PRIORITY Bicycles: a new spin on two-wheeled transportation
Ever watched a beautiful bike become rusty? Had a chain break at the worst possible moment? Kiss those problems goodbye with the epic innovations of PRIORITY. They are the new leaders in the bike market. Why? Lemme break it down: Rubber chains, rust resistant materials, feather light construction. BOOM. We did a quick Q&A with Co-Founder Connor Swegle to learn about his inspiration, process, and success. PLUS if you make it to the bottom there may or may not be a discount code waitin' for ya ;)
JOLYN: Name and backstory?
CS: I’m Connor Swegle. I am a California-grown former track and field athlete, turned sometimes runner, passionately mediocre surfer, advertising agency desk job quitter, and now (proudly) the co-founder/CMO of Priority Bicycles.
Q: Where was your brand founded and how did your roots affect your company?
A: We were founded in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, but have deep roots in California. My partner and I went to UCSB. If you’ve ever been to UCSB, you know it’s a school that has more bicycles than some colleges have students. There, your bike doesn't cost a lot, or have the newest lightest tech, but it has to work for you everyday. If it goes down, you are down. That helped form the foundation on which we built Priority Bicycles. We wanted to make bicycles that didn’t need a lot of maintenance, looked great, and were affordable.
JOLYN: What sparked your passion for bicycles and inspired you to change the game?
CS: I, like most people, would prefer to be on the bike all the time. There’s no such thing as a bad day on a bike. Riding to warmup before the gym, hitting a coffee shop in the morning, commuting to my office, leaving the car parked and getting out of traffic - all of that. Too often, we hear about riders sharing that excitement, but their chain fell off, the bike is too heavy, the tires are popped, or the whole thing needs a tune up. The bike just sits there. We wanted to solve 90% of those problems so that it was easy to buy, ride, and maintain a bicycle. It’s important to us that people have really great bicycles at a great price- that’s where the Priority name came from.
JOLYN: How do PRIORITY models differ from what's already out there on the market?
CS: Our bicycles are all low maintenance with unmatched pricing. The biggest technical difference is that we feature a grease and rust free belt drive over a traditional metal chain. That means no more slow bikes, dirt stained calves, or rusty chains. Our bicycles are also super light and with rust proof frames which makes them easy to ride and durable. Overall you won’t find a better bicycle for the price out there, and we pride ourselves on that.
JOLYN: What is your favorite bike and why?
CS: The Priority Coast is my favorite. Growing up in California you always had your trusty beach cruiser, but in time, it ended up being your rusty or crusty beach cruiser- slow and heavy. Our Priority Coast fixed that- rustproof belt drive, light frame, comfortable ride, great look- it’s the bicycle I wish I had when I lived at the beach. Even though I live in the city now, it’s still my daily driver even if people look at me funny.
JOLYN: I need a new set of wheels... where can I shop Priority?
CS: Easy…www.prioritybicycles.com We’re hooking up our Jolyn friends as well. Use code: JOLYN50. That will give you give you $50 off ourbeach cruiser, the Coast, 3-speed city bike the Classic 2.0, or ournew commuter, the Continuum.
Interview by Hannah Sebenaler, Jan. 2016