With the recent release of the E-540 kids geared bike range, a few customers and stockists were asking how this range came about. Here, Warren Key, owner of Kids Bike Co, talks about the range and the overall design process. The new E-540 range has taken the long way around to get to the stores. Although this size bike was not on the original ByK to do list, it wasn't long before my own kids needed the next size bike up. Even upon making the commitment to go with the model, the design, sampling, testing and final specification process takes the best part of two years. My earliest designs used the 540mm ( 24 x 13/8th ) wheel size as we have it now, but with factory limitations, I was not able to use this size and instead had to fall back on the 507mm ( 24 x 1.75 ) size. In the interim, the E-500 and E-550 ranges were developed and release.d Although the E-500 range was a success, I never let up on the E-540 dream and with the appointment of a newer factory it has become a reality this year. Along with the more dynamic wheels comes many new updates and additions. Not least is our evolved graphics to suit the age of the rider. I guess I realised the kids at this age don't like being told the bike is 'ergonomic' - that's just not cool! So we used some road bike styling in a classic ByK theme. The response has been overwhelming. Store "pick-up" rates have doubled and sales tripled already, after just two months. Better still my own son, Jensen, has finally given up on his E-450 Team model and now only rides the E-540x16, more often to school, I notice. I think he he thinks he has got a pretty cool bike and does a bit of showing off. Good for him.
Check out the full range of E-540 geared kids bikes.