Although Landyachtz is headquartered along one of Vancouver’s busiest cycling routes, it’s taken the B.C.–born skateboard company almost 20 years to officially launch a line of commuter bikes.

“We got really busy with skateboards—skateboards and life,” Landyachtz cofounder Tom Edstrand tells the Straight during a launch party for the cycling collection in Strathcona.  

Established in 1997 as a project between two buddies looking to “get around campus”, Landyachtz has since emerged as one of the world’s premier purveyors of skateboards, longboards, and skate supplies. Given the success of the company’s in-house line of boards, cofounders and childhood friends Edstrand and Mike Perreten recently debuted Landyachtz Bikes.

The premium bicycle brand currently includes two models: the Landyachtz City Bike, starting at $1,699 and also known as the CB, and the 1146 bike, starting at $5,500, which takes its name from the Union Street address where it’s hand-built.

The CB combines “road bike-like geometry” with flat handlebars and hydraulic brakes to offer the user optimal speed and control in the city. “When we designed that bike, we were really thinking about, ‘How can we make a bike that’s as fun as possible for trips between two to 10 kilometres within the urban environment?’ ” explains Perreten.

The 1146, meanwhile, employs modern road-bike technology and drop-down handlebars for a smooth and supple ride. Both bicycles are made with high-end Columbus steel tubing and are available at the Landyachtz shop at 1146 Union Street.

They’re also designed with Vancouver’s unique terrain in mind. “That’s how we started designing our skateboards and that’s how we’re designing our bikes,” notes Edstrand.

Landyachtz Bikes is the latest name to join a well-recognized list of Vancouver-based bicycle manufacturers, which includes brands like Brodie and Kona. Edstrand and Perreten note that they’re looking forward to helping residents embrace cycling as a viable method of transport, especially in a city as bike-friendly as Vancouver.

“We’re really passionate because we think bikes make people’s lives better,” adds Edtsrand, “and the communities that people ride them in better.”