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Most people who have studied or worked at UC-Davis have at least one bike-related memory, be it a late-night circuit with friends around our extensive paths, or getting caught in a sea of riders as a pedestrian.  When I arrived from Chicago to pursue my Master’s in Writing at UC-Davis, it was the first time I ever lived anywhere but the Windy City. I moved into a room in a large house with friends of friends, who were kind enough to loan me a bike so I could start getting around. In Davis, people biked like mad compared to what I was used to – though I rode to and from campus in college, we dealt more with angry drivers than other cyclists. Most gave up entirely when it snowed. 

When those roommates decided to start a bike company called City Bicycle Co. in our garage in north Davis, I was amazed by their passion and initiative–and I doubted them, like any good friend. Winter came around, and people were still biking. It didn’t snow. Then one day, 200 bikes showed up in the garage. In about a month, all the bikes were gone, along with my doubts. Two years later, I’m a full-grown Aggie Alumnus, and my old roommates contacted me to become a part of their continuing expansion and new partnership with the university. The university’s mission to serve people and society through implementing research in the classroom, and that is in concert with our goal to make affordable green transit the first choice for everybody.  Anyone with a UC-Davis education can see our the world is changing faster than ever, and City wants you to be prepared for the road ahead.  Much like how The UC-Davis City Type One is the culmination of what started in that garage, and now I’m happy to be fully onboard and riding for the Aggies and City in sunny San Diego.

It started with the bold thinking of two Davis Undergrads, and the chance to produce an exclusive UC Davis bike as alumni is a dream come true.  Our first models were designed as affordable transportation for students in Davis, where bikes are always in style, but as we refined our processes and expanded our scope, the City Type One was born. We scaled up our operations with warehouses in Los Angeles and Sacramento, and built a nationwide City Bicycle team, but never really left our roots. We are elated to join now with UC-Davis and their growing global reach. This exclusive UCD City Type One will help you ride with Aggie Pride both in Davis and wherever life leads. UC-Davis and City Bikes have been inseparable since the start, and this new collaboration brings this company’s Aggie journey full-circle.

The UC Davis x City Bicycle Co. collaboration bicycle is available now at the University Bike Barn near the Silo & on our product collection page here.