Biz Buzz: Startup moves forward with bicycles for youths

It follows, then, that he wants his children — for that matter, all children — to have a chance to ride a bike that’s made with children in mind.

So when he found the bicycle he bought for his young son to be too heavy — at 23 pounds, more than half the boy’s weight — and not of the best quality, he set out to design his own bicycle for children.

The result is Pello — a four-model line of bicycles. Smallest is the Romper, with 14-inch wheels, a basic balance bike for $289. Biggest is the seven-speed 20-inch Rover for $429. Find out more at www.pellobikes.com.

Cusick has a business partner, Chris Peel, a marketing whiz and fellow resident in Richmond’s Westover Hills neighborhood.

Cusick used his bicycle-world connections to assemble state-of-the art parts for his designs. The bikes are being built by a manufacturer in Asia, where most of the world’s bicycles are made. And, by the way, all of the bikes weigh less than 20 pounds.

So far only a few Pello prototypes have been built, and those bikes are being field-tested by children. You can order a bike in advance or order other gear at www.kickstarter.com. Delivery is scheduled for November.

As of Friday afternoon, however, the crowdfunding effort was anemic. With an ambitious goal of $25,000 — about enough to cover the partners’ investment so far — Kickstarter had registered just 16 backers ordering goods worth $2,329. The monthlong campaign ends July 9.

“We may not make our goal,” Cusick said ruefully, “but we’re not depending on Kickstarter to go forward. We have a line of credit with a local bank, and we’re committed to following through — building the bikes and delivering them.”