Tribute to Different Lifestyles

Bicycle is one of those things so unique and important in our world. But because of how simple and common it is, the fact is mostly taken for granted. Just think of what a bike can represent to different people.  A way to better health, fun time at the park, a good time meeting with friends, transportation for a sustainable environment, the next adrenaline rush, etc etc. Bicycle opens so many paths for people with such minimum requirement.  At Cada Bikes, we believe that a bike should be just as beautiful and diverse as the lifestyles it enables. Here’s a clip showing how one of our prototypes fits into the life of a studio DJ. https://goo.gl/photos/fVrB1ZzaNT8khVFh9

Our Mission.

You are backing more than just a product development. Our mission is twofold. First is to provide backers with fabulous and functional bikes uniquely design by themselves. The other is to establish a platform so backers can accomplish their designs easily.

What we are providing.

It all started when my wife Joyce went shopping for a bike. First we checked out your usual department stores like Sears, Canadian Tire, London Drugs, and Costco. We soon realized that they all carry pretty much the same things. Sure the brands were different, but style wise they were all the similar generic mash ups of logos and colors. So next we went to a few specialty bike shops. And surely the selections there were much better. But wow, look at those price tags. Does this situation sound familiar to you? Have you ever searched for, or are in the process of searching for, a bike that you really really like, but instead had to either pay out loads of money for a custom job, or settle for a model that has zero "curb appeal"? Here at Cada Bikes, we aim to give you a great selection of components, so you can design your own awesome ride from the ground up. Our bikes are much like single speed bikes, in the way that pretty much all the parts can be customized. The form of the bike remains classy, clean, and super sexy. At the same time, practicality is enhanced by having incorporated a 6 speed gear system in all of our bikes. An online bike creator will soon be launched so you can easily throw the parts together as you like and visualize your ride instantaneously. Using the beta version of the bike creator, we have put together some sample bikes. You will see the artistic rendering of these to get a taste of all the possibilities.  The official bike creator will show you a realistic visual of the bike you put together.   It was a lot of fun designing with all the parts selections. We tried not to go too crazy with the color combos though. That's something we'll leave for you to do. ;) Sample Builds: Frame Design: As illustrated, our frames currently come in six colors and three sizes, 50cm (Aqua Blue, Deep Crimson, and Neon Yellow), 53cm (Matte Black and Royal Blue), and 48cm (Rose Pink). Our frames are rather uniquely designed with bottom mounting rear brake and internal cabling, which keeps the bike’s form clean and sleek. Our frames are made with 4130 Cro-Mo Alloy instead of common high tensile steel found on entry level bikes. There are many debates over exactly which characteristic makes Cro-Mo Alloy a better material than hi-ten steel, eg. ease of welding, better strength to weight ratio, lower fatigue rate. However, it is well acknowledged that Cro-Mo Alloy is by far the superior material than hi-ten steel for bikes. Furthermore, the frames are tested according to EN14781:2005. The test is a CEN European safety standard for racing bicycles, which is even more stringent than city bicycle testing standard that some of the other manufacturers use. So you rest reassured that this is a product that can last a long time. For sizing selection, please use the table below for suggested match. Sizing Chart: Note that we have stocked four different lengths of stems in order to provide a better fit for different rider’s height. So be sure to tell us your exact height so we can adjust it for you. Otherwise the standard length will be used. Frame Spec: For the technically savvy riders, we also have a detailed frame spec. Fitting by Stack and Reach: Stack and reach are becoming popular in determining how to bike will fit for you.  They are mainly adopted for enthusiast/hard core riders that really care about pedal stroke efficiency and power output.  If you are one of those people, feel free check out the chart below.  Again, we have four different stem length for fine tuning. Each will of course affect the stack and reach differently. 6 Speed Gear: Whichever frame you choose, a 6-speed gear system comes standard at no extra cost. We selected a Shimano Megarange flywheel which has a sprocket set ranging from 14 teeth to 34 teeth. The biggest 34T sprocket is the bail out gear that will definitely carry riders through the more difficult terrains. Coupled with a 48T front chainring, you are well covered from the steep end to the speed end. Handlebars: Once you’ve selected your frame, the next critical component is the handlebar. We currently offer four types - Riser, Moustache, Pista, Pursuit. Both the bare bar and the grip/tape come in multi-color options for rider to mix and match.  All the handlebars look really cool. However each provide a slight niche in the bike’s handling. The Riser bar provides handling that most people are familiar with, and is a well rounded for riders of all levels. The Moustache bar has a classic look, and gives you a more upright posture for a more laid back feel. The Pista is a little more aggressive, and provides a forward lean reducing wind resistance. The Pursuit has great versatility, providing extra arm space and a bit of a forward lean when installed flat, or lets rider sit a bit more upright when installed at a tilt. Wheels and Tires: The next elements that give the biggest visual impact are the wheels and tires. These are 700C wheels with 25C tires. You are of course free to select different colors for the front and rear. The Blings: Now that you have set the overall tone of the bike, it’s time to put the icing on the cake. The blings can really make your bike pop, and we’ve got lots of them. Don’t let all these customization intimidate you. Along with the development of the bikes, we are also developing a digital canvas for you to easily select your options. Once the online bike creator is complete, you will be able to see right away what your bike looks like. In fact, backers will have early access before anyone else gets to play with it. It will be so easy mixing things up to create eye catching rides, like this couple right here. https://goo.gl/photos/u1rvvmV3bSeFa3ZT7

