There are a lot of new bikes out there. There are so many that for a new company to make a splash with a new bike, it really has to be something different. Something, interesting. Something… like the first offering from Coastline Cycle Company.
To call this thing a commuter really isn’t a worthy description, but neither is city bike, or even mountain bike. The brainchild of industry veteran Chad Battistone, Coastline Cycle Company is hoping to capitalize on those looking for a bike that is as fun as it is practical, and ride in with a new wave of affordable yet performance oriented carbon components as well…
Coastline Cycle Company’s first bike will be launched later this year via Kickstarter, but that’s not because Chad is new to the industry. What many would consider a “lifer,” Chad’s path through the bicycle industry started in the early 90’s with none other than AMP Research. After “spending too many days” riding his mountain bike in Laguna Canyon, when Chad saw that ‘help wanted’ sign hanging at AMP, he knew what had to be done. Chad walked in with his resume and a 6 pack of his home-brew as a thanks for the interview, and had a job before you could say ‘Horst Link.’
From AMP Research, Chad moved on to become the Customer service manager for GT Bicycles. Eventually Schwinn entered the picture and purchased GT causing the winds to change once again and Chad found himself managing a bike shop for a few years until his friend Brian Wilson brought news of Nirve Bikes and convinced Chad to come back to the world of Customer Service and warehouse management. At Nerve, Chad was again working with GT’s Doug Martin who introduced him to the idea of working at Interbike with Lance Camisasca. After the “shine wore off working for the ‘Big Show,'” Chad moved into the Customer Service Manager position for Felt – working once again with the crew he knew from his GT days under a new brand. That was until Lance left the position of Group Show Director of Interbike to start his own company, Lifeboat Events (now an arm of ECRM). Brought along for the ride, Chad became the Operations Manager of PressCamp (Lifeboat’s premier event) which he calls the “best job ever.”
Chad is still the Operations Manager of Press Camp and plans to continue to work with Lance, but he felt the time was finally right to tackle an idea he says he’s had rattling around in his brain for the past 10 years. To go along with Battistone’s lengthy industry experience, he drew upon long time friend and colleague Brady Sorensen’s experience in the action sports’ world to bring CCC to life. Working together, the duo brought the One from just a concept last year at Interbike to the rideable prototype you see here.
Why a new bike in almost a new category all together? As Chad puts it,
“These bikes were built from behind the customer service managers’ desk. We know it is a super unexciting and un-glamorous way to describe it but it’s true. We are building bikes to be ridden without fear of damaging your high modulus carbon fiber, having your power meter stolen off of your training bike at Starbucks or having the frame buckle because you were forced to panic swerve down a set of stairs. Our test riders are 250lb hammer heads, not flyweight spinners. When I say you can count on our bikes, it is with a fist smashing down on my desk. I mean it! The chance to avoid the pitfalls I have spent a large portion of my career fixing after the fact is very exciting. Years of troubleshooting help make the function of our bicycle second only to the experience of having the world roll by under your tires.”
So just what is the CCC One? Chad will be the first one to tell you – it’s a bicycle. Partly because it defies most categorization, and partly because he wants the rider to decide what to do with it. As for specifics, the One takes its inspiration from supermotard or supermoto racing which basically involves motocross bikes with street bike wheels and tires. The “urban moto” theme results in an aluminum frame with slack angles and long (not short) chainstays. The longer stays make the bike more stable and add a bit of comfort to the frame while the geometry makes it fun to ride and easy to handle in most situations.
Built around 27.5″ wheels with wide Easton Arc rims and Maxxis Re-Fuse 2″ knurled slicks, the bike has a distinct ride quality that you won’t find on many bikes currently on the show room floor. The tires and (CCC’s own, optional) 3C carbon wheels had an incredible ride on the pavement yet the bike is happy to find its way onto dirt, gravel, or other surfaces. Our brief ride quickly led to hooning around the parking lot, up onto curbs, down steps, and across any dirt we could find. There is no doubt this is a fun bike.
Following in the mountain bike lineage, the One will be quipped with a 100mm travel MRP suspension fork and an internally routed dropper post. Dropper posts might be popular for mountain bikes, but CCC sees an untapped market for urban bikes as well. Instead of pedal forward geometry, why not just drop the post to be able to rest your feet comfortably on the ground while stopped?
To be offered in five different builds, CCC plans to run a Gates Belt drive on all of their bikes. Chad pointed out that this was the high end CDX-Centertrack belts and cogs, not the cheaper parts – the company has hand picked each part to offer the most reliable ride that still fits into the “every man’s” pricing structure. To be sold consumer direct, the One will start with a $1,000 rigid (MRP Rock Solid carbon fork), single speed belt drive bike, up to the $2,400 8 speed Shimano IGH version shown above – and all models will be sold with Race Face pedals. Chad also mentioned that since the vinyl graphics will be done in house it will provide the opportunity for custom colors.
Also shown is the brand’s own line of carbon 3C components which again are aimed at bringing high end performance down to more attainable prices. The product line will initially include carbon riser bars and 35mm wide, hookless carbon rims which will be available as upgrades to the stock aluminum Easton rims.
One of the best parts of sitting down with Chad to discuss the project was seeing how passionate he was about their creation. Down to every bolt, each cable stop, and the individual components, he can tell you exactly why it was chosen and how it will add to the ride. This is truly a labor of love and from one bike nerd to another, the Coastline Cycle Co. One proves to be a very intriguing bike.
