The Right Frame of Mind

He fell in love with his new neighborhood but realized he and his wife could expand their community by expanding their radius. How? Bicycling. Riding instead of walking would allow them to experience more of the world around them and enhance their relationship with their new borough.   

Fast forward to 2011, when Ryan and his wife were visiting Vietnam and saw locals riding upright, utilitarian bikes (as opposed to racing or mountain bikes). A seed was planted: Zagata wanted to bring this more casual, affordable, comfortable and enjoyable type of bicycle home. From Vietnam, he called Worksman Cycles, the oldest bike manufacturer in the U.S., to start fabricating prototypes. The same year, he formed Brooklyn Bicycle Company. Today, the company produces 10 models of bicycles that are sold in more than 400 independent bike shops throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia.

We don’t aim to be the cheapest or the best. Those are fleeting pursuits, as someone will always undercut you or add something, which may not be necessary for the type of bike we sell. We want to be different in ways that other companies can’t replicate. For example, we communicate directly with our customers. Our bikes are all professionally assembled at our partner shops (such as Campus WheelWorks in Buffalo). We focus on one category, and we do it very well. When someone asked me once what makes us different, my answer was, “We give a s**t.” We really care about our people (customers and employees), partners (suppliers and sellers) and product and it shows. 

The Roebling is our most popular model. It’s named after John Augustus Roebling, engineer and designer of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Roebling is the first bike we developed and the most utilitarian, designed for short or long rides, smooth streets and rougher terrain. 

Aside from the education, my time at UB was all about independence. A big campus can be challenging for a first-year student. I learned to look for and ask for help, and my professors were always welcoming and supportive. Being part of a larger institution means you’re always meeting new people, so I grew comfortable approaching others and that certainly helped in my career. (Before Brooklyn Bicycle, Ryan worked for a politician and in finance.)

The Bedford three speed, which is not produced anymore. I’ve had it for eight years and love it.  

Having sold more than 50,000 bikes over the past decade, I want to continue to grow our reach around the world. I also want to go deeper into the city bike category. We’re talking to consumers about what accessories they want, which will make biking more approachable, easier and safer. And electric bicycles will likely be coming quite soon.

A lot of bike shop employees want to talk about bike things, which could get intimidating quickly. Be upfront and tell them how you want to ride, how often you’ll ride—and don’t let them sell you something you don’t need. We have a bike quiz on our website that includes questions about terrain, your height and so on. We think of ourselves as bike doctors, and a doctor would never prescribe a medication without asking you questions first.