Timeline and Milestones

We are absolutely dedicated to making it a successful project. In fact, we have already invested money into building prototypes, and procuring a small amount of materials critical to our first batch of production. These high priority materials are expected to arrive around the same time we finish our campaign. We will be missing only components with short lead time. This means once the campaign is finished, backers pledging the two Express packages will only need to wait a couple of weeks before starting to have their rewards fulfilled. Pretty sweet isn’t it? Ninja Mutant Early Bird (limited) @ $515CAD (Approx. $396USD):   Under $400 USD, this is the biggest deal on a customized bike that is way below our cost! Quantity is limited.  So you might wanna hurry. What you will get:

• One fully customized bike designed using our online Bike Creator
• Freedom to pick everything we have to offer
• Get to submit your design as early July 25th
• Fulfillment start in early November
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Early Bird Package (limited) @ $595CAD (Approx. $458USD):   You are not gonna find another customized bike at mid-400 USD out there.  If you missed our Ninja Mutant package, this is still an awesome deal.  What you will get:

• One fully customized bike designed using our online Bike Creator
• Freedom to pick everything we have to offer
• Get to submit your design as early July 25th
• Fulfillment start in early November
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Kickstarter Package @ $675CAD (Approx. $520USD):   What you will get:

• One fully customized bike designed using our online Bike Creator
• Freedom to pick everything we have to offer
• Get to submit your design as early July 25th
• Fulfillment start in early November
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Early Bird Express Package (limited) @ $695CAD (Approx. $535USD): What you will get:

• One fully customized bike designed using our online Bike Creator
• First dib picking everything we have to offer
• Get to submit your design as early July 25th
• Fulfillment start as early as Aug 12th
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Kickstarter Express Package (limited) @ $695CAD (Approx. $535USD): What you will get:

• One fully customized bike designed using our online Bike Creator
• Bike design submission as early as Aug 8th
• Fulfillment start as early as Aug 12th
• Contents of the Appreciation Package
• We will have quite a bit of inventory for you. But in the small chance that one or two components you really really like have been picked clean by other backers, we will change your pledge to the Early Bird package and refund the difference.

We also expect to finish our online bike creator within the next two weeks. Backers of all pledge levels will have exclusive first access to this system to experience the creative bike build process first hand. You will receive a unique code that validates your design submission according to your pledge package here on Kickstarter. During fulfillment period, bikes will be assembled and shipped at 90% completion level, meaning everything will be shipped already assembled except for the handlebar, saddle, and foot pedals. Proper tools will be provided so users can install these parts by themselves. You can also support us even if you don’t need a new bike. There are other rewards such as cinch packs and t-shirt with reflective graphics to increase your safety riding at night. Or, you can simply share our project with your family and friends. Any level of support is highly appreciated. Appreciation Package @ $8CAD (Approx. $6USD)   What you will get:

