes me think. It would be great if you managed to wean a lot of kids off those boring full-scale inferior replica BMX things. I can see why kids like bikes of that nature, as opposed to the recent Stingray Chopper, for example. But a cool-looking bike that's fairly light and of a size which makes for responsive handling would be a hipper alternative than BMX for a lot of kids. And since the UAV is much more kustomizable than a typical BMX clone, it would encourage kids to mess around with the machine in a more creative manner. Things could get a lot more interesting in the youth bike segment, thanks to that one.
We had a pretty interesting discussion going on CBN a while back, about the machine that was the genesis of the UAV. Since many of our readers are amateur bike designers who'd like to turn at least semi-pro, it would be great if you could give them as much background on that deal as you can, without violating confidentiality or good business instincts, of course.

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A: The gentleman who came up with the unique design we use on the UAV frame is a designer from the Midwest named Brink Kuchenbrod. I am sure he won't mind me mentioning his name since any good web detective could easily find his original website. When I first saw his design (which is patented, by the way) I too was intrigued. Not only are the lines of the frame very unique and artistic, but the frame uses less material and production time to build. The result is a cost-effective, lighter and extremely aesthetic frame design. And because it is, by nature, long and low with a pedal-forward design, it is easy to adapt it to a variety of rider heights and sizes.
Originally the frame was intended to be a chopper bike, but my interest with the frame coincided with a joint development project we were doing for another bike company. We had been asked to build a bike that had an urban vibe and could be the next generation lowrider. But as we all know, there are many issues with the current lowrider frames in the market. Most are very small, and will not accommodate taller riders. Brink's patented frame seemed to solve many of the geometry issues while providing a cool platform for kustomization. And then when we completed work on our Onboard Music Station the whole project came together. The result was a bike that has a unique stance, a very functional platform to kustomize and a cool urban vibe. We dubbed it the Urban Assault Vehicle, or U.A.V. due to its unique S.U.V. like styling and its ability to "assault" your neighborhood with sound and eye catching design.

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From a deal perspective, I cannot comment on the terms of the agreement between Brink and Cycles U.S., but if we move the number of units we think are possible, we will all do very well. Oh, and you are probably going to ask about the bike company we had been doing the joint project with...while they loved the bike, it ended up they didn't have the resources to take the project to market and since we thought it was a winner we were able to get back the rights and started marketing it ourselves.
And even though we have some excellent internal design skills within Cycles U.S., since then we have been in discussions with a couple of amateur designers/builders about working together on small projects  mostly bike components. It really is fun to collaborate and creates a win/win for everyone. The designer gets exposure and the backing to get a part to market and we get a constant influx of new ideas. In fact, we recently completed a project with Dan from iRide Customs who approached us about designing a series of rocker dropouts for our best selling Springer Forks. They came out great.
Q: Thanks for that background info, Alan. It's actually more than I was hoping you'd reveal. I think it's great that you're so accessible to people like our design-oriented readers, who'd possibly be interested in finding a commercial home for their frame and component designs. I can't think of any other bike company that open to outside creativity. I'm trying to visualize the process of trying that with anybody else, and failing miserably in the effort. NIH (Not Invented Here) is usually the kiss of death to most firm's talking to outside talent. And I agree about Dan's rocker designs; they are great!

The UAV is probably intriguing to a lot of people here, in addition to myself. I understand that it's based on the 20" wheel size, which is logical for your target market. Can you give us more detailed specs concerning curb weight, wheelbase, overall length, seat height range, etc? Needless to say, I, and presumably other adult people are curious as to whether we could ride it.
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A: Sure thing. The bike has a 4' wheelbase and is 5'6" overall in length. The seat height ranges from 24"  32", but keep in mind it is a pedal forward design, so it will accommodate longer legs. And I guess if we flipped the seat bracket we could lower it another inch or so for those that are younger (or height challenged  LOL). The frame weighs more than you might think. We needed to use oversize
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tubing to make sure it was structurally sound (plus we tend to overbuild everything we do anyway!). It weighs in at 13 pounds. We do plan on starting development of an even larger version of the frame during the off-season and may try and squeeze it into our Spring lineup with a cruiser component group on it; we'll see.
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Q: Sounds like the original size would fit me, but the cruiser-sized one sounds like a really great idea. I suppose you could space the dropouts so your 24X4.25 rear would fit back there.
Speaking of which, your Chopper frame looks really good with the fat rear on it. Did that call for a new frame design, or were you able to make it work with your existing Chopper frames?
A: Our existing Radical Chopper Frame Design has been very successful for us, so we used that as the basic platform. We simply widened the rear stays and the bottom bracket to accommodate the fatter rear wheel. Our chain line was already a straight through design, so we didn't have to play around with jackshafts or offset spoke lacing or sprockets. We think the result is a much cleaner design. The Chopper with the Super Fat Rear will be offered in 3 configurations  a single speed coaster brake, a single speed freewheel/disc brake combo and a 3-speed/disc brake combo. We will also sell all the individual components as well as the frame by itself, so kustom bike builders can do their thing.
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Q: I'm sure that a great many of our readers are busily updating their wish lists at this moment. For their benefit, do you have pricing yet on the various hub iterations of the fat rear end? And the rubber part too, of course.
A: I wish I had pricing, but at this point we are still waiting on the final numbers for all the individual components. But suffice to say we are doing all we can to buy in volume and make the items priced right for our customers. I can tell you that the complete chopper bike with the super fat rear will start at $399.99 retail. That's for the complete bike. We think it is very competitive for a bike of that caliber.
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Q: Considering that you can spend pretty much the same amount on a common cruiser bike, I'd agree.
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While on the subject of rubber goods, what's the range of rim/tire options capable of fitting the rear of the 8-speed suspension Cruiser? Looking closely at the bottom bracket in the photo, I presume that it's not set up to handle the 4.25" wide rear wheel?

A: Glad you asked that question, Jim. We are offering the Cruiser with a couple of different rear swing-arm options, and yes, they are all interchangeable. We figure that not everyone is a super-wide tire fanatic, nor do they want to spend the cost for a wider setup. Plus we know bike dealers really prefer standard-sized items whenever possible.
So, the base model with the coaster brake has standard-width rear dropouts. The wheels and tires are totally compatible with ones most dealers already have on the shelf in their warehouse. The upgraded version will accommodate up to an 8-speed internal hub, so it is pretty wide. That one comes with a 3" rear wheel/tire and it is a really plush, comfortable ride, especially once you factor in the suspension. I think it is the most comfortable cruiser I have ever ridden. The wider version is still a "standard" size but somewhat uncommon in the cruiser world. We use a standard-width bottom bracket on both versions and an offset sprocket and chain tensioner on the 8-speed to keep the chain perfectly aligned.
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As you mentioned, we would have to use a wider bottom bracket to accommodate the 4.25" rear wheels. Since we are unsure of the demand for a 4.25" cruiser, we decided to just keep that option for our chopper for now. That is not to say we won't do a wider cruiser, it just isn't in the product lineup right now. If the wider chopper sells like we think it will, then we will definitely try it on the cruiser too, at some point.
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Q: Since the really wide rear rubber is mostly popular among the chopper bicycle guys, I doubt that there'll be a huge demand for it from the cruiser crowd, who tend to go more for functionality. So, it's understandable that you'd stick to more "mainstream" rubber for that platform, for that segment.
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What about that 8-speed hub on the high-end Suspension Cruiser, Is that a Sturmey-Archer unit? I've never had one of those in front of me to measure. Is it about the same width as a Shimano Nexus 7, which is about 135 mm, as I recall?
A: Yes, the locknut dimension of the hub is approximately 132mm wide. We are actually using the Shimano Nexus Inter-8 hub with the roller-brake option. We are also planning on including the integrated twist shifter/brake lever as well. But Shimano is very careful about licensing OEMs to use their components, so we may have to swap to the Sturmey unit if Shimano can't get us a sufficient supply of hubs. We'll see.

Q: I didn't even know that Shimano made an 8-speed hub! I guess I need to get out more. I love the look of the Shimano hubs, and their roller brake is a great performer; but the Sturmey hubs certainly aren't shabby, either.
I notice from studying the photos you sent that you show your new audio system mounted on all three of your new bike models. How does that work? Does it mount to the stem, or does it replace it entirely? Is it safe to assume that it can be fitted to almost any bike?
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A: As everyone knows, the iPod is a super hot item in the market. Millions have been sold. And we have had many customers ask us the best way to enjoy their iPod (or MP3 player) while cycling. We searched high and low and were amazed that no one had created a decent mount and speaker system for
using the iPod on a bike. Apple has been great about letting companies create aftermarket products for the iPod, and there are thousands of items available - heck, you can even get a belt buckle to hold your nano (oops, that sounds kind of funny doesn't it?...sorry!) - but nothing decent for a bike. So we started sourcing the electronic components - speakers, amplifier, power source, etc. and found that most setups were extremely expensive and none were made to mount on a bike. Oh wait, there is one system we found, but it used an ugly handlebar clamp to mount it and it was only speakers- there was no place to put your iPod. So you still had to have the cord dangling to get connected.
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About a month later I found a unit that seemed like it might work with some minor modifications. It didn't have a mounting system for a bike, but it did have a decent set of speakers and amplifier. And it was compact and portable. So we went to work on engineering a mounting system. What we developed replaces the headcap on a threadless fork. Once the headcap is removed and replaced with our mount (which handles the same function as the headcap too) all you do is slide on the speakers and snap in the cradle for the iPod. The cradle and speakers can be removed without any tools so you can take it wherever you go and not have to worry about theft. At that point we thought we had the perfect solution, but then we realized that Apple was very inconsistent in the sizes of the various iPods they have released, so we had to develop a series of inserts to adjust the holder to fit any size iPod safely and securely.
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So now we have the complete package, and at an excellent price - the onboard music station itself is offered in both black and white finishes and retails for $29.99 and the mount retails for $13.99. It's a cool way to ride while listening to your favorite tunes, safely and legally (earbuds and earphones are in fact illegal in most states). And the initial reaction to the product has been great. It appears to be a real winner. We even showed it to a member of Apple's Board of Directors and they loved it!
Q: That head cap replacement deal is pretty clever. Since most recent bikes on the market come with threadless headsets, I guess you cover a pretty large slice of the potential market with it.
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I've always considered it crazy to ride a bike in traffic with earbuds on. In fact, I think it's also crazy to wear them while riding the New York Subway, or even walking on the sidewalk, come to that; although lots of people here do all three, at one time or another. But bike riding while hearing-impaired is practically begging for death.
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That's a pretty impressive lineup of new product you're rolling out, Alan. I can see why you created a stir with it. The name change to Cycles U.S. does seem to reflect your broader approach to the bike business. Does this involve an expansion of your corporate structure as well?
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A: Thanks for the compliments Jim. We are very excited about our 2007 lineup.

Our new name is actually our over-arching corporate name - it will probably never really be a product brand in and of itself. We will continue to develop separate brands that better describe each major product line such as Choppers U.S. for choppers and Cruisers U.S. for cruisers, and so on. We have already completed all the paperwork and filings for the name change, so it is officially our new name, although you will probably still catch me answering our phone lines as Choppers U.S.! Old habits die hard!
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In general, the new name, expanded product lines and marketing, and our overall repositioning all points to us becoming a more complete bike company, but with a slight twist. We do our best to stay focused on products that will attract more of the mass market to building and riding bicycles. And our approach is pretty unique in the industry - we use style, fashion
and entertainment to popularize and personalize our products. In the end, we hope to build a bicycle culture or lifestyle that has broader appeal, similar to how bikes are considered in other parts of the world such as in Europe.
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It's a pretty big bold and aggressive undertaking, and obviously one we know we can't tackle alone. So we are hopeful that other companies will start to deviate from how it has always been done in the industry and start thinking in a similar vein. If I can be so bold as to compare our efforts to one of the giants in the industry, another company that is clearly moving in this
direction is Shimano, with their new coasting product line. Although they are using different products than we are, the impetus is the same. Attract more people to cycling, make it interesting and make it an integral part of your life. I give them a lot of credit, because they have historically been a company that follows the mantra of building better technology that is
lighter, faster, etc. For them to jump into what I consider the "fashion" end of bikes is a bold leap for them and really shows a new way of thinking. I hope it is very successful for them.
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Oh, and to circle back to your original question, to support our rapid growth we have started taking on outside investment capital. This will allow us to push the envelope even harder. We currently have an active private placement offering going which we hope to close before the end of the year. Once that is closed we will have deeper pockets, so our competition had
better watch out!
Q: My impression is that your competition should have started watching out about a year ago. Now it may be too late for them.
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But seriously, Alan, it's been very exciting watching your company's progress to this point; and I see no reason that it won't continue to be equally engrossing to witness for years to come.
Since BR&K's agenda is also to popularize bike culture through glamorizing it and making it seem entertaining and fun, we're right with you on your goals. Let's hope that the momentum toward that end continues for both of us.
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Thanks for another very informative chat, Alan. May you continue to have fun.
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For more information on Alan's new products and pricing, visit the Cycles US store site.
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