This is a wip (emphasis on that) re-imagining of REI’s CTY commuter bikes, which are just fantastic no-frills work horses that (as of now) are just a neglected little sub brand of sub brand in REI’s shrinking bike market. I’ve long believed could corner a certain market of young professional city dwellers who ditched their car and bus delays to get around on two wheels.
For a little too long now, cycling culture and marketing has been dominated by dentists weekend warrioring on tri-bikes at group rides. They have their place, sure. But there’s a huge segment of riders who don’t really give a shit about peloton-leading aerodynamics but will still pay good money for a smart and stylish bike that will get them where they’re going.
This is a campaign inspired by the cool kid culture of cycling. Like all new brands, we’re tapping into a kind of classic nostalgia that captures the timelessness of a bike ride and stealing the language, design and feel from predecessors in spaces like early Dutch cycling culture and other activist spaces.
We’re focusing in on communicating in the way they do, caring about the things the community cares about. Like not getting hit by a car. Even though we’re stealing from vintage car ads too.
Whether you’re a young professional commuting to work in the early hours of the morning or a bike courier weaving through traffic to make a late-night delivery, CTY bikes are sturdy enough to get through every rough and tumble obstacle this city throws your way, and fast enough to keep up with the speed you operate at. Lightweight for taking it up your sixth-floor walk-up, resilient enough to take on pothole-ridden roads. All with an efficient, unpretentious and smart style worthy of city folk.
And because we're making city bike for city people, we'll be immersed in the unique cycling communities in the cities we operate in. Just like running brands are just now catching up to working with run clubs, we want to show up at group rides like Critical Mass, Monday Night Rides and especially the smaller, local rides that pop up from the community itself--as well as organizing a few rides of our own to connect the community to each out and to our brand.