• Exclusive access to our online Bike Creator when it rolls out
• Our gratitude email
• Updates of our project as it progresses
• You name on our website so people know who to thank for bring this project to life

Reflective Cinch Pack @ $20CAD (Approx. $15USD)  What you will get:

• Cinch pack with reflective graphics
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Reflective T-Shirt @ $30CAD (Approx. $23USD) What you will get:

• T-Shirt with reflective graphics
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Reflective Combo @ $45CAD (Approx. $35USD) What you will get:

• Cinch pack with reflective graphics
• T-Shirt with reflective graphics
• Contents of the Appreciation Package

Cinch packs and T-Shirts are printed with highly reflective graphics to increase your safety riding at night. Here's a picture of our reflective graphic taken in a dark room with a iPhone flash. All packages include shipping to Canada and Contiguous US. If you are located elsewhere, please give us a shout and we’ll see what can be done. Timeline: .Warranty We are absolutely confident in the quality of our product.  However, just in case of some unforeseen manufacturing defect, we do offer a 10 year warranty on the framesets, and 1 year warranty on other parts.  Note that normal wear and tear is not within the scope of the warranty.

A little more background story.

In essence, we believe that people ride bikes not because of how many gears the bike has, or how light the frame is. We believe people ride because it makes their life beautiful. There is a certain romance in coasting on a bike, feeling that breeze on your face. The experience is ever lasting, as well as inspirational, like how this dancer was inspired to dance by her memories on the bike. (And Yes! We do love shooting videos of our bikes!) https://goo.gl/photos/Vijze6npcEXb9hkHA Note that the bikes featured in all the films were early prototypes with external cabling still.  But hopefully through the films you would share our perspective on how a bike can be a big part of life. If you want to find out more about us, read on to get a full scoop of how Cada Bikes came to be. Cada Bikes was partly inspired by the culture of single speed bikes, or fixies as some die-hard riders might call them.  These are bikes that can be customized to no ends.  Well not no ends. But typical shops offered many color options on a wide array of components on the bike. If you like Captain America for example, you could pick a blue frame, matched with red wheels, and white tires. The color options extend to many other components handlebars, seatposts, saddles, grips, cranks, chains, etc etc. So why couldn’t this be made available to all bikes? Well, as it turned out, a single speed bike has exactly one gear, hence the name single speed. It has less components to worry about. Some models don’t even have a brake. How do you stop you say? Well that gets a little complicated. Let’s just say for the average rider, it’s a difficult feat. But because of its simplicity, it allows for parts to be swapped in and out easily.  The customization aspect of a single speed bike is truly exciting.  However, the lack of multiple gears and brakes at both front and rear wheels mean it’s impractical especially for casual riders. Therefore, Cada Bikes was born. We want to take all the awesome colors and styles from the single speed culture, and infuse them with a few practicalities like having gears and dual brakes. We started contacting a few vendors and manufacturers. We wanted to see if we can take a single speed bike, and slap on some brakes and gears. Unfortunately it was not that simple. First of all, the single speed bike frames lack the mounting points for these hardware. Secondly, geared bikes typically has a larger rear hub spacing to accommodate the flywheel. There were loads of tiny details we had to overcome. But to spare you the technicalities, let’s just say that we have redesigned a classic diamond shaped frame to play along well with a multitude of components. Part of the appeal of a single speed bike is its clean form. To maintain this appeal, we’ve taken a couple of steps to hide cables inside the frame. This is quite a bit of extra work during both manufacturing and assembly. But the end result is a clutter-free body with minimum distraction of cables. Furthermore, we are mounting the rear brake caliper at the bottom of the seat tube. This enhances the classic form of the frame even more. There is still a mounting point at the top of the seat tube, for those people still prefer having the rear brake caliper installed in that position. The frame is also compatible with front and rear fenders, cargo rack, and bottle holder. Some bikes try to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. To us, that’s not good enough. So instead, we don’t just settle for a balance, we push the limits at both ends.

Thank you

We hope you have enjoyed our story.  If you share our enthusiasm, please back us and/or help us spread the words.  If you have any question at all, feel free to send us an email or leave your comment.