For all you fellow Mini Cooper drivers, you will be as excited as I am that Cooper just launched their own hand-built bike brand, Cooper Bikes, at the Earl's Court Cycle Show in the UK this weekend.
Debut models, the T100 Monza and T100 Sebring, are named after the racing circuits which saw Cooper's F1 Championship Victory in 1959. The Company plans to apply the engineering and technical know how that has been synonymous with the Cooper brand for 50 years to their new bike line. Mike Cooper commented: "The Cooper Car Company has always had a passion for bicycles and we have been thinking about diversifying the business for awhile".
Both T100 bikes take on aggressive track bike styling with the Monza finished in dark blue with flat bars and the Sebring in silver and bullhorn bars. Both bikes can be used for either single speed freewheel or fixed gear riding. The T100s will be joined by the T200 Championship 50 and the T200 Reims 5 Speed, combining classic 1960s styling with modern components and technology. The Championship 50 is a special edition single speed, finished in the classic Cooper racing green.
All the bikes feature Brooks Saddles, Sturmey Archer cranks, Reynolds tubing and Tektro brakes. The T100 bikes will retail from £595, available in January 2010, and the T200s will be available in March 2010. Bikes can be ordered from www.cooperbikes.com or from select dealers worldwide.