In showbiz there is the saying “break a leg,” instead of “good luck.” We get that, but do wonder about the new bike brand that is launching at Interbike this week. With a name like Broken Bones we’re sure it will turn heads. Let’s just hope that there is no irony for riders.
Broken Bones Bicycle Company is go for launch.
Based in Los Angeles, the company is owned by Josh Horowitz, who is also the owner/director of the Wonderful Pistachios Pro Cycling Team. Broken Bones will launch at Interbike on Sept. 19 with an eye toward shaking up the culture and style of cycling.
“Cycling is marketed like golf — respectable, traditional, elegant and exclusive— when it should be marketed like the extreme sport that it is — exciting, dangerous and breathtaking,” Horowitz said. “I created Broken Bones to appeal to the 18-year-old up-and-coming athlete looking for a new sport. Or for the 38-year-old looking for something exciting to break out of the dreariness of a 50-hour-per-week desk job. This company was created to correct the disconnect between the outdated image of the sport and what it really is.”
Broken Bones was born after Horowitz found himself laid up in the hospital after a nasty crash on the track. While he was recuperating from four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken collarbone, he spent time flipping through a recent cycling buyers guide. On page after page, it was nothing but safe, traditional designs aimed at a very narrow market.
“Black bikes, white bikes; black-and-white bikes,” Horowitz said. “Or possibly a streak of red if some designer was feeling especially daring. It just didn’t match up with the thrilling experiences I have had for 25 years in the sport.”
The Broken Bones lineup is built around its first frame, the Fracture, which was tested under the Wonderful Pistachios Pro Cycling Team on the 2012 National Criterium Calendar circuit. The Fracture features bright, attention-grabbing graphics and is available with an Integrated Seat Post (ISP) or with a standard seat post. Pricing will begin at $3,100 for a team-issue Fracture equipped with Microshift components. Shimano Ultegra and Dura-Ace builds will also be available.
Unlike frames designed to compete in the lightest-and-stiffest class, the Fracture is designed to be raced — and raced regularly. That means the Fracture has to be not only light and stiff, but also durable and stable. The Fracture offers confidence in corners, responsiveness when it’s time to throw down and smoothness for long training days.
Simply put: It’s built to be raced, not hung in the garage and polished on Sundays.
Look for more information soon on the technology behind the Fracture, as well as complete details on the Broken Bones lineup — including its partnership with Hawk Racing.