Just when you think there are plenty of sub-$300 bike suppliers these days, a new player enters the market. With $1.5 in funding to boot. Brilliant Bicycle Co., founded by a group of ex-VCs who left their firm to start the company, is now open for online business.
To start, Brilliant will offer two style of bikes–the Astor and Mayfair–with more by the end of the year. Manufactured in Taiwan, both bikes are made from a 1020 steel frame and fork with plenty of clearance and mounts for fenders, racks, and baskets. The bikes use Shimano Nexus internally geared hubs with Shimano Revo shifters. Wide, 32mm tires come standard on both bikes for a smooth city ride. The bikes weigh anywhere from 27 to 29 pounds, depending on frame size.
The cruiser-style Mayfair comes in on a three speed version, while the Astor is available in either single, three speed, or seven speed for those that live in hilly areas. The Brilliant team put together some fun accessories they believe go well with your bike, such as the Giro Reverb helmet, Brooks leather saddle, and the Crane Suzu bike bell.
The Astor retails for $299 and comes in six different color combinations. The Mayfair retails for $399 and also comes in six different color combos. To keep the prices low, Brilliant sells direct from their website, instead of through your LBS or other dealer.
The team claims it should only take you 30-60 minutes to put your bike together when it arrives, even if you’ve never done something similar before. The shipping box includes everything you need to get the job done. Brilliant’s generous return policy states that if you don’t fall in love with your bike, for any reason at all, after riding it for 14 days, you can send it right back in the box it came in, for free, and they’ll refund you right away. Not bad.