Monkey Faction is on a mission to get people riding bicycles again. Whether you are young or old, your health and quality of life improves by riding a bike.
In today's culture, bikes are too often viewed as being relics of the past or uncomfortable to ride. The new Capuchin by Monkey Factionaims to bring bike riding dynamically into the present.
Chris Dupuis - Team
Dave Goeppner - Team
Michael Kleinheinz - Team
The new Capuchin by Monkey Factioncombines the comfort and ease of a scooter, with the durability and responsiveness of a mountain bike. The result is a bike that is refreshingly new and is incredibly fun to ride.
Since the bicycle was invented in 1817, there have only been a handful of times where its design has been significantly updated. The release of the Capuchin marks one of these times.
It begins with the frame. For over a century, bicycles have used a basic, diamond-shaped frame. The Capuchin tosses that to the side and replaces it with a new, easy-on/off alloy frame with unique dimensions.
The Capuchin's frame is designed around its Scooter Saddle SystemTM, which enables the rider to choose their optimal sitting position for proper leg extension and comfort. The system features a long, slender saddle reminiscent of the banana seats from the 1960s and early 70s.
The Capuchin features BMX-style wheels with massive four-inch tires for a smooth, stable ride. Shimano gears and disc brakes make for easy shifting throughout its 7-speeds, and ample stopping power for any situation.
Monkey Faction is led by three bicycle industry veterans who together have been designing and manufacturing bicycles for over two decades. Monkey Faction is the culmination of their shared vision to create fun, affordable bicycles that motivate people to ride again.
The Capuchin bicycle retails for $449.99, and launched on Kickstarter yesterday. The early bird Kickstarter launch price will be $349 to the first backers.
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Comments
The worse of both worlds: scooter's weight and tire drag + bike's discomfort and poor reliability.
And two miles in bathing costume with that saddle: ouch!
Giorgio, hope that some day you can get to ride the bike and see what you think! Our feedback from almost all is that it is super comfortable and they are surprised how easy it is to pedal!
In the real world... We have instrumentation to measure rolling resistance, there are limits of coarse but a wider tire at the same PSI will have LESS rolling resistance than a narrow tire because the tire will deform less....
The reason you see all these narrow tires is NOT because of function, its for funding road racing. The reason they use narrow tires is to aerodynamically shave off tenths of a second...
Narrow tires have zero purpose on an everyday commuter bike or something to cruise around on..
How can I avail this prototype product? I'm excited to shred this bike on trails and streets! I want to spread this newest idea here in the Philippines! thank you! God bless!
The space under the saddle could be use for carrying shopping. It seems a curious omission, given the casual 'pop to the shops, pop to the beach' nature of this bike.
Great insight Dee An! This was something that was 100% thought of and planned for. The goal for the initial bike launch is to keep cost down and keep the bike extremely affordable. We are equipping the production models with mounting points under the seat for battery mounting. The goal will be to offer an electric motor kit for the bike in near future. This will be a complete kit where you just mount up the battery under the seat and install complete rear wheel and you will be ready to go!
The bike is actually one of the most comfortable bikes you can ride! It is funny to hear a comment about discomfort and poor reliability from a person who has never ridden the bike.
Personally, I get it. It's a step through frame with a nice upright cruiser position, and beefy mechanics so it can actually handle modern (i.e. concrete, gravel, sand, brick) terrain. The step over style frame and thin tires were invented before paved roads. Frankly bicycle shape is pretty arbitrary anyway and I applaud this inexpensive and well designed alternative. And thank you for making a tall person size! Tall people have it tough with anthropometric sizing.
Joshua, love that you like the Capuchin bike! Our goal was really to make a comfortable, fun, easy to ride bike that brings old school mini bike elements together with modern mountain bike and scooter features. We have worked hard to make sure the ergonomics keep the rider in a very comfortable upright position while still making the bike fun and lively to ride!