BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
American Paul Budnitz is an artist, film-maker, and the founder of Kidrobot, the art toy brand that also offers fashion apparel and accessories in thousands of stores worldwide.
Now based in Amsterdam, the serial entrepreneur has created Paul Budnitz Bicycles, a mail-order high-end bicycle company. He currently offers two titanium frame bicycles, a commuter bike and a cruiser. Both cost $5500; both are sold out, with the next available run slated for winter 2011. The website went live yesterday.
In 1995, Budnitz created the first feature film to be edited on a home computer, an achievement chronicled in Wired magazine in 1996. He started his first business while still in college, selling clothing he co-designed to museum stores worldwide. In 1997 Budnitz began a MiniDisc business that, by 2001, had become an $7 million business run on software Budnitz had written himself.
In 2002, Budnitz sold Minidisco and founded Kidrobot in a California garage. Kidrobot now produces 60 new toy projects each year. There are Kidrobot retail stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and Miami.
Budnitz splits his time between Amsterdam and Colorado.
The frames for his bicycles are made by ti specialist Lynskey Performance Bicycle of the US.
The bikes are sold mail-order.
The Budnitz Bicycles website says:
"Bicycles are shipped fully assembled. Just take your bicycle out of the box, turn the handlebars to the right position, tighten them, and ride away! If you’re not confident doing this yourself we’ll cover the cost of you bringing the bicycle to your local shop to have this set up for you. If you have any concerns upon inspecting your bicycle please contact us before riding it."
