Kidrobot founder and former creative director Paul Budnitz is now in the bicycle business with two city-oriented models both crafted almost entirely in titanium by Lynskey PerformanceJames Huang/BikeRadar
Recognize this? Paul Budnitz, the founder of ‘art toy’ icons Kidrobot, is now delving into bicyclesKidrobot
While pleasant to look at and comfy to ride, the No. 1 model shown here is also light at just 9.32kg (20.55lb) all inJames Huang/BikeRadar
Budnitz builds his bikes with swoopy, cantilevered titanium tubing and twin, small-diameter top tubes for a smooth rideJames Huang/BikeRadar
One of the only identifying marks is this titanium head tube badgeJames Huang/BikeRadar
Welded-on fittings for racks and fenders are included on the neatly constructed seat clusterJames Huang/BikeRadar
The sliding dropouts can be swapped out for geared or singlespeed use and the driveside one can be split for belt compatibiity. Fender and rack eyelets are included, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
The bottom bracket is a straightforward setup with a threaded shell and square tapered spindleJames Huang/BikeRadar
The Gates belt drive system requires a little extra room behind the bottom bracketJames Huang/BikeRadar
Paul Budnitz’s bicycles are intentional devoid of flashy logos or paint. Just a couple of low-key badges identify the makeJames Huang/BikeRadar
Budnitz says the cantilevered, twin top tube layout lends a smoother ride – not to mention a more elegant look – than conventional double-diamond configurationsJames Huang/BikeRadar
Internal routing keeps the exterior surfaces clean and uncluttered. There will eventually be a more finished-looking metal cover for the unused down tube port on singlespeed modelsJames Huang/BikeRadar
The ‘No.1’ model comes with a beautiful segmented titanium fork. The ‘No.2’ uses a more conventional setup but it’s still titanium for a smooth rideJames Huang/BikeRadar
The titanium forks are finished with elegant hooded dropoutsJames Huang/BikeRadar
Paul Budnitz says he may offer his custom titanium handlebars aftermarketJames Huang/BikeRadar
Paul Budnitz says the Paul Components brake levers are purely coincidental in terms of the name, instead being chosen for their sleek look and durability. The brass bell is optional but sounds fantasticJames Huang/BikeRadar
The custom titanium stem is likely heavier than a high-end forged aluminum unit but the look fits in better with the rest of the bikeJames Huang/BikeRadar
The No.1 is fitted with 35mm-wide, 700c Schwalbe slicks front and rear while the No.2 gets much fatter rubber and a 69er layout, both wrapped around wide-format Velocity Blunt aluminum clincher rimsJames Huang/BikeRadar
The titanium seatpost uses a simple one-bolt headJames Huang/BikeRadar
Budnitz sticks to mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes for their easier user serviceability and simplicityJames Huang/BikeRadar
Highly polished White Industries hubs fit the overall aesthetic and allow for both geared and singlespeed useJames Huang/BikeRadar
Budnitz prefers the look of Nokon’s segmented aluminum housing but the full-length liner also works well with the internal routingJames Huang/BikeRadar
The machined Devinci aluminum crankarms have an intentionally old-school look. The square tapered interface is a well tested technology, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
If you want even more exclusivity (and a little more flash), there’s also now a fully polished option. Given the amount of labor required to generate such gleam, though, the price jumps to a much more substantial US$8,000 for the standard singlespeed modelJames Huang/BikeRadar
Paul Budnitz Bicycles haven’t gone halfway with their polished edition No.1. In addition to the frame itself, the head tube badge, stem, handlebar and seatpost are polished, too. An extra bonus is the Chris King titanium headsetJames Huang/BikeRadar
Even the dropouts are polished on this specially finished Budnitz Bicycles No.1James Huang/BikeRadar
Paul Budnitz’s artistic inclinations even extend to the owner’s manual, which is hand illustrated by recognized Colorado artist/illustrator/sculptor John Orion YoungJohn Orion Young/Budnitz Bicycles
The hand-drawn illustrations are both descriptive and a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter documentation that’s typically included with mass-produced bicyclesJohn Orion Young/Budnitz Bicycles
This Kidrobot ‘Dunny’ is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York CityKidrobot
Say you’re looking for an everyday city bike. Most of us would simply shop and search until we found something satisfactory. But not Paul Budnitz, the founder of world-renowned ‘art toy’ creative engine Kidrobot. Uninspired by everything he saw, Budnitz instead built his own custom machine and then started a whole company around it to sell his vision of the perfect bicycle to others.
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“I couldn’t find what I wanted, which is how this usually starts with me,” he told BikeRadar during a visit to his office in Boulder, Colorado. “In this case, I wanted a bike that was incredibly fun to ride, incredibly elegant and would last a really long time. That was my thing and it was either really high-end road bikes or city bikes that generally were made with lower-end components but weren’t so beautiful.”
Paul Budnitz Bicycles‘ current catalog includes two urban-flavored bikes: the No.1 with dual 700c wheels and 35mm-wide slick tires, and the No.2, a 69er (26in rear wheel, 29in front) with ultra-fat 2.35in street rubber. They share a common theme, with comfortable and curvaceous cantilever frame layouts, dual small-diameter top tubes, classic lines, internal cable routing, sliding rear dropouts and a minimalist aesthetic that’s intentionally devoid of logos and flashy colors.
While pleasant to look at and comfy to ride, the no. 1 model shown here is also light at just 9.32kg (10.55lb) all in: while pleasant to look at and comfy to ride, the no. 1 model shown here is also light at just 9.32kg (10.55lb) all inJames Huang/BikeRadar
While pleasant to look at and comfy to ride, the No. 1 model shown here is also light at just 9.32kg (20.55lb) all in
What’s also shared between both bikes is lots of titanium, which is used for not only the frame and fork but also the seatpost, stem and handlebar – nearly all of which is custom built for Budnitz by Lynskey Performance in Tennessee. Budnitz says he prefers the mystical metal not only for its light weight and durability but also its unique ride characteristics and renewable aesthetic. “If it ever scratches you can just buff it out so it’ll still look new and there’s an environmental component to that, too,” he said.
The componentry follows that same simple-yet-durable motif with Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes, Devinci machined aluminum cranks rotating on a Token square-taper bottom bracket, Schwalbe slick tires, Paul Components brake levers, standard maintenance-free Gates belt drives, Nokon segmented aluminum housing, and custom wheels built with White Industries hubs and Velocity Blunt rims.